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providing they give way to the pedestrians and other vehicles. In some places that generally disallow this, a sign next to the traffic light indicates

“no turn on red” sign or put a green arrow to indicate specifically when a turn is allowed without having to yield to pedestrians (this is usually when traffic from the perpendicular street is making a turn onto one’s street and thus no pedestrians are allowed in the intersection anyway). Some jurisdictions allow turning on red in the opposite direction (left in right-driving countries; right in left-driving countries) from a one-way road onto another one-way road; some of these even allow these turns from a two-way road onto a one-way road. Also differing is whether a red arrow prohibits turns; some jurisdictions require a ‘no turn on red” sign in these cases.

Traffic lights for pedestrians normally have two main lights: a red light that means “stop” and a green light that means “go” (or, more correctly, “proceed with caution”). There is usually a flashing phase (red in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, green in Europe) that means “complete your crossing”. In some jurisdictions, at intersections where there are no pedestrian crossing lights in operation, the normal three-set lights also apply to pedestrians crossing the street.

Traffic light technology is constantly evolving with the aims of improving reliability, visibility, and efficiency of traffic flow. Usually, the red light contains some orange in its hue, and the green light contains some blue, to provide some support for people with red-green colour blindness. In the UK, traffic lights typically have a white reflective border, which enables colour blind users, during the hours of darkness, to distinguish the lights from other similarly-coloured street or automobile lights, and to allow them to distinguish the lights by vertical position. Some pedestrian and roadway traffic signals are fitted with readouts showing a countdown until the next signal change.

At selected pedestrian crossings in some countries, pedestrian traffic lights include a type of siren, beeper or warbler, which sounds in order to alert visually impaired pedestrians that it is safe to cross. These may be set to a timer and sound only at daytime to avoid annoying sleeping residents at night, or may be activated by a button. Some other intersections include a white strobe light mounted inside the red light that flashes every few seconds when the light is red. This is mainly used when a new traffic light is installed or where running a red light has proven to be a problem. Some also include tactile warnings, like a vibrating plate, or a rotating cone, to help people with hearing impairment or visual impairment cross the road and street.

4.Look through the text once more and say what improvements of traffic lights can help people with different impairments, how these devices can be classified.

5.Complete the sentences:

6)Traffic lights are placed at … .

7)The main purpose of traffic lights … .

8)Colours are placed in a precise sequence: … .

9)The main aims of traffic lights improving are … .

10)Special readouts show … .

11)If the country drives on the right … .

12)Variations in the use of traffic lights … .

6.Find antonyms to the following words in the text:

local, to worsen, dangerous, cooperating, to meet, simple.

7. Form past participle of the following verbs:

to hang, to install, to light, to mount, to position, to string.

Fill in the gaps using these forms:

There are significant differences from place to place in how traffic lights are … so that they are visible to drivers. Depending upon the location, traffic lights may be … on poles situated on street corners, … from horizontal poles or wires … over the roadway, or … within large horizontal gantries that extend out from the corner and over the right-of-way. In the last case, such poles or gantries often have a … sign with the name of the cross-street.

8. Read the text representing the development of traffic lights and say what stages can be distinguished in it.

HISTORY OF TRAFFIC LIGHTS

On 10 December 1868, the first traffic lights were installed outside the British Houses of Parliament in London, by the railway engineer J. P. Knight. They resembled railway signals of the time, with semaphore arms and red and green gas lamps for night use. The gas lantern was turned with a lever at its base so that the appropriate light faced traffic. Unfortunately, it exploded on 2 January 1869, killing the policeman who was operating it.

The modern electric traffic light is an American invention. As early as 1912 in Salt Lake City, Utah, policeman Lester Wire invented the first red-green electric traffic lights. On 5 August 1914, the American Traffic Signal Company installed a traffic signal system on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. It had two colours, red and green, and a buzzer, based on the design of James Hoge, to provide a warning for colour changes. The design by James Hoge allowed police and fire stations to control the signals in case of emergency. The first four-way, three-colour traffic light was created by police officer William Potts in Detroit, Michigan in 1920. In 1923, Garrett

Morgan patented a traffic signal device. Ashville, Ohio claims to be the location of the oldest working traffic light in the United States, used at an intersection of public roads until 1982 when it was moved to a local museum.

The first interconnected traffic signal system was installed in Salt Lake City in 1917, with six connected intersections controlled simultaneously from a manual switch. Automatic control of interconnected traffic lights was introduced March 1922 in Houston, Texas. The first automatic experimental traffic lights in England were deployed in Wolverhampton in 1927.

The colour of the traffic lights representing stop and go are probably derived from those used to identify port (red) and starboard (green) in maritime rules governing right of way, where the vessel on the left must stop for the one crossing on the right.

Timers on traffic lights first appeared in Taipei, Taiwan, and were brought to the USA some time later. Though uncommon in most American urban areas, timers are still used in some other Western Hemisphere countries. Timers are useful for drivers/pedestrians to plan if there is enough time to attempt to cross the intersection before the light turns red and conversely, the amount of time before the light turns green.

9. Say what the following figures correspond to (basing on the text above):

3, 4, 6, 105, 1914, 1917, 1927.

10.Look through the text once more and find out what influenced the choice of colours for traffic lights.

11.Guess the following words basing on the context of the sentence (pay attention to the correspondence between the numbers and the letters: the same number means the same letter; fill in the table below).

1)You should move with 1∙2∙3∙4∙5∙6∙7 when the ground is ice-covered.

2)Many intersections have special 8∙9∙10∙9∙11∙4∙12∙5∙2∙7 crossings.

3)Different devices are developed to 2∙13∙9∙12∙4 people with 5∙14∙8∙2∙5∙12∙14∙9∙7∙4∙11 that they can cross the street safely.

4)Such a long 10∙9∙13∙2∙15 of the flight annoyed the passengers.

5)A 16∙13∙2∙11∙17∙5∙7∙18 2∙14∙18∙9∙12 while others are off is used to warn of an intersection.

6)A password is usually a certain 11∙9∙19∙3∙9∙7∙1∙9 of letters and numbers.

7)Traffic lights aimed to control the 16∙13∙6∙20 of vehicles are sometimes 14∙6∙3∙7∙4∙9∙10 horizontally over the roadway.

8)The main purpose of 18∙9∙2∙1∙6∙7∙11 is to attract attention.

12. Look through the text and find out what is the most frequent colour of traffic signals for public transport.

LIGHTS FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Traffic lights for public transport often use signals that are distinct from those for private traffic. They can be letters, arrows or bars of white or coloured light.

In Portland, Oregon, the tram signals feature a horizontal white bar and an orange vertical bar. Some systems use the letter B for buses, and T for trams.

In Russia traffic signals for public transport have four white lights that form the letter T. If the three top lamps are lit, this means “stop”. If the bottom lamp and some lamps on the top row are lit, this means permission to go in a direction shown. If there are no tram junctions on an intersection, a simpler system of one amber signal in the form of letter T is used instead; the tram must proceed only when the signal is lit.

In North European countries the tram signals feature white lights of different forms: “S” for “stop”, “—” for “caution” and arrows to permit passage in a given direction.

The Netherlands use a distinctive “negenoog” (nine-eyed) design; bars, triangle and circle are used in Belgium and France. Two white lights placed vertically mean “go straight ahead”, two lights placed diagonally mean “go left” or “go right”, three lights in the upper row and one in the centre of the bottom row mean “go in any direction” (like the "green" of a normal traffic light), one yellow light means “stop unless it is unsafe to do so” (equal to “yellow/amber”), and two red lights placed horizontally mean “stop” (equal to “red”). In Belgium and France signals equal to these are a white vertical bar, white diagonal bars, a white triangle, a white circle and a white horizontal bar correspondingly.

In Japan, tram signals are under the regular vehicle signal; however the color of the signal for the tram is coloured orange.

13.Draw a traffic signal for public transport that means:

1)“go in any direction” in France;

2)“go left” in the Netherlands;

3)“go right” in Russia;

4)“stop unless it is unsafe to do so” in Netherlands;

5)“stop” in Belgium.

14.Read the following texts and suggest possible titles for them:

I

Some traffic-light controlled junctions have a light sequence that stops all vehicular traffic at the junction at the same time, and gives pedestrians exclusive access to the intersection so that they can cross in any direction (including diagonally). This is known as a pedestrian scramble, “X” Crossing (UK),

diagonal crossing (US), scramble intersection (Canada), exclusive pedestrian phase, and more poetically Barnes Dance in some places.

A Pelican crossing is a type of pedestrian crossing featuring two standard set of lights with a push button and two coloured men: Red means stop, Amber means wait and Green means go but the two men on the side of the traffic lights mean Red man don’t walk and Green man means walk. The term Pelican crossing originated in the United Kingdom, and is not in official use elsewhere, but similar traffic control devices are in use throughout the world.

The Pelican crossing was the first definitive light controlled crossing for pedestrians in the UK, introduced in 1969, after the earlier failed experiment of the panda crossing. Previously only zebra crossings had been used, which have warning signals (Belisha beacons), but no control signals. The pedestrian lights are situated on the far side of the road to the pedestrian. A puffin crossing has the lights on the same side as the pedestrian; a toucan crossing is a crossing for pedestrians and bicycles; a pegasus crossing allows horse-riders to cross as well. A HAWK beacon, used experimentally in the USA with a standard pedestrian crossing signal, stops traffic when a pedestrian pushes a button to cross, but goes dark unless activated.

Pelican crossings have further non-visual indication that it is safe to cross, such as a beep, vibrating button or tactile rotating cone in order to assist blind or partially sighted pedestrians.

Additionally, a Pelican crossing, as distinct from a pedestrian crossing, has the special feature that while the green man flashes to indicate that pedestrians may continue crossing but may not start to cross, the red light changes to an amber flashing light permitting cars to pass if there are no further pedestrians. This reduces the delay to traffic.

In UK law, Pelican crossings which go straight across the road are one crossing, even when there is a central island, therefore traffic must wait for pedestrians who are crossing from the other side of the island. This rule is different to similar standard pedestrian crossings where each portion of the crossing is treated as a separate crossing.

II

Each country has different road rules, including how traffic lights are to be interpreted. For example, in some countries, a flashing yellow light means that a motorist may proceed with care if the road is clear, giving way to pedestrians and to other road vehicles that may have priority (essentially the same as arriving at a non-signalized intersection and not facing a stop sign). A flashing red may be treated as a regular stop sign.

In most countries, the sequence is green (go), amber (prepare to stop), and red (stop). In New Zealand and Canada, amber officially means “stop (unless it would cause an accident to do so)” but in practice, is treated as “prepare to

stop”. In some places, such as the UK and Germany, the sequence is red (stop), red and amber (stop), green (go if clear), amber (stop, as for NZ and Canada). In Russia, Serbia, Austria, Israel, and parts of Canada and Mexico, the green light flashes for a few seconds before the amber light comes on.

The single flashing amber signal is used in the UK, Ireland and Australia at Pelican crossings. It is used in Serbia and the United States to mark places where greater attention is needed (dangerous crossings, sharp curves etc.). In Canada, a flashing amber light means “drive with caution” and is frequently combined with a flashing red light (meaning “stop”) at four-way intersections. In many South East Asian countries (e.g. Thailand) and European countries, a flashing amber light indicates a driver may proceed cautiously across a junction where signals operate only at busy periods.

Lane control lights are a specific type of traffic light used to manage traffic on a multi-way road or highway. Typically they allow or forbid traffic to use one or more of the available lanes by the use of Green lights or arrows (to permit) or by red lights or crosses (to prohibit). When used, they are usually repeated at regular distances to provide a continuous reminder of the lane status to drivers.

On certain multiple-lane highways, one or more lanes may be designated as counterflow lanes, meaning that the direction of traffic in those lanes can be reversed at any time (see also reversible lane). Sometimes this is done as a way of managing rush hour traffic (one or more central lanes may flow inbound in the morning and outbound in the evening), in other cases the lanes are reversed only in unusual circumstances (such as a traffic accident or road construction closing one or more of the lanes).

Traffic lights for pedestrians normally have two main lights: a red light that means “stop” and a green light that means “go” (or, more correctly, “proceed with caution”). In most locales in North America, the colours used are a redorange (“Portland orange”) for “stop/wait” and a bluish-white (“lunar”) for “go”. While the “walk” signal is generally a walking human figure, North American pedestrian signals usually show an upraised hand for “stop”, while most other countries display a standing human figure. Some older American signals display the verbal commands “Walk” (lunar white or green) and “Don’t Walk” or “Wait” (red-orange).

15. Look through texts above and say which of them contains information about:

1)differences in colours of traffic lights;

2)different kinds of pedestrian crossing;

3)combined crossing for non-motorized road users;

4)variations of traffic light signals in different countries;

5)pictures used as traffic signals for pedestrians.

16.Carry out a survey to find out why different types of crossing mentioned in the text above were named this way. Get more information about their history and present using. Explain the difference between them. Present the results of your survey using PowerPoint. (Project work)

17.Look at the following pictures and say which of devices described in the texts above they represent (mention the country where they are used if possible):

18. Look through the text and divide mentioned advantages of LED lamps into two groups: operational effectiveness and economy.

LED STREET LIGHTS

In the mid 1990s, cost-effective traffic light lamps using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were developed; prior to this date traffic lights were designed using incandescent or halogen light bulbs. Unlike the incandescent-based lamps, which use a single large bulb, the LED-based lamps consist of an array of LED elements, arranged in various patterns. When viewed from a distance, the array appears as a continuous light source.

LED-based lamps (or “lenses”) have numerous advantages over incandescent lamps; among them are:

Much greater energy efficiency (can be solar-powered).

Much longer lifetime between replacement, measured in years rather than months. Part of the longer lifetime is due to the fact that some light is still displayed even if some of the LEDs in the array are dead.

Brighter illumination with better contrast against direct sunlight, also called “phantom light”.

The ability to display multiple colours and patterns from the same lamp. Individual LED elements can be enabled or disabled, and different colour LEDs can be mixed in the same lamp.

Much faster switching.

Instead of sudden burn-out like incandescent-based lights, LEDs start to gradually dim when they wear out, warning transportation maintenance departments well in advance as to when to change the light. Occasionally,

particularly in green LED units, segments prone to failure will flicker rapidly beforehand.

The operational expenses of LED-based signals are far lower than equivalent incandescent-based lights. As a result, most new traffic light deployments in the United States, Canada and elsewhere have been implemented using LED-based lamps; in addition many existing deployments of incandescent traffic lights are being replaced. Sometimes, only the red and green lamps are replaced, leaving the yellow lamp as an incandescent, since yellow lamps are rarely on compared to the red and green lamps. In 2006, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada completed a total refit to LED-based lamps in the city's over 12,000 intersections and all pedestrian crosswalks. Many of the more exotic traffic signals discussed on this page would not be possible to construct without using LED technology. However, colour-changing LEDs are in their infancy and may surpass the multi-colour array technology.

Another new LED technology is the use of CLS (Central Light Source) optics. These comprise around 7 high-output LEDs (sometimes 1 watt) at the rear of the lens, with a diffuser to even out and enlarge the light. This gives a uniform appearance, more like traditional halogen or incandescent luminaries.

Replacing halogen or incandescent reflector and bulb assemblies behind the lens with an LED array can give the same effect. This also has its benefits: minimal disruption, minimal work, minimal cost and the reduced need to replace the entire signal head (housing).

19. Write an indicative abstract for the text above.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Resume

1. Read the text and say what order of actions for writing a resume is suggested in this text:

WRITING RESUME

First, take notes on your work experience – both paid and unpaid, full time and part time. Write down your responsibilities, job title and company information. Include everything!

Take notes on your education. Include degree or certificates, major or course emphasis, school names and courses relevant to career objectives.

Take notes on other accomplishments. Include membership in organizations, military service and any other special accomplishments.

From the notes, choose which skills are transferable (skills that are similar) to the job you are applying for – these are the most important points for your resume.

Begin resume by writing your full name, address, telephone number, fax and email at the top of the resume.

Write an objective. The objective is a short sentence describing what type of work you hope to obtain.

Begin work experience with your most recent job. Include the company specifics and your responsibilities – focus on the skills you have identified as transferable.

Continue to list all of your work experience job by job progressing backwards in time. Remember to focus on skills that are transferable.

Summarize your education, including important facts (degree type, specific courses studied) that are applicable to the job you are applying for.

Include other relevant information such as languages spoken, computer programming knowledge etc. under the heading: Additional Skills.

Finish with the phrase: REFERENCES available upon request.

Your entire resume should ideally not be any longer than one page. If you have had a number of years of experience specific to the job you are applying for, two pages are also acceptable.

Spacing: ADDRESS (center of page in bold) OBJECTIVE double space EXPERIENCE double space EDUCATION double space ADDITIONAL SKILLS double space REFERENCES. Left align everything except name/address.

Here are some tips on writing your resume:

Use dynamic action verbs such as: accomplished, collaborated, encouraged, established, facilitated, founded, managed, etc.

Do NOT use the subject “I”, use tenses in the past. Except for your present job. Example: Conducted routine on-site inspections of equipment.

What You Need:

Paper

Typewriter or Computer

Dictionary

Thesaurus

Past Employer Addresses

Write a custom resume that specifically highlights the experience you have that is relevant to the job you are applying for. It definitely takes more time to write a custom resume, but, it’s worth the effort, especially when applying for jobs that are a perfect match for your qualifications and experience.

To customize your resume, edit your resume so your skills and experience are as close a match as possible to the job description or job ad requirements. Take the keywords used in the job posting and work them into your resume. This way, your resume will have a much better chance getting selected for consideration.

Your resume should include the same keywords that appear in job descriptions. That way, you will increase your chances of your resume matching available positions – and of you being selected for an interview.

2.Look through the text once more and say what a custom resume is, mention its main features.

3.Put the following parts of the resume in an appropriate order:

a)Career Highlights / Qualifications (a customized section of your resume, optional)

b)Phone (cell/home)

c)References (available upon request)

d)City, State, Zip

e)Objective (optional)

f)First Last Name

g)Skills

h)Education (college, degree, awards, honours)

i)E-mail Address

j)Street Address

k)Experience (your work history: company, city, state, dates worked, job title responsibilities / achievements)

4.Look through the following tips on writing a resume and say which of them were mentioned in the text above and which were not.

Before you start work on your resume, review free resume samples that fit a variety of employment situations. These resumes examples and templates provide job seekers with examples of resume formats that will work for almost every job seeker.