Part 3: You will hear three students discussing their research findings on four-wheel-drive vehicles.
Student 1: Fine, and we’ve been working hard on that to collect relevant data. Shall we discuss what we’ve each found together?
Student 2: Yes.
Student 1: And then we can think about how we will put our data together. As you see, we have to do a presentation in next week’s marketing seminar.
Student 3: OK.
Student 2: Yeah, sure.
Student 1: I think first we should talk about the purposes for which these cars were originally designed.
Student 3: Oh, I found some data on that here. Well, 4-wheel drives or sports utility vehicles as they’re officially known, SUVs for short, were actually first designed for off-road use by those who need to get to the areas with quite a distance, but the interesting thing is that at present, they are also frequently used by people who live in cities.
Student 2: That’s right. From this, we can see how they make use of them differently.
Student 1: Then, in the second part, let’s talk about their advantages, shall we?
Student 2: Yeah. Let me look at here. Okay, first, they’re generally used for commercial reasons, right?
Student 3: Yes, that’s the same with what I found.
Student 2: Well, another advantage from my notes is that the power of the engine is increased.
Student 1: Yes, I think that’s a big benefit.
Student 3: In addition, I’ve got one more point here. SUVs are heavier, so they’re suitable for towing larger loads.
Student 1: So that’s why SUVs have become so popular in the market then?
Student 2: Oh, that’s part of it, but they’ve gained popularity now for rather different reasons. For example, relevant research shows that people buy them for business mainly because of the image they present.
Student 3: And nowadays, many moms like to drive their kids to school in SUVs because they think that they’re safe, so that’s another reason.
Student 1: And then I think a larger seating capacity is also a factor. You know, we can get about seven people into one SUV, while in an ordinary car, there are only five seats.
Student 2: Yeah, and I think that’s why families with two or more children like to buy SUVs.
Student 3: Right, and another thing I’ve found from my research is that drivers tend to buy SUVs with higher seats, which means they can get a better view of the traffic ahead.
Student 2: Yeah, so these are all the reasons.
Speaker: Before you hear the rest of the discussion, you have some time to look at questions 26 to 30.
Speaker: Now, listen and answer questions 26 to 30.
Student 1: But I think some of these reasons just don’t work. For example, to some extent, SUVs are safe. But if we look at them in a collision, they can do terrible damage to a small car. So I think it’s just a misconception.
Student 2: Hmm, I agree with you. So next shall we discuss the disadvantages of SUVs?
Student 3: Okay, so firstly, from what we’ve just considered, we can see that SUVs are harmful in central areas and the damage they cause is highly related to their weight, right?
Student 2: Yes, and I’ve also got something about their chassis. The bodywork on SUVs is stiffer so it doesn’t crumple to absorb impact in an accident the way it does in smaller cars.
Student 1: Moreover, as SUVs have a high center of gravity, it’s more likely for them to roll over than ordinary cars. That’s another disadvantage from my research.
Student 2: Good. So, these are all the disadvantages.
Limiting Use
Student 1: How about the last part?
Student 3: Well, maybe we could end up with a few ideas on how to limit the use of these SUVs.
Student 2: Okay. For one thing, I think we should restrict them to people like farmers, to whom SUVs are used very frequently.
Student 1: Hmm. That’s a good idea, but it might be difficult to enforce, and I think companies could also increase the insurance paid by SUV drivers, as we know it will cause more damage when there is an accident.
Student 2: Hmm, that’s a good idea too. I think we’ve got very useful information together.
Student 3: Next, I’ll write up these notes onto the slide so that everyone can see them when we give the presentation in the seminar.
Student 1: Good idea.
