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b) Which of the words and expressions below describe each of the means of transportation given on p. 149?
operated by computers, driven by electric motors, the fastest way of getting to a place in a city, economical, safe, old, dangerous, beautiful view, convenient, hilly roads, modern, pavements, stop at request, clean air, noisy, modern, cheap
c) Listen to the descriptions and answer the following questions.
1. Are the two means of transportation safe for nature?
2. Are they economical? Why do you think so?
3. Which of them can be used in business?
4. Which of them do you think is more comfortable?
3. Read the text and choose a title for each paragraph from the list below.
1. Disadvantages of the old double-decker.
2. History is alive.
3. Modernization of bus services.
4. The Routemaster — a traditional London bus.
5. The history of London buses.
A. The London Bus is one of London's main traditions. Until the 1950s, London designed its own vehicles. The last such bus specifically designed for London was a red double-decker called Routemaster which was designed in 1954. The bus was developed to replace the trolleybuses, which had themselves replaced trams. It was introduced in London on 8 February, 1956 and has become one of the famous icons of London.
B. The design became very popular with Londoners and tourists. It had an open platform at the back, a conductor to collect fares, and the isolated driver's cabin. The platform let many passengers get onboard quickly at stops, and at traffic lights and slow speeds. The conductor collected fares while the bus was travelling, which made waiting time at stops very short.
C. There were some inconveniences in the Routemaster buses. It wasn't
very comfortable to stand on the lower floor as it wasn't high enough (it wasn't allowed to stand on the upper deck). There wasn't enough space for legs for those who were sitting. Also, because there was no door at the back, passengers were not well protected from cold or windy weather.
D. In the 1970s, many of London's bus routes started to use modern buses with no conductor. Each passenger paid the driver when they were entering the bus. It made the boarding time much longer. As a result, in central London bus tickets are now bought from street-side machines before boarding.
E. For many people, the Routemaster buses remind the past, and they started a campaign to save the bus. Two heritage routes have been introduced to keep the Routemaster alive in London. They operate on the central London sections of regular routes: Heritage route 9 and Heritage route 15. Both routes operate every 15 minutes from 9.30 am to 6.30 pm.
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