Unit VII steam power

Ex. 1. Read and remember the words:

Marquis, nobleman, tug, scrap, paddle wheel, paddleboat, draft, vulnerability, lack, bay, voyage, cord, timber, cylinder, piston, stroke, condenser, turbine, heavy oil fuel, motorship, submarine, furnace, aids, hand, essence, combustion, nozzle;

Run (out), rock; stick (out), bite (into), puff, undergo, convert, emphasize, staff, ignite;

Scarce, spectacular, extensive, fragile, subsequent, entire; consecutive; compound, magnificent.

Ex.2. Insert the right word:

Voyage, scarce, vulnerability, bay, draft, bit, undergo, rocked, lack, timber, spectacular, paddleboats, puffing, fragile, turbines, staffed, emphasize, motorships, converts, aids, heavy oil fuel, magnificent, essence, hands, ran out.

1. This … is a convenient site for constructing a harbor. 2. The yard is a sort of … . 3. … were the favourite river transport of the XIXth century. 4. The … of the material is that it is rather … and can’t … physical loads. 5. The traveler couldn’t continue his … because he … … of money. 6. The axe blade … into the tree. 7. The … of your project is in its complexity, though the idea is … . 8. The … of the ship was too deep and it hit the rock. 9. He is an extremely honest man – such people are … nowadays. 10. The storm was terrible and the ship was being … heavily but the captain was … with his pipe as nothing was happening. 11. This device … heat into work. 12. The captain ordered: “All … on deck!” 13. Unlike the steamships the … use … … … instead of coal. 14. A ship equipped with … could show a … speed. 15. It is important to … the fact that you will be given all the necessary … for your work. 16. Sorry, but I can’t get the … of the problem. 17. The enterprise is completely … with personnel.

Ex. 3. Change the words of italic type with their synonyms from your active vocabulary:

1. The whole world knows the names of famous travelers. 2. The ship machine was out of order and the captain had to ask for a tow. 3. A paddle-wheeled steamboat was smoking along the river. 4. The trip was really impressive! 5. You must be careful! The material is rather brittle. 6. In case of an accident a number of successive actions should be taken. 7. The expedition spent all their supplies and further route appeared to be impossible. 8. The ship has a notable forward set. 9. When the vessel moves at a full speed, its propeller actually cuts into the water. 10. Iron-and-steel waste can be used for re-melting. 11. After steamboats had replaced riggers, the shipbuilding experienced considerable changes. 12. When engines with two cylinders began to use, such type of engines was called combined. 13. What additional means can be suggested in case of an accident? 14. Your idea is really brilliant! 15. You can transform one matter to another in the result of this reaction. 16. To produce more steam you had to put more coal into the fire-chamber. 17. The crew was completely manned with sailors. 18. Let us stress this important point once more.

Ex. 4. Define in one word:

1. a man who was born in an aristocratic family;

2. ready to break easily;

3. a steamship driven by paddle wheels;

4. sea travelling;

5. a ship aimed to pull another vessel;

6. broken pieces of metal used for remelting;

7. something which goes one after another;

8. a body of water cut into the shoreline;

9. the level to which a ship is submerged into the water;

10. something taken in a whole;

11. a piston movement;

12. to change one into another;

13. some additional devices to make the work easier;

14. brilliant or excellent;

15. an underwater vessel;

16. a device for burning coal to get heat or to transform it into energy.

Ex. 5. Translate into Russian:

development of the steam engine

to construct an engine himself

the first all-iron steamship

a gifted naval architect

to depend on the muscles of rowers

an overnight stop

to propel the ships

side paddle wheels

to attract enough customers

huge operating costs

suitable for many kinds of work

shallow draft

a French nobleman

means of communication

transatlantic telegraph cable

the ocean floor

an American inventor

to make an ocean voyage

the first workable steamboat

under perfect conditions

to be sold for scrap

a passenger liner

passenger and freight service

entire fuel supply

commercial vessels

regularly scheduled service

in calm waters

in rough seas

commercially successful

iron seagoing ships

the mechanical drive

to support a course

a side-wheeler

all-weather ships

from side to side

wholly under the water

consecutive evolutionary changes

to keep operating

new sources of power

to replace coal as a fuel

stabilization of the hull

one-cylinder steam engine

nuclear-powered ship

a full stroke

impractical for commercial use

compound steam engine

high building and operating costs

to push the piston

floating hotels

the same amount

deck and engine room hands

cut the use up to 50 per cent

chiefly for economic reasons

technological complexity

a marine steam turbine

with minimum labour

luxury liners

to require much less space

Ex. 6. Read and translate the text:

T

EXT 7A

FIRST STEAMBOATS

The invention and development of the steam engine revolutionized water transportation. People no longer had to depend on the muscles of rowers or uncertain wind to propel their ships. In 1769, James Watt, a Scottish engineer, patented a steam

Pic. 20. The major components of a Watt pumping engine.

engine that was suitable for many kinds of work. Inventors in Europe and the US soon tried to use it to power boats.

As it has already been mentioned above, the first steamboats appeared in late 1700’s. In 1783, the Marquis Claude de Jouffroy d’Abbans, a French nobleman, built a steamboat that made a 15-minute trip on the Saone River Pic. 21. Stern-paddle Steamer near Lyons. But he was never able to repeat his success. In 1787, John Fitch, an American inventor, demonstrated the first workable steamboat in the United States. Its engine powered a series of paddles on e

ach side of the boat. Fitch later developed a vessel pushed by paddles at the stern. With this boat, he started the nation’s first commercial passenger and freight service during summer of 1790. He navigated the boat on schedule up and down the Delaware River between Philadelphia, Pa., and Trenton, N.J. But Fitch lacked enough money to keep operating. In 1802, William Symington, a British engineer, built a steam tug that had a paddle wheel at the stern. The tug worked perfectly, but Symington also ran out of money.

The beginning of the XIXth century was marked by construction of the first commercial vessels with steam machines.

The Clermont became the first commercially successful steamboat. Robert Fulton, an American, designed and built the vessel, which was officially called the North River Steam Boat. Fulton did not try to construct an Pic. 22. The Side-Paddle Boat “Mark Twain” engine himself, as earlier inventors had done. Instead, he ordered one from Watt and adapted it to his boat. In 1807, the Clermont steamed 150 miles (241 km) up the Hudson River from New York to Albany in about 30 hours, including an overnight stop. After extensive rebuilding, the boat sailed in regular passenger service on the Hudson. The Clermont was long and slender – originally 142 ft (43 m) long and 14 ft (4.3 m) wide. It had side paddle wheels 4 ft (1.2 m) wide and 15 ft (4.6 m) in diameter. After the rebuilding, the Clermont became 149 ft (45.4 m) long and 18 ft (5.5 m) wide.

Such paddleboats were widely spread in the XIX and till the beginning of the XX centuries. They could be used on practically all the significant rivers, because of their shallow draft. In particular, river steamboats with paddle wheels had been the only means of communication on such rivers as the Volga and the Mississippi for about 100 years. It was the paddleboat that allowed to provide a high level of passenger comfort and service and to create a new branch of tourism – cruises.

B

ut Fulton’s boats Pic. 23: HMS “Victoria”, a sails-and-steam hybrid could puff along only on bays and rivers. In 1809, the Phoenix became the first steamboat to make an ocean voyage. It was constructed by John Stevens, an American engineer. The Phoenix traveled along the Atlantic Coast and up the Delaware River from New York City to Philadelphia. The trip took 13 days. Under perfect conditions, sailboats could do it in 2 days. The first wheel steamship in Russia, which went on a line St. Petersburg - Kronstadt was constructed in 1815. In 1819, an American vessel, the Savannah, became the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean. It was actually a full-rigged sailing ship equipped with steam-powered side paddle wheels. The ship took 29 days to travel from New York City to Liverpool. During the voyage, it ran its engine 105 hours, using up its entire fuel supply of 70 t of coal and 25 cords* (91 m³) of wood. In 1838, the British side-wheeler Sirius became the first ship to offer regularly scheduled service across the Atlantic under steam power alone. The trip took 18.5 days.

The age of steam began.

*1 cord = 128 ft³

Ex.7. Answer the questions:

1. Why was the invention and development of steam engine so important for water transportation? 2. Who is considered to be the inventor of steam engine? 3. What can you say about the first steamboat? 4. Why did the first American steam vessel projects fail? 5. Who can be called “the father” of the first commercially successful steamboat? 6. What were the reasons of such long popularity of paddleboats? 7. What was the main disadvantage of Fulton’s ships? 8. How did the first ocean-going steamship look like? 9. What country suggested regularly scheduled service across the Atlantic under steam power?

Ex. 8. Agree or disagree with the following statements. Give grounds to your answer:

1. James Watt designed his engine especially for water vessels. 2. The first steamboat was built in France. 3. People accepted the new mean of water transportation at once. 4. Designing his ship, Robert Fulton invented the engine of a new type. 5. One of the main reasons for steam vessels’ popularity was the high rate of passenger comfort. 6. Fulton’s side-wheelers suited both for river and ocean traveling. 7. Paddleboats were much faster than riggers. 8. The first ocean-going steamships were a combination of steam and sailing vessel.

Ex. 9. Translate into English:

1. Изобретение парового двигателя произвело революцию в экономике. 2. Этот прибор подходит для разнообразной работы. 3. Ему никогда не удастся повторить свой рекорд! 4. Первые коммерческие паровые суда начали строить в начале 19-го века. 5. Фултон не стал изобретать новый вид двигателя, а приспособил к своей лодке двигатель Ватта. 6. Путешествие займет около 40 часов, включая остановку на ночь. 7. Из-за неглубокой осадки колесные пароходы лучше подходили для речных, а не морских путешествий. 8. Первые морские пароходы были в действительности парусниками с полным вооружением, дополнительно оснащенными боковыми гребными колесами с паровым приводом.

Ex. 10. Define the main topic and idea of the text, split it into the logical parts, make up the plan of the text.

Ex. 11. Abstract the text.

Ex. 12. Read and try to understand the text, looking the comments below: