Academic Reading sample task Identifying information

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 Identifying 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 Identifying 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 Identifying 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 Identifying information

Answers:

14 C
15 F
16 E
17 H
18 A
19 D