Friedrich Dobl, a Yugoslav working in Germany, was fed up with traffic jams. At long weekends and holiday times when he wanted to (47)______ quickly, he always found himself behind hundreds of other cars moving (48)______ along the notorious foreign workers route through Germany and Austria.
How easy it all was for police and emergency services. A siren, a flashing light And like magic everyone was (49)______ of the way. Going home from work one night he passed a garage. And there in front of him was the answer to his problem. An old ambulance was (50)______. The red cross had been removed, but not the flashing light, and the (51)______. He tried the light. It flashed magnificently. He tried the siren. That too sounded impressive. He bought the (52)______ and opened up for himself a dream world of motoring.
It began early in the morning, all his luggage in the back of the ambulance and motorway in Germany looking reasonably clear. Soon, as always, a lone line of traffic (53)______ ahead. He switched on the flashing light and set off the siren. Cars swiftly slowed and (54)______ the last lane. Other cars stopped and drivers waved him ahead to an open road all his own. In record time he crossed the border into Austria. The big bluff was working. Police even waved him through the confusion caused by an accident.
But then the Yugoslav made his big (55)______. Until then he had only stopped for petrol. Now he was driving past a real accident, lights flashing, too late to realize that it was not another traffic jam as he (56)______. They stopped him, and after hearing the story of his ride across two countries fined him 12.5 pounds.
WORD BANK
A) assumed B) out C) going home D) get home E) opened up
F) slowly G) appeared H) ahead I) siren J) mistake
K) switched on L) for sale M) pulled off N) crossed O) ambulance