You should spend about 20 minutes on Question 14-27 which are based on Reading Passage 2 below.
The start of the automobile’s history went all the way back to 1769 when automobiles
running on the steam engine were invented as carriers for human transport. In 1806,
the first batch of cars powered by an internal combustion engine came into being, which
pioneered the introduction of the widespread modem petrol-fueled internal
combustion engine in 1885.
It is generally acknowledged that the first practical automobiles equipped with
petrol/gaso-line-powered internal combustion engines were invented almost at the
same time by different German inventors who were Working on their own. Karl Benz
first built the automobile in 1885 in Mannheim. Benz attained a patent for his invention
on 29 January 1886, and in 1888, he started to produce automobiles in a company that
later became the renowned Mercedes-Benz.
As this century began, the automobile industry marched into the transportation market
for the wealth. Drivers at that time were an adventurous bunch; they would go out
regardless of the weather condition even if they weren’t even protected by an enclosed
body or a convertible top. Everybody in the community knew who owned what car, and
cars immediately became a symbol of identity and status. Later, cars became more
popular among the public since it allowed people to travel whenever and wherever they
wanted. Thus, the price of automobiles in Europe and North America kept dropping, and
more people from the middle class could afford them. This was especially attributed to
Henry Ford who did two crucial things. First, he set the price as reasonable as possible
for his cars; second, he paid his employees enough salaries so that they could afford the
cars made by their very own hands.
The trend of interchangeable parts and mass production in an assembly line style had
been led by America, and from 1914, this concept was significantly reinforced by Henry
Ford. This large-scale, production-line manufacture of affordable automobiles was
debuted. A Ford car would come off all assembled from the line every 15 minutes, an
interval shorter than any of the former methods. Not only did it raise productivity, but
also cut down on the requirement for manpower. Ford significantly lowered the chance
of injury by carrying out complicated safety procedures in production—particularly
assigning workers to specific locations rather than giving them the freedom to wander
around. This mixture of high wages and high efficiency was known as Fordism, which
provided a valuable lesson for most major industries.
The first Jeep automobile that came out as the prototype Bantam BRC was the primary
light 4-wheel-drive automobile of the U.S. Army and Allies, and during World War II and
the postwar period, its sale skyrocketed. Since then, plenty of Jeep derivatives with
similar military and civilian functions have been created and kept upgraded in terms of
overall performance in other nations.
Through all the 1950s, engine power and automobile rates grew higher, designs evolved
into a more integrated and artful form, and cars were spreading globally. In the 1960s,
the landscape changed as Detroit was confronted with foreign competition. The
European manufacturers, used the latest technology, and Japan came into the picture as
a dedicated car-making country. General Motors, Chrysler, and Ford dabbled with
radical tiny cars such as the GM A-bodies with little success. As joint ventures such as
the British Motor Corporation unified the market, captive imports and badge imports
swept all over the US and the UK. BMC first launched a revolutionary space-friendly Mini
in 1959, which turned out to harvest large global sales. Previously remaining under the
Austin and Morris names, Mini later became an individual marque in 1969. The trend of
corporate consolidation landed in Italy when niche makers such as Maserati, Ferrari,
and Lancia were bought by larger enterprises. By the end of the 20th century, there had
been a sharp fall in the number of automobile marques.
In the US, car performance dominated marketing, justified by the typical cases of pony
cars and muscle cars. However, in the 1970s, everything changed as the American
automobile industry suffered from the 1973 oil crisis, competition with Japanese and
European imports, automobile emission-control regulations* and moribund innovation.
The irony in all this was that full-size sedans such as Cadillac and Lincoln scored a huge
comeback between the years of economic crisis.
In terms of technology, the most mentionable developments that postwar era had seen
were the widespread use of independent suspensions, broader application of fuel
injection, and a growing emphasis on safety in automobile design. Mazda achieved
many triumphs with its engine firstly installed in the fore-wheel, though it gained itself a
reputation as a gas-guzzler.
The modem era also has witnessed a sharp elevation of fuel power in the modem
engine management system with the. help of the computer. Nowadays, most
automobiles in use are powered by an internal combustion engine, fueled by gasoline or
diesel. Toxic gas from both fuels is known to pollute the air and is responsible for
climate change as well as global warming.
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**Questions 14-19**

Look at the following descriptions (Questions 14-19) and the list of automobile brands below.

Match each description with the correct automobile brand, A-G.

Write the correct letter, A-G, in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet.

**List of Automobile Brands**
- A. Ford
- B. the BMC Mini
- C. Cadillac and Lincoln
- D. Mercedes Benz
- E. Mazda
- F. Jeep
- G. Maserati, Ferrari, and Lancia

14. began producing the first automobiles
15. produced the industrialised cars that common consumers could afford
16. improved the utilisation rate of automobile space
17. upgraded the overall performance of the car continuously
18. maintained leading growth even during an economic recession
19. installed its engine on the front wheel for the first time