Text II. Transport and Environment

In recent years the environmental impact of transportation has gained increasing attention because of some negative environmental aspects associated with it. These take the form of visual unsightliness (such as waterfronts and railroad freight yards), noise disturbance, air pollution caused by vehicular emission, water and land pollution, damage to wildlife habitats and so on. All economic activity adds to pollution in some way even though we do not always notice it. Transportation, since it is so universally visible as well as universally necessary, is more noticeable as a polluter than other activity.

Street, highway, and airway congestion are facts of life and another problem. If walking is considered a mode of transportation, crowd or people congestion could also be added. The degree of congestion varies with the size of the city or town, the location of suburban area relative to the central business district, and the demographic distribution within the urban area. Traffic, both vehicular and pedestrian, varies by the time of the day, the day of the week, and the season of the year. Congestion cost time and money to all users of transportation facilities, it effects the quality of life. The frayed nerves, the indigestion, the disrupted routine caused by delay – these are costs to million of users and operators. This is part of the cost of progress.

Vocabulary notes

environmental impact – воздействие на окружающую среду

unsightliness – неприглядный вид

waterfront – район порта, береговая линия

freight yard – склад для грузов

noise disturbance – шумовое воздействие, чрезмерный шум

vehicular [vi'hikjulə] – автомобильный, относящийся к автотранспорту

vehicular emission – выхлопные газы автотранспорта

to pollute – загрязнять (окружающую среду)

pollution – загрязнение (окружающей среды)

air (water, land) pollution – загрязнения воздуха (воды, суши)

wildlife habitat ['hæbitæt] – место обитания диких животных

universally – повсеместно, всюду, везде

congestion [kən'dзеst∫ən] – скопление, перенаселённость, скучённость, перегруженность (транспорта)

Comprehension and Discussion Questions

1. What is the environmental impact of transportation and what is being done to prevent it?

2. What problems does congestion cause?

3. How does transportation effect the quality of life?

Ex. 1. Read the text and do the tasks:

1. Enumerate the environmental problems mentioned in the text.

2. Give derivatives of the word “to pollute” and their synonyms.

3. Explain the meaning of the word “congestion”.

Ex. 2. Translate the following sentences into English in writing. Make use of the Vocabulary notes, if necessary.

1. В последние годы большое внимание уделяется проблемам загрязнения окружающей среды, особенно воздействию на окружающую среду транспорта. Имеются в виду такие явления, как чрезмерный шум, создаваемый авиацией, загрязнение атмосферы выхлопными газами автотранспорта, загрязнение воды и суши, вред, наносимый транспортом местам обитания диких животных и так далее.

2. Все виды деятельности способствуют загрязнению окружающей среды, однако, ущерб, причиняемый транспортом, особенно заметен.

3. Скопление транспорта в городах и районах деловой активности создаёт ещё одну проблему. Это стоит людям времени и денег, а также сказывается на их жизни. Расшатанные нервы, нарушенный распорядок дня и другие, связанные с опозданием транспорта неприятности – вот плата за услуги миллионов пользователей транспортных средств и тех, кто ими управляет.

Ex. 3. The extracts below describe the early stage of the development of transport. Read them and make a comparison with the development of transport in Africa.

The railway, for more than half a century, was practically unchallenged as a means of inland transport. From about the time of the First World War it had to meet stronger competition. Where a good road system was available, or could be created, motor vehicles became increasingly convenient for passenger journeys. The change was most evident in the USA, which has consistently had in use a larger number of motor vehicles than all the rest of the world together and which, by constructing great transcontinental highways, enabled the motor vehicles to compete for more of the longest-distance traffic than was practicable elsewhere.

Ex. 4. Basing your answer on the text speak on Japanese car makers in European market.

The Japanese came to Britain partly for low wage-costs and a welcoming government, but mostly because it is in Europe. Japanese car makers are laying ever more stress on European sales. Their traditional markets are taking a knock – home demand is faltering, American competitors are learning the tricks of lean manufacture, and Asian competitors grow stronger. Than leaves Europe.

Until 2000, when the EC promise an open market, Japanese imports are restricted by quota. Britain is a hole in Europe’s defensive wall. Britain has attracted over 40% of Japanese direct investment in the EC, and the bulk of Japanese car plants. The plants bring employment, money for equipment and research, and lesson in the art of manufacturing. Provided the content of cars built in Japanese factories in Britain is about 80% local, the continental Europeans cannot keep them out. Through EC demand is expected to fall, output from all Japan’s EC factories should rise by over 50%.

The Europeans are trying to dam the tide. Japan’s “voluntary” import quotas have been tightened to offset the growth of the transplants. The European Commission persuaded the Japanese government to cut 1993 car imports by 9,4 from last year, even through it thinks EC demand will fall by only 6,5%.

Ex. 5. Read the following texts and use them as the basis for your interview. Work in pairs. Discuss telecommunications facilities, their development and advantages.

The new global satellite-communications systems will offer three kinds of service, which may overlap in many different kind of receivers:

Voice. Satellite telephones will be able to make calls from anywhere on earth to anywhere else. That could make them especially useful to remote, third-world villages (some of which already use stationary satellite telephones), explorers and disaster-relief standards vary from country to country. So business traveler cannot use their mobile phones on international trips. Satellite telephones would make that possible.

Messaging. Satellite messagers have the same global coverage as satellite telephones, but carry text alone, which could be useful for those with laptop computers. Equipped with a small screen like today’s pagers, satellite messagers will also receive short messages.

Tracking. Voice and messaging systems will also tell their users where they are to within a few hundred metres. Combined with the messaging service, the location service could help rescue teams to find stranded adventurers, the police to find stolen cars, exporters to follow the progress of cargoes, and haulage companies to check that drivers are not detouring to the pub. Satellite systems will provide better positioning information to anyone who has a receiver for their signals.

Ex. 6. Check the knowledge of the terms by rendering the following texts in English. Make use of the vocabulary notes.

Автомобиль не был единственным конкурентом железных дорог в области внутренних перевозок появившаяся в это же время авиация становится их серьёзным конкурентом в перевозке грузов на дальние расстояния. Прошедший год стал уже четвёртым годом глубокого кризиса для крупных авиакомпаний, и очень немногим авиаперевозчикам удалось закончить его с положительными сальдо баланса (favourable balance).

В борьбе за выживание в условиях экономического кризиса компании вынуждены менять поведение на рынке. Обычными явлениями стали снижение тарифов и сокращение рабочих мест. Некоторые компании расстаются со своим побочным бизнесом (side-line business), чтобы сконцентрироваться на основном. Однако, иногда именно побочный бизнес может укрепить позиции авиакомпаний. Так, продовольственное обслуживание авиапассажиров для некоторых компаний оказалось настолько выгодным, что сейчас многие компании ведут переговоры о покупке подобной услуги.

Успех деятельности европейских авиакомпаний определяется и уровнем взаимодействия с другими авиаперевозчиками (air carrier). Особенно актуально это для национальных компаний стран, которые подвергаются большим ограничениям на полёты в страны Европейского Союза.