From the history of railway construction in Russia.

Our country, Russia, stretches across two continents, from the Baltic Sea to the Pacific Ocean. The first railway in Russia using steam traction was an industrial line at Nizhni Tagil in the Urals, built in 1834, for which the first two steam locomotives in the country were constructed by father and son named Cherepanovs. The first public railway was the Petersburg-Pavlovsk railway. At first it was opened from Pavlovsk to Tsarskoye Selo with horse traction in October, 1836. Locomotives were introduced in 1837. The first important railway construction from Petersburg to Moscow was begun in 1843 and opened to public traffic in 1851. That was a first -class double-track railway line, which linked two large industrial and culturel centres. It had 644 km in length, 185 bridges and 19 viaducts were erected to make the line as straight and level as possible.Since 1890 to 1900 more than 11, 000 miles of railway were built. By the end of 1925 the railway system had grown to 46, 300 miles. The Baikal-Amur Line, more than 3, 000 km long, was built in the Far East of our country, and the process of building new railway lines is going on. Today railway transport different than that in old times. There are many thousans of locomotives is quitedifferent than that in old times. There are many thousands of locomotives, hundreds of thousands of cars and oil-cisterns. The trains today go much faster. The whole wagon fleet was fitted with continuous brakes, and hundreds of thousands wagons were equipped with automatic couplings. Many old lines were improved and electrified and use of diesel traction was begun. Heavy rails were laid extensively and a substantial mileage was equipped with automatic block signaling. Railway transport is still one of the cheapest ways hauling freight over long distances. Communications are important to the national economy of a country. Without good roads and railways a country cannot develop its resources and industry. Without roads it is impossible to market agricultural produce.

Вопросы к тексту:

1. When was the railway construction begun in Russia?

2. By whom was the first steam locomotive constructed in Russia?

3. Where was the first public railway constructed?

4. How was the railway system changed in the 20^th century?

5. What was the whole wagon fleet equipped with?

6. What can you say about the first-class double -track railway line linked two capitals?

7. Why is railway transport so important for the country and people?

8. Is railway transport the best one? Why?

Задание №2. Переведите следующие словосочетания:

high-load capacity, railway network, high speed train, station platform, traffic safety, control system, traffic lights.

Задание №3. Переведите следующие предложения, обращая внимание на глаголы в страдательном залоге:

1) Electronic digital computers are used in many countries.

2) A human operator is replaced by automatic devices.

3) Signals can be received by a station.

4) The telephone was invented in 1876.

5) In mechanics we are interested in kinetic as well as in potential energy.

6) Some atomic power stations are assumed to be built for experimental purposes.

7) Long ago land was cultivated by very primitive implements.

8) All metals are divided into ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

9) All elements are composed of minute particle called atoms.

10) The famous “Periodic Classification” was published by D.I. Mendeleyev in 1869.

Вариант№ 6

Задание № 1.Переведите текст и письменно ответьте на вопросы к нему:

" Assembling the train. Movement of passenger traffic."

Passenger trains are assembled in a car yard with a number of specified cars as baggage, mail and express coaches, dining, parlour and sleeping cars. Every car in the train has received careful inspection inside and outside to make certain of its mechanical condition. Each car has been washed: not only have inside woodwork and floors been scrubbed, but carpets and seats have been gone over with vacuum cleaners. Preparations for dining service constitute a considerable operation. Food supplies have been requisitioned from the store rooms, and stored in the car refrigerators, cupboards and small but complete pantry. Clean linen has been stocked. After preparing the cars and cleaning and stocking them with supplies, they are coupled, inspected, and tested to ascertain whether mechanical appliances such as air brakes and signal and steam lines are functioning properly. The train is now ready to receive its passengers, baggage and mail.

When ready, a switching engine moves the trains to the assigned departure track at the station. The road locomotive has been inspected. The crew takes over the locomotive at the terminal, moves in to the departure track and couples it to the train. Here the train receives tests of air brakes and signal lines again. The train crew has been mobilized, they are called for duty according to schedule. A modern train stands in the terminal ready to receive its passengers. It departs at the moment called for by its schedule. The program of departure seems so simple that few passengers realize that it has required the services of a small army of railroad employees to make the movement possible.

Вопросы к тексту:

1) Where are passenger trains assembled?

2) What tests does the train receive at the terminal?

3) How is each car inspected?

4) What is each train supplied with?

5) Is the road locomotive inspected too?

6) What does the crew do with the locomotive?

7) How does the train crew work?

8) When is the train ready to receive its passengers?

9) When does the train depart?

Задание №2. Переведите следующие словосочетания:

air-conditioned cars, trunk line, hump yard, track facilities, signal appliances at railroads, centralized traffic control, traffic flow, passenger compartment, the yard terminal office.

Задание № 3. Переведите предложения, обратите внимание на сказуемые в пассиве:

1) The rails are carefully inspected before they are laid in the track.

2) The railroad line is crossed by the highway in two points.

3) The equipment was sent for but it has not arrived yet.

4) Several towns will be linked by this line.

5) New locomotives to be built by the end of the year will have ventilating fans of a new type.

6) One of the most important railway problems is the problem of increasing train speed.

7) The new locos to be produced for the October line are expected to develop maximum speed of more than 200 km/h.

8) We saw the new locomotive start from the station.

9) Fuel oil supply to the diesel engine is provided from the oil tank through filters by two pumps driven by electric motors.

Fifteen 1, 800hp diesel-electric locos are to be delivered to the Brazilian Railways, all of them having been produced by the Hungarian plants.

Вариант № 7.

Задание №1. Переведите текст и письменно ответьте на вопросы к нему:

“Signal and signaling”

Safe operation of freight and passenger trains requires a system of signaling. To inform the locomotive and train crew of the position of other trains in relation to their own, signals installed at frequent intervals give indications which are visible both by day and by night. Wayside signals installed along railroad tracks are called fixed signals.

We know that the semaphore used to be the most common type of the signal. The relative position of the semaphore arm constituted the signal. To indicate “stop” a horizontal arm was used. “Proceed” was indicated by a vertical arm. To give restrictive (i.e.cautionary) indications the arm was inclined up or down. Colored lights give the indications at night. The semaphore mechanism is equipped with lenses illuminated by a lamp, so that a red light shows when the semaphore is in the “stop” position, a green light – when the semaphore is in the “proceed” position, and a yellow light – when the semaphore is in the restrictive position. The colour-light signal sometimes used is known to have semaphore arm and give both day and night indications be means of red, green and yellow lights. We know some signals to be operated by hand, others to be automatic. Locomotives on some railroads are known to be equipped with apparatus located in the cab, which gives a continuous indication to the engine man identical with that that shown by wayside signals.

By cab signals the engine grew is supposed to be always informed of conditions ahead regardless of the weather that affects the man's ability to see wayside signals. Locomotive cab signals are equipped to give audible warnings whenever the aspect changes to one more restrictive. A protective device is installed on some railroads to apply the brakes automatically and bring a train to a stop if, for any reason, a “stop” signal should be passed. It is called automatic train control. The first signals installed are known to have been hand-operated, usually by station employees.

Вопросы к тексту:

1) Why is system of signaling necessary?

2) What are fixed signals? Where are they installed?

3) What is the most common type of the signal?

4) When are colored lights used?

5) Why are cab signals so important?

6) What for is a protective device installed on some railroads?