Unit 6 people and nature

READING

Ex.1. You are going to read an article about the impact the motor car has had on everyday life. Choose from the sentences A-I the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning.

A It is a problem that can be solved given the right levels of commitment.

B Immediate steps are needed to check the emissions from car engines.

C The number of vehicles on our roads is set to double over the next thirty years.

D There are other victims too.

E The average speed of traffic in central London is the same as in the era of the horse and cart of 80 years ago.

F We do not need cars to show what we are worth.

G This would make people think twice before getting into their cars.

H Most teenagers now expect to have their own car once they hit the age of 18.

I Lead in petrol has been shown to cause brain damage in young children.

THE CURSE OF THE MOTOR CAR

We are all familiar with the story of Frankenstein, the professor who created a monster that eventually led to his own destruction. In my opinion, the mass-produced car, which was born in the early part of this century, is set to strangle us in the next.

Just consider the awful impact that the car has had on modern life. 0-----E-----. Lives in many big cities have become miserable because of the congestion, noise and pollution from motor vehicles.

It is the young who have been put most at risk. It has become far too hazardous to let children cycle freely on the roads. There has been an enormous increase in the number of juvenile asthma cases and respiratory problems. 1--------------.

Nevertheless, in my opinion, the impact of the car is nowhere more visible than in the small villages of what was once our countryside. As far as I am concerned, it is these and their inhabitants that have suffered the most. Huge juggernauts thunder down narrow streets and the high street became the permanent traffic jam. Pedestrians risk their lives by stepping off narrow pavements. 2-------------. The slaughter of wildlife has become so common as to cease to be horrific.

This story is all too familiar, yet there is worse to come. 3-----------. Does it mean that we will be living in a wilderness of tarmac and concrete? Or is it perhaps time to tackle the monster? Now, I am not suggesting that we can turn back the clock and uninvent the car in any way. What I am saying is that we have to find imaginative solutions to our transport needs if we are to avoid choking themselves to death, or living in a wilderness made from concrete and tarmac. I do believe, however, that the problem can be dealt with on three levels: internationally, nationally and, last but not least, on a personal level.

On the international level, governments must cooperate to ensure that motor manufacturers are working to produce more efficient engines which demand less in fuel and which are much cleaner. They should sets limits for engine sizes and production. 4----------------. Manufacturers must be made to fit effective filters to all new vehicles. Damage to the ozone layer or acid rain do not respect national boundaries.

Let us now look at what can be done on a national level. Road tax should be up to ten times more for vehicles with engine size over, say, 2 litres. Cars without effective filters and catalytic converters should be taken off the roads immediately. The government should put up the price of petrol immediately. 5--------------. Road pricing for journeys would also help with this. Next, it should develop a public transport policy that does not have the private motor car at its center. It is a fact that building more roads actually increases traffic. Public transport such as reliable trains and buses should receive a far greater investment.

Lastly, what can we do as individuals? First and foremost, we need to rid ourselves of the mentality that we cannot do without our cars and that they are a reflection of our success and status in society. Fifty years ago it was unusual for a family to have a car. Now, along with washing machines and annual holidays abroad, it has become the norm. 6-----------.

Next, we should make immediate changes to our lifestyles and walk or use bicycles for shorter journeys. We should become politically active and make it clear that transport policy is the key issue in how we decide to spend our vote.

To sum up, I have tried to show that there are steps that can be taken to reduce the damage caused by the car. 7-------------. However, only by acting as individuals first can we expect governments to act in their turn. By accepting responsibility and acting upon it, we can avoid our lemming-like journey down the one-way street to extinction.

Ex. 2. For questions 1 – 15, choose from the sections A–E. The sections may be chosen more than once. When more than one answer is required, these may be given in any order. There is an example at the beginning (0).

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