The quite night on board
Exercise 3.7.1 Read and translate the text. At 21.05 UTC Victor Alpha crosses over the Volga River, which starts in the hills northeast of Moscow and flows for almost 2, 300 miles to the Caspian Sea. The jet is just south of the city of Syzran and well north of the legendary city of Volgograd formerly known as Stalingrad. Twenty-five minutes later the door of the rest area swings open and Bob appears. After a quick stop in the lavatory to freshen up, he changes places with Harry in the right seat. Harry bids his colleagues goodnight and heads off for his break. Bob settles in as the Captain updates him on the flight’s progress. The jet is over Kazakhstan, a country so large, that it could accommodate Germany, France, Spain, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden within its expansive borders. Aktyubinsk, a city near the northern border, is passed at 21.46 UTC. The flight has been airborne for 4 hours and 30 minutes but there is still 3, 500 nm to go, which will take another six hours and 50 minutes. There is 80 tonnes of fuel left, well above the 66.2 tonnes required. The radio frequency is quiet. So, too, is the cockpit. John and Bob are alone with their thoughts as they monitor the jet’s progress in silence. Between waypoints, the routine is mundane. The darkness outside does not even allow the distraction of watching the scenery pass by below. These flights across multiple time zones always put pilots at odds with the clock. They fight the body’s desire to sleep on night flights like this one. Then once at their destination, away from home, they often struggle to sleep when their confused body clock wants to be awake. The disruption in sleep patterns takes a toll on the body. Even veteran pilots, for all their globetrotting experience, pay a price after every trip. Exercise 3.7.2 Answer the questions. 1. What river does the jet cross? 2. When does Victor Alpha cross the Volga? 3. What does the Volga flow into? 4. Where did Bob freshen up? 5. Who does Bob change place with? 6. What does Harry bid his colleagues? 7. What does Harry do? 8. How large is Kazakhstan? 9. How many countries can Kazakhstan accommodate? 10. What time is Aktyubinsk passed? 11. How long will it take Speedbird 25 to get to destination? 12. How much fuel is there left? 13. Why is the radio frequency quiet? 14. What are John and Bob doing now? 15. Why do the flights put pilots at odds with the clock? 16. Do pilots fight the body’s desire to sleep on night flights? 17. Why do pilots often struggle to sleep? 18. What can you say about veteran pilots? 19. What experience do veteran pilots have? Exercise 3.7.3 Are the following statements true (√) or false (×)? Correct the false ones. 1. At 21.15 UTC Victor Alpha crosses over the Volga River. 2. The Volga River starts in the hills northeast of Moscow and flows for almost 2, 300 miles to the Caspian Sea. 3. The jet is just south of the city of Syzran and will pass north of the legendary city of Volgograd. 4. Bob changes places with Harry in the right seat. 5. The captain updates Harry on the flight’s progress. 6. Kazakhstan is a large country which can accommodate Germany, Spain, Great Britain, Norway and Sweden. 7. The flight has been airborne for 5 hours and 30 minutes. 8. There is 3, 500 nm to fly. 9. The flight will take another seven hours and 50 minutes. 10. There is 80 tonnes of fuel. 11. The radio frequency is quiet. 12. The pilots are monitoring the jet’s progress in silence. 13. The routine is mundane between waypoints. 14. The flights across multiple time zones always put pilots at odds with the clock. 15. Very often the pilots fight the body’s desire to sleep on night flights. 16. The disruption in sleep patterns takes a toll on the body. 17. Veteran pilots have got globetrotting experience. Exercise 3.7.4 Give English equivalents for the following words and word combinations. Река Волга; северо-восточнее Москвы; Каспийское море; легендарный город; 25 минут спустя; появляться; освежиться; обменяться местами; пожелать доброй ночи; большая, огромная страна; вмещать в себя что-то; обширные границы; кабина экипажа; думы, мысли; пункты донесения; тихий; темнота; отвлечение внимания; многочисленные временные зоны; желание спать во время полетов ночью; чувствовать разницу во времени; вдали от дома; нарушение сна; приносить вред здоровью; пилоты-ветераны; опыт работы, получаемый в результате многочисленных кругосветных полетов; платить цену. Exercise 3.7.5 What do the following abbreviations stand for?
Exercise 3.7.6 Find in the text synonyms for the following words and expressions. Begin; a fabulous city; earlier; previously; in 25 minutes; quick break; toilet: change seats; tell smb ”goodnight”; big; to need; calm; oversee; permit; jet’s flight; abstraction of …; time areas; to fight; do harm; journey, travel. Exercise 3.7.7 Match the word combinations and expressions in column A with those in column B.
Exercise 3.7.8 Fill in the gaps with the words from the text choosing from the ones given in brackets. 1. The jet ________ (passes, flies, crosses) over the Volga River. 2. Harry _________ (tells, bids, wishes) his colleagues ”goodnight”. 3. The captain _________ (appoints, fixes, updates) Bob on the flight’s progress. 4. The flight has been _________ (flying, airborne, heading) for 4 hours and 30 minutes. 5. There is 80 tonnes of fuel left, well above the 66.2 tonnes ________ (needed, required, requested). 6. The radio frequency is _________ (calm, quiet, still). 7. Harry bids his _________ (friends, partners, colleagues) ”goodnight”. 8. The pilots __________ (watch, check, monitor) the jet’s progress in silence. 9. The routine is __________ (quiet, peaceful, mundane). 10. The pilots fight the body’s __________ (wish, desire, want) to sleep on night flights. 11. When the pilots are away from home, they often _________ (fight, battle, struggle) to sleep when their confused body clock wants to be awaken. 12. Even veteran pilots pay a _________ (money, price, cost) after every trip. Exercise 3.7.9 Fill in the gaps with the related words. 1. Volgodrad, formerly known as Stalingrad, is a __________ city. (LEGEND) 2. 66.2 tonnes of fuel are _________. (REQUIRE) 3. The _________ outside does not even allow the __________ of watching the scenery pass by below. (DARK + DISTRACT) 4. The __________ in sleep patterns takes a toll on the body. (DISRUPT) Exercise 3.7.10 Translate the following sentences into English. 1. В 21.05 самолет проходит над рекой Волгой. 2. Волга берет начало северо-восточнее Москвы и протекает почти 2.300 миль до тех пор, пока не впадает в Каспийское море. 3. Борт находится севернее легендарного города Волгограда, ранее известного как Сталинград. 4. Через 25 минут появляется Боб. 5. Он занимает место в правом кресле. 6. Генри желает своим коллегам доброй ночи и погружается в отдых. 7. Командир корабля назначает Боба следить за показаниями приборов самолета в полете. 8. Самолет находится над территорией Казахстана. 9. Казахстан – огромная страна, которая может вместить Германию, Францию, Испанию, Великобританию, Норвегию и Швецию. 10. Самолет находится в воздухе уже 4 часа 30 минут. 11. Борту предстоит лететь еще 3.500 морских миль. 12. Полет займет 6 часов 50 минут. 13. Запас топлива на борту – 80 тонн. 14. В кабине экипажа тишина. 15. Пилот наедине со своими мыслями. 16. Никаких разговоров в эфире не слышно, кроме докладов-донесений в обязательных пунктах по маршруту. 17. Полеты через многочисленные временные зоны всегда приводят пилотов к путанице со временем. 18. Пилотам приходится бороться со сном во время ночных полетов (рейсов). 19. Вдали от дома, в каком-то городе они часто пытаются уснуть в то время, как их организм хочет бодрствовать. 20. Нарушение режима сна приносит вред организму. 21. Даже пилоты, имеющие огромный опыт работы, платят дорогую цену после каждого полета. Exercise 3.7.11 Make up your own sentences using the following words and word combinations South/North/East/West of …; after a quick stop; freshen up; change places; in the right seat; head off for …; a large country; expansive borders; flight has been airborne; 50 tonnes of fuel left; require; monitor the flight’s progress; in silence; routine; scenery; multiple time zones; put smb at odds; night flights; be away from; a veteran pilot; globetrotting experience; pay a price. Exercise 3.7.12 Retell the text.
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