Ex. 12. Mark the difference between the following pairs of words.

• only – только the only – единственный

• train – поезд to train – готовить, обучать

• stock – запас; подвижной состав to stock – иметь в наличии

• house – дом to house – вмещать, содержать

• number – число, количество to number – насчитывать

• close – тесный; близкий to close – закрывать

• high school – средняя школа higher school – вуз

Ex. 13. Translate the sentences, paying attention to the constructions:

either…or – или…или…, либо..либо… neither…nor – ни…ни…

1. She graduated from either Harvard or Oxford.

2. Neither Ann nor Helen participated in the conference.

3. The passenger buys a ticket either at the station or on the train at a higher fare.

4. I either lost the ticket on my way to the station or left it at home.

5. We can leave either today or tomorrow – whichever you prefer.

6. We have neither time nor money to go on holiday.

7. He asked for a transfer to the company’s branch either in Paris or in London.

8. This summer, we can go either to Paris or to Rome. What do you choose? – I want to go neither to France nor to Italy. Can’t we go to Portugal instead?

9. You can get to that part of the city either by bus or by underground.

10. Neither Siemens nor Bombardier won the contract to supply signaling equipment for the new high-speed line.

11. These days, electric trains can be controlled either by a driver or by means of Automatic Train Control System.

Ex. 14. Read the text and translate it.

Samara State University of Transport (ssut)

Samara State University of Transport is the only higher educational institution in the Volga region, which trains specialists for railway transport. SSUT has a strong orientation towards the job market; it offers a broad portfolio of courses and programs, which meet the needs of our students and their employers. Many former students have started a successful career in the rail industry after their graduation from Samara State University of Transport. The University is playing an increasingly important role for local companies and the region’s development.

Our higher school was set up in 1973 as Kuibyshev Railway Engineering Institute. The first admission comprised 75 students. Initially, two faculties were opened: Railway Operation Faculty and Railway Construction Faculty. They were located in a building at 18 Bezymyanny pereulok.

In 2007, our higher school was granted University status. The University has branches in the cities of Orenburg, Orsk, Ruzaevka, Ufa. SSUT initiated the establishment of the University complex including railway technical schools in Samara, Orenburg, Penza, Rtishchevo, Saratov, Kazan, Ufa and other towns.

The University has three institutes – Institute for Transport Engineering¹, Institute for Transport Structures and Vehicles², Institute for Transport Economics and Management; three faculties – Transport Faculty of Electrical Engineering; Extra-Mural Faculty and Faculty of Continuing Education Development. Teaching is provided either in the full-time form or in the form of extra-mural education. There are thirty-seven departments; sixteen departments offer degree courses.

Staff and students enjoy a wide range of computing services. State-of-the-art computing facilities support teaching, learning and research activities. Over 1200 computers are installed in forty-five computer classes. Access is available to all kinds of electronic information, including bibliographic databases, electronic journals and online news services. These are also available mostly on networked PCs. The scientific library stocks over 800 thousand books and periodicals.

Samara State University of Transport runs its own website. Two University papers cover the most interesting events of the University life.

SSUT contains fourteen buildings equipped with the latest facilities. The University has a simulation test ground (miniaturized railway station operating in real time) which is the best among railway higher schools. It houses over forty most advanced vehicles.

The students’ body is over 10 thousand. The academic faculty numbers over 700 people, among them 80 are Professors and Doctorate degree holders and over 360 have PhD degree in various sciences. All education is linked to research. 85% of academic staff are research active. 200 postgraduate students write their PhD papers.

In recent years, Samara State University of Transport has been focusing on the cooperation with leading foreign universities. Close contacts are maintained with higher schools of Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Ireland.

A large number of SSUT students come from other towns or regions. There are four students’ halls close to the University campus.

Physical development of students is a top priority for the University administration. A swimming pool and fitness centers help students to keep fit. All these facilities are only a short distance from the students’ halls. SSUT students are active participants in popular local, national and international sports competitions as well as in talent shows and intellectual contests.

Notes: ¹Institute for Transport Engineering – транспортный общеинженерный институт;

²Institute for Transport Structures and Vehicles – институт транспортной техники и

сооружений;

³departments offer degree courses – кафедры являются ведущими.

Ex. 15. Answer the following alternative questions to the text.

1. Does SSUT train specialists for railway transport or aerospace industry?

2. Does the University offer a broad portfolio of courses or jobs?

3. Do these courses meet the needs of students or online news services?

4. Is the University playing an increasingly important role for local or international companies?

5. Was our University established as a technical school or an institute?

6. Did the first admission comprise seventy-five or fifty-seven students?

7. Does the University complex include railway technical schools or high schools?

8. Does SSUT have three or five faculties?

9. Is teaching provided in the full-time or evening form?

10. Do sixteen or thirty-seven departments offer degree courses?

11. Do state-of-the-art computing facilities support research or sports activities?

12. Is access available to electronic or electrical databases?

13. Do University papers cover the most interesting or the funniest events of the SSUT life?

14. Are SSUT buildings equipped with the latest news or facilities?

15. Does the University simulation test ground house railway or rocket vehicles?

Ex. 16. Go back to the text and find sentences, which are similar to the following statements.

1. More than 10 thousand students study at Samara State University of Transport.

2. 700 teachers work at Samara State University of Transport.

3. Eighty teachers have a university degree of the highest level.

4. International cooperation with leading foreign higher schools is very important to our University.

5. Many students of SSUT originate from other cities and towns.

6. Sport is very popular among the students of SSUT.

7. There are many sports facilities on the University campus.

8. It doesn’t take a long time to get from the students’ hall to the swimming pool or fitness centers.

9. SSUT students take an active part in sports competitions held in our country and abroad.

10. Many students are active participants in all kinds of social events; they demonstrate how smart and talented they are.

Ex. 17. Using the questions below, make up stories on the following topics: