LESSON
3
Make inferences
READING
GET READY
Sam and a student discuss parking problems on campus. Where is parking
a problem in your community? What makes it difficult?
READ
Listen and read the article. In general, do you think electronic apps
can solve certain problems?
angalore. Beijing. Buenos Aires. London. Mexico
City. Nairobi. New York City. What do these cities
have in common? Cities around the world have
different foods, customs, and languages. But there is
one thing many seem to share—a parking problem.
Frustrated residents in these cities talk of circling
blocks for 30, 45, or 60 minutes looking for an open
parking space. Some drivers treat the search as a
dangerous sport, driving recklessly and fighting with
other drivers when a spot appears. Others learn
tricks, such as memorizing the street cleaning
schedule and grabbing a space the moment the
sweeper trucks leave. Drivers in some cities pull trash
cans into the street in front of their homes to prevent
other drivers from parking there. Sounds ridiculous,
doesn’t it? There must be another way.
There is. You’ve heard it time and time again. There’s
an app for that. Actually, there are now several
regional apps available. One is being used in San
Francisco. The system uses wireless sensors placed
under the streets and in parking garages that
indicate when a parking space is available. Within
moments, drivers with the app get an alert to their
smartphone telling them where they can find an
available parking spot. Drivers can see blocks that
have a lot of places, marked in blue, and those where
no parking is available, marked in red. Sensors are
available in over 7,000 metered spots and 12,000
garage spots.
New York City has its own app. Drivers with the app
send a message, called a “geo-tagged alert,” through
the system. The alert lets other drivers know where
the newly available parking spot is. It’s possible that
a new driver can arrive before the first driver has
even left the spot. It allows for more careful driving
and far less frustration.
Residents of other cities need not despair. Apps are
starting or being developed for cities, including Boston,
Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Next time you’re
upset or wasting time looking for a spot, remember
there may be an app to save you the trouble.
Can’t Find a Parking Spot? There’s an App for That.
B
Sometimes writers say things indirectly. You need to use what you read to
make inferences
or logical guesses about what the writer is saying.
Reading Skill
50
UNIT 4
