Unit five. Trams

Pre-reading Activity

• Think of as many words as possible related to the topic ‘Transport’.

• Which kind of transport do you prefer?

• Is a tram an environmentally friendly kind of transport? Why? Why not?

Make sure you know these words:

network – тут мережа залізничних шляхів

congestion – перевантаженість

viable – життєздатність

venue – місце (збору, зустрічі)

modal – модальний

waterfront – міський район, розташований на березі річки

articulated – з’єднаний за допомогою переміщення

car – вагон трамваю

1. Read the Text ***

Metrolink

The Metrolink tram network is located in Manchester, northwest England. Due to increasing traffic congestion, and a declining patronage on some local heavy rail lines, it was decided to build a light rail public transport network. The tram was chosen for three specific reasons: it allowed penetration into the city centre from the suburbs; it is seen as a viable alternative to the car, and, if planned correctly it can avoid traffic congestion. The existing tram network is 31 km in length, connecting a suburban area to the north with another suburban area to the southwest via the city centre, main rail stations and large sports/cultural venues. The trams are two-car articulated units, designed for operation both on-street and on conventional railway track.

The system has been very successful, exceeding expectations with 13,8m trips in 1997. Research suggests that 20 per cent of these trips would otherwise have been done by car which means Metrolink has been successful in achieving a modal shift. The network is set to expand out into the area west of the city centre, through the new waterfront development at Salford Quays.

2. Reading Comprehension

1. Why was the Metrolink tram network built?

2. How could the Metrolink improve the traffic congestion in Manchester?

3. What is specific about the trams of Metrolink?

3. Vocabulary Focus

A. Find the words in the text, which have the same meaning as the words in Column A.

Column A Column B

1. becoming worse _______________________

2. area whiсh is away from the centre _______________________

3. a place where a meeting etc. takes place _______________________

4. the two metal lines along which trains travel _______________________

5. serious study of a subject _______________________

B. Study this list of words and choose the most suitable ones to fill in the gaps in the sentences below: ***

successful suggested traffic conventional venue tram Line

1. There wasn’t much __________ on the roads.

2. When you get to central London, take the Victoria___________ to Finsbury Park.

3. The _____________ of the big match is the football ground at Wembley.

4. Bake your cake 20 minutes in a ___________ oven; eight minutes in a microwave.

5. She wrote to me and ___________ a meeting.

What are the two words in the list that you did not use? Put each of them in a sentence of your own.

1.______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

2. _____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________