英语播客 A Cup of English 29 A Long Look At Wheels

"Clunk, clunk. Clunk, clunk," it was time to have the wheels looked at(1) and the tires changed from winter tires to summer tires. For a few weeks I had felt something bump and rattle(2) under the car; it must be the wheels. So, I took the car down to 'Dick's tires' and left it there for an hour. I walked out of the office, and headed to the shops. As I left, something caught my eye. It was a huge pile of wheels, hundreds of them. They looked like they had already been used. I don't know if they were going to be reused, but they reminded me of dinosaur bones, big, dry, heavy things. I thought about wheels in general, how we take them for granted(3), and how old they are. They have been around for a long time, in their most basic form since the Paleolithic Era. Then came the clever Mesopotamians, or Iraqis. In around 3,500BC they made the first wheels for chariot transportation. Then the Egyptians and the Greeks improved upon the first models(4) for better and faster transportation with spokes, and the H-type wheel. The first iron rims(5) around the wheels were seen in 1000 BC on Celtic chariots. Then, for a long time no great changes were made until the 1800's when Dunlop invented the pneumatic tire. Since Karl Benz's 1885 Motorwagen, wheels have changed dramatically, using greater technology, and new materials. It's amazing what a "clunk, clunk" can lead you to, a trip back in time, and a look at distant history.
1. 'To have ... looked at' is like saying 'to have ...checked'. It is used for people's health as well as items.
a. You need to have your tooth looked at; it might have a cavity.
b. I need to have those pipes looked at; there might be a leak.
2. 'To rattle' is an intermittent sound; it sometimes indicates that something is loose that shouldn't be.
a. That window is rattling again; I'll need to fix it.
b. The snake rattled its tail; there was no mistake about its identity.
3. 'To take for granted' means to not value a person or thing when you should.
a. He takes her for granted, eats her cooking without saying thank you, and borrows money without paying it back.
b. It's easy to take our modern comforts for granted. When they're gone, then we realize how useful they improve our lives.
4. 'To improve upon something' means to take something and make it better.
a. They took our idea and improved upon it.
b. He improved upon his previous exam results.
5. 'A rim' is usually the top edge or lip of a circular item, like a cup, or a volcano.
a. He ran his finger over the rim of the wine glass and it made a loud note.
b. We walked around the rim of the volcano.