Paragraph A discusses the rising number of motor vehicles worldwide, with over 700 million currently and increasing by 40 million per year. It also discusses the growing average distance driven per person.
Paragraph B talks about how while new cars are less polluting, city streets are more crowded than ever with older vehicles that emit excessive smoke and fumes, making air quality unpleasant or dangerous in urban areas.
Paragraph C contrasts past transportation methods like horses for short journeys versus current personal mobility and rapid freight delivery over a much wider area thanks to the invention of the motor vehicle.
Paragraph A discusses the rising number of motor vehicles worldwide, with over 700 million currently and increasing by 40 million per year. It also discusses the growing average distance driven per person.
Paragraph B talks about how while new cars are less polluting, city streets are more crowded than ever with older vehicles that emit excessive smoke and fumes, making air quality unpleasant or dangerous in urban areas.
Paragraph C contrasts past transportation methods like horses for short journeys versus current personal mobility and rapid freight delivery over a much wider area thanks to the invention of the motor vehicle.
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Original Title
115013 Academic Reading Sample Task - Matching Information
Paragraph A discusses the rising number of motor vehicles worldwide, with over 700 million currently and increasing by 40 million per year. It also discusses the growing average distance driven per person.
Paragraph B talks about how while new cars are less polluting, city streets are more crowded than ever with older vehicles that emit excessive smoke and fumes, making air quality unpleasant or dangerous in urban areas.
Paragraph C contrasts past transportation methods like horses for short journeys versus current personal mobility and rapid freight delivery over a much wider area thanks to the invention of the motor vehicle.
Paragraph A discusses the rising number of motor vehicles worldwide, with over 700 million currently and increasing by 40 million per year. It also discusses the growing average distance driven per person.
Paragraph B talks about how while new cars are less polluting, city streets are more crowded than ever with older vehicles that emit excessive smoke and fumes, making air quality unpleasant or dangerous in urban areas.
Paragraph C contrasts past transportation methods like horses for short journeys versus current personal mobility and rapid freight delivery over a much wider area thanks to the invention of the motor vehicle.
A Ther e ar e now over 700 mi l l i on mot or vehi cl es i n t he
wor l d - and t he number i s r i si ng by mor e t han 40 mi l l i on each year . The aver age di st ance dr i ven by car user s i s gr owi ng t oo - f r om8kma day per per son i n west er n Eur ope i n 1965 t o 25 kma day i n 1995. Thi s dependence on mot or vehi cl es has gi ven r i se t o maj or pr obl ems, i ncl udi ng envi r onment al pol l ut i on, depl et i on of oi l r esour ces, t r af f i c congest i on and saf et y. B Whi l e emi ssi ons f r omnew car s ar e f ar l ess har mf ul t han t hey used t o be, ci t y st r eet s and mot or ways ar e becomi ng mor e cr owded t han ever , of t en wi t h ol der t r ucks, buses and t axi s whi ch emi t excessi ve l evel s of smoke and f umes. Thi s concent r at i on of vehi cl es makes ai r qual i t y i n ur ban ar eas unpl easant and somet i mes danger ous t o br eat he. Even Moscow has j oi ned t he l i st of capi t al s af f l i ct ed by congest i on and t r af f i c f umes. I n Mexi co Ci t y, vehi cl e pol l ut i on i s a maj or heal t h hazar d. C Unt i l a hundr ed year s ago, most j our neys wer e i n t he 20km r ange, t he di st ance conveni ent l y accessi bl e by hor se. Heavy f r ei ght coul d onl y be car r i ed by wat er or r ai l . I nvent i on of t he mot or vehi cl e br ought per sonal mobi l i t y t o t he masses and made r api d f r ei ght del i ver y possi bl e over a much wi der ar ea. I n t he Uni t ed Ki ngdom, about 90 per cent of i nl and f r ei ght i s car r i ed by r oad. The wor l d cannot r ever t t o t he hor se- dr awn wagon. Can i t avoi d bei ng l ocked i nt o congest ed and pol l ut i ng ways of t r anspor t i ng peopl e and goods? D I n Eur ope most ci t i es ar e st i l l desi gned f or t he ol d modes of t r anspor t . Adapt at i on t o t he mot or car has i nvol ved addi ng r i ng r oads, one- way syst ems and par ki ng l ot s. I n t he Uni t ed St at es, mor e l and i s assi gned t o car use t han t o housi ng. Ur ban spr awl means t hat l i f e wi t hout a car i s next t o i mpossi bl e. Mass use of mot or vehi cl es has al so ki l l ed or i nj ur ed mi l l i ons of peopl e. Ot her soci al ef f ect s have been bl amed on t he car such as al i enat i on and aggr essi ve human behavi our . E A 1993 st udy by t he Eur opean Feder at i on f or Tr anspor t and Envi r onment f ound t hat car t r anspor t i s seven t i mes as cost l y as r ai l t r avel i n t er ms of t he ext er nal soci al cost s i t ent ai l s - congest i on, acci dent s, pol l ut i on, l oss of cr opl and and nat ur al habi t at s, depl et i on of oi l r esour ces, and so on. Yet car s easi l y sur pass t r ai ns or Academic Reading sample task Matching information buses as a f l exi bl e and conveni ent mode of per sonal t r anspor t . I t i s unr eal i st i c t o expect peopl e t o gi ve up pr i vat e car s i n f avour of mass t r ansi t . Academic Reading sample task Matching information F Techni cal sol ut i ons can r educe t he pol l ut i on pr obl emand i ncr ease t he f uel l ed ef f i ci ency of engi nes. But f uel consumpt i on and exhaust emi ssi ons depend on whi ch car s ar e pr ef er r ed by cust omer s and how t hey ar e dr i ven. Many peopl e buy l ar ger car s t han t hey need f or dai l y pur poses or wast e f uel by dr i vi ng aggr essi vel y. Besi des, gl obal car use i s i ncr easi ng at a f ast er r at e t han t he i mpr ovement i n emi ssi ons and f uel ef f i ci ency whi ch t echnol ogy i s now maki ng possi bl e. G Some ar gue t hat t he onl y l ong- t er msol ut i on i s t o desi gn ci t i es and nei ghbour hoods so t hat car j our neys ar e not necessar y - al l essent i al ser vi ces bei ng l ocat ed wi t hi n wal ki ng di st ance or easi l y accessi bl e by publ i c t r anspor t . Not onl y woul d t hi s save ener gy and cut car bon di oxi de emi ssi ons, i t woul d al so enhance t he qual i t y of communi t y l i f e, put t i ng t he emphasi s on peopl e i nst ead of car s. Good l ocal gover nment i s al r eady br i ngi ng t hi s about i n some pl aces. But f ew democr at i c communi t i es ar e bl essed wi t h t he vi si on and t he capi t al t o make such pr of ound changes i n moder n l i f est yl es. H A mor e l i kel y scenar i o seems t o be a combi nat i on of mass t r ansi t syst ems f or t r avel i nt o and ar ound ci t i es, wi t h smal l l ow emi ssi on car s f or ur ban use and l ar ger hybr i d or l ean bur n car s f or use el sewher e. El ect r oni cal l y t ol l ed hi ghways mi ght be used t o ensur e t hat dr i ver s pay char ges gear ed t o act ual r oad use. Bet t er i nt egr at i on of t r anspor t syst ems i s al so hi ghl y desi r abl e - and made mor e f easi bl e by moder n comput er s. But t hese ar e sol ut i ons f or count r i es whi ch can af f or d t hem. I n most devel opi ng count r i es, ol d car s and ol d t echnol ogi es cont i nue t o pr edomi nat e Academic Reading sample task Matching information Questions 14 19 Sample Passage 7 has eight paragraphs labelled A-H. Which paragraphs contains the following information? Write the correct letter A-H in boxes 14-19 on your answer sheet. NB You may use any letter more than once. 14 a comparison of past and present transportation methods 15 how driving habits contribute to road problems 16 the relative merits of cars and public transport 17 the writers prediction on future solutions 18 the increasing use of motor vehicles 19 the impact of the car on city development Academic Reading sample task Matching information Answers: 14 C 15 F 16 E 17 H 18 A 19 D