Unit 1. Tunnels
Vocabulary. excavated - выкопанный length - длина width - ширина height- высота to remove - удалить rock-скальный грунт soil- почва sufficient - достаточный drainage- дренаж shaft- шахта exhaust-вытяжка inland - внутри страны involve - включать mountain range - горный хребет gorge - ущелье topographical conditions - топографические условия harsh - суровый mine tunnel - горная выработка; штрек deposit – залежь; месторождение permanent - постоянный consumption - потребление sewage - канализация pedestrian - пешеход motor vehicles - моторные транспортные средства wildlife crossings - переходы диких животных badger - барсук fortification-укрепление
1. A tunnel is a long, narrow, essentially linear excavated underground opening, the length of which greatly exceeds its width or height. It’s an underground or underwater passage usually made without removing the overlying rock or soil. Although tunnels are approximately horizontal, they must be built with sufficient gradient for proper drainage. Tunnels may be ventilated by shafts leading to the surface or by exhaust fans at the ends. 2. It is a well-known fact that the bridges and tunnels are the " keys" to start the railways operation. There are a large number of rail tunnels in Russia. Russian Railway network is operated by 162 tunnels with a total length of 119 km. The high number of tunnels is due to difficult terrain in our country. Travelling inland involves crossing mountain ranges and gorges. The development of railways was a major reason for building bridges and tunnels. It was harder for trains to climb hills than it was for horses or automobiles, so railways needed tunnels. 3. Russian first significant tunnel was the rail tunnel between Vilnius and Kaunas with the length of 1, 285 meters (0, 803 miles), built in the 1862. It’s the only railway tunnel operating in the Baltic states. Moreover, tunnel is included into the Registry of Immovable Cultural Heritage Sites of the Republic of Lithuania. 4. Because cars are better at climbing hills than trains are, Russia has less road tunnels. Some are very short, and some are significant, despite being short. Complex topographical conditions, for example hilly topography or road construction in the mountain taiga areas with harsh cold climate has made road tunnels especially important. 5. There are three different kinds of tunnels. Mine tunnels go deep down into the earth to enable miners to get to mineral or metal deposits (and back to the surface). These tunnels are cheaper to build than tunnels for transportation. They are also not as safe. This is because from the start they are not designed as permanent tunnels. Other tunnels may be aqueducts, built specifically for carrying water — for consumption, for hydroelectric purposes or as sewers — while others carry other services such as telecommunications cables. These are called tunnels for public works. They are built to transport water, sewage or gas materials over long distances. 6. The third kind of tunnel is for transportation, like for pedestrians or cyclists, for general road traffic, for motor vehicles only, for rail traffic, or for a canal. Transportation tunnels have to go through mountains, underground or under bodies of water. 7. There are even tunnels designed as wildlife crossings for European badgers and other endangered species. Some secret tunnels have also been made as a method of entrance or escape from an area, such as the Cu Chi Tunnels or the tunnels connecting the Gaza Strip to Egypt. Some tunnels are not for transport at all but are fortifications, for example Mittelwerkand Cheyenne Mountain.
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