2017-12-14
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Modern means of transport connect all parts of Japan and provide the fast, efficient movement of passengers and goods.
Railways are the main means of land transportation. The first Japanese railway was laid in 1872 between Tokyo and Yokohama. By 1930, a rail network covered the four main islands. Most private lines were nationalized in 1906 and passed to a public corporation, the Japanese National Railways (JNR). In 1949, the JNR operated about four fifths of Japan's 17,000 miles of narrow-gauge railway lines. It owned about 90 % of all rolling stock.
Because of postwar population growth and economic development, the carrying capacity of Japan's railways considerably decreased. To improve the situation, the high-speed, broad-gauge New Tokaido Line went into operation in 1964. Its fastest express trains make the 320-mile run from Tokyo to Osaka in a little more than three hours. An extension1 known as the New Sanyo Line was completed from Osaka to Okayama in 1972. Other high-speed lines called Shinkansen were built thereafter. The railways of Honshu are linked to Hokkaido by undersea tunnels and to Shikoku by ferry service. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo and Yokohama have subways.
In 1987, because of the huge accumulated debt2 and labor problems, the JNR was privatized and divided into six passenger companies (the Japan Railways Group) and one freight company. The JR Group companies mainly deal with long-distance and regional passenger transportation. Seven private railway companies mainly operate commuter trains in the metropolitan areas. The ratio of transportation run by the JR Group and private companies is about 2:1.
Japan Freight Railway Company operates all freight service on the network previously owned by JNR. Japan Freight Railway Company owns its locomotives, rolling stock and stations, but leases track from the six passenger companies.
Nowadays, there are about 27,245 km of railway lines under operation in Japan. About 382 billion passengers and 22 billion tons of freight are carried by the railways annually.
Notes: 1extension – ж/д ветка
2accumulated debt – накопившаяся задолжность
(B) Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих фраз.
1. быстрая и эффективная перевозка грузов и пассажиров
2. основное средство сухопутного транспорта
3. перешли под управление государственной корпорации
4. узкоколейные железнодорожные линии
5. подвижной состав
6. пропускная способность японских железных дорог
7. паромная переправа
8. перевозка пассажиров на поездах дальнего следования и местного сообщения
9. крупный город с пригородом
10. арендовать рельсовый путь
(С) Ответьте кратко на общие вопросы к тексту.
1. Do modern means of transport connect some parts of Japan and provide the fast, efficient transportation of people and goods?
2. Are railways the main means of sea transportation?
3. Was the first Japanese railway laid between Tokyo and Yokohama?
4. Did a rail network cover the two largest islands by 1930?
5. Were all private lines nationalized in 1906 and passed to a public corporation?
6. Did the carrying capacity of Japan's railways increase because of postwar population growth and economic development?
7. Do express trains make the 320-mile run from Tokyo to Osaka in less than three hours?
8. Were high-speed lines called Shinkansen built in the 19th century?
9. Are the railways of Honshu linked to Hokkaido by ferry service?
10. Is the ratio of transportation run by the JR Group and private companies about 2:1?
ВАРИАНТ 4
