IV. Speech Practice
1. Say what the following words and word-groups mean:
an overloaded boat; a single-decker ferry; to run into trouble; scene; concerns.
2. Speak about the accident. Study the map of the country below paying attention to its natural conditions. The map will help you get an idea about the transport system of the country. Now you must be able to make conclusions about the causes of the accident. Work in pairs.
When discussing the point use the following conversational formulas:
Expressing ignorance/uncertainty |
|
I'm afraid I don't know. |
Боюсь, что я не знаю. |
I've no idea! |
Не имею представления! |
I might be wrong but I think… |
Я могу ошибаться, но, по-моему,… |
Agreeing |
|
I quite agree with you… |
Я с тобой абсолютно согласен… |
That's true… |
Да, это так… |
Disagreeing |
|
I don't think so… |
Я не думаю, что… |
I don't agree… |
Я не согласен… |
Text 1 (в). Bangladesh's ferry safety failures
I. Read the text about the causes of ferry disasters in Bangladesh and make sure your suppositions were true.
20 February, 2005
The latest disasters involving ferries in Bangladesh have once again raised questions about the government's efforts to improve safety.
Thousands of ferries cross the country's rivers and waterways. But many lack basic safety standards. The vessels are in poor condition, are often overloaded and do not have passenger lists.
Sudden storms are common at certain times of year in Bangladesh. A fine day can within minutes turn into strong winds and thick, driving rain where visibility is reduced to only a few metres. Rivers can quickly become fast flowing whirlpools.
Such conditions are risky for overloaded and top-heavy ferries which all too frequently capsize, trapping many of their passengers inside.
The government says one of its top priorities is to improve safety and warn people of the dangers. Measures to be taken include modernising old ferries, extra checks to ensure safety certificates are up to date and monitoring to prevent overloading.
But many people have no alternative other than to travel by boat. There is also a shortage of ferries, and not enough roads and bridges for people to travel by land.
Often there are no policemen or safety officials on the riverside to prevent ferry operators from overloading.
Vocabulary
safety |
безопасность |
failure |
неудача, провал; недостаток, отсутствие чего-либо; неспособность |
to raise |
ставить (вопрос); поднимать |
effort |
усилие, попытка |
to improve |
улучшать |
to lack |
не хватать, недоставать |
to turn into |
превращаться в |
driving |
сильный, проливной (дождь) |
whirlpool |
водоворот |
top-heavy |
перевешивающий в верхней части; неустойчивый |
to trap |
ловить; задерживать |
top priority |
высший приоритет |
measure |
мера, мероприятие |
extra |
дополнительный |
check |
проверка |
to ensure |
убедиться |
monitoring |
контроль |
shortage |
нехватка, недостаток |