70 Unit 04 | On the move Read the text about an issue affecting rail transport. Some parts are missing. Choose the correct part (A–P) for each gap (1–13). There are two extra parts that you should not use. Write your answers in the boxes provided. The first one (0) has been done for you. LANGUAGE IN USE 37 a When the weather leaves your train running late Imagine the scene: you’re standing on the platform, waiting for your train, when you hear the announcement: “Delay due to leaves on the tracks.” Sounds crazy or even laughable? Actually, slippery rails (0) ; they can cause serious disruptions to rail travel. In autumn, darker evenings, cosy knitwear, hot chocolate and pumpkin-spiced everything make a return, but for railway maintenance teams, this (1) also brings a familiar challenge – leaves on the tracks. Leaves are problematic as they change the interaction (2) the train’s steel wheels and the steel rail it runs on. Only a small patch of a train’s wheel – an area about the size of a one euro coin – actually makes contact with the rail. Trains operate with far less grip (3) vehicles with rubber tyres. Leaves are mostly water, but they also contain a range of other substances, and (4) onto a railway line – or are blown there by other passing trains – they can stick to it. Each time a train runs over the leaves, they get compressed. Over time, this leaf mulch tends to change into a dark, slippery coating (5) hard to remove, much like black ice on a road. The lack of grip makes it hard for trains to accelerate and brake (6) . As a result, train drivers must pull out of stations more cautiously and begin braking much earlier to ensure they stop safely at stations and signals. This can lead to (7) journey times and delays. Leaf build-up can also create a barrier between the train wheels and the electrical parts of the track that help to pin-point (8) trains are. When a train’s exact location is unclear, the vehicles behind it must wait at red signals until its position is confirmed. This way, the control rooms can be confident there is a (9) between trains. So how do railway managers (10) ? Sometimes, special ‘leaf-busting’ trains are sent out which use high-pressure water jets to blast away leaf mulch. These trains then also apply a gel containing sand and steel grains to help train wheels (11) the tracks as they should. A new cleaning system, (12) by researchers from Sheffield University, uses dry ice pellets fired at supersonic speed to freeze the leaves. The frozen leaves are then shattered and removed as the dry ice turns back into gas. There may not be a simple fix for leaf-covered rails, but there are plenty of people (13) to minimise their impact on travellers. After all, keeping public transport reliable is key to encouraging people to use it. What other challenges might disrupt smooth train travel? Discuss with a partner and come up with possible solutions. b 012345678910111213 A A are no joke E is impossible I safe distance M time of year B between F longer J solve this N when they fall C developed G nobody wants K than O where D effectively H run along L that can be P working hard Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
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