Busy cities: a text about traffic and city words
Read the text on page 46 of your book (about traffic in a big city). Then read our own text about a small town. When we read about a problem, we look for three things: what is the problem, who has it and what are the solutions. Look for words that give reasons, such as because and so. City words help us talk about movement: a flyover goes over another road, a tunnel goes under the ground, and a monorail is a train on a single rail. When we move around a city, we can use a bus, a car, a bicycle or our feet. To answer a multiple-choice question about a text, find the sentence in the text and then choose the option that has the same meaning.
| Word | Meaning | Picture idea |
|---|---|---|
| traffic jam | a long line of cars that cannot move | many cars in a line |
| flyover | a road that goes over another road | (word card, no picture) |
| tunnel | a way under the ground | (word card, no picture) |
| monorail | a train on one rail | (word card, no picture) |
| stressed | worried and tired | a person late for a bus |
In the town of Tel El-Nour, the main road is always full at eight o’clock in the morning. Buses, cars and bicycles move slowly, and the traffic jam makes many parents and students stressed. The town council asked the school for ideas. The students made a list. First, more children can walk or cycle when the weather is good. Second, neighbours can share a ride to the same school. Third, a bus can pick up students at the corner of each street, so there are fewer cars. One week later the road was quieter, and people were smiling.
City words game. Draw a quick plan of a street with a bus stop and a traffic light. Say where a flyover could go and where a tunnel could go. Use the words in sentences: A flyover goes over the road. A tunnel goes under the ground.