Unit 14 — Operating a Car

Shifting Gears

Kate stepped on the clutch pedal,...

...shifted into gear,...

...and took her foot off the clutch.

Speeding Up / Slowing Down

To go faster, Kate pressed the accelerator.

As the car speeded up,...

...she shifted into a higher gear.

To slow down, Kate let up on the accelerator...

...and shifted into a lower gear.

The car slowed down.

Stopping, Turning, and Using the Controls

Kate stepped on the brake.

Kate put her turn signal on...

...and turned the steering wheel.

When it got dark, she turned on the lights.

When it rained, she turned on the windshield wipers.

For Special Attention

speed up / slow down = speed up = go faster; slow down = go slower. Another way of saying "press the accelerator" is "step on the gas." — speed up 就是开得更快；slow down 就是开得更慢。press the accelerator 另一种说法是 step on the gas（踩油门）。

let up on the accelerator = let up on the accelerator means "put less pressure on it" — let up on the accelerator 意为"减轻对油门的踩踏"。

shift gears = shifting gears is changing from one to another — shifting gears 就是从一个挡位换到另一个挡位。

gears = 1 = first, 2 = second, 3 = third, 4 = fourth, R = reverse. Between gears is neutral. — 1=一挡，2=二挡，3=三挡，4=四挡，R=倒车挡。各挡位之间是空挡（neutral）。

Key Vocabulary

Verbs

单词	音标	中文
let [let] up on	/lɛt [lɛt] əp ɔn/	松（油门）；减轻踩压
operate	/ˈɑpɚˌeɪt/	操作；驾驶
press	/prɛs/	踩（踏板）；按
put [put] on	/pʊt [pʊt] ɑn/	打开（灯）；开启
rain	/reɪn/	下雨
shift	/ʃɪft/	换挡
slow down	/sloʊ daʊn/	减速
speed up	/spid əp/	加速
step	/stɛp/	踩（踏板）
stop	/stɑp/	停车
take [took] off	/teɪk [tʊk] ɔf/	松开（脚）
turn	/tɜrn/	转动（方向盘）
turn on	/tɜrn ɑn/	打开（灯、雨刷）

Nouns

单词	音标	中文
accelerator	/ækˈsɛlɚˌeɪtɚ/	油门踏板
brake	/breɪk/	刹车
car	/kɑr/	汽车
clutch	/klʌʧ/	离合器
foot	/fʊt/	脚
gear	/gɪr/	挡位
gearshift	/ˈgɪrˌʃɪft/	换挡杆
light	/laɪt/	车灯
neutral	/ˈnutrəl/	空挡
pedal	/ˈpɛdəl/	踏板
reverse	/rɪˈvɜrs/	倒车挡
steering wheel	/ˈstɪrɪŋ wil/	方向盘
turn signal	/tɜrn ˈsɪgnəl/	转向灯
windshield wiper	/ˈwɪndˌʃild ˈwaɪpɚ/	挡风玻璃雨刷

Adjectives

单词	音标	中文
dark	/dɑrk/	黑的；暗的
fast(er)	/fæst(ɚ)/	快（更快）的
high(er)	/haɪ(ɚ)/	高（更高）的
low(er)	/loʊ(ɚ)/	低（更低）的

Unit 14: Operating a Car