LOWER SPEED LIMIT FOR NEW YORK CITY

Drivers in New York City will have to drive more slowly from Friday. The city has introduced a new speed limit of 25 mph (40 kph). The old limit was 30 mph (about 48 kph). The new law will apply to about 90 per cent of the city's streets. The city's department of transportation hopes the lower speed limit will make people drive more carefully and reduce traffic accidents and deaths. The city's mayor, Bill de Blasio, said he wanted to improve traffic safety and end pedestrian deaths. He said: "There's a real consensus in this town that we need to have people drive more carefully, more safely and slower for the protection of our kids, our seniors." Other people say the limit will make drivers angry and increase accidents.
Road speed limits are used in most countries to set the maximum speed for cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, etc. They can also set the minimum speed. The first maximum speed limit in the world was the 10 mph (16 kph) limit introduced in the United Kingdom in 1861. The highest speed limit in the world is 140 kph (87 mph) in Poland and Bulgaria. Some of the world's roads have no speed limit. Perhaps the most famous of these are the Autobahns in Germany. In 2006, German police said the average speed on one part of the Autobahn was 142 kph (88 mph). The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that around 1.24 million people die each year in traffic accidents. This number could fall if people drove more slowly.

I. True / False
a) The old speed limit in New York was 48 mph. T / F
b) The new speed limit will not be on 10 per cent of the city's roads. T / F
c) The Department of Transport said it wanted to cut pollution. T / F
d) Some people said the speed limit will mean there are more accidents. T / F
e) The article said there are speed limits in most countries in the world. T / F
f) The world's first ever speed limit was 16 kph. T / F
g) German police said the top speed for cars on its Autobahns is 142 kph. T / F
h) The WHO said 12.4 million people a year die in traffic accidents. T / F

II. Synonym Match
1. introduced 2. old 3. reduce 4. consensus 5. seniors 6. set 7. introduced 8. famous 9. around 10. Number a. agreement b. about c. previous d. started e. amount f. earliest g. decided on h. aged i. decrease j. well known

III. Answer the questions:
a) What kind of drivers are the most dangerous? _______________________________________________
b) Why are there minimum speed limits? ____________________________________________________
c) What should happen to people who go over the speed limit? _________________________________
d) What would life be like with a speed limit of 10 mph (16 kph)? ________________________________
e) Why do you think there's no speed limit on Germany's Autobahns? ______________________________
f) What would happen if there were no speed limits? ____________________________________________
g) Why do people like driving fast? __________________________________________________________
h) What questions would you like to ask New York's mayor? ______________________________________

IV. Phrase Match

V. Correct the spelling mistakes.
1. The city has cidounrted a new speed limit __________ 2. department of orttaisatnnpro _________________
3. make people drive more feucalrly ________________ 4. he wanted to improve traffic sfaeyt ___________
5. for the ocntireopt of our kids ____________________ 6. make drivers gyran ________________________
7. set the maummix speed_________________________ 8. set the imunimm speed _____________________
9. the igsehht speed limit _________________________ 10. the most fauoms of these____________________
11. the regaeav speed____________________________ 12. traffic necatsdic __________________________

VI. Fill the missing gap. Mayor, consensus, increase, introduced, lower, slowly, protection, apply, highest, part, around, minimum, fall, famous, set, average.
Drivers in New York City will have to drive more (1) ____________ from Friday.The city has (2) ____________ a new speed limit of 25 mph (40 kph). The old limit was 30 mph (about 48 kph). The new law will (3) ____________ to about 90 per cent of the city's streets.The city's Department of Transportation hopes the (4) ____________ speed limit will make people drive more carefully and reduce traffic accidents and deaths. The city's (5) ____________, Bill de Blasio, said he wanted to improve traffic safety and end pedestrian deaths. He said: "There's a real (6) ____________ in this town that we need to have people drive more carefully, more safely and slower for the (7) ____________ of our kids, our seniors." Other people say the limit will make drivers angry and (8) ____________ accidents. Road speed limits are used in most countries to (9) ____________ the maximum speed for cars, trucks, buses, motorbikes, etc. They can also set the (10) ____________ speed. The first maximum speed limit in the world was the 10 mph (16 kph) limit introduced in the United Kingdom in 1861. The (11) ____________ speed limit in the world is 140 kph (87 mph) in Poland and Bulgaria. Some of the world's roads have no speed limit. Perhaps the most (12) ____________ of these are the Autobahns in Germany. In 2006, German police said the (13) ____________ speed on one (14) ____________ of the Autobahn was 142 kph (88 mph). The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that (15) ____________ 1.24 million people die each year in traffic accidents. This number could (16) ____________ if people drove more slowly.

Do MULTIPLE CHOICE – QUIZ
1. What can speed limits do besides set the maximum speed? a) pay a new speeding fine b) drive more slowly c) get a new license d) read the rules of the road again
2. What was the old speed limit in kilometres per hour? a) 42 kph b) 46 kph c) 48 kph d) 44 kph
3. What does the New York City mayor want to end? a) noise pollution b) driving in the city c) speed limits d) pedestrian deaths
4. Who did the mayor say needed protection? a) traffic police b) kids and seniors c) cyclists d) drivers
5. How did other people say the speed limit would make people feel? a) angry b) good c) confused d) safe
6. What can speed limits do besides set the maximum speed? a) set the minimum speed limit b) make people drive at the same speed c) make car engines smaller d) increase the number of traffic police
7. When was the world's first speed limit introduced? a) 1816 b) 1681 c) 1618 d) 1861
8. Which two countries have the world's highest speed limit? a) Ecuador and Argentina b) Germany and Italy c) Poland and Bulgaria d) South Africa and Lesotho
9. What was the average speed on one part of a German road in 2006? a) 148 kph (82 mph) b) 182 kph (88 mph) c) 188 kph (42 mph) d) 142 kph (88 mph)
10. Who said the number of road deaths per year was 1.24 million? a) German police b) the WHO c) the International Road Safety Centre d) the New York City police

PUT THE WORDS IN THE RIGHT ORDER
1. drive to have will City York New in Drivers slowly more.________________________________________
2. introduced a The new city speed has limit. ____________________________________________________
3. speed make carefully lower will drive The limit people.__________________________________________
4. drive need more to carefully have people We. _________________________________________________
5. say will angry people limit drivers Other the make._____________________________________________
6. most limits countries are used Road in speed. _________________________________________________
7. the set also can They speed minimum. _______________________________________________________
8. the world is 140 The highest speed limit in. kph _______________________________________________
9. the have limit of roads speed Some world's no. ________________________________________________
10. each die people million 1.24 accidents traffic in year.___________________________________________

Kinds of transportation

1. Translate the words.
Depend, Wheeled vehicles, Trucks, Water vehicles, Engine powered, Engineless, Gasoline, Jet engines, Advantage, Supporting, Facilities, Require, Tracts, Maintain, Available transportation, Pack, Animals

2. Read and translate the text.
There are three kinds of transportation: (1) land, (2) water, and (3) air. Land transportation depends mainly on wheeled vehicles, especially automobiles, trains, and trucks. Ships and boats are the most important water vehicles. Air transportation depends almost entirely on airplanes.
Each kind of transportation can further be classified according to whether the vehicles are engine powered or engineless. Most engine powered vehicles have gasoline, diesel or jet engines. The majority of engineless vehicles are powered by the muscles of human beings or animals or by natural forces, such as the wind or flowing water.
Engine powered transportation has many advantage over engineless transportation. It is usually faster, more dependable, and can carry greater loads. However, such transportation is cozily. Most kinds of engine powered vehicles cost from several thousands to many millions of dollars, depending on the type of vehicle. In most cases, each type of vehicle also requires certain supporting facilities. Automobiles require roads. Trains must have tracts. Airplanes require airports. Ships need docks and ports. All these facilities are expensive to build and maintain. Every form of engine powered transportation also requires a source of energy. The combined cost of the vehicles, supporting facilities, and energy makes engine powered transportation extremely expensive.
Land transportation is the most common kind of transportation by far. In many cases, it is the only suitable or available transportation.
Automobiles, buses, motorcycles, snowmobiles, trains, and trucks are the chief engine powered land vehicles. All these vehicles ride on wheels.
Walking is the most elementary means of engineless transportation. Carrying a load on one’s or head or using animals to carry loads is also elementary. Animals used for this purpose are called pack animals. People use pack animals mainly in regions that lack modern roads. Such regions include many deserts, mountainous areas and jungles.

3. Finish the sentences.
1. There are three kinds of _____________________________
2. They are___________________________
3. Land transportation depends on__________________
4. Water transportation depends on __________
5. Air transportation depends on ___________
6. Automobiles _________ roads.
7. Trains __________ tracts.
8. Airplanes require __________
9. Ships _________ docks and ports.
10. Automobiles, buses, motorcycles, snowmobiles, trains ride on _______
11. Walking is the most__________________engineless transportation.

4. Answer the questions.
1. What are the main kinds of land transport?
2. What does each type of vehicle require?
3. For what kind of freight are railroads suited best of all?
4. What is the most used kind of transportation?
5. What are the main disadvantages of air transport?
6. What is the elementary means of transportation?
7. What do people use animals for?