Text 3. Ukrainian Railroads

Text 1.

Foreign Languages in Our Life

Learning a foreign language isn't an easy thing. Nowadays it's especially important to know foreign languages.

Some people learn languages because they need them for their work, others travel abroad, for the third studying foreign languages is a hobby. Everyone, who knows foreign languages can speak to people from other countries, read foreign authors in the original, which makes your outlook wider.

Over 300 million people speak it is as a mother tongue.

The native speakers of English live in Great Britain, the United States of America, Australia and New Zealand. English is one of the official languages of the United Nations Organization and other political organizations.

English language is a wonderful language. It's the language of the great literature. It's the language of William Shakespeare, Charles Dickens and others. Half of the world's scientific literature is in English. It's the language of computers technology.

The great German poet Goethe once said, «He, who knows no foreign language, doesn't know his own one». That's why in order to understand oneself and environment one has to learn foreign languages.

I think, that to know English today is absolutely necessary for every educated man, for every good specialist.

Foreign languages are absolutely necessary for people nowadays, because of our growing international contacts with foreign countries.

There are many reasons, why we begin to study foreign languages. One studies a foreign language to be able to communicate with other people who speak this language, other study it for future career.

If we are planning to travel to countries where the language we can speak is spoken, we can communicate with people there and understand what they are saying to us.

If we are working in any branch of science, we naturally wish to read scientific books and magazines in other languages to raise our professional level. Making business nowadays also means the ability of speaking foreign languages.

The ability of speaking one or two or even more foreign languages helps people from different countries to develop mutual friendship and understanding. We can also make our intellectual and cultural horizons wider through contacts with people of another culture.

It is also very interesting to read foreign literature in its original form. We can also read foreign newspapers and magazines and understand films in foreign languages without any help and translation.

As for me I learn English, because English is a very popular language all over the world. It is used in many parts of the world and there is a lot of business correspondence and literature in English.

There is a saying: the more languages you speak, the more times you are a human being.

 

 

Questions:

1.Is it an easy thing to learn a foreign language?
2. Why do people learn foreign languages?
3. Do you know any foreign language?
4. Where do the native speakers of English live?
5. What can you say about the English language?

6. Are foreign languages necessary for people nowadays?
7. Why do we begin to study foreign languages?
8. What language do I learn?
9. What language am I going to learn?

Vocabulary:

author — автор
outlook — кругозор
official — официальный
mother tongue — родной язык
effort — усилие

foreign — иностранный
necessary — необходимый
nowadays — в наши дни
growing — возрастающий
reasons — причины
to be able — быть в состоянии, уметь
to communicate — общаться, разговаривать
branch of science — отрасль науки
to raise smb's professional level — поднять чей-либо профессиональный уровень
mutual — взаимный
horizon — горизонт
wider — шире
through — через
in the original — в оригинале
compulsory — обязательный
secondary school — средняя школа
higher school — высшая школа
correspondence — корреспонденция, переписка
at least — по крайней мере

 

 

Text 2. Means of Communication

People use various means of communication to get from one place to another. In the old days people had to travel several days, weeks and months to get to the place they needed. They either went on foot, by coaches driven by horses or on horseback or by boats and ships. Then trams, cars, buses, planes, underground and other means appeared.

Many people like to travel by air as it is the fastest way of traveling. A lot of people like to travel by train because they can look at passing villages, forests and fields through windows. Some people like to travel by car. There they can go as slowly or as fast as they like. They can stop when and where they want.

People who live in big cities use various means of communication to get from one place to another. Londoners use the underground railway. They call it “the tube”. London's underground is the oldest in the world. It was opened in 1863. There was one route at that time, four miles long. Now London's underground has 277 stations and it is 244 miles long. Londoners use buses. The first bus route was opened in London in 1904 Today there are hundreds of routes there. The interesting thing is that some of the routes are the same as many years ago.

London's buses are double-decked buses. Londoners do not use trams, though London was the first city where trams appeared. And now it is one of the biggest cities in the world where there are no trams. The last tram left the streets of London many years ago. Londoners use cars. One can see a lot of cars in London streets. When Londoners leave the town, they use trains, ships or planes.

 

Text 3. Ukrainian Railroads

Іn Ukraine railroads аге the major mode оf transportation. Because the natural waterways lie from north the east-west traffic must be carried by land transportation in which railways play the dominant role. The lower cost of railroad building and maintenance gives them an advantage over motor vehicle transport. Тhе entire railway network іs divided into 6 railways(directorates): Donetsk, Dnieper, Southern, Lviv, South-western and Odessa. They are subdivided into 26 railway divisions. It’s interesting to know several facts from the history of Ukrainian railroads. The first railroad line in Ukraine build in 1861 connected Lviv, Cracow and Viena. Later the line was extended southward towards Chernivsi in Bukovyna 1886. By the turn of the century nine lines had spread rapidly from Lviv, the largest rail centre in Western Ukraine. The other main junctions with five lines each were Stanislav, Stryi and Ternopil. The first railroad in Eastern Ukraine was build in 1865. It ran from Balta to Odessa. In 1868 it was extended to Yelysavethgrad and from there through Kremenchuk to Kiev 1872. Then Kiev had been connected by rail to Moscow in 1869. The same year the railway line that connected Kharkiv with Moskow was built. During the Second World War over 9,200 km of track were destroyed. Ukraine’s railway returned to their prewar capacity only in 1948.

At present the two major junctions in Ukraine are Kharkiv and Lviv, with eight railroad lines each. Kiev, Bakhmach, Kupianka, Yasynuvata, Kovel, Shepetivka, Stryi and Ternopol are five-line junctions. Since 1950 the railway network had been expanded and improved. Many trunk lines have been double –tracked and approx 7,800 km have been electrified. With the exception of some local lines all lines use either electric or diesel power. The heavily used Kiev-Konotop trunk line is being rebuilt into a three-track main line. Modern track consisting of heavier rails (R-100, instead of R-50 or R-70) a solid ballast-type bed, concrete ties, and deep bide ditches for drainage have a higher load capacity. Containers and longer cars with eight instead of four axles have been introduced. More powerful locomotives make it possible to pull heavier loads at higher speeds loads at higher speed. By European standards train speeds is 45 km/h. Most locomotive used in Ukraine are build at its own locomotive works. Major repair shops are located in Lugansk, Popasna, Dnipropetrovs, Odessa, Lviv and Stryi. From the point of view of foreign specialist the Ukrainian system suffers less from obsolete or outdated rolling stock than managerial incompetence. Suburban traffic has its own problems. The major one is the irregularity of traffic.

Ukraine was divided into six railroad directorates: Donetsk, Dnieper, Southwestern, Odesa, Lviv and Southern. 

It is clear that transport is of great  importance in the progress of any state. In the development of the national economy of Ukraine railroad transport plays an important role. Compared with other modes of transport railway have a number of essential advantages - lover power consumption, high speed of freight delivery, comparatively low cost of transportation and independence of seasonal or climatic conditions. All these factors determine the role of railways in Ukraine as the main mode of transport. Тhе total length оf Ukrainian railroads аt present іs 30,000 km with almost 8,000 km оf electrified lines. Electrification is considered the backbone оf technical progress іn гаіlway transport. Practically all rail transport іs now either electrically оr diesel powered.

Computerization takes place on the railroads of Ukraine. Computers are employed to prepare daily reports about the work of the railway network.

In present – day Ukraine the main task of railways is to raise their efficiency and improve the quality of work. The efforts of all the railwaymen of Ukraine are aimed at the solution of this task.

 

I. Write the English equivalents for the Ukrainian words and words combinations.

 

1.The lover cost of (будівництва та експлуатації залізниць) gives them an advantages over motor vehicle transport.

2. The entire railway network is divided into 6 (директорат, правління), they are subdivided into 26 (відділень залізниці).

3.By then Kyiv (був з’єднаний) by rail to Moscow.

4.By 1913 Ukraine had aprox 15.600 km of rails, some of them (двоколійні магістралі).

5.A number of short lines in the heavily industrialized Dnieper-Donetsk region were opened (для того, щоб послабити напруженість) on the trunk lines.

6.The republic’s capital, Kyiv, has only one (вокзал).

7.Modern tracks consisting of heavier rails, a solid ballast type bed and deep side (дренажні канави) have a higher load capacity.

8.More powerful locomotives make it possible (перевозити вантажі) at higher speeds.

9.The Ukrainian systems suffered less from (застарілий рухомий склад) than from managerial incompetence.

10.(Приміський рух) has its own problems.

 

 

II. ANSWER THE QUESTIONS:

1.What gives railways an advantage over motor vehicle transport?

2.What are the six directorates in Ukraine?

3.When was the first railroad built in Ukraine?

4.When Kharkov was connected with Moscow?

5.What are the problems of suburban traffic?

6.What transport and why is main in Ukraine?

7.What is the back-bone of technical progress in rail transport?

8.For what are computers used on railways?

9.What is the main task of railways in present-day?

 

 

Text 4.    Introducing Myself

 

There is a saying that if you want something to be done well, do it yourself. So, I am following this wise saying and would like to introduce myself.

My first name is Sergey, my family name is Kravenko and my second name is Ytirievich.

But in the beginning, I would like to represent my family and parents. Actually my family isn't large. My family consists of my father, mother, sister and cat Boris.

My father's name is Yuri. He is 41 years, but he looks much younger. He is a businessman. My dad is a well-educated and well-read person; he has experiences in many fields. That is why it is always interesting to communicate with him, he usually tells many exciting stories, of course, if he has free time.

And my mother is 37. Her name is Natalia. She is a good-looking, blond woman. She has large green eyes. I admire her character. She is an optimist; she is full of energy and enthusiasm. I really adore her sense of humour. She is a housewife. It takes her much time and power to take care of our home. But I can assure, she copes with her job very well. Besides, both my farther and I help her with the housework. For example, I wash dishes, plates, sometimes go shopping and so on.

I enjoy spending time with my family very much. We often go for walks. I enjoy strolling along streets because my parents usually tell me a lot of interesting details of the history of our city. That is also the reason I'm fond of travelling with my parents. My mother spends much time in the kitchen — she is keen on cooking.

We always find out new recipes» try them. When I was a child, my father involved me in stamp collecting. Since that time, stamps and ancient coins have become my hobby. We have a huge collection of stamps and coins. We also are keen on music and everyone who comes to our place praises our numerous collections of CD and DVD disks. It is impossible to name all the things we can do together, so I think I can stop here.

I would like to see my father's parents. But they were gone before my birth. According to my parents' words, they were wonderful and outstanding people. But to my mind, my dad inherited their best features. My parents are remarkable people: kind-hearted, honest, they have moral values and don't break promises. They understand me completely. They allow me almost everything, they always give me good advice and, frankly speaking, I don't know what I will do without them. I am very lucky that I have got such wonderful parents and, of course, I love them very much.

Now, I think, it is time to speak about myself. My name is Sergey, but my friends call me Seriy. I am 15.

I am tall and not bad built. I have an oval face and large green eyes. Speaking about my character, I can say that I'm friendly, kind, generous and honest. I do not like falsehood. I have my own likes and dislikes. I am modest and sometimes shy, but do not advice someone tricking or kidding me.

But in spite of all these characters, I can keep secrets; I never let my friends down. I usually say, what I think, that is why people around me often take offence. For me it is very difficult to cope with people who have such features of character as egoism and dishonesty.

 

 

Answer the questions:

1. What is my first name?
2. What is my second name?
3. What is my family name?
4. Is my family large?
5. What are my father's and my mother's names?
6. How old is my father?
7. How old is my mother?
8. What is my father by profession?
9. Do I enjoy spending time with my family?
10. What hobby do I have?
11. How old am I?
12. What people don't I like?

 

Vocabulary:
saying — поговорка, пословица
wisdom — мудрость, мудрый
to introduce — представить
first name — имя
family name — фамилия
second name — второе имя, отчество
to represent — представить
actually — вообще, фактически
to consist of — состоять из
experiences — опыт
to communicate — общаться
exciting — волнующий
blond — блондинка
to admire — восхищаться, любоваться
to adore — обожать
sense — чувство
to assure — уверять, заверять
to cope — справляться
to wash — мыть
dish — тарелка, блюдо
plate — тарелка
to go (past went, p.p. gone) shopping — ходить за покупками
to spend (past spent, p.p. spent) — проводить, тратить
to stroll — прогуливаться, бродить
to be fond of — очень сильно что-л. любить, увлекаться
to be keen on — очень сильно что-л. любить
to cook — готовить пищу, стряпать
recipe — рецепт
to involve — включать в себя, заниматься чем-л.
ancient — древний, античный, старый
coin — монета
huge — огромный, очень большой
to praise — хвалить, превозносить
birth — рождение
outstanding — выдающийся
to inherit — получить в наследство, унаследовать
remarkable — замечательный, удивительный
kind-hearted — добрый, добросердечный
honest — честный
to allow — позволять, разрешать
advice — совет
frankly — честно
lucky — счастливый, везучий
generous — нежадный, великодушный
falsehood — ложь, неправда
modest — скромный, сдержанный
shy — застенчивый, робкий, нерешительный
to trick — обманывать, надувать
to kid — обманывать, надувать; высмеивать
in spite of — вопреки
to keep (past kept, p.p. kept) secret — хранить секрет
to let (past let, p.p. let) smb. down — подводить кого-л.
offence — обида

 

Text 5.     KHARKIV COLLEGE OF RAILWAY TRANSPORT

The Kharkov college of railway transport is a higher educational establishment of the I-II level of accreditation which specializes on preparation of specialists of an average link for the enterprises of a railway transportation. During existence the college has prepared about 19000 specialists. It was based in 1953.

There are 4 departments which train specialist in such specialities: general educational, electrosupply, service of a rolling stock and special engineering, service and repair of the automated control systems, the organization of transportations and management on a railway transport, book keeping and office-work.

          1766 students study on the day time and in correspondence form of training;

Training is carried out with application of working breadboard models and circuits, simulators, boards, computers with the special software, technical models etc.
At the Kharkov college of Railway transport there is an assembly hall on 200 places with a film projector for demonstration of educational films, technical library with a reading room which fund makes over 13000 names, or 48600 copies. All nonresident students are provided with residing at a hostel of the college. On each floor the kitchens are equipped with the necessary equipment, rooms of hygiene, and also room for self-preparation and rest. The hostel and the educational case have independent heating from own boiler-houses. For realization a free time and rest to services of pupils - art fund of library, a sports hall, cultural - mass actions.

Students who have successfully finished training, have the right to enter the Ukrainian State academy of a railway transport.

            Answer the questions:

 

1. Where do you study at?

2. When was founded the college of railway transport?

3. How many departments are there in the college? What are they?

4. What is the number of students studying at the college?

5. What forms of training are there in this educational establishment?

6. Where do the nonresident students live?

7. Where can the students of the college have a good professional practice and get profound knowledge of the disciplines?

 

I. Complete the sentences using the words and phrases given bellow in brackets:

1. The Kharkov college of (залізничного транспорту) is a higher educational establishment of the I-II level of accreditation which (спеціалізується на підготовці спеціалістів) of an average link for the enterprises of a railway transportation.

2. At the Kharkov college of Railway transport is an assembly hall on 200 places with a film projector for demonstration of(навчальних фільмів), technical library with a (читальна зала)which fund makes over 13000 names, or 48600 copies.

3. (за час існування)the college has prepared about 19000 specialists.

 

 

  Text 6.  Kharkiv

Kharkiv is quite an old city. It was founded about 350 years ago.

The city is situated on the plateau surrounded by the Kharkiv and the Lopan rivers. According to the popular legend the city is named after Cossack Kharko. Kharkiv is the historical capital of Slobidska Ukraine.

With the foundation of Kharkiv University in 1805 the city became an important educational and cultural centre of Ukraine and the Russian Empire as a whole. Such cultural figures as Kvitka- Osnovianenko,Hulack- Artemovsky, Kostomarov, Repin lived and worked in Kharkiv.

Kharkiv was the capital of Ukraine since 1919 till 1934. Today Kharkiv is the second largest city in the country. About 2 million people live here.

Kharkiv is one of the largest industrial centres in Ukraine. Its numerous enterprises produce planes, tractors, electronic, mining and medical equipment, TV-sets, refrigerators, paints and cosmetics, clothing and textiles. Furniture and printing industries are well developed in Kharkiv.

Kharkiv is one of the major cultural and scientific centres of Ukraine. There are many schools, higher educational establishments, research institutes in Kharkiv. There is the Scientific Library, the Historical and Natural Science Museums and the Museum of Fine Arts in Kharkiv. The city supports a circus and six professional theatres.

Kharkiv is very beautiful, especially in spring. There are over 2500 streets and 26 squares in the city. The largest parks are Gorky Park, Shevchenko Garden with the Zoo, Artem Park, the Forest Park and some others. The city is ornamented with a large number of monuments. The most prominent of them is the one to T. Shevchenko built in 1935.

Kharkov is famous for its architectural monuments, parks and green areas. Shevchenko Park which is one of the most beautiful parks in the city centre. In this park you are able to visit the zoo; the water cascade-one of the famous spots in Shevchenko Park, it opens the beautiful view on the city; Mirror Stream, a small park with the beautiful fountain and belvedere, is one of the most romantic places in Kharkov. There`re many cafes, restaurants, new green “islands” and playing grounds for children.

Gorki Park is the biggest park near the centre, its total square consists of 130 hectares. It`s famous for its vast green land and park amusements. One of the main attractions there is the cable way which will take you from the city centre to Alekseevka Region!

Kharkov Subway is famous for its beauty and simplicity.There are three lines in modern Kharkov Subway – Alekseevskaya (7 stations, total length – 8 km), Saltovskaya (8 stations, total length – 10,4 km), Kholodnogorsko-Zavodskaya (13 stations – total length – 17,3km). Each underground station has its own unique design created by famous architects and will certainly be of interest to tourists.

There are more than 40 of higher educational establishments in Kharkov: state and private universities and institutes and academies, not taking into account colleges and vocational schools. Many foreign students come to Kharkov to learn Russian as one of the foreign languages.

If you are a theatre lover, Kharkov is a great place for you. There are more than 15 theatres, one of the most famous is Opera and Ballet Theatre where not only local, but world stars perform.

There is wide range of places to eat out where you can taste Ukrainian, Russian, Georgian, Armenian, Italian, French, Japanese, Indian and Chinese cuisine in Kharkov. The city is also rich with its night lifeand entertainment centers where you can visit a cinema, play billiards or bowling.

Kharkov was chosen as one of the cities for EURO-2012. State authorities have started building of the Eastern Stands in the “Metallist” stadium, by the end of 2009 the stadium reconstruction will be completed and it will be presented forUEFA experts’ approval. For the championship not less than five 5 * hotels, 13 – 4* and 3* hotels will be built. There are about 161 hostels which will allow to accommodate football fans and foreign guests during their visit to Kharkov.