topic-specific vocabulary

On the road
1 Choose the most suitable explanation or interpretation, A or B, for the following sentences. Use
the words and phrases in bold to help you.

1. People enjoy the m obility th a t o w n in g a car gives them .

A . People e n jo y be in g able to travel easily from one place to another.
B. People e n jo y be in g able to drive very fast.

2. W hat's yo u r destination ?
A . W here have y o u com e fro m ?
B. W here are y o u g o in g to ?

3. Congestion in the city centre has increased dramatically.

A . It is n o w easier to drive a ro u n d the city centre than it was before.
B. It is n o w m o re difficult to drive a ro u n d the city centre than it was before.

4. Th e local council w ants to reduce the risks to pedestrians.

A . The local council w ants to make it safer for people to w alk a lo ng the street.
B. The local council w an ts to make it safer for drivers a n d th e ir passengers.

5. Th e pollution in m y city is terrible.

A . The air q u a lity in m y city is ve ry poor.
B. There is a lo t o f crime in m y city.

6. Traffic-calming measures are becom ing increasingly com m on th ro u g h o u t the country.

A . People have to drive m ore slow ly because o f the increased n u m b e r o f police in villages a n d towns.
B. People have to drive m ore carefully thro ugh towns a n d villages because o f specially-built obstacles
in the road.

7. Th e centre of Cam ford has been designated a traffic-free zone.

A . You ca nn ot take y o u r car in to the centre o f Cam ford.
B. You can park y o u r car fo r free in the centre o f Cam ford.

8. Container lorries and o ther large vehicles dominate o u r roads.

A . There are a lo t o f large vehicles on the roads.
B. There a re n 't m a n y large vehicles on the roads.

9. Y o u n g drivers have a higher accident risk than older drivers.

A . Y o u n g drivers are m ore likely than o lder drivers to be invo lve d in a crash.
B. Y o un g drivers are less likely than o ld e r drivers to be in vo lve d in a crash.

10. Public transport is heavily subsidised in most areas.

A . The g o ve rn m e n t has m ade public transport cheaper to use b y g ivin g m o n e y to bus a n d train
companies.
B. The g o ve rn m e n t has m ade p u b lic transport m ore expensive to use b y increasing the price o f
ro a d tax.

11. Th e junction of London Road and Holly Street is an accident black spot.
A . A lo t o f traffic accidents happen here.
B. N o t m a n y accidents h appen here.

12. Th e city council needs to a do p t an effective transport strategy w ith in the next five years.
A . The city council needs to fin d a b e tte r w ay for people to g e t into, a ro u n d a n d o u t o f the city.
B. The city council needs to encourage m ore drivers to b rin g th eir cars into the city.
topic-specific vocabulary On the road
2 Look at sentences 1 - 1 0 and decide w h a t has, or hasn't, happened (sentences A - J). Use the w ords
and phrases in bold to help you.

1. A m bulance driver to policeman: 'The pedestrian's injuries are very severe and he has to g o to hospital.'
2. Ju d ge to driver: ‘D rin k -d riv in g is a serious offence and I the re fore ban you from d riving fo r a year.'
3. D riving instructor to student driver: 'Stop! That's a pedestrian crossin g1
.’
4. Exam iner to student driver: 'You d o n 't k n o w e n o u g h a bo u t th e H ig h w a y C o de yet to pass yo u r
th e o ry test.'
5. Policeman to driver: 'D o yo u realise yo u w e re sp e e d in g back there, sir?'
6. D river to a friend: 'I can't believe it! He gave me a heavy fine and six points on m y licence.'
7. Police officer to radio interview er: 'Jo y rid in g has increased by alm ost 50 per cent and I am u rg in g
everyone to th in k tw ice before th e y ge t involved in this stupid activity.'
8. Television news presenter: 'So far this year there have been 27 fatalities on Oxfordshire's roads.'
9. City council officer to journalist: 'As p art of o u r n e w transport strategy, w e are g o in g to construct
cycle lanes in and a ro u nd th e city.'
10. City council officer to journalist: 'T h e "Park a n d R id e " scheme has been very successful over the
last year.'
A . S o m ebo dy is unfam iliar w ith the g o v e rn m e n t publication containing the rules fo r people travelling
on roads.
B. M o re people have been leaving th e ir cars in designated areas outside a city and catching a bus
into th e city centre.
C. A lot o f cars have been stolen, m ainly by yo u n g people w h o w a n t some excitem ent.
D. A person w a lk in g in th e street has been hit and badly hu rt by a vehicle.
E. S o m ebo dy has decided to m ake it safer to use bicycles.
F. S o m ebo dy has alm ost driven th ro u g h a red light and hit a person w a lk in g across the road.
G. S o m ebo dy has had to pay m o n ey because of a d rivin g offence.
H. S o m ebo dy has consum ed an illegal a m o u n t of alcohol before d riving th e ir car.
I. A lot o f people have been killed in traffic-related accidents.
J. S o m ebo dy has been d riving to o fast.

3. Complete this article w ith the w ords and phrases in Exercises 1 and 2. In some cases, more than
one answer is possible, and you w ill need to change some of the w o rd forms.

1.......................................................... and 2.......................................................... on Britain's roads are increasing

from year to year: last year, 2,827 people w ere killed and almost 300,000 hurt in traffic-related accidents.
Most of these w ere caused by drivers 3.......................................................... in built-up areas, w h e re m any seem
to disregard the 30m ph limit, o r 4 .......................................................... , especially around Christmas, w he n
m ore alcohol is consumed than at any other tim e. In m any cases, it is 5............................................................ w h o
are the victims, knocked d o w n as they are w alking across the street at 6.............................................................by
drivers w h o seem to have forgotten that the rules of the 7.............................................................order you to
stop at red lights.

But these innocent victims, together w ith the help of the police and local councils, are fighting back. In
Oxford, a city plagued by 8........................................................and 9.......................................................... caused by
traffic, and a notorious accident 10........................................................ for pedestrians and cyclists, the city
council has recently implemented its new 11........................................................, which has improved the flo w
of traffic to the benefit o f those on foot or on tw o wheels. 12........................................................measures such
as bollards and speed humps have slowed traffic dow n. 13........................................................schemes have
helped reduce the num ber of cars in the city, as office workers and shoppers leave their cars outside the
city and bus in instead. Cornmarket Street, the main shopping thoroughfare, has been designated a
14........................................................ , closed to all vehicles during the day. There are more
15........................................................on main routes into the city, making it safer for the huge num ber of
students and residents w h o rely on bicycles to get around. A n d 16........................................................public
transport has helped to keep d o w n the cost of using buses. Meanwhile, the police and the courts are
coming dow n hard on drivers w h o misuse the roads, handing dow n large 17........................................................
92 on selfish, inconsiderate drivers w h o believe it is their right to 18........................................................the roads.