Ex. 8. Translate the following phrases into Russian. Make up your own sentences using these phrases. Do it in written form.

Ex. 9. Mark the difference between the following words:

· interest - a feeling of wanting to know about or take part in something;

· concern - a feeling of worry about something important.

Translate the following sentences into Russian.

1. There is growing concern about violence on television.

2. My mother had never expressed any interest in the garden.

3. There is widespread concern that new houses will be built on protected land.

4. If children are missing school then that is the parents' concern.

5. Eighteen percent of people said unemployment was their main concern.

6. He has a particular interest in Italian art.

7. In retirement, Nelson added personal computing to his interests.

8. Stress at work is a matter of concern to staff and management.

9. Josie isn't really an archaeologist; it’s just an interest of hers.

10. Many people have voiced concern over the proposed changes in the law.

11. I’d recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in jazz.

12. Most degree courses allow students to include subjects of special interest to them.

Ex. 10. Fill in the blanks with either ‘interest’ or ‘concern’. Translate the sentences.

1. Doctors said her condition was causing ___.

2. I watched the first few episodes, but soon lost ___.

3. They shared a common ___ in botany.

4. There is growing ___ about the safety of mobile phones.

5. Her ___ were the same as most young girls - pop music, boys and clothes.

6. My parents encouraged my ___ in science.

7. She hasn’t been seen for four days and there is ___ for her safety.

8. Ben has shown a/an ___ in learning French.

9. These documents are of particular ___.

10. His private life is no ___ of ours.

11. I read your article with great ___.

12. The President’s health was giving serious cause for ___.

Ex. 11. Read the text and translate it into Russian, using a dictionary if necessary.

HISTORY OF THE RUSSIAN GAUGE

In railway terminology, ‘Russian gauge’ refers to railway track with a gauge between 1,520 mm and 1,524 mm. In a narrow sense as defined by Russian Railways it refers to 1,520 mm gauge.

The primary installed base of Russian gauge is across the states of the former Soviet Union (CIS states, Baltic states and Georgia), also Mongolia and Finland, representing about 225,000 km of track. The Russian gauge is the second most widely used gauge in the world - after 1,435 mm (standard gauge).

The selection process for the gauge was undertaken chiefly by Colonel Pavel Petrovich Melnikov (1804-1880). Probably, a combination of the following arguments was used:

· easier construction of locomotives;

· better stability;

· easier use of horse carriages for railroad construction and maintenance (since the gauge was wider than standard road track);

· defensive concerns.

In the 19th century, Imperial Russia chose a gauge broader than standard gauge. It is widely believed that the choice was made for military reasons, to prevent potential invaders from using the Russian rail system. Others point out that no clear standard had emerged by 1842. 1,524 mm was approved as the new standard on September 12, 1842.

Engineer Pavel Melnikov hired George Washington Whistler, a prominent American railroad engineer, to be a consultant on the building of Russia’s first major railroad, the Moscow-Saint Petersburg line. The selection of 1,500 mm gauge was recommended by German and Austrian engineers but not adopted: it was not the same as the 1,524 mm gauge in common use in the southern United States at the time.

George Washington Whistler was invited as a foreign expert to assist in railroad construction. He was a proponent of a wider gauge and his efforts helped in lobbying the new standard. It is quite likely that an ‘invasion’ argument was used in lobbying the project since military was closely supervising the construction; however, it is highly unlikely that such an argument was made by Melnikov during the actual selection process. Nazi Germany suffered such problems with their supply lines (= routes along which goods and equipment are transported to an army during a war) during World War II as a result of the break-of-gauge, but also because bridges had been destroyed.

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