Problems of Modern Transportation

Revision for the mid-term test

KEY TERMS

• traffic safety
• declining fuel reserves
• environmental problems
• safety record
• fuel shortage
• fuel consumption
• pollution control standards
• traffic control
TEXT SUMMARY

Problems of modern transportation include traffic safety, declining fuel

reserves, environmental problems, and inadequate public transportation facilities.
These problems are most severe in countries that depend heavily on automobile
transportation.
In the United States, more people are killed in automobile accidents every year
than in all other transportation accidents combined. Most automobile accidents
could be prevented by obeying traffic laws. Airlines have one of the best safety
records, but heavy air traffic at major airports has increased the hazard of
commercial flying. Train derailments are a problem on railroads, and the majority
are caused by worn-out or damaged tracks.
TEXT SUMMARY

Fossil fuels supply nearly all the energy for engine-powered transportation. At
the current rate of use, the supply may be exhausted by the mid-2000’s. Fuel
conservation is also necessary because the high price of petroleum drives up the
prices of transported goods. Automobiles consume more than half the energy
used for transportation in the United States, contributing heavily to the nation’s
energy supply problems. The U.S. government sets gasoline-mileage standards for
new cars encouraging automakers to produce smaller, lighter cars, which travel
further per gallon of gasoline than larger models.
Automobiles are the chief cause of traffic congestion in urban areas, and their
exhaust fumes contribute heavily to urban air pollution. The U.S. government has
established pollution control standards for new cars.
TEXT EXERCISES: Are the following sentences true or false?

• Transportation problems are most severe in countries that rely heavily on cars.
• Airplanes are the least safe mode of transport.
• Most car accidents cannot be avoided as they happen for reasons that are out
of our influence.
• Fossil fuels are not a sustainable source of energy and could be depleted
rather soon.
• The entire economy depends on the price of fuel as it directly affects all other
prices.
• The U.S. tried to reduce gasoline consumption by introducing gasoline-mileage
standards.
• The U.S. government has established pollution control standards for industry
as it causes urban air pollution.
TEXT EXERCISES: Complete the mind map with the information from
the text. PROBLEMS OF MODERN TRANSPORTATION
• SAFETY
• more people are killed in automobile accidents than all other transportation
accidents together
• accidents could be avoided by obeying traffic rules and driving safely
• DECLINING FUEL RESERVES
• automobiles consume more than half the energy used for transportation in the
united states
• the U.S. government sets gasoline-mileage standards for new cars
• ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
• automobiles cause traffic congestion, and contribute heavily to urban air pollution
• the U.S. government has established pollution control standards for new cars
• INADEQUATE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES
• cars are more flexible and comfortable so people are reluctant to use public
transport, but most of them travel alone
• car pooling or better public transport facilities could help
VOCABULARY EXERCISES: Match the words on the left with the
correct prepositions.
• add • used • add to
• increase • worn • increase in
• because • because of
• contribute • contribute to
• costs • costs of
• depend ▫ by • depend on
• drive ▫ from • drive up
• give ▫ in • give off
• level ▫ of • level off
• made ▫ off • made from
• plagued ▫ on • plagued by
• prohibited ▫ out • prohibited from
• result ▫ to • result in
• take ▫ up • take off
• used up
• worn-out
VOCABULARY EXERCISES: Replace the pictures with the words to
form full expressions.

track replacement level off gasoline-mileage

program standard
VOCABULARY EXERCISES: Replace the pictures with the words to
form full expressions.

high speed engine-powered runway

transportation
VOCABULARY EXERCISES: Replace the pictures with the words to
form full expressions.

inadequate public derailment poor safety

transportation record
facilities
VOCABULARY EXERCISES: Replace the pictures with the words to
form full expressions.

contribute fuel shortage obey include

GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Answer the questions about comparison of
adjectives.
• What are the three forms of comparison of adjectives?
▫ positive, comparative, superlative
• Which adjectives is comparison with -er/-est applied to?
▫ adjectives with one syllable
▫ adjectives with two syllables ending in -y, -er, -le, -ow
• How do we compare long adjectives?
▫ we use more/the most
• What is the comparative and the superlative form of the following adjectives?
• good
▫ better – best
• bad
▫ worse – worst
• little
▫ less/smaller - least/smallest
• far
▫ further/farther - furthest/farthest
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Fill in the gaps with the correct form of the
adjective.
• This flower is more beautiful (beautiful) than that one.
• This is the most interesting (interesting) book I have ever read.
• Non-smokers usually live longer (long) than smokers.
• The weather this summer is even worse (bad) than last summer.
• He was the cleverest (clever) thief of all.
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Answer the questions about reported speech.

• What do you call the change of tense in reported speech?

▫ backshift
• When does the change of tense happen?
▫ when the introductory clause is in past tense
• What is the correct word order when reporting questions?
▫ same as in the statement, there is no inversion as in a direct question
• When do we use whether/if in indirect questions?
▫ when it is a yes/no question
• How do we report expressions with “let’s”?
▫ we use suggested with gerund or should
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Rewrite the sentences in reported speech.

• She said, "I went to the cinema yesterday."

▫ She said she had gone to the cinema the previous day.
• He said, "I am writing a test tomorrow."
▫ He said he was writing a test the next day.
• "Where is my umbrella?" she asked.
▫ She asked where her umbrella was.
• He asked, "Do I have to do it?"
▫ He asked if he had to do it.
• "Don't be late," he advised us.
▫ He advised us not to be late.
• "Close the door behind you," he told me.
▫ He told me to close the door behind me.
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Answer the questions about asking questions.

• What is the basic rule for asking questions in English?

▫ invert the order of the subject and the first auxiliary verb
• Which auxiliary is used in questions for simple tenses?
▫ do/did
• What are the two types of questions?
▫ yes/no questions and information questions
• What is the proper way to answer a yes/no question?
▫ yes/no followed by the subject and the auxiliary, it is rude to answer just
yes/no
• What is a tag question?
▫ a statement followed by a mini-question to ask for confirmation
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Make questions about the underlined parts
of the sentences.
• She is opening a present.
▫ What is she opening?
• My sister prefers porridge for breakfast.
▫ Who prefers porrige for breakfast?
• The telephone is ringing.
▫  Is the telephone ringing?
• They go to work by bus.
▫ How do they go to work?
• Yesterday Carol and Jane went to the swimming pool.
▫ When did Carol and Jane go to the swimming pool?
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Answer the questions about relative clauses.

• What does it mean when we say that relative clauses are subordinate clauses?
▫ they cannot stand alone as independent clauses
• What introduces the relative clause?
▫ relative pronouns that, which, whichever, who, whoever, whom, whomever,
whose, and of which
• What is the difference between restrictive and non-restrictive clauses?
▫ restrictive clauses provide essential information that identifies the
referenced noun, non-restrictive only provide additional information and
can be omitted
• Which of these are separated with commas?
▫ non-restrictive are separated with commas (just like brackets)
• How can we make relative clauses shorter or easier to understand?
▫ by using relative adverbs or participles
GRAMMAR EXERCISES: Combine the sentences with relative clauses
or contact clauses.
• The city seems to be abandoned. It is usually crowded with people.
▫ The city, which is usually crowded with people seems, to be abandoned.
• You made an offer. We cannot accept it.
▫ We cannot accept the offer you made.
• A midwife is a woman. She assists other women in childbirth.
▫ A woman who assists other women in childbirth is a midwife.
• Three youngsters were arrested by the police. They had committed criminal
offences.
▫ The police arrested three youngsters who had committed criminal offences.
• The World Wide Web has become an essential part of our lives. It was invented
by Tim Berners-Lee.
▫ Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, which has become an
essential part of our lives.