6. Answer the following questions:

• What were the basic reasons to construct the railway?

•How did people get to the west of Russia and back in the 19^th century?

•What was the first project to propose the construction of the Trans-Siberian railway?

•Which was the role of Muravyov-Amursky in the construction of that railroad?

• Why had the central government ignored these projects?

• Who started the realization of the project concerning the Trans-Siberian?

• How long was the project designing? Why so long?

• What did the railway engineers fight against?

•How long was the Far Eastern segment of that line constructing?

•What was and is the importance of that line for Russia?

7. Translate into Russian the sentences with the key vocabulary.

8. Find on map of Russia geographical place named in honor of the Transport Minister Constantin Possiet. What do you know about him?

9. Explain the phrase: “a clumsy bureaucracy and fear of financial risk”.

10. Explain how you understand these words:

The idea of covering Russia with a railroad network not just exceeds any possibility, but even building the railway from Petersburg to Kazan must be found untimely by several centuries.

11. Analyze the text and write about the hardships connected with the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway railroad:

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12. Write about the main designing milestones of that railway:

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13. Speak about the influence of the Trans-Siberian Railway on the development of Russia.

14. Give a key sentence to each paragraph.

15. Give a summary of the text.

16. Read, translate and discuss:

Transsib Facts:

• The length of the main route is 9288,2 km. • The largest bridge is above the Amur river – 2612 meters (made in 1999). • The longest tunnel starts at 8140 km, and is 2 km long.

• There is a unique building at the 5311 km – Sludyanka station building made from marble. • The Trans-Siberian route crosses 10 time zones • It goes through Europe (19%) and Asia (81%). The border is marked with small obelisk at 1778 km near the town of Pervouralsk. • The Trans-Siberian passes by 87 cities and towns on the way. • The route crosses 16 big rivers: Volga, Ob, Enisey, Oka, Amur, and others. • The Trans-Siberian passes Biakal Lake, 207 km. of the way are going along the bank of the lake. • The Trans-Siberian passes the Sea of Japan, 39 km of the way are going along the shore of sea of Japan