Text a: russian railways

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(1) The Russia is often spoken of as a great rail power because it has the largest railway system in the world. The total length of Russian" railways is over 143,000 km. Russian Railways (SZD) carries¹ an enormous volume of home traffic—nearly 66 per cent of freight and 37 per cent of passengers.

(2) The Russian state got from the tsarist regime a poorly-organized and poorly-developed railway network greatly damaged in the First World War. By 1917 the railway network was 70,000 km long and most of it (85 per cent), was in the European part of the country. The freight trains ran at a speed of 30 kph and the passenger trains reached 45-50 kph.

3. However, old Russia could be proud of its railway scientists and engineers who constructed good steam locomotives and the passenger cars produced in Russia were the best in Europe. The Trans-Siberian Railway was thought of as a very important means of communication between Europe and Asia. The trains built for regular service on that line were made up of richly-decorated sleeping cars which provided many comforts for passengers.

4. After the Great October Socialist Revolution the Com­munist Party and the Russian Government took steps to reconstruct the railways of the country. The development of railway transport was closely connected with the GOELRO Plan. Initiated by V. I. Lenin, the GOELRO Plan was worked out in 1920. It provided for the construction of numerous power plants and a whole network of electrified railways. In 1926, an electric train started its first run on the suburban line between Baku and Sabunchi.

5. Another very important step was the development of the diesel locomotive. It was in the Russia that the world's first main-line diesel locomotive was built and put into service on November 6, 1924. When reconstructed, SZD became a highly-developed and a safe" means of transport in the country.

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(6) Nowadays, Russian Railways carries about 50 per cent of the world's rail traffic. Most traffic is carried by powerful diesel and electric locomotives. Automation and computers are introduced into many branches of railway engineering. Particular attention is paid to high-speed running. Speeds of 120 - 150 kph are practical for the express trains. In the near future Russian trains will run at 200 kph. The first high-speed train in the USSR has been developed in Riga. It is this train that is designed to run the high-speed service between Moscow and Leningrad.

(7) The international railway exhibitions held in the Russia usually attract the attention of railway spe­cialists and businessmen from abroad. The Russian equipment exhibited includes modern locomotives and cars, efficient track-laying machines, automatic telecommunication sys­tems, ² powerful cranes and other railway equipment.

(8) The construction of the Baikal-Amur Railway (BAM) is of great importance for the economic development of the USSR. The building of this line was necessary to open up new areas in Siberia for the exploitation of coal, ore, oil and other mineral resources and shorten the way to the Pacific Ocean by hundreds of kilometers.

(9) The building of the BAM Railway was carried out in very hard topographical and geological conditions. Permafrost and severe climate made the work of the railwaymen extremely difficult. Besides, the line was laid through a totally impassable taiga and crossed a great number of large and small rivers. It was written about as "the project³ of the century". Thousands of young people eagerly respond­ed to the Communist Party's call and took an active part in the gigantic project of the country. It is thanks to the joint efforts made by all Russian people that the realization of the project has become possible.

1. Прослушайте вопросы и ответьте на них, согласно тексту.

1. Why is Russia often called a great rail power? 2. Could railways in the early years of the young Russian Republic carry heavy traffic? Why couldn't they? 3. Why could old Russia be proud of its railway engi­neers? 4. What was provided for in the GOELRO Plan for the further development of rail transport? 5. Was a main or a suburban line first electrified? 6. Where and when was the first main-line diesel locomotive constructed? 7. What makes Russian railways the most efficient means of transport in our country? 8. What problem does Russian railways pay special attention to nowadays? 9. What speeds are now practical for the express trains? 10. Why do the international railway exhibitions held in the USSR attract the attention of specialists from abroad? 11. Why was the construction of the BAM Railway of great importance to our country? 12. What factors made the construc­tion of the BAM Railway extremely difficult?

2. Подготовьте сообщения на следующие темы, используя сочетания слов, данные в скобках (каждое предложение начинайте с подлежащего).

1.Russian Railways.

(railway, network, total length, volume of traffic, pow­erful locomotives, automation and computing machines, run the high-speed service).

2. The BAM Railway.

(to open up new areas, to shorten the way, hard con­ditions, to make great efforts, to take an active part).

3. Найдите в тексте в подтверждение данных высказываний.

1. At the beginning of the 20th century travelling by the Trans-Siberian Railway was not safe. 2. Now the Trans-Siberian Railway can carry a large volume of traffic. 3. In the future the Trans-Siberian Railway will be­come a more efficient means of communication.