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In some states the exits on Interstates are given sequential numbers, while in others they are numbered within each state based on the mile markers. In the latter case, if there are two exits in the same mile then each is given a letter suffix, for example Exit 35A and Exit 35B. California doesn’t number its Interstate exits and Alaska hasn't yet got any Interstate Highways.

US Highways

US Highways are important national trunk routes.

The standard of US Highways varies considerably, from divided highway/controlled access roads (motorways/freeways) through four lane divided highways but without controlled access (dual carriageways) to traditional two lane roads. Even two lane highways tend to have wide hard shoulders but there are some exceptions, such as less important roads in mountainous regions.

US Highways retain the same road number across state boundaries. Each US Highway number only applies to one highway throughout the entire United States.

US Highways are usually specified as US50, US191, etc., together with a compass direction if relevant, for example US50 West or US50 East.

(2) State Highways, State Roads, State Routes

State Highways vary from important trunk roads to quiet back roads. The standard of State Highways also varies very considerably. A very small number of State Highways are divided highway/controlled access roads (motorways/freeways), notable examples being some of the freeways in Los Angeles. Some State Highways are four lane divided highways but not controlled access (dual carriageways). However, the vast majority of

State Highways are traditional two-lane highways.

State Highways are also often called State Roads or State Routes. All three terms are synonymous. Each State Highway number only occurs once within each state. However, the same number can and often does refer to different State Highways in different states, which can occasionally be confusing.

State Highways are usually specified as SR5, etc (yet again with a compass direction if relevant), the SR meaning “State Road” or “State Route”. Another common method of referring to State Highways is by the official two letter abbreviation for the relevant state followed by the road

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number, for example Ca1 (meaning California State Highway 1) or Co89 (meaning Colorado State Highway 89). Sometimes the full name of the state is used, for example “California 49”. If the meaning is obvious, sometimes only the initial letter of the state is used, for example U143 or U-143 to refer to Utah State Highway 143.

The highway marker shields for State Highways are completely different in each US state. Each state uses a different design of shield for its State Highway marker shield. The shields for State Highways are in most cases outlines of the state's shape on a map, a symbol associated with the state, or a simple geometrical shape. Details of the highway marker shield designs for each state can be found on this site in the “Introduction” page for each state, most easily accessed via the State/Province Index. As a general rule of thumb, if you see a highway marker shield which is not an Interstate, a US Highway or a pentagon shape, then it is almost certainly a State Highway.

Whereas Interstate Highways and US Highways are indicated on road maps in exactly the same way as they are on signposts and highway marker shields, a different system is used for State Highways. On road maps State Highways in all states are usually indicated by an outline circle, an ellipse or an oval, in each case containing the road number. However, in some cases State Highways may be indicated on maps by an outline rectangle containing the road number or by an outline simplified version of the State Highway marker shield containing the road number. Because different symbols can be used for State Highways, check the map’s legend.

In most cases State Highway road numbering is not consistent across state boundaries but in a small number of cases two states have agreed to use the same road number, with a different state name prefix on each side of the boundary of course.

Almost all State Highways are paved but there are some exceptions. Maps always indicate unpaved roads.

(3) County Roads, Secondary Roads, Farm Roads, Ranch Roads, Indian

Roads, Forest Roads

The names given to roads of lesser importance than county roads varies from state to state. In most states these are called county roads or secondary roads. In Texas they are called farm roads and ranch roads. Arizona has Indian Routes and South Dakota has Bureau of Indian Affairs Highway System roads. There may also be additional names used in other states.

Since county roads are purely for local use in rural areas they are almost always traditional two-lane roads. They are not usually marked on na-

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tional or state highway maps, only on highly detailed local maps. If they are shown on maps then no road numbers may be indicated.

Some county roads are paved, others are unpaved.

Many states use a pentagonal shaped shield for their county road marker shields. This has a blue background, yellow text and a yellow border. The pentagon is oriented so that its base is horizontal. Some states and possibly some individual counties use other designs of shields. Some states use one or two letters to designate their county roads, with rectangular highway marker shields having white backgrounds and black text.

If you know the designs of the shields used to indicate Interstates, US Highways and the State Highways in the state in question, then it is a reasonable assumption that any design of shield that you don't recognize almost certainly indicates a county road.

There are standard designs of highway marker shields for Indian Routes and Forest Roads which apply in all relevant states but the normal visitor is unlikely to encounter these.

On road maps county roads are usually indicated, if at all, by an outline rectangle containing the road number or by an outline pentagon containing the road number. Because different symbols can be used for county roads, check the map's legend.

The numbering system used for county roads varies from state to state. Some states use purely numbers, some states use letter prefixes followed by numbers and some states use purely letters. In some states the same number (or combination of characters) is only used once within the state while in other states the same number (or combination of characters) is repeated – but never within the same county. The same county road number can and often does occur in numerous different states.

13. Now you have to work in pairs. Scan the information about US roads and streets and explain the difference between the following notions:

In the United States the paved roads carry the heaviest volume of traffic. They fall into four major categories: interstate highways (широкая ав-

тострада с 4 и более полосами движения, соединяющая между собой несколько штатов), arterials (магистраль, примыкающая к скоростной автомагистрали), collectors (основной проезд в микрорайоне), and lo-

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cal roads and streets. The Interstate Highway System, used mainly for long-distance travel, comprises about 67,600 kilometers of the nation's road system. Although interstate highways make up only a little more than 1 percent of all United States roads, they carry about 20 percent of the country’s traffic. Arterial highways are two-lane and four-lane roads that provide major routes connecting the interstate highways with towns and cities. Collector roads are urban and rural roads that connect cities and towns to the arterials and interstates. Local roads and streets serve farms, villages, and towns.

Although the terms road and highway are often used interchangeably, “highway” normally refers to a higher class of public road. Toll ways, or toll roads, are major roads that can only be entered and exited through tollgates, where the driver pays a fee. Other kinds of roads include avenues and boulevards, which are broad city streets that are usually bordered with trees; feeder roads (roads that feed traffic to a more major road); secondary rural highways (дорога низшей категории) (feeder roads connecting farms with towns and markets); primary highways, which are major, statemaintained roads; and expressways, high-speed, divided highways with partially or fully controlled access and grade separations at major intersections with other roads, advanced designs eliminating steep grades, sharp curves, and other hazards and inconveniences to driving. A freeway was originally a toll-free road with controlled access, but the term is now used interchangeably with “expressway” and includes toll roads. The term “parkway” refers to two types of road: on the one hand a toll road (usually of motorway standard), and on the other hand an outstanding scenic road from which trucks and heavy vehicles are excluded. “Turnpike” (скоростная платная автомагистраль) originally meant a toll road but now designates any expressway. A superhighway is a broad arterial highway designed for high-speed traffic; the term includes expressways, freeways, parkways, and turnpikes. A frontage road is a relatively minor road running alongside a main highway, for local traffic. There is often a frontage road on each side of a highway. In the country frontage roads provide access to farms, fields, etc., while in towns they provide access to motels, restaurants, shops, gas stations and other businesses. Frontage roads are normally two-way. It’s very important to remember that frontage roads and roads in large car parks, such as at shopping malls, are still subject to the same rules and regulations as normal roads. For example, be sure to obey stop signs on these roads. Frontage roads are also sometimes called service roads.

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15. Find the odd word in a line. Why do you think so?

16. Change the letters of the given word to make a new one. Translate them.

orad - ? trips - ? harps - ? Edgar - ? laud - ? anoint - ? lean - ? Braun - ? tester - ? posh - ? sing - ? verse - ?

17. Fill in the necessary preposition. Make up your own sentences us-

… most cases, a lot ..., to fall …, to refer …, to subject …, to be based …, to apply …, to be followed …, … the one hand

18.Match the word with its definition.

1)road, 2) highway, 3) motorway, 4) parkway, 5) street, 6) alley, 7) artery, 8) route, 9) way

a)… a way between places; esp. one with a prepared surface which vehicle can use.

b)… a wide road specially built for fast motor traffic, with a restricted number of places for entering and leaving. … have at least two separate lanes in each direction.

c)… a narrow passage for people to walk between or behind building or a path with a border of trees or hedges in a garden or park.

d)… a main road, usually connecting large towns.

e)… a wide road with trees, grass, etc. along the sides and/or the central strip.

f)… a specified direction.

g)… an important route for traffic or transport.

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h)… a public road in a city, town or village with houses and buildings on one side or both sides.

i)… a way to go or send something from one place to another.

19. Draw pictures of the following roads (it is not necessary to be an artist to do this task ):

20. Do you know anything about the history of a parkway? When and where was it first built? How did it look like? Read the story and find the answers to the questions.

The parkway was introduced in its modern form in 1858 with the work of the landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux for Central Park in New York City. The concept was given further prominence by William Niles White of New York as a part of the Bronx River protection program of New York City and Westchester County. The 15-mile, four-lane single carriageway known as the Bronx River Parkway was built between 1916 and 1925. Protected on both sides by broad bands of parkland that limited access, the highway was located and designed so as to cause minimum disturbance to the landscape. Its use was restricted to passenger cars, and at-grade intersections were avoided. The success of the concept led to the creation of the Westchester County parkway system and the Long Island State Park Commission. More parkways were built in the New York area, including the Merritt Parkway (1934–40), which continued the Westchester Parkway System across Connecticut as a toll road providing divided roadways and limited access.

21. Form 5 questions to the following text and let your groupmates answer them.

The freeway

The success of the parkway system led to the introduction of the freeway, which is a divided highway with no conflicting traffic movements and no access from adjoining properties. In Germany between 1913 and 1921 a group called AVUS had built 10 kilometres of parkway through the

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Grunewald park in Berlin. Their successful experience led to the world's first full freeway being built from Cologne to Bonn between1929 and 1932. In 1933 Adolf Hitler began construction of an integrated freeway network known as the Reichsautobahnen, or “national motor roads,” beginning with the Frankfurt-Darmstadt-Mannheim-Heidelberg Autobahn. One purpose of the program was to alleviate unemployment, but the roads also appealed to German nationalism and had a strong militaristic intent. The entire system included three north-south routes and three east-west routes. The highway provided separate 7.5-metre carriageways divided by a median strip of 5 metres. The roads were designed for large traffic volumes and speeds in excess of 150 kilometres per hour, bypassing cities and providing limited access. About 1,000 kilometres were completed by 1936, and 6,500 kilometres were in use when construction ceased in 1942.

The viability of the freeway concept in the United States was demonstrated by the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, established in 1937 to raise funds and build a toll road across the Appalachian Mountains, found an unusually favourable situation in the form of an abandoned railroad right-of-way, with many tunnels and excellent grades over much of the route that allowed the toll way to be completed in 1940 to freeway standards. The turnpike provided two 24-foot carriageways and a 10-foot median with no cross traffic at grade and with complete control of access and egress at 11 traffic interchanges. Its alignment and grades were designed for high volumes of high-speed traffic and its pavement to accommodate the heaviest trucks. The favourable public reaction to this new type of highway provided the impetus for the postWorld War II toll-road boom in the United States, advanced the start of a major interstate highway program, and influenced highway developments elsewhere. The Pennsylvania Turnpike, originally running from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh, was later extended 100 miles east to Philadelphia and 67 miles west to the Ohio border, making it 327 miles long. An original feature of the turnpike, later widely copied, was the provision of restaurant and fueling facilities.

22. Fill in the table using the information about German and American freeways from the text above.

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USA

23. Use the words to make word combinations. Make up your own sentences with them.

24. Are there any freeways, parkways, expressways, frontage roads in your city/town/region? If yes, can you show them on the map? How much does a bus ticket cost in your city? Do you pay for entering some of the roads? Have you ever entered toll roads? Read about tolls and charges in USA and Canada and answer the questions:

1.What does a toll based on?

2.What does ETC stand for?

3.What is E-ZPass?

4.What must you do if a toll road passes through a US National Park?

Tolls and charges

Tolls, both for toll roads and toll bridges, tunnels, etc., tend to be very low in the USA and Canada. It isn't usually worth considering taking an alternative route just because of a toll. No sales tax is charged on road tolls, road bridge tolls or road tunnel tolls (or perhaps where relevant the tax is included in the stated charge).

James Cloninger of Columbus, Ohio describes the most commonly used system for turnpikes (toll roads):

‘You get a ticket as you enter the turnpike, and your toll is based on the distance you travel. The ticket has a chart, indicating the toll based on your destination exit. Often the time when you enter and exit the tollway is marked on the ticket. That information is used to calculate your speed and issue a speeding ticket if you have been rather heavy-footed.’

The following information was kindly provided by Jeff Kitsko:

‘Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) is spreading across the US and Canada. E-ZPass is the electronic toll collecting system for most of the northeastern US, with other systems in various parts of the country. However, unlike the 407 ETR in Toronto, all US toll roads that use ETC also use tickets and cash. The writer from Columbus mentioned that the entry

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