Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions Most journeys in Britain and the US are made by road. Some of these are made on public transport but most are by private car. In Britain many people rely on their cars for daily local activities, e.g. getting to work, doing the shopping, and visiting friends. People living in urban areas may use buses, trains or, in London, the Underground, to get to...
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Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions
Most journeys in Britain and the US are made by road. Some of these are made on public transport but most are by private car.
In Britain many people rely on their cars for daily local activities, e.g. getting to work, doing the shopping, and visiting friends. People living in urban areas may use buses, trains or, in London, the Underground, to get to city centres, mainly because traffic is often heavy and it is difficult to find anywhere to park a car. Some places in the country may have a bus only two or three times a week so people living there have no choice but to rely on their cars.
In the US, large cities have good public transportation systems. The El railroad in Chicago and the underground systems of New York, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, DC are heavily used. Elsewhere, most Americans prefer to use their cars. Families often have two cars and, outside major cities, have to drive fairly long distances to schools, offices, shops, banks, etc. Many college and even high-school students have their own cars.
Long-distance travel in Britain is also mainly by road, though railways link most towns and cities. Most places are linked by motorways or other fast roads and many people prefer to drive at their own convenience rather than use a train, even though they may get stuck in a traffic jam. Long-distance coach/bus services are usually a cheaper alternative to trains, but they take longer and may be less comfortable. Some long-distance travel, especially that undertaken for business reasons, may be by air. There are regular flights between regional airports, as well as to and from London. A lot of freight is also distributed by road, though heavier items and raw materials often go by rail.
In the US much long-distance travel is by air. America has two main long-distance bus companies, Greyhound and Trailways. Amtrak, the national network, provides rail services for passengers. Private railway companies such as Union Pacific now carry only freight, though in fact over 70% of freight goes by road.
The main problems associated with road transport in both Britain and the US are traffic congestion and pollution. It is predicted that the number of cars on British roads will increase by a third within a few years, making both these problems worse. The British government would like more people to use public transport, but so far they have had little success in persuading people to give up their cars or to share rides with neighbours. Most people say that public transport is simply not good enough. Americans too have resisted government requests to share cars because it is less convenient and restricts their freedom. Petrol/gasoline is relatively cheap in the US and outside the major cities public transport is bad, so they see no reason to use their cars less.
It is stated in the passage that the major problems of road transport in Britain and the US are __________.
A. speeding and bad roads
B. accidents and pollution
C. traffic jams and pollution
D. drink-driving and traffic jams
The number of cars in China is increasing by 25% a year, and billions are being invested in new roads. A (1) far / quite / bit more worrying statistic is the number of road accidents, which is growing at an alarming rate - one person dies every six minutes on Chinese roads. This is (2) hardly / almost / nearly surprising when one takes into account the fact that many drivers have never had a driving lesson in their lives. The proper procedure for obtaining a driving license involves a six-week course but many drivers prefer a (3) very / much / many less time-consuming method - they arrange to buy one. With so many inexperienced drivers bribing their way onto the road, accident rates seem likely to get (4) bit / quite / even worse. Cars are becoming (5) more / as / just and more popular, particularly for weekend leisure trips, even though (6) by far / most / rather the best course of action would seem to be to stay away from the roads altogether. Despite the investment in the country's infrastructure, roads are primitive and (7) incredibly / utterly / partly hazardous, jammed with everything from pedestrians and animals to bicycles and huge container trucks, which an expert driver would find (8) just / like / every as impossible to negotiate safely. The pace of change has (9) absolutely / usually / clearly caused problems, and the Chinese may well find that Westernisation is not (10) so / the / any much a blessing as a curse.