Module 5 – Auto Racing

Grammar - Preposition

A preposition is a word which shows relationships among other words in the sentence. The relationships include direction, place, time, cause, manner and amount. In the sentence She went to the store, to is a preposition which shows direction. In the sentence He came by bus, by is a preposition which shows manner. In the sentence They will be here at three o'clock, at is a preposition which shows time and in the sentence It is under the table, under is a preposition which shows place.

A preposition always goes with a noun or pronoun which is called the object of the preposition. The preposition is almost always before the noun or pronoun and that is why it is called a preposition. The preposition and the object of the preposition together are called a prepositional phrase. The following chart shows the prepositions, objects of the preposition, and prepositional phrases of the sentences above.

Preposition	Object of the Preposition	Prepositional Phrase
to	the store	to the store
by	bus	by bus
at	three o'clock	at three o'clock
under	the table	under the table

Prepositional phrases are like idioms and are best learned through listening to and reading as much as possible. Below are some common prepositions of time and place and examples of their use.
Prepositions of time:
at two o'clock
on Wednesday
in an hour, in January; in 1992
for a day
Prepositions of place:
at my house
in New York, in my hand
on the table
near the library
across the street
under the bed
between the books
Complete the following sentences with in, on, at, until:

In Washington DC it's always hot _____ summer. But I remember _____ 1984 _____ Independence Day, we wanted to go out _____ the morning. We decided to go early, _____ six o'clock, because nobody works _____ July 4th in the USA and all the roads are busy. It was already hot _____ that time and I felt ill, but we went out anyway. _____ midday I felt worse and _____ the afternoon I had strange pains. We went to the hospital _____ about six thirty _____ the evening of that July 4th and our son was born _____ 10.15 _____ night. So he had arrived _____ time. He was born _____ Wednesday and we went home _____ Friday. _____ the weekend a lot of friends and relatives came to visit us. There was a party _____ the Saturday evening which didn't finish _____ early _____ Sunday morning. But I was fast asleep _____ midnight and didn't hear a sound.

Choose the right preposition from ago, for, in, on, since:

January	February	March
new car	new job	married 22nd
April	May	June
Paris	Vienna	home
July	August	September
holiday	home 2 weeks	1st Istanbul
October	November	December
home	Home	Paris

Exemple: Today is September 8th, I am in Istanbul.

I got married six months ____.
I've been married ____ nearly six months.
It'll be Christmas ____ 3 months.
I've had my car ____ January.
I've been in Istanbul ____ a week.
I've had this job ____ February.
I was on holiday 2 months ____.
I was at home ____ a month ____ June.
I bought my car ____ January 2nd.
I'll be at home ____ 2 months ____ October and November.
I was in Paris five months ____.
I'll be in Paris again ____ 3 months.
I was on holiday ____ 2 weeks ____ July.
I haven't been to Vienna ____ 4 months.
I'll be at home ____ a month's time.
I got married ____ 22nd March.
I bought my car 8 months ____.
I've been married ____ March.
I haven't had a holiday ____ July.
I haven't been to Vienna ____ May.
Read and discuss the article:
Michael Schumacher broke the world record for Grand Prix wins at the Belgium Grand Prix. But during the race there was a serious accident. Driver David Coulthard gave his thoughts about safety.

David Coulthard admits that were it not for safety improvements in recent years, the accident - which saw Luciano Burti's Prost hit a tyre barrier at nearly full speed, would have been fatal. But Coulthard says the incident shouldn't cause motor sport's bosses to reduce speeds at high-speeds tracks like Spa. Instead he called for further improvements to run-off areas.

"Danger is an integral part of our sport," said Coulthard. "We can't have a series of low speed corners, because that's not what F1 is about...What we should try and do is make the run-off areas as safe as possible, to minimise the chances of a driver getting hurt because he hits the barrier."

Burti probably owes his survival to the improvements in cockpit safety introduced following the double tragedy at Imola in 1994 when Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed. It's still not certain whether the 26-year-old will recover in time for the next grand prix on Sunday week.

Vocabulary

admits
says that it is true
improvements
things that are made better
fatal
a fatal accident is one in which someone is killed
to reduce
to make less
run-off areas
a place on the side of the racing track where cars can go safely if they come off the track
integral
important
to minimise
to make smaller
cockpit
the part of a racing car where the driver sits.
Auto Racing Glossary

altered – a class of drag racer that starts with an automobile body and can then be modified in almost any manner.

back off – to slow down; often said of a driver who is attempting to pass and realizes he can't make it, so he backs off to try again later.

banked turn – a turn that's inclined so the outside area is higher than the inside area.

bend – 1. A shallow turn. 2. To damage a car slightly.

big banger – a powerful engine; one with a large volume of displacement, usually more than 305 cubic inches.

black flag – the signal for a driver to come into the pits, usually to allow officials to inspect it to determine whether it can run safely after an accident. It may also mean that officials have already decided the car is to slow or too dangerous to continue running, as when it has a serious oil leak that makes the track slippery.

blown engine – 1. An engine that has failed completely. 2. A supercharged engine.

bore – The diameter of the cylinder bore.

box – the transmission.

cc – cubic centimeters, the standard measure of displacement in Europe.

chicane – a man-made corner set up to reduce speed at a certain point on a road track.

chute – a straightaway.

compound – a substance used to make racing tires, generally some blend of natural and synthetic rubbers with resin, carbon black, bonding agents, and other substances.

dicing – close, dangerous driving; from the notion that the driver is gambling with lives.

differential – the final link in the drive train, which transmits power to the wheels.

downshift – shifting from a higher to a lower gear, used in road racing to slow a car without any significant change in engine speed.

draft – to follow another car very closely, taking advantage of decreased air resistance.

drift – a controlled, four-wheel slide through a turn, to get a car line up for a straightaway with a minimum of steering.

dynamometer – an instrument used to measure engine output.

formula – a set of specifications that defines a class of racing cars; Formula One is the best known.

go into the country – to leave the track, in road racing.

Grand Prix – strictly, a race that counts toward the World Drivers' Championship.

grid – the arrangement of cars in the starting lineup; at the Indianapolis 500, the grid is made up of 11 rows with three cars per row.

groove - the fastest route through a turn or around the complete course.

GT – Grand Touring; originally from the Italian Gran Turismo, meaning a sedan built in limited quantities and designed to provide fast, comfortable transportation over fairly long distances.

gymkhana – a competition in which cars are driven around a twisting course, executing certain specified maneuvers, against the clock.

hairpin – a turn that goes through 180 degrees.

hairy – frightening; originally short for "hair-raising."

heel-and-toe – a driving technique in which the accelerator is operated with the right heel and the brake pedal with the toes of the right foot.

jump – to start before the signal is given; usually in drag racing.

leadfoot – an aggressive driver who always goes for the lead.

Le Mans start – a type of start in which the drivers, at the starting signal, run to their cars, start the engines, and begin racing.

line - the route taken by a driver, especially through a turn; as in, "He took a very high line to avoid being passed."

pace car – the car that leads the competitors around the course before the race begins.

pacer – a driver who travels at pretty much the same speed throughout the race, conserving his car in the hope that those traveling faster will be forced to drop out with mechanical problems.

qualifying – preliminary sessions in which cars race against time to determine their positions in the grid.

shoes – tires.

spin – to lose control so that the car revolves around its vertical axis. Also "spin out."

sports car – generally, any car that handles better, brakes better, and is more maneuverable than an ordinary passenger car.

sportsman – a type of stock car with a light body and engine modified in certain limited ways.

T-bone – to hit another car broadside.

ten-tenths – driving at the car's absolute limit.

X-car – an experimental car.

yellow flag – a flag used to signal caution because of dangerous conditions. A driver is not allowed to improve his position under the yellow flag.