Complete the texts with the present simple or present progressive form of the verb in brackets.

European traffic accident rates fail to meet targets Although the number of deaths caused in traffic accidents in the EU 1 (go down), experts 2 (still try) to find ways of reducing the number throughout the EU to around 25,000 fatalities per year by 2010. Traffic safety 3 (improve) but experts 4 (believe) that achieving the 2010 goal will prove difficult. Recent statistics 5 (show) that in 2005 in the EU 41,600 people were killed in road accidents. Although progress has been made, most experts 6 (agree) that this figure will have fallen to only around 32,000 by 2010, which 7 (mean) that the EU target will be missed by about 7,000. On the other hand, as the amount of traffic 8 (increase) it is possible to argue that the situation is not really as bad as it 9 (Iook). However one 10 (interpret) the statistics, it 11 (remain) true that as time goes on, it 12 (become) harder and harder to reduce the figures, especially since accident-reduction schemes 13 (cost) a lot of money. Many countries have tried and failed to reduce the number of accidents, and in the EU as a whole, only Sweden 14 (pursue) the goal of zero accidents. Accident reduction is more difficult for newer EU members who 15 (currently face) very rapid growth in traffic and 16 (have) difficulty in building new roads and in introducing safety measures at a fast enough rate. To complicate matters, most new members 17 (have) very little experience in dealing with the demands of heavy traffic. Experts 18 (suggest) that any safety programme must also set about changing the way drivers 19 (behave). Despite what people often 20 (say) it 21 (seem) to be the younger generation that 22 (cause) most accidents. In line with this research, many countries 23 (introduce) tougher driving tests, and 24 (concentrate) on the main causes of accidents: speed, reckless overtaking, alcohol, and over-confidence. Doctors express concern over heavy school bags Every year thousands of children 25 (go) to the doctor because of back pain, and in fact, this kind of problem 26 (rapidly become) one of the most common childhood complaints. And what exactly 27 (cause) this outbreak of bad: strain and muscle fatigue? It 28 (seem) that even quite young children 29 (take) more and more to school – not just books, but also clothes and games players - and their backpacks 30 (simply weigh) too much. 'Some kids 31 (carry) more than 25% of their bodyweight in a bag that has a nice cartoon character on the bag, but which 32 (actually give) them serious backache, ' reported Dr Elaine Sachs, a GP in North London. 'Most parents 33 (simply not realize) what 34 (happen) to their children.' Investigators to report on train crash Accident investigators 35 (still examine) the wreckage of the high-speed train which left the rails and overturned in northwest England last week. According to reports, they 36 (not believe) the accident 37 (involve) driver error. ‘We 38 (expect) to publish an inquiry into this accident quite soon,’ a spokesman announced yesterday. 'Engineers 39 (work) round the clock to replace the track, and we 40 (hope) to restore a normal service within two weeks. We 41 (realize) that people 42 (depend) on the railway, and we 43 (understand) how much everyone has been shocked by this accident. However; we 44 (check) thousands of sections of track all over the country to make sure that nothing like this can ever happen again.’ Big Brother's watching you! A burglar 45 (try) to break into a big house in the country. He 46 (walk) very quietly across the garden when he 47 (hear) a voice: 'Big Brother 48 (watch) you!' He 49 (turn) around, but he 50 (not see) anything. So he 51 (creep) nearer to the house. Suddenly he 52 (hear) the voice again and he 53 (see) a cage hanging from a tree. A parrot 54 (sit) in the cage. The burglar 55 (ask) the parrot, 'Did you say that stuff about Big Brother?' The parrot 56 (answer) 'Yes I did.' 'Is that your name then?' The parrot 57 (say) 'No, my name's Montmorency.' The burglar 58 (Iaugh) 'What kind of stupid idiot would name his parrot Montmorency?' The parrot 59 (reply) 'The same stupid idiot who named his Rottweiler 'Big Brother' - that's the guard dog that 60 (stand) right behind you!'	1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.

Date: 2015-12-17; view: 3804

<== previous page	\|	next page ==>
Present Simple vs. Present Progressive	\|	Present Perfect vs. Present Perfect Progressive vs. Past Simple

doclecture.net - lectures - 2014-2024 year. Copyright infringement or personal data (0.006 sec.)