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What It Takes to Earn a Stoplight

7th grade nonfiction passage about traffic studies and local decisions: 276 words, six questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

7th grade nonfiction traffic studies and local decisions 276 words

What It Takes to Earn a Stoplight

Imagine a busy corner near your school where cars rush past and students wait nervously to cross. It seems obvious that the city should install a traffic light. Yet cities do not add stoplights just because people ask. Before spending public money, a traffic engineer usually conducts a careful study.

The engineer begins by collecting facts. Observers count how many cars pass at different times of day. They count how many pedestrians cross, how old they are, and how long they wait. The engineer reviews records of crashes at the corner over several years and checks whether drivers can see far enough down each street to stop safely.

The results are compared to standards published for the whole country. If the traffic is heavy enough, or if there have been the kind of crashes that a signal can prevent, the corner may qualify. If it does not, the engineer considers other tools, such as a four-way stop sign, a marked crosswalk with flashing lights, or a lower speed limit.

A stoplight is not always the safest choice. Signals cost a great deal to install and maintain, and they make drivers wait even when no one is coming. Research has shown that some signals reduce one type of crash while increasing another, such as rear-end collisions when drivers stop suddenly.

Residents still play an important role. A request or petition often starts the study, and neighbors know their own streets better than anyone. When citizens bring specific observations, such as the time of day when the problem is worst, they help the engineer find the right solution, which may not be a light at all.

Questions

  1. Who usually studies a corner before a stoplight is added? in the text

  2. What kinds of things do observers count at the corner? in the text

  3. What can an engineer try if a corner does not qualify for a signal? in the text

  4. Why is a stoplight not always the safest choice? think about it

  5. Why do cities study a corner instead of simply adding a light when people ask? think about it

  6. How can residents help the process? in the text

Words to know

engineer
a person trained to design and solve practical problems
pedestrians
people who travel on foot
standards
official rules or levels that something must meet
signal
a device such as a traffic light that gives a direction
petition
a written request signed by many people
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 244 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 4.3

Picture a busy corner near your school. Cars rush by. Students wait to cross. It seems clear that the city should put up a traffic light. But cities do not add lights just because people ask. They spend public money, so a traffic engineer first does a study.

The engineer starts with facts. Observers count the cars at different times of day. They count the people who cross and how long they wait. The engineer looks at crash records for the corner over several years. The engineer also checks whether drivers can see far enough to stop safely.

Then the numbers are compared to national standards. If traffic is heavy enough, or if there were crashes that a signal can prevent, the corner may qualify. If not, the engineer tries other tools. These include a four-way stop sign, a marked crosswalk with flashing lights, or a lower speed limit.

A light is not always the safest choice. Signals cost a lot to build and fix. They make drivers wait even when no one is coming. Some signals cut one kind of crash but add another. One example is cars hitting the car in front when drivers stop fast.

Residents still help. A request or petition often starts the study. Neighbors know their streets best. When they share exact details, like the time of day the problem is worst, the engineer can find the right fix. It may not be a light at all.

▲ This passage · 276 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.1

Imagine a busy corner near your school where cars rush past and students wait nervously to cross. It seems obvious that the city should install a traffic light. Yet cities do not add stoplights just because people ask. Before spending public money, a traffic engineer usually conducts a careful study.

The engineer begins by collecting facts. Observers count how many cars pass at different times of day. They count how many pedestrians cross, how old they are, and how long they wait. The engineer reviews records of crashes at the corner over several years and checks whether drivers can see far enough down each street to stop safely.

The results are compared to standards published for the whole country. If the traffic is heavy enough, or if there have been the kind of crashes that a signal can prevent, the corner may qualify. If it does not, the engineer considers other tools, such as a four-way stop sign, a marked crosswalk with flashing lights, or a lower speed limit.

A stoplight is not always the safest choice. Signals cost a great deal to install and maintain, and they make drivers wait even when no one is coming. Research has shown that some signals reduce one type of crash while increasing another, such as rear-end collisions when drivers stop suddenly.

Residents still play an important role. A request or petition often starts the study, and neighbors know their own streets better than anyone. When citizens bring specific observations, such as the time of day when the problem is worst, they help the engineer find the right solution, which may not be a light at all.

■ Harder · 285 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 10.7

Imagine a congested corner near your school where cars speed past and students wait anxiously to cross. It appears self-evident that the city ought to install a traffic light. Nevertheless, municipalities do not add stoplights merely because residents request them. Before expending public funds, a traffic engineer ordinarily conducts a meticulous study.

The engineer begins by gathering evidence. Observers tally how many cars pass at various times of day. They record how many pedestrians cross, how old those pedestrians are, and how long they wait. The engineer examines records of crashes at the corner over several years and verifies whether drivers can see far enough down each street to stop safely.

The findings are then measured against standards published for the entire country. If the traffic is sufficiently heavy, or if there have been the particular kinds of crashes that a signal can prevent, the corner may qualify. If it does not, the engineer weighs alternative measures, such as a four-way stop sign, a marked crosswalk equipped with flashing lights, or a reduced speed limit.

A stoplight is not invariably the safest option. Signals are expensive to install and maintain, and they compel drivers to wait even when no one else is approaching. Research has indicated that certain signals diminish one type of crash while increasing another, such as rear-end collisions that occur when drivers brake abruptly.

Residents nonetheless play a significant role. A request or petition frequently initiates the study, and neighbors understand their own streets better than anyone. When citizens contribute specific observations, such as the hour at which the problem is most severe, they help the engineer identify the proper solution, which may not be a light at all.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put engineer, pedestrians, standards, signal and petition on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 3 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 4 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "What It Takes to Earn a Stoplight"?

It was written for 7th grade. It has 276 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 8.1. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are six. 4 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 3 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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