Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow-
There are no rules to tell us how we ought to behave or ought not to behave in all matters. Rut in some matters, there are rules that all have to obey, ‘lake, for example the rules of the road. The purpose of these rules is to make the road safe for everybody. The roads in our cities and towns are getting more and more busy with traffic these days. All kinds of vehicles, (some slow’ some fast), fill the roads during the great er part of the day. If people disobey traffic rules, accidents will happen sooner or later. There are rules for pedestrians as well as for vehicles, and every user of the road ought to know the rules.
Here is an important rule for pedestrians they ought to keep to the footpath and leave the middle of the road for vehicles. Where there is no footpath, pedestrians must keep close to the edge of the road. If they do not obey this rule, they will cause danger to themselves as well as to others. A driver may turn his vehicle suddenly to avoid a pedestrian and, in doing so, may knock down someone else. I le may even lose control of his vehicle and drive over the footpath and knock down several people.
All vehicles should keep to the left and leave the right half of the road free for those coming from the opposite direction this is the traffic rule in all parts of India. In some countries in the west, however, vehicles have to keep to the right and not to the left. It does not matter whether it is right or left but, everyone should obey the rule. Cyclists should always keep to the edge of the road and not get in the way of other vehicles or pedestrians We often see two or more cyclists riding together side by side right in the middle of the road. Traffic rules do not allow this. Where the road is busy, this will interfere with the flow’ of traffic and cause accidents. The rule about overtaking is an equally important rule. One vehicle should overtake another vehicle only on the right, because otherwise it may get in the way of the vehicle which is trying to keep to the left. There are rules about right of way where roads cross each other. There is usually a roundabout at these places. The vehicle coming from the right has right of way over the one coming from the left. If every driver follows this rule, traffic at roundabouts will flow quite smoothly and accidents can be avoided.
Drivers of vehicles should never fail to give the right signals, because otherwise there is great danger of accidents happening. There are signals for turning right or left, for slowing down and for stopping, and for letting another vehicle overtake yours. Cyclists are often careless about giving signals, thinking that these are important only for motorists. But all road users, cyclists as well as motorists, ought to have the right signals so that others on the road maybe warned. Pedestrians too should have a knowledge of these signals so that they may be able to tell which way the vehicles on the road are going to pass. Above all, everyone using the public road ought to obey the policeman on traffic duty. This is the most important rule of all.
(i) Which rules should we obey?
(ii) What will happen if the drivers of vehicles do not give proper signals?
(iii) What is the purpose of traffic rules?
(iv) What is the traffic rule for pedestrians?
(v) Find the similar word for ‘strike’ and antonym for ‘smaller’ from the passage.
