Mock Test 8.3 | General Reading

READING PASSAGE 3

You should spend about 20 minutes on Questions 34-40, which are based on Reading Passage 3 below.

Guided Bus Way

A. A Q39guided bus way is a dedicated buses-only route with buses running on a purpose-built track. The bus is guided along the route so that steering is automatically controlled and, like a tram, the vehicle follows a set path. [Crack IELTS with Rob] The bus driver controls the speed of the vehicle.

B. Kerb-guided buses are normal, everyday buses with a driver at the wheel. What makes them different is Q36small guide wheels attached to the front wheels of the bus that run along the vertical face of kerbs on a purpose-built track called a guide way. The guide wheels steer the bus whilst it is in the guide way. Guide ways can be used for part or all of a bus route. Guided buses can either be low-speed operations, introduced to relieve congestion in busy towns, or high-speed operations which provide ‘light rapid transit’ (LRT) over longer distances.

C. Like a railway line, the guide way excludes all other traffic, giving the bus a clear road ahead, even in congested areas during rush hours. Therefore the Q38service is fast and reliable: at peak periods, guided buses can arrive at frequent intervals. [Crack IELTS with Rob] All these factors mean guided buses can deliver a high standard of public transport akin to a metrol, light rail or tram system. Unlike a train or tram, though, the bus can leave the bus way at certain junctions and drive on normal roads, giving it the flexibility to provide on-road services too and allowing passengers to get on or off close to their homes or at any key location in the area.

D. Bus Q37lanes and bus-only roads are open to illegal use by other road users for queue jumping and parking. This abuse slows bus journeys and drains resources as breaches of bus lanes need to be monitored and fines have to be issued for misuse. With its kerbs and narrow width, a guided bus way is not accessible by most vehicles, virtually eliminating the abuse of the bus route. Guided bus ways can also be built in areas too narrow for standard bus lanes, including disused railway lines with embankments – land that could never be made into a road.

E. Guided Q35bus systems are less expensive than light rail or metro systems. Like light rail, a guided bus service can be high speed, reliable and comfortable. [Crack IELTS with Rob] It also has the advantage of the transport not being fixed to the rail with the bus being able to leave the guide way and drive down any road as does a standard bus, enabling bus stops to be located within the community. Guided bus ways do not require the overhead electrification or signalling systems usually needed to operate light rail or metro systems.

F. A guided bus way has a number of advantages over a traditional tarmac road. A guided bus way can offer better drainage than a solid tarmac road, as water can drain away between the guide way tracks. The Q34guide way also takes up less space than a standard road lane. The route can be landscaped and planted alongside and between the tracks, making the bus way very green to the eye, absorbing engine noise and allowing the bio-diversity of an area to exist alongside the transport system. Such landscaping also makes the bus way look very different to a road, discouraging other road users from accidentally entering it.

Questions 34 - 39

Passage 3 has six paragraphs, A-F.

Which paragraph mentions the following?

Write the correct letter, A-F, in boxes 34-39 on your answer sheet.

NB You may use any letter more than once.

34. examples of the environmental benefits to a guided bus way.
F
35. references to how guide bus systems differ from light rail or metro systems.
E
36. a description of how guided buses work.
B
37. the limitations of bus lanes and bus-only roads.
D
38. reasons why guide buses are needed.
C
39. what a guided bus way is
A