Английский язык. Жесткова М.В - 100 стр.

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100
length of the Tunnel___. 18) The electric trains___. 19) A typical passenger shuttle___. 20) Freight
shuttles___. 21) Two electric locomotives are coupled___. 22) This railway is very convenient for
drivers because___. 23) The gauge of the tunnel railway___. 24) So far the project___. 25) The
Tunnel personnel___.
Ex.29. Here are the answers. Write the questions.
1) Nearly 200 years ago. 2) Albert Mathieu. 3) Because of financial difficulties. 4) On
grounds of national security. 5) Only in 1988. 6) About six years. 7) On May 7, 1994. 8) About
fifty kilometers. 9) 4,000 vehicles per hour. 10) Two main single track tunnels with a service tunnel
between.
TEXT В
Read the following text to find answers to the given the questions.
PROGRESS IN TUNNEL ENGINEERING
a) When did people begin tunneling? b) Where were the first tunnels built? c) What were
tunnels built for?
Tunneling is difficult, expensive and dangerous engineering work. Tunnels are built to provide
direct automobile or railway routes through mountain ranges or under rivers. Before the 19
th
century
men had not acquired enough skill in engineering to carry out extensive tunneling. Tunnels, however,
were known in ancient times. The first-known tunnel was dug in Babylon in about 2180–60 BC. It
passed under the Euphrates River and connected the royal palace with a temple. An early Greek
tunnel was completed in 687 BC on the island of Samos as part of an aqueduct system.
The Romans built many aqueduct tunnels throughout their vast empire. Their greatest feat was a
3.5-mile (5.6-kilometer) tunnel to drain Lake Fucino in Italy to create Fucino Basin. Few tunnels
were built during the next thousand years. Some irrigation tunnels were constructed in Spain during
the early 1400s, and in about 1450 a project was begun in the Maritime Alps [Приморские Альпы]
to link Nice and Genoa. This work, however, was never completed.
By the 17th century tunnels were being constructed for use as canals. During the 19th and 20th
centuries the development of railroad and, later, motor-vehicle transportation led to a tremendous
expansion worldwide in the number of tunnels and in their length.
Early tunnel-building techniques varied. The Egyptians used copper saws that were capable of
cutting soft rock, while the Babylonians constructed masonry tunnels. The Romans tunneled
through solid rock by heating the rock face with fire and then rapidly cooling it with water, causing
the rock to crack. Tunnel building has always been hazardous, and often hundreds or even thousands
of workers died constructing ancient tunnels. The development of modern tunneling technology has
also included vast improvements in worker safety.
a) When was the first Alpine tunnel built? b) How is it called? c) What new device was
used during tunneling for the first time?
Ever since the early days of civilization in Europe the Alps have been a barrier to the movements of
people. The first Alpine tunnel to be constructed was the Mont Cenus tunnel. This great project
dates back to 1857. This tunnel is of great technical interest because at that time the only way to get
through the rock was to use hand tools. At first the construction advanced very slowly. In fact, if it had
continued at the initial pace, it would have taken 5 years to complete the tunnel! However, with
compressed air drills and dynamite being introduced, progress was accelerated. Work on the Mont Cenus
tunnel started in August 1857 and finished in December 1870.
a) What is the name of the second tunnel cut through the Alps? b) What is the length of
the tunnel? c) Why was it dangerous to build tunnels at that time?
The next great and extremely difficult task was the construction of the St. Gotthard tunnel.
Italian and Swiss engineers started working on this project in 1872. This tunnel 9.3 miles long was
completed 9 years later as compared with 14 years required to make the Mont Cenus tunnel. It should
be noted that during the period of construction no less then 800 men lost their lives because of poor

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