V. Working on the text

Task 1. Read and translate the text using the active vocabulary and the vocabulary of the previous lessons. Find in the text passive structures.

Us Highway Transportation in 1960

By the end of September 1960 more than 23% of the 41,000 miles of the Federal System of Interstate and Defense Highways¹⁴ had been opened for traffic. It constitutes a nationwide network of ultramodern expressways. Although the system will represent little more than 1% of the total road mileage of the United States, it is expected to bear about one fifth of the nation's highway traffic. The cost is estimated at $40 billion.

The major part of the system will be built under an arrangement by which the federal government pays 90% of the cost and the states pay only 10%.

The federal government's share of the cost of construction of federal-aid roads, including the Interstate System, comes out of the Highway Trust Fund¹⁵, which consists of certain automotive tax receipts. The principal source of the money in the fund is the federal gasoline tax, which Congress had raised in 1956 from 2¢¹⁶ to 3¢ per gallon. Because the Highway Trust Fund was threatened with a substantial deficit, Congress further increased the tax to 4¢ per gal. for the period from Oct. 1, 1959, through June 30, 1961.

Safety Checks

On October 30-31 and November 1, 1960, the Interstate Commerce Commission (the ICC)¹⁷ inspectors conducted a spot check of motor vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike with the consent of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission. This highway is one of the oldest and most important toll roads in the United States. The inspectors reported that 134 units of equipment – trucks, tractors, and trailers – had been in such unsafe condition that they had ordered them to be removed from service until repaired. In the majority of these cases there was a deficiency in the brake system. The inspectors also discovered that many truck drivers on the road had been violating the hours-of-service limitations, designed to prevent accidents caused by driver fatigue.

In December 1960, President Eisenhower issued an executive order establishing a new federal agency – the Interdepartmental Highway Safety Board.¹⁸ The Board will conduct studies of national traffic safety needs and will coordinate the traffic safety aspects of federal programs.

Innovations in Equipment and Operation

The Ohio Turnpike Commission announced in September that it would permit the regular operation of tractors hauling two trailers in tandem on the Ohio Turnpike. Such operations had already been authorized on the New York Thruway and the Massachusetts Turnpike. These combinations reduce the cost of freight transportation on highways, but their use is forbidden in most of the states.

In September, Chicago Express, a large trucking company, began to operate a new trailer model between Philadelphia and Chicago over the Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana turnpikes. Manufactured by Strick Trailer Co., it is 60 ft. long and carries up to 30 tons of freight, in contrast to the much smaller loads of conventional 40-ft. trailers. A 20-ft. portion of the trailer is detachable and can be dropped at an intermediate destination.

A versatile kind of truck trailer for freight requiring temperature control was produced in 1960 by Great Dane Trailers. It has two compartments, each with a different type of refrigeration unit. The unit in the front compartment can provide sub-zero temperatures for ice-cream and frozen foods. The unit in the rear compartment is designed for moderate refrigeration or heating, according to the season. This compartment is therefore suitable to fresh fruits and vegetables. Each compartment can be loaded and unloaded through side doors.

Task 2. Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions using the active vocabulary and the information in the text above.

1. When was more than 23% of the Federal System of Interstate and Defense Highways opened for traffic?

2. What percentage of the US total road mileage was the Federal System of Interstate and Defense Highways expected to constitute?

3. How much highway traffic was the Federal System of Interstate and Defense Highways supposed to bear?

4. How much will the construction of the Federal System of Interstate and Defense Highways cost?

5. What percentage of the total expenditures for the Federal System of Interstate and Defense Highways construction was authorized from the federal funds?

6. What was the principal source of receipt for the Highway Trust accounts?

7. What did the ICC inspection of vehicles on the Pennsylvania Turnpike highway find?

8. What agency was established in the USA in December 1960? What authorities did the agency have?

9. What transport operation was authorized on the Ohio Turnpike highway in September 1960?

10. What were the operating characteristics of the new trailer model manufactured by Strick Trailer Company?

11. What types of truck trailers for freight were produced in 1960 by Great Dane Trailers?

Task 3. Put in prepositions (if a preposition is necessary) and translate the sentences into your mother tongue. Consult the text above.

1. ___ Monday, this highway will be opened ___ traffic.

2. A greater part ___ road accidents has been caused ____ driver fatigue.

3. Many trucks and trailers are ___ an unsafe condition.

4. The compartments in this truck can be loaded and unloaded ____ side doors.

5. The Highway Trust Fund consists ___ automotive tax receipts.

6. The road inspection was conducted ___ the consent ___ the commission.

7. The tax has recently been increased up ____ 4 cents per a gallon ___ gasoline.

8. This compartment is suitable ___ fresh fruits and vegetables.