My own car

Lots of teenagers dream of the day when they will be old enough to learn to drive (at age 17 in the UK) and have their own car. There are plenty of reasons why. They will be able to go out where they like, when they like. They won’t have to ask their parents to take them. They won’t have to go home early because the last bus leaves at half past ten. They will be able to give their friends a lift. Passing their driving test is a very important day in many teenagers’ lives. Cars are also a big status symbol. If you own a big, fast car, you must be rich and successful.

The problems

Cars cause a lot of problems. Here are some of them. Put them in order from 1 to 6 (1 for the biggest problem, 6 for the smallest problem, in your opinion).

· The roads are too busy. People driving in cities or on the motorway often have to sit in traffic jams.

· Towns are often designed for cars, not for people. On some roads, pedestrians have to use dark, dirty subways to get across the road.

· The noise of traffic causes stress for people who live and work near busy roads.

· Finding a parking space in cities and towns is often almost impossible.

· Cars create a great deal of pollution. Air pollution is getting worse because more and more people own cars.

· Every time you get into a car you risk having an accident.