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“Computers on the Roads”

Traffic "rabbits"¹ to pace motorists through tunnels and similar bottlenecks have been proposed by Westinghouse researchers. They envi­sion lights that would move along the roadside to lead drivers quickly through tunnels, somewhat like mechanical rabbits leading dogs on race­tracks.

Tunnels and their approaches would be lined with rows of lamps or fixtures spaced two or three feet apart. Each lamp would flash as a car approach it, giving the driver the appearance of a single light always mov­ing just ahead of his car. A central computer "brain" connected to each light would be aware of all hazards in a tunnel, and would know the po­sition, velocity and acceleration of every car at every moment. Motorists would be guided more smoothly, safely and quickly than they can drive unaided, especially in rush-hour or holiday week-end traffic. Drivers tend to slow down in tunnels because walls rushing by make their velo­city seem to be greater than it really is. Moving lights would help motor­ists to maintain appropriate speed. A scheme has been designed whereby the computer could get instantaneous information about traffic condi­tions in a tunnel, and could control sequentially flashed lights to indicate to each driver his best speed and best distance from the car ahead.

The computer would be programmed to figure out best speed and dis­tance from data provided by field investigations of driver capabilities.

Detecting devices—perhaps treadles or radar—all along the tunnel would keep track of ² every car. The central computer would calculate whether each auto should be driven faster or slower, and change the speed of its assigned light accordingly. If a car broke down or its driver put on the brakes in a tunnel, the system would detect this and slow down or stop all lights behind that car, so all drivers would know the situation at once. The driver would be able to respond more quickly to a light, and changes in motion of the car.

This semi-automated system might be a step toward completely automated highways of the future, when, according to some forecasters, cars will be driven by electronic signals from transmitters buried in the road.

rabbit — зд. бігаючий промінь

² to keep track of —прослідкувати

1) Answer the questions

1. What has been proposed by Westinghouse researchers?

2. How are tunnels and their approaches supposed to be lined?

3. How would motor­ists be guided?

4. What scheme has been designed?

5. What could the semi-automated system lead to?

2) Retell the text in brief

3)Make up the plan to the text

Texts for Additional Reading

FROM THE HISTORY OF DEVELOPMENT ' OF AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY

Before World War I only a few automobiles were produced in Russia at Machine-Building Works in Moscow, Petersburg, Riga and Orel. Mo .I of them were produced in Riga at the Russian-Baltic Railway Work. During six years (1910-1915) only 451 cars and a few score of trucks were delivered.

At the outbreak of World War I the number of vehicles in Russia did not exceed 10,000 units, mostly of foreign make, among them 2,000 trucks.

In 1916 efforts were made to build some Motor Works in Russia, but none of them ever got down to commercial operation.

It was only after the Great October Socialist Revolution that automotive industry began developing in our country. In 1924 the first Soviet trucks—ten AMO-F-15 came off the assembly lines ¹ and took part in the holiday parade on the Red Square in Moscow.

Very few vehicles were produced at that time (1924-1931) at Hum plants - in Moscow, at the AMO Works (now the I. A.Likhachev Molotov Works), at the Yaroslavl Motor Works and at the Moscow Motor Works "Spartak" which produced compact cars (1927-1930).

The drive to boost automobile production and bring out a range of cars began in 1932. In Nizhni Novgorod (now Gorky) new Motor Works appeared which planned to manufacture at least 150,000 vehicles a year. The Moscow Automobile Works underwent reconstruction to turn out up to 25,000 automobiles.

Five years later (in 1937) Ukraine was the first in Europe and the second in the world (after the USA) in the production of trucks. In two years the pre-war level of production was reached—up to 201,700 vehicles. At the Ukraine trucks, buses and special service cars of all types came off the assembly lines as well as pas­senger cars—big, medium and compact. The highly developed automo­tive industry was able to meet the requirements of national economy. It played a great role in supplying the Army in wartime.

Пояснение к тексту

¹ assembly line — монтажная линия

4. Найдите в тексте и переведите абзацы, в которых говорится о выпуске первых легковых автомобилей в нашей стране.

5. Найдите в тексте ответы на следующие вопросы:

1. Where were the first automobiles produced in Russia? 2. What plants produced vehicles after the Great October Socialist Revolution?

1 low many vehicles were manufactured at the Motor Works in Nizhni Novgorod? 4. What was the pre-war level of production of trucks? 5. What types of cars came off the assembly line at the Gorky, Moscow and Yaroslavl Works?

Retell the text

Make up the plan to the text

TRANSPORT OF THE FUTURE

Experts estimate that by the year 2000 we will zoom by rocket from New York to Tokyo in 30 minutes. We will be able to reach any point on the globe from any other point through tunnels deep in the earth.

The prospect is adventurous and exciting. But most people are more interested in better ways to travel during their own lifetime. It's possible, even anticipated that within the next two or three decades we will be rid­ing in remote-controlled electronic cars. We will travel over plastic- domed, climate-controlled highways.

Helicopters will carry whole buses loaded with passengers from point to point above city traffic. All of these travel innovations, and more, are well within our present technological capability.¹

Two key problems confront urban planners: maximizing the efficiency of the interface between various transportation modes ? (ground, sea, air), and integrating transportation with urban planning.

Many far-out schemes for meeting this interface problem have been proposed. Artists have rendered glamorous pictures of streamlined mono­rails sweeping through cities under vast domes of plastic. The people in such air-conditioned "cities of tomorrow" ride continuous moving-belt sidewalks or soar across town through the air, powered by jet belts. Maybe we'll have all those things in 100 years.

Supersonic transport prototypes now in development will be forerun­ners of a new generation of 1,800 miles per hour passenger jet-liners and there's little doubt that they will be in our future.

In air cushion vehicles pressurized air lifts craft off the surface where it is propelled by conventional aircraft or by jets. Theoretically, the prin­ciple can be used for land vehicles, boats, trains and even pallet dollies.

, The surface effect ship (SES) is guided by rudders and elevators operat­ing in the slip-stream.³ With no surface contact, frictional resistance is largely overcome, so the SES can operate at speeds up to 70 or 80 knots, and perhaps even faster. The SES is still in the experimental stage in the USA, England and the USSR are using them widely.

Road Safety

Britain is a small island, but a great many people live there and there is a traffic problem. The word "traffic" means everything and everybody using the roads. When we walk along the pavement or cross a road, we are part of that traffic. We are then called "pedestrians".

There are far too many accidents in Britain. Over 300000 people are hurt every year, and more than 5000 of them die. Whose fault is this? It is the fault of everyone who uses the road. That means the pedestrians too. Careless pedestrians often cause accidents. Accidents often happen when people cross a road. Here is some advice. Read it carefully.

Crossing the Road

Always use a footbridge or subway when there is one. You cannot be hit by a car when you are going over or under a road.

Always use a crossing when there is one. When you are on a crossing, cars must stop. But they cannot stop at once. You must give them time to stop. Remember that cars take longer to stop when it is wet.

Remember these rules for crossing the road:

1. First find a safe place to cross and then stop.

2. Stand on the pavement near the edge. .

3. Look all round for traffic, and listen.

4. When traffic is coming, let it pass. Look all round again.

5. When there is no traffic near, walk straight across the road.

6. Look and listen for traffic when you are crossing.

Crossing with Lights

You must always obey the lights. If the light is red, do not cross. When the light is red and the road is clear, do not cross. Cross only when the light is green and the road is clear.

Walking Along the Road

Always use the pavement or footpath when there is one. When there is no pavement, walk on the left side of the road. Keep close to the side. Do not run in the road. Do not play in the road.

Using a Bus

• Do not try to get on before the passengers have got off.

• Do not get off before the bus has stopped.

• When you get off, do not try to cross the road until the bus has moved off. Many people are hit by cars when they step out into the road from behind a bus.