A..SURVIVED B.OVER C.MISSING D.LEFTREAD THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE AND MAR...

Câu 37:

A..

survived

B.

over

C.

missing

D.

left

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet

to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

Most journeys in Britain and the US are made by road. Some of these are made on

public transport but most are by private car.

In Britain many people rely on their cars for daily local activities, e.g. getting to

work, doing the shopping, and visiting friends. People living in urban areas may use buses,

trains or, in London, the Underground, to get to city centres, mainly because traffic is

often heavy and it is difficult to find anywhere to park a car. Some places in the country

may have a bus only two or three times a week so people living there have no choice but

to rely on their cars.

In the US large cities have good public transportation systems. The El railroad in

Chicago and the underground systems of New York, Boston, San Francisco and

Washington, DC are heavily used. Elsewhere, most Americans prefer to use their cars.

Families often have two cars and, outside major cities, have to drive fairly long distances

to schools, offices, shops, banks, etc. Many college and even high-school students have

their own cars.

Long-distance travel in Britain is also mainly by road, though railways link most

towns and cities. Most places are linked by motorways or other fast roads and many

people prefer to drive at their own convenience rather than use a train, even though they

may get stuck in a traffic jam. Long- distance coach/bus services are usually a cheaper

alternative to trains, but they take longer and may be less comfortable. Some long-distance

travel, especially that undertaken for business reasons, may be by air. There are regular

flights between regional airports, as well as to and from London. A lot of freight is also

istributed by road, though heavier items and raw materials often go by rail.

In the US much long-distance travel is by air. America has two main long-distance

bus companies, Greyhound and Trailways. Amtrak, the national network, provides rail

services for passengers. Private railway companies such as Union Pacific now carry only

freight, though in fact over 70% of freight goes by road.

The main problems associated with road transport in both Britain and the US are

traffic congestion and pollution. It is predicted that the number of cars on British roads

will increase by a third within a few years, making both these problems worse. The British

government would like more people to use public transport, but so far they have had little

success in persuading people to give up their cars or to share rides with neighbours. Most

people say that public transport is simply not good enough. Americans too have resisted

government requests to share cars because it is less convenient and restricts their freedom.

Petrol/gasoline is relatively cheap in the US and outside the major cities public transport is

bad, so they see no reason to use their cars less.

(Extracted from Oxford Guide to British and American Culture, Oxford

University Press, 2000)