III.

Match the words with their definitions:

1-c
2-d
3-a
4-e
5-b

IV. Rearrange the paragraphs in the correct order and fill in the gaps with
the words from the list below. Translate into English:
, also, as,
Take the Train?
Readers of our newspaper know that we favour the increased use and
development of mass transit over the building of more highways. For years
we‟ve supported those who have been calling for the development of a regional
transportation network whose components would be heavy rail, using existing
tickets that the big trains run on; light rail, which would mean building new
tracks that trolleys and small trains could run on; better bus service; and a metro
system. Heavy rail tracks are already there, so heavy rail has got the most
favourable press.
It occurred to our chief editor, (f) , that maybe someone should be sent to find
out whether trains are really as efficient and pleasant as they‟re cracked up to
be. I‟ve written a lot of articles on transportation in the last several years, so I
was the logical choice to do the investigation because I was considered an
“expert”. Therefore, I confidently set out on my journey one rainy Saturday
morning.
I took the bus downtown to the train station, bought a ticket for Santa Maria,
just 100 miles away, and went out on the platform to wait for the 9:02. That‟s
when the train trip from hell began. Everything that could go wrong did
gowrong.
First, the train was an hour late. However, we were at the height of the tourist
season, so when it finally did arrive, there seemed to be at least a million people
waiting to board it. The quick rushed on, mercilessly elbowing the slow out of
their way. I by the time managed to board and tried to find a seat. There wasn‟t
one, though; I had to stand with five other people in the space between two cars.
I was right next to the men‟s restroom, which did not exactly smell like a flower
garden. In fact, to say that it smelled like a garbage dump would have been too
charitable.
 For half an hour or so the train just set on the track, not moving. A man
standing next to me with extremely bad breath insisted on telling me his life
story. I listened politely for a while; then I excused myself, saying that I hadn‟t
eaten breakfast. Finally, the train had started, so I swayed back and forth on my
way to the dining car, propelled violently by the motion of the now-moving
cars.
Meanwhile I was entering the dining car, a violent lurch of the train threw
me to the left, causing me to lose my balance and land in the lap of a portly
woman
drinking coffee, which spilled on both of us. I apologized profusely. My
apology,
however, was apparently not convincing, for the woman just stared at me. I got
up
and went to order tea and a sandwich, which cost me $8.95, from an impolite
attendant. The tea was lukewarm and virtually flavourless, and the sandwich
tasted like a combination of sawdust and cardboard. I wended my way back to
my starting place, but there still wasn‟t a vacant seat. I was forced to spend the
next hour and a half listening to the same man tell his life history all over again.
Nonetheless the train finally arrived in Santa Maria, two hours late, I had
come to several conclusions as to why people don‟t take the train, if ours was
any indication. First, trains are extremely slow; it had take four hours to go 100
miles. Second, the train was filthy and uninviting. Third, train personnel were
generally surly and unhelpful. Forth, the tracks were in terrible condition.
So does this all mean that I‟m now anti-train and pro-highway? No, I‟m still
a supporter of mass transit. However, I‟ve learned that the situation isn‟t nearly
as simple as we at the newspaper have been portraying it. All over the country
we‟ve allowed trains to deteriorate. We must make them viable again if we
expect people to use them we‟ve got to demand excellent, efficient service. That
will take money, perhaps (gasp!) even a tax increase. (j) , it would be well worth
it.