From the History of Tunnel Construction

1.The first excavated passages beneath the earth were found in many of the ancient civilizations archeologists have investigated in recent years. It is established that natural tunnels and other results of water action, which are frequently found in limestone, first suggested to early man the idea of an artificial passage through rock.

2.The uses tunnels were specially constructed for were numerous; water man needed in the locality of towns and settlements was one of the main purposes. Road construction was another activity of man that required making an artificial passage through hills the builders encountered in their way.

3.Historians tell us that Egyptian Pharaohs who undertook the construction of rock-cut galleries over 750 feet long were the first tunnel builders.

4.Underground temples we see in Malta are at least 5,000 years old. The tunnel under the river Euphrates was probably the first submarine tunnel we know about.

5.The Romans were especially skilled in tunnel construction because of the improvements in methods they effected. They knew that a rock cracked when strongly heated and then suddenly cooled and applied this principle in all cases when the builders encountered a solid rock to be cut through.

6.The Romans have introduced the use of fire into tunnel construction and vinegar as a cooling agent because it was discovered that the acid nature of vinegar disintegrated the rock chemically as well as physically. The sufferings of the slaves who had to apply such methods can hardly be imagined.

7.Accurate location and construction methods depend on the rock the tunnel is to be driven through. Although powerful machines are applied in modern tunnel construction their work is stopped by hard rock formations such as marble and granite. In this respect the discovery of the rock-shattering property of the laser light is of tremendous importance for civil engineering.

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Пояснения к тексту:

1.rock-cut gallery – проход (галерея), вырезанный в горной (каменной) породе

2.effect – создавать, разработать

3. vinegar – уксус

4.as well as – а также

5. in this respect – в этом отношении

7.Перепишите следующие утверждения. Определите, какие из них соответствуют тексту, а какие нет. Напротив правильных предложений напишите “True” (Верно).

1.The Romans didn’t use vinegar because the slaves suffered badly.

2.The discovery of the laser light plays an important part in tunnel construction.

3.Construction methods used by tunnel builders depend on the rock formations.

Вариант 2

1 Перепишите следующие предложения, подчеркните в них глагол-сказуемое и определите его видо-временную форму и залог. Переведите предложения на русский язык. (Образец №4)

1.The positive results hadn’t been obtained until a more powerful apparatus was installed.2.The explanations of some UFO sightings (НЛО) haven’t been given yet. 3.The dinner was being cooked when mother came from work. 4.This new phenomenon was much written about.

2. Перепишите следующие предложения, переведите их, обращая внимание на разные значения слов it, that, one.

1.It should be noted that the pollution problem is becoming worse and worse.2.It was Mendeleyev who systematized the chemical elements. 3. One never knows what may happen.

3. Перепишите предложения, переведите их, обращая внимание на различные значения глаголов to be, to have, to do.

1.The new method increased the output better than the old one did. 2.He had much work to do today. 3. He child was looked for everywhere.

4. Перепишите следующие предложения. Переведите их, обращая внимание на отсутствие союзов в придаточных предложениях..

1.He explained he couldn’t come because he was ill. 2. The letter we’ve just received is from our partners.

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5. Перепишите предложения и переведите, обращая внимание на функцию инфинитива.

1.It did not take much time to build the road. 2. There isn’t much to see in this city. 3.To smoke 20 cigarettes a day won’t do you any good. 4.He used his influence to get me a job.

6.Прочитайте и устно переведите весь текст. Перепишите и переведите письменно 3,4,5 абзацы.