But from the technical point of view the underground railway system is very expensive and complicated constructional work. This system includes subsurface lines, ground based lines and elevated lines. Ground based lines are usually used at the terminations of the underground railways. Besides the underground and surface structures involve stations, tunnels, escalators, underpasses, ventilation and sanitary engineering as well as a power supply system.
The permanent way of underground railways differs from the usual railway track. The sleepers are only 0.9 m long. They are shorter than those of the railroad track which are 2.7 m long. The sleepers of the usual track are laid upon ballast made of broken stone or other materials. The crossties of the underground railway are laid directly on concrete base. It is more expensive but keeps air free from dust. If the ballast were made of slag, gravel, sand or even broken stone, the train would be followed by the dust clouds.
All Metro trains are powered by electricity. The current is obtained from the third rail. This contact rail is laid along the whole track and transmits the direct current of 825 volts to the train electromotor through the pantograph.
The Underground carrying capacity depends on the number of coaches which ranges from 2 to 8 per train and the frequency of train running which ranges from 80 seconds to 8 minutes.
Nowadays there are underground railways in 80 cities all over the world. The first Metro railways lines were constructed in London in 1863. It is the oldest but not the longest Underground. New York was the second city to build the subway. The first track was laid in 1868 and nowadays it is the longest metro in the world. The shortest metro line was constructed in Turkey. Its length is only 600 m but Istanbul is very proud of the metropolitan means of traffic.
XI. Ответьте на общие вопросы в соответствии с содержанием текста.
1. Is the underground railway the quickest means of transport?
2. Can Metro solve the problem of carrying a great number of passengers in large cities?
3. Does the underground railway system include only subsurface lines?
4. Are the sleepers of the underground railway laid on concrete base?
5. Do the Metro trains always consist of 4 coaches?
6. Are there underground railways in 80 cities all over the world?
7. Was London the second city to build the Metro?
8. Did New York construct its Underground in 1963?
9. Do you know where the shortest railway line in the world is?
10. Have metro lines been already constructed in all large cities all over the world?
I. Перепишите и переведите предложения, обращая внимание на употребление времён группы Continuous (Present, Past, Future) и группы Perfect (Present, Past, Future) в действительном и страдательном залогах. Выпишите сказуемые и укажите их видовременные формы.
1. According to schedule, this train was due to arrive at 12.30, but because of track repair work, it is being delayed. 2. The passengers had been invited to get on the train and now they were exchanging farewells with those who had come to see them off. 3. China is planning to construct several thousand kilometers of high-speed lines for the transportation of 1,5 billion passengers and 2,1 billion tones of freight a year. Specific plans have been drawn up to upgrade the busiest main lines for semi-express train running at 160 km/h or express trains moving at 250 km/h. At the same time the possibility of the train speed increase up to 350 km/h is being investigated.
II. Перепишите и переведите предложения, поставив глагол в нужную форму.
1. She (to tell – Past Indefinite Passive) in the enquiry office that the schedule of this commuter train (to change – Past Perfect Passive). 2. Several newspapers (to report – Present Perfect Active) that the Russian and Finnish governments (to discuss – Present Continuous Active) a project for the reconstruction of the Helsinki-St. Petersburg railroad known in Finland as the Eastern Railway. 3. The new three wagon Tank Train (to test – Present Perfect Passive) in severe winter conditions on the Alaska Railroad. 4. The construction of both the bridge and the dam (to complete – Future Perfect Passive) by the beginning of the navigation season. 5. At present 2,500 km of high-speed lines (to construct – Present Continuous Passive) in Europe and Asia.
III. Перепишите и переведите предложения, выбрав правильную форму сказуемого (Active or Passive).
1. The equipment (has packed; has been packed) already into boxes and now it (is loading; is being loaded) into the container. 2. Air-conditioning system always (maintains; is maintained) the optimum temperature and humidity in the carriage. 3. A new high-speed railway line (is building; is being built) in the Northwest of Russia now. 4. The flood (has caused; has been caused) considerable damage to the railway track.
IV. Перепишите и переведите предложения, обращая внимание на употребление модальных глаголов. Подчеркните модальные глаголы в английских предложениях и в переводе.
1. Both direct and alternating current may be used on electrified railways. 2. Steel which is used for the production of rails must be of high quality. 3. If you have lost your credit card, you should declare about it immediately. 4. Two or more locos can be coupled together and operated by a single locomotive crew. 5. The double-track railways are more convenient than single-track railways because the trains need not wait for the other trains to pass.
V. Образуйте от данных глаголов две формы Participle I. Полученные причастия переведите на русский язык.
Model: to read – a) reading – читая, читающий;
b) having read – прочитав
1) to process; 2) to break; 3) to buy; 4) to pass; 5) to connect; 6) to know; 7) to require; 8) to fulfil; 9) to invent; 10) to take; 11) to tell; 12) to wait; 13) to damage; 14) to sign; 15) to report.
VI. Перепишите и переведите предложения, обращая внимание на употребление Participle I в функциях определения и обстоятельства. Подчеркните причастия I в английских предложениях и в переводе.
1. The Oktyabrskaya Railway offers additional discounts for passengers traveling to Finland with children under the age of 17. 2. Connecting two large industrial areas the Paris-Lyon route is one of the most important railway lines in France. 3. Having measured the distance between two points, we can calculate the time a car can cover it, if we know the car’s average speed. 4. In 1786, William Murdock, an English engineer, constructed a working model of a small steam locomotive. 5. The journey from London to Norwich (184 km) takes exactly 2 hours, including stops.
VII. Образуйте Participle II от глаголов, данных в скобках. Полученные словосочетания перепишите и переведите.
Model: a (to write) article – a written article – написанная статья.
1) the (to carry out) experiment; 2) freight (to deliver) 2 hours ago; 3) a wagon (to use) for the transportation of liquid goods; 4) new electronic devices (to display) at the exhibition; 5) (to ensure) minimum of service; 6) an (to overcrowd) bus; 7) fuel (to use) in jet engines; 8) a new Metro station (to decorate) with marble and bronze; 9) (to take) measures; 10) a driver (to fine) for over-speeding.
VIII. Перепишите и переведите предложения, обращая внимание на употребление Participle II в функциях определения и обстоятельства. Подчеркните причастия II в английских предложениях и в переводе.
1. The research didn’t give the expected results because of the mistake in the computation. 2. The total length of the bridge built across the Volga at Saratov is about 2 miles. 3. The diesel-electric locomotive has an internal combustion engine connected to the driving wheels by electric transmission. 4. Signals installed at frequent intervals along the whole mainline inform the engine-drivers of the position of other trains. 5. If compared with electric locomotives, diesel locomotives have a higher maintenance cost.
IX. Перепишите предложения. Задайте общие вопросы и специальные вопросы к подчеркнутым словам.
1. The mechanic replaced some out-of-date parts of this machine. 2. All the necessary information is stored in the computer. 3. The train covers the distance from Moscow to Samara in 20 hours. 4. This equipment should be carried in a box car for it requires protection against weather. 5. Automobiles were rare in the 19th century. 6. For some period of time one underground railway line in London was working entirely without drivers. 7. The workers have already inspected all coaches of this train.
X. Перепишите и переведите текст.
LONDON UNDERGROUND
The London Underground (it is often called the Tube) is the oldest metro in the world. It has been used for passenger transporting since 1863. Nowadays the London Underground is the most popular means of city transport because it is relatively cheap, convenient, quick and safe. Its length is about 400 km. Every day the Tube carries over 2.5 million passengers. The total number of passengers carried by the Underground each year is enormous and it is constantly growing.
In the London Metro there are 11 underground lines, each of them has its own color. For example, the lines are called: Central (red), Circle (yellow), East London (orange), Metropolitan (dark brown), Northern (black), Victoria (light blue) and so on.
Only half of the trains go under the ground, new lines that connect London with its suburbs go over the ground. On such routes express trains are operated. They stop at a very few stations on their way that is very convenient for those people who live in the suburbs but work in the center of London.
There are 275 stations in the London Metro. Most of them are old and not attractive to the eye. The walls are simply white or gray plastered with all kinds of advertisements. Numerous stations which are rather deep under the ground are equipped with escalators. About 200 escalators can carry 10,000 passengers an hour at maximum speed. The longest one is at the station “Leicester Square”, its length is over 80 feet. On long escalators the speed is changeable. The “up” escalator runs at full speed when carrying passengers but when empty it moves at half speed. It is known that traffic is left-hand in Britain, but when passengers get on the escalator they stand on the right so that people who hurry can run by on the left, and it seems that everybody in the Underground always hurries.
Safety was always one of the main concerns of the London transport. In spite of the fact that trains often follow each other within 1-3 minutes, it is said that the London Underground is the safest form of transport in the world. The most up-to-date electronic equipment is used for controlling train movement: if changes are necessary, they are made automatically and with lightning speed. No accident can happen through human errors.
XI. Ответьте на общие вопросы в соответствии с содержанием текста.
1. Has the London Underground been used since 1860?
2. Does the London Underground carry over 2,5 million passengers a day?
3. Do all Metro trains go under the ground?
4. Are all stations equipped with escalators?
5. Was safety always one of the main concerns of London transport?
6. Can any accident happen through human error in the London Underground?
7. Is the number of passengers carried by the Underground constantly growing?
8. Do express trains stop at all the stations on their way?
9. Are there twelve Underground lines in London?
10. Have all underground lines their own color?
ПРИЛОЖЕНИЕ
I. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на видовременные формы сказуемых. Задайте общие вопросы и специальные вопросы к подчёркнутым словам.
1. Our train will depart at 10 a.m. (When?) 2. The automatic driver was first tested on the Moscow Underground. (Where?) 3. We have many various electric devices in our houses. (Who?; What devices?) 4. The crew of the plane consists of four people. (How many?) 5. We were informed of our train delay. (Who?; What?) 6. Our automobile is equipped with radio communication and audio signaling. (What devices?) 7. He bought the plane tickets at the travel agency. (Where?) 8. Each compartment has upper and lower berths. (What?) 9. The length of the Great Trans-Siberian Railway is 8.000 km. (How many?) 10. Nowadays all rails are made of steel. (What?) 11. For many years engineers tried to find a new material for making sleepers. (How long?) 12. The main advantage of the steel sleeper is its durability and reliability. (What?) 13. The underground railways became very popular thanks to their cleanliness and higher speeds. (Why?) 14. The railways play decisive role in the transportation of freight. (What?) 15. The traffic is not very heavy in the early mornings. (When?) 16. This mechanism activates the emergency brake. (What?) 17. Electrical equipment will be produced in France. (Where?) 18. They learnt about the accident from the newspaper. (What?) 19. The driver told his passengers to fasten their safety belts. (What?) 20. At the large railway stations porters use electric baggage trucks. (Who?; What?). 21. Several passers-by stopped to look at the strange bicycle out of curiosity. (Why?).