Министерство образования 
Республики Беларусь
БЕЛОРУССКИЙ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ 
ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ УНИВЕРСИТЕТ
Кафедра английского языка № 1
А.О. Боярская 
Л.В. Педько 
Е.В. Слесарёнок
ENGLISH FOR TRANSPORTATION
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК ДЛЯ СПЕЦИАЛИСТОВ 
ПО ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ ПЕРЕВОЗОК
Пособие
Минск 2 0 0 9
Министерство образования Республики Беларусь 
БЕЛОРУССКИЙ НАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЙ ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЙ 
УНИВЕРСИТЕТ
Кафедра английского языка № 1
А.О. Боярская 
Л.В. Педько 
Е.В. Слесарёнок
ENGLISH FOR TRANSPORTATION
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК ДЛЯ СПЕЦИАЛИСТОВ 
ПО ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ ПЕРЕВОЗОК
Пособие
М и н с к  2 0 0 9
Рецензенты:
старший преподаватель кафедры делового английского языка 
ФМБК БРЭУ Л.И. Василевская-, 
зав. кафедрой организации автомобильных перевозок и дорожного 
движения, кандидат технических наук, доцент В. Н. Седюкввич
Боярская, А.О.
Б 86 English for transportation = Английский язык для специалистов по 
организации перевозок: пособие / А.О. Боярская, Л.В. Педько, Е.В. Сле­
сарёнок. -  Минск: БНТУ, 2009. -  112 с.
ISBN 978-985-525-155-3.
В пособие включены оригинальные (аутентичные) тексты и упраж­
нения, направленные на изучение лексических и грамматических яв­
лений, характерных для научно-технической литературы, а также упраж­
нения, направленные на поиск нужной информации в тексте и закреп­
ление навыков аннотирования текста.
Пособие предназначено для формирования и развития навыков и 
умений перевода английских научно-технических текстов и овладения 
профессиональной лексикой студентами старших курсов автотрактор­
ного факультета специальности «Организация перевозок и управление 
на автомобильном и городском транспорте».
УДК 802.0-5(075.8):62 
ББК 81.2Англ.я7
ISBN 978-985-525-155-3 © Боярская А.О., Педько Л.В., 
Слесарёнок Е.В., 2009 
© БНТУ, 2009
Unit One: Road Transportation
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions.
1. to assess — оценивать
2. domestication -  одомашнивание(животных), приручение
3. emergence - выход; появление
4. emergency- чрезвычайное положение; авария
5. to follow - следовать за
6. hazardous -  опасный, рискованный
7. lane -  полоса движения
8. to maintain- поддерживать, обслуживать
9. maintenance -  содержание и техническое обслуживание; уход; 
текущий ремонт
10. macadam-щебень
11. onwards -  далее
12. pan-continental -  пан-континентальный
13. to pave -  мостить
14. to span - протянуться
15. stagecoach -дилижанс, почтовая карета
16. strip (air strip) - полоса (взлетно-посадочная полоса)
17. toll -  пошлина, сбор, плата за проезд
18. trail -  тропа, дорожка, след, временный путь
19. turnpike - главная магистраль; платная автодорога
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
road, freeway (AmE), railway, ring road, slip road, bridge, turnpike, 
service road, achievement, trunk road
1. a very wide road in the US, built for fast travel.
2. a permanent track composed of a line of parallel metal rails fixed to 
sleepers, for transport of passengers and goods in trains.
3. a structure that spans and provides a passage over a road, railway, 
river, or some other obstacle.
4. a motorway for using of which a toll is charged.
5. something that has been accomplished, especially by hard work, abil­
ity, or heroism.
3
6. an open way, usually surfaced with asphalt or concrete, providing 
passage from one place to another.
7. a main road that bypasses a town or town centre.
8. a relatively narrow road running parallel to a main road and providing 
access to houses, shops, offices, factories, etc., situated along its 
length.
9. a short road connecting a motorway, etc., to another road.
10.a main road, esp. one that is suitable for heavy vehicles.
Ex. 3 Match the words and word combinations with the similar
meaning.
1. emergence
2. hazardous
3. toll
4 . to assess
5. structure
6. purpose
7. to require
8. to link
9. significance
10. to expand
a) to evaluate
b) importance
c) frame
d) to connect
e) appearance
f) dangerous
g) to spread out
h) charge
i) objective 
j) to demand
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) the Silk Road
2) fall out of favor
3) all-weather transcontinental 
highway
4) mail coach service
5) stage-coach
6) wheeled vehicles
7) pan-continental trading route
8) interstate highway
9) in case of an emergency
a)трансконтинентальный 
торговый путь
b) всепогодная трансконти­
нентальная магистраль
c) дорога с твердым покрытием
d) впасть в немилость
e) колесное транспортное 
средство
f) не скользкое покрытие
g) работающий по расписанию
h) в экстренных случаях
i) водостойкое дорожное по­
крытие
4
10) solid road
11) operating under a timetable
12) waterproof road surfaces
13) non-slippery pavement
j) шелковый путь 
k) почтовая карета, дилижанс 
1) междуштатное шоссе 
т )  почтовая служба
Ex. 5. Translate the following noun+noun construction into Russian.
1. minimum cost network flow 
optimization
2. land transportation networks
3. road freight transport
4. high-quality road transport
5. road damage cost
6. road freight haulage
7. information technology devel­
opment
8. lorry road user charge
9. road transport growth
10. land transport system
11. short-term decisions
12. product life cycle
Ex. 6. Choose the right variant for each word combination. Mind the 
use of the word ‘road’.
1) back road
2) country road
3) dirt road
4) feeder road
5) macadam road
6) merging roads
7) ring road
8) secondary road
9) slip road
10) toll road
11) surfaced road
a) кольцевая (окружная) дорога
b) дорога с твёрдым покрытием
c) подъездная дорога
d) вспомогательная дорога
e) просёлочная дорога
f) въезд/съезд на автомагистраль
g) платная дорога
h) дорога местного значения
i) немощёная, грунтовая дорога 
j) дорога, покрытая щебнем
к) сходящиеся дороги
Ex. 7. Read the text attentively, find international words, translate 
them into Russian. Say what you have learnt from the history of 
roads.
Two major modes are composing the land transport system, roads and 
railways. Obviously, roads were established first, as rail technology only 
became available by the 18th century, in the midst of the industrial revolu­
tion. Historical considerations are important in assessing the structure of 
current land transportation networks. Modem roads tend to follow the struc­
ture established by previous roads, as it was the case for the modern Euro­
5
pean road network (especially in Italy, France and Britain) that follows the 
structure established by the Roman road network centuries before.
The first land roads took their origins from trails which were gener­
ally used to move from one hunting territory to another. With the emer­
gence of the first forms of nation-states trails started to be used for com­
mercial purposes as trade expanded and some became roads, especially 
through the domestication of animals such as horses, mules and camels. 
The use of wheeled vehicles encouraged construction of better roads. 
However, a road transport system requires a level of labor organization 
and administrative control that could only be provided by a central gov­
ernment offering some military protection over trade routes. By 3,000 
BC the first road systems appeared in Mesopotamia and asphalt was used 
to pave roads in Babylon by 625 BC. The Persian Empire had a road of 
2,300 km in the 5th century BC. However, the first major road system 
was established by the Roman Empire from 300 BC and onwards, main­
ly for economic, military and administrative reasons. It relied on solid 
road engineering methods, including the laying of foundations and the 
construction of bridges. This was also linked with the establishment of 
pan-continental trading routes, such as the Silk Road, linking Europe and 
Asia by 100 BC.
Following the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, integrated 
road transportation fell out o f favor as most roads were locally con­
structed and maintained. Because of the lack of maintenance of many 
road segments, land transport became a very hazardous activity. It is not 
until the creation of modern nation-states in the 17th century that na­
tional road transportation systems were formally established. The 
French, through central government efforts, build their Royal Roads sys­
tem spanning 24,000 km, over which a public transport service of stage­
coaches carrying passengers and mail was established. The British, 
mainly through private efforts, built a 32,000 km system of turnpikes 
where tolls have to be paid for road usage. A similar initiative was un­
dertaken in the United States in the 19th century and by the early 20th 
century, a network of 3 million km of roads, most unpaved, was in op­
eration. 1794 marks the beginning of modem road transportation with 
the first mail coach service between London and Bristol, operating under 
a timetable.
6
Also of high significance were technological innovations in road en­
gineering that permitted the construction of reliable and low cost hard 
surface roads. One such achievement came from the Scottish engineer 
McAdam who developed a process (later known as macadam) where 
hard and waterproof road surfaces were made by cemented crushed 
stone, bound together either with water or with bitumen. It provided a 
cheaper, durable, smooth and non-slippery pavement, which considera­
bly improved the reliability and the travel speed on roads. Many roads 
could now be used year round.
Road development accelerated in the first half of the 20th century. By 
the 1920s, the first all-weather transcontinental highway, the Lincoln 
Highway, spanned over 5,300 km between New York and San Francisco. 
The Germans were however the first to build the modem highway (auto­
bahn) in 1932 with specifications such as restricted access and road sepa­
ration. The post World War Two era represented a period of rapid ex­
pansion of road transportation networks worldwide. The most remark­
able achievement is without doubt the American Interstate highway 
system initiated in 1956. Its strategic purpose was to provide a national 
road system servicing the American economy and also able to support 
troop movements and act as air strips in case of an emergency. Overall, 
about 70,000 km of four-lane and six-lane highways were constructed, 
linking all major American cities, coast to coast. By the 1970s, every 
modem nation has constructed a national highway system, which in the 
case of Western Europe resulted in a pan-European system. This trend 
now takes place in many industrializing countries. For instance, China is 
building a national highway system that expanded to 25,000 km, with 
construction taking place at a pace of about 2,000 km per year.
Ex. 8. Answer the following questions.
1. When did trails start to be used for commercial purposes?
2. When and where did the first road system appear?
3. Why did land transport become a very hazardous activity in the 5th 
century?
4. What were technological innovations of high significance?
5. When did road development accelerate?
6. Every modem nation has constructed a national highway system by 
the 1970s, hasn’t it?
7
Ex. 9. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. (Вслед за падением) of the Roman Empire, (объединенные до­
рожные перевозки) fell out of favor as most roads were locally con­
structed and maintained. 2. The American (федеральная система 
скоростных автострад) was to provide a national road system servic­
ing the American economy and also able to (поддерживать) troop 
movements and act as (взлетная полоса) (в экстренных случаях). 3. 
The use of (колесных транспортных средств) encouraged construc­
tion of better roads. 4. By the 1920s, the first (всепогодное) trans­
continental (шоссе) spanned over 5,300 km between New York and 
San Francisco. 5. (Дорожная транспортная система) requires a level 
of (организация труда) and administrative control that could be 
(обеспечено) by a central (правительством) offering some military 
protection over (торговые пути). 6. The first road systems (появи­
лись) in Mesopotamia and asphalt was used (для того, чтобы мос­
тить дороги) in Babylon by 625 ВС. 7. Technological innovations in 
(дорожная техника) permitted the construction of (надежный) and 
(с низкой себестоимостью) (дороги с твердым покрытием). 8. The 
Germans were the first to build the modern highway (autobahn) in 
1932 with specifications such as (ограниченный доступ) and (раз­
деление дорог). 9 Overall, about 70,000 km o f (4-х полосных) (ма­
гистралей) were constructed, linking all major American cities, coast 
to coast. 10. Historical considerations are important (при оценке) the 
structure of (современная сеть наземных перевозок). 11. The Scot­
tish engineer McAdam (разработал) a process later known as (ще­
бенка) which considerably improved the (надежность) and the (ско­
рость передвижения) on roads and provided a cheaper, durable, 
(гладкий) and (не скользкую мостовую).
Ex. 10. Fill in the blanks with the suitable prepositions.
1. The most remarkable achievement is ... doubt the American Inter­
state highway system initiated ... 1956. 2. 1794 marks the beginning 
... modern road transportation with the first mail coach service ... 
London and Bristol, operating ... a timetable. 3. The first land roads 
took their origins ... trails which were generally used to move ... one
hunting territory ... another. 4. The first major road system was estab­
lished ... the Roman Empire and it relied ... solid road engineering 
methods, including the laying ... foundations and the construction ... 
bridges. 5. The Scottish engineer McAdam developed a process 
where hard and waterproof road surfaces were made ... cemented 
crushed stone, bound together either ... water or ... bitumen.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the participles.
1. Cars and trucks have improved in numerous respects, becoming far 
more reliable, safer and less polluting. 2. Being an engine o f com­
merce, the logistics industry is fueled by the health of the overall 
economy. 3. Transport companies earn money being engaged in 
freight transportation instead of writing the accompanying docu­
ments. 4. Goods in lots which are too small for the traditional bulk 
transport can be moved using containers. 5. Indices showing cost de­
velopments for different kinds o f road transport have to be published 
regularly. 6. The 1939 World Fair had exhibits indicating that almost 
everything in transport would operate automatically. 7. Vehicles trav­
elling on the network include automobiles, bicycles, buses, trains, 
people and aircraft.
Ex. 12. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the emphatic constructions.
1. It is not until the creation of modern nation-states in the 17th century that 
national road transportation systems were formally established. 2. It was in 
the 1950s that the introduction of containerization gave massive efficiency 
gains in freight transport, permitting globalization. 3. It is only in recent 
years that traditional practices have started to be questioned in many places.
4. It is the density of development that spends on mode' of transport, with 
public transport allowing for better special utilization. 5. It is different mod­
es of transport that offer different levels of mobility and accessibility in dif­
ferent circumstances. 6. It is the inertial nature of transportation facility de­
velopment and urban structure adjustments that make it difficult to keep up 
with a population’s rapid shifts to motor vehicle.
9
Ex. 13. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 14. Translate the text into Russian. Use the dictionary if necessary.
UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development) 
has suggested definitions to various types of transport so that a clear dis­
tinction could be established between multimodal transport and other 
forms of transport. Unimodal transport is the transport of goods by one 
mode of transport by one or more carriers.
Intermodal transport is the carriage of goods by several modes of 
transport from one point/port of origin via one or more interface points 
to a final port/point where one o f the carriers organizes the whole trans­
port. Depending upon the sharing of transport responsibility, different 
types o f transport documents are issued. Under the another form of 
transport called segmented transport, the carrier takes responsibility for 
the portion it is performing itself, and accordingly issues an intermodal 
bill of lading.
Facilitation of trade and transport sectors calls for procedural, legal and 
institutional reforms to simplify, standardise and harmonise procedures 
and documentation that will help to achieve movement of goods at a min­
imum cost and time. This covers a wide spectrum of activities including 
human resource development, physical infrastructures, and the use of new 
transport and information technologies. Multimodal transport is one of 
highly effective and modern ways of facilitating movement of imports and 
exports. It is a transport logistic system based on new transport technology 
that ensures fast and safe movement of goods at least costs.
The rapid changes in political, economic and technological sectors in 
the aftermath of the Second Great War resulted in the tremendous 
growth in domestic production and international trade. The world started 
to witness ever growing competition as every country faced challenges 
as well as opportunities to raise one's share in the global trade. The con­
cept of 'just-in-time' became the most wanted element in international
10
trader. The traditional practice of holding large stock became an obsolete 
practice. Consequently this triggered new developments in, inter alia, 
transport technologies aimed at achieving higher efficiency with reduced 
cost and transit time in delivering products from one part of the world to 
the another. In the course of its development, the multimodal transport 
used to be called with variety of names such as intermodal transport, 
through transport and combined transport.
Multimodal transport is the most popular form of transport logistic 
system in the international trade for efficient door-to-door delivery using 
single document called a multimodal transport document (MTD) under a 
single liability regime covering all modes of transport from the place of 
origin to the place of destination. In other words, multimodalism refers 
to a transport system to effect door-to-door movement of cargo, and 
therefore, reflects a logical and flexible commercial system in interna­
tional trade. It also means selling direct into the overseas market as eas­
ily as at home and in terms familiar to the customers.
Unit Two: Road - the Lifetime of the European 
Single Market
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. agreement -  соглашение, договор
2. allocation -  размещение, распределение
3. authorization- санкционирование, разрешение
4. charge -  расходы, издержки, налог, сбор
5. coach -  пассажирский автобус, вагон
6. to codify- систематизировать
7. to comply -  выполнять, осуществлять
8. crucial -  наиболее значительный, важный
9. distorting -  искажающий, деформирующий
10. to exercise - использовать, осуществлять, проявлять, применять
11. flexibility - гибкость
12.to hamper -  препятствовать, мешать
13.haulage -  перевозка, транспортировка
14.impact -  сильное воздействие, удар, толчок
11
15.legislation - законодательство
16. levy (v, n) -  сбор, взимание пошлин, налогов
17.in regard to -  в отношении, что касается
18. saturation — насыщение
19.to settle — регулировать, устанавливать
20.to strive — бороться, прилагать усилия
21.taxation -  налогообложение, размер налога
22.toll (v, п) -  пошлина, облагать платой за перевозку
23.to underpin - -поддерживать, подкреплять
24.victim -  жертва
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition, 
legislation, operator, safety, toll, allocation, traffic, transport cafe
1. a person who owns or operates an industrial or commercial estab­
lishment.
2. an inexpensive eating place on a main route, used mainly by long­
distance lorry drivers.
3. the act or process o f making laws.
4. an amount of money levied for the use of certain roads, bridges, etc., 
to cover the cost of maintenance.
5. accounting a system of dividing overhead expenses between the vari­
ous departments of a business.
6. freedom from danger or risk of injury.
7. the movement of vehicles, people in a particular place or for a par­
ticular purpose.
Ex. 3 Match the words and word combinations with the similar 
meaning.
1) haulage a) duty
2) charge b) critical/ urgent
3) toll c) therefore
4) levy d) equality
5) in regard to e) to classify
6) legislation f) to fulfill
7) consequently g) in respect to
8) crucial h) tax
12
9) to codify
10) to comply
11) non-discrimination
i) expenses, costs 
j) law
h) transportation
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) absorption
2) accessorial services
3) bridge toll
4) revenue unit of service
5) cargo-carrying capacity
6) constructive mileage
7) joint agents
8) traffic capacity
9) traffic density
a) грузовместимость транс­
портного средства
b) пропускная способность 
пути сообщения
c) совместное транспортное 
агентство (несколько пред­
приятий)
d) дополнительное обслужи­
вание при перевозках
e) принятие на себя обяза­
тельств другого перевозчика 
без увеличения стоимости 
доставки
f) плотность транспортного 
потока
g) мостовой сбор
h) расчетная [калькуляцион­
ная] единица (тонно-миля\ 
машино-миля)
i) условия дальности перевозки
Ex. 5. Find in the text international words and translate them into 
Russian.
Ex. 6. Read the text and say what you have learnt about European roads.
Day and night, hundreds of thousands of lorries travel across Europe's 
main arteries. This mode of transport has two major and obvious advan­
tages: its flexibility and its ability to carry goods and passengers door-to- 
door. This is the reason why European companies clearly prefer the road 
network to distribute their products throughout the Union.
13
Road transport is clearly an important factor underpinning the develop­
ment of the European internal market. The more this market opens up and 
becomes unified, the more the sector benefits in terms of its own growth.
Every operator in the sector has the right to settle and freely exercise 
his activities throughout the Union. The specific rules governing Euro­
pean road transport, in particular with regard to taxation and charges, 
tolls and levies for the use of infrastructure, are made up by distinct na­
tional legislations. This regulatory mosaic is composed of numerous 
elements with unequal costs, distorting competition. It prevents the op­
timum allocation of resources and hampers competitiveness in this area 
of economic activity. The overall aim of the EU rules worked out in this 
sector has been to strive for clarity and open up the market in a balanced 
manner to the benefit of a large number of transport operators.
The road haulage sector is the victim of its own success. Its steady 
growth — together, of course, with that of car traffic — contributes to 
the increasingly frequent saturation of the capacity o f Europe's roads. 
The need to share infrastructure with other road users also raises the im­
portant question of road safety. Another consequence of fundamental 
importance for the community is the impact on the environment, in par­
ticular in connection with greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. 
It is not that freight carried by road, using diesel, which is not the most 
polluting fuel, is the central element of this problem, but the ever­
growing number of vehicles operating in European road transport, now 
over 20 million, is undeniably a contributing factor.
The sector of passenger transport by road shares with the road haul­
age sector a number of identical rights and obligations: freedom of estab­
lishment, access to the market, compliance with conditions of competi­
tion, vehicle safety and safe driving. Consequently, many EU rules ap­
plying to lorries also concern buses and coaches. From 1991 to 2001 
their activity, measured in millions of passenger-kilometers, rose by 
about 10 %.Their modal share is limited to approximately 9 % of overall 
passenger transport (including cars, railways and air traffic). A signifi­
cant percentage of these is made up of vehicles used for urban or inter- 
urban transport that are operated by transport companies under the su­
pervision of the public authorities.
In a sector where safety is of crucial importance, the Union has codi­
fied and simplified the common administration procedures relating to
14
various passenger transport scenarios: national authorization for regular 
services, possession of a contract for specific regular services (school 
transport, personnel transport, etc.), holding a road map for occasional 
services and a certificate for own-account services.
The Interbus agreement is a key instrument for liberalizing the impor­
tant passenger road transport market between the Union and the countries 
of central and Eastern Europe. The agreement comprises social, fiscal and 
technical measures based on non-discrimination among the various con­
tracting parties. It governs not only traffic between the EU and non­
member countries but also among the nonmember countries themselves. 
As such, it is a major step towards harmonising, within the Europe the 
rules and procedures which transport operators have to comply with.
Road transport plays a direct role in developing the European internal 
market. Moreover road transport also has to meet challenges connected 
with its success: network safety and saturation impact on the environ­
ment. The future of road haulage should therefore be viewed in the 
framework of an overall medium-term vision of the Union’s transport 
policy as analyzed in the White Paper (European Transport Policy for 
2010).
Ex. 7. Answer the following questions.
1. What are the major advantages of lorries?
2. What problems does the road sector have?
3. What procedures has the Union codified?
4. What is the Interbus agreement?
5. What challenges does road transport have to meet?
Ex. 8. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. The steady growth of ( сектора дорожных перевозок) contributes to 
the (насыщность) of the capacity of Europe's roads. 2. The Union has 
(систематизировал) and simplified the (обычные) administration pro­
cedures in a sector where (безопасность) is of ( чрезвычайно важна) 3. 
The specific (правила) governing European road transport include ( на­
логообложение) and charges, (пошлины) and (сборы) for the use of 
infrastructure, 4. Many EU (правила) applying to (грузовики) also con­
cern buses and (пассажирские автобусы) .5.The ever-growing number
15
of (транспортные средства) operating in European road transport, now 
over 20 million, is a contributing factor o f the (воздействие) on the ( 
окружающая среда), in particular in connection with (парниковый) gas 
(выбросы) and climate (изменение). 6. The Interbus (соглашение) 
comprises social, (финансовые и технические меры) based on non­
discrimination among the various (договаривающиеся стороны), it is a 
major step towards harmonizing, within the Europe (правила и проце­
дуры) which transport operators have to (выполнять).7. The sector of 
(пассажирский транспорт) by road shares with the road (перевозки) 
sector a number of identical ( права и обязательства): (доступ) to the 
market, (безопасность транспортного средства) and ( безопасное во­
ждение). 8. The need to (делить) infrastructure with other road (поль­
зователи) raises the important question o f (дорожная безопасность).
Ex. 9. Fill in the blanks with the suitable prepositions.
1. The aim of the EU rules worked ... in this sector has been to strive ... 
clarity and open up the market in a balanced manner to the benefit ...a  
large number of transport operators. 2. Day and night, hundreds of thou­
sands ... lorries travel ... Europe's main arteries. 3. Road transport has 
the capacity ... carrying goods door ... door. 4.The Interbus agreement is 
a key instrument ... liberalizing the important passenger road transport 
market ... the Union and the countries ... central and Eastern Europe. 5. 
This agreement governs not only traffic ... the EU and non-member 
countries but also ... the nonmember countries themselves. 6. The Inter­
bus agreement is a major step ... harmonising, ... the Europe the rules 
and procedures which transport operators have to comply with. 7. The 
modal share ... EU rules is limited to approximately 9 % ... overall pas­
senger transport (including cars, railways and air traffic). 8 The need to 
share infrastructure ... other road users raises the important question ... 
road safety. 9.A significant percentage ... overall passenger transport is 
made up ... vehicles used ... urban or inter-urban transport that are oper­
ated ... transport companies ... the supervision ... the public authorities.
10.European companies prefer the road network to distribute their prod­
ucts ... the Union.
16
Ex. 10. Make up questions, the answers to which are given in the 
right-hand column.
What...? Flexibility and ability to carry 
goods and passengers door to 
door.
Why...prefer the road network...? To distribute their products
throughout the Union.
W hat.. .specific rules concerned to? Taxation and charges, tolls and
levies for the use of infrastructure.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the modal verbs.
1. Quality assurance must be built into the system, deviations must be 
defected and corrected before the consignee recognizes the problem, not 
afterwards. 2. The transport operator has to be able to predict and keep to 
time windows at both pick-up and delivery locations. 3. The transport 
market may be characterized as a highly regulated market with primitive 
mechanisms to match supply and demand. 4. There is little information 
on how road users might respond to a complex structure of charges and 
hence how effective a complex system might be. 5. In order to know 
where you need to get to, you must know where you were presently situ­
ated. 6. The challenge is to develop a masterplan on European transport,
What...?
How many....? 
What...?
Why...the victim...?
What...?
What....?
When... by about 10 %.
Open up the market to the benefit 
of transport operators.
Over 20 million.
National authorization for regular 
services, possession of a contract, 
holding a road map and a certifi­
cate.
The Interbus agreement.
The impact on the environment in 
connection with greenhouse gas 
emissions and climate change. 
Saturation of the capacity of Eu­
rope's roads.
From 1991 to 2001.
17
containing an overall vision on what should be achieved and how it 
should be achieved. 7. The shift from private car to public transport can 
be encouraged by a more efficient and comfortable transport system. 8. 
The role of the taxi in avoiding traffic jams should and could be en­
larged.
Ex. 12. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the passive voice.
1. Changes in the supply of transport services are affected by human 
technologies, customer demand and external cost. 2. Many characteris­
tics of transport demand are influenced by a multitude of simultaneously 
occurring tendencies. 3. In Helsinki the road dust problem is mainly 
blamed on winter sanding and has been addressed since the 1980s. 4. 
Transport and transporters are influenced by the changes in political and 
public opinion, by the rapid development of telecommunications and so 
on. 5. The capacity of existing European waterways is not fully utilized.
6. The need for sustainable mobility and alternative land use policies has 
recently been recognized. 7. For some agro industries the cost of the raw 
material waiting at the reception area is affected by the deterioration of 
the perishable products transported by trucks.
Ex. 13. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . It should be re­
membered that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... .
Ex. 14. Translate the text into Russian. Use the dictionary if necessary.
About the International Road Federation
The International Road Federation is a non-governmental, not-for- 
profit organisation with over 650 members worldwide from both the 
public and private sector. It was founded in 1948. The mission of the 
IRF is to encourage and promote the development and maintenance of 
better and safer roads and road transport systems worldwide.
The IRF promotes education and understanding of the social and eco­
nomic benefits to be derived from developing modem road networks, 
transport systems and traffic control; encourages and supports the plan­
ning and execution of economically and environmentally sound pro- 
18
grammes to improve and extend road networks and allied systems; 
provides education and training programmes; cooperates with, advises 
and exchanges experiences with international, national and local organi­
sations with goals similar to those of the IRF; advises on, assists and 
promotes the creation of national and regional road federations; col­
lects, collates and distributes statistical, technical, economic, educational 
and other road-related material; stimulates and supports regional and 
global harmonisation of standards; supports road research; encourages 
and promotes improvements in road safety.
The IRF also publishes World Road Statistics, the only global compi­
lation of road and vehicle statistics. It is based on data from official 
sources within national statistics offices and national road administra­
tions in more than 200 countries. It also benefits from increased IRF co­
operation with major international institutions such as Eurostat and Af- 
ristat, and the UN Economic Commissions for Europe and for Africa.
Since it first appeared in 1958, World Road Statistics has been an in­
dispensable reference tool for road professionals, statisticians, econo­
mists, journalists and development specialists around the world.
It is used by such agencies as the United Nations Development Pro­
gramme, the World Bank, the European Commission and the CIA for 
their own publications: for example, the World Bank uses World Road 
Statistics to prepare a part of its own publication World Development 
Indicators.
______ Unit Three: London’s Congestion Charge
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. bus occupancy -  загруженность (вместимость) автобуса
2. clamp (v, n)- фиксировать, зажим
3. congestion -  затор, пробка на дороге
4. flat fee -фиксированная оплата
5. fine -  штраф, плата
6. fossil fuel -  ископаемое топливо
7. enforcement - принудительное применение закона
8. net revenue -  чистый годовой доход
19
9. persistent - стойкий, постоянный, продолжительный
10.ridership -  (ж. д) пассажирские перевозки
11.surveillance - наблюдение
12.to track - следить, прослеживать
13.transponder- ретранслятор, радиомаяк
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
route, congestion charging, cost, to levy, profit, congestion, revenue
1. the state of being overcrowded, especially with traffic or people.
2. a way of reducing traffic in city centres by charging drivers money to 
enter.
3. the price paid or required for acquiring, producing, or maintaining 
something, usually measured in money, time, or energy.
4. to say officially that people must pay a tax or charge.
5. excess of revenues over outlays and expenses in a business enterprise 
over a given period of time, usually a year.
6. money that a business or organization receives over a period of time, 
especially from selling goods or services.
7. a way between two places that buses, planes, ships, etc. regularly travel.
Ex. 3 Match the words with the similar meaning.
1) fine a) decrease
2) fee b) charge
3) track c) trace
4) reduce d) release
5) emission e) observation
6) payment f) revenue
7) income g) penalty
8) surveillance h) expense
Ex. 4. Give the Russian equivalents of the following expressions.
1. congestion charge 10. noise level
2. journey time reliability 11. the charged area
3. efficiency of freight distribution 12. persistent non-payers
4. during working hours 13. displaced car users
5. flat once-a-day fee 14. road traffic emissions
20
6. an electronic road pricing system
7. road-side transponders or on-board 
units
8. video-surveillance cameras
9. automatic number plate recognition 
technology
Ex. 5. Choose the right variant for each word combination. Mind the 
use of the word “charges”.
15. fossil fuel consumption
16. inner ring road
17. (average) bus occu­
pancy
18. traffic flow
1) all charges borne
2) all charges included
3) back charges
4) basis for charges
5) bill of charges
6) capital (depreciation) charges
7) charges for delivery
8) charges from salary
9) commission charges
10) contracting charges
11) customary charges
12) deferred charges
13) freight charges
14) handling charges
15) overhead charges
16) storage charges
17) transport charges
a) комиссионные
b) транспортные расходы
c) накладные расходы
d) расходы на погрузку и раз­
грузку
e) обратные расходы
f) плата за хранение
g) расходы будущих лет
h) включая все затраты
i) за покрытием всех расхо­
дов
j) плата за перевозку груза 
к) основание для платежей
1) затраты на доставку 
т )  расходы, оговоренные 
договором 
п) обычные расходы
о) счет расходов 
р) амортизационные отчисле­
ния
q) удержания из зарплаты
Ex. 6. Look through the text and find the derivatives from the fol­
lowing verbs : to rely, to distribute, to surveil, to enforce, to pay, to in­
dicate, to signify, to improve, to occupy.
21
Бх. 7. Read the text for more information about technology de­
scribed.
London’s Congestion Charge was introduced on 17 Februaiy 2003 with 
the aims of reducing congestion, improving bus services, improving journey 
time reliability and improving the efficiency of freight distribution and other 
services. Drivers entering the centre of the city during working hours must 
pay a flat, once-a-day fee. It is an electronic road pricing system which op­
erates without road-side transponders or on-board units. Vehicles are tracked 
entering the charged area by video-surveillance cameras, using automatic 
number plate recognition technology.
This technology is employed for enforcement in urban and truck charg­
ing systems. Drivers entering the charged area between 7 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. 
Monday to Friday must pay 5 pounds (7 Euro), in advance or before the end 
of the day. Over half a million payments are made each week. Payments 
may be made by Internet, mobile phone SMS messages or at some petrol 
stations and shops. On payment, the vehicle’s registration number is entered 
onto a computerized list and cross-checked against the video camera re­
cords. Fines are sent out to drivers of cars entering the zone without pay­
ment. Persistent non-payers are identified and their vehicles clamped, or in a 
few extreme cases their vehicles have been crushed.
The impacts of the system have been carefully monitored. The main 
results reported after the first complete year of operation are as follows, 
and closely in line with the results of the modeling on which the system 
was designed:
• Congestion within the zone has reduced by 30%, and the volume of 
traffic within the zone has reduced by 15%;
• Public transport is successfully accommodating displaced car users;
• There have been significant improvements to bus services in the zone 
and more widely throughout London;
• Comparative analysis of the many influences on the central London 
economy suggests that the direct impact of congestion charging on busi­
ness activity has been small;
• Road traffic emissions and fossil fuel consumption in the zone have 
been reduced.
22
• Traffic entering the charging zone during charging hours has been 
reduced by 18%, and traffic circulating within the zone has been reduced 
by 15% (vehicles with four or more wheels). As predicted, there have 
been small increases in traffic on the inner ring road, just outside the 
charging zone, but this is being managed without significant additional 
congestion. There are no indications of significant increases in traffic 
outside the charging zone
Improvements to the bus network made in conjunction with the charging 
scheme have seen increased ridership both inside the charging zone and 
more widely. Reduced congestion on the roads has enabled more busses to 
be run with much more reliable journey times. Average bus occupancy has 
increased but over-crowding has been avoided. Most of the net revenues 
generated by the charge are being invested in bus services.
By reducing overall volumes of traffic within the charging zone, and 
smoothing traffic flows, charging is estimated to be directly responsible 
for an approximate 12% reduction in emissions of both NOx and fine 
particles (PM 10) from road traffic.. The reduction in C02 emissions 
from traffic is estimated to be 19%.No significant changes in noise levels 
have been recorded.
Generally the congestion charge has been accepted by the public and 
by business. The success of the charge has resulted in the Mayor propos­
ing to extend the charged area to cover all of central London. The charg­
ing system and level of charge would stay the same and be applied to a 
single zone roughly double the size of the present charging area.
Ex. 8. Answer the following questions.
1. Why was London’s Congestion Charge introduced?
2. What technology is employed for enforcement in urban and truck
charging systems?
3. What were the main results after the first year of charging system op­
eration?
4. How has the ecological situation been improved within the charging
zone?
5. What has the success o f charge resulted in?
23
Ex. 9. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. Road (выбросы транспорта) and fossil (потребления топлива) in the 
zone have been reduced.2. (Водители) entering the centre of the city during 
(в рабочее время) must pay а (фиксированную однодневную плату). 3. 
Generally the (затор) charge has been accepted by the public and by business.
4. The (влияние) of the electronic (система дорожных сборов) have been 
carefully monitored. 5 Vehicles are (отслеживаются) entering the (платная 
область) by (камеры видео наблюдения) using automatic (технология 
распознавания номерного знака).6. Reducing (заторов на дорогах) has 
enabled more busses to be run with much more (надежный) journey times. 7. 
No (значительных изменений) in (уровень шума) have been recorded. 8. 
(Затор) and the (интенсивность движения) within the zone has (уменьше­
ны). 9. (Штрафы) are sent out to drivers of cars entering the zone (без опла­
ты). 10. Average (наполняемость автобусов) has increased but (перепол­
ненность) has been avoided. 11. Most of the (чистая прибыль) generated by 
the charge are being invested in (автобусной службы). 12. By (уменьше­
ния) overall volumes of ( движения) within the charging zone, and (сглажи­
вания) traffic (потоков), charging is estimated to be directly 
(ответственный) for (уменьшение выбросов) from road traffic.
Ex. 10. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the gerund.
1. For traffic management, there is a great deal of monitoring and an increase 
in the amount and reliability of information given to users. 2. Varying the 
charge by distance travelled within the UK ensures that all vehicles contribute 
equally irrespective of their country of registration or where they last refueled.
3. By easing traditional impediments (препятствия) to the international 
movement of goods, the TIR system encourages the development of interna­
tional trade. 4. A market observation system for monitoring the transport mar­
ket in case of disturbances enabling adequate interventions is needed. 5. There 
is little scope for reducing the annual tax on vehicle ownership further. 6. The 
extent of feeling unsafe when using public transport is relatively high. 7. Mul­
timodal transport is one of highly effective and modem ways of facilitating 
movement of imports and exports. 8. Whatever the mode of transport, getting
24
round in certain urban areas is becoming an increasingly time-consuming, 
difficult, uncomfortable, hazardous and stressful activity.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of participle II.
1. Air pollution caused by intensive car, lorry and air traffic is finally 
starting to worry those who are most exposed to it. 2. One of the main 
measures considered by logistics managers of agro industries with con­
tinuous process is related to truck waiting times in the reception area. 3. 
The total journey time by public transport consists of the time taken to 
get to or from bus-stop, the waiting time and the time on board the vehi­
cle. 4. The distribution services offered included warehousing, admini­
stration, order processing and the control of the goods flowing via the 
transport network. 5. Transport services provided in return for money 
can immediately be classed as third-party operations. 6. Based on a lit­
erature study and laboratory tests, full scale tests should be carried out on 
existing roads. 7. The investigation carried out is based on the data from 
the road surface measurements made on stale roads and accidents re­
ported by the police.
Ex. 12. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 13. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
United Kingdom plans to introduce a satellite based electronic km 
charge for trucks and trials of the technology began in 2004 on the mo­
torways around the city of Leeds. Road infrastructure costs have been 
closely examined in the UK over many years and the existing fixed an­
nual vehicle tax for trucks is differentiated according to axle weight and 
type of suspension in order to promote road friendly vehicles. This 
knowledge is expected to be used to differentiate the new electronic km
25
charge to a relatively high degree, and this is the reason for preferring a 
satellite based system.
The information on the external costs of transport shows that these 
costs vary significantly by time of day, road type and area type.
The British Government proposes to start with a relatively simple 
structure of charges which succeeds in meeting the main objectives of 
the policy. These are: to ensure fairness and efficiency, so that all users 
contribute equally and at a level which reflects the costs they impose on 
the road network; to deliver environmental and other benefits by setting 
the rates so as to reflect the environmental performance of the vehicle 
paying the charge. The charge is expected to vary according to the dis­
tance traveled, vehicle type and road type.
Varying the charge by distance travelled within the UK ensures that 
all vehicles contribute equally irrespective o f their country of registration 
or where they last refueled. Distinguishing by vehicle type ensures that 
the charge relates both to road damage costs and to environmental costs, 
with the heaviest vehicles with the fewest axles paying most and vehicles 
with more environmentally friendly emission standards paying less. The 
charge will also encourage operators to upgrade their fleets and make 
better use of their vehicles so as to reduce vehicle kilometers. Variation 
by road type further reflects the significant differences in costs between 
modem, high quality roads usually constructed to provide for freight 
traffic and other roads where road damage, environmental and safety 
costs are higher.
Using a satellite based system to levy the charge will allow for further 
variation to be implemented. There is likely to be the potential for vary­
ing the charge by time of day, so as to encourage operators to schedule 
their trips at times when they impose the lowest costs because the inter- 
urban network is less congested. A further option is a charge that varies 
by area type, to reflect the higher costs that heavy vehicles typically im­
pose when operating in close proximity to people and their homes in ur­
ban areas. Both these options are unlikely to feature in the system when 
first implemented. The aim is to ensure that it is sufficiently flexible for 
it to be enhanced later.
The Government does not intend the new charge to increase the over­
all cost of road freight haulage for domestic operators in the UK. The 
aim is to reduce other taxes on UK road haulage so as to leave the over­
26
all costs broadly unchanged. There is little scope for reducing the annual 
tax on vehicle ownership (Vehicle Excise Duty) further. It is already 
highly graduated to encourage the purchase of environmentally friendly 
vehicles.
The Government concluded to repay part of the fuel duty paid by 
hauliers when they purchase fuel in the UK. Most fuel purchased by 
goods vehicle operators is either supplied directly to their depots or pur­
chased in the course of a journey by drivers using special fuel cards. In 
both cases it would be a relatively simple matter for the suppliers of the 
fuel to claim a rebate from the tax authority and pass this on to the pur­
chaser. There would also need to make arrangements whereby direct 
purchasers of fuel could claim back the tax against a receipt from an au­
thorised service station.
Unit Four: Rush Hours
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. approach -  подход; подъезд
2. avoidance -  избежание, уклонение
3. to back -  поддерживать, подкреплять
4. collision -  столкновение
5. to encourage -  поощрять, поддерживать
6. to enforce -  обязывать, вводить в действие
7. grade -уровень, степень
8. image-recognition -  распознавание изображений
9. interchange -  пересечение (дорожно-транспортное)
10.intersection -  перекресток, пересечение
11. grade-separated intersection -  дорожная развязка в двух уровнях
12.junction -  перекресток, пересечение дорог
13.grade junction -  пересечение дорог на одном уровне
14. lane -  полоса движения;
15.HOV -High Occupancy Vehicle -  машина, в которой едут два и 
более человека, включая водителя;
HOV lane -  полоса движения, выделенная для машин, в кото­
рых едут два и более человека включая водителя
27
16.obstruction -  препятствие, затруднение продвижению
17. offending - нарушающий
18.rush hour -  час пик
19. ticket -<дд): квитанция за нарушение правил уличного движения
20.to issue ticket - печатать квитанцию
21.time-consuming -  отнимающий много времени
22.tumpike road -  главная магистраль
23.underneath - под
24. underpass -  подземный переход, тоннель, путепровод 
25.overtake -обгонять
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
highway (AmE), rush hour, junction, collision, motorway (BrE), 
ticket
1. a wide main road that joins one town to another.
2. a main road for fast-moving traffic, having limited access, separate 
carriageways for vehicles travelling in opposite directions, and usu­
ally a total of four or six lanes.
3. a period at the beginning and end of the working day when large 
numbers of people are travelling to or from work.
4. a violent impact o f moving objects; crash.
5. a piece of paper, cardboard, etc., showing that the holder is entitled to 
certain rights, such as travel on a train or bus, entry to a place of pub­
lic entertainment, etc.
6. a point on a motorway where traffic may leave or join it.
Ex. 3. Match the words and word combinations with (he similar mean­
ing.
1) to back a) crash
2) to ride b) offending driver
3 intersection c) to drive
4) ticket d) to support
5) license plate e) coach
6) business day f) carpool lane
7) to encourage g) receipt
8) HOV lane h) working day
9) collision
10)bus
11) speeding driver
i) junction 
j) number plate 
k) to cheer
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) limited access road
2) collision avoidance
3) speed-measuring device
4) green wave
5) posted limit
6) business days
7) traffic congestion
8) four-way flashing lights
9) rush-hour traffic intensity
10) lane marking
11) grade-separated intersection
12) grade junction
13) minimum speed signs
13) time-consuming
Ex. 5. Choose the right variant for 
use of the word “way”.
A)
1) under way
2) no two ways about it
3) in many ways
4) in some ways
5) by way of
6) by the way
7) no way
8) the other way (round)
a) зеленая волна
b) интенсивность движения в 
час пик
c) отнимающий много времени
d) дорога с ограниченным 
движением
e) разметка полос
f) установленные ограничения
g) дорожная развязка в двух 
уровнях
h) пересечение дорог в одном 
уровне
i) избежание столкновения
j) устройство измерения ско­
рости
к) пробки на дорогах
1) рабочие дни
т )  знаки ограничения мини­
мальной скорости 
п) аварийная сигнализация
each word combination. Mind the
a)во многих отношениях
b) кстати
c) полным ходом
d) в некоторой степени
e) ради, с целью
f) наоборот
g) ничего не выйдет
h) двух мнений быть не может
29
В)
1) way bill
2) way cargo
3) way fare
4) way passenger
5) way side
6) way train
7) waybill destination
a)обочина
b) попутный пассажир
c) пункт назначения согласно 
путевому листу
d) накладная
e) попутный груз
f) пригородный поезд
g) местный тариф
Ex. 6. Look at the title and say what information the text gives. Read 
the text attentively for the details.
The higher the speed of a vehicle, the more difficult collision avoid­
ance becomes and the greater the damage if a collision does occur. 
Therefore, many countries of the world limit the maximum speed al­
lowed on their roads. Vehicles are not supposed to be driven at speeds 
which are higher than the posted maximum.
To enforce speed limits, two approaches are generally employed. In 
the USA, it is common for the police to patrol the streets and use special 
equipment (Typically a RADAR Gun) to measure the speed of vehicles, 
and "pull over" any vehicle found to be in violation of the speed limit. In 
Brazil and some European countries, there are computerized speed- 
measuring devices spread throughout the city, which will automatically 
detect speeding drivers and take a photograph of the license plate (or 
number plate), which is later used for applying and mailing the ticket.
Another interesting mechanism that was developed in Germany is the 
Grime Welle, or green wave, which is an indicator that shows the opti­
mal speed to travel for the synchronized green lights along that corridor. 
This encourages drivers to travel at the posted limit in order to minimize 
stopping.
During business days in most major cities, traffic congestion reaches 
great intensity at predictable times of the day due to the large number of 
vehicles using the road at the same time. This phenomenon is called rush 
hour, although the period of high traffic intensity may exceed one hour.
Rush Hours
30
Some cities adopt policies to reduce rush-hour traffic and pollution 
and encourage the use of public transportation. For example, in SSo Pau­
lo, Brazil each vehicle has a specific day of the week in which it is for­
bidden from traveling the roads during rush hour. The day for each vehi­
cle is taken from the license plate number, and this rule is enforced by 
traffic police and also by hundreds of strategically positioned traffic 
cameras backed by computerized image-recognition systems that issue 
tickets to offending drivers.
In the United States and Canada, several expressways have a special 
lane (called an "HOV Lane" - High Occupancy Vehicle Lane) that can 
only be used by cars carrying two (some locations-three) or more people, 
and several cities offer a public telephone service where citizens can ar­
range rides with others depending on where they live and work. The pur­
pose of these policies is to reduce the number of vehicles on the roads 
and thus reduce rush-hour traffic intensity. Uncontrolled traffic occurs in 
the absence of lane markings and traffic control signals. On roads with­
out marked lanes, drivers tend to keep to the appropriate side if the road 
is wide enough. Drivers frequently overtake others. Obstructions are not 
uncommon.
In large cities, moving from one part of the city to another by means 
of ordinary streets and avenues can be time-consuming since traffic is 
often slowed by at-grade junctions, tight turns, narrow marked lanes and 
lack of a minimum speed limit. Therefore, it has become common prac­
tice for larger cities to build expressways or freeways, which are large 
and wide roadways with limited access, that typically run for long dis­
tances without at-grade junctions.
The words expressway and freeway have varying meanings in differ­
ent jurisdictions and in popular use in different places; however, there 
are two different types of roads used to provide high-speed access across 
urban areas:
The freeway (in USA usage) or motorway (in UK usage) is a divided 
multi-lane highway with fully-controlled access and grade-separated in­
tersections (no stops). Some freeways are called expressways, super­
highways, or turnpikes, depending on local usage. Access to freeways is 
fully controlled; entering and leaving the freeway is permitted only at 
grade-separated interchanges.
31
The expressway (when the name does not refer to a freeway or mo­
torway) is usually a broad multi-lane avenue, frequently divided, with 
some grade-level intersections (although usually only where other ex­
pressways or arterial roads cross).
Motor vehicle drivers wishing to travel over great distances within 
the city will usually take the freeways or expressways in order to mini­
mize travel time. When a crossing road is at the same grade as the free­
way, a bridge (or, less often, an underpass) will be built for the crossing 
road. If the freeway is elevated, the crossing road will pass underneath it.
Minimum speed signs are sometimes posted (although increasingly 
rare) and usually indicate that any vehicle traveling slower than 40 mph 
(-65 km/li) should indicate a slower speed of travel to other motor vehi­
cles by engaging the vehicle's four-way flashing lights. Alternative 
slower-than-posted speeds may be in effect, based on the posted speed 
limit of the highway/freeway.
Ex. 7. Provide answers to the questions below.
1. What is the first approach employed in the USA?
2. What mechanism was developed in Germany to enforce speed limits?
3. How do the authorities in Sao Paulo, Brazil reduce rush-hour traffic 
and pollution?
4. What is HOV Lane?
5. What is difference between freeway and expressway?
Ex. 8. Replace the words in Russian with their appropriate equiva­
lents in English.
1. (Цель) of these policies is to (уменьшить) the number of vehicles on 
the roads and thus reduce (интенсивность движения в час пик). 2. 
(Знаки о граничения м инимальной скорости) are sometimes posted 
and usually indicate that any (транспортное средство) traveling slower 
than 40 mph (~65 km/h) should indicate a slower (скорость) of travel to 
other motor vehicles by engaging the vehicle's (аварийные огни). 3. In 
some European countries there are (компьютеризированные устройст­
ва измерения скорости) spread throughout the city, which will auto­
matically (определяют) speeding drivers and take a photograph of the 
(номерной знак) which is later used ( для предъявления квитанции).
4. The freeway is a divided (многополостная) highway (с полностью
32
контролируемым доступом) and (с дорожной развязкой в двух 
уровнях) (no stops). 5. Many countries of the world (ограничивают) the 
maximum (разрешенная скорость) on their roads. 6. The police patrol 
the streets and use special (оборудование) to detect any vehicle found to 
be in (нарушение скоростного режима). 7. Uncontrolled traffic occurs 
(при отсутствии разметки) and traffic control signals. 8. When a cross­
ing road is (на том же уровне) as the freeway, (мост) or (тоннель, пу­
тепровод) will be built for the crossing road. 9. (Зеленая волна) or the 
Grime Welle in Germany is an indicator that shows (оптимальная ско­
рость движения) for the synchronized green lights along that corridor.
10. This rule is enforced by traffic police and also by hundreds of (стра­
тегически расположенными) traffic cameras (поддерживаемые) com­
puterized image-recognition systems that (печатает квитанция) to (на­
рушающим) drivers. 11. (Доступ) to freeways is fully controlled; 
(въезд и выезд с автострады) is permitted only at grade-separated in­
terchanges. 12. In large cities, moving from one part of the city to an­
other by means of ordinary streets and (проспектами) can be (отни­
мающим много времени) since traffic is often (замедляется) by at- 
grade (перекрестках), tight (поворотах), narrow marked lanes and lack 
of a minimum (ограничение скорости).
Ex. 9. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. Several cities offer a public telephone service where citizens can ar­
range rides .... others depending.....  where they live and work. 2. Vehi­
cles are not supposed to be driven..... speeds which are higher than the
posted maximum. 3. Freeways are large and wide roadways.....  limited
access, that typically run .....  long distances .....  at-grade junctions. 4.
Motor vehicle drivers wishing to travel.....  great distances....... the city
will usually take the freeways or expressways in order to minimize travel
time. 5. If the freeway is elevated, the crossing road will pass........  it. 6.
.....business day s .......most cities, traffic congestion reaches great inten­
sity .....predictable tim es.......the d a y ..... the large num ber.......vehicles
using the road ..... the same time. 7. In some cities each vehicle has a
specific day .....  the week .....  which it is forbidden .....  traveling the
roads..... rush hour.
33
Ex. 10. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
different meanings o f ‘that’.
1. Distinguishing by vehicle type ensures that the charge relates both to 
road damage costs and to environmental costs.2. Manufactures will use 
EDI (electronic data interchange) to link their distribution more closely 
with those of internal and external partners. 3. A balance needs to be 
struck between the requirements of the Customs authorities on the one 
hand and those of the transport operators on the other. 4. The great dis­
advantage of the bus is that it must share roads with other vehicle. 5. It is 
a well-known fact that men in general drive more than women. 6. One of 
the reasons why the original TIR system had to be modified was that in 
the early 1960’s a new transport technique emerged: the marine con­
tainer. 7. Transport is such a visible activity and such a politically sensi­
tive one that is important public policy questions.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the infinitive.
1. Vehicles are not supposed to be driven at speeds which are higher than 
the posted maximum. 2. To enforce speed limits, two approaches are 
generally employed. 3. This encourages drivers to travel at the posted 
limit in order to minimize stopping. 4. Some cities adopt policies to re­
duce rush-hour traffic and pollution and encourage the use of public 
transportation. 5. The purpose of these policies is to reduce the number 
of vehicles on the roads and thus reduce rush-hour traffic intensity. 6. 
The tonnage transported is expected to decrease due to lighter products, 
and the average distance of transport is expected to increase due to the 
exploitation of scale economy in production costs. 7. For this traffic in­
formation to be of most value it must be accurate, up-to-the minute and 
communicated immediately to drivers already on the road. 8. The gov­
ernment does not intend the new charge to increase the overall cost of 
road freight haulage for domestic operators in the UK.
Ex. 12. Translate the sentences into Russian. Mind the use of the 
modal verbs.
1. If EU wants to have an integrated and prosperous economy, it has to 
build up an effective transport system. 2. An international haulage is cha­
34
racterized by the use of the so-called quota system meaning that haulers 
have to obtain the permit to be able to undertake international journeys.
3. Individual public transport users must be prepared to change buses. 4. 
Transport may not be the top energy-consuming sector but it still eats up 
a massive 30% of EC energy budgets. 5. Drastic measures should be tak­
en to reduce the rate of 50,000 dead and 1,500,000 injured on European 
roads every year. 6. A set of high standard rules to protect the environ­
ment should be implemented for emissions, noise, clean engines, clean 
fuels, energy consumption, etc. 7. Small investments in the structure of 
some East European ports could improve the transport potential between 
East and West. 8. Enterprises that move freight to commercial facilities 
such as factories, stores and warehouses usually need to operate in coor­
dination with operations and resource availability at receiving locations.
Ex. 13. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 14. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
In Verona, Italy, in November 2008, the International Association of 
Public Transport (UITP) and the Italian Public Transport Association 
(ASSTRA) joined the forces with Veroriafiere to launch a new biennial 
event dedicated to the topic of public transport in small and medium­
sized cities and rural areas. “Often when we think about mobility and 
public transport, we automatically imagine a large city with crowded 
metros, trams and buses running at a high frequency. This however is 
only a part of the picture. Smaller cities have a different reality. They 
represent a significant part of the population and we should ensure that 
their mobility is given the attention it deserves,” stated UITP Secretary 
General, Hans Rat.
Providing sustainable transport solutions in small cities and rural ar­
eas is not without its own special challenges. There are quite difficult
35
conditions for public transport operators, with lower and more heteroge­
neous demand than in large cities (fewer people dispersed over a large 
area). Travelers are less captive to public transport than in larger urban 
areas. Public transport is generally limited to surface transport, in par­
ticular buses, which usually run in traffic alongside private modes. In 
this context it is not surprising that public transport is seen as less attrac­
tive option, and that the level of public transport usage is relatively low. 
indeed this can be a vicious cycle. “A number of cities worldwide have 
proven that it is possible to break out of this vicious cycle and make pub­
lic transport a preferred choice amongst many inhabitants of smaller cit­
ies,” explained Mr. Rat.
Speed is a key factor to the success of public transport, and a number 
of smaller cities have shown that it is possible to perform well in this 
regard. ‘Buses of high level of service’ or ‘bus rapid transit’ can provide 
a popular high-profile and rapid mode that combines the speed and im­
age of light rail with the cost and flexibility of the bus.
A solution to low demand that has been tried in a number of cities is 
demand-responsive transport. Faced with the difficult challenge of low 
passenger numbers and high costs of scheduled lines, the city of Dele- 
mont in Switzerland opted for the introduction of a demand-responsive 
bus line, which proved to be hugely successful. In fact, the implementa­
tion of this alternative transport service made it possible to identify and 
re-launch demand and thus to return to a vastly improved normal line 
service. Economies of scale and better customer service can be achieved 
where there is good integration between neighbouring areas within one 
region, for instance in terms of services and ticketing. For instance in the 
Austrian city Graz, the introduction of an integrated ticketing system for 
the region led to a reduction in the user cost of public transport. In Frei­
burg im Breisgau, in Germany a successful integrated ticketing system 
unites 75 towns and municipalities around Freiburg, serving a population 
of 625,000 inhabitants.
36
Unit Five: Transport, Energy and Environment
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. to account for- объяснять, служить причиной
2. aquatic - водный
3. consumption - потребление, расход, издержки, затраты
4. controversial -  спорный, сомнительный
5. feasible -  вероятный, возможный, осуществимый
6. fluid -  подвижный, изменчивый, нестабильный
7. to guzzle -потреблять что-либо чрезмерно
8. incentive -  стимул, мотив
9. to offset -  возмещать, компенсировать
10.particulate -  твёрдая частица 
11 .payout -  выплата
12. perform апсе-эксплуатационные характеристики
13.to plug in - подключать, включать в сеть
14.powertrain - силовая передача, трансмиссия
15.regenerative braking - рекуперативное торможение
16. runoff -  отходы(промышленные)
17.sprawl -  разрастание города ( застройка прилегающих террито­
рий) urban sprawl - неконтролируемая застройка прилегающих к 
городу территорий
18. soot -  сажа, копоть
19. streamline -  (гл) упрощать, модернизировать, рационализи­
ровать; (сущ) линия обтекания, линия воздушного потока, об­
текаемая форма
20. utility -  полезность, выгода
21 .vehicle fleet -  парк транспортных средств
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
impact, pollution, fuel, environment, contribute, infrastructure, 
shortage
1. a deficiency or lack in the amount needed, expected, or due; deficit.
2. the external surroundings in which a plant or animal lives, which tend 
to influence its development and behavior.
37
3. the force with which one thing hits another or with which two objects 
collide.
4. harmful or poisonous substances introduced into an environment.
5. to give (support, money, etc.) for a common purpose or fund.
6. any substance burned as a source of heat or power, such as coal or petrol.
7. the stock of fixed capital equipment in a country, including factories, 
roads, schools, etc., considered as a determinant of economic growth.
Ex. 3. Match the words with the similar meaning.
1) pollution
2)consumption
3) controversial
4) feasible
5) incentive
6) to offset
7) runoff
8) impact
9) propulsion
10) efficient
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for
1) traffic fluidity
2) traffic flow
3) storage capacity of battery
4) global climate change
5) toxic runoff
6) aquatic ecosystems
7) carbon content
8) battery pack
9) water supplies
10) environmental regulations
11) installing road signs
12) journey times
13) fleet renewal
38
a) questionable
b) use
c) motive
d) effectual
e) impulse
f) waste
g) to compensate
h) possible
i) contamination 
j) influence
each word combination.
a) глобальное изменение кли­
мата
b) КПД двигателя
c) водные экосистемы
d) содержание углерода
e) установка дорожных знаков
f) токсичные отходы
g) обновление парка машин
h) поток транспорта
i) время в пути
j) нормативы по окружающей 
среде
к) выбросы газов, вызываю­
щих парниковый эффект
1) блок батарей
т )  подвижность транспортно-
го потока
14) lowering sulfur content
15) engine output
16) greenhouse gas emission
17) plant-based fuel
n) емкость аккумулятора
о) водоснабжение 
р)снижение содержания серы 
q) растительное топливо
Ex. 5. Look up the Russian equivalents of chemical terms in the dic­
tionary.
Ex. 6. Read the text attentively and learn how scientists try to solve 
ecological problems produced by transport.
Transport is a major use of energy, and transport burns most of the 
world's petroleum. Transportation accounts for 2/3 of all U.S. petroleum 
consumption.
The transportation sector generates 82 percent of carbon monoxide 
and 56 percent of NOx emissions and over one-quarter of total US 
greenhouse gas emissions. Hydrocarbon fuels also produce carbon diox­
ide, a greenhouse gas widely thought to be the chief cause of global cli­
mate change, and petroleum-powered engines, especially inefficient 
ones, create air pollution including nitrous oxides and particulates (soot).
Although vehicles in developed countries have been getting cleaner 
because of environmental regulations, this has been offset by an increase 
in the number of vehicles and more use of each vehicle.
Other environmental impacts of transport systems include traffic con­
gestion and automobile-oriented urban sprawl, which can consume natu­
ral habitat and agricultural lands. Toxic runoff from roads and parking 
lots can also pollute water supplies and aquatic ecosystems.
Alternative propulsion can reduce pollution. Low pollution fuels may 
have reduced carbon content, and thereby contribute less in the way of 
carbon dioxide emissions, and generally have reduced sulfur, since sulfur 
exhaust is a cause of acid rain. The most popular low-pollution fuels at 
this time are biofuels: gasoline-ethanol blends and biodiesel. Hydrogen
petroleum 
carbon monoxide 
hydrocarbon fuels 
nitrous oxides 
carbon dioxide
hydrogen
sulfur
C 0 2 emissions 
fossil fuels
gasoline-ethanol blend
39
is an even lower-pollution fuel that produces no carbon dioxide, but pro­
ducing and storing it economically is currently not feasible. Plug-in hy­
brids are energy-efficient vehicles that are going to be in the mass- 
production.
Another strategy is to make vehicles more efficient, which reduces 
pollution and waste by reducing the energy use. Electric vehicles use 
efficient electric motors, but their range is limited by either the extent of 
the electric transmission system or by the storage capacity of batteries. 
Electrified public transport generally uses overhead wires or third rails to 
transmit electricity to vehicles, and is used for both rail and bus trans­
port. Battery electric vehicles store their electric fuel onboard in a battery 
pack. Another method is to generate energy using fuel cells, which may 
eventually be two to five times as efficient as the internal combustion 
engines currently used in most vehicles. Another effective method is to 
streamline ground vehicles, which spend up to 75% of their energy on 
air-resistance, and to reduce their weight. Regenerative braking is possi­
ble in all electric vehicles and recaptures the energy normally lost to 
braking, and is becoming common in rail vehicles. In internal combus­
tion automobiles and buses, regenerative braking is not possible, unless 
electric vehicle components are also a part of the powertrain; these are 
called hybrid electric vehicles.
To achieve real environmental objectives, attention should be fo­
cused on all motor vehicles, not just new vehicles. Features such as on 
board diagnostics systems can monitor engine output, while regular 
technical inspection reveals if vehicles are well-maintained and operating 
under optimal conditions.
It takes about ten years for the national vehicle fleet to be renewed. 
Providing incentives to replace old gas-guzzling vehicles with newer, fuel- 
efficient models, for instance payouts to scrap old vehicles, would speed 
up the process of fleet renewal and help reduce carbon gas emissions.
Oil companies are improving their petrol and diesel products, such as 
lowering sulfur content, to increase fuel efficiency, comply with the 
new environmental regulations and respond to new developments in 
engine technology.
Alternative fuels such as natural gas produce lower C 02 emissions.
40
On the other hand, some experts think that plant-based fuels may not 
provide the answer to CO2 emissions because of their negative overall 
energy and environmental performance from cultivation to final use.
Motor vehicles achieve optimal performance where traffic flow is 
most fluid. Ways of improving traffic fluidity, reducing congestion and 
hence lowering fuel consumption are:
• building new road infrastructure where necessary;
• improving current infrastructure;
• installing road signs providing both directions and information on 
the road network to allow tourists to choose the best route.
In the United States, for example, Intelligent Transport Systems 
(ITS) are being installed in 75 of the largest urban areas, an investment 
that should help reduce journey times by 15%.
Shifting travel from automobiles to well-utilized public transport can 
reduce energy consumption and traffic congestion.
Walking and bicycling instead of traveling by motorized means also 
reduces the consumption of fossil fuels. While the use of these two mod­
es generally declines as a given area becomes wealthier, there are some 
countries (including Denmark, Netherlands, Japan and parts of Germany, 
Finland and Belgium) where bicycling comprises a significant share of 
trips. Some cities with particularly high modal shares of cycling are Co­
penhagen (33%) and Groningen (50%). A number of other cities, includ­
ing London, Paris, New York, Sydney, Bogota, Chicago and San Fran­
cisco are creating networks of bicycle lanes and bicycle paths, but the 
value of such devices for utility cycling is highly controversial.
Ex. 7. Answer the following questions.
1. What is thought to be the chief cause of global climate change?
2. What are the other environmental impacts of transport system?
3. How can pollution be reduced?
4. What are the most popular low-pollution fuels?
5. What is another strategy to make vehicle more efficient?
6. What is the most effective way to generate energy?
7. How can real environmental objectives be achieved?
8. What are the major ways of improving traffic fluidity?
9. Do you know any other alternative ways to reduce the consumption 
of fossil fuels?
41
Ex. 8. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. Shifting travel from automobiles to well-utilized public transport can 
reduce (потребление энергии) and (пробки на дорогах). 2. Although 
vehicles in (развитых странах) have been getting cleaner because of 
(нормативы по окружающей среде), this has been (компенсировать) 
by an (увеличение) in the number of vehicles. 3. Ways of improving 
(подвижность трафика), (уменьшение заторов) and lowering (по­
требление топлива) include building new (дорожная инфраструкту­
ра), (улучшение) current infrastructure and (установка дорожных 
знаков). 4. (Характеристики) such as on board diagnostics systems 
can (контролировать) (КПД двигателя). 5. (Нефтяные) companies 
are (улучшают) their (бензиновый) and diesel products, such as (сни­
жение содержания серы), to (увеличить эффективность топлива) 
and respond to new (разработки) in engine technology. 6. Hydrocarbon 
(топливо) produce carbon dioxide, а (парниковый газ) thought to be 
the chief (причина) of (глобальное изменение климата), and (бензи­
новые двигатели) create (загрязнение воздуха). 7. (Для достижения) 
real environmental (целей), (внимание) should focus on all (моторные 
транспортные средства), not just new vehicles. 8. Motor vehicles 
achieve optimal (эксплуатационных характеристик) where (транс­
портный поток) is most (оживленный).
Ex. 9. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. To achieve real environmental objectives, attention should be focused 
.... all motor vehicles. 2. Regular technical inspection reveals if vehicles
are well-maintained and operating .....  optimal conditions. 3. Electric
vehicles use efficient electric motors, but their range is lim ited.....either
the extent.... the electric transmission system or .... the storage capacity
.... batteries. 4. Toxic runoff..... roads can pollute aquatic ecosystems.
5. It takes .... ten years .... the national vehicle fleet to be renewed. 6.
Installing road signs providing both directions and information.....  the
road network allows tourists to choose the best route. 7. Shifting travel
.......  automobiles .....  well-utilized public transport can reduce energy
consumption and traffic congestion. 8. A number .... cities are creating
42
networks .....bicycle lanes, but the value ......... such devices..... utility
cycling is highly controversial.
Ex. 10. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the participle.
1. AH papers mentioned provided valuable insight into the car rental 
business. 2. The costs of idle drivers and wasted fuel of the trucks while 
wafting in the lines are all important, but in second place if compared to 
the storage costs. 3. Changes in the manufacturing flow process lead to 
shorter cycle times, meaning improved responsiveness and efficiency of 
demand to customers. 4. The containers used in the beginning of the 19th 
century were much smaller than those we see today. 5. Increasing vol­
umes of traffic mean an increased safety risk. 6. The form of public 
transport chosen by the individual passenger depends on comfort, infor­
mation and personal general preference for the form of transport. 7. The 
longer the journey time, the greater the disadvantage which passengers 
experience when changing buses. 8. Obviously, this deterioration is most 
marked in highly industrialized and densely populated areas.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the passive voice.
1. In mass production industries, most of the production plans are based 
on the estimation of market demand. 2. The project, Noise Innovation 
Program is being carried out by the Dutch Road Laboratory, which is 
expected to cost 55 million Euro. 3. Importance is placed on making use 
of each others’ expertise and special equipment. 4. Voices are now heard 
calling for a significant and lasting way to reduce the consumption of 
energy by transport. 5. Transport is not viewed in isolation, but is closely 
linked with policies including those covering the environment, energy 
and safety. 6. Most seaport, inland waterways and pipelines networks are 
designed and realized specifically for movement of freight. 7. A com­
parison has been made between the transportation of containers by rail in 
the US and in Europe.
43
Ex. 12. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the compound prepositions and conjunctions.
1. Both passenger and goods transport have rapidly increased in the past 
years. 2. The poor state of road equipment, which has clearly been a 
cause of accidents, is not at all acceptable either in social or economic 
terms. 3. The management of car deployment is highly complex due to 
the connection of car availability across time, the station network and 
different car groups. 4. It is neither possible nor rational to develop a 
public transport system where all passengers can travel from door-to- 
door without exchanging buses. 5. Traffic signs and management sys­
tems are deteriorating due to intensive use, in part through damage and 
by poor maintenance. 6. A corporate station operates by means of staff 
and cars that are both part of the car rental company.
Ex. 13. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text is concerned with.......... are considered. It should be noted
that... . The fact th a t... is stressed. It should be remembered that... . The 
author draws the following conclusion that... .
Ex. 14. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
Cars and trucks are major sources of noise pollution in most cities. 
Most developed countries have had vehicle noise emission regulations 
since 1970s. Technological progress in engines and exhaust systems has 
made these vehicles considerably quieter. For example, the EU allowable 
noise level of a modem truck is approximately equivalent to that of the 
typical car in 1970. Nonetheless, the noise created by motorized trans­
portation remains a significant impact on urban residents’ health and 
quality of life. Noise is often cited as the main nuisance in urban areas, 
and traffic noise is the worst offender (a German study suggests that 
65% of the population is adversely affected by road traffic noise, with 
25% seriously affected).
As an indication, residential property values are measurably lower 
near noise-producing main roads, highways and railroad tracks. A recent 
study of Austrian schoolchildren found that the low but continuous noise
44
of everyday local traffic can cause stress in children and raise blood 
pressure, heart rates. The research, conducted by US and European re­
searchers, was the first major study of the nonauditory health effects of 
typical ambient community noise.
Besides vehicle engines and exhaust pipes, much of the noise pro­
duced by vehicles today, especially in highway operations, results from 
the movement of vehicles through the air, and the contact o f tires with 
the road. The former can be reduced by aerodynamic vehicle body de­
signs (which also have the effect of improving fuel efficiency and reduc­
ing emission). The latter can be reduced through tire thread designs and 
improvements in pavement surface textures (which also have the effect 
of draining water more effectively and so reducing the risks of accident).
Noise barriers can also minimize the impact of vehicle noise. Aircraft 
are another important source of noise. Major airports typically handle 
hundreds of thousands of aircraft arrivals and departures per year. Most 
of these aircraft are jet-propelled. In most of the developed world, in­
creasingly stringent aircraft engine noise regulations have succeeded in 
reducing the total noise exposure at most large airports. This is much less 
true, however, for the developing world. In many cases, aircraft that can 
no longer meet developed-world noise standards are sold to developing- 
world operators and continue their noisy existence.
____________ Unit Six: Transport in Cities
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. adverse - неблагоприятный, вредный
2. to affect -  наносить вред, влиять
3. to cancel out -  свести на нет
4. constraint -  ограничение
5. to drive apart -  отдалять друг от друга
6. dormitory -  спальный пригород (район)
7. hazardous -  опасный, рискованный
8. to hinder — мешать, препятствовать, задерживать, затруднять
9. intersection -  перекресток, пересечение
10. log-jam - узкое место
45
11 .node -  узел, узловая точка
12. to play down -  преуменьшать, умалять
13.relevant -  существенный, важный
14.substantial -  существенный, важный, значительный
15.smoothing -  сглаживание, выравнивание
16.threshold -  порог; ворота, вход
17.throughput -  пропускная способность
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition, 
congestion, cost, agent, rush hour, interstate, transport, traffic jam.
1. a person who acts on behalf of another person, group, business, gov­
ernment, etc.; representative.
2. the state of being overcrowded, especially with traffic or people.
3. the amount of money that you have to pay in order to buy, do or pro­
duce something.
4. a wide road that goes between states, on which cars can travel fast.
5. the time of day, when the roads, buses, trains etc are most full, be­
cause people are travelling to or from work.
6. the business or system of transporting goods or people.
7. a long line of vehicles on a road that cannot move or can only move 
very slowly.
Ex. 3. Match the words with the similar meaning.
1. hazardous a) prerequisite
2. substantial b) unfavourable
3.impact c) insufficient
4. inadequate d) crossing
5. condition e) dangerous
6. play down f) substantial
7. intersection j) influence
8. relevant h) underestimate, understate
9. adverse i) essential, important
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) combined transport а) грузовой транспорт
2) commercial transport b) сухопутные перевозки
46
3) cost of transport c) грузовой автомобильный 
транспорт
d) транспортные издержки
e) внутренний транспорт, пере­
возки внутрь страны
f) комбинированные перевозки
g) перевозки из страны
h) международный транспорт
i) технологическая оснащённость 
транспорта
j) транспорт для пассажирских и 
грузовых перевозок (грузовые ав­
томобили, автобусы, троллейбу­
сы)
к) городской общественный 
транспорт
4) inland transport
5) intercity transport
6) outwards transport
7) overland transport
8) facilities for transport
9) urban mass transport
10) goods transport
11) road freight transport
Ex. 5. Scan the text to find answers to the following questions.
1. What is the origin of the term ‘transportation’?
2. What aspects does the field of transportation have?
3. What is important in cities to help public transport perform properly?
4. What are the main problems of urban transport sector?
Ex. 6. Read the text attentively for more information about different 
aspects of transport and transportation.
Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods 
from one place to another. The term is derived from the Latin trans 
("across") and portare ("to carry"). Industries which have the business of 
providing equipment, actual transport, transport of people or goods and 
services used in transport of goods or people make up a large broad and 
important sector of most national economies, and are collectively re­
ferred to as transport industries.
Transport is more than just another sector of the economy. Transport 
is the core of society. It gives a structure to space and our concept of 
space. It shapes and reflects our ways of life and our cultures. It contrib­
utes to economic development, whereas the economy depends on goods 
transportation. The functioning of society largely depends on the quality
47
and design of the transportation system. A defective system will hurt 
society badly.
The field of transport has several aspects: infrastructure, vehicles, and 
operations. Infrastructure includes the transport networks (roads, rail­
ways, airways, waterways, canals, pipelines, etc.) that are used, as well 
as the nodes or terminals (such as airports, railway stations, bus stations 
and seaports).
An automobile is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own 
motor. Different types of automobiles include cars, buses, trucks, and 
vans. Some include motorcycles in the category, but cars are the most 
typical automobiles. As of 2002 there were 590 million passenger cars 
worldwide (roughly one car for every ten people), of which 170 million 
in the U.S (roughly one car for every two people).
The automobile was thought of as an environmental improvement over 
horses when it was first introduced in the 1890s. In 2006, the automobile 
was recognized as one of the primary sources of world-wide air pollution 
and a cause of substantial noise pollution and adverse health effects.
Because of the much higher densities of people and activities, envi­
ronmental, economic, public health, social and quality of life considera­
tions and constraints are important in cities.
Urban transport has been led by professional transport planners and 
traffic experts. This has led in most cities to a substantial overbuilding of 
the road and supporting infrastructure, which has maximized throughput 
in terms of the numbers of vehicles and the speeds with which they pass 
through and move around in the built-up areas.
Too much infrastructure and too much smoothing for maximum vehi­
cle throughput means that in many cities there is too much traffic and 
many - if not all - of the negative impacts that come with it.
The situation is most critical in the urban transport sector. Here, it is 
not just a matter of constraints on comfort and freedom to choose the 
means of transport -  human safety and even freedom of movement are 
involved. Although urban networks are neither permanently nor totally 
log-jammed, congestion is a general phenomenon affecting all types of 
traffic and means of transport. Traffic jams -  now inseparable from the 
urban scene -  complicate the use of cars, buses and trams. Whatever the 
mode of transport, getting round in certain urban areas is becoming an 
increasingly time-consuming, difficult, uncomfortable, hazardous and
48
stressful activity. Congestion is a daily fact on major roads, motorways, 
and at important traffic intersections. Although statistics shows a fall in 
accidents, the absolute numbers involved are still unacceptably high. In 
reality, the theoretically faster ride on the motorway is frequently can­
celled out by congestion. Moreover, safety conditions created to cope 
with fewer and slower vehicles are inadequate to deal with present con­
ditions. The quality of freight and passenger transportation and the eco­
nomic function are affected.
The most common negative factors here are:
Lack o f  safety. The safety aspect in transportation is often -  and 
wrongly -  played down. It is highly relevant, particularly to road trans­
port. Every year, 50,000 people are killed and a further 1,500, 000 are 
injured on European roads. The economic cost aside, this is totally unac­
ceptable in human and social terms. Although figures have fallen in the 
long term, the annual body count is still far too high. The quality of safe­
ty on European roads is low.
Noise: Transport is a prime source of noise and vibration. These fac­
tors grow fast with traffic volume. In certain areas the noise levels now 
hinder normal work and living. Hence, instead of uniting people, trans­
port can actually drive them apart. Indeed, it has actually transformed 
some residential areas into human deserts, particularly where these ad­
join major urban arteries,, highways, railway lines and airports. The qual­
ity of life in dormitory towns is affected.
Traffic density. Paradoxically, above a certain threshold, traffic den­
sity also hinders social relations. Very busy roads through villages and 
built-up areas can make trip hazardous and actually restrict free move­
ment.
Ex. 7. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. (Затор) is a daily fact on major roads, (автомагистралях), and at im­
portant traffic (перекрестках). 2. The quality of (безопасности) on Eu­
ropean roads is low. 3. Getting round in certain (городских) areas is be­
coming an increasingly (отнимающий много времени), difficult, un­
comfortable, (опасный) and stressful activity. 4. The (качество) of life 
in (спальных районах) is affected by. 5. The (качество) of (грузопере­
возок) and passenger transportation and the economic function are (на­
49
носится вред). 6. The (безопасность) aspect in transportation is highly 
(существенный) particularly to road transport. 7. In 2006, the automo­
bile (был признан) as one of the primary sources of world-wide (за­
грязнение воздуха) and а (причина) of (существенное) noise pollution 
and (вредное влияние на здоровье). 8. Transport is a prime (источник 
шума) and vibration. 9. (Городские транспортные пробки) -  now (не­
отделимы) from the (городских) scene -  (усложняют) the use of cars, 
buses and trams. 10. In reality the theoretically faster ride on the motor­
way is frequently (сводится на нет) by congestion. 11. Too much infra­
structure and too much smoothing for maximum (пропускной способ­
ности автомобилей) means that in many cities there is too much traffic 
and many negative (воздействия).
Ex. 8. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. Transport contributes .....  economic development, as the economy
depends ..... good transportation. 2. Very busy roads ....... villages and
built-up areas can make trip hazardous. 3. Transport or transportation is 
the movement..... people and goods.......one p lace .......another. 4. Traf­
fic jams are now inseparable..... the urban scene and complicate the use
.....cars, buses and trams. 5. Safety conditions created to co p e .......fewer
and slower vehicles are inadequate to d ea l.....present conditions. 6. Pa­
radoxically, .....  a certain threshold, traffic density hinders social rela­
tions. 7. Congestion is a daily f a c t .....major roads, motorways, a n d .......
important traffic intersections 8. Transport has actually transformed 
some residential areas..... human deserts.
Ex 9. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
multifunctional word “term”.
1. The economic cost aside, this is totally unacceptable in human and 
social terms. 2. Although figures have fallen in the long term, the an­
nual body count is still far too high. 3. The term CIP - CARRIAGE 
AND INSURANCE PAID TO may be used for any mode of transport 
including multimodal transport. 4. The main goal of producers and 
sellers is to minimize costs for transportation and logistics and deliver 
goods to customers in possibly shorter terms. 5. Substantial over­
building of the road and supporting infrastructure has maximized 
throughput in terms of the numbers of vehicles and the speeds with
50
which they pass through and move around in the built-up areas. 6. 
Different configurations have different advantages and disadvantages 
in terms of smoothness, manufacturing cost and shape characteristics.
Ex. 10. Translate the sentences into Russian. Mind the different 
meanings of the verb to be.
1. Efficiently operating transport networks in the former segmented 
European space-economy are critical success factors for the competi­
tive edge o f Europe. 2. Competitive efficiency is in the centre of cur­
rent European transport policy. 3. There is a major more recent policy 
concern on the question whether transport will be devastating for en­
vironmentally sustainable development. 4. The purpose of production 
logistics is to ensure that each machine and workstation is being fed 
with the right product in the right quantity and quality at the right 
point of time. 5. It is also through the physical distribution process 
that the time and space of customer service become an integral part of 
marketing, thus it links a marketing channel with customers. 6. 
Transport is more than just another sector of the economy. 7. It is not 
just a matter of constraints on comfort and freedom to choose the 
means of transport. 8. Congestion is a daily fact on major roads, mo­
torways, and at important traffic intersections. 9. Another strategy is 
to make vehicles more efficient, which reduces pollution and waste 
by reducing the energy use.
Ex. 11. Translate the sentences into Russian. Mind the use of the 
verbs in passive voice.
1. The automobile was thought of as an environmental improvement 
over horses when it was first introduced in the 1890s. 2. In 2006, the au­
tomobile was recognized as one of the primary sources of world-wide air 
pollution and a cause of substantial noise pollution and adverse health 
effects. 3. Urban transport has been led by professional transport plan­
ners and traffic experts. 4. Production logistics can be applied in existing 
as well as new plants. 5. The term is primarily intended to be used when 
goods are to be carried by rail or road, but it may be used for any mode 
of transport. 6. The term DDP - Delivered Duty Paid may be used irre­
spective of the mode of transport.
51
Ex. 12. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 13. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
Traffic Control
Nearly all roadways are built with devices meant to control traffic. 
Most notable to the motorist are those meant to communicate directly 
with the driver. Broadly, these fall into three categories: signs, signals or 
pavement markings. They help the driver navigate; they assign the right- 
of-way at intersections; they indicate laws such as speed limits and park­
ing regulations; they advise of potential hazards; they indicate passing 
and no passing zones; and otherwise deliver information and to assure 
traffic is orderly and safe.
200 years ago these devices were signs, nearly all informal. In the late 
19th century signals began to appear in big cities at a few highly con­
gested intersections. They were manually operated, and consisted of se­
maphores, flags or paddles, or in some cases colored electric lights, all 
modeled on railroad signals. In the 20,h century signals were automated, 
at first with electromechanical devices and later with computers. Signals 
can be quite sophisticated: with vehicle embedded in the pavement, the 
signal can control and coordinate the turning movements of heavy traffic 
in the most complex of intersections. In the 1920s traffic engineers 
learned how to coordinate signals along a thoroughfare to increase its 
speeds and volumes. In the 1980s, with computers, similar coordination 
of whole networks became possible.
In the 1920s movement markings were introduced. Initially they were 
used to indicate the road’s centerline. Soon after they were coded with 
information to aid motorists in passing safely. Later, with multilane 
roads they were used to define lanes. Other uses, such as indicating per­
mitted turning movements and pedestrian crossing soon followed.
52
In the 20th century traffic control devices were standardized. Before 
then every locality decided on what its devices would look like and 
where they would be applied. This could be confusing, especially to traf­
fic from outside the locality. In the United States standardization was 
first taken at the state level, and late in the century at the federal level. 
Each country has a Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices 
(MUTCD) and there are efforts to blend them into a worldwide standard.
Besides signals, signs and markings, other forms of traffic control are 
designed and built into the roadway. For instance, curbs and rumble 
strips can be used to keep traffic in a given lane and median barriers can 
prevent left turns and even U-turns.
______ Unit Seven: Transportation and Logistics
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. auction -  аукцион, торг; продавать с аукциона;
2. to accomplish -  выполнять, совершать
3. carrier- транспортное средство, перевозчик
4. destination -  пункт назначения;
5. to facilitate - содействовать, способствовать, облегчать
6. implementation -  выполнение, реализация, внедрение
7. inventory -  материально-техническая база
8. item -  продукт, изделие, отдельный предмет, пункт, статья
9. life cycle -  жизненный цикл (изделия), период эксплуатации
10. logistics -  материально-техническая база
11 .notably -  особенно, в особенности
12.probability -  вероятность, возможность
13.repositioning -  изменение положения, переустановка
14. reverse auction - обратный аукцион( аукцион, в котором участву­
ет один покупатель и несколько конкурирующих продавцов)
15.simultaneously -  одновременно, совместно
16.supply chain -  логистическая цепочка, цепочка поставок, сеть 
поставок
17.transaction - сделка, соглашение
18.warehousing - складирование
53
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
consumer, producer, auction, client, contract, carrier
1. a person or business enterprise that generates goods or services for sale.
2. a person, thing, or organization employed to carry goods, passengers, etc.
3. someone who gets services or advice from a professional person, 
company or organization.
4. someone who buys and uses products and services.
5. an official agreement between two or more people, stating what each 
will do.
6. a public sale of goods or property, esp. one in which prospective pur­
chasers bid against each other until the highest price is reached.
Ex. 3. Match the words and word combinations with the similar
meaning.
1) goal
2) to facilitate
3) to benefit
4) simultaneously
5) decrease
6) conventional
7) competition
8) participant
9) implementation
10) carrier
11) transaction
12) warehouse
a) usual
b) partaker
c) rivalry
d) at the same time
e) forwarder
f) aim
g) to profit
h) realization 
j) to assist
k) decline
1) storehouse 
m) deal
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) open and fair competition
2) to minimize costs
3) unprecedented amount of par­
ticipants
4) in possibly shorter terms
5) at possibly lower costs
a) в возможно короткие сроки
b) реализация новых 
технологий
c) поставка товаров до места 
назначения
d )снизить затраты
e) в данной ситуации
54
6) implementation of new tech­
nologies
7) deliver the goods to the destina­
tion
8) decrease of costs of transporta­
tion
9) in the current situation
10) supply chain
f) снижение затрат на пере­
возки
g) открытая и честная 
конкуренция
h) беспрецедентное количе­
ство участников
i) цепочка поставок
j) по наименьшей цене
Ex. 5. Look up the meaning of the word combination in a dictionary.
Ex. 6. Scan the text to find answers to these questions.
1. What does logistics management do?
2. What are the main functions of a qualified logistician?
3. What are the goals of producers and sellers in transportation?
4. What are the advantages of electronic reverse auctions compared to 
conventional auctions?
5. What is the effect of open competition in electronic reverse auctions?
Ex. 7. Read the text attentively and say what you have learnt about 
transportation, logistics and electronic auctions.
Logistics is the art and science of managing and controlling the flow 
of goods, energy, information and other resources like products, services 
and people from the source of production to the marketplace. It is diffi­
cult or nearly impossible to accomplish any international trading, global 
export/import processes, international repositioning of raw materi­
als/products and manufacturing without a professional logistical support. 
It involves the integration of information, transportation, inventory, 
warehousing, material handling, and packaging. The operating responsi­
bility of logistics is the geographical repositioning of raw materials,
At large... and... in particular 
It is worthy to note 
As a rule 
As a result
It is necessary to point out
Consequently
Moreover
Furthermore
Primarily
It is logical to wonder
55
work in process and finished inventories where required at the lowest 
cost possible.
Logistics is an idea considered to have transformed from the military's 
need to supply them as they moved from their base to a forward position.
Logistician is the profession in the logistics & transport sectors, in­
cluding sea, air, land and rail modes.
Logistics management is that part of the supply chain which plans, 
implements and controls the efficient, effective forward and reverse flow 
and storage of goods, services and related information between the point 
of origin and the point of consumption in order to meet customers' re­
quirements. A professional working in the field of logistics management 
is called a logistician.
Supply Chain can be defined as having the right item in the right 
quantity at the right time at the right place for the right price and is the 
science of process and incorporates all industry sectors. The goal of lo­
gistics work is to manage the fruition of project life cycles, supply chains 
and resultant efficiencies.
The main functions of a qualified logistician include inventory man­
agement, purchasing, transportation, warehousing, consultation and the 
organizing and planning of these activities. Logisticians combine a pro­
fessional knowledge of each of these functions so that there is a coordi­
nation of resources in an organization. There are two fundamentally dif­
ferent forms of logistics. One optimizes a steady flow of material 
through a network of transport links and storage nodes. The other coor­
dinates a sequence of resources to carry out some project.
* * * * *
Traditionally, logistics and transportation are extremely important for 
successful operating of any company as well as the whole market at large. 
As a rule, the main goal of producers and sellers, as well as buyers, is to 
minimize costs for transportation and logistics and deliver goods to cus­
tomers in possibly shorter terms. In the current situation, a variety of tools 
is used to achieve this goal. Innovative technologies, especially IT, com­
puting, Internet, etc., are playing increasingly more important role and are 
commonly used to facilitate transportation and logistics.
As a result, auctions, using an electronic reverse auction platform, are 
growing to be popular and widely spread. It is necessary to point out that 
electronic reverse auctions have a lot of advantages compared to conven­
56
tional auctions. Primarily, electronic reverse auctions may lead to a suc­
ce ss fu l cooperation between producers of different goods to transport to 
various destinations and carriers. It is logical to wonder what both pro­
ducers and carriers benefit from such cooperation which may lead to in­
creasing of speed of transactions since producers receive not only the 
possibility to sell their goods but, at the same time, they have got a pos­
sibility to find a carrier that can deliver the goods to the destination. In 
such a way, two operations could be run simultaneously that seems to be 
extremely beneficial for sellers, i.e. producers.
Furthermore, the reverse auction provides producers with the possi­
bility to choose from a large amount of carriers. In such a situation, the 
essential conditions for open and fair competition are created since pro­
ducers can choose carriers on the basis of objective principles identical 
for all participants of the auction. On the other hand, carriers can supply 
their services to a large number of sellers and, consequently, can also 
easily find their potential customer.
Moreover, the open competition stimulates carriers to the improvement 
of their services and it may also result in certain decrease of costs of trans­
portation for producers. Implementation of new technologies, notably elec­
tronic reverse auctions lea,ds to the implementation of high technologies in 
transportation and logistics at large. It also opens new perspectives for re­
verse auctions since, being based on electronic platform, they can involve 
unprecedented amount of participants. Consequently, the probability that 
producers will find their clients and carrier, which will transport the goods 
to the destination at possibly lower costs, increases.
Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is possible to con­
clude that the implementation of electronic reverse auctions leading to 
better cooperation between producers and carriers perfectly demonstrates 
the possibilities of new technologies applied to business at large and 
transportation and logistics in particular.
Ex. 8. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. Logistics management is that part of the (цепочки поставок) which 
implements and controls (прямой и обратный поток товаров) between 
the point of origin and (пунктом потребления) in order to meet (запро­
сы потребителей). 2. It is necessary to point out that electronic reverse
57
auctions have a lot of (преимуществ) compared to (обычный) auctions.
3. The main (цель) is to minimize (затраты) for transportation and logis­
tics and deliver goods to customers (в возможно короткие сроки). 4. 
The main functions of a qualified (логиста) include inventory manage­
ment, (покупку), transportation, (складирование), consultation and the 
organizing and planning of these activities. 5. (Внедрение) of electronic 
reverse auctions leads to better (сотрудничество) between producers 
and carriers. 6. The open (конкуренция) stimulates carriers to the 
(улучшение) of their services and it may also result in certain 
(уменьшение расходов) of transportation for producers. 7. Two opera­
tions could be run (одновременно) that seems to be extremely 
(выгодно) for sellers. 8 The essential conditions for (открытая и 
честная) competition are created. 9. (Перевозчики) can (поставлять 
свои услуги) to a large number of sellers and, (следовательно), can also 
easily find their potential (потребителя). 10. Professional (логистиче­
ская поддержка) involves the integration of information, transportation, 
(материально-техническая база), material handling, and packaging. 
11 .(Логистическая цепочка)сап be defined as having the (соответст­
вующий предмет) in the ( соответствующем количестве) at the (со­
ответствующее время) at the (соответствующем месте) for the ( со­
ответствующую цену) and is the science of process and incorporates 
all industry sectors. 12. It is difficult or nearly (невозможно) to (совер­
шать) any international (торговлю) global export/import process, inter­
national (изменения положения) of (сырьевых) materials and manu­
facturing without professional (логистическая поддержка).
Ex. 9. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. The reverse auction provides producers .... the possibility to choose
..... a large amount of carriers. 2. Carrier will transport the goods .... the
destination .....  possibly lower costs. 3. Producers can choose carriers
..... the basis of objective principles identical.......all participants of the
auction. 4. Both producers and carriers benefit..... such cooperation. 5.
Logistics is the art and science of managing and controlling the flow of 
goods... the source of production ... the marketplace. 6 It is difficult to 
accomplish any international trading .... a professional logistical sup­
port.. 7. Logistics management plans the flow and storage of goods ... 
the point of origin and the point of consumption. 8. Supply Chain can be
58
defined as having the right item ... the right quantity ... the right time 
the right place ... the right price.
Ex. 10. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) available inventory
2) book inventory
3) finished goods inventory
4) Iot-size inventory
5) replenishment of inventories
6) projected inventory turnover rate
7) supply inventory
8) taking inventory
9) target inventory level
10) seasonal inventory
11) in-transit inventory
12) inventory and valuation policy
13) inventory balance
14) inventory carrying charge rate
15) inventory carrying costs
a) сезонный запас
b) запасы в пути (на момент 
учета находящиеся в процессе 
перевозки
c) максимальный запас (сумма 
текущих, подготовительных, 
страхового запасов при 
превышении которых 
образуются излишки)
d) уровень запасов
e) запас вспомогательных 
материалов
f) запасы готовой продукции
g) наличные запасы
h) затраты на формирование и 
хранение запасов
i) прогнозируемый 
коэффициент 
оборачиваемости запасов 
j) восстановление уровня 
запасов
к) инвентарный учет товарно­
материальных запасов)
1) страховой полис с описью и 
оценкой
т )  текущие запасы 
п) стоимость хранения запасов
о) проведение инвентаризации
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the infinitive.
1. In order to respond to random orders from consumers and to stabilize 
the production process, inventories are maintained at sections of the pro-
59
duction process. 2. The ability to communicate almost instantaneously, 
large amounts of information and data to suppliers, customers and trans­
port providers has allowed firms to operate with increased efficiency. 3. 
It is critical to predict how a particular shift in logistics will affect the 
demand for transport services and how a shift in transport production 
will affect the infrastructure system. 4. To keep costs down and avoid an 
increase in the number of trucks on the roads, shipments must be con­
solidated. 5. For the European economy to operate as a single market 
there has to be presence of common transport policy. 6. The purpose of 
the cooperation is to make it possible to support research and develop­
ment activities on road traffic noise of common interest to the two par­
ties. 7. To protect their own market share the national companies will not 
complete with other smaller and regional companies.
Ex. 12. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
emphatic construction.
1. It is a transport logistic system based on new transport technology that 
ensures fast and safe movement of goods at least costs. 2. It was not until 
the 1980’s that environmental impacts were considered. 3. It is the aim 
of the Danish Road Institute that pavements cause as little noise as pos­
sible for the sake of the neighbors and yet are safe to use for the road 
users. 4. It was in the early 1900s that closed container boxes designed 
for movement between road and rail were adopted. 5. It was Harvard 
University economist Benjamin Chinitz predicted that containerization 
would benefit New York by allowing it to ship industrial goods produced 
there more cheaply to the Southern United States than to other areas. 6. It 
was not until the 1950s that containers started to revolutionize freight 
transportation.
Ex. 13. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text is about... . It is shown that... . In the opinion o f  the author it 
is ... . O f special interest is his argument that... . The author concludes 
by saying that... .
60
Ex. 14. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
Multimodal transport is one of highly effective and modern ways 
of facilitating movement of imports and exports. It is a transport lo­
gistic system based on new transport technology that ensures fast and 
safe movement of goods at least costs.
Facilitation of trade and transport sectors calls for procedural, legal and 
institutional reforms to simplify, standardise and harmonise procedures 
and documentation that will help to achieve movement of goods at a min­
imum cost and time. This covers a wide spectrum of activities including 
human resource development, physical infrastructures, and the use of new 
transport and information technologies. Multimodal transport is one of 
highly effective and modem ways of facilitating movement of imports and 
exports. It is a transport logistic system based on new transport technology 
that ensures fast and safe movement of goods at least costs.
The United Nations Convention on International Multimodal 
Transport o f Goods of 1980 defines multimodal transport as " the car­
riage of goods by at least two different modes of transport on the ba­
sis of a multimodal transport contract from a place in one country at 
which the goods are taken in charge by the multimodal transport op­
erator (MTO) to a place designated for delivery situated in a different 
country". The definition has clearly identified four basic characteris­
tics o f multimodal transport such as the use at least two modes of 
transport, transfer o f goods between two countries, issuance of a 
transport contract and the performance by a multimodal transport 
contractor taking in charge o f whole movement of cargo.
A multimodal transport contract is a contract whereby a multimo­
dal transport operator undertakes against payment of freight, to per­
form, or to procure the performance of international multimodal 
transport. This is performed through the issuance of an MTD as an 
evidence of the multimodal transport contract, taking in charge of the 
goods with an undertaking by the MTO, to deliver the goods in ac­
cordance with the contract terms.
61
Unit Eight: FIATA
Ex.l. Mind the new words and expressions.
1. barcode -  штрих код
2. to bring forward -  выдвигать ( предложение)
3. dissemination, - распространение
4. distribution - распространение
5. distinctive -  отличительный, характерный
6. distinguishable -  различимый, отличимый
7. to enhance -  увеличивать, улучшать, усиливать
8. to evaluate -  оценивать
9. to familiarise -  ознакомлять
10. forwarder (forwarding agent) -экспедитор, перевозчик
11. freight - груз, фрахт
12. HQ headquarter - штаб
13. institute -  (зд.) ассоциация
14. liability insurance -  страхование ответственности
15. logo (сокр.от logotype) -  логотип, фирменный или товарный знак
16. objective, target -  цель
17. to submit -  представить на рассмотрение
18. synergy -  совместная деятельность (успешная)
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition, 
container, logistics, agent, toll, carrier, barcode
1. a person or company that represents another person or company espe­
cially in business.
2. a group of thin and thick lines printed on products you buy in a shop 
and which a computer can read. It contains information such as the 
price.
3. a company that moves goods or passengers from one place to another.
4. a large cargo-carrying standard-sized box that can be loaded from one 
mode of transport to another.
5. the management of materials flow through an organization, from raw 
materials through to finished goods.
6. the money you have to pay to use a particular road, bridge, etc.
62
Ex. 3. Match the words with the similar meaning.
1. benefit
2. advisor
3. objective
4. freight
5. freight dispatcher
6. freight forward
7. distribution
8. bring forward
9. distinctive
10. logo
11. implementation
12. forwarder 
113. institute
14. evaluate
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant, 
"freight".
1. freight advance
2. freight agent
3. freight charge
4. freight clause
5. freight dispatcher
6. freight flow
7. freight home
8. freight-handling company
9. freight note
10. freight rate
11. freight receiver
12. freight release
13. freight revenue
14. freight terminal
15. freight turnover
16. freight yard
a) appreciate
b) expeditor
c) load, cargo
d) association
e) trade mark
f) shipper
g) distinguishing
h) advantage
i) realization 
j) goal, target 
k) dissimilation 
1) consultant
m) come forward
n) freight prepaid
у attention to the use of the word
a) условие об оплате
b )товарная узловая станция
c)грузооборот
d) доход от грузовых перевозок
e) аванс фрахта
f) обратный фрахт
g) условие об оплате фрахта
h) грузоотправитель
i) грузопоток
j) агент по фрахтовке операций 
к) стоимость перевозки грузов 
1) грузовой парк 
т )  фирма грузообработчик 
п) разрешение на выдачу груза
о) фрахтовая ставка 
р)грузополучатель
63
1. What does the abbreviation FIATA stand for?
2. What does FIATA represent today?
3. What are the main objectives of FIAT A?
4. Why has FIATA created several documents and forms?
5. There are five Advisory Bodies of FIATA, aren’t they? Name them.
Ex. 6. Read the text attentively for more information about FIATA.
FIATA, in French "Federation Internationale des Associations de Tran- 
sitaires et Assimiles", in English "International Federation of Freight For­
warders Associations was founded in Vienna/Austria on May 31, 1926.
FIATA, a non-governmental organisation, represents today an industry 
covering approximately 40,000 forwarding and logistics firms, also known 
as the "Architects of Transport", employing around 8-10 million people in 
150 countries.
FIATA has consultative status with the Economic and Social Council 
(ECOSOC) of the United Nations, the United Nations Conference on 
Trade and Development (UNCTAD), and the UN Commission on Interna­
tional Trade Law (UNCITRAL).
It is recognised as representing the freight forwarding industry by many 
other governmental organisations, governmental authorities, private inter­
national organisations in the field of transport such as the International 
Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the International Road Transport Union 
(IRU), the World Customs Organization (WCO), the World Trade Organi­
zation (WTO), etc.
In summary FIATA is the largest non-governmental organisation in the 
field of transportation. Its influence is worldwide.
Objectives
FIATA's main objectives are: to unite the freight forwarding industry 
worldwide; to represent, promote and protect the interests of the industry 
by participating as advisors or experts in meetings of international bodies 
dealing with transportation; to familiarise trade and industry and the public 
at large with the services rendered by freight forwarders through the dis­
semination of information, distribution of publications, etc.; to improve the 
quality of services rendered by freight forwarders by developing and pro­
moting uniform forwarding documents, standard trading conditions, etc.;
Ex. 5. Scan the text to give the answers to the following questions.
64
to assist with vocational training for freight forwarders, liability insurance 
problems, tools for electronic commerce including electronic data inter­
change (EDI) and barcode.
Congresses
Each year, FIATA holds a World Congress. This international event 
brings together the freight forwarding industry and transport world. It 
serves to conduct the business of the Federation, is a social occasion and 
last but not least acts as a meeting place to conduct business. Participation 
is between 800 - 1500 persons.
Organisation FIATA is structured into Institutes, Advisory Bodies, and 
Working Groups each in their turn dealing with every aspect that affects 
the international movement of freight.
The Institutes, which usually meet twice a year, carry out the technical 
work of the Federation. Currently FIATA has three, namely the Airfreight 
Institute (AFI); Customs Affairs Institute (CAI); Multimodal Transport 
Institute (MTI).
Some of the Institutes have some permanent Working Groups; e.g. the 
MTI has three for Sea, Rail and Road Transport, and the AFI one for 
LATA matters. Working Groups report to their respective Institutes and 
meet according to necessity.
For matters that affect the whole of the freight forwarding industry 
there are five Advisory Bodies:
• Advisory Body Dangerous Goods (ABDG)
• Advisory Body Information Technology (ABIT)
• Advisory Body Legal Matters (ABLM)
• Advisory Body Public Relations (ABPR)
• Advisory Body Vocational Training (ABVT)
They co-operate with the Institutes and Working Groups, if required, 
and meet according to necessity.
Regional Meetings
FIATA National Association members are divided into 4 regions world­
wide. These are: Africa/Middle East, Americas, Asia/Pacific, Europe.
Each Region meets twice every year; during the HQ Session in Zurich 
and at the FIATA World Congress. The prime target of these regional 
meetings is to bring forward the specific issues of regional concern and 
interest, and if necessary submit them to the Institutes and Advisory Bod­
ies of FIATA, the intention being to identify and assist regional members
65
in solving the local difficulties. Another important topic is to gain syner­
gies between the member countries of the regions and to import and export 
thc.se benefits to other national associations.
Documents
FIATA has created several documents and forms to establish a uniform 
standard for use by freight forwarders worldwide. The documents are easily 
distinguishable as each has a distinctive colour and carries the FIATA logo.
• FIATA FCR (Forwarders Certificate of Receipt) - сертификат экс­
педитора о получении груза
• FIATA FCT (Forwarders Certificate of Transport) - сертификат 
экспедитора о транспортировке груза
• FWR (FIATA Warehouse Receipt) -  складское свидетельство
• FBL (negotiable FIATA Multimodal Transport Bill of Lading) - 
мультимодальный транспортный коносамент
• FWB (non-negotiable FIATA Multimodal Transport Waybill)- не­
оборотная мультимодальная транспортная накладная
• FIATA SDT (Shippers Declaration for the Transport of Dangerous 
Goods) - декларация грузоотправителя о транспортировке опасных 
грузов
• FIATA SIC (Shippers Intermodal Weight Certificate) - интермо­
дальный весовой сертификат грузоотправителя
• FFI (FIATA Forwarding Instructions) -  форма экспедиторских ин­
струкций
FIATA documents have an excellent reputation and are recognised as 
documents of tradition and trust. They have greatly contributed in the past 
to the facilitation of international exchanges and will continue in the future 
to be valuable instruments in the service of world trade.
Ex. 7. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. FIATA’s main (цель) is to unite (транспортно экспедиционную) 
industry worldwide. 2. FIATA is structured into Institutes, (консульта­
тивные органы) and working groups dealing with the international 
(движение грузов). 3. FIATA assists with (проблемами страховой 
ответственности) and electronic (обмен данными) and (штрих 
кодами). 4. FIATA documents are easily (отличимые) as each carries 
the FIATA (фирменный знак) at the head of the page. 5.The prime
66
(цель) of the HQ Session held in Zurich twice every year is to (выдви­
гать) specific (вопросы) and (предоставлять на рассмотрение) them to 
(консультативные органы) of FIATA. 6. FIATA tries to (улучшить) 
the quality of services rendered by (экспедиторами) by promoting uni­
form (экспедиторские) documents. 7. FIATA documents are recognized 
as documents o f tradition and (доверие) which have contributed to the 
(облегчение международных обменов).
Ex. 8. Fill in the blanks with the suitable prepositions.
1. FIATA represents and protects the interests .... the industry .... par­
ticipating as advisors or experts .... meetings of international bodies
dealing ..... transportation. 2. FIATA is structured .......Institutes which
usually meet twice per year and carry ..... the technical work of the Fed­
eration. 3. The prime target..... regional meetings is to bring .........  and
subm it..... the Institutes the specific issues of regional concern and in­
terest. 4.FIATA documents have contributed..... the facilitation of inter­
national exchanges. 5.FIATA has consultative status .....  ECOSOC of
the UN and the UN Commission..... International Trade Law. 6.FIATA
aims to familiarize trade and industry.....  the services rendered .....
freight forwarders through the dissemination....... information, distribu­
tion ..... publications.
Ex. 9. Make up questions, the answers to which are given in the 
right-hand column.
What for....?
Where and when...?
How many...?
When and where... ?
What organizations...?
What... for?
Ex. 10. Match the right variants.
1. Y.A.R. - York-Antwerp Rules
2. w., wt. - weight
3. urgt. - urgent
67
To establish a uniform standard 
for use by freight forwarders 
worldwide
In Zurich twice every year 
40 000 forwarding firms 
In Vienna in 1926 
ICC,IRU,WCO 
Its influence is worldwide
a) по доверенности
b) прошлого месяца
c) ограничительная деловая
4. ult. - ultimate
5. UCC - Uniform Commercial 
Code
6. SNA - System of National Ac­
counts
7. RBP - Restrictive Business Prac­
tice
8. per pro. - per procurationem
практика
d) вес
e) международное депози­
тарное свидетельство
f) единый коммерческий ко­
декс
g) совместное предприятие
9. n.r.t. - net register tonnage
10. JV - Joint Venture
11. IDR - International Depositary 
Receipt
12. emb. - embargo
h) Йорк-Антверпенские 
правила
i) эмбарго, запрет 
j) срочный
k) система национальных 
счетов
1) чистый регистровый тон­
наж
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the infinitive.
1. The aim of the advanced logistics is to decrease the costs of produc­
tion and distribution. 2. The management system or the organization re­
sponsible for the business transactions within the production system and 
the physical distribution has to be adapted to the new concept. 3. High- 
quality road transport is expected to increase while general haulage will 
decrease. 4. The success of express transport is likely to be more de­
pendent on the quality of the service offered than on speed. 5. Automatic 
vehicle identification will be used to help track vehicles and shipments.
6. The charge is expected to vary according to distance travelled, vehicle 
type and road type. 7, In order to reduce the extent of feeling unsafe on 
journeys by public transport it may be necessary to implement measures.
8. Logistics is the management o f the flow of goods, information and 
other resources, including energy and people, between the point of origin 
and the point of consumption in order to meet the requirements of con­
sumers.
68
Ex. 12. Translate the sentences into Russian. Mind the use of the 
modal verbs.
1. A balance needs to be struck between the requirements of the Cus­
toms authorities on the one hand and those of the transport operators on 
the other. 2. Transport is such a visible activity and such a politically 
sensitive one that important public policy questions. 3. Sweden has to 
separate companies, one for the rail infrastructure and one for the rolling 
stock and operations. 4. Quality programmes have to be as important in 
distribution as they are now for leading manufacturing companies. 5. 
The transport operator has to be able to predict and keep to time win­
dows at both pick-up and delivery locations. 6. Users also can create 
shipment status reports and then electronically e-mail them to anyone 
who needs to know.
Ex. 13. Translate the sentences into Russian. Mind the use of em­
phatic constructions.
1. It is the aim of the Danish Road Institute that pavements cause as 
little noise as possible for the sake of the neighbors and yet are safe to 
use for the road users. 2. It is also through the physical distribution proc­
ess that the time and space of customer service becomes an integral part 
of marketing, thus it links a marketing channel with customers. 3. It is a 
transport logistic system based on new transport technology that ensures 
fast and safe movement of goods at least costs. 4. It is the emergence of 
intermodalism that has been brought about in part by technology and 
requires management units for freight such as containers, swap bodies, 
pallets or semi-trailers. 5. It is the container that limits the risks for goods 
it transports because it is resistant to shocks and weather conditions.
Ex. 14. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. You may 
use the following cliches:
The text is devoted to ... . Attention is drawn to the fact that... . It is 
pointed out that... . It should be noted that... . The author concludes by 
saying th a t .... I  find  the text rather/very... .
69
Ex. 15. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
CFR - COST AND FREIGHT (... named port o f  destina­
tion). "Cost and Freight" means that the seller must pay the costs and 
freight necessary to bring the goods to the named port of destination 
but the risk of loss of or damage to the goods, as well as any addi­
tional costs due to events occurring after the time the goods have been 
delivered on board the vessel, is transferred from the seller to the 
buyer when the goods pass the ship's rail in the port of shipment. The 
CFR term requires the seller to clear the goods for export. This term 
can only be used for sea and inland waterway transport. When the 
ship's rail serves no practical purpose, such as in the case of roll- 
on/roll-off or container traffic, the CPT term is more appropriate to use.
CIF - COST, INSURANCE AND FREIGHT (... named port o f  des­
tination). Cost, Insurance and Freight" means that the seller has the 
same obligations as under CFR but with the addition that he has to pro­
cure marine insurance against the buyer's risk of loss of or damage to 
the goods during the carriage. The seller contracts for insurance and 
pays the insurance premium. The buyer should note that under the CIF 
term the seller is only required to obtain insurance on minimum cover­
age. The CIF term requires the seller to clear the goods for export. This 
term can only be used for sea and inland waterway transport. When the 
ship's rail serves no practical purposes such as in the case of roll-on/ roll­
off or container traffic, the CIP term is more appropriate to use.
FCA - FREE CARRIER (... named place). "Free Carrier" means 
that the seller fulfils his obligation to deliver when he has handed 
over the goods, cleared for export, into the charge of the carrier 
named by the buyer at the named place or point. If no precise point is 
indicated by the buyer, the seller may choose within the place or range 
stipulated where the carrier shall take the goods into his charge. 
When, according to commercial practice, the seller's assistance is re­
quired in making the contract with the carrier (such as in rail or air 
transport) the seller may act at the buyer's risk and expense. This term 
may be used for any mode of transport, including multimodal transport. 
"Carrier" means any person who, in a contract o f carriage, undertakes 
to perform or to procure the performance of carriage by rail, road, sea,
70
air, inland waterway or by a combination o f such modes. If the buyer 
instructs the seller to deliver the cargo to a person, e.g. a freight for­
warder who is not a "carrier", the seller is deemed to have fulfilled his 
obligation to deliver the goods when they are in the custody of that per­
son. "Transport terminal'1, means a railway terminal, a freight station, a 
container terminal or yard, a multi-purpose cargo terminal or any simi­
lar receiving point. "Container" includes any equipment used to uni- 
tise cargo, e.g. all types of containers and/or flats, whether ISO ac­
cepted or not, trailers, swap bodies, ro-ro equipment, igloos, and ap­
plies to all modes of transport.
FAS - FREE ALONGSIDE SH IP (... named p o rt o f  ship­
ment). "Free Alongside Ship" means that the seller fulfils his obliga­
tion to deliver when the goods have been placed alongside the vessel 
on the quay or in lighters at the named port of shipment. This means 
that the buyer has to bear all costs and risks o f loss o f or damage 
to the goods from that moment. The FAS term requires the buyer to 
clear the goods for export. It should not be used when the buyer cannot 
carry out directly or indirectly the export formalities. This term can 
only be used for sea or inland waterway transport.
FOB - FREE ON BOARD (... named port o f  shipment). "Free 
on Board" means that the seller fulfils his obligation to deliver when 
the goods have passed over the ship’s rail at the named port of shipment. 
This means that the buyer has to bear all costs and risks o f loss of or 
damage to the goods from that point. The FOB term requires the sel­
ler to clear the goods for export. This term can only be used for sea or 
inland waterway transport. When the ship's rail serves no practical pur­
pose, such as in the case of roll-on/roll-off or container traffic, the 
FCA term is more appropriate to use.
Unit Nine: TIR
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions
1. accession -  вступление, доступ
2. assessment - оценка
3. to avoid -  избегать , отклонять
71
4. auspices-покровительство, протекция, содействие;
(under the auspices of -  при содействии, под покровительством)
5. bond -  таможенная закладная
6. carnet -  карнет (таможенная лицензия на проезд автомашины
через границу )
7. contracting parties -  контрагенты, договаривающиеся стороны
8. compartment -  купе, отделение, отсек, камера
9. to cover -  включать в себя, охватывать, относиться к ч-л
10.customs -  таможенные пошлины, налог 
11 .delay -  задержка, препятствие
12.to devise -  разрабатывать
13.to dispense with - обходиться без чего либо
14.duty -  налог, пошлина
15.expenses -расходы, издержки, затраты 
16.1 facilitation -  облегчение, помощь
17. frontier -  граница
18.flexible - гибкий
19. impediment -  преграда, препятствие
20. imposition -  наложение, обложение 
21 .interference -  вмешательство
22.to involve -  включать в себя
23.issue -  выпуск, публикация 
24.1egislation -  законодательство, закон 
25.load -  груз, партия груза
26. maritime -  морской 
27.obvious -  очевидный
28.provision -  положение, условие ( договора)
29.revenue -  доход
30.routine - стандартный, текущий
31.sine qui non -  (латинск.) обязательное, непременное условие
32.seal -  печать, пломба
33.swap-body -  сменный кузов для смешанных автомобильно- 
железнодорожных перевозок
34.to utilize -  использовать, употреблять
72
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
commerce, consignment, capacity, freight, carriage (BrE), container,
costs, carnet
1. a customs license authorizing the temporary importation of a motor 
vehicle.
2. the amount of space a container, room etc has to hold things or peo­
ple.
3. the act of moving goods from one place to another or the cost of mov­
ing them .
4. the buying and selling of goods and services.
5. an object used for or capable of holding, esp. for transport or storage, 
such as a carton, box, etc .
6. a quantity of goods that are sent somewhere, especially in order to be 
sold.
7. the money that you must regularly spend in order to run a business, a 
home, a car.
8. goods that are carried by ship, train or aircraft and the system of mov­
ing these goods.
Ex. 3. Match the words and word combinations with the similar
meaning.
1) customs a) costs
2) impediment b) help, aid
3) auspices c) formulate, invent
4) accession d) protection
5) expenses e) law
6) legislation f) toll, duty
7)facilitation g) obstacle
8) frontier h) admission
9) obvious i) evident
10) to utilize j) to include
11) to cover k)to use
12) to devise 1) boundary
73
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) swap body
2) imposition of security re­
quirements
3) a sine qua non
4) contracting parties
5) maritime transport
6) secure loading unit
7) inland container
8) international movement of 
goods
9) transit regime
10) border crossing procedures
11) load compartment
12) single transit document
13) national legislation
14) risk assessment
15) inspection of load
Ex. 5. Choose the right variant for 
meaning of the word ‘customs”.
1) customs duties
2) customs official
3) customs revenue
4) customs declaration
5) customs supervision
6) customs facilities
7) customs tariff
a) наложение требований безо­
пасности
b) морской транспорт
c) непременное условие
d) национальное законодатель­
ство
e)единый транспортный доку­
мент
f) оценка риска
g) процедура пересечения гра­
ницы
h) безопасный грузовой отсек
i) внутренний контейнер 
j) проверка груза
к) сменный контейнер
1) международное передвиже­
ние товаров 
т )  контрагенты 
п) грузовой отсек
о) транзитный режим
each word combination. Mind the
a) квитанция таможни об уп­
лате пошлины
b) уплата таможенной пошлины
c) очистка от таможенных 
пошлин; таможенный досмотр
d) импортная таможенная 
стоимость
e) таможенные пошлины
f) таможенные льготы
g) таможенная декларация
74
8) customs clearance charge
9) customs receipt
10) customs clearance
h) таможенный досмотр
i) таможенная заявка
j) таможенные денежные по­
ступления
к) таможенная печать, тамо­
женная пломба 
1) таможенная стоимость 
т )  таможенный инспектор; 
представитель таможни 
п) таможенный тариф
о) таможенный контроль
11) customs seal
12) customs application
13) customs survey
14) customs import value
15) customs value
Ex. 6. Look at the headline of the article and try to guess what in­
formation it contains. Skim the article to check your guess.
Ex. 7. Read the article attentively for more detailed information 
about the TIR Customs transit system.
The TIR Convention of 1975 came into force in 1978. Since that time 
the TIR Convention has proved that it is one of the most successful in­
ternational transport conventions and is in fact the only universal Cus­
toms transit system in existence. The idea behind the TIR Convention 
and its transit regime has formed the basis for many regional transit sys­
tems and has thus, directly and indirectly, contributed to the facilitation 
of international transport, especially international road transport, not on­
ly in Europe and the Middle East, but also in other parts of the world, 
such as Africa and Latin America.
Anyone who has ever traveled on European roads will recognize the 
familiar blue and white TIR plate borne by thousands of lorries and 
semi-trailers using the TIR Customs transit system. For the driver, the 
transport operator and the shipper, this plate stands for fast and efficient 
international transportation by road. Work on the TIR transit system 
started soon after the Second World War. The first TIR Agreement was 
concluded in 1949 between a small number of European countries.
The experience gained in the first 10 to 15 years of operating the system 
was thus used to make the TIR system more efficient, less complex and at 
the same time more Customs secure. Another reason why the original TIR 
system had to be modified was that in the early 1960's a new transport tech­
75
nique emerged: the maritime container. It was followed a little later by the 
inland container used by the European railways and by the swap-body intro­
duced for improving the efficiency of road/rail transport.
These new combined or multimodal transport techniques necessitated 
the acceptance of the container, under certain conditions, as a Customs 
secure loading unit. It meant also that TIR regime no longer only cov­
ered road transport, but was extended to rail, inland waterways and even 
maritime transport, although at least one part of the total transport opera­
tion still has to be made by road.
The advantages of the TIR Convention to commerce and transport in­
terests are obvious. Goods may travel across national frontiers with a min­
imum of interference by Customs administrations. By easing traditional 
impediments to the international movement of goods, the TIR system en­
courages the development of international trade. By reducing delays in 
transit, it enables significant economies to be made in transport costs.
The TIR Convention has proved to be one of the most effective interna­
tional instruments prepared under the auspices of the United Nations Eco­
nomic Commission for Europe (UNECE). To date, it has 65 Contracting 
Parties, including the European Community. It covers the whole of Europe 
and reaches out to North Africa and the Near and Middle East. Countries in 
Asia have been informed about the facilities of this global Customs transit 
system and their interest has shown that they may well join the TIR Conven­
tion in the not too distant future. Already today, the United States of Amer­
ica and Canada are Contracting Parties as well as Chile and Uruguay in 
South America The success of the TIR system may also be judged by the 
number of TIR Carnets distributed and issued every year. As a result of the 
expanding East-West European trade, corresponding tremendous increase in 
international road transport, the number of TIR Carnets issued has now 
reached 3.2 million (2004) which represents the start of nearly 10,000 TIR 
transports every day in more than 50 countries and well over 50,000 TIR 
border crossing procedures daily.
The accession of a number of Central European countries to the Eu­
ropean Community in 2004 may lead to a decrease in the number of TIR 
transport operations in this part of Europe, as, TIR Carnets cannot be 
used for Customs transit operations within the member countries. But the 
development may well be compensated by an increase in TIR transport 
operations in and to the countries of the Middle East and Asia.
76
The tremendous increase in the use of the TIR Customs transit system 
can be explained by the special features of the TIR regime which offer 
transport operators and Customs authorities a simple, flexible, cost- 
effective and secure Customs regime for the international transport of 
goods across frontiers.
The TIR Convention also provides, through its international guaran­
tee chain, relatively simple access to the required guarantees which are a 
sine qua non (necessary conditions) for the transport and trade industry 
to benefit from the facilities of Customs transit systems.
Finally, in reducing the impediments to international traffic by road 
caused by Customs controls, it enables exporters and importers to select 
more easily the form of transport most suitable for their needs.
Traditionally when goods crossed the territory of one or more States 
in the course of an international transport of goods by road, the Customs 
authorities in each state applied national controls and procedures. These 
varied from State to State, but frequently involved the inspection of the 
load at each national frontier and the imposition of national security re­
quirements (guarantee, bond, deposit of duty, etc.) to cover the potential 
duties and taxes at risk while the goods were in transit through each terri­
tory. These measures, applied in each country of transit, led to consider­
able expenses, delays and interferences with international transport.
In an attempt to reduce these difficulties experienced by transport op­
erators and, at the same time, to offer Customs administrations an inter­
national system of control replacing traditional national procedures, 
whilst effectively protecting the revenue of each State through which 
goods were carried, the TIR system was devised.
As regards Customs control measures at frontiers, the TIR system 
clearly has advantages for Customs administrations as it reduces the 
normal requirements of national transit procedures. At the same time the 
system avoids the need - expensive in manpower and facilities - for 
physical inspection in countries of transit other than checking seals and 
the external conditions of the load compartment or container. It also dis­
penses with the need to operate national guarantees and national systems 
of documentation.
In addition, advantages arise from the fact that the international tran­
sit operation is covered by a single transit document, the TIR Carnet,
77
which reduces die risk of presenting inaccurate information to Customs 
administrations.
In case of doubt, Customs authorities have the right to inspect the 
goods under Customs seal at any time and, if necessary, to interrupt the 
TIR transport and/or to take adequate measures in accordance with na­
tional legislation. In view of the strict provisions of the TIR Convention 
and the interest of all Customs authorities and transport operators to ap­
ply these provisions, such interventions should remain exceptional. Cus­
toms authorities can therefore reduce routine administrative Customs 
procedures to a minimum and devote their limited resources to specific 
control measures based on risk assessment and intelligence information.
Ex. 8. Provide the answers to the questions given below.
1. What has the TIR Convention contributed to?
2. What does blue and white TIR plate stand for?
3. What is the main aim of TIR system?
4. What are the advantages of TIR to commerce and transport?
5. What countries are the members of TIR Convention?
6. How can the increase in the use of the TIR Customs transit system be 
explained?
7. What measures led to considerable expenses, delays and interferences 
with international transport?
8. Why was the TIR system devised?
9. What are the advantages of TIR Carnet?
10. What rights do Customs authorities have?
Ex. 9. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. (В случае сомнения) Customs authorities have the right to inspect the 
(товары) under Customs (таможенная пломба) at any time and, if nec­
essary (принимать соответствующие меры) in accordance with na­
tional (законодательство). 2. (Таможенные) procedures involve the 
inspection of the (груз) at each national (граница) and the imposition of 
national (требования безопасности), guarantee, (таможенная наклад­
ная), (депозитная пошлина), etc. to cover duties and taxes at risk. 3. 
National controls and procedures applied by (таможенные власти) in 
each country of transit led to (значительные расходы), (задержки) and
78
(вмешательство) with international transport. 4. (Что касается) Cus­
toms control measures at frontiers, the TIR system (избегает) the need 
for physical inspection in countries of transit other than (проверка 
пломб) and the (внешних) conditions of the (грузовой вагон) or con­
tainer. 5. (Товары) may travel across national (границы) with a mini­
mum of (вмешательство) by (таможенный) administrations. 6. In re­
ducing the ( препятствий) to international traffic by road caused by Cus­
toms controls the TIR Convention provides relatively simple (доступ) to 
the required guarantees which are ( необходимые условия) for the 
transport and trade industry. 7. Customs authorities can (уменьшить) 
routine administrative (таможенные процедуры) and (посвятить) their 
resources to specific control measures based on ( оценке риска) and in­
telligence information.
Ex. 10. Fill in the blanks with the prepositions.
1. The TIR Convention provides ... its international guarantee chain ac­
cess ... the guarantees ... the transport. 2. Goods may travel ... national 
frontiers ... a minimum of interference ... Customs administrations. 3. 
The TIR Convention is one of the most effective international instru­
ments prepared ... the auspices of the United Nations Economic Com­
mission ... Europe (UNECE). 4. The TIR system encourages the devel­
opment of international trade ... reducing delays in transit. 5. The TIR 
Convention came ... force in 1978. 6. Customs authorities have the right 
to inspect the goods ... Customs seal at any time and to take adequate 
measures ... national legislation. 7. TIR Carnets cannot be used ... Cus­
toms transit operations ... its member countries.8. As regards Customs 
control measures ... frontiers, the TIR system reduces the normal re­
quirements ... national transit procedures. 9. These new multimodal 
transport techniques necessitated the acceptance ... the container... cer­
tain conditions, as a Customs secure loading unit.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the verb to be.
1. Efficiently operating transport networks in the former segmented Eu­
ropean space-economy are critical success factors for the competitive 
edge of Europe. 2. Competitive efficiency is in the centre of current Eu­
ropean transport policy. 3. There is a major more recent policy concern
79
on the question whether transport will be devastating for environmen­
tally sustainable development. 4. The purpose of production logistics is 
to ensure that each machine and workstation is being fed with the right 
product in the right quantity and quality at the right point o f time. 5. One 
of the keys to the success of the container is that an agreement about its 
base dimensions and latching system was reached through the Interna­
tional Standards Organization (ISO) within 10 years of its introduction.
Ex. 12. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the passive voice.
I. Since 90% o f  all traffic information is perceived visually, special at­
tention must be paid to the visibility of traffic signs and systems. 2. Do­
mestic road transport is being deregulated in most European countries. 3. 
Transport of goods by road is still hampered by restrictions on cabotage, 
empty runs and a lack of fiscal, technical and social harmonization. 4. 
Entrepreneurs offering transport services are being encouraged to de­
velop door-to-door delivery systems which implies finding the ultimate 
balance between the existing transport modes. 5. Transport is affected by 
international economic shifts, by tourism and by changes in the balance 
of trade with Europe. 6. Road infrastructure costs have been closely ex­
amined in the UK over many years. 7. Changes in the supply of transport 
services are affected by men technologies, customer demand and exter­
nal cost.
Ex. 13. Give the main points of the text in 4-6 sentences. You may 
use the following cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 14. Translate the text into Russian. Use the dictionary if necessary.
The TIR Customs Convention, through its familiar symbol on the 
backs of vehicles, has become known to every man, woman and child 
who has travelled the highways of Europe over the past few decades.
"TIR" stands for Transports Intemationaux Routiers as defined in the 
UNECE TIR Convention.
80
The TIR system has been devised to facilitate to the maximum extent the 
international movement of goods under Customs seals. The system provides 
transit countries with the required guarantees to cover the Customs duties 
and taxes at risk. A balance is struck between the responsibilities of the Cus­
toms authorities and those of the international trading community.
The TIR system offers the following benefits to the different stake­
holders involved in the international movement of transit goods:
• Facilitation of transport and trade reduces transport costs by reduc­
ing formalities and delays in transit; facilitates transit movements by the 
application of standardized controls and documentation; and as a result, 
encourages the development of international trade.
• For the transport industry goods move across international fron­
tiers with minimum interference; delays and costs of transit are reduced; 
documents are simplified and standardised; and there is no need to make 
Customs guarantee deposits at transit borders.
• For Customs authorities duties and taxes at risk during interna­
tional transit movements are guaranteed up to USD 50,000; only bona 
fide conscientious transport operators are permitted to use TIR carnets, 
thus increasing the security of the system; the need for physical inspec­
tion of goods in transit is reduced; the system facilitates Customs control 
and documentation; and us& of internal clearance points for export and 
import allows more efficient deployment of Customs personnel.
However, as regards goods in transit, a way had to be found to seal 
the goods in order to apply the transit bond-note system to transport op­
erations and to enable the Customs formalities applicable to imported 
goods to take place at destination rather than at the border.
The TIR system is an international Customs transit system for goods 
carried by road. It is based on 5 essential principles -  the 5 pillars of the 
TIR system.
1. Secure vehicles or containers: goods are carried in sealed vehicles 
or containers which are approved for use by Customs and re-approved 
every two years.
2. International chain of guarantee: duties and taxes due in case of ir­
regularity are secured by an international guarantee chain throughout the 
journey.
81
3. TIR carnet: the goods are accompanied by the TIR carnet: a control 
document accepted by the Customs authorities of the countries of depar­
ture, transit and destination.
4. Mutual recognition of Customs controls: control measures taken in the 
country of departure are accepted by countries of transit and destination.
5. Controlled access: access to the TIR system for national issuing 
and guaranteeing associations is given by the competent national authori­
ties, and for transport operators, by the National Customs authorities and 
the National Association.
Unit Ten: Containerization
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions.
1. to abandon - отказываться
2. approximate -  приблизительный
3. to allow for - учитывать
4. bale -  тюк, пакет
5. barrel -бочка; баррель (мера жидких, сыпучих и некоторых 
твёрдых материалов)
6. bulk -  масса; большое количество (крупная партия груза, без 
какой-л. упаковки; напр., зерно, уголь)
7. to boost -  поддерживать, форсировать
8. bolster - поддон
9. collapsible - складной; раздвижной
10. compatibility - совместимость; соответствие
11. crate - (деревянный) ящик; тара для упаковки
12. drum -  барабан, цилиндрический контейнер, металлическая 
бочка
13. gauge - мера, размер
14. to handle -трансп.: производить транспортную обработку (гру­
зов)
15. intact -  неповрежденный, нетронутый
16. imperial measures (measurements) - имперские меры (стандарт­
ные единицы мер, принятые в Соединённом Королевстве )
17. overwhelming -  огромный, ошеломляющий
82
\ 8. pallet - (грузовой) поддон для перевозки грузов
19. payload- грузоподъёмность; полезная нагрузка; трансп. ком­
мерческая нагрузка (груз, который транспортируется за плату)
20. to plague -беспокоить, досаждать
21. to recycle -  перерабатывать
22. reefer -  рефрижератор, вагон- холодильник
23. to result from -  происходить вследствие, являться результатом
24. to result in - приводить к
25. to salvage -собирать и использовать утильсырьё
26. scrutiny - внимательный осмотр
27. to seal - опечатывать
28. semi-finished goods -  полуфабрикаты
29. to smuggle contraband - провозить контрабандой
30. to stack- -накапливать, укладывать в штабеля
31. swap body -  съёмный (сменный) кузов для смешанных автомо- 
бильно-железнодорожн ых перевозок
32. tampering - 1) фальсификация; подделка 2) манипуляции, подкуп
Ex. 2. Mind the following abbreviations.
1. ISO - International Organization for Standardization ИСО -  Между­
народная Организация по Стандартизации
2. ITU - Intermodal Transport Units -  единицы (контейнеры) для 
смешанных перевозок
3. TEU - twenty-foot equivalent units -  единицы, эквивалентные 20 
футам
4. FEU - forty-foot equivalent unit - единицы, эквивалентные 40 
футам
Ex. 3. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
Intermodal, cargo, truck, cost, container, pallet.
1. the price paid or required for acquiring, producing, or maintaining 
something, usually measured in money, time, or energy; expense or 
expenditure; outlay.
2. a large motor vehicle designed to carry heavy loads, esp. one with a 
flat platform .
83
3. a standard-sized platform of box section open at two ends on which 
goods may be stacked. The open ends allow the entry of the forks of a 
lifting truck so that the palletized load can be raised and moved about 
easily.
4. using different modes of conveyance in conjunction, such as ships, 
aircraft, road vehicles, etc.
5. goods carried by a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle; freight.
6. an object used for or capable of holding, esp. for transport or storage, 
such as a carton, box, etc.
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination. Mind the
right translation of the word “bulk”.
a) break bulk 1) прекращение погрузки то-
j) bulk supplies
b) break of bulk
n) the bulk of goods on sale
d) bulk buyer
e) bulk cargo
f) bulk discount
g) bulk of the cargo
h) bulk rate
i) bulk storage
k) bulk supply
m) load in bulk
1) in bulk
вара навалом
2) оптовый покупатель
14) бестарный груз
4) большая часть груза
5) разбивать крупную пар­
тию на мелкие
6) скидка с объема за коли­
чество
7) грузить без упаковки
8) фрахтовая ставка для пе­
ревозки большой партии 
груза
9) поставка крупными пар­
тиями
10) оптом, большими пар­
тиями
11) предметы снабжения, по­
ступающие крупными пар­
тиями
12) большая часть товаров, 
имеющихся в продаже
13) бестарное хранение, хра­
нение навалом
84
Ex. 5. Choose the right variant for each word combination. Mind the 
translation of the word “container”.
a) cargo container
b) container crane
c) container depot
d) container ship
e) container traffic
f) container train
g) container truck
h) transcontainer
i) container capacity 
j) container cargo 
k) container loader
1) container shipment
1) кран для перегрузки контей­
неров
2) большой грузовой поезд, со­
ставленный из вагонов, создан­
ных специально для транспор­
тировки контейнеров
3) контейнеровоз, контейнерное 
судно
4) контейнерный склад
5) дорога/путь, сделанные для 
транспортировки контейнеров
6) грузовой контейнер
7) контейнерная перевозка
8) контейнер, "специализирую­
щийся" на перевозке только тех 
или иных товаров
9) контейнерные перевозки
10) объём контейнера
11) контейнерный груз
12) погрузчик контейнеров
Ex. 6. Read the text and say what you have learnt about the contain- 
erization.
Containerization is a system of intermodal freight transport cargo 
transport using standard ISO containers (known as shipping containers), 
ITUs (Intermodal Transport Units) that can be loaded and sealed intact 
onto container ships, railroad cars, planes, and trucks.
Although having its origins in the late 1780s or earlier, the global 
standardization of containers and container handling equipment was one 
of the important innovations in 20th century logistics.
Toward the end of World War II, the United States Army began using 
specialized containers to speed up the loading and unloading of transport 
ships. After the U.S. Department of Defense standardized an 8'x8’ cross 
section container in multiples of 10' lengths for military use it was rap­
85
idly adopted for shipping purposes. These standards were adopted in the 
United Kingdom for containers and rapidly displaced the older wooden 
containers in the 1950s.
Even the railways of the USSR had their own small containers. The 
introduction of containers resulted in vast improvements in port handling 
efficiency, thus lowering costs and helping lower freight charges and, in 
turn, boosting trade flows. Almost every manufactured product spends 
some time in a container.
Containerization has revolutionized cargo shipping. Today, approxi­
mately 90% of non-bulk cargo worldwide moves by containers stacked 
on transport ships; 26% of all containers originate from China.
The widespread use of ISO standard containers has driven modifica­
tions in other freight-moving standards, gradually forcing removable 
truck bodies or swap bodies into the standard sizes and shapes (though 
without the strength needed to be stacked), and changing completely the 
worldwide use of freight pallets that fit into ISO containers or into com­
mercial vehicles.
Improved cargo security is also an important benefit of containeriza­
tion. The cargo is not visible to the casual viewer and thus is less likely 
to be stolen and the doors of the containers are generally sealed so that 
tampering is more evident. This has reduced the "falling off the truck" 
syndrome that long plagued the shipping industry.
Container capacity is often expressed in twenty-foot equivalent units 
(TEU, or sometimes teu). An equivalent unit is a measure of container­
ized cargo capacity equal to one standard 20 ft (length) x 8 ft (width) 
container. As this is an approximate measure, the height of the box is not 
considered. Similarly, the 45-ft (13.7 m) containers are also commonly 
designated as two TEU, although they are 45 and not 40 feet (12 m) 
long. Two TEU are equivalent to one forty-foot equivalent unit (FEU).
The use of Imperial measurements to describe container size (TEU, 
FEU) reflects the fact that US Department of Defense played a major 
part in the development of containers. The overwhelming need to have a 
standard size for containers, in order that they fit all ships, cranes, and 
tracks, and the length of time that the current container sizes have been 
in use, makes changing to an even metric size impractical.
86
The maximum gross mass for a 20 ft (6.1 m) dry cargo container is 
24,000 kg. Allowing for the tare mass of the container, the maximum pay­
load mass is therefore reduced to approximately 21,600 kg for 20 ft (6.1 m), 
Since November 2007 48-ft and 53 ft (16 m) containers are used also 
for international ocean shipments. Various container types are available 
for different needs:
• -General purpose dry van for boxes, cartons, cases, sacks, bales, pal­
lets, drums in standard, high or half height;
• -High cube palletwide containers for europallet compatibility;
• -Temperature controlled from -25  °C to +25 °C reefer;
• -Open top bulktainers for bulk minerals, heavy machinery;
• -Open side for loading oversize pallet;
• -Flushfolding flat-rack containers for heavy and bulky semi-finished 
goods, out of gauge cargo;
• -Platform or bolster for barrels and drums, crates, cable drums, out of 
gauge cargo, machinery, and processed timber;
• -Ventilated containers for organic products requiring ventilation;
• -Tank containers for bulk liquids and dangerous goods;
• -Rolling floor for difficult to handle cargo;
• -Gas bottle;
• -Generator;
• -Collapsible ISO;
• -Swap body.
Containers have been used to smuggle contraband. The vast majority 
of containers are never subjected to scrutiny due to the large number of 
containers in use. In recent years there have been increased concerns that 
containers might be used to transport terrorists or terrorist materials into 
a country undetected. The U.S. government has advanced the Container 
Security Initiative (CSI), intended to ensure that high-risk cargo is exam­
ined or scanned, preferably at the port of departure.
Containers are intended to be used constantly, being loaded with a 
new cargo for a new destination soon after being emptied of the previous 
cargo. This is not always possible, and in some cases the cost of trans­
porting an empty container to a place where it can be used is considered 
to be higher than the worth of the used container. This can result in large 
areas in ports and warehouses being occupied by empty containers left
87
abandoned. However, empty containers may also be recycled in the form 
of shipping container architecture, or the steel content salvaged.
Ex. 7. Provide answers to the questions below.
1. What does the containerization mean?
2. When were the standards for containers adopted in the United King­
dom and in the USA?
3. Containerization has revolutionized cargo shipping, hasn’t it?
4. What is considered to be one of the important benefits of containeriza­
tion?
5. How is container capacity often expressed?
6. What are the general types of container?
7. Is there any misuse of containers?
Ex. 8. Translate the following word combination into Russian. Use 
the dictionary if necessary. Consult the text.
intermodal freight transport out of gauge cargo
container handling equipment cross section container
handling efficiency freight charges
payload mass tare mass
boosting trade flows dangerous goods
flushfolding flat-rack containers open side for loading
Ex. 9. Replace the words in Russian with their appropriate equiva­
lents in English.
1. Containers have been used to (провозить контрабанду). 2. The intro­
duction of containers resulted in vast improvements in ( эффективность 
обработки грузов в порту), thus lowering costs and helping lower 
(расходы по перевозке) and, in turn, (поддержка торговых потоков).
3. Containerization has revolutionized (грузоперевозки). 4. The use of 
(стандартные единицы) to describe container (размер) reflects the fact 
that US Department of Defense played a major part in the (разработка) 
of containers. 6. The (груз) is not visible to the casual viewer and thus is 
less likely to be stolen and the doors of the containers are generally 
sealed so that (фальсификация) is more (очевидна). 7. Platform or 
(поддон) for barrels and drums,(деревянные ящики), cable drums, out 
of gauge (груз), machinery, and processed timber is a type of container.
8. The widespread use of ISO standard containers has changed (съемные 
кузова) into the standard sizes and shapes and changed completely the 
worldwide use of freight (поддоны) that fit into ISO containers or into 
commercial vehicles. 9. ( Учитывая) the tare mass of the container, the 
maximum (полезная нагрузка) mass is therefore (уменьшены). 10. 
(Пустые) containers may be (переработаны) in the form of (транспор­
тировочный контейнер) architecture, or the steel content (утилизиро­
вано).
Ex. 10. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. Various container types are available ... different needs. 2. Today, 
approximately 90% ... non-bulk cargo worldwide moves ... containers 
stacked ... transport ships; 26% of all containers originate ... China. 3. 
Tank containers are intended ... bulk liquids and dangerous goods. 4. 
This can result ... large areas in ports being occupied ... empty contain­
ers left abandoned. 5. The introduction of containers resulted ... vast 
improvements in port handling efficiency.6. The vast majority ... con­
tainers are never subjected ... scrutiny due ... the large number of con­
tainers ... use.
Ex. 11. Match the words and word combinations with the similar mean-
mg.
a) to displace 1) expenses
b) to abandon 2) lorry
c) shipping 3) to decrease
d) swap body 4) transportation
e) evident 5) to refuse
f) to reduce 6) removable truck bodies
g) gauge 7) obvious
h) cargo 8 ) load
i) truck 9) to remove
j) costs 10) measure
Ex. 12. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
participial constructions.
1. Logistics creates time and space utility for the products being moved, 
thereby enabling the logistics users to provide value-added to their cus­
89
tomers. 2. Services using advanced logistics always demand reliability 
but not necessarily speed. 3. Incidents or near collisions with other vehi­
cles or objects, or driving off the road are not unusual when mobile 
phones are used while driving. 4. Although the deterioration of transport 
varies depending on time and place and the type and mode of transport, 
it is a general phenomenon. 5. Now many companies have started con­
structing logistics systems, introducing leading logistics strategies and 
technologies. 6. One of the main measures considered by logistics man­
agers of agro industries with continuous process is related to truck wait­
ing times in the reception area. 7. Transport services provided in return 
for money can immediately be classed as third-party operations. 8. The 
investigation carried out is based on the data from the road surface mea­
surements made on stale roads and accidents reported by the police.
Ex. 13. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
infinitive.
!, The objective will be to maintain a high service level based on the re­
liability of supply. 2. The TIR Convention has proved to be one of the 
most effective international instruments prepared by the United Nations 
Economic Commission for Europe. 3. In order to stabilize the TIR sys­
tem in the long term, more profound modifications in its operation and in 
the governmental cooperation and control mechanisms were felt to be 
required. 4. By reducing delays in transit, TIR system enables significant 
economics to be made in transport costs. 5. When transport regulations 
were first introduced the aim was to protect the railways. 6. Driver fa­
tigue or falling asleep is recognized to be among the most important 
causative factors in road crashes, next to alcohol, speeding and inatten­
tion. 7. Buses are believed to be potentially flexible and cost effective 
method of public transport offering many advantages over rail. 8. The 
current ongoing deregulation of international road transport is expected 
to increase the load factors of vehicles considerably and thereby reduce 
the total transport cost. 9. The speed of delivery required this is conjunc­
tion with the type of cargo and its transport logistics characteristics may 
well determine the mode as well as the route to be taken.
90
Ex. 14. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
conjunctions and compound prepositions.
1. Intermodal transport is the carriage of goods by several modes of 
transport from one point/port of origin via one or more interface points 
to a final port/point where one of the carriers organizes the whole trans­
port. 2. Such problem solution allows managers to optimize the transport 
channel more operatively and effectively both in terms of cost (rates) and 
time. 3. This may be due to economic factors and hence inadequate net­
works and services, or poor accessibility. 4. Because of the much higher 
densities of people and activities, environmental, economic, public 
health, social and quality of life considerations and constraints are im­
portant in cities. 5. Supply chain planning is carried out at corporate lev­
el as well as at operation level. 6. Supply chain management is signifi­
cant for both service and manufacturing organizations, although the 
complexity of the chain may vary greatly from industry to industry. 7. A 
supply chain network of an organization includes the location as well as 
movement decisions in respect of procurement of raw materials and oth­
er inputs, transformation of these materials into intermediate and fin­
ished products and the distribution of these finished products to custom­
ers.
Ex. 15. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 16. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
Transport is a key factor in modern economies. However, there is a 
permanent contradiction between society, which demands ever more 
mobility, and public opinion, which is becoming increasingly intolerant 
of chronic delays and the poor quality of some transport services. As 
demand for transport keeps increasing, the Community’s answer cannot 
be just to build new infrastructure and open up markets. The transport
91
system needs to be optimised to meet the demands of enlargement and 
sustainable development, as set out in the conclusions of the Gothenburg 
European Council. A modern transport system must be sustainable from 
an economic and social as well as an environmental viewpoint. Plans for 
the future of the transport sector must take account of its economic im­
portance. The sector employs more than 10 million people. It involves 
infrastructure and technologies whose cost to society is such that there 
must be no errors of judgment. Indeed, it is because of the scale of in­
vestment in transport and its determining role in economic growth that 
the authors of the Treaty of Rome made provision for a common trans­
port policy with its own specific rules. For a long time, the European 
Community was unable, or unwilling, to implement the common trans­
port policy provided for by the Treaty of Rome. For nearly 30 years the 
Council of Ministers was unable to translate the Commission’s proposals 
into action. It was only in 1985, when the Court of Justice ruled that the 
Council had failed to act, that the Member States had to accept that the 
Community could legislate. Later on, the Treaty of Maastricht reinforced 
the political, institutional and budgetary foundations for transport policy.
Europe must bring about a real change in the Common Transport Pol­
icy. The time has come to set new objectives for it: restoring the balance 
between modes o f transport and developing intermodality, combating 
congestion and putting safety and the quality of services at the heart of 
our efforts, while maintaining the right to mobility. One of the main 
challenges is to define common principles for fair charging for the dif­
ferent modes of transport. This new framework for charging should both 
promote the use of less polluting modes and less congested networks and 
prepare the way for new types o f infrastructure financing.
Unit Eleven: The Spatial Economy of Road Transportation
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions.
1. acute- острый, крайний, критический
2. attribute -  показатель, характеристика
3. to constrain -  ограничивать, сдерживать
4. convergence -  схождение в одной точке, сближение
92
5. custodian - хранитель, смотритель
6. disparity -  различия; несоответствие
7. divergence -  расхождение, отклонение
8. economies of scale (scale economies) - экономия, обусловленная 
ростом масштабов производства; положительный эффект мас­
штаба
9. to expropriate -  лишать собственности, отчуждать
10.externalities - вид, внешность, облик, проявления 
11 .to impose -  налагать, устанавливать
12.mandatory -  обязательный, принудительный 
13.obstacle -  препятствие, затруднение, помеха
14.perishables - скоропортящиеся грузы; скоропортящиеся товары
15.restriction- ограничение, помеха
16.slope -  уклон, наклон
17.spatial - пространственный
18.sustainable -  устойчивый (экологически)
19.traction - сила тяги; сцепление
20.trucking industry - грузоперевозки
21.trunk - магистраль; главная линия
22.vested - законный, принадлежащий по праву
Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition, 
consumption, impose, externality, goods, demand, vested, infrastructure
1. commodities that are tangible, usually movable, and generally not 
consumed at the same time as they are produced;
2. to establish as something to be obeyed or complied with; enforce to
3. willingness and ability to purchase goods and services
4. economics expenditure on goods and services for final personal use
5. the stock of fixed capital equipment in a country, including factories, 
roads, schools, etc., considered as a determinant of economic growth
6. having a present right to the immediate or future possession and en­
joyment of property
7. an economic effect that results from an economic choice but is not 
reflected in market prices
93
Ex. 3 Match the words and word combinations with the similar
meaning.
1) restrictions
2)growth
3) costly
4) income
5) impact
6) consumption
7) construction
8) restriction
9)attribute
10) reduction
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant
1) under such circumstances
2) multiplication of road acci­
dents
3) size constraints
4) geographical disparities
5) market dominance
6) individual vehicle ownership
7) carrying capacity
8) divergence of costs
9) multi-lane urban expressway
10) gravel road
11) door to door service
12) toll road
13) right of passage
14) urban environment
15) sustainable environment
16) vested interests
17) traction capacities
a) influence
b) lessening
c) limitation
d) structure
e) limitations
f) expensive
g) increase
h) use
i) revenue
j) characteristic
each word combination.
a) городская окружающая среда
b) городская многорядная авто­
страда
c) расхождение в ценах
d) увеличение ДТП
e) грузоподъемность
f) ограничение по размерам
g) гравийная дорога
h) платная дорога
i) мощность тягового уси- 
лия(сила сцепления)
j) служба от места отправления 
до места прибытия 
к) законные интересы
1) доминирование на рынке 
т )  право на проезд 
п) географические различия
о)грузоперевозки 
р) автомобиль в личной собст­
венности
q) устойчивая окружающая 
среда
94
18) trucking industry г) при таких обстоятельствах
Ex. 5. Choose the right variant for each word combination. Mind the 
use of some economic terms:
Ex. 6. Read the text and say what you have learnt about the spatial 
economy of road transportation.
Road transportation is the mode that has expanded the most over the 
last 50 years, both for passengers and freight transportation. Such growth 
in road freight transport has been fuelled largely by trade liberalization. 
This is the result of growth of the loading capacity of vehicle and an ad­
aptation of vehicle to freight (e.g. perishables, fuel, construction materi­
als, etc) or passengers (e.g. school bus) demand for speed, autonomy and 
flexibility. New types of problems, such as a significant growth of fuel 
consumption, increasing environmental externalities, traffic congestion 
and a multiplication of road accidents have emerged.
Road infrastructures are moderately expensive to provide, but there is 
a wide divergence of costs, from a gravel road to a multi-lane urban ex­
pressway. Because vehicles have the means to climb moderate slopes, 
physical obstacles are less important than for some other land modes.
1) economy of scale
2) administration costs
3) development costs
a) внешние издержки
b) издержки на отчуждение
c) экономика, обусловленная 
ростом масштаба производства
d) расходы по содержанию 
административного аппарата
e) издержки на разработку
f) страховые сборы
g) развитые и развивающиеся 
страны
h) эксплуатационные расходы
i) затраты на строительство 
j) ущерб, причиняемый в ре­
зультате воздействия окру­
жающую среду
к) материально­
производственные запасы
4) environmental externality
5) construction costs
6) expropriation costs
7) maintenance costs
8) external costs
9) insurance fees
10) inventory
11) developed and developing 
countries
95
Most roads are provided as a public good by governments, while the vast 
majority of vehicles are owned privately. The capital costs, therefore, are 
shared, and do not fall as heavily on one source as is the case for other 
modes. However, in many cases, governments have been inefficient cus­
todians of road infrastructure. Consequently, a growing number of roads 
have been privatized and companies specializing in road management 
have emerged, particularly in Europe and North America. This is only 
possible on specific trunks that have an important and stable traffic. Un­
like governments, private enterprises have vested interests to see that the 
road segments they manage are maintained and improved since the qual­
ity of the road will be directly linked with revenue generation. The ma­
jority of toll roads are highways linking large cities or bridges and tun­
nels where there is a convergence of traffic. Most roads are not economi­
cally profitable but must be socially present as they are essential to 
service populations.
Governments can expropriate the necessary land for road construction 
since a private enterprise may have difficulties to expropriate without 
government support. Another important aspect about roads is their econ­
omies of scale and their indivisibility, underlining that the construction 
and maintenance o f roads is cheaper when the system is extensive, but to 
a limit. However, all road transport modes have limited abilities to 
achieve scale economies. This is due to the size constraints imposed by 
governments and also by the technical and economic limits of the power 
sources. In most jurisdictions, trucks and buses have specific weight and 
length restrictions which are imposed for safety reasons. In addition, 
there are serious limits on the traction capacities of cars, busses and 
trucks because of the considerable increases in energy consumption that 
accompany increases in the weight of the unit. For these reasons the car­
rying capacities of individual road vehicles are limited.
Roads are thus costly infrastructures, but also sources of income:
• Costs. They include rights of passage, development costs (plan­
ning), construction costs, maintenance and administration costs, losses in 
land taxes (urban environment), expropriation costs (money and time), 
and external costs (accidents and pollution).
• Income. They-include registration, gas (taxes), purchases of vehi­
cles (taxes), tolls, parking, and insurance fees.
96
Road transport, however, possesses significant advantages over other 
modes. The capital cost o f vehicles is relatively small. This produces 
several key characteristics of road transport. Low vehicle costs make it 
comparatively easy for new users to gain entry, which helps ensure that 
the trucking industry, for example, is highly competitive. Low capital 
costs also ensure that innovations and new technologies can diffuse 
quickly through the industry. Another advantage of road transport is the 
high relative speed of vehicles, the major constraint being government- 
imposed speed limits. One of its most important attributes is the flexibil­
ity o f route choice, once a network of roads is provided. Road transport 
has the unique opportunity of providing door to door service for both 
passengers and freight. These multiple advantages have made cars and 
trucks the modes of choice for a great number of trip purposes, and have 
led to the market dominance of cars and trucks for short distance trips.
Road transportation is characterized by acute geographical disparities 
in traffic. It is not uncommon that 20% of the road network supports 60 
to 80% of the traffic. This observation is expanded by the fact that de­
veloped and developing countries have important differences in terms of 
the density, capacity and the quality of road transport infrastructures. 
Acute geographical variations of the inventory are therefore the norm.
Technological evolution of road transport vehicles was a continuous 
trend since the construction of the first automobiles. The basic technol­
ogy is however very similar, as road transportation massively relies on 
the internal combustion engine. In the future new materials (ceramics, 
plastics, aluminum, composite materials, etc...), fuels (electricity, hydro­
gen, natural gas, etc...) and computerization (vehicle control, location, 
navigation and toll collection) are expected to be included in cars and 
improve the efficiency of road transport systems.
Urban population has increased considerably over the last 50 years 
and about 50% of the global population was urbanized by 2000 (about 3 
billion people). It is impossible for developing countries to have rates of 
individual vehicle ownership similar to those of developed countries, 
especially compared with the United States. This will impose new or 
alternative methods to transport freight and passengers over roads in ur­
ban areas. The reduction of vehicle emissions and the impacts of infra­
structures on the environment are mandatory to promote a sustainable 
environment. Under such circumstances cycling is thus to be considered
97
an alternative to the automobile in urban areas, widely adopted in devel­
oping countries, although more for economic reasons. A symbiosis be­
tween types of roads and types of traffic with specialization (reserved 
lanes and hours) is to be expected.
Ex. 7. Answer the following questions.
1. What are the main problems of road transportation?
2. What are the main types o f road ownership?
3. Why will the quality of the road be directly linked with revenue gen­
eration?
4. Why do all road transport modes have limited abilities to achieve 
scale economies?
5. Why does road transport possess significant advantages over other 
modes of transport?
6. What fact will impose new or alternative methods to transport freight 
and passengers over roads in urban areas?
7. What is considered as an alternative means of transport to the auto­
mobile in urban areas?
Ex. 8. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. New types of problems, such as a significant (рост потребления топ­
лива), (увеличение ущерба окружающей среде), traffic congestion 
and а (увеличение ДТП) have emerged. 2. (Доход) includes registra­
tion, gas (налоги), (покупка) of vehicles (taxes), (сборы), parking, and 
(страховые сборы). 3. Unlike governments, (частные) enterprises have 
(законные интересы) to see that the road segments they manage are 
maintained and improved. 4. In many cases, governments have been (не 
умелые смотрители) of road infrastructure. 5. Trucks and buses have 
specific weight and (ограничение по длине) which are (налагаются) 
(по соображениям безопасности). 6. Road infrastructures are moder­
ately expensive to provide, but there is а (расхождение в ценах), from a 
(гравийная дорога) to а (городская многорядная автострада). 7. The 
majority of (платные дороги) are highways linking large cities or (мос­
ты) and tunnels where there is а (схождение движения). 8. Low vehicle 
costs ensure that the (грузоперевозки) is highly (конкурентны). 9. 
(Развитые) and (развивающиеся страны) have important differences (c
98
точки зрения) the (плотности), (мощности) - and the quality of road 
transport infrastructures. 10. The (сокращение выбросов транспорт­
ных средств) and the (влияние) of infrastructures on the environment 
are (обязательны) to promote а (устойчивая окружающая среда). 11. 
However, all (виды дорожного транспорта ) have limited abilities to 
achieve (экономики масштаба) due to the (ограничения по размерам) 
imposed by governments. 12. The (строительство) and (содержание 
дорог) is cheaper when the system is extensive, but to a limit. 13. The 
(грузоподъемность) of (личных автомобилей) are limited. 14. (До­
рожные перевозки) is the mode that has (расширен) the most over the 
last 50 years, both for passengers and (грузоперевозки).
Ex. 9. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. Governments can expropriate the necessary land ... road construction 
since a private enterprise may have difficulties to expropriate ... gov­
ernment support. 2. Trucks and busses have specific weight and length 
restrictions which are imposed ... safety reasons. 3. There is a wide di­
vergence ... costs, ... a gravel road ... a multi-lane urban expressway. 4. 
Road transport possesses significant advantages ... other modes. 5. It is 
impossible ... developing countries to have rates ... individual vehicle 
ownership, especially compared ... the United States. 6. ... such cir­
cumstances cycling is to be considered an alternative ... the automobile 
... urban areas ... developing countries, although more ... economic rea­
sons. 7. Road transport has the unique opportunity ... providing door ... 
door service ... both passengers and freight. 8. The basic technology is 
however very similar, as road transportation massively relies ... the in­
ternal combustion engine. 9. In addition, there are serious limits ... the 
traction capacities ... cars and trucks because of the considerable in­
creases ... energy consumption.
Ex. 10. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of the modal verbs.
1. Access to infrastructure and allocation of rail infrastructure charges 
have to be fair to the operators and should be non-discriminatory in rela­
tion to other transport modes. 2. In a well functioning market, rail trans­
port can play an essential role as a viable link in the intermodal supply 
chain and in the logistical strategies of companies. 3. With information
99
technology freight and vehicle flows may be monitored and thus con­
trolled and optimized. 4. It can be expected that the optimum equilibrium 
between transport, production and inventory costs is highly sensitive to 
the cost of each of these categories. 5. Rail transport could offer a good 
alternative for both passengers and freight.6. It has to be emphasized that 
the general development of transport systems is matched by a rise in the 
number of people excluded. 7. The importance o f the transportation 
should also be seen by looking at the impact of transportation on a 
country's economy.
Ex. 11. Translate the following sentences into Russian. Mind the use 
of gerund.
1. Delivery may take over great distances and involve switching between 
transport modes and sectors dispersed over different countries. 2. Carri­
ers try to retain business by maximizing the line-haul under their control.
3. Intermodality enhances the economic performance of a transport chain 
by using modes in the most productive manner. 4. By reducing transpor­
tation emissions globally, it is predicted that there will be significant 
positive effects on earth’s air quality, acid rain, smog and climate 
change. 5. In a modem society it is recognized that there has to be some 
attempt at providing equality for all kinds of transport, accepting that this 
is not always possible or even desirable. 6. If financing is not easy for 
conventional public transport, it is an acute problem when demand is 
low. 7. With increasing use of e-shopping, deliveries to rural areas cost 
more and often the rural dweller has to pay an additional charge to re­
flect his isolation.
Ex. 12. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fa c t that... . It is po in ted  out that... . It should be noted  
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  f in d  the text ra­
ther/very... .
100
Ex. 13. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
Travel by public transport has never been so difficult as today. In Eu­
ropean Union countries, in thirty years from 1970 to 2000 the modal 
share of the car has increased of 4.5% from 73.8% to 78.3% while the 
public transport modal share has decreased of 8.7% from 24.6% to 
15.9%. This relative reduction of public transport ridership is the result 
of major sociological and politico-economic changes. It corresponds to 
changes in lifestyles, characterized by a new relationship towards time 
and more flexible schedules, an increasing share of leisure activities. It is 
also the consequence of urban sprawl with dispersion of the origins and 
destinations of the journeys, a high increase of journeys from suburb, 
and on longer distances. The increasing use of cars has been also streng­
thened by political decisions in favour of private modes, which led to an 
increasing pressure on public budgets and insufficient financial invest­
ment for public transport. The management of mobility has never been 
as difficult as today. The demand of mobility has become more complex 
and can not be satisfied by traditional modes of public transport. Against 
this background, mobility actors and stakeholders have started to provide 
flexible solutions. They constitute an essential link in the whole mobility 
chain, either as a complement or as a substitute of traditional public 
transport. The challenge is therefore to implement innovative solutions 
to meet the needs for public transport by low demand. In this context it is 
fundamental to develop flexible solutions to meet the needs when de­
mand is low. Is authorities and operators want to contain the pre­
eminence of the car, they need to consider the whole chain of mobility 
and reposition public transport as to fill in the gaps left by conventional 
services. The request is for door-to-door seamless travel by providing the 
market with one public transport offer that integrates different products 
from conventional public transport to demand responsive solutions, re­
gardless of the type of providers. Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) 
can have the potential to improve the effectiveness and the efficiency of 
providing mobility services. Experience shows that with DRT, public 
transport actors can found cost-effective means of meeting societal needs 
where there was previously a serious mobility deficits or they succeeded 
to achieve effective mobility at reduced pre-trip costs.
101
Unit Twelve: Information Technologies in Transport
Ex. 1. Mind the new words and expressions:
1. aids -  вспомогательные средства
2. bill of lading - коносамент, транспортная накладная
3. compatible - совместимый; сочетаемый
4. driving licence - водительские права
5. enforcement - требование о соблюдении (законов, стандартов, 
норм, тарифов)
6. to enhance - увеличивать, усиливать, улучшать
7. electronic funds transfer (EFT) - электронный перевод средств 
(платежей)
8. to fit - монтировать; устанавливать;
9. fleet - парк (транспортных средств)
10.HGV - heavy goods vehicle - большегрузный автомобиль 
11 .idle time - время простоя
12.immobilization - потеря подвижности 
13.invoice - счет-фактура, накладная
14. maintenance - техническое обслуживание; ремонт; эксплуатация 
15.occupant - пассажир
16.packing slip = packing list - упаковочная ведомость
17.penalty -  штраф, наказание
18.protection device - защитное устройство, предохранитель
19.purchase order - заказ на покупку, доставку
20.with reference to smb. / smth. —  ссылаясь на кого-л. / что-л.
21. reminder - устройство передачи аварийных сигналов
22.road holding -  держание дороги (автолюбителем); курсовая ус­
тойчивость
23 .routing -  выбор маршрута, схема движения;
24.smart device - интеллектуальное устройство
25.spacing - интервал, расстояние, промежуток
26.to tackle - пытаться найти решение (каких-л. вопросов)
27.telematics - интегрированные средства обработки и передачи ин­
формации
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Ex. 2. Match the word with the appropriate definition.
Exchange, driving license, distribution, bar code, technology, telematics.
1. the application of practical sciences to industry or commerce.
2. the division of the total income of a community among its members, esp. 
between labour incomes (wages and salaries) and property incomes 
(rents, interest, and dividends).
3. to transfer or hand over (goods) in return for the equivalent value in kind 
rather than in money; barter; trade.
4. a machine-readable arrangement of numbers and parallel lines of differ­
ent widths printed on a package, which can be electronically scanned at a 
checkout to register the price of the goods and to activate computer 
stock-checking and reordering.
5. the branch of science concerned with the use of technological devices to 
transmit information over long distances.
6. an official document or certificate authorizing a person to drive a motor 
vehicle.
Ex. 3. Match the words and word combinations with the similar
meaning.
1) to enhance a) to regulate
2) penalty b) crash
3) in the event c) to support
4) seat belt d) passenger
5) accessible e) advantage
6) occupant f) safety belt
7) to adjust g) to intensify
8) to provide h) available
9) accident i) punishment
10) to encourage j) in case of
11) objective k) to supply
12) benefit 1) goal
Ex. 4. Choose the right variant for each word combination.
1) braking habits а) финансовое урегулирование
2) on-bord computer b) ударопрочность
3) renewable energy sources с) оптимальная маршрутизация
103
4) vehicle spacing
5) repair shop
6) financial settlement
7) optimal routing
8) heat engine
9) fleet maintenance
10) hydrogen fuel cells
11) onboard driving aids
12) prevention measures
13) impact resistance
14) improved road holding
15) slippery surface
16) warning system
17) smart protection device
18) tailored protection
19) to wear seatbelts
d) профилактические меры
e) ремонтная мастерская
f) стиль вождения
g) возобновляемые источники 
энергии
h) пристегнуть ремни безопасности
i) расстояние между автомобилями 
j) бортовой компьютер
к) тепловой двигатель
1) обслуживание парка 
т )  система предупреждения 
п) интеллектуальное устройство 
защиты
о) водородные топливные элемен­
ты
р) бортовые вспомогательные 
средства вождения 
г) специализированная защита 
s) скользкая поверхность 
t) улучшенное содержание дороги
Ex. 5. Look at the title and say what information the text gives. Read 
the text attentively for the details.
Information technologies in transport
Information technology (IT) is process and "act upon" information at 
the right time and place, makes greater market intelligence possible. IT is 
instrumental in supporting the basic internal and inter-company transac­
tions associated with distribution, transport and related services, i.e.: 
preparation of the logistics process; planning of the process; operations 
and control; financial settlement; fleet maintenance and monitoring.
The benefits of all information technology innovations in road freight 
operations result from improved, real-time electronic exchange of, and 
acting upon, data and information. Information technology innovations 
enable or will require the electronic exchange of data and information 
concerning:
• cargo, vehicle and driver identification and status;
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• vehicle location;
• current traffic conditions;
• optimal routing, taking into consideration the availability of loads and
appropriate equipment to move them, traffic and weather conditions,
the nature of the cargo being transported, using routing algorithms or
"artificial intelligence" (so-called "real-time routing”);
• optimal routing of cargo (package or whole shipments);
• optimal routing of load units (trailers, containers, swap bodies, etc).
Here are the main innovations in information technology:
1. Automatic vehicle identification: transmits vehicle information 
(identification, size and weight, vehicle type or class);
2. Bar coding: provides product & picking information (identifica­
tion. size and weight, origin and destination);
3. Electronic data interchange: transmits business data and provides 
electronic business documentation (purchase order; bill of lading; pack­
ing slip; invoice; electronic funds transfer);
4. In-vehicle navigation systems: provides driver with information 
(highway and traffic conditions; location (of vehicle, destination, etc.); 
alternate routes; automatic vehicle spacing);
5. On-board computer (mobile IT): monitors vehicle and driver be­
havior (vehicle speed; engine idle time; engine oil temperature & pres­
sure; vehicle stop time and distance; driver's braking habits);
6. Two-way communication systems: exchange messages between dis­
patcher and driver (trip and shipment information; location (of vehicle, des­
tination, etc.) including location of maintenance and repair shops).
Technological innovation provides an excellent opportunity to inte­
grate the transport modes, optimise their performance, make them safer 
and help make the European transport system compatible with sustain­
able transport development.
Technology development in the transport field is estimated at around 
EUR 1.7 billion, in such areas as intermodality, energy and the technol­
ogy of means of transportation, including telematics applications.
The strategic objectives deal with the reduction of greenhouse gases 
and pollutant emissions, the security of energy supply and the balanced 
use of the various transport modes. The research is focused on actions to 
develop renewable energy sources and on cleaner and more efficient en-
105
ergy use, especially in urban areas, and to develop new transport con­
cepts that are cleaner and more energy efficient.
The development of a new generation of hybrid electric cars (electric 
motor combined with a heat engine) and cars which run on natural gas 
or, in the longer term, hydrogen fuel cells, looks very promising.
Technological developments enhance the usual methods of control 
and penalties, with the introduction of automatic devices and onboard 
driving aids. In the same context, the eventual fitting in road vehicles, as 
in other forms of transport, of black boxes to record parameters which 
help explain the causes of accidents, will make motorists more responsi­
ble and enable more effective prevention measures to be taken. The in­
troduction of electronic driving licenses could also help with the en­
forcement of penalties, such as the immobilisation of vehicles whose 
drivers have lost their licenses.
Intelligent transport systems are another opportunity. In this context, 
it would be useful to encourage the introduction of active safety systems 
for all new vehicles. Fitted with innovative technologies, for example, in 
the area of traffic management and collision-avoidance systems, such 
vehicles hold out the prospect of road safety being improved by 50%.
Technological progress should also increase vehicles’ impact resis­
tance thanks to the development of new materials and the introduction of 
new advanced design processes for structural integrity. Current progress 
with tyres (reduced water projection for HGV tyres, improved road hold­
ing on slippery surfaces, warning system to indicate under-inflated tyres) 
should in the short term make for reduced fuel consumption and rolling 
noise while maintaining a high level of safety. This should produce a 
10% saving on fuel and around 1 000 fewer deaths per year.
Protection of vehicle occupants in the event of impact is progressing 
remarkably. Electronic systems will enable new smart protection devices 
(airbags for example) to adjust for the number of vehicle occupants, their 
morphology and the nature of the impact so as to provide more tailored 
protection. Reminders to put safety belts on must become standard vehi­
cle equipment. In Sweden, 95% of car occupants wear their seatbelts. 
However, half of all those killed in accidents were not wearing their 
seatbelts at the time of the accident.
Finally, as the volume of traffic increases, better vehicle-speed man­
agement is an essential aspect of safety that will also help tackle conges­
106
tion. In addition to improved road safety, observation of speed limits will 
also reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The most promising 
prospects here are offered by new technologies that can determine opti­
mum speed at any moment with reference to traffic conditions, road fea­
tures and external conditions (such as weather) and pass the information 
on to drivers by way of information display boards or on-board commu­
nication systems. Roads and vehicles throughout the Union need to be 
equipped with these new technologies as soon as possible, and informa­
tion systems made accessible to everyone.
Ex. 6. Provide answers to the following questions.
1. What is ‘ information technology”?
2. What do information technology innovations enable?
3. What are the main innovations in information technology?
4. What does technological innovation provide?
5. Protection of vehicle occupants in the event of impact is progressing 
remarkably, isn’t it?
Ex. 7. Substitute the words in Russian with their appropriate 
equivalents in English.
1. Technological innovation (обеспечивает) an excellent 
(возможность) to integrate the (виды транспорта), make them safer 
and help make the European transport system (совместимой) with (ус­
тойчивое) transport development. 2. (Бортовой компьютер) monitors 
vehicle and (поведение водителя): vehicle speed; engine (время про­
стоя); (расстояние); driver's (стиль вождения). 3. In addition to im­
proved (безопасность дорог), observation of (ограничение скорости) 
will also (уменьшит) greenhouse gas (выбросы) significantly. 4. The 
most (обещающий) prospects are offered by new technologies that can 
(определять) optimum speed at any moment with reference to (условия 
движения), (характеристиками дорог) and external conditions and 
pass the information on to drivers by way of information display boards 
or (бортовая система связи). 5. Technological (разработки) enhance 
the usual methods of control and (штрафов), with the introduction of 
automatic devices and (бортовых вспомогательных средств 
вождения). 6. As the (объем движения) increases, better (управление 
скоростью автомобиля) is an essential aspect of (безопасность) that
107
will also help (решать проблему заторов). 7. IT is instrumental in sup­
porting the basic (сделки) associated with (распределением), transport 
and (финансовое урегулирование); fleet (техническое обслуживание) 
and monitoring. 8. (Защита) of vehicle (пассажиров) (в случае столк­
новения) is progressing remarkably. 9. Information technology innova­
tions (требуют) the electronic (обмен данных) and information con­
cerning: (груз); vehicle location; current (условий движения); optimal 
(схемы движения груза). 10. The eventual (установка) in road vehi­
cles, as in other forms of transport, of (черных ящиков) to record pa­
rameters which help explain the (причина аварий) , will make motorists 
more (ответственный) and enable more effective (профилактические 
меры) to be taken.
Ex. 8. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate prepositions.
1. Roads and vehicles ... Europe need to be equipped ... these new 
technologies as soon as possible. 2. It would be useful to encourage the 
introduction ... active safety systems ... all new vehicles. 3. Reminders 
to put safety belts ... must become standard vehicle equipment. 4. Pro­
tection ... vehicle occupants ... the event ... impact is progressing re­
markably. 5. H a lf ... all those killed ... accidents were not wearing their 
seatbelts ... the time ... the accident. 6. Information technology is in­
strument ... supporting the basic internal and inter-company transactions 
associated ... transport and related services. 7. Technological develop­
ments enhance the usual methods ... control and penalties ... the intro­
duction of automatic devices. 8. The research is focused ... actions to 
develop renewable energy sources and ... cleaner and more efficient en­
ergy use, especially ... urban areas. 9. The strategic objective deals ... 
the security ... energy supply. 10. The benefits ... all information tech­
nology innovations ... road freight operations result ... improved, real­
time electronic exchange ... data and information. 11. Two-way com­
munication systems exchange messages ... dispatcher and driver ... lo­
cation ... vehicle, destination, etc.
Ex. 9. Translate the following noun+noun constructions into Rus­
sian.
1. mass production industries 10. manufacturing flow man­
agement
108
2. material flow system
3. road transport markets
4. market observation system
11. demand forecast data
12. freight transport services
13. raw material inventory 
stock level
14. transport sector energy con­
sumption
15. door-to-door delivery sys­
tem
16. air traffic control system
17. traffic accident statistics
5. public transport users
6. transport logistics characteristics
7. supply chain management
8. customer relationship manage­
ment
9. Road safety audits and inspec­
tions
18. supply chain business proc­
ess integration
Ex. 10. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
infinitive.
1. Transport telematics is assumed to contribute to goal achievement in 
the transport sector in Norway. 2. Even though the drivers seem to ac­
knowledge falling asleep as an important cause in road accidents, few 
drivers seem aware of the severity of sleep-related accidents. 3. Road 
transport growth is expected, to soar in Eastern Europe. 4. Logistics ex­
perts consider it is increasingly important for manufacturers, distributors 
and retailers to focus on efficiency in seeking out solutions to meet their 
specific transportation requirements. 5. Very few measures have been 
taken to provide a basic regulation of social conditions in the road trans­
port sector. 6.What is needed is to make rail transport once again com­
petitive enough to remain one of the leading players in the transport sys­
tem in the enlarged Europe. 7. The concept of containerization is consid­
ered to be the key innovation in the field of logistics which has 
revolutionized freight handling in the twentieth century. 8. As the Inter­
net and other new communication technologies are developing, it is ex­
pected to bring more innovations which further simplify the tasks of lo­
gistics. 9. Today various mathematical and analytical methods are avail­
able to solve the problems of vehicle routing.
109
Ex. 11. Translate the sentences into Russian, paying attention to the 
use of the verb ’to have’ in different functions.
1. Rail has always been far safer than road. 2. A free exchange of per­
sons, commodities and capital has far reaching implications for intra- 
European trade and transport. 3. Around 1/3 of passengers have to 
change buses in the course of their actual journey. 4. With the conver­
gence of Europe’s economies, trade relations and the subsequent need 
for transport of goods and passengers have immensely increased. 5. Go­
vernmental authorities in charge of public works have the legal obliga­
tion to ensure road safety at any time and without restriction. 6. Road 
safety audits and inspections have to be implemented to guarantee con­
tinuous high safety standards and to supervise the overall road safety 
criteria. 7. Today containerization has become the integral part o f logis­
tics, which has revolutionized the cargo shipping. 8. To build up inven­
tory sufficient capital has to be tied up for a length of time. 9. In busi­
ness, logistics may have either internal focus (inbound logistics) or ex­
ternal focus (outbound logistics) covering the flow and storage of 
material from point of origin to point o f consumption. 10. Sophisticated 
control systems have to be developed and used in the nearest future.
Ex. 12. Give the main points of the text in 4-7 sentences. Use the fol­
lowing cliches:
The text deals with... . The author points out that... . Attention is 
drawn to the fact that... . It is pointed out that... . It should be noted 
that... . The author comes to the conclusion that... . I  find  the text ra­
ther/very... .
Ex. 13. Translate the following text into Russian. Use the dictionary 
if necessary.
The Department o f Transportation has contributed $18mln towards 
the project as part of its efforts to find new ways to cut congestion in 
big cities. Donald Shoup, a professor o f urban planning at the 
University of California, Los Angeles, thinks parking should be made 
easier to find so as to help public transport flow more freely and to 
reduce the amount of carbon dioxide spewed out by motorists in their 
endless searching for somewhere to stop.
110
The SFpark project will begin early in 2009 with a new network of 
pavement sensors in 6,000 o f San Francisco’s metered parking spaces 
and 11,500 o f its off-street car parks and garages. These sensors will 
detect when a space is taken and relay that information to a central 
database. From there, information about vacant parking spots will 
pass to drivers in several ways. The most basic will be through a 
network o f road signs that will indicate areas with parking places. 
Eventually, however, officials want to provide web and mobile phone 
services that display the availability of parking block by block on a 
colour-coded map, much like the traffic maps now offered by Google.
The city also plans to make parking metres capable of two-way 
communications. This will allow them to accept credit and debit card 
payments, seek maintenance and (perhaps to less acclaim) alert 
Lovely Rita when a parking ticket needs to be issued. Crucially, such 
metres can also be changed remotely to charge different rates 
according to demand at different times of the day. “If you get the 
price right, nobody will have to cruise,” adds Dr Shoup.
A number of companies already have detection systems at work. 
Streetline’s technology, for instance, presents networks o f small, 
cheap, low-powered sensors. The company’s pavement sensors will 
run for more than five years on two AA batteries. Like those from 
other companies, they detect a disturbance in the magnetic field from 
a hunk of metal (that is, a car). Data can hop from sensor to sensor 
until it makes its way to a gateway, a small box sitting on top o f a 
streetlamp or traffic-signaling box. From there, it can travel to the 
central database via the mobile-phone network or municipal Wi-Fi.
Streetline’s sensors have already been tested in parts o f San 
Francisco and by the end o f the year they will be deployed in 3,500 
parking spaces in Los Angeles. The company hopes eventually to 
create networks that monitor other bits of a city’s infrastructure too, 
including traffic flows, street lamps and water mains.
VehicleSense is testing its wireless-sensor networks in parking 
areas along Interstate 95 in south-eastern Massachusetts. The idea is 
to give fatigued truckers better information on where they can pull off 
the road to get some sleep. This technology can go only so far 
towards relieving congestion and helping drivers find parking spaces.
Учебное издание
БОЯРСКАЯ Анна Олеговна 
ПЕДЬКО Людмила Владимировна 
СЛЕСАРЁНОК Екатерина Викторовна
ENGLISH FOR TRANSPORTATION
АНГЛИЙСКИЙ ЯЗЫК ДЛЯ СПЕЦИАЛИСТОВ 
ПО ОРГАНИЗАЦИИ ПЕРЕВОЗОК
Пособие
Компьютерная верстка Е.В. Слесарёнок 
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