UNIT 3. ROAD AND LAND. ROADBED.

Vocabulary

facility – удобство, оборудование

power plant – силовая установка, электростанция

right of way – полоса отчуждения (отвода)

roadbed – земляное полотно

roundhouse – депо

terminal yard – сортировочная станция, парк

warehouse – товарный склад

Railway facilities are usually divided into two general groups: road and equipment.

«Road» is also referred to as " way and structures". It includes land, right way, roadbed and track, signal and communication systems; station and other buildings at terminals; shops and road-houses, warehouses, power plants and lines; offices and other buildings; many other types of structures located both on and off the railway line.

The right of way on one or the other side of the line is sometimes from five to ten miles wide.

Engineers lay out the roadbed on the right of way. Being a strip of land, on which the ties and rails are laid, the roadbed should be wide enough to support and carry one or more lines of the track that the railway builders plan to lay.

The road may have a foundation of earth or sub ballast on which the ballast itself is laid, or the rails and ballast may be laid directly on the right of way. Consisting of gravel, stone, slag, cinders, sand or other similar material, ballast (with the sub ballast) should not be less than 24 inches deep.

Having determined the number of tracks, that should be laid, engineers calculate the width of ballast.

Having been thus measured, the roadbed is prepared for laying ballast.

Railway construction is founded upon the right of way consisting of a strip of land of varying width and receiving careful preparation before the tracks are laid.

The right of way having been cleared, the earth is graded for the roadbed and track. Grading involves many things such as building up low places and cutting down high ones.

The grading and other similar work having been completed, the displaced earth having been settled, the right of way is ready for the roadbed.

Utilizing a considerable part of the land for terminal yards and station grounds, railways build there warehouses, offices and other structure for transportation service.

Answer the questions according to the text:

1. What groups are railway facilities divided into?

2. How wide is usually the right of way?

3. Is road referred as “way and structures”?

4. What is the width of ballast usually?

5. What is needed for transportation service?

Exercises

1) Write the names of every object.

1. fa.... li...

2. pl... t...

3. y... d

4. r... bed

5. w.... rehouse

2) Complete the sentences with the words in the list: yard, house, power, facility.

1. Do you live in a.... or a warehouse?

2. What is the.... plant age?

3. What.... has this house?

4. A terminal.... is bigger than a round-house.

5. The right of.... was cleared.

3) Choose the right answer.

1. – What’s that?

--.... my new calculator.

a) It’s b)There’s c)These is

2. I’m sorry. Sara can’t come to the phone. She.... lunch.

a) is having b)has c)have

3. My father.... me a bicycle last year.

a) was given b)gave c) gived

4. Bill.... TV when Ann came in.

a) watched b) watches c)was watching

4) Choose the correct form of the words in italics.

A study was recent / recently carried out into the productivity of 160 engineers. The engineers worked in teams but also did many tasks individual / individually. The study looked at how frequent / frequently the engineers helped each other. Engineers were also asked to say how high / highly they respected each of their colleagues. The study found that helpful / helpfully engineers received a high / highly level of respect from their colleagues. However, if they gave help but did not receive much, they were not very productive / productively. Those engineers who accepted help as well as giving it were able to boost their productivity and were also more popular/ popularly with their colleagues.

5) Read the text and fill the gaps with verbs do and make in correct form:

Many experts point out that technology has put new emphasis on writing. Nowadays teens are increasingly using new form of their language, which affects their writing abilities. Special research, which has been _______ recently, shows that teens who regularly use text messaging _______ more mistakes in writing.
Technology makes teens lazy. Many teenagers rely on technology to do all their work and some of them can’t even _______ simple math without a calculator. Another bad effect of using technology is addiction. Computer addicts don’t _______ their homework properly and neglect their everyday duties. To avoid this, parents ought to ______ sure that social networking and chatting happen after homework is over, or at timed intervals.|
Excessive computer use can result in obesity since fats are not removed from the body. Parents don’t always _______ an effort to promote more physical activities for their children, and teens sink deeper into the life of physical inactivity. To ______ matters worse, radiation from mobile phones, TV and computer screens _______ harm to teen’s health leading to serious diseases. That is why it ______ sense for parents to limit the time teens spend using technology and increase the time for sports activities. We shouldn’t reject technology. We should know how to _______ the best use of it.

References:

Safonova, C. “Road and Land. Roadbed”, m.: Higher School, -2002, pp. 22, 23

UNIT 4.THE NEED FOR SPEED

Vocabulary

consignor – грузополучатель

container – контейнер

large-capacity – вместительный

turnover – оборот

volume – объем

The stability of the economies of countries overall Eurasian continent depends to a large extent on the Trans-Siberian Mainline (Transsib). States of the Asian and Pacific Region, especially China, have enormous potential for the development of foreign trade turnover with EU countries. This refers to the infrastructure capacity for cargo transportation from Europe to Asia and servicing the stable cargo flow moving in the opposite direction.

The total volume of international rail transportation of large-capacity containers via the Transsib amounted to 563, 000 TEU in 2011, a 27% increase on the previous year. In the first half of 2012, 308, 000 TEU was carried, 23% more than in the same period of 2011. In spite of the increases, the absolute figures of transportation via the Transsib are not so remarkable. No more than 1% of the total container freight flow between Western Europe and Asia is now transported via Russia.

The development of export and import transportation and usage of transit potential can be considered two priorities for container business development in Russia till 2020, targeted at increasing its competitiveness in the international transport and logistics market. According to different forecasts made, for example at the 21^st Plenary Meeting of the International Association the Coordinating Council on Trans-Siberian Transportation (CCTT), which was held in the Helsinki in September 2012, the average annual increase in container transportation via the Russian railway network may vary from 8% to 10%.

These plans are closely connected with the issues of urgent development of infrastructure and increasing carrying capacities on the eastern part of Russian railways, including the Transsib and the Baikal-Amur Mainline. RUB 1.1 trillion is to be invested in it by 2020. The volume of transit transportation via the Transsib is supported to grow due to advantages created for more efficient competition with alternative routes, and first of all the traditional sea route via the Suez Canal. This can be achieved through coordinated work and efficient interaction among all participants of transportation - members of the CCTT, federal executive authorities, railway companies, ports, and consignors. It envisages development of logistics schemes, usage of innovative technologies, preferential tariff rates, and creation of attractive conditions for cargo transportation.

Answer the questions according to the text:

1. Why does the stability of the economies of countries on the Eurasian continent depend on the Trans-Siberian Mainline?

2. What is abbreviation for «Trans-Siberian Mainline»?

3. What is container business for the international transport and logistics market?

4. Do you know a full-form for CCTT?

5. The volume of transit transportation Via Transsib is supported to grow due to advantages created for more transit transportation with alternative routes, doesn’t it?

Exercises:

1) Write full forms for:

1. Transsib

2. TEU

3. CCTT

4. RUB

2) Find equivalents to:

- way

- track

- Via

- remarkable

- average

3) Translate into Russian.

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

2. The new project was given much place by all newspapers.

3. The ways to improve the traffic conditions were much discussed.

4. The platforms will be in operation in a month.

5. The roadbed will be levelled.

4) Form new words using –er; -or:

to drive, to construct, to run, to operate, to work.

5) Give synonyms:

due, by queue, regard.

References:

«The RZD – Partner International”, № 4(32) 2012

UNIT 5. THE TRANS-SIBERIAN MAINLINE:
STRIVING AT EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT

Vocabulary

charter – чартер, хартия, право, фрахтовый контракт

freight – груз

maintenance – эксплуатация, ремонт, содержание

(to) master – овладеть, изучить, одолеть

reduction – уменьшение, сокращение, скидка

vessels – сосуд, судно, корабль

Strengthening the Trans-Siberian Mainline as a link of the East – West transit route is one of Russian Railways` strategic objectives for the development of railway transport in the CIS and the Baltic States.

The speed of transportation via the Transsib is faster than via the Suez Canal. Railway rates are not competitive in comparison with sea charter rates. There are objective reasons for that: the lion’s share of the railway tariff is expenses on infrastructure maintenance, which does not exist in sea charter rates. In the opinion of experts, railway transit may become more attractive through a higher speeds and services of a higher quality.

If sea transporters offer a lower tariff rate, railway companies can carry freight in a shorter period of time. Cargo transportation takes 15-20 days instead of 40-45. Such a reduction in the delivery time dramatically changes the situation, because the longer cargo is in transit, the longer the assets of the cargo owner and the consignee are unavailable. Today, Russian transport operators have already mastered cargo transportation on the " door-to-door" logistics principle. For example, Trans Container can transport cargo from Shanghai to Berlin in 15-20 days. Sea transportation on the rout takes 45 days. Depending on the type of cargo, land transportation of every container is by $1, 500 – 2, 000 more expensive than that by sea vessels. Analysis shows that if the railway rate exceeds the sea one by $1, 000, railways will be become competitive. This can be achieved only through the reduction of expenditure. According to experts’ evaluations, transit cost decline by $400 by decreasing expenditure on loading-unloading works, transportation by sea vessels, payments for the cargo flow (up to 500, 000 TEU in one direction). And the reduction in transit time from 14 to 7 days will attract another 60, 000 – 200, 000 TEU per annum.

«Nevertheless, while sea tariffs remain low, the changes in tariffs on transportation via the Transsib will hardly influence on the volume of transportation via the mainline», notes Gennady Bessonov, Secretary General of the CCTT. In his opinion, the best solution is to make the technology perfect and cut expenditure through the launch of a single logistics operator. The number of participants in the multimodal chain is not important to a cargo owner; the main thing for him is the final cost. «The transport product is attractive because we can provide «door to door» transportation at certain final (through rate, which is based on the coordinated work of the multimodal chain and reduction of expenditure at the points of cargo transfer», continues Mr. Bessonov. «Therefore, the problem is not mechanical reduction of the rate (it is low already), but organization of this work. We have been doing it for several years already».

Answer the questions according to the text:

1. Is the speed of transportation Via the Transsib faster than Via the Suez Canal?

2. Why railway rates are not competitive in comparison with sea charter rates?

3. Is infrastructure maintenance expenses the lion’s share of the railway tariff?

4. How much time does it take to transport cargo from Shanghai to Berlin?

5. What can influence transit cast decline?

Exercises:

1) Give equivalents to:

1. maintenance

2. freight

3. to master

4. vessel

5. reduction

2) Find in the text:

1. изменение тарифов

2. по мнению экспертов

3. железнодорожный транзит

4. услуги более высокого уровня

5. запустить

3) Match together.

1. They spent on the phone

2. You can’t send together

3. He always gives good advice

4. We often talk emails from this computer

5. He spoke time abroad

4) Put alternative questions.

1. We work at a factory (ministry).

2. She gets up early on weekdays (Sundays).

3. We start our work at 9 (8 o’clock).

4. Petr has four children (one).

5. They have coffee (tea) in the mornings.

5) Insert prepositions.

1. Take my book... Nick, please.

2. Go... your office now.

3. Come...... the shelf and take your book.

4. The cups are not... the table.

5. Tell me... your flat.

References:

«The RZD – Partner International”, № 4(32) 2012

Watch the video and discuss it in class:

http: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=QczCm_bUOeg#t=45

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