Left or right?

Which is better – to drive on the left or right? Do you think it doesn’t really matter? If so you’re wrong. A team of American scientists says that cars driving on the right hand side of the road probably help to make tornadoes. The Americans say that cars and trucks going very fast make the air turn anti-clockwise. The air in tornadoes turns anti-clockwise in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere the air goes clockwise. So cars in the USA must drive on the left and cars in Australia, for example, must drive on the right.

There are about 2.5 million cars and lorries moving on the roads in the USA at any moment. The air that moves is probably enough to change the movement of the atmosphere. Between 1933 and 1973 there were six times as many tornadoes in the USA than there were before. Those 40 years were the years when every day more and more people started driving cars and lorries. The scientists also say that there are not so many tornadoes on Saturdays. The time when traffic is heaviest is during the week when people go to work and on Sundays when many people go for a drive. This is a surprising answer to the old arguments on the question of “right or left”.

Read and translate the text

The French engineer Jan Guebelen has invented a new device for drivers. The “signalizer” registers the physical state of the driver-tiredness, nervousness and use of strong drinks.

The device in the form of a bracelet worn on the hand, is connected to the intensifier mounted on the control board of the car; its signals put in action the device which cont – rols feeding of fuel to the carburettor, thus reducing the speed or bringing the car to a full stop.

If the driver is tired a bell is sounded to cake him stop the car. In case he does not do it, the car will stop by itself. It will not stars until the driver has rested. If the driver is drunk, the bracelet will not “allow” him to start the car.

A very useful device, especially if we take into consideration the number of accidents on the roads caused by drivers being tired or drunk.

Read and translate the text

Cars and Roads

The need for new roads causes great environment difficulties. They often spoil the countryside and bring noise and air pollution to thousands of homes. Since 1958 population of Britain has increased by 11 per cent, but the number of cars has increased by 400 per cant. Cars cause often problems too: thousands of people die in car accidents; car parks use valuable space in towns and cities; cars use a lot of our limited amount of oil.

Friends of the Earth suggest that the bicycle is the best way to travel because it’s cheap, quiet and riding it keeps you healthy. However, there are far fewer cyclists in Britain than in some other European countries, so our roads aren’t built for cycling. It can be dangerous to cycle in large cities as British motorists don’t seem to notice cyclists. Some people think that only buses and bicycles should be allowed in our city centres.

Read and translate the text