Choosing a Green Car

Electric and hybrid cars both use technology that is designed to decrease the use of gasoline fuel for powering car engines Electric cars are totally electric, meaning cars that they must be plugged in and charged, and that the car can only be used for as long as it is charged. Hybrid cars use a mixture of gas and electric power to create a gas efficient partially electric car with a less limited range. In other words, after the electric charge has died, your car can still be driven as it switches over to gasoline power. Some hybrid car owners have modified their cars further, to run entirely on electricity except in emergency situations, in which case the drivers use gasoline power. At the turn of the twentieth century, most cars actually were electric. The cars ran quietly and efficiently, and could travel reasonably far. For a variety of reasons, the internal combustion engine powered by gasoline overtook electric cars in popularity: by the 1920s, most cars were gas powered. The electric car faded from popularity until the late 1960s, when concerns about a growing oil crisis and emissions (particles produced by the running of a gas powered car) drove several companies to manufacture electric cars again, but only on a small scale. The electric cars generated a small amount of interest from environmentally concerned car buyers and slowly grew in popularity. Dependency on foreign oil and awareness about the environment in the late 1990s caused some car owners to convert their gasoline cars to electric power, and automobile manufacturers started making electric cars a bigger part of their lineup. Modern electric cars are comparable to gasoline powered ones in terms of speed, and many of them have long ranges (distances they can travel) which can be increased at charging stations along the way. Electric cars are also nonpolluting, and can be powered using clean energy such as wind or hydropower. For this reason, they appeal to many eco-conscious consumers. Consumers who feel limited by electric cars have turned to hybrid cars such as the Honda Insight and Toyota Prius. Many car manufacturers are including hybrids in their lineup to cater to people who would like the clean energy of an electric car without the difficulties of managing charging and range. A hybrid car has a traditional gasoline engine and a bank of rechargeable batteries that charge while the car is running. When the driver makes limited demands on the car's power, such as driving around town or idling at a stoplight, the car runs on the stored electricity in the batteries. When the driver demands a burst of energy or is driving at sustained high speeds, the gasoline engine kicks in. A hybrid car is a more ecologically sound choice than a traditional gasoline powered car, but it still carries environmental issues. Although most hybrids are low polluting, they do add to the overall emissions load created by gas-powered cars. For people who are not ready to make the leap to an electric car, or find it not practical in their areas, a hybrid is a great choice. Electric cars, on the other hand, are totally nonpolluting and do not rely on gasoline, making them a better choice. People who feel really passionate about the environment can continue to walk, bicycle, and take public transit.

OConnor 2010

Source (adapted from): http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-difference-between-electric-cars-and-hybrid-cars.htm

Choosing a

Name: ___________________ Date: ___________Per. ______

Green Car

1. What is the purpose of the article Choosing a Green Car? A. To persuade a car buyer to buy an electric car from Honda. B. To entertain students with funny stories about a familys vacation in their car. C. To inform consumers about the similarities and differences between hybrid and electric cars. D. To persuade teachers and students to ride their bikes to school. 2. Choose another title for this article based on the MAIN idea:

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3. Based on context clues from the article, what is a consumer?

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4. Why have electric cars become popular again? CITE a reason from the text.

5. Using Text Features: What text feature could be added to help the reader better understand the article? A. Footnote B. Subtitles C. Picture of a hybrid car D. Map showing where electric cars are sold 6. Where was this article originally published? A. Chevy Mustang website B. An on-line website 7. What is the tone of the article? A. Enthusiastic B. Informative

C. Car & Driver Magazine D. Safe Driver brochure C. Sarcastic D. Wise

8. What language or word choice helped you identify the tone?

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9. What is the MAIN DIFFERENCE between a hybrid car and an electric car?

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10. What is ONE SIMILARITY of the hybrid and the electric car?

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Circle one:
Cause & Effect Compare & Contrast Sequence Problem & Solution Description

11. What is the organization pattern for the article?

12. What information helped you determine the organizational pattern? A. The article explains to the reader to first plug in the car and then charge the car and finally drive carefully away. B. The article states the problem with gasoline- powered cars and then states the solution is to buy a bike. C. The article compares the similarities, differences, and benefits of hybrid and electric cars. D. None of the other organizational patterns can be applied to the entire text. 13. Why is an electric car the most eco-friendly choice? Use information from the article to justify your response.

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OConnor 2010