Most journeys in Britain and the US are made by road. Some of these are made on public transport but most are by private car.
In Britain many peaple rely on their cars for daily local activities, e.g. getting to work,doing the shopping, and visting friends. People living in urban areas may use buses, trains or, in London, the Underground, to get to city centres, mainly because traffic is often heavy and it is difficult to find anywhere to park a car. Some places in the country may have a bus only two or three times a week so people living there have no choice but to rely on their cars.
In the US large cities have good public transportation systems. The El railroad in Chicago and the underground systems of New York, Boston, San Francisco and Washington, DC are heavily used. Elsewhere, most Americans prefer to use their cars. Families often have two cars and, outside major cities, have to drive fairly long distances to schools, offices, banks, ect. Many college and even high-school students have their own cars.
Long-distance travel in Britain is also mainly by road, though railways link most towns and cities. Most places are linked by motorways or other fast roads and many people prefer to drive (at their own convenience) rather than use a train, even though they may get stuck in a traffic jam. Long – distance coach/ bus services are usually a cheaper alternative to trains, but they take longer and may be less comfortable. Some long-distance travel, especially that undertaken for businees reasons, may be by air. There are regular flights between regional airports, as well as to and from London. A lot of freight is also distributed by road, though heavier items and raw materials often go by rail.
In the US much long-distance travel is by air. America has two main long-distance bus companies, Greyhound and Trailways. Amtrak, the national network, provides rail services for passengers. Private railway companies such as Union Pacific now carry only freight, though in fact over 70% of freight goes by road.
The main problems associated with road transport in both Britain and the US are traffic congestion and pollution. It is predicted that the number of cars on British roads will increase by a third within a few years, making both these problems worse. The British govetnment would like more people to use public transport, but so far they have had little success in persuading people to give up their cars or to share rides with neighbours. Most people say that public transport is simply not good enough. Americans too have resisted government requests to share cars because it is less convenient and restricts their freedom. Pestrol/ gasoline is relatively cheap in the US and outside the major cities pulblic transport is bad, so (they) see no reason to ues their car less.
(extracted from Oxford Guide to British and American Culure, Oxford University Press, 2000)
Question 34: In Britain and the US most people travel by _________. A. road B. sea C. rail D. air - Dựa vào nội dung của câu văn đầu tiên "Most journeys in Britain and the US are made by road"  => A.
Question 35: According to the passage, people in London may prefer the Underground to their own cars due to ______. A. heavy traffic B. cheap tickets C. long distances D. air pollution - Dựa vào nội dung của câu văn ở đoạn thứ 2 " in London, the Underground, to get to city centres, mainly because traffic is often heavy and it is difficult to find anywhere to park a car". => A
Question 36: It is metioned in paragraph 3 that the public trasportation systems in the US are good in _________. A. large cities B. large states C. some states D. all cities - Dựa vào nội dung của câu đầu tiên trong đoạn 3 "In the US large cities have good public transportation systems". => A
Question 37: Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage? A. Few college students in the US have their own cars. B. The underground systems are popular in some major US cities. C. Most Americans prefers to drive their cars outside large cities. D. Families in the US often have more than one car. - Dựa vào nội dung câu văn cuối cùng của đoạn thứ 3 "Many college and even high-school students have their own cars."  => A.
Question 38: The phrase “at their own convenience” in paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ________. A. at an early time and nearby place B. at the fastest time and nearest place C. at the latest time and nearest place D. at an appropriate time and place - "at their own convenience" có nghĩa là sự thuận tiện riêng của họ, tức là nếu họ đi bằng xe hơi thì họ có thể đi lúc nào cũng được và thích