UNIT XIII. TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION 



Our present mode of living has been made possible 

 largely through the development of speedier and more 

 reliable methods of travel and transportation. Did you 

 ever stop to consider where many of the things come 

 from which you use day after day? Think of the many 

 sources of the food you eat. Your breakfast cereal 

 may have been manufactured in the state of New 

 York from wheat grown in Kansas. You eat oranges 

 from California and Florida, nuts from South Amer- 

 ica, and dates from Egypt. Likewise consider the 

 many different sources of the materials in your home. 

 Where did the lumber come from? The stone and 

 glass? The copper wire and electrical fixtures? The 

 furniture? You see that many of the things we use, 

 before they reach us, are transported hundreds or even 

 thousands of miles. Many of the things we use today 

 that are considered necessities of life were regarded as 

 luxuries a hundred years ago. 



The history of the developments in the fields of 

 science and invention which have produced our mod- 

 ern means of travel by land, water, and air is a most 

 interesting and fascinating field of study. The earliest 

 English settlers in America had no way of travel ex- 

 cept on foot. Today it is possible to travel from New 

 York City to California, approximately 3,000 miles, in 

 one day. Two months were required by Columbus 

 to make his first trip across the Atlantic. Many of our 

 modern ocean liners can make the trip in less than a 

 week. Aviators have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in 

 less than two days. 



You are living in an age when great developments 

 are taking place in the fields of travel and transporta- 

 tion. Land and water transportation are being de- 



veloped to a high degree of efficiency and safety. The 

 recent spectacular air flights by such aviators as Lind- 

 bergh, Byrd, Coste, and Amelia Earhart Putnam have 

 caused us to focus our attention on the future possi- 

 bilities of travel and transportation in the air. Success- 

 ful commercial air lines are now in operation, and 

 though this industry is still in its infancy, the future 

 holds much promise. 



In this unit you will have an opportunity to learn 

 more about the developments taking place in travel 

 and transportation. Also you should learn about the 

 scientific principles upon which transportation is 

 based. 



How many of these questions about transportation 

 can you answer? Answer as many of the questions as 

 you can. 



1. What methods of transportation are used in 

 your community? 



2. Have any street car lines been abandoned in 

 your community? Why? 



3. Can you drive an automobile? Do you know 

 what the various parts of an automobile are and what 

 each part is used for? 



4. Why do some things float in water? 



5. Why is it possible for steel ships to float? 



6. What keeps a kite in the air? 



7. What keeps a dirigible in the air? 



8. What keeps an airplane in the air? 



9. What is a monoplane? A biplane? A hydro- 

 plane? 



10. How does an electric motor operate? 



SUGGESTED PROBLEMS AND QUESTIONS 



1. How have highways been improved since 

 early times, and what are the causes for the 

 change? 



2. How do the various parts and systems of the 

 modern automobile work together to make 

 it run? 



a) The chassis 



b) The power plant 



c) The power-transmission system 



3. How has transportation by rail been im- 

 proved? 



4. Of what importance is electricity in modern 

 transportation? 



TOPIC 1. TRANSPORTATION ON LAND 



SUGGESTIONS AND HELPS FOR STUDY 



1. Read carefully the problems listed above and be 

 sure that you understand them before you begin their 

 study and investigation. 



2. In connection with problem 2, if you have an 

 automobile at home, examine it and find the various 

 parts and learn their functions. 



3. The following words may be new and difficult 

 for you. Study them carefully. 



macadam broken stone used for macadamizing roads. 

 dynamo a machine for converting mechanical energy 



into electrical energy. 

 carburetor a device on a gasoline engine by which air 



is mingled with gasoline vapor. 

 chassis automobile frame. 



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