From the history of communications

Most people think of communications only when they want to get from one place to another. But communications are important to the national economy of a country. Without good roads and railways a country cannot develop its resources and industry. Without roads it is impossible to market agricultural produce.

Early man probably used the river as his first means of travel and communications. Here he was safe from the wild animals in the forests. Later, man began to develop roads. These at first would be no more than tracks across the mountains and paths through the forests. But very early in Europe we find the development of the amber trade, from the Baltic coast via the great rivers, such as the Rhine, Elbe and Danube, to the Mediterranean.

In Roman times, roads became important for military reasons. Today we have increased the ways of communication. Roads are still important, water, in the form of either rivers or seas, is useful for carrying bulky materials.

But to these we have added the railway and the airplane. Airplanes cannot carry a great deal in weight, and are used mainly for carrying mail, people, or important goods.

Although the future belongs to air transport the railways today still carry the bulk of passenger and goods traffic. Railway transport is still one of the cheapest ways of hauling freight over long distances.

Modern Soviet railways run a transcontinental passenger service. It rushes the traveler across two continents - Europe and Asia - in most convenient all-metal carriages. The dining-car will cater for all appetites. The luggage-van and the then existing machines could not cope with the ever increasing demands of the mines. The stationary steam engine invented by I. Polsunov in 1763 and installed at some plants paved the way for the introduction of steam as tractive power on railways.

The first steam locomotive in Russia was constructed by the Cherepanovs, father and son, who were considered to be the most skilled and most talented workmen of their time.

The first railway in Russia using steam traction was put into operation at the Nizhni Tagil metallurgical works. It was a short distance line covering only 854 m. It is to the Cherepanovs that Russia owes the right to be placed among the countries which were the first to use steam as tractive power.

Some four years later, in 1837, the inauguration of the St. Petersburg - Tsarskoye Selo railway took place.

That very important railway line, which was 27 km, was soon followed, in 1851, by the construction of the St. Petersburg - Moscow line, 644 km in length. That was a first-class double-track railway line, which linked two large industrial and cultural centers - Moscow and St. Petersburg; 185 bridges and 19 viaducts were erected to make the line as straight and level as possible. P. P. Melnikov and N. O. Kraft, prominent engineers, were in charge of the construction work.

Notes

1. may be traced — можно проследить
2. as far back as — уже, еще
3. tram-ways — вагонеточные пути
4. who suggested that cast iron rails should be used instead of trams - который предложил использовать чугунные рельсы вместо деревянных (лежней)
5. to meet the needs — удовлетворять потребности
6. to be superior — превосходить
7. to time train movements — составлять расписание поезда
8. to gain ground — распространяться, усиливаться
9. the then existing — существовавшие тогда
10. paved the way — (зд.) проложил путь
11. the Cherepanovs — Черепановы

Task 10. Complete each sentence with right variant.

1. Early man used _____________ (trees, rivers, bridges) as his first means of communications.
2. In Roman times, roads became important for ______________ (economical, traveling, military) reasons.
3. The future belongs to ___________ (air transport, railways, sea transport).
4. The first railway in Russia with steam traction was put into operation at the _____________ (Tsarskoye Selo, Nizhni Tagil, Moscow) metallurgical works.
5. The inauguration of the St. Petersburg - Tsarskoye Selo railway took place in __________ (1851, 1763, 1837).

Task 11. Complete the sentences.

1. Without good roads and railways a country cannot __________________
2. Airplanes cannot carry ________________________________________
3. Railway transport is still _______________________________________
4. It is to the Cherepanovs which were the first _______________________

Task 12. Answer the following questions.

1. What does the communication system include?
2. Why do railways still stay one of the most important ways of communications today?
3. Who was the constructor of the first steam locomotive in Russia?
4. What do you prefer to travel by?

Task 13. Use correct forms of adjectives.

1. Civil, mechanical, electrical, nuclear, mining, military engineering branches are

(important) ___________ ones.

1. Civil engineering is (old) _________than nuclear one.
2. Railway transport is still one of (cheap) _________ ways of hauling freight over long distances.
3. The line covering 854 m. is much (short) ____________ than distance line in 644 km. Nowadays air transport is (fast) ___________ way of communication.

Task 14. Choose the correct forms of verbs.

1. During the last hundred years many new methods of building _______________.

a) has been discovered, b) have been discovered, c) will has been discovered

2. One of the most recent discov­eries _________ the usefulness of steel as a building material.

a) is, b) were, c) be

3. Nowadays it _________ often necessary to have a very fast transport.

a) is, b) are, c) were

Task 15. Read and translate the text.