Circumbaikal Railway

I. Put the titles in correct order according to the contents of the text:

a) The construction of arches and tunnels

b) The best page in the modern Russian history

c) The sacred Lake

d) The Golden Buckle

e) The Quality Masonry

II. Which passage describes:

a) the most picturesque place of the Trans-Siberian Railway;

b) the place of numerous arches and tunnels;

c) the crystal masonry.

1. We are deeply and firmly convinced of the fact that the Circumbaikal Railway is an indestructible monument of culture of the XIX century.

2. Formerly it was the most exotic part of the Trans-Siberian Railway. The sacred lake with all its awesome beauty (зд безумной красотой) passed before the eyes of the passengers of the train going eastwards. On the one side, the rocks pile up unimaginably high. The lake shining and sparkling is bound on the other side by dove-coloured mountains. The waves from the lake “lick” the car-wheels.

3. The quite grandeur of the plain stone portal with its high quality masonry and the way the arch joins the coastal slope, charms the visitor. It seems to have been there for ages rather than only four quarters of a century.

4. The construction of the Circumbaikal Railway as part of Trans-Siberian Railway (the section from Port Baikal on the south-western shore of the lake) to Mysovaya Station (on the south-eastern shore) took 4 years. Ancient crystal rocks: granite, gneiss, diabase (зд. гранит, гнейс, диабаз), possess (зд. поддерживать) enormous strength (зд. силу). The steep rocky shores (зд. крутые скалистые берега) precipitously (зд.обрывисто) go under water, forcing to make excavations and niches in rocky cliffs, to construct arches and tunnels.

5. The railway is 84 km long. It includes not only Russian engineering design of that time but also of the hard work of Russian, Polish, Italian and English workers. The Circumbaikal Railway needed 200 bridges and 39 tunnels. Only within the section of 52 miles from Kultuk to Port Baikal there are 48 arches and tunnels. Most of the tunnels are not very long. There are a few tunnels long enough so that passengers experience (зд испытывать) total darkness. Polovynny Cape is the longest one (807 m.) And how many bridges, supporting the walls! This part of the Railway is regarded (зд относят) as the museum of Russian engineering thought, and foreign tourists respectfully name it – “The Golden Buckle (зд пряжка) of the Circumbaikal Railway”.

III. Match the following words with their translations:

indestructible	мыс
to convince	утёс
to sparkle	сверкать
to pile up	уважительный
masonry	выбоина
excavations	возвышаться
cliff	убеждать
cape	кладка
respectful	величие
grandeur	неразрушимый

IV. Find in the text all adverbs with the suffix “ly” and translate them:

Example: deeply …

V. Fill in the blanks with the suitable adverbs from the box:

righteously, respectfully, firmly, precipitously, formerly, unimaginably, deeply.

1. The Circumbaikal Railway is … regarded as the museum of Russian engineering thought.

2. … it was the most exotic part of the Trans-Siberian Railway.

3. The foreign tourists name this Railway – “The Golden Buckle of the Circumbaikal Railwayl”

4. The steep rocky shores … go under water.

5. On the one side, the rocks pile up … high.

6. We are … and … convinced of the fact that the Circumbaikal Railway is a step on the threshold of the XX-th century.

VI. Choose a, b, or c:

1. The Circumbaikal Railway includes … a) only Russian engineering design; b) only foreign engineering design; c) not only Russian engineering design.

2. There are a few tunnels long enough so that passengers experience … a) total fear; b) total darkness; c) total cold.

3. The construction of the Circumbaikal Railway is a part of … a) the West Siberian Railway; b) the East Siberian Railway; c) the Far East Siberian Railway.

4. The quite grandeur of the plain stone portal with its … and the way the arch joins the coastal slope, charms the visitor. a) high quality masonry; b) dove-coloured mountains; c) shining and sparkling lake.

5. Ancient crystal rocks possess … a) awesome beauty; b) natural resources; c) enormous strength.

VII. Complete the second sentence with two words so that it means the same as the first:

1.	We were a little bit frightened because we experienced total darkness running through the long tunnel.
If we had not experienced total darkness, we wouldn’t have been frightened.
2.	This train goes eastwards and stops at Polovynny Cape.
... this train … at Polovynny Cape?
3.	The construction of the Circumbaikal Railway took 4 years.
During 4 years the Circumbaikal Railway … … constructed.
4.	The lake shining and sparkling is bound on the other side by dove-coloured mountains.
The lake shining and sparkling is bound on the other side by dove-coloured mountains, … …?

VIII. Put the passages in correct order:

1. The Circumbaikal Railway is regarded (зд относят) as the museum of Russian engineering thought, and foreign tourists respectfully name it – “The Golden Buckle (зд пряжка) of the Circumbaikal Railway”.

2. The railway is 84 km long.

3. There are a few tunnels long enough so that passengers experience (зд испытывать) total darkness.

4. The sacred lake with all its awesome beauty (зд безумной красотой) passed before the eyes of the passengers of the train going eastwards.

5. Ancient crystal rocks: granite, gneiss, diabase possess enormous strength.

6. The quite grandeur seems to have been there for ages rather than only one century.

7. We are deeply and firmly convinced of the fact that the Siberian Railway is an indestructible monument of culture of the XIX century.

8. The construction of the Circumbaikal Railway as part of Trans-Siberian Railway took 4 years.

9. It includes not only Russian engineering design of that time but also of the hard work of Russia, Polish, Italian and English workers.

10. The steep rocky shores (зд. крутые скалистые берега) precipitously go under water, forcing to make excavations and niches in rocky cliffs, to construct arches and tunnels.

11. Only within the section of 52 miles from Kultuk to Port Baikal there are 48 arches and tunnels.

IX. Retell (write the letter to) your partner what facts of the construction of the Circumbaikal Railway you know:

X. Answer the questions:

1. What is the most exotic part of the Trans Siberian Railway?

2. What passed before the eyes of the passengers of the train going eastwards?

3. What seems to have been for ages rather than only one century?

4. How long did it take to construct the Circumbaikal Railway?

5. How long is the railway?

6. How many bridges and tunnels did the Circumbaikal Railway need?

7. How do the tourists call the Circumbaikal Railway?

8. Who took part in the construction of the Circumbaikal Railway?

XI. Creative task:

О чём бы Вы рассказали своему гостю, другу из другого региона рассказать или посоветовали посмотреть из достопримечательностей Кругобайкальской железной дороги? Найдите из текстов эпизод(ы), подтверждающий(е) Ваше высказывание.