No department of railways has been more developed by modern technology than signaling and telecommunications. Color light signals, electrical operation of signals and points, track-circuiting, route-setting panel control, automatic train operation, computer-based centralized traffic control (CTC) – these are the basic elements of up-to-date signaling. The method of operating long railway lines by CTC began in the USA in 1927. The principle is that at the central point the operator has a diagram showing him where every train is and he can control the whole section of the line – possibly of two or three hundred miles – from his control console. The operator can see and control the overall track circuit. On modern railways the main line and station approaches are controlled from a single control center to provide regular traffic and avoid delays.
To control a whole trunk line from one place a single control centre was first introduced in Japan, on the New Tokaido Line. The entire line between Tokyo and Osaka is wholly controlled from the general control center located in Tokyo. It’s well known that conventional CTC uses conventional relays. Practical railway experience shows that it takes much time to transmit information therefore the Japanese National Railways have developed a new system using transistors and diodes. This system proves to be more reliable; besides that it is more economical because it helps to save time: it takes about one second to scan indications for all tracks. At present up-to-date electronic equipment including a digital computer is widely used to automate train operation and to improve the quality of railway service.
Ex. 1. Answer the following questions to text A:
1. Do railway signaling and communications have the most advanced technologies and equipment?
2. What are the basic elements of up-to-date signaling?
3. Which of them is the latest one?
4. What’s your opinion on the subject?
5. What does the abbreviation CTC mean?
6. What country was the first to use CTC on its railways?
7. What kind of a diagram does the operator have on his (her) control console?
8. How long may be the section of the main line controlled from the single control centre?
9. What approaches are controlled from a single control centre?
10. Why is CTC so important for railways?
11. What railways began to control a whole trunk line by means of CTC?
12. What devices had been used to transmit information before the Japanese National Railways developed a new system using transistors and diodes?
13. Why are transistors and diodes more reliable than relays?
14. What is the latest development used to automate train operation and improve the quality of railway service?
I'm interested in the stories of veteran Leonid Ivanovich Kulikov about military service and the Great Patriotic War. Now Leonid Ivanovich is a colonel in retirement, he has the entire tunic in awards: medals and orders, people respect him. When the fascists occupied his small town in Moldova, he was 15 years old. He was captured. But I did not get to the camp, I ran away. For a long time he hid in the woods, he waited for his troops to liberate the region. And when the village was rescued from the Germans, he was taken into the army and sent to study in the tank school. Leonid Ivanovich recalls that at that time it was very difficult. They worked all day, learned to drive combat vehicles, to shoot guns that were on tanks. There was no time to rest, because the army needed good tankers. The tank's details are heavy, the physical loads were great, but there was not enough food. The cadets were constantly undernourished. But all stood firm, because it was hard for everyone at that time. And when Leonid Ivanovich finished his studies, he was sent to fight on the front line. The gunner at the best T-34 tank, he thundered the enemy along with other soldiers in Romania, Hungary. When the war was over, another ten years was a tanker, because the soldiers were not allowed to go home for a long time. The army needed to be kept strong so that soldiers and officers could protect peace in our country after the war.
Despite everything, the heavy army life of Leonid Ivanovich at that time was pleasant. It was very interesting. He traveled all over the country, he had many friends! And the young tankman decided to continue studying. He became an officer, commander of a tank unit.
Now Leonid Ivanovich eighty-seven years. Thanks to him, his comrades and all the veterans for the fact that we have peace now.
Очень люблю красивую снежную зиму. Когда всё вокруг укрыто холодной ватой. Когда на улице «мороз и солнце». Тогда действительно каждый день кажется чудесным. А зимний восход! Это так красиво. Всё вокруг на несколько минут становится розово-оранжевым
, и снежная ткань начинает переливаться тёплыми тонами не смотря на то, что на улице минус двадцать.
Может это и странно, но особую красоту зимнему пейзажу придаёт солнце. Именно благодаря ему, лежащиеснежинки начинают блестеть. И если идти через поле, например, и смотреть на снег, то видишь, как тебя сопровождает непрерывный фейерверк снежных ярких-приярких искр. Красота - неописуемая