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Before you listen to a report on the North American car industry, answer the
following questions. Then listen to check your answers.
| 1.
Name 2 of the traditional ‘Big Three’ North American car manufacturers. / 2. Toyota is the car company in the world. 3. Mazda is controlled by 4. General Motors sells cars in 5. True or false? The car company Daimler-Chrysler is listed as an American company. |
Now listen.
Match the following phrases to make logical sentences.
| 1.
Debt ratings (or credit ratings) 2. If a company suspend payments into a retirement plan, 3. To say that foreign competition has made its mark 4. Ford owns Volvo and Jaguar, among others, 5. When you invest heavily in something, |
Listen again and answer the following questions.
| 1.
Which two companies have had their debt ratings cut? 2. What are hybrid vehicles powered by? 3. How many jobs are General Motors planning to cut in the next three years in North America? 4. In which year did Chrysler join with Daimler-Benz to form Daimler-Chrysler? 5. Which car company is the largest in the world at the moment? 6. In which foreign country has G.M. invested heavily? |
Listen again, read the transcription and write the missing words. Use the
pause button on your audio player to give you time to write.
| General
Motors, Ford and Chrysler are traditionally known as the "Big Three"
carmakers in North America. But the
has been going through a
lot of changes. Recently both G.M. and Ford have had their debt ratings . Agencies that advise investors on said that both companies depend too much on sales of big sports-utility vehicles. Higher fuel prices have cut into sales of S.U.V.'s. G.M. and Ford have been for not developing more hybrid vehicles. These use both electrical and gasoline power. Ford and G.M. also face growing costs connected with their retirement programs. General Motors says it will cut twenty-five thousand jobs in North America in the next three years. G.M. announced a of more than one thousand million dollars in the first three months of this year. Ford, too, has announced job and spending cuts. It plans to cut two thousand seven hundred jobs this year. Ford also said it would suspend payments into one of its employee retirement plans. And it plans to sell in its Hertz car-rental business to money. Foreign competition has made its mark on the American auto industry. In nineteen ninety-eight, Chrysler with Daimler-Benz to form Daimler-Chrysler. Headquarters are in Michigan and Germany. But this third member of the Big Three is no longer listed as an American company. And, last year, Toyota of Japan sold more cars than Ford to become the second largest car company in the world. General Motors is the . But industry observers are not sure how much longer that will be true. As foreign carmakers have in the United States, they have built factories here. Similarly, the Big Three have joined with foreign carmakers to sell cars all over the world. For example, Ford Volvo and Jaguar, among others. It also controls the Japanese carmaker Mazda. G.M.'s holdings include Saab. General Motors has factories in thirty-two countries and sells cars in two hundred countries. G.M. has invested heavily in China. It has investments with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation. America's "Big Two," General Motors and Ford, must with some problems. But they remain the third and fourth largest companies in the country. |
Listen again and read the transcription.
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