Lesson Theme: Special text. Railway System in Uzbekistan

(Based on: Brian Solomon. Railway Depots, Stations and Terminals)

1. 
   Read and translate the following text and be ready for its further discussion on the basis of active vocabulary, key terms quiz, review and discussion questions.
   

RAIL TERMINALS
The use of the transport capacity offered by rail transportation requires purposely designed terminals where passengers can embark and disembark and where freight can be transferred. Rail terminals, while not quite as space-extensive as airports and ports, suffer less from site constraints. This involves two major issues:
Location. An important distinction concerns passengers and freight rail terminals, which commonly involve very different loca­tions. Many rail terminals were established in the 19th century during the heyday of rail development. While sites may have been on the edge of urban areas at the time, decades of urban development, in­cluding residential and industrial areas, have surrounded older rail terminals, leaving limited opportunities for expansion. Passenger terminals tend to occupy central locations and are commonly the defining element of urban centrality while freight terminals have seen a growing separation from central locations, with new facilities often built in an exurban location, particularly for high speed train stations.
Setting. Because of the linear characteristic of the mode they serve, rail terminals are dominantly rectangular shaped facilities. Their capacity is a function of the number of track spurs available, which is a characteristic difficult to change once the terminal has been built. Individually rail terminals may not be as extensive as air­ports or ports, but cumulatively the area of all the rail sites in a city may exceed those of the other modes. For example, in Chicago the combined area of rail freight yards exceeds that of the airports.

1. 
   If journeys were taken overnight, reservation for sleeping car space or hotels needed to be secured in advance. Give the synonym to the highlighted word.
   

Beforehand
Lately
Recently
2.How did Morse code work?
via a series of rapidly transmitted clicks
via a series of slow transmitted clicks
via a series of rapidly transmitted waves

2. 
   The station was always a gateway for transport. It was a jumping- off point and the place of arrival. It was an emotional focal point, where many people saw a city for the first time or hugged a loved one before they traveled afar upon arrival after years away. Give the translation to the highlighted word.
   

Стартовая площадка
Хорошее начало
Трамплин
3. When trains ran late, the station agent might receive updates over the telegraph and would report the arrival code. Where stations were involved in operations, the agent-operator was often required to facilitate …….. to schedule as coordinated by a dispatcher. This was all accomplished by a thorough understanding of written ruled and following detailed ……. instructions issued via the telegraph. Put the missing words.

alterations / amending

understanding/ amending
amending/ station