At the Service Station

Customer - Excuse me, Sir.

Attendant - Yes, Sir?

Customer - Something is wrong with my car.

Attendant - What's wrong?

Customer - The car has broken down, but you see, I'm just a beginner. I can't find the problem.

Attendant - Let me have a look at it.

Customer - Here it is. Each time I start the engine I hear a strange noise.

Attendant - What noise do you hear?

Customer - I suppose, a metal one and rather loud.

Attendant - Let me listen to it. Aha, you have a compression reduction in the engine; the gases and fuel steam penetrate into the crankcase mechanism. And the plugs are contaminated.

Customer - Can you fix it?

Attendant - Of course, I'll check the rings, the cylinder walls and the bushes. And if it is necessary, I'll change the gasket.

Customer - Are you going to dismount the crank mechanism?

Attendant - Sure! You can get your car tomorrow.

7. Answer the questions.

1. What is the matter with the car?

2. Why can't the Customer find the problem?

3. What does he hear when he starts the engine?

4. What kind of noise is it?

5. What has the Attendant found?

6. What is wrong with the car?

8. Reproduce the dialogue.

9. Compose your own dialogue on the situation:

1. Two neighbors are in the garage. One of them (Tom) is a beginner; the other one (Jack) is an experienced mechanic. Tom doesn't know what to do. He is in a mess. The pressure gauge indicates the compression reduction. Jack gives him some pieces of advice.

Words and phrases to be used:

Pressure gauge, to indicate, something has gone wrong to, pressure reduction, a lot depends on the gas-distributive mechanism, valves do not open completely, valves are not closed tightly, snuff on the operating surfaces, the wear of the guide bush, valve sag, a fan-driver, to consult a specialist.

2. A talk between an Instructor (George) and an Amateur Driver (Nick). The Instructor gives some pieces of advice to a beginner: how to detect and correct a fault in a crank mechanism.

Words and phrases to be used:

Abnormal operation, clatter, wear of the shafts, bushes, inserts, increase of the cylinder diameters, to replace, to change, head fitting is not tight, to control the compression.

10. Read and translate the texts in written form.