Exercise 53 Choose one or two of the suggested topics and make up a story based on the information from the text. Make a good oral presentation of your story.

· The main principles of railway traffic operation

· Types of trains and compiling a timetable

· Marshalling yard work

· Centralized traffic control

· Computers and high technologies in traffic operation

Exercise 54 Look through the text (5 min.) and complete the sentences below.

1. The history of steam traction began … a) in the early years of the 19^th century; b) at the very end of the 18^th century.

2. The working model of the very first steam loco appeared ... a) in England; b) in the USA.

3. These early locomotives ran ... a) on rails; b) on ordinary roads.

Supplementary text

RAILROADING BEGINS

(1) In the early years of the 19^th century the idea of using steam engines to draw freight and passenger trains interested many inventors. But the history of steam traction began much earlier when an English engineer, William Murdock, built a working model of a steam locomotive in 1784. It was a baby locomotive about a foot (30.5cm) high. It had three wheels and its boiler was heated by a spirit lamp.

(2) One day Murdock wanted to test his engine. He lighted the spirit lamp and soon the water began boiling. The engine ran fast along the street with loud roaring. Unfortunately, nothing came of Murdock’s invention because his little locomotive was thought of as the creation of the Devil.

(3) And this is how the first steam locomotive appeared in the USA. One day in 1804 the people of Philadelphia saw a roaring and fire-breathing monster running along the street, followed by shouting boys. It was really the first steam locomotive in America, although it did not run on rails. After its short journey on land the locomotive fell down into the river and disappeared in the water.

Exercise 55 a) The words in the box are all to do with travelling by train. Look them up in your dictionary to check the meaning and the pronunciation, then fill in the table.

Ticket office, get on, passenger, information office, platform, buffet car, single, get off, compartment, ticket inspector, catch, miss, engine driver, season, return, book in advance, depart, arrive on time, be delayed, commuter, luggage room, upper (lower) berth, conductor, information board.

B) The following sentences describe what you do when you go to the railway station to catch a train, but they are in the wrong order. Put them in the right order, and then report about your recent railway journey to the group. You can add your own sentences to the story.

· You book tickets in advance

· You get a taxi

· You arrive at the railway station

· You look for a porter to take care of your luggage

· You go to the information board to know about the platform and the track of train departure

· The conductor checks your tickets and helps you with your seat and luggage

· You find your coach and get on the train

· The conductor announces ‘all aboard please, the train leaves in 5 minutes’

· When on board the train, the conductor takes care of passengers: brings bedclothes, offers tea or coffee

· You find your compartment and your berth