Unit X

Roads in Britain

Motorways are limited-access, multilane roads. They are marked in blue on almost all maps

and the motorway number is preceded by the letter M. They can not be used by student

drivers, cyclists, moped riders, people on horses, or hitchhikers. The far right lane should be

used only for overtaking.Trucks and cars pulling trailers are not allowed to use the right-hand

lane on a three-lane motorway. You cannot overtake a car from a slower lane, that is, from the

left – you must always overtake on the right-hand side of the vehicle you're passing. If it is

blocking your way, move behind the car and wait for it to move into a slower lane; you can

flash your lights at it, but do not blow your car horn.

The hard shoulders are to be used only for emergencies, not for picnics or taking

photographs. There are emergency phones placed at one-mile intervals all along the

motorways, and posted arrows indicate the direction of the closest one, so if you break down,

you rarely have far to walk to get help.

Motorway lanes are marked with cats' eyes, which reflect oncoming headlights in the dark.

White cats' eyes indicate the lane markings; yellow ones run along the right-hand edge

separate the lane from the shoulder; and green cats' eyes mark the entrance to a slip road

(ramp).

«A» roads are primary routes that range from devided highways to slower two-lane roads.

They are usually marked in red on maps. Along such roads you can find chain restaurants

such as Happy Eater or Little Chef, which provide fast, reasonable food in clean but

standardized surroundings; petrol (gas) stations; frequent lay-bys; but not many toilets and

few of them clean.

«B» roads are secondary country routes with only one lane of traffic in each direction. They

are marked in yellow on most maps.

«Other» roads (in white on maps) are narrow and sometimes only single- lane. On smaller

roads in the depths of the countryside you can encounter such interesting obstacles as shallow

unbridged fords, ungarded railway crossings, and animals being herded along the road. You

must watch people riding horses or bicycles.

Single-track roads with freequent passing places are common in very rural areas. When two

cars meet, whichever is the nearest to a passing place must pull into it, even if that means

backing up. It is important, obviously, never to park in a passing place.

Many minor roads are resurfaced with gravel, so if you come across new surfacing, drive

slowly and stay far behind the next vehicle.

Questions:

1. How would you define a motorway?

2. Who cannot use a motorway?

3. What is the far right lane usually used for?

4. Can you overtake a car from a slower lane?

5. What are the hard shoulders usually used for?

6. What are «cat's eyes»?

7. How would you define an «A» road?

8. What can you find along such roads?

9. Where can we find «B» roads?

10. What kind of roads are those in white on maps?

11. What must we watch on such roads?

12. What do we find in rural areas?

Write down a name of the road which is defined by the following:

Secondary country routes with only one lane of traffic in each direction are called __________

Primary routes that range from devided highways to slower two-lane roads are called ________

Multilane roads with limited – access are called _______________

Roads with freequent passing places found in very rural areas are called ____________

Roads that are resurfaced with gravel are supposed to be __________________

Join the right colour in map with corresponding roads:

motorways in red

«A» roads in yellow

«B» roads in blue

other roads in white

False or True (F/T)

Motorways can be used by student drivers and hitchikers. __________

Cyclists, moped riders and people on horses are not forbidden access to a motorway. _______

In Britain, the far left lane should be used only for overtaking. ___________

You can not overtake a car from a slower lane. _____________

Chain restaurants as Happy Eater or Little Chef can be found along «A» roads.__________

The hard shoulders are used for picnics or taking photographs. _____________

There are emergency phones placed at one-mile intervals all along the motorways. __________

Posted arrows indicate the direction of the closest emergency phone. ____________

You are not permitted to blow a car horn on a motorway. _____________

On «A» roads you can find obstacles like ungarded railway crossings. ____________

Motorways are marked with «cat's eyes». _____________

Trucks and cars pulling trailers are not allowed to use right-hand lane on a 3-lane motorway._____

Shift from Active into Passive:

Student drivers, cyclists, moped riders, people on horses, or hitchhikers can not use motorways.

____________________________________________________________________________

We do not allow trucks and pulling trailers to use right-hand lane on a three-lane motorway.

____________________________________________________________________________

We are to use hard shoulders only for emergencies, not for picnic or taking photographs.

____________________________________________________________________________

They usually resurface many minor roads with gravel.

_____________________________________________

We usually mark motorways on maps in blue, «A» roads in red and «B» roads in yellow.

__________________________________________________________________________

The letter M preceeds the motorway number.

____________________________________

Fill in the missing preposition or a part of a phrasal verb:

You cannot overtake a car _________ a slower lane, that is ________ the left – you must always

overtake __________ the right hand-side _______ the vehicle you're passing.

If it is blocking your way, move __________ the car and wait _______ it to move ________ a

slower lane; you can flash your lights ________ it, but do not blow your car horn.

There are emergency phones placed ________ one-mile intervals all _________ the motorways,

and posted arrows indicate the direction ________ the closest one, so if you break __________,

you rarely have far _________ walk ______ get help.

When two cars meet on a single-track road, whichever is the nearest ________ a passing place

must pull _________ it, even if that means backing __________ .