PASSAGE 18

MOTORCARS

The motorcar has been among the biggest influences on life in the 20th century, a
powerful factor in the progress of civilization. It can, unfortunately, be a source of danger-
but for every life it takes, it saves a dozen, speeding the desperately ill to hospital, carrying
food to the places where there is a food shortage. It has disturbed many of the quiet places
where people go at their leisure, but opened new playgrounds to millions. Because of it, the
ability to ride a horse is a rare skill, railways are no longer a decisive factor in molding our
communities.

I. VOCABULARY
To influence: To affect Factor: Reason, cause
Progress : Development Civilization: People, nation, culture
Source: Origin, basis To speed: To drive too fast, to race
Desperately: Urgently, badly Shortage: Lack
Leisure: Free time Playground: Playing field
Decisive: Important, vital To mould: To shape
II. EXERCISE: Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the words defined
above
1. Most of the third-year students had been back for a month already, .... trying to
catch up with their second-year work.
2. They gave excuses of .... of time to explain why they did not finish the work.
3. His method of management has produced .... changes.
4. A pedestrian zone also gives you the opportunity to wander at your .... through
the wide selection of shops.
5. In the lounge of the residential home the white-haired woman was .... a lump of
clay.
III. READING COMPREHENSION
1. From the passage we understand that a car can kill....
A. more people than it saves.
B. as many people as it saves.
C. fewer people than it saves.
D. and this made our progress slow.
E. but can not save anybody.
2. It is obvious in the passage that the car has been a cause of
A. seriously ill people.
B. annoyance to quiet places.
C. food shortage.
 D. leisure time to people.
E. trouble to millions.
3. We can infer from the passage that before cars existed,
A. everybody used to ride a horse.
B. people didn't have any playgrounds.
C. the only means of transportation were trains.
D. trains were no longer important.
E. railways were of great importance.