Feedjit

Saturday, 1 March 2014

PARTS OF A CAR

Today we'll have a look at the differences in the vocabulary about cars between BrE and AmE. Thus, for instance, 'capó' is bonnet in BrE., and hood, in AmE., and 'maletero' is boot in BrE, andtrunk, in AmE. In some cases, like the word for 'camión', for example, though originally the British had lorry, and the Americans, truck, nowadays in the USA, truck is still the word generally used, and not lorry, but in the United Kingdom, both words are used with practically the same meaning: 'a large road vehicle used to carry goods, troops, etc.' 

EXERCISE

The following words are generally used in BrE; provide the AmE counterpart:

1.- accelerator (acelerador)

2.- aerial (antena)

3.- bonnet (capó)

4.- boot (maletero)

5.- estate car (coche familiar, ranchera)

6.- filler cap/ petrol cap (tapón del depósito de gasolina)

7.- fog lamps (faros antiniebla)

8.- gear lever/gear stick (palanca de cambios)

9.- indicator  (intermitente)

10.- lorry (camión)

11.- number plate/registration plate (matrícula)

12.- patrol car (coche patrulla)

13.- people carrier (monovolumen)

14.- petrol tank (depósito de gasolina)

15.- roof-rack (baca)

16.- saloon (berlina)

17.- sidelights (luces de posición)

18.- spare tyre (rueda de repuesto)

19.- sparking plug (bujía)

20.- tyres (neumáticos)

21.- windscreen (parabrisas)

22.- windscreen wiper (limpiaparabrisas)

23.- wing (aleta)

24.- wing mirror  [espejo retrovisor (fuera del coche)]

KEY

1.- gas pedal; 2.- antenna; 3.- hood; 4.- trunk; 5.- station wagon; 6.- gas cap; 7.- fog lights; 8.- gear shift/stick shift; 9.- turn signal; 10.- truck; 11.- license plate; 12.- cruiser; 13.- minivan; 14.- gas tank; 15.- luggage rack; 16.- sedan; 17.- parking lights; 18.- spare tire; 19.- spark plug; 20.- tires; 21.- windshield; 22.- windshield wiper; 23.- fender; 24.- side-view mirror.

Monday, 3 June 2013

Forgetfulness
 The name of the author is the first to go followed obediently by the title, the plot, the heartbreaking conclusion, the entire novel which suddenly becomes one you have never read, never even heard of, as if, one by one, the memories you used to harbor decided to retire to the southern hemisphere of the brain, to a little fishing village where there are no phones. Long ago you kissed the names of the nine Muses goodbye and watched the quadratic equation pack its bag, and even now as you memorize the order of the planets, something else is slipping away, a state flower perhaps, the address of an uncle, the capital of Paraguay. Whatever it is you are struggling to remember, it is not poised on the tip of your tongue, not even lurking in some obscure corner of your spleen. It has floated away down a dark mythological river whose name begins with an L as far as you can recall, well on your own way to oblivion where you will join those who have even forgotten how to swim and how to ride a bicycle. No wonder you rise in the middle of the night to look up the date of a famous battle in a book on war. No wonder the moon in the window seems to have drifted out of a love poem that you used to know by heart. Billy Collins
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrEPJh14mcU