Going Nowhere Fast Reading Answers

Nov 24, 2022

Going Nowhere Fast Reading Answers comprises 14 questions that have to be answered in 20 minutes. Going Nowhere Fast Reading Answers omprises questions like yes/no/not given and choose the correct letter. In order to solve yes/no/not given, candidates are required identify the keywords and understand the sentences and questions posed. Thus, candidates need to read the IELTS passage efficiently. In order to solve choose the correct letter, a thorough skimming is necessary as keywords are required to be identifed.

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Reading Passage Question

New transport mode PRT RUF

This is ludicrous! We can talk to people anywhere in the world or fly to meet them in a few hours. We can even send probes to other planets. But when it comes to getting around our cities, we depend on systems that have scarcely changed since the days of Gottlieb Daimler
In recent years, the pollution belched out by millions of vehicles has dominated the debate about transport. The problem has even persuaded California, home of car culture, to curb traffic growth. But no matter how green they become, cars are unlikely to get us around crowded cities any faster. And persuading people to use trains and buses will always be an uphill struggle. Cars, after all, are popular for very good reasons, as anyone with small children or heavy shopping knows.
A professor of mechanical engineering sits typing at a computer keyboard, conjuring up a scene on his monitor that looks something like the classic computer game PacMan.White dots stream in from the right of the screen, switch to red, and merge with green boxes, which swiftly change color to yellow and then red while moving through a bewildering maze. But this is not a video game.J.Edward Anderson of Boston University is testing an urban transit system that he believes could revolutionize public transport worldwide.
For the past quarter of a century, Anderson has been promoting his version of personal rapid transit(PRT). Other versions came and went in the 1970s, From Europe, Japan, and elsewhere in the Us, but he was so convinced of the idea’s potential that he stuck with it and, in 1983, founded the Taxi 2000 Corporation to ‘commercialize the initiative. Although the University of Minnesota, Anderson’s employer until 1986, holds the patents to the technology, he is licensed to develop it and to sub-license other developers. So politicians should be trying to lure people out of their cars, not forcing them out. There’s certainly no shortage of alternatives. Perhaps the most attractive is the concept known as personal rapid transit(PRT), independently invented in the US and Europe in the 1950s.
The idea is to go to one of many stations and hop into a computer-controlled car that can whisk you to your destination along with a network of guideways. You wouldn’t have to share your space with strangers, and with no traffic lights, pedestrians, or parked cars to slow things down, PRT guideways can carry far more traffic, nonstop, than any inner-city road. It’s a wonderful vision, but the odds are stacked against PRT for a number of reasons. The first cars ran on existing roads, and it was only after they became popular-and after governments started earning revenue from them- that a road network designed specifically for motor vehicles was built. With PRT, the fracture would have to come first-and that would cost megabucks.
What’s more, any transport system that threatened the car’s dominance would be up against all those with a stake in maintaining the status quo, from private car owners to manufacturers and oil multinationals. Even if PRTs were spectacularly successful in trials, it might not make much difference. Superior technology doesn’t always triumph, as the VHS versus Betamax and windows versus Apple Mac battles showed.
But “dual-mode” systems might just succeed where PRT seems doomed to fail. The Danish RUF system envisaged by Palle Jensen, for example, resembles PRT but with one key difference: vehicles have wheels as well as a slot allowing them to travel on a monorail, so they can drive off the rail onto a normal road. Once on a road, the occupant would take over from the computer, and the Ruf vehicle-the term comes from a Danish saying meaning to “go fast”-would become an electric car.
Build a fast network of guideways in a busy city center and people would have a strong incentive not just to use public Ruf vehicles, but also to buy their own dual-mode vehicle. Commuters could drive onto the guideway, sit back, and read as they are chauffeured into the city. At work they would jump out, leaving their vehicles to park themselves. Unlike PRT, such a system could grow organically, as each network would serve a large area around it and people nearby could buy into it. And a dual-mode system might even win the support of car manufacturers, who could easily switch to producing dual-mode vehicles.
The RUF system can reduce energy consumption from individual traffic. The main factor is the reduction of air resistance due to the close coupling of vehicles. The energy consumption per Ruf can is reduced to less than 1/3 at 100 km/h. Since RUF is an electric system, renewable sources can be used without problems. A combination of windmills and a RUF rail could be used over water. Solar cells can also be integrated into the system and ensure completely sustainable transportation.
Of Course, creating a new transport system will not be cheap or easy. But unlike adding a dedicated bus lane here or extending the underground railway there, an innovative system such as Jensen’s could transform cities. The vehicles in a RUF system rides” very safely on top of a triangular monorail. This means that derailments are impossible and that the users will feel safe because it is easy to understand that when the rail is actually inside the vehicle it is absolutely stable. The special rail brake ensures that braking power is always available even during bad weather. The brake can squeeze as hard against the rail as required in order to bring the vehicle to a safe stop. If a vehicle has to be evacuated, a walkway between the two rails can be used.
And it’s not just a matter of saving a few minutes a day. According to the Red Cross, more than 30 million people have died in road accidents in the past century-three times the number killed in the First World War-and the annual death toll is rising. and what’s more the Red Cross believes road accidents will become the third biggest cause of death and disability by 2020, ahead of diseases such as AIDS and tuberculosis. Surely we can find a better way to get around.

Solution and Explanation

Questions 1-4:
Ask the candidates to write

TRUE if the statement is true,
FALSE if the statement is false,
NOT GIVEN if the information is not given in the passage.

Question 1: City transport developed slower than other means of communication.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting Sentence: we can talk to people anywhere in the world or fly to meet them in just a few hours. We can even send probes to other planets but we still depend on systems that have rarely changed when it comes to getting around our cities. Here, rarely changing implies development slower.
Keywords: City transport, developed slower, means of communication
Keyword Location: Line 3 Paragraph A
Explanation: This line signifies that although we have advanced in communicating with people all around the world, city transport seems to remain stagnant as it was years ago. There’s no progress made with the city transport; hence it is slower in comparison to other means of communication.

Question 2: Many states in the US consider reducing car growth.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: No relevant i formation was found within the passage.

Question 3: Car pollution has been a concern these days.

Answer: TRUE
Supporting Sentence: The author in the said paragraph writes that in recent years, the pollution exhausted by millions of vehicles has dominated the debate about transport.
Keywords: Car pollution, concern, these days
Keyword Location: Line 1 Paragraph B
Explanation: This line suggests that due to the rise in pollution from vehicles these days, there have been debates concerning the matter. Here, car pollution means for pollution belched out by millions of vehicles, concern these days implies for debates about transport.

Question 4: Trains and buses are not suitable to drive on an uphill road.

Answer: NOT GIVEN
Explanation: No relevant information was found within the reading passage. Thus, not given is the approrpiate option.

Questions 5-11:
Ask the candidates to use the information in the passage to match the category with the description provided below.

ONLY PRT
ONLY RUF
BOTH OF THEM

Question 5: Totally apply computer system

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: the idea is to go to one of the many stations and hop into a computer-controlled car, which can whisk you to your destination along with a network of guideways.
Keywords: Totally, apply, computer system
Keyword Location: Line 1 Paragraph E
Explanation: The author implies that the PRT system is proposing a computer-controlled car system for cars.

Question 6: Opposition to a system from companies

Answer: A
Supporting Sentence: any transport system that threatened the car’s dominance would be up against all those with a stake in maintaining the status quo, from private cars to manufacturers and oil multinationals. So, even if PRTs were to see tremendous success in the trials, it might not make a big difference.
Keywords: Opposition, system, companies
Keyword Location: Line 1 Paragraph F
Explanation: This line suggests that any new system is a threat to the manufacturers of the current cars. Thus, many companies are in opposition to the introduction of the new PRT.

Question 7: Reach destination fast

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: The author in the given paragraphs claims that the idea is to go to many stations and hop into a computer-controlled car, which can whisk you to your destination along with a network of guideways and the occupant would take over from the computer once on a road, and the RUF vehicle (Danish saying meaning to “go fast”) would become an electric car.
Keywords: Reach, destination, fast
Keyword Location: Line 1 Paragraph E, Last line Paragraph G
Explanation: These lines imply that computer-controlled cars and electric cars will help the occupants reach their destination faster. Here, whisk away and go fast implies reaching the destination fast.

Question 8: Not necessary to share with the public.

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: you would not have to share your space with strangers and the Danish RUF system as envisaged by Palle Jensen resembles PRT.
Keywords: Not necessary, share, public
Keyword Location: Line 2 Paragraph E, Line 2 Paragraph G
Explanation: These lines suggest that the PRT system does not allow you to share space with strangers and the second line implies that the RUF system resembles the PRT in that you don't have to share space with strangers. Here, sharing your space with strangers implies that it is not necessary to share with the public.

Question 9: Work on existing roads.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: the Danish RUF system as envisaged by Palle Jensen resembles the PRT but with one key difference: vehicles have wheels as well as a slot that allows them to travel on a monorail so that they can drive off the rail and onto a normal road.
Keywords: Work, existing road
Keyword Location: Line 2 Paragraph G
Explanation: This line basically means that RUF technology vehicles can travel on existing normal roads too. Here, a normal road means an existing road.

Question 10: Individuals can buy cars after all.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: The author in the said passage mentions that, unlike PRT, such a system could grow organically, as each network would serve as a large area around it, as a result, people nearby could buy into it.
Keywords: Individuals, buy cars
Keyword Location: Line 4 Paragraph H
Explanation: This line suggests that if each network grew to serve a large area, individuals can buy these cars. Here, people could buy into it means that individuals can buy these cars.

Question 11: Controlled both by computer and manual.

Answer: B
Supporting Sentence: once on road, the occupant would take over from the computer and the RUF vehicle (a Danish saying meaning “go fast”)—would become an electric car.
Keywords: Controlled, computer, manual
Keyword Location: Line 3, Paragraph G
Explanation: The saying “Occupant take over from the computer” highlights the fact that RUF technology can operate both manually and computer-controlled.

Questions 12-14:
Ask the candidates to choose three correct letters from the following that are advantages of developing a NEW TRANSPORT SYSTEM:

Stimulating economy
Successful application in Europe
Safety consideration
Less pollution to the environment
Economical budget
Public popularity
Fast Speed

Question 12:

Answer: C
Supporting Sentence: the derailments are impossible and that the users will feel safe because it is easy to understand that when the rail is actually inside the vehicle it is absolutely stable.
Keywords: derailment, feel safe
Keyword Location: Line 3 Paragraph J
Explanation: The term “users will feel safe” affirms one of the new features of the transport system, i.e., safety consideration.

Question 13:

Answer: D
Supporting Sentence: the RUF system is capable of reducing energy consumption from individual traffic. The key factor is coupling vehicles to reduce air resistance. As per RUF, the energy consumption can be reduced to less than 1/3 at 100km/h.
Keywords: RUF System, energy consumption air resistance
Keyword Location: Line 1 Paragraph I
Explanation: Here, reducing energy means less consumption of electricity and reduction in daily usage of fossil fuels. Hence, there will be a reduction in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and we can deduce that reducing energy consumption can ensure less pollution to the environment.

Question 14:

Answer: G
Supporting Sentence: once on a road, the occupant would take over from the computer and the RUF vehicle (Danish saying “go fast”) would become an electric car.
Keywords: occupant, RUF vehicle, electric car
Keyword Location: Last line Paragraph G
Explanation: The term “go fast” implies that new technology brought about the advantage of speed.

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