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transport needs, such as class field trips, or to transport associated sports, music or other school groups.

Due to the costs involved in owning, operating and driving buses and coaches, many bus and coach uses come about from the private hire of vehicles from charter bus companies, either for a day or two, on a longer contract basis, where the charter company provides the vehicles and qualified drivers. Charter bus operators may be completely independent businesses, or charter hire may be a subsidiary business of a public transport operator who might maintain a separate fleet or use surplus buses, coaches, and dual purpose coach seated buses. Many private taxicab companies also operate larger minibus vehicles to cater for group fares. Companies, private groups and social clubs may hire buses or coaches as a cost effective method of transporting a group to an event or site, such as a group meeting, racing event, or organised recreational activity such as a summer camp. Entertainment or event companies may also hire temporary shuttles buses for transport at events such as festivals or conferences. Party buses are used by companies in a similar manner to limousine hire, for luxury private transport to social events or as a touring experience. Sleeper buses are used by bands or other organisations that tour between entertainment venues and require mobile rest and recreation facilities. Some couples hire preserved buses for their wedding transport instead of the traditional car. Buses are often hired for parades or processions. Victory parades are often held for triumphant sports teams, who often tour their home town or city in an open-top bus. Sports teams may also contract out their transport to a team bus, for travel to away games, to a competition or to a final event. These buses are often specially decorated in a livery matching the team colours. Private companies often contract out private shuttle bus services, for transport of their customers or patrons, such as hotels, amusement parks, university campuses or private airport transfer services. This shuttle usage can be as transport between locations, or to and from parking lots. High specification luxury coaches are often chartered by companies for executive or VIP transport.

Many not for profit, social or charitable groups with a regular need for group transport may find it practical or cost-effective to own and operate a bus for their own needs. These are often minibuses for practical, tax and driver licensing reasons, although they can also be full size buses. Cadet or scout groups or other youth organizations may also own buses. Specific charities may exist to fund and operate bus transport, usually using specially modified mobility buses or otherwise accessible buses. Some use their contributions to buy vehicles, and provide volunteer drivers.

Airport operators make use of special airside airport buses for crew and passenger transport in the secure airside parts of an airport. Some public authorities, police forces and military forces make use of armoured buses where there is a special need to provide increased passenger protection. Police

departments make use of police buses for a variety of reasons, such as prisoner transport, officer transport, temporary detention facilities and as command and control vehicles. Many are drawn from retired school or service buses.

Buses play a major part in the tourism industry. Tour buses around the world allow tourists to view local attractions or scenery. These are often opentop buses, but can also be by regular bus or coach. In local sightseeing, City Sightseeing is the largest operator of local tour buses, operating on a franchised basis all over the world. Specialist tour buses are also often owned and operated by safari parks and other theme parks or resorts. Longer distance tours are also carried out by bus, either on a turn up and go basis or through a tour operator, and usually allow disembarkation from the bus to allow touring of sites of interest on foot. These may be day trips or longer excursions incorporating hotel stays. Tour buses will often carry a tour guide, although the driver or a prerecorded audio commentary may also perform this function. The tour operator may itself be a subsidiary of a bus operating company that operates buses and coaches for other uses, or an independent company that charters buses or coaches. Commuter transport operators may also use their coaches to conduct tours within the target city between the morning and evening commuter transport journey.

19. Write an informative abstract for the text above.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Inquiry letters

1. Read the text and formulate its main idea:

HOW TO WRITE LETTER OF INQUIRY?

A letter of inquiry is written to inquire about an issue from a higher authority. The letter is drafted to get some more information which is not available on website, brochures, literature of the product. Customers write letters to companies seeking some information about a new product or service. Students write letters to universities to get information about recently launched courses. People write to governmental officials to understand how to complete a procedure or apply for a license, etc.

To seek information that can be used is the main objective of this letter. The letter is specially written to enquire about a product, service, course, government rules, etc. from authorities. The letter has to use formal language with soft and positive tone. You are more likely to get the information you need if you make your request very specific. The letter has to be to the point, short and precise. The letter should give out the main purpose in the first few lines so that the reader can clearly understand the motive. The letter has to clearly state the issue and aspect of the issue you want to inquire about. Be clear in what you are inquiring about and how the authority can help you in that regard. Although it is not necessary to explain your reason for requesting information, you may get a more helpful response if you do.

So writing an inquiry letter mind the following tips:

Be courteous. Remember, by making this request you are imposing on the reader’s time and/or resources.

Don’t send an inquiry letter for information you could easily find out by other means, such as with a quick search on the Internet.

Your letter can be fairly short, but it should be long enough to adequately explain what it is that you are inquiring about and what you want the reader to do in response to your letter.

Generally, give at least a couple of weeks for the person, company, or organization to respond to your inquiry before you send a follow-up letter or make a follow-up phone call.

If appropriate, you may want to mention that you will keep confidential any information provided. This may increase the likelihood that the reader will respond to your inquiry.

Make it as easy as possible for the person to respond to your request. This might mean offering to pay for any needed photocopies or mailing costs, or perhaps including a self-addressed, stamped envelope; necessary forms, questionnaires, or other documents; and so forth.

Make sure to include contact information so that the person can easily get in touch with you if necessary, such as your cell or home phone number or e-mail address.

When the person responds to your inquiry, it is a good idea to send a quick note of thanks expressing your appreciation and telling how the information helped (or can help) you. If appropriate, you may want to offer to return the favor in the future.

2.Answer the following questions:

1)What is the aim of an inquiry letter?

2)Whom are inquiry letters usually addressed?

3)What tips on writing inquiry letters are given in this text?

4)Are there any tips common for inquiry and complaint letters?

3.Make a plan of an inquiry letter basing on the following tips:

Inquiry Letter Tips:

Begin your letter by stating who you are and giving your status or position (such as student, researcher, interested consumer, etc.), and tell how you found out about the individual or entity that you are writing to.

Clearly state what it is that you are inquiring about and what you would like the recipient of your letter to do. Make your inquiry as specific as possible.

You might want to briefly explain the purpose of your letter or what you hope to accomplish. Such an explanation may prompt the recipient of your letter to act more quickly.

If appropriate, consider mentioning the letter recipient’s qualifications for responding to your inquiry (this may prompt him/her to act when he/she might otherwise be hesitant to do so). For example, you could explain that you are writing to the reader because she is a leader in her field and the accepted authority on the subject you are interested in.

Include the date by which you need the information, services, etc., that you are requesting, and indicate that you await the reader’s response.

Thank the person for his/her time.

4.Put the following parts of the letter in an appropriate order:

a)While going through courses in Management, I came across a course in Waste Management. This featured under the category of green education. That really interested me as I have completed my honors in Environmental Science. I love nature and want to do some thing to nurture it through my profession.

b)I request you to send me the detailed course structure, curriculum and admission procedure for the course as these details are not available on the website. The website gives information about fee structure, duration of course and eligibility criterion for admission.

c)Dear Ms. Robinson

d)Charles Taylor

e)I have heard a lot about the various courses offered by Virginia University. The official website of the university gives a lot of guidance and help to students who want admission. This is of great use as you can go through the courses and select a few that you are interested in.

f)I feel waste management is a course that will help me fulfill my dream. A lot of jobs are available in this field of management as many countries have started feeling the heat of global warming. I have some knowledge about the basics of this course but I need detailed information, so that I can take a decision to pursue my post graduate degree in waste management.

g)Yours truly,

h)You can send me information on my e-mail address – charles_taylor@hotmail.com. This will be great help for me. I know it is a tough task and it will be time consuming. I look forward to your positive reply.

i)Charles Taylor

Match the parts of the letter with the plan from the previous exercise.

5. Read some more tips on writing inquiry letters, say which of them concern the contents of the letter and which are devoted to concomitant elements:

Package your letter or envelope in a way that will ensure the letter is read. If sending to a company, be sure the letter is addressed to the appropriate person to avoid a shuffle in the mail room.

Grab the attention of the reader early in your inquiry letter.

Specify your intentions through words that are simple but direct. If you are writing an inquiry about employment, identify your strengths or how you may meet their needs.

Clarify that you are not soliciting or trying to sell them anything. People are wary of unsolicited mail especially if asking for personal information in the case of genealogy requests.

Give truthful information. If you are looking for a connection between ancestors, provide specific names and dates. If you are looking for information regarding a product, explain why. If you are looking for employment opportunities, be honest about your accomplishments.

Include a self-addressed, stamped envelope to increase the chances of a response.

Make sure your letter includes personal information and contact number. Make it easy on the recipient of the letter to contact you without making them search for your information online or somewhere that may be inaccurate or out- of-date.

Consider a follow-up letter if you do not receive an initial response.

6. Read the text and say what paragraphs comment on the following tips, put them into the correct order:

Review and Revise Your Inquiry Letter.

Determine Your Scope.

Establish Your Objective.

Close Your Letter.

Identify Your Reader.

Organize Your Letter.

Draft Your Letter.

A letter of inquiry is a request for information that the writer believes the reader can provide. Regardless of its subject, the objective is to get the reader to respond with an action that satisfies the inquiry. The action taken can benefit either the writer or the reader, and sometimes both. So, the scope must include enough information to help the reader determine how best to respond.

An inquiry letter should be addressed to the person who is most likely to respond in a positive and helpful manner. If you are unsure of who that might be, try making a few phone calls to identify a contact person. That person's name should be placed in the inside heading and the salutation of your inquiry. It should also be included on the top line of your envelope.

Remember that people do business with people first, businesses second. When you address your reader by name, you recognize their importance and value as an individual human being. In the inside heading of the sample inquiry letter the reader is identified by both his name and the title he holds.

The objective in an inquiry letter is to make a request. It will either ask the reader to provide something beneficial to the writer, or take advantage of something the writer has to offer.

Your inquiry should be specific and brief. If you are asking more than one question you might consider highlighting them in a bulleted list.

The scope of an inquiry letter should provide enough information for the reader grasp your objective, make an informed decision and respond in a timely manner. Consider your reader and get to the point. Do they have what you want? Can they do what you ask? Think about what your reader will need to know in order before making a decision and sending you a response. If you are to receive some benefit, it may help to explain for what purpose the benefit will be used. If the reader is to receive some benefit, it may help to offer an incentive to respond.

Organizing your inquiry letter will establish a logical order in which to present your information. You have already begun this task by establishing an objective and determining your scope. Refer back to them. Together they include much of the content that will become the body of your letter.

In order that your thoughts and ideas are conveyed in a cohesive manner, write in as natural a sounding voice as possible. Try writing your draft quickly

and then read it out loud. Concentrate on communicating your objective to your reader. Make sure that the scope of your letter contains all the relevant information included in your organizational list. Keep in mind that you are writing a rough draft. For the moment you can ignore spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence and paragraph structure. Those are technical details that you will pay attention to in the final step when you review and revise your work.

An inquiry letter should close in a professional manner. Once your last paragraph is written, sign off between a complimentary close such as “Sincerely,” or “Thank you,” and your printed name. If you are writing in conjunction with an official duty, place your title below the printed name. Additional information such as dictation remarks, notification of attachments, enclosures and copies sent to other individuals should be placed beneath the title line.

Reviewing and revising your inquiry letter is the final step in the writing process. You will check your draft in this step, making sure that your objective is clear and your scope is concise. Put yourself in the reader’s shoes as you examine the rough draft. Ask yourself, as the recipient, whether you are able to comprehend the request quickly and if enough information has been included to enable a timely response.

Look for the obvious errors first. Check for spelling, sentence structure and grammar mistakes. Remember that a passive voice is not as commanding as an active one. You want your inquiry to be strong, so write with an active voice.

The important thing to keep in mind is the overall cohesiveness of the whole unit. Look for accuracy, clarity and a sense of completeness. Ask yourself if the transitions between paragraphs are working and if your point of view, tone and style are consistent throughout the text.

Examine your word choices carefully. Ambiguous words lead to confusion. Jargon and abstract terms may not be understood at all and affectations, clichés and trite language serve no real purpose and will obscure your objective. You want to help your reader understand exactly what it is that you want, so remove all that is not helpful.

And finally, if you have not written an opening or a conclusion now is the time. The introduction needs to lead into the body of your letter with a firm statement about the subject of your inquiry and enough supporting information to keep the reader reading. Your closing remarks need to reiterate your objective with a question that calls for an action.

7. Suggest what should be improved in the following inquiry letter to make it more efficient (use additional information under the text):

Dear Sir/ Madam:

I am writing you in hopes of finding out more about the new Glucoscan II blood glucose monitoring system, which a representative at Lifescan informed me that your clinic is currently using.

Originally, I saw Lifescan’s advertisement of this new device in the January 19XX issue of Diabetes Forecast and became very interested in it. I wrote the company and got much useful information, but was recommended to write several current users of the system as well.

I need some help with the following questions:

How often does the Glucoscan II need to be calibrated in practical, everyday use conditions?

How accurate is the Glucoscan II compared to other similar systems that your patients have used?

What problems do your patients experience with this new device?

Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Anita Teller

Anita Teller

Student, Medical Technology

Johnson County Junior College

Additional information:

1)Dr. Maria Gomez-Salinas is the Director of the Diabetes Clinic St. David’s Hospital.

2)The Lifescan representative indicated that the Diabetes Clinic St. David’s Hospital is one the leaders in implementing new technology for diabetics.

3)Anita Teller is writing a technical report for a technical writing class at Johnson County Junior College.

4)She is going to acknowledge the Director’s contributions in the report, and is ready to send a copy of the completed report if it is necessary.

8.Compose your own inquiry letter asking for information you are interested in.

PART VI

TRAFFIC

LIGHTS

READING

4. Read the following words and learn them by heart:

flow – поток

The flow of traffic to the city increases in the morning.

sequence – последовательность, очередность, порядок следования

A list of books should be represented in alphabetical sequence. amber – желтый цвет, цвет янтаря

An amber traffic light is used as a warning between red and green. delay – задержка, промедление

She apologized for the delay in answering. caution – внимательность, осторожность

You should fulfill this task with great caution. to mount – монтировать, устанавливать

The warning sign was mounted 100 metres before the dangerous turning in order to make this road more safe.

pedestrian – пешеход

Special devices were invented to improve the safety of pedestrians. legislation – законодательство, закон, законопроект

Recent changes in Spanish traffic legislation are aimed at ensuring road safety measures for cyclists.

to flash – сверкать, вспыхивать, посылать световой сигнал

In some countries, a flashing yellow light means that a motorist may proceed with care if the road is clear.

hue – краска, оттенок, тон, цвет

Hues of traffic lights vary in different countries.

readout – электронное устройство, представляющее информацию в визуальной форме

This readout lets you know how many miles per gallons your car or truck is getting right at that very moment.

to alert – предупреждать

We must alert the public to the danger.

to impair – ослаблять, ухудшать повреждать, портить

Lack of sleep had impaired her concentration. beacon – сигнальный огонь

Vehicular beacons are typically rotating or flashing lights affixed to the top of a vehicle to attract the attention of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians.

2.Guess the meaning of the following words:

a)basing on their phonetic and graphic similarity with the Russian words:

to indicate, siren, to install, to indicate, filter; b) basing on the known English words:

to position, to face, countdown, visibility, impairment, mounting.

3. Read the text and say what variations in work and structure of traffic lights are possible and what problems they are aimed to solve:

TRAFFIC LIGHTS

Traffic lights, also known as traffic signals, stop lights, stoplight, traffic lamps, stop-and-go lights, robots or semaphore, are signaling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations to control competing flows of traffic.

Traffic lights have been installed in most cities around the world to control the flow of traffic. They assign the right of way to road users by the use of lights in standard colours, using a universal colour code (and a precise sequence, for those who are colour blind). They are used at busy intersections to more evenly apportion delay to the various users.

The most common traffic lights consist of a set of three lights: red, amber, and green. When illuminated, the red light indicates for vehicles facing the light to stop; the amber indicates caution, either because lights are about to turn green or because lights are about to turn red; and the green light to proceed, if it is safe to do so.

The universal standard is for the red to be above the green, and if there is also an amber it is placed in the middle. If the three-set lights are mounted horizontally, the red will typically be to the left of the green. The standards apply whether the country drives on the left or the right, but the placement of the mountings on the road would be mirror images of the other.

There are many variations in the use and legislation of traffic lights, depending on the customs of a country and the special needs of a particular intersection. Traffic lights can have several additional lights for filter turns or bus lanes. There may, for example, be special lights for pedestrians, bicycles, buses, trams, etc; light sequences may differ; and there may be special rules, or sets of lights, for traffic turning in a particular direction. Complex intersections may use any combination of these. For example, some fixtures feature a flashing green light or more than one arrow lit at one time.

In some instances, traffic may turn left (in left-driving jurisdictions) or right (in right-driving jurisdictions) after stopping at a red light,