Futuristic Shanghai`s Risky Bet: Train on Air

The New York Times

Futuristic Shanghai`s Risky Bet: Train on Air

SHANGHAI, March 6— This would-be city of the future has begun construction on what it hopes will be the world's first commercial railway to make successful use of magnetic levitation. The new line is intended to whisk passengers between Shanghai's new financial district and its new airport at speeds of up to about 250 miles an hour, completing the 20-mile journey in under 10 minutes.

The train project is the latest ultramodern ornament to Pudong, the showcase development zone east of the muddy Huangpu River and the old center of Shanghai, which was built by foreigners before World War II. The city has already unveiled a ''people mover'' that will carry pedestrians through a tunnel under the river. And Pudong has a collection of modernistic new office towers and a new hotel, the Grand Hyatt Shanghai, atop China's tallest building, with a 30-story circular atrium that resembles something out of a ''Star Wars'' movie.

But the magnetic levitation, or maglev, train project may be a leap too far even for this thrusting city.

The idea of a maglev train — floating a centimeter or two in the air on a cushion of electromagnetic repulsion created between superconducting magnets in the train and coils in the guide track, and zipping along at speeds above 200 miles an hour without friction — has been studied for decades. But the only maglev service ever opened to the public, a link of less than half a mile between the main railway station and the airport in Birmingham, England, was closed in the mid-1990's after 11 years in operation because of maintenance problems.

Since then, no government has been willing to underwrite the huge cost of building maglev lines, though Japan and Germany have each developed prototypes and built test tracks.

Last year, Germany canceled plans for a Berlin-Hamburg line because it was deemed economically infeasible and environmentally harmful. Maglev trains consume huge amounts of electricity, yet are not much faster than proven high-speed conventional rail systems like the TGV of France. Maglevs could operate at yet higher speeds, but the energy cost would be prohibitive.

Still, there are advantages for Shanghai in agreeing to be a pioneer. Shanghai's maglev will use technology developed by two German companies, Siemens and ThyssenKrupp, which will supply the trains and stations. The two contractors will bear much of the project's cost, which is expected to total well over $1 billion, in hopes that it will be a successful model to show other prospective buyers. Chinese contractors will build the magnetic track.

At a small ceremony in a field east of the city late last week, Shanghai's top Communist Party official, Huang Ju, pushed a button to start a pile driver, which began work on a building that will eventually house a workshop for the railway, as the German ambassador to China and other dignitaries looked on. The first passengers are scheduled to begin levitating between Pudong and the airport in 2003.

Photo: Hans-Christian Ueberschaer, Germany's ambassador to China, addresses a groundbreaking ceremony for the magnetic levitation train. (Agence France-Presse)

Vocabulary list:

1). To whisk - быстро увозить, отправлять

Examples of use:

They were whisked into the hotel.

The important visitors were whisked through customs.

Definition:

To whisk – to move someone or something very quickly

2). Levitation – левитация

Definition:

Levitation – the process by which an object is held aloft, without mechanical support, in a stable position.

Examples of use:

Levitation is accomplished by providing an upward force that counteracts the pull of gravity.

Levitation excludes hovering flight by insects, hummingbirds, helicopters, rockets and balloons because the object provides its own counter-gravity force.

3). A leap – прыжок, скачок

Examples of use:

It was a leap in the dark.

Sales have leapt 43% this quarter.

Definition:

To suddenly improve, increase, or progress

4). Thrusting - процветающий

Definition:

Thrusting- ambitious and having great drive

Examples of using:

The whole exhibition showcased the many wonders of the thrusting modern city to awesome effect.

There are many thrusting cities in the United States.

5). Cushion – подушка

Definition:

A layer that separates two objects and prevents one from hitting or touching the other

Examples of using:

The air cushion reduces the boat’s contact with water.

There is a cushion under the rug to protect the floor. 

6). Repulsion- отталкивание

Definition:

Magnetic force that makes things move away from each other

Examples of use:

My husband knows my repulsion towards seafood very well.

Mental operations are identified with physical movements, the three conditions of physical movement, inertia, attraction and repulsion, being in the moral world self-love, love and hate.

7). Friction- трение

Definition:

The fact that one thing rubs against another

Examples of use:

He had burn marks from the friction of the ropes on his skin.

Friction force is used to stop your car/bike when you step on the breaks.

8). Maintenance – поддержание

Definition:

The process of continuing something or keeping it in existence

Examples of use:

The maintenance of international peace and security.

I met a very good friend in the apartment community where I live, and although she doesn’t have dishwasher problems, she has other maintenance problems.

9).To deem - полагать

Definition:

Regard or consider in a specified way

Examples of use:

Commission will take as long as is deemed necessary to make its decision.

These buildings are deemed to be of architectural importance and must be protected.

10). Infeasible – нереальный

Definition:

Not possible to do easily or conveniently; impracticable

Examples of use:

Infeasible things are impossible, or too complicated to actually be done.

Your idea of staging a city-wide game of Capture the Flag is probably infeasible.

11). Proven-доказанный, подтверждённый

Definition:

shown to be true, real, or effective

Examples of use:

An example of proven is the fact of the earth being round; proven fact.

These writers use proven (as an adjective) and proved (in the past and perfect tenses) according to modern conventions

12). Conventional - обычный, традиционный, стандартный

Definition:

usual, traditional, or accepted type, instead of being new and different

Examples of using:

It was a word for conventional opinion.

He wanted a conventional marriage with a wife and kids.

13). Prospective - предполагаемый, потенциальный

Definition:

Expected or expecting to be the specified thing in the future

Examples of use:

She showed a prospective buyer around the house.

14). Ambassador – посол

Definition:

An accredited diplomat sent by a state as its permanent representative in a foreign country.

Examples of use:

He is a good ambassador for the industry.

That is the Dutch ambassador, do you see? 

15). Dignitary – сановник

Definition:

A person considered to be important because of high rank or office

Examples of use:

There were also present a very distinguished dignitary and a Swiss who had formerly been tutor at the Kuragins'.
The dinner was attended by many foreign dignitaries.

1). Comprehension exercise.

1. What is the idea of a maglev train?

2. What is the new line intended to do?

3. What are the reasons of canceling plans for Berlin-Hamburg line? How can you comment on them?

4. What countries are interested in the such kind of transport?

5. What technology will Shanghai's maglev use?

6. When did the first passengers begin to levitate between Pudong and the airport?

7. What is the term «maglev» derived from?

2). Find words in the text and translate them.

L - vi - - - - -n

Wh - - k

C - sh - - n

Th - - - - - - g

R - pu - - - - n

I - f - - - - - - e

Pr - - - - - - - - e

A - - - ss - - - r

D - g - - - - - y

L - - p

C - - ve - - - - - - l

M - - - - - - - nce

F - - c - - - n

D - - m

Pr - - - n

3). The order of the letters is wrong. Make up the words of these letters. The words are from the text.

• V I A T T I O N E L (левитация)

• H W I K S (быстро увозить, отправлять)

• C S H U I N O (подушка)

• H T U R S T N I G (процветающий)

• N E R P U S L I O (отталкивание)

• E I N A E F S I L B (нереальный)

• R P S O P C E I T V E (предполагаемый)

• R A B M A S S A O D (посол)

• Y R A T I N G I D (сановник)

• E E P L (полагать)

4). Match the words with their definitions.

1. Levitation

2. Repulsion

3. Prospective

4. Infeasible

5. Cushion

6. Friction

e). magnetic force that makes things move away from each other

f). to rise and float in the air as if by magic, or to make something do this

d). Expected or expecting to be the specified thing in the future

c). Not possible to do easily or conveniently; impracticable

a). The fact that one thing rubs against another

b). A layer that separates two objects and prevents one from hitting or touching the other

5). Questions for the discussion of the problems raised in the article.

1). Can you name the advantages and the disadvantages of a maglev train?

2). Is a maglev train suitable for Russia?

3).Why is Maglev better than the High-Speed Trains already operating in Europe and Japan?

Keys:

1). Comprehension exercise.

1. It is floating a centimeter or two in the air on a cushion of electromagnetic repulsion created between superconducting magnets in the train and coils in the guide track, and zipping along at speeds above 200 miles an hour without friction.

2. The new line is intended to whisk passengers between Shanghai's new financial district and its new airport at speeds of up to about 250 miles an hour.

3. Germany canceled plans for a Berlin-Hamburg line because it was deemed economically infeasible and environmentally harmful. Maglev trains consume huge amounts of electricity, yet are not much faster than proven high-speed conventional rail systems like the TGV of France. Maglevs could operate at yet higher speeds, but

the energy cost would be prohibitive.

4. Japan and Germany are interested in a such kind of transport.

5. Shanghai's maglev will use technology developed by two German companies, Siemens and ThyssenKrupp.

6. They began to levitate between Pudong and the airport in 2003.
7. It is derived from «magnetic levitation».

2). Find words in the text.

- Levitation

- Whisk

- Cushion

- Thrusting

- Repulsion

- Infeasible

- Prospective

- Ambassador

- Dignitary

- Leep

- Conventional

- Maintenance

- Friction

- Deem

- Proven

3). The order of the letters is wrong. Make up the words of these letters. The words are from the text.

- levitation

- whisk

- cushion

- thrusting

- repulsion

- infeasible

- prospective

- ambassador

- dignitary

- leep

4). Match the words with their definitions.

1. F

2. E

3. D

4. C

5. B

6. A

5). Questions for the discussion of the problems raised in the article.

1. +

1). Maglev can speed up to 431km/h or 268 mph.

2). Maglev trains don`t run on combustion engines, they don`t actually have an engine in the traditional sense.

2. -

1). The construction of Maglevs is expensive in comparison to other transportation technologies.

2). Yes, it is. I think that it will be possible if the government spend too much money on this type of a train.

3). Maglev will have many more stations distributed so that people have easy and fast access to the Maglev Network. Individual Maglev vehicles will hold 100 people at most compared to the 500 to 1000 people on a high-speed train. Maglev vehicles travel at 300 mph compared to 180 mph for high-speed trains. The Maglev noise is much less than steel wheels on rail.