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Trans-Siberian Railroad
Trans-Siberian Railroad

Learn English meaning of 'Trans-Siberian Railroad'

Date: Jan 11 2017

Themes: Travel

Grammar: Present Perfect Tense

Intro

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2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

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Do you want to travel abroad? Maybe, you want to visit the Great Wall of China. Maybe, you want to see Egypt’s Pyramids. Or maybe, you hope to ride on the impressive Trans-Siberian Railroad, the longest rail in the world. This historic railroad was built over a hundred years ago and is 9,289 km long!

It takes seven days to travel from Moscow, Russia, to Vladivostok, Russia. That’s a long time to travel. You can enjoy good meals in the dining car. You can talk to fascinating people. And when you’re tired, there’s always the sleeper car. If you want extra adventure, you can also take the train through Mongolia and China.

Marni is a bit taken aback that Andy would rather travel on a Russian train than on Amtrak. Listen to this English lesson to find out why he thinks the Trans-Siberian Railroad is so far reaching.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

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2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Andy_H

Andy_H

Marni

Marni

Andy_H:  Chugga, chugga, chugga, chugga… Hey, Marni!

Marni:  Yes?

Andy_H:  Guess where I want to go.

Marni:  On a train, according to the sound effects.

Andy_H:  That train being the Trans-Siberian Railroad. Let me tell you, this rail is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.

Marni:  OK, I mean, I’m a little taken aback. I would have thought Amtrak, but you’re thinking more abroad.

Andy_H:  You have to think about something as historic and as far reaching as the Trans-Siberian Railroad. This is a railroad that goes west to east, all the way to China. That means that you can go on a train in the middle of Europe and end in the middle of mainland China. Just that trip alone seems wonderful.

Marni:  It does sound fascinating. I mean, it’s the longest rail in the whole world. If you were literally riding the whole thing, I mean, that’s going to be a long trip.

Andy_H:  It’s really impressive. Not to mention that you get the awesome experience of being on a train, going to the dining car, going to the sleeper car. And apparently, the thing that you always do on a train is drink tea.

Marni:  Ah! Well, cheerio.

Andy_H:  Cheerio!

 

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Discussion

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Andy makes Marni laugh when he makes funny train noises. Andy has a special reason for making these sounds, though. He wants to travel on the historic Trans-Siberian Railroad. This news would probably make many Americans feel taken aback. Why travel abroad when you could ride from coast to coast on an Amtrak train in the United States? This is what Marni wants to know.

To Andy, the Trans-Siberian Railroad is impressive for several reasons. First, this rail is the longest rail in the world. Second, it’s far reaching. It connects several different countries. Third, he likes the idea of life on a train. He thinks it would be cool to wake up in a sleeper car and go have breakfast in the dining car. Marni agrees that it would be a fascinating trip and Andy would have lots of time to drink tea.

Have you ever been in a sleeper car or a dining car? Do you think trains are fascinating?

 

Comments

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Slavic miracle

Russian Federation

Hi all! I’m taken aback to see this lesson about TS-railroad here! Thank you for it!


I have read an article about Danny Boyle (famouse Director). He traveled by TS-railroad to Irkutsk for visiting lake Baikal in October, 2016! It’s so interesting to have such kind of dream to swim in Baikal in your 60th anniversary!


I rode on TS-railroad for 3.5 days. We slept in sleeper car and visited dining car. It isn’t fascinating for us because a lot of people in Russia use this type of transport to move from A to B :)  But I prefer to fly because it’s quicker but it’s more expensive.


In general TS-railroad is very impressive and of course far reaching because it’s used not only for passenger trains but also for vital freight trains!

09:09 PM Feb 11 2017 |

fcf515

fcf515

Taiwan

No, I have never been in a sleeper car oor a dining car, but I‘d love to experience it one day. I think trains are fascinating and I like riding them.

09:54 AM Feb 08 2017 |

markbanh

Viet Nam

My country doesn’t have the concept about “sleeper car” or “dining car”. I don’t know what they are. So, I haven’t ever seen them and in them. :)


Trains in my country are not fasicinating. They are noisy and crowded, I do not like them. I hate moving by trains. Moving by train takes time.

02:15 AM Jan 12 2017 |

gerdr

Netherlands

I know this is about language and not geography, but … The Transsib does not, in the stricter sense, connect any countries, as it is from end to end a Russian railway. It also does not, as Andy says, end in the middle of mainland China, but in Vladivostok at the Pacific coast. It has connection branch lines into various Asian countries, including China, which is probably what was meant, but stated as in the dialog and discussion the information might be misleading.

06:30 PM Jan 11 2017 |

mobinm

mobinm

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

When somone go to travell by train he/ she cant stay to enjoy sightseeing where wants and get frash air then train passes and look at  everything quickly.

03:18 PM Jan 11 2017 |

Seiyfk

Seiyfk

Turkey

I didnt have any travelling with a sleeper car or a dining car as ı remembered ,


ı would want to travel with Trans-Siberian Railroad, it seems exciting,facinating trip ,


different places,natural beautiues..


it can be new experience,especially with beloved someone..

02:29 PM Jan 11 2017 |

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