Read the text about the underground system in London, divide it into logical parts, entitle them.

London Tube

Buried deep beneath the streets of London is the underground or tube. The tube was built from the mid-nineteenth century onwards. The London underground is large, old and complex. Each day 2.7 million people use it, and the number of uses continues to climb. The Underground has 270 stations and around 400 kilometers (250 ml) of track, making it the second longest metro system in the world by route length after the Shanghai Metro. The London Underground’s 11 lines are divided into two classes: the subsurface routes and the deep-tube routes. In 2007, more than one billion passenger journeys were recorded, making it the third busiest metro system in Europe after Paris and Moscow.

Apart from the rush hour it’s a quick and easy way of getting around. There are tube stations all over and trains are very frequent. When you go on the tube you need to know which line to take and which direction you are going. In every station there is a map of the whole system with a different colour for each of the lines.

You can buy tickets from a person at a ticket window or from machines, where you just press for the type of ticket you want and where you are going. Unfortunately, the longer a journey is, the most it costs, but you can buy a special travel card. Once you’ve bought it, you can make as many tube and bus journeys in a day as you like – for free. In 2003 the Oyster card was introduced, a smartcard with an embedded contactless chip, that travelers can obtain, charge with credit, and use to pay for travel. Like travel cards they can be used on the Underground, the Overground, buses, trams, railway services within London. The Oyster card is cheaper to operate than cash ticketing or the older-style magnetic-strip-based travel cards and the Underground is encouraging passengers to use Oyster cards instead of travel cards and cash by implementing significant price differences.

The tube is used by an increasing number of those who live in London. The government cut its subsidy, yet there has been a concessionary fare scheme for disabled and elderly London residents. Since 2006 the scheme has been called the “Freedom Pass” that allows for free travel at all times. It is also valid on National Rail services within London; except between 04:30 and 09:30, Monday to Fridays. From 2010, the Freedom Pass includes an embedded holder’s photograph and lasts five years between renewals.

Comprehension questions.

Ø How is underground in London called?

Ø How many stations does it cover?

Ø Is the tube a quick and easy way of getting around London in rush hours?

Ø What does the cost of the journey depend on?

Ø Which way of payment for the tube is the cheapest now?

Ø When can’t the disabled and elderly Londoners use their Freedom Pass?

Ø Name differences and things in common between London and Kyiv underground systems.

BLOCK IV

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