IV. Comprehension

Ex.9. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. The earliest type of boat was the raft made of logs of wood.

2. The water transport in ancient times developed most rapidly on small rivers.

3. Galleys continued to be used in the Mediterranean till 1850.

4. The earliest steamboats were tested at the end of the 18^th century.

5. By the middle of the 19^th century it became possible to build ships of non-ferrous metals.

6. Between 1940-1950 the diesel engine began to be introduced in ships.

7. The atomic ice-breaker has three nuclear reactors.

8. The British canals are very wide and deep.

Ex.10. Answer the questions:

1. Who made a voyage on the raft Kon-Tiki from Peru to Tuamotu in 1947?

2. What allowed long voyages to be made with much greater safety?

3. When did sailing vessels carry men from Europe to America?

4. Where and when was the first steamship built?

5. How did the industrial revolution promote the development of ships?

6. When and where was the world`s first atomic ice-breaker launched?

7. Why is the ice-breaker equipped with reliable means of protection?

8. Why is it necessary to widen and deepen the channel?

Ex. 11. Complete the table. Use the information from the text A.

The name of the vessel	When did it appear?	What is (was) it driven by?	What is (was) it used for?
Atomic ice-breaker	in 1957	by atomic engine of 44,000 h.p.	for operation in Arctic waters
Motor ship
Steamship
Sailing vessel
Galley

V Oral practice

Ex.12. Speak on the topic “Water transport “using the table from ex. 11.

VI. Reading and comprehension

Ex.13. Read the text B without a dictionary for 7 minutes .

Text B

Interesting facts about canals

The best examples of canals used for draining land are found in Holland, where much of the country is below sea-level. Dams are used to prevent flooding and since 1932 over 300,000 acres of land have been drained. In winter the Dutch people use the frozen canals for ice-skating.

In a hot dry country such as Egypt water is scarce, and to prevent the land from becoming dry long canals are built from dams. These canals must be continually kept open, for the Egyptian farms and cotton fields cannot exist without these life lines of water.

Many inland waterways are used for the transport of heavy goods by barges. This method of carrying materials is not so widely used now, for although it is cheaper, it has the disadvantage of being much slower. Speed is regulated by the number of bridges and locks which the barges encounter.

Two notable canals for ships in Europe are the Corinth Canal and the Kiel Canal. The former was built in 1893 across the solid rocks of the isthmus of Corinth. Bridges from the tops of the steep sides of the canal connect north and south Greece. The Kiel Canal, which also has no locks, was built two years later and it gives the countries of the Baltic Sea quicker access to the west.

Venice, at the Adriatic Sea, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, for it has many canals instead of streets. Long narrow boats with curved ends, called "gondolas", carry passengers and goods from one part of the city to another. The gondolas are supplied with lanterns, which at night make the canals very colourful and romantic. A peculiar custom of former days was that the Ruler of Venice used to throw a ring into the water each year to show that the city was wed³ to the sea.

One of the greatest arteries of world trade is the Suez Canal separating the two continents of Asia and Africa. As trade with India increased, the overland route across Suez became regular but very expensive. In 1859, the French engineer, Ferdiriand de Lesseps, started to cut a passage through this flat desert country. Ten years later, the first sea­going ships passed through the canal, which is a hundred miles long and has no locks, thus completing a direct water route from the North Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.

The journey along the canal takes about fifteen hours and shortens the distance from Britain to the East by about 4,000 miles. The canal belongs to Egypt and is a vital waterway serving the merchants fleets of many nations.

The Great Lakes which lie between Canada and the United States have become part of the world's ocean highways for it is now possible for big ships to sail up the Saint Lawrence Canal to the ports of Toronto, Cleveland and Chicago. A 218 mile canal joins the Atlantic with these Great Lakes which contain half of all the fresh water in the world. There are seven locks, five on the Canadian side and two on the United States side.

Notes:

1.lock - шлюз

2.isthmus - перешийок

3.to be wed - бути зарученим

Ex.14. Answer the following questions.

1. What are dams in Holland used for?

2. Why aren't barges so widely used now?

3. When was the Corinth Canal built?

4. When was the Kiel Canal built?

5. What makes Venice one of the most beautiful cities in Europe?

6. What makes the canals look so romantic at night?

7. What peculiar custom existed in Venice?

8. How long does the journey along the Suez Canal take?

Ex.15. Read the text C and give answers to the questions in your native language.

1. Why were many people in Europe interested in India?

2. What was the aim of Magellan's voyage?

3. What kind of person was Magellan?

4. Why did Magellan decide to stop in South America?

5. What did the people whom Magellan met in South America look like?

6. Why was the voyage to the Philippine Islands difficult?

7. In what war was Magellan killed?

8. When and how many ships returned after making the first voyage round the world?

Text C