Unit 1
I. Read the text:
Parts of a building
Almost everyone has watched building of a house and followed its progress with interest.
First the excavation is dug for the basement, then the foundation walls bellow ground level are constructed; after this the framework is erected and clothed with various finishing materials and protected by several coats of paint.
The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the framework. It is intended for safely carrying the loads imposed. The floors, walls, roof and other parts of the building must be carefully designed and proportioned.
The architect or designer must decide what the size of the walls, the floors, the beams, the girders and the parts which make up the framework must be, and how they must be placed and arranged. Sometimes it is done by the architect who draws the plans for the house, sometimes by a designer.
Here are the main parts of a building and their functions.
Foundations are to keep the walls and floors from contact with the soil, to guard them against the action of frost, to prevent them from sinking and settling which can cause cracks in walls and uneven floors.
Floors divide the building into stories. They may be either of timber or of a fire-resisting material.
Walls are built to enclose areas and carry the weight of floors and roofs. The walls may be solid or hollow. The materials used for the wall construction can be brick, stone, concrete and other natural and artificial materials.
Roofs cover the building and protect it from exposure to weather. They tie the walls and give the construction strength and firmness.
II. Find English equivalents in the text:
котлован - _________________
копать, рыть - ______________
цоколь, подошва - ___________________
каркас - _________________
воздвигать - _______________
покрывать - _____________
отделочный материал - _______________________
слой краски - __________________
сооружение - _________________
действующая нагрузка - _____________________
балки - ________________
грунт, почва - ____________
затоплять - ________________
оседать - _______________
трещина - _____________________
неровный - ________________
лес, дерево - ________________
бетон - _________________
искусственный материал - ____________________
твердотельный, цельный - _________________
пустотелый - ______________
воздействие - ____________________
прочность - ________________
твердость - ___________________
III. Give Russian equivalents to the following:
progress - _________________
foundation walls - ___________________
below ground level - ______________________
parts of the building - _____________________
the loads - ________________
must be carefully proportioned - _____________________
to prevent them from sinking - ________________________
fire-resisting material - _________________________
the weight of floors - ____________________
brick - ___________
to tie the walls - ________________________
natural materials - _____________________
to protect from exposure to weather - ______________________________
IV. Translate the text and say whether these statements are true or false:
1. First the excavation is dug for the framework.
2. The foundation walls are constructed above ground level.
3. The framework is clothed with various finishing materials and protected by several coats of paint.
4. The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the basement.
5. The walls and other parts of the building must be carefully proportioned.
6. The architect must decide what the size of the floors, the beams and the girders must be.
7. Sinking and settling of a construction can cause cracks in walls and uneven floors.
8. Floors may be of timber only.
9. The materials used for the wall construction can be natural only.
10. Roofs cover the building and protect it from settling.
V. Choose the right variant:
1. The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the framework.
а) Частично стабильность сооружения зависит от каркаса.
б) Частично от стабильности сооружения зависит каркас.
в) Часть, от которой зависит стабильность сооружения, является каркас.
2. … what the size of the walls, the floors, the beams, the girders and the parts which make up the framework must be …
а) … как стены, полы, балки, фермы и другие части должны составлять каркас…
б) … каким должен быть размер стен, полов, балок, ферм и других частей, которые составляют каркас …
в) … что размер стен, полов, балок, ферм и других частей, которые составляют каркас, должен быть …
3. The material used for the wall construction can be brick …
а) Материал, который использовался для строительства стены, был кирпич …
б) Материал, который используется для строительства стен, может быть кирпич …
в) Материал, который использовался при строительстве стен, был кирпич …
4. … which can cause cracks in walls …
а) … что могло вызывать трещины в стенах …
б) … что может причинить трещины в стенах …
в) … которые могут послужить причиной трещин в стенах …
VI. Continue the sentence:
1. The framework is intended for safely carrying …
a) the weight of the walls.
b) the weight of the floors and roofs
c) the loads imposed
2. Foundations guard the walls against the action of …
a) sun
b) frost
c) thunder
3. Floors may be …
a) neither of timber nor of a fire-resisting material.
b) of a fire-resisting material only.
c) either of timber or of a fire-resisting material.
4. The materials used for the wall construction can be …
a) natural only.
b) artificial only.
c) natural and artificial.
VII. a) Complete the table:
|
Noun |
Verb |
Adjective |
|
- |
- |
finishing |
|
protection |
- |
- |
|
- |
divide |
- |
|
- |
- |
arranged |
|
decision |
- |
- |
|
- |
erect |
- |
|
- |
- |
used |
|
intention |
- |
- |
b) Choose the word from the table to complete the sentence:
1. Floors … the building into stories.
2. The designer must … how the beams and the girders must be placed and arranged.
3. The framework is clothed with various … materials.
4. The materials … for the wall construction can be natural and artificial
5. Roofs … the building from exposure to weather.
6. After the framework is … it is protected by several coats of paints.
7. The architect must decide how to place and … all the parts of the building.
8. The framework is … for carrying the loads imposed.
VIII. Scan the text and answer the questions:
1. Have you ever watched building of a house?
2. Where are the foundation walls constructed?
3. Which part of the building does its stability depend on?
4. What are the functions of the foundation?
5. What materials may be used in constructing floors?
6. What materials are used for the wall construction?
7. What’s the function of the roof?
Grammar revision:
1. Explain the grammar phenomena underlined in the text.
2. Ask three types of questions (general, special and to the subject) to the underlined sentence in the text.
3. Write these sentences in the Past and Future Simple tense forms.
1. The designer must determine the height of the ceiling.
2. You can use several ways to guard the foundation from dampness.
3. He may make all the arrangements for the presentation.
4. Make this sentence passive.
The architect calculates an estimate of the design of the building.
5. Open the brackets.
1. Scientists so far (to find) only 115 different kinds of atoms.
2. A battery (to produce) electricity using two different metals in a chemical solution.
3. To solve the problem of sending electricity over long distances, William Stanley (to develop) a device called a transformer.
4. Half of the electrons (to spin) in one direction; half (to spin) in the other.
5. The concept of electric field (to be introduced) by Michael Faraday.