Other Interesting Crossings
1785 John Jeffries and Jean Pierre Blanchard first crossed the Channel by balloon.
1875 Captain Matthew Webb swam across the channel. Thousands of people have done this since then.
1883 William Terry rode from Midlands of England to Dover on tricycle, which changed into a rowing boat and took him across to France.
1934 The Frenchman Monsieur Flourens tried to cross from France on a huge rubber ball.
1959 The first British hovercraft crossed from Calais to Dover in two hours three minutes.
Every year ‘mad’ Englishmen try to cross the Channel in all kinds of ‘boats’. Here are some of the sillier examples: a large bed, a giant gin bottle, a jacuzzi, a beer barrel, a parachute behind a boat.
C. a)Look at this schedule of “Important Dates” in the programme of the Channel Tunnel construction. Underline the key words in each statement. (Don’t underline more than FOUR words in any one statement). ***
Important Facts
2 April 1985 The French and British governments ask for proposals for the design and construction of a ‘fixed link’ between their two countries.
20 January 1986 A twin-bore rail tunnel, to be built by a company called Transmanche Link, is chosen as the way forward.
29 July 1987 The necessary formalities for the link are completed (namely the ratification of the treaty).
1 December 1987 Tunnelling under the seabed begins in the UK.
8 February 1988 Tunnelling under the seabed on the French side begins.
28 June 1988 Tunnelling under the land on the French side begins.
30 September 1988 Tunnelling under the land on the English side begins.
21 April 1990 Total length of tunnelling is now 75.7 km – half the total for the complete tunnel.
13 August 1990 The total length of tunnelling now reaches 100 km – two thirds of the total.
1 December 1990 The first breakthrough between tunnels started from France and from England is made. This is the first time in twelve thousand years that it has been possible to walk between the two countries.
28 June 1991 Tunnelling completed.
b) Find the words given in column A in the “Important Dates” and match them with their very brief explanations in column B.
A. B.
1. proposals for the design and construction. a. when the tunnel from France
met the tunnel from England
2. fixed link b. the official arrangements
3. twin-bore c. a permanent/solid connection
4. necessary formalities d. suggestions for what the
Tunnel should look like and
how it should be built
5. the first breakthrough e. two holes
D. Read these ‘Fascinating Facts’ about the Channel Tunnel and:
A) Put a tick beside the two which give permission for something; underline the one you think is the most important.
Fascinating Facts
1. All the train drivers are bi-lingual.
2. There is a system in the Tunnel for electrocuting stray animals.
3. It took 170 billion hours of work to complete the tunnel.
4. The boring of the Tunnel took three and a half years.
5. The police in England and in France have the power to arrest wrong-doers on each side of the Tunnel.
6. National frontiers are about 55 m beyond the toll-booth which you pass at the start of your journey.
7. The Eurotunnel company has the concession to run the Tunnel for 65 years but it is required to make a proposal for a drive-through tunnel by the year 2000 and this tunnel should be in use by 2020.
8. The main tunnels are between 25 m and 40 m below the sea.
9. There is a system for X-raying whole cars.
b) Read through the ‘Fascinating Facts’ again and put a circle round the key words in each statement. (Don’t circle more than FIVE words in any one statement.) ***
E. Read the passage below and supply the missing words. Choose from the following list. One of the words will be used more than once.
***
Travelling by Train
buffet car left-luggage office through train
carriage trolley ticket collector
catch luggage rack ticket office
change no smoking tickets
compartments platform timetable
departures board railway station train
inter-city restaurant car window seat
express return
David Perry went to the (1) ____________________ to pick up a suitcase he had left there earlier in the day. Then he went to the (2) ____________________ and asked for a second-class (3) _____________________ to Hastings.
Five minutes later he was checking his London – Hastings (4) _____________________ to see what time his (5) _____________________ left. There was one at 12.15 from (6) _____________________ 12. He checked his watch. It was 11.55.
‘Good,’ he thought. ‘I can (7) _____________________ that one.’
As he walked towards (8) _____________________ 12, an old lady stopped him. She was pushing a (9) _____________________ which contained two large suitcases. She asked him if there was a train to Southampton soon. He looked up at the large (10) _____________________ above their heads. He soon found what he was looking for.
‘Yes, there’s a train leaving in fifteen minutes from (11) ______________________ 6,’ he said to her. ‘It’s an (12) ____________________.’ The old lady thanked him, and David hurried along.
The (13) _____________________ were quite full by the time he reached the (14) _____________________. He got into the second (15) ____________________ and, after putting his suitcase on a (16) _____________________, managed to find a (17) _____________________. It was a (18) _____________________ compartment. David was pleased as he was allergic to cigarette smoke.
Ten minutes after the train had left the (19) _____________________, the (20) ____________________ came round to check people’s (21) ___________________.
‘Is this a (22) _____________________?’ David asked.
‘No, you’ll have to (23) _____________________ at Eastbourne.’
‘And can you get something to drink on the train?’
‘Sorry, sir, there’s no (24) _________________ or (25) ________________ on this service, I’m afraid.’
‘Ah well, never mind,’ David thought to himself. ‘We’ll soon be in Hastings.’