Английский язык. Жесткова М.В - 128 стр.

UptoLike

ВУЗ: 

СамГУПС | Самара

Составители: 

Рубрика: 

128
Postwar population and economic growth has placed an enormous strain on the carrying
capacity of Japan's railways. The high-speed, broad-gauge New Tokaido Line went into operation in
1964. Its fastest express trains make the 320-mile (515-kilometer) run from Tokyo to Osaka in a
little more than three hours. An extension known as the New Sanyo Line was completed from Osaka
to Okayama in 1972. The railways of Honshu are linked to Kyushu and Hokkaido by undersea
tunnels and to Shikoku by ferry service. Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Sapporo, and Yokohama
have subways.
Modern highway construction has lagged badly behind the needs of automobile and truck
traffic. About 70 percent of the total mileage of roads is paved. By 1990 there were 692,661 miles
(1,114,699 kilometers) of national expressways and general roadways for a country that had more
than 60 million registered motor vehicles. City traffic is speeded by street widening and by the
construction of elevated expressways.
Domestic air service links all major cities. Japan Air Lines (JAL) operates round-the-world
service. Tokyo International Airport at Narita, more than 40 miles (60 kilometers) from downtown
Tokyo, was completed in 1973. Its opening was delayed until 1978 because of protests by opponents
of the facility. The planned addition of two runways at Narita in the 1990s was also prevented by
protests from environmentalists. The new Kansai International Airport was scheduled to open at
Osaka in 1994. Built at a cost of 14 billion dollars, it was the world's most expensive airport. It is
located on an artificial 1,300-acre (526-hectare) island in Osaka Bay. The island itself cost 4.5
billion dollars to construct. The airport's designer was Italian architect Renzo Piano. To ease
congestion at the major airports, the government decided to upgrade local airports at Kobe, Nagoya,
Yokohama, Kyoto, and other cities to handle the large increase in air traffic.
There were more than 7,000 vessels carrying passengers and cargo in coastal shipping in 1990.
For passenger service between cities there are jetfoils
3
and air-cushion vessels
4
. Considering the
very large volume of Japanese imports and exports, most products are carried in oceangoing vessels
registered to other countries.
Notes
:
1
transportation facilities – средства транспорта
2
hub – центр
3
jetfoil – судно на подводных крыльях
4
air-cushion vessel – судно на воздушной подушке
[13] RAILROAD MODERNIZATION
Like their younger competitors, the railroads have become specialized carriers that concentrate
on the types of transportation for which they are best suited. Railroads are particularly efficient at
moving large volumes of bulk commodities
1
such as coal or ore over long distances and transporting
marine containers and piggyback highway trailers
2
. Railroads are also efficient at carrying
commuter passengers between suburbs and city centers and providing comfortable, fast intercity
passenger services.
New technologies – in design, materials, and methods – have helped railroads become still more
efficient. After World War II, for example, strong concrete crossties replaced wooden ties on many
railroads, especially in Europe. Rail welded
3
into long sections became the standard for most busy
main lines. By the 1960s high-speed passenger trains were introduced.
Japan's so-called “bullet train” was in the forefront of the new technology. It began operating on
Oct. 1, 1964, to mark Asia's first Olympic Games, which were held in Tokyo. The first section of
the fabled Shinkansen (New Trunk Line, known as the New Tokaido Line) was a 320-mile (515-
kilometer) stretch between Tokyo and Osaka. A 100-mile (160-kilometer) extension from Osaka to
Okayama was completed in 1972, and the final segment – a 244-mile (393-kilometer) run to the
Hakata station in Fukuoka, northern Kyushu – opened in 1975. Other lines, completed in 1982,
radiate north of Tokyo to Niigata and Morioka. The Shinkansen was privatized in 1987.

Страницы