Английский язык. Жесткова М.В - 129 стр.

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129
France's TGV became the supertrain of the 1970s and 1980s. It set a new world speed record of
320 miles an hour in 1990. The newer ten-car TGV trains are powered by front and rear electric
locomotives. Computerized controls provide on-board signalization and fail-safe braking
4
.
Some of the other countries where superspeed trains are running or planned are Great Britain,
Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Ireland, Australia, Canada, and the United States. High speed
train called Metroliners make daily three-hour trips between New York City and Washington, D.C.;
although the trains are capable of faster runs up to 160 miles (260 kilometers) per hour, drawbacks
on the existing line hold speeds to a maximum of 100 miles (160 kilometers) per hour.
Several American railroads operate trains of RoadRailers, vehicles that have both rail and
highway wheels. On the railroad they run coupled
5
together in trains pulled by locomotives, then are
separated and moved by highway tractors to their final destinations.
Among the more advanced systems proposed is the magnetic levitation
6
, or maglev, train.
Instead of wheels or steel rails, the system uses coils in the surface of the track, or guide way, to
create a magnetic field that lifts the vehicles and propels them forward. By the late 1980s only short
test systems had been built in Germany and Japan. Successful experimental runs were first made in
the early 1990s using locomotives powered by environmentally friendly natural gas.
Notes
:
1
bulk commodities – бестарные грузы, грузы насыпью
2
piggyback highway trailers – автополуприцепы или прицепы
3
to weld – сваривать
4
fail-safe braking – гарантированно надёжное торможение
5
to couple – сцеплять
6
magnetic levitation – магнитная левитация (поднятие)
[14] ADVANCES IN TRANSPORTATION
Technological advances in transportation have included the development of superspeed trains,
such as Japan’s ‘bullet train’ of the 1960s and Frances TGV (Train de Grand Vitesse) of the 1970s
and 1980s. These advances gave engineers the inspiration to design such experimental railroad
systems as the magnetic levitation
1
, or maglev train, which by the early 1990s had only short test
systems set up in Germany and Japan. Improvements in power generation and transmission and
concern for the air and noise pollution caused by diesel engines have prompted automobile makers
to develop cars that will run on alternative types of fuel. One result has been the prototype of an
electric car. A greater variety of ships, including submarine tankers and fast surface ships, have been
developed. Other new types of vessels that are available include the hydrofoil
2
, which travels on sea
wings with its hull
3
above water, and the hovercraft
4
, which rides above the water on a cushion of
air. The widespread use of atomic power for ship propulsion is a major research goal. STOL (short
takeoff and landing), VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing), and supersonic aircraft have been
adopted. These new technologies have made vehicles quieter. Passenger travel has improved in
speed and comfort. Freight transport costs less because larger vehicles are used and operating
efficiency has increased. The computer is used for record keeping, traffic control, navigation, and
other routine operations.
In the more distant future, rocket transportation may become feasible, perhaps in combination
with orbiting satellites, enabling all points on Earth to be connected in less than an hours travel time.
Underground gravity vacuum tubes may permit freight and passengers to travel between stations
thousands of miles apart also in less than an hour. Improvements may be expected in transportation
management techniques. Some forms of transportation now under private ownership, management,
and operation will increasingly depend on public financing or control, just as urban mass transit now
does. Some forms of transportation will be integrated into multimodal organizations, both public
and private, in order to move people and goods with a minimum of cost, inconvenience, and delay.
Innovative communications systems, however, have already made much travel unnecessary.
Teleconferencing enables people to hold meetings and see each other without having to travel.

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