1. | Ship it overseas – but slowly. |
2. | Railroads – large loads moved at low cost. |
3. | Transporting function must fit the whole strategy. |
4. | Trucks are more expensive, but flexible and essential. |
5. | Put it in a container – and move between modes easily. |
6. | Airfreight is expensive but fast and growing. |
7. | Competition has forced railroads to innovate. |
8. | But airplanes may cut the total cost of distribution. |
Choose the phrase a, b or c, which best completes each sentence.
1. | Because the train runs on fixed tracks … |
| a) | … it can be timetabled to stop at more stations. |
| b) | … it can carry more passengers. |
| c) | … it is not subject to traffic jams. |
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2. | If a railway only has a single track … |
| a) | … a breakdown will probably not cause serious problems. |
| b) | … a breakdown will definitely cause serious problems. |
| c) | … a breakdown is likely to cause serious problems. |
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3. | When a particular railway service becomes unprofitable … |
| a) | … it may help the situation if fares are lowered. |
| b) | … it will help the situation if fares are lowered. |
| c) | … it will not help the situation if fares are lowered. |
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4. | Because most journeys do not start and end at railway stations … |
| a) | … support transport is not normally required at the terminals. |
| b) | … support transport is usually required at the terminals. |
| c) | … support transport is occasionally required at the terminals. |
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5. | Times of arrival and departure for trains can be given with greater accuracy than … |
| a) | … for lorries or coaches because road transport is slower. |
| b) | … for aircraft because airports are congested. |
| c) | … for other forms of transport. |
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6. | One of the attractions of inter-city travel by rail for executives is that they … |
| a) | … will reach their final destination more quickly. |
| b) | … will have the option to do some work while they are traveling. |
| c) | … will not need a taxi at the end of their journey. |
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7. | Heavy and bulky freight can be carried overland comparatively cheaply by rail because … |
| a) | … bigger loads can be carried in a single haul. |
| b) | … the loads can be conveyed at night. |
| c) | … railway workers wages are low. |
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8. | When railway lines are closed down because they are uneconomic … |
| a) | … the workers will have to find jobs in other industries. |
| b) | … the workers will not be able to find jobs in other industries. |
| c) | … some of the workers may lose their jobs. |
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9. | If the government spent substantially more on the development of motorways … |
| a) | … they would also have to subsidise the railways. |
| b) | … it would probably make the railways less profitable. |
| c) | … it would encourage more freight to be sent by rail. |
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10. | A Eurotunnel between England and France … |
| a) | … will make French goods more expensive in England. |
| b) | … will encourage more Britons to go abroad for their holidays. |
| c) | … will improve the British economy by encouraging tourism. |
Complete the sentences in your own words.
1. | When goods are sent by air … |
2. | If bulky goods need to be sent overseas … |
3. | Storms at sea can cause loss or damage to cargo … |
4. | When commuters’ trains run into London late … |
5. | An aircraft has a long way to fall so the maintenance of the aircraft … |
6. | When perishable items such as tomatoes and flowers … |
7. | When there is only a single line railway track … |
8. | If the government raises the tax on petrol … |
9. | There will always be a demand for luxury liners because … |
10. | Many of the new large oil tankers are built in Japan because … |
11. | There has been a slump in shipbuilding in recent because … |
12. | The really heavy lorries are called juggernauts and they … |
Summarize the text in about 50 words.