Subway virtuoso

I arrived at the 57th St Subway station in New York City one evening about 10 p.m. on my way home. The platform is long and there weren't many people about. I could slightly hear the sound of a violin. As I listened, it appeared to be coming from the other end of the station and it sounded like Mendelsohn's violin concerto (without the orchestra). I walked along the platform until I reached the source of the sounds. There was a young man playing the concerto, without music and accompaniment and playing very well too. A small crowd had gathered to listen and had become so interested by the music that they were letting trains go without boarding them. At the end of the piece of music there was applause and we all left some money for him. I asked him to play the Bruch concerto, which he did while I let several more trains go without me on board. I eventually went home feeling all the better for the pleasure of such music.

A few weeks later, I read an article in the New York Sunday Times that a brilliant young violinist had been "discovered" playing in the Subway and there was a picture of our “57th St. violinist”. He had been offered a job with the orchestra of the New York City Opera. It was good to know that the American dream was still alive and well in 1983.

Lesson THREE

Ex. 1. Copy and memorize the following terms.

abnormality – отклонение от нормы adverse grade (gradient) – обратный уклон ballast compaction – уплотнение балласта ballast regulator – балластораспределительная машина capacity – мощность, производительность cross section – поперечное сечение, поперечный разрез curve – кривая cut / cutting – выемка; котлован defect-detection car – вагон-дефектоскоп earth-moving machinery – землеройные машины fill – насыпь, грунт flatcar – вагон-платформа to grind – шлифовать; полировать rail grinder – рельсошлифовальная машина loader backhoe/ backhoe loader – экскаваторная погрузочная машина roadbed – земляное полотно spike puller – костылевыдергиватель track lining and leveling – рихтовка и выравнивание пути

Ex. 2. Copy the following words and memorize their meanings:

to adapt – приспосабливать

to combine – объединять, сочетать

conventional – традиционный, общепринятый

to detect – обнаруживать, опознавать

detection – выявление, обнаружение

to dig – копать, рыть

to dispense with – обходиться без чего-л.

feasible – возможный, выполнимый

former – бывший, предшествующий

impressive – впечатляющий, производящий глубокое впечатление

to level – выравнивать

to lift – поднимать(ся), повышать(ся)

to pass – пропускать, проходить

rear – задняя часть, задний

to renew – обновлять, восстанавливать

to smooth out – сглаживать, выравнивать

set – комплект, набор

to perform – выполнять, делать.

Read the following sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. Steel is produced by combining iron with carbon. 2. Level the ground carefully before you start to lay the paving stones. 3. The problems are associated with conventional methods of energy production. 4. Internet connections through conventional phone lines are fairly slow. 5. The goods was lifted by crane and dropped into the truck. 6. The list of their achievements is pretty impressive. 7. They stopped at the crossing, waiting for the train to pass. 8. The railway line passes through Darlington, Newcastle, and Berwick. 9. Bikes with front and rear suspension are ideal for more challenging off-road riding. 10. The window frames need to be renewed. 11. You may need to renew the brake linings (тормозные колодки). 12. Machines are capable of performing many routine tasks. 13. I think we all know each other, so we can dispense with the formalities. 14. There seems to be only one feasible solution. 15. The tyres perform well in wet or snowy conditions. 16. The ceremony honoured all the former presidents who are still living. 17. He abandoned his former career as a geologist. 18. We dug a hole and planted the tree. 19. Dig down about 6 inches. 20. We had to dig the car out of a snow drift. 21. They smoothed out the map on the table. 22. Smooth out all the wrinkles. 23. The aircraft is capable of avoiding detection. 24. Early detection of the disease is vital. 25. How do these insects adapt themselves to new environments? 26. Its ability to adapt to various operating conditions help improve stability while machine is working.

Ex. 3. Put the verbs in brackets into the required tense form and translate the sentences into Russian.

1. A high standard [to achieve – Present Perfect Passive] by combining advanced techniques and specialist knowledge. 2. Diets [to be – Present Simple Active] most effective when combined with exercise. 3. Railroads [to develop - Present Simple Active] modern engineering techniques. 4. English courses [to adapt - Present Simple Passive] to suit the needs of the individual. 5. The ground [to have – Future Simple Active] to be leveled off before we can start building. 6. Two experiments [to perform – Past Simple Passive] to test this hypothesis. 7. We [to decide - Present Perfect Active] to dispense with Porter’s services after a series of poor results. 8. The car [to adapt - Present Perfect Passive] to take unleaded gas. 9. The tax on cars [to base - Present Simple Passive] on engine capacity. 10. The car [to take – Past Simple Active] the curve much too quickly. 11. I [to dig – Future Simple Active] up that plant and move it. 12. The factory [to have – Present Simple Active] a capacity of 120,000 tons per annum. 13. Regular inspections ensure that high safety standards [to maintain - Present Simple Passive]. 14. Modern high-capacity machinery, developed mainly for highway construction, [to become – Present Perfect Active] suitable for many railroads. 15. Modern equipment [to help - Present Perfect Active] to improve railroad roadbeds in many ways. 16. The road [to pass – Present Simple Active] right through the town centre. 17. I [not to drive – Past Perfect Active] a bulldozer until yesterday.

Ex. 4. Replace Russian words by their English equivalents to make a sentence. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. A number of factors объединились to create this difficult situation. 2. He is традиционен in his approach to life. 3. We watched the balloon поднимался slowly into the air. 4. The main railway line проходит just north of Manchester. 5. Keep your front and задние lights in good working order. 6. There are some machines which can выполнять more than one task. 7. Mechanized equipment is able to обновлять rails. 8. Ann suggested that they обойдутся без speeches altogether at the wedding. 9. It was a pleasure to meet бывших colleagues. 10. The children like копаться in the sand. 11. By flying low, the plane avoided обнаружения by enemy radar. 12. The ability приспосабливаться is a definite asset in this job. 13. Workers выровняли the wet concrete with a piece of wood. 14. The factory is now operating at full мощность. 15. It was no longer financially возможным to keep the fitness center open. 16. Maintenance of way сочетает checking, clearing, and repairing the tracks, with the use of a variety of specialized equipment.

Ex. 5. The words technology, technique and technical are often confused when translating from English into Russian. Remember that their meanings are different:

technology (modern science and technology) – технология, технические и прикладные науки; a technique (modern techniques) – технический прием, метод, способ; technical (technical school, technical workers) – технический. Translate the sentences into Russian.

1. To pass our exam with an excellent mark we had to learn all technical words used in computing. 2. Thanks to new surgical techniques, hip replacement operations have become much more successful. 3. Can you imagine our life without modern technologies, such as the Internet or mobile phones? 4. Physiotherapists use a variety of techniques to aid recovery from injury. 5. To improve railroad operation railwaymen should use the most efficient techniques. 6. I’m sure you will agree with me that nowadays everybody can benefit from the revolution in information technology. 7. I’m afraid I am not strong enough in technical sciences to help you out. 8. After finishing the technical school he made up his mind to continue his study and entered the University. 9. If you are a teacher you get your salary, but if you are a technical worker you get your wage. 10. This magazine always publishes the fullest reports on the latest events on modern science and technology. 11. This technique can be used to replace missing parts of the device. 12. Nanotechnologies will be part of our future. 13. The example shows the technique applied to the design of a tool. 14. Space research has produced major advances in computer technology. 15. This job requires proper technical training. 16. Modern technology has changed our whole way of life. 17. Thanks to these new surgical techniques, patients spend far shorter periods in hospital 18. Can you imagine what the world would be like without science and technology? 19. This product is the result of many different technologies combining.

Ex. 6. The text below is about the words equipment, apparatus, utensil and tool. Grasp its main idea and give a short summary of the text in Russian.

These four items are clearly all from the same lexical field. What you need to know is what restrictions are placed on their use.

Equipment usually describes (all) the necessary articles for a purpose. Thus you would say: A lot of equipment was needed for this mountaineering (or camping) expedition.

Apparatus is similar in meaning to equipment, although it tends to relate to particular contexts. Thus gymnastic apparatus refers to all the apparatus you would expect to find in a gym. It tends to be used in scientific or technical contexts: The chemistry lab was full of the apparatus needed for a range of experiments.

For tools and utensils it is also very important to know which other words they collocate (= combine) with. For example, we talk about garden tools for a gardener and work tools for a carpenter, but kitchen utensils for a housewife or house-husband.

Ex. 7. Rewrite each sentence so that it contains the word given, and so that the meaning stays the same. Mind the Grammar!

Model: Terry works in a different place now. JOB → Terry has a different job now.

1. This program can find any virus in the computer file. DETECT

2. The freight was moved by crane and lowered on the flatcar. LIFT

3. They spent a lot of money supplying the school with new computers. EQUIP

4. Advanced machinery has been changed to make it more suitable for a new use on the railroads. ADAPT

5. It took an hour to put a large quantity of goods into a vehicle. LOAD

6. Earth-moving machinery was old and damaged and needed to be replaced. RENEW

7. This machine can perform some different operation at the same time and they begin to work together. COMBINE

8. The excavator made a cut in the ground, using a shovel. DIG

9. Put the plug into the socket. INSERT

10. Track that isn’t properly maintained gradually becomes worse. DETERIATE

11. The main railway line goes through the picturesque surroundings. PASS

12. We covered the ground with a layer of sand and made it flat and smooth. LEVEL

Ex. 8. It is common to see an Infinitive phrase used with the word it as the subject of a sentence: It is easy to find my house. – Легко найти мой дом. In such sentences, it refers to the Infinitive phrase.

A. Translate the following sentences paying attention to the Infinitive phrase.

1. It is known that the first excavating machines were called navies. 2. It is much easier to maintain continuous welded rail than the older jointed rail. 3. It is sometimes difficult to measure and see the damage from poor drainage maintenance. 4. It is illegal to drive a car without a licence. 5. It is very important to increase traffic safety. 6. Statistically it is safer to travel by air than to drive a car. 7. It is desirable for maintenance vehicles to perform more than one function. 8. It is difficult to design a computer. 9. It is financially feasible to use coal as an energy source. 10. Is it necessary to equip any large railway with powerful machinery? 11. If you want to get somewhere as quickly as possible it’s better to travel by air. 12. Ballast, as it is known, is an important part of railroad infrastructure. 13. It was impossible to get tickets to the seaside last summer. 14. It’s too fast for me to understand the BBC news. 15. Sometimes it’s better only to hear. 16. It was possible to provide reliable and practicable driverless trains on the Victoria Line. 17. It's true that there have been some very serious train accidents recently, but it's generally quite a safe way to travel. 18. It is important to control the rail profile in order to minimize the risk of derailment. 19. It's important for the meeting to start on time. 20. Is it possible for this mechanized equipment to dig deeper cuts? 21. It is sometimes difficult to measure and see the damage from poor drainage maintenance.

B. Complete the sentences with the Infinitive phrase, using your own words.

1. It is very important ♦. 2. Is it a good idea ♦? 3. It is usually wrong ♦. 4. It's impossible (for me) ♦. 5. It is better ♦ than ♦. 6. It is more economical ♦. 7. Is it possible ♦? 8. It was necessary ♦ 9. It is impolite ♦. 10. It is desirable for ♦. 11. It is known that ♦. 12. It will be difficult ♦.

Ex. 9. Rewrite the following ing-sentences as to-sentences, and vice versa.

Model: Speaking Vietnamese is hard. → It’s hard to speak Vietnamese.

1. Wearing a seat belt in a car is compulsory.

2. It’s unpleasant to have injections.

3. It’s annoying to get phone bills.

4. Swimming underwater is fun.

5. It’s nice to get birthday presents.

6. It’s easy to speak colloquial English.

7. Writing “thank you letters” is polite.

8. Painting pictures is relaxing.

9. Drinking the water here isn’t safe.

10. Driving when you are tired is dangerous.

11. It’s possible to park on the pavement.

12. Living with your parents until you get married is common.

Ex. 10. A. Talk about your experience of car journey in pairs. If someone has had one of the experiences, ask him/her more questions: When? Where were you going? What did you do? What happened in the end?

Have you ever	got really lost in a car?
	run out of petrol?
	had a puncture?
	broken down?
	missed something important because of traffic problems?
	got stuck in a traffic jam?
	been stopped by the police?
	stopped to pick up a hitch-hiker?
	been fined for speeding?
	had any collisions?

B. Match the beginnings of the sentences with the correct endings.

1 . Dinner ...	has been developed recently.
2. Two people ...	has been elected.
3. A new president ...	has not been repaired yet.
4. A new species of frog ...	has been increased again.
5. The price of a bus ticket ...	has already been served.
6. Three new schools ...	has been damaged by acid rain.
7. A new type of microchip ...	has been discovered.
8. The statue ...	has been invented.
9. This powerful track-laying machine …	have been hurt in a car accident.
10. My car …	have been opened in the past year.

C. Some of the phrases below may be grammatically wrong. You are to correct mistakes and translate the sentences into Russian.

1. The new regulations have announced.

2. Many accidents have been caused by careless driving.

3. Three buildings has been damaged in the explosion.

4. A lot of money was been stolen in the robbery.

5. A man has been seriously injured in a traffic accident.

6. Millions of mobile phones have being sold in Asia this year.

7. Has this room been painted recently?

8. Why have the president's trip been postponed?

9. Has the suspect been arresting yet?

Ex. 11. The verb make has the meaning to cause something to be in a particular state or сondition. Read the following sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. Computer technology has made it possible for more people to work from home.

2. I’d like to make it clear that I had nothing to do with this.

3. Modern earth-moving equipment makes it possible to dig deeper cuts.

4. Her age made it difficult to get another job.

5. My boss seems to enjoy making life difficult for me, whereas his wife is doing everything she can to make life difficult for him.

6. The software makes it easier to download music.

7. Having you here does make things a lot easier for me.

8. Why don't we make life easy for ourselves and finish this tiring job tomorrow?

9. We all thought computers would make our jobs easier.

10. The use of computers makes it easy to do the routine work in offices.

11. Electronic car sensors prevent accidents and make it safer for people when accidents do happen.

Ex. 12. A. Form new words with the prefix re- , meaning ”to do again”, as for example, to write – to rewrite (писать – переписать) and translate them into Russian:

to cycle, to use, to appear, to profile, to set, to construct, to open, to read, to calculate, to build, to organize, to design, to view, to play, to form, to make.

B. Match the verbs in the left column with the nouns in the right column and translate the word combinations.

to review	a route
to reuse	a bridge
to rewrite	the votes
to reset	a football match
to reconstruct	a floppy disk
to readdress	one’s whole life
to recall	empty tin bottles
to recount	a program
to replay	a letter
to recycle	a room
to redecorate	criminals
to reeducate	somebody’s decision
to reform	a film
to refresh	a cable
to relay	a company
to remake	the attack
to renew	one’s memory

Ex. 13. Read the following sentences and translate them paying attention to the verb need used for saying whether it is necessary to do something.

1. The engine will need to be completely checked. 2. The pie doesn't need to be refrigerated. 3. I need someone to help me carry these books downstairs. 4. She’ll need to take the test again. 5. I’ll need to know your decision by next week. 6. Do I need to buy tickets for the children? 7. We don’t need to get into an argument over this. 8. She needed to go out for a walk. 9. He needs to see a doctor straightaway. 10. I need to catch up on my office work. 11. You need to let me know by Monday if you want to take part. 12. You need to be over 18 to be able to vote. 13. You don’t actually need to be a member of the golf club to attend the event. 14. I need to spend more time studying. 15. The issue of pay needs to be discussed at our next meeting. 16. Ballast periodically needs to be leveled (tamped) and eventually cleaned or replaced.

Ex. 14. Read the following sentences and translate them paying attention to the modal verb must.

1. You must not take responsibility for this job because you are not as experienced as your colleague. 2. The secretary must send this important message by fax. 3. Everybody must pay their taxes. 4. The students must submit their term papers by the end of the week. 5. The sales manager must control the quality of consumer goods sold in this supermarket. 6. You must not miss your English lessons! 7. The factory must recycle their wastes to provide environment protection. 8. You must not take this book away from the library because it’s a unique copy. 9. Railroad engineers must obey the signals in order to keep the traffic moving safely and smoothly across the railroad. 10. All people must obey traffic laws. 11. All passengers must wear seat belts. 12. The defect-detection cars must monitor the lines for abnormalities in gauge, profile, or alignment. 13. You must come and see us some time. 14. For the engine to work, the green lever must be in the 'up' position. 15. Accidents must be reported to the safety officer. 16. You must not cross the street when the red light is on.

Ex. 15. A motoring magazine has tested six new cars and given them stars for price, running costs, reliability, and so on. The cars can get up to 5 stars in each category. 5 is the best mark and 0 is the worst.

A. Compare the cars using the notes and the table below.

Model: Prince / easy to drive / Delta → The Prince is easier to drive than the Delta.

1. Superior / comfortable/ Libretto 7. Sahara / comfortable / Superior

2. Swift / spacious/ Sahara 8. Swift / reliable / Libretto

3. Delta / cheap/Prince 9. Swift / comfortable/ Libretto

4. Sahara / reliable / Libretto 10. Sahara / good-looking / Prince

5. Prince / comfortable/ Swift 11. Swift / easy to drive / Superior

6. Delta / fast/ Sahara 12. Superior / economical / Delta

	cheap	economical	reliable	easy to drive	comfortable	spacious	fast	good-looking
Prince	***	*****	*****	****	***	**	***	*
Delta	****	****	****	**	*		***	***
Swift	***	**	**	*****	*****	****	***	****
Sahara	*****	***	****	**	****	***	*	***
Superior	*		***	****	****	****	*****	*****
Libretto	**	***	****	***	****	*****	****	****

B. Write six sentences saying which car is the best in each category.

C. Talk to your partner about your own car (or the car you would like to have). Discuss the similarities and differences between the two cars.

D. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of traveling by public transport as against using your own car or bicycle.

Ex. 16. Complete the article about learning to drive in Britain. Put in a positive/negative, present/past form of have to.

In Britain you’re allowed to drive a car when you’re seventeen. You ♦ get a special two-year driving licence before you can start. When you’re learning, someone with a full licence always ♦ be in the car with you because you mustn’t drive the car on the road alone. You ♦ go to a driving school – a friend can teach you. The person with you doesn’t take money for the lesson unless he’s got a teacher licence.

Before you get a full licence, you ♦ take a driving test. You can take a test in your own car, but it ♦ be fit for the road. In the test you ♦ drive round for about half an hour and then answer a few questions. If you don’t pass the test, you may take it again a few weeks later if you want to. In 2000 a woman passed her fortieth test after 212 driving lessons! When you’ve passed your test, you ♦ take it again, and you’re allowed to go on driving as long as you like, provided you are fit. Britain’s oldest driver was a Norfolk man who drove in 1998 at the age of 100.

Before 1904 everyone could drive, even children. Then from 1904 motorists ♦ have a licence. But they ♦ take a test until 1935. In the early days of motoring, before 1878, cars weren’t allowed to go faster than four miles an hour, and someone ♦ walk in front of the car with a red flag.

Ex. 17. Modal may is used for saying that there is a possibility that something is true. Complete the sentences using may or its negative.

1. A hybrid car ♦ be the best choice. It doesn't produce much pollution. 2. There ♦ be an easier way of solving the problem. 3. The injury ♦ have caused brain damage. 4. I ♦ be able to play on Saturday. 5. You ♦ be asked to show your passport. 6. Some fir trees … grow up to 60 feet high. 7. The bill ♦ be paid by cheque or by credit card. 8. The total ♦ be calculated by two different methods. 9. I ♦ be late, so don't wait for me. 10. Some chemicals ♦ cause environmental damage. 11. There ♦ be enough money to pay for the repairs. 12. Well, I ♦ have been wrong. 13. They v have called while you were out. 14. It ♦ be that Minoan ships were built and repaired here. 15. Your job ♦ involve some traveling. 16. The problem ♦ be solved in a number of different ways.

Ex. 18. Use can’t, might or must according to the model to make these sentences more colloquial.

Model: It isn’t possible that he’s late. → He can’t be late.

1. It’s possible that James is ill. 2. It isn’t possible that you’re right. 3. It’s fairly certain that you’re joking! 4. It’s possible that it’ll snow tonight. 5. It’s fairly certain that they like Indian food. 6. It isn’t possible that this is true. 7. It’s possible that Terry will come later. 8. It’s possible that the rain will stop soon. 9. It isn’t possible that Mary thinks high of her mother-in-law. 10. It is important to realize that there are certain limits to what we can do.

Ex. 19. Read the text and fill in the blanks with the best form (Active or Passive) of the verbs in the box.

make come run redesign have open supply

This is the new Primera Consul. As you can see it ♦. The engine is much more powerful now and it ♦ much quieter. There’s a sun-roof which ♦ when you press this button, and all models now ♦ with a stereo radio/CD player included. It ♦ automatic gears. The car ♦ by anti-lock braking system (ABS). This new model boot is more spacious. Its engine ♦ on premium motor fuel.

Ex. 20. Use Passive instead of Active and translate the sentences.

Model: We must finish this work as soon as possible. →

This work must be finished as soon as possible.

1. You can buy this book everywhere. 2. The builders might open a renewed theatre next year. 3. You should have washed the car. 4. My bag has disappeared. Somebody must have stolen it. 5. You were too careless. You might have hurt your leg. 6. The weather is awful. The airport may cancel the flight. 7. Has anyone shown you the new film? 8. Trained specialists must carry out maintenance operations to insure reliability and efficiency of the tracks. 9. The workers can use special work vehicles to maintain tracks. 10. Trackmen must regularly check the tracks for any problems. 11. This new kind of car doesn’t need to use petrol. 12. Can you fill in the car with petrol? My car tank is nearly empty. 13. We can maintain the profile of the track using a rail grinder. 14. Railwaymen may use specialized cranes for track laying.

Ex. 21. Choose the correct alternative (a-d) and translate the sentences into Russian.

1. Nearly 350 concert tickets ♦.

a) have been selling b) have being sold

c) are be sold d) have been sold

2. The president ♦ to hospital for an emergency operation.

a) taken b) being taken

c) has been taken d) was been taken

3. Your documents ♦ and were posted back to you today.

a) have been processed b) have being processed

c) has been processed d) have been processing

4. How many languages ♦ into?

a) has this book translating b) was this book been translated

c) has this book been translated d) this book has been translated

5. ♦ yet?

a) Has this room been cleaned b) Has this room been cleaning

c) This room has been cleaned d) Has this room being cleaned

6. Angela ♦ to the party.

a) hasn't being invited b) hasn't been invited

c) haven't been invited d) hasn't invited

Ex. 22. Translate the following sentences paying attention to different functions of the Infinitives.

1. To go for a walk was the only thing to do. 2. He’s got a headache. He claims to have been working on the computer all day. 3. I would sooner be hungry than ask him for a piece of bread. 4. To ride with a careless driver is dangerous. 5. Is it difficult to operate this machine? 6. This story is easy to believe. 7. I demand to know who is responsible. 8. It’s not a question to be discussed now. 9. To do well is better than to speak well. 10. In order to understand this phenomenon the laws of motion should be considered. 11. To understand this problem you must read this article. 12. To agree with his decision is out of the question. 13. To answer this question we had to study a lot of publications. 14. To make this experiment without special equipment is not feasible. 15. The method to be chosen in any particular case depends on many factors.

Text A. Read the text and translate it using a dictionary if necessary. Name the text.

(I) Today, the largest, newest and most impressive railroad maintenance equipment can almost always be found on major mainlines. Some machines are equipped with mechanisms to perform more than one task - for example, ballast tamping combined with track lining and leveling. Mechanized equipment also can renew rail, either in conventional bolted lengths or with long welded lengths; a modern machine of this type has built-in devices to lift and pass the old rail to flatcars at its rear and to move forward and lay new rail, so that it dispenses with separate crane vehicles.

(II) Rails need to be periodically scanned electronically, the data inspected and analysed. Then rails need to be re-profiled with rail grinding machines to maintain the safe and proper rail profile. Rail profile means the cross section shape of rail.

(III) Modern high-capacity earth-moving machinery, developed mainly for highway construction, has made it economically feasible for many railroads to eliminate former adverse grades and curves. Graders, bulldozers, and similar equipment make it possible to dig deeper cuts through hillsides and to make higher fills where necessary to smooth out the track profile. Modern equipment has also helped to improve railroad roadbeds in other ways. In planning roadbed improvements, as well as in new construction, railroads have developed modern engineering techniques.

(IV) The defect-detection cars must monitor the lines for abnormalities in gauge, profile, or alignment. In some cases a discovered defect requires a tie gang, with its tie cranes, spike pullers, and other machinery. Ballast compaction, its laying and smoothing along the tracks are performed by the ballast regulators and tampers, in the variety of shapes and sizes.

(V) The maintenance vehicles maybe conventional road vehicles equipped with rails or specialized machines. As railways may be located in remote areas it is desirable for maintenance vehicles to be able to ride on the rails and perform more than one function. For example loader backhoes have been adapted for railway travel and use. Such vehicles are provided with two sets of wheels: a first conventional set for moving the loader backhoe on the ground; and a second set for moving the loader backhoe on rails.

Ex. 23. Search the text for the English equivalents of the following Russian phrases:

встроенное устройство; транспортные средства с подъемным устройством; периодически сканировать при помощи ультразвука; строительство автострад; подобное оборудование; склоны горы; а также; разнообразие форм и размеров; отдаленная территория; для передвижения и использования на железных дорогах; на железнодорожном ходу.

Ex. 24. Go back to text A and using the paragraph reference find the words which have the following explanation:

paragraph I:

• work that is done to keep something such as a building, machine, or piece of equipment repaired and in good condition;

• a piece of work that must be done;

• to replace something that is old or damaged and put a new one in its place;

• a machine or piece of equipment that does a particular thing;

• to change position in a particular way;

• not together, or not joined to something else.

paragraph II:

• to examine something using electronic equipment in order to find defects in it;

• facts or information used for making decisions;

• to check that things are in the correct condition;

• to study or examine something in detail in order to understand or explain it.

paragraph III:

• a wide road built for fast travel between towns and cities;

• the process of building something large or complicated;

• to make something better.

paragraph IV:

• a situation or set of conditions

• to find out a fact that no one knew about before;

• a group of workers who do physical work;

• a very tall machine used for lifting or moving heavy objects and building tall buildings;

• machines.

paragraph V:

• designed for a particular purpose;

• to situate in a particular place;

• far away in distance or space;

• to travel in a car, train, plane etc;

• to give someone something that they want or need.

Ex. 25. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Путевые машины предназначены для сооружения верхнего строения пути при строительстве и реконструкции железной дороги, а также для выполнения всех работ при текущем содержании и ремонте.

2. В 30-е годы ХХ столетия были созданы первые балластеры, снегоуборочные машины и путеукладчики.

3. Большинство путевых машин могут использоваться как при строительстве новых железных дорог, так и во время их ремонта и текущего содержания.

4. Путевые машины могут быть выполнены как на железнодорожном ходу, так и на колесном.

5. Для ремонта и текущего содержания пути созданы путевые машины, которые могут выполнять несколько задач.

6. Укладка и замена рельсов осуществляется путеукладчиками.

7. Уплотнение балласта и выправку пути выполняют с помощью шпалоподбивочных и балластораспределительных машин.

8. При эксплуатации железнодорожного пути проводят проверку его состояния с помощью вагон-дефектоскопа.

Ex. 26. Match the English description of track machines with their explanation in Russian. Translate the Russian sentences into English.

1. A ballast tamper or tamping machine is a machine used to pack (or tamp) the track ballast under railway tracks to make the tracks more durable. Modern machines, sometimes known as a tamper-liner or tamping and lining machine, also correct the alignment of the rails to make them parallel and level, in order to achieve a more comfortable ride for passengers and freight and to reduce the mechanical load applied to the rails by passing trains.	A. Вагон-дефектоскоп - это вид подвижного состава железных дорог, который предназначен для сплошного скоростного контроля рельсов и выявления в них дефектов.
2. A ballast regulator is a piece of rail transport maintenance of way equipment used to shape and distribute the gravel track ballast that supports the ties in rail tracks. Its operation is also leveling the ballast height between the rails. They are often used in conjunction with ballast tampers when maintaining track.	B. Рельсошлифовальный вагон - это вид подвижного состава, который предназначен для ликвидации поверхностных дефектов и неровностей, путём шлифования.
3. A loader backhoe, also called backhoe loader, and commonly shortened to backhoe, is an engineering vehicle, which consists of a tractor, fitted with a shovel/bucket on the front and a small backhoe on the back. Backhoe loaders are very common and can be used for a wide variety of tasks: construction, light transportation of building materials, powering building equipment, digging holes/excavation, breaking asphalt, and paving roads. They have relatively small size and versatility.	C. Экскаваторная погрузочная машина, называемая также экскаватор-погрузчик, (обычно сокращается до экскаватора) - это инженерное транспортное средство, которое состоит из трактора, оснащенного ковшом впереди и экскаватором сзади. Из-за своего (относительно) небольшого размера и универсальности, экскаваторы-погрузчики могут применяться для строительства, выкапывания ям, экскаваторных работ и т.д.
4. Defect detection cars, also known as track geometry cars, have been scanning the rails for undetectable defects and cracks. The original geometry cars used a system known as induction testing to detect defects and newer methods use ultrasonic testing. Still, both methods are used today to keep these dangerous, sometimes microscopic cracks within rails from preventing accidents and derailments.	D. Шпалоподбивочная машина - это путевая машина для подачи балласта под шпалы и его уплотнения. Она применяется на железнодорожном транспорте при строительстве, ремонте, а также текущем содержании железнодорожного пути.
5. A railgrinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn rail track to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track. Rail-grinding equipment may be mounted on a single self-propelled vehicle or on a dedicated rail grinding train which, when used on an extensive network, may include crew quarters. The grinding wheels, of which there may be more than one hundred, are set at controlled angles to restore the track to its correct profile.	E. Балластораспределительная машина - путевая машина, применяемая для завершения отделочных работ при строительстве, ремонте и текущем содержании ж.-д. полотна. Она профилирует балластную призму, распределяет балласт по поверхности призмы, засыпает пустоты, а также удаляет лишний балласт с рельсо-шпальной решётки.

Text B. Before reading the text, scan it and write down all the unknown words. Try to guess their meaning, if you fail consult the dictionary. Read the text again without a dictionary.