1. Find the English equivalents in the text:

1. приложенные нагрузки

1. экологическая альтернатива

2. первоначальные затраты

3. преднапряженный бетон

4. способствовать осушению

5. земляное полотно

6. терять прочность и устойчивость

7. балластный мешок

8. постепенное разрушение

9. обслуживание/эксплуатация

2. Read the text again and say if these statements true (t) or false (f):

1. Railways are an environmentally friendly alternative to aircrafts.

2. The sleepers lie on the embankment.

3. The sub-ballast facilitates drainage.

4. Subgrades never cause difficulties for trains to operate on.

5. Plastic movements occur in the sub-ballast.

3. Word formation. Put the words in brackets in the proper form, consult the text if you need:

6. Some subgrades are especially _______ . (problem)

7. When soil layers cannot spread the load __________ subgrade degradation takes place. (suffice)

8. In case of a progressive failure, the subgrade becomes ________ near the edges of the track. (mould)

9. Subgrade problems require a total ________ of the track. (construct)

10. The sleepers and the ballast keep the subgrade _______ and ensure that the wheel loads are spread properly. (damage)

11. Under repeated loads the ballast loses its _______. (stiff)

12. A decrease in _______ results in poorer performance of a track. (strong)

4. Use the, a, zero article:

1. Subgrade problems are _______ most difficult track problems to deal with.

2. Large expanding networks of railways exist in ______ Europe.

3. There are _____ number of ways by which track degrades.

4. ____ ballast under repeated loading is liable chip and crack.

5. Absorbing rail pads are fixed to _____ series of sleepers.

6. The main stone ballast should be 300 mm to allow _____ maintenance.

7. The sub-ballast helps to spread _____ wheel loads.

8. The sub-ballast should be at _____ very least 600 mm.

5. Discussion Corner. Choose any statement and prepare a short talk (5-7 sentences):

1. The first high-speed railways in the world

2. Economic benefits of railway networks

3. The history of the Russian railways

4. The most popular tourist destinations in Russia

5. The journey of your dream

References:

www.workspace.imperical.ac.uk

UNIT 2. AMERICAN LIGHT RAILWAY

Vocabulary

revenue services – налоговая служба

a ride – поездка на транспорте

an inauguration – открытие

a downtown – центр города

an end-on – конечный радиус ветки метрополитена

an interchange – пересадочный узел

a schedule – расписание, график

to diverge – расходиться, отклоняться

an underpass – подземный переход

a cancellation – расторжение

Revenue services have started running on Houston Metro’s 8.5 km North Line light rail route following an official opening ceremony on December 21 and a day of free rides.

Running north from UH Downtown in the city centre through Moody Park and Lindale to the Northline Transit Center, the line forms an end-on extension to the existing 12 km Main Street Red Line, which opened in 2004 and is currently carrying around 40 000 passengers per day. The extension adds eight new stops, including two bus-rail interchanges at Burnett and Northline.

Opened several months ahead of schedule, the North Line is one of three routes being built under a $900m Full Funding Grant Agreement signed with the Department of Transportation in November 2011, which will almost treble the size of the network to 33.8 km. The East End Line will link Theater District with Magnolia Park Transit Center, serving nine stops including an interchange with the Red Line at Main Street Square. The Southeast Line will diverge from the East End Line at EADO/Stadium and run to University Oaks and Palm Center, adding a further six stations.

These two lines are both expected to open during 2014, although the construction of an underpass below the Houston Belt & Terminal Railroad at Harrison & 66th Streets means the final 2 km of the East End Line may not be ready until the end of 2015.

During the North Line opening ceremony, Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia, suggested that the city was now at a ‘wonderful turning point. Now that there are transit choices and people get used to using light rail, I think they are going to see how easy it is, how efficient and reliable it is’, he explained.

To operate the extended Red Line, Metro has purchased a further 19 Siemens Avanto S70 LRVs, similar to the 18 supplied for the initial route. Following the cancellation of an earlier contract under Buy America rules, the city has also ordered 39 CAF low-floor cars to operate the East End and Southeast lines.

Answer the questions:

13. How long is North Line light rail route?

14. When was Main Street Red Line opened?

15. What districts will the East End Line link?

16. The extension adds eight new stops, including two bus-rail interchanges, doesn`t it?

17. Cilbert Garcia is sure that people get used to using light rail, isn`t he?

EXERCISES: