Пособия / Techical English Basics. Основы технического английского

UNIT 24

Grammar Review: 1. Составные предлоги. 2. Составные союзы.

Texts: 1. ‘Protection Against Environmental Pollution’

2. ‘Tunnels’

Text 1. Protection Against Environmental Pollution

Any operating nuclear power plant releases fission products into the environment, which causes environmental pollution. To prevent the harmful effects of nuclear power release, the nuclear power plants are supplied with protective installations that serve as barriers to the pollution.

First, the nuclear fuel and the fission products are confined within sealed tubes made of stainless steel or zirconium. Then the assembly of tubes is placed in a steel reactor vessel. And finally the steel reactor vessel is placed in a large steel and concrete housing.

As to the hot radioactive waste products they are disposed in heavily shielded cylinders. The cylinders are buried 305 to 610 metres underground.

Words and expressions to be remembered:

Text 2. Tunnels

Tunnelling is difficult, expensive and dangerous engineering work. Tunnels are built to provide direct automobile or railway routes through mountain ranges, under or over rivers. Before the 19th century men had not acquired enough skill in engineering to carry out extensive tunnelling. Tunnels, however, were known in ancient times. They were, for instance, driven into the rock under the Pyramids of Egypt. One of the earliest tunnels known was made in Babylon. It passed under the Euphrates rivers. Other ancient tunnels were built for water supply and for drainage.

Modern tunnels are often very long and deep. The Simplon Tunnel on the France-to-Italy railway, for example, is 12 miles long and in one place the peaks of the Alps rise over 6,000 feet above it. Connecting the

– 122 –

British Isles to mainland Europe is a fantasy that can be dated back nearly 200 years.

The first suggestion to construct a tunnel came from Napoleon in 1800. His engineers even drafted a tunnel plan, but Britain and France were at war at that time. In 1988 the question of a Channel Tunnel was studied afresh by a group of French and British engineers and the work actually began.

The work proceeded very quickly and was successfully completed in about six years. The Tunnel was opened to traffic on May 7, 1994. Now cars and trucks carried by rail make crossing in 35 minutes, about an hour less than by ferry. Passengers remain in their vehicles.

Words and expressions to be remembered:

Vocabulary and Comprehension Exercises

I. (Text 1) Read the following word combinations and put down their Russian equivalents.

Nuclear fuel, nuclear fission, steel vessel, reactor vessel, fission release, sealed tubes, concrete housing, waste products, nuclear waste, shielded cylinders.

II. (Text 1) Find English equivalents.

Выбрасывает продукты расщепления; загрязнение окружающей среды; обеспечены защитными установками; изолированные трубы; сделаны из нержавеющей стали и циркония; стальной сосуд реактора; бетонный корпус; горячие реактивные отходы; плотно запечатанные цилиндры.

III. (Text 1) Complete the sentences using the correct variant.

3.The protective power plant installations ........

a. produce the release of fission products

–123 –

b.prevent the release of fission products

4.The sealed tubes are made of ........

IV. (Text 1) Answer the following questions.

1. What kind of products does the operating nuclear power plant release?

2.What installations are used to prevent the harmful effects of a nuclear power plant operation?

3.What material are the tubes made of?

4.Where are the fission products confined?

5.In what part of the installation is the reactor vessel placed?

6.In what way are hot radioactive waste products disposed?

V. (Text 2) Answer the following questions.

1. Why are tunnels built nowadays?

2.What are the examples of ancient tunnels?

3.Why were tunnels built in ancient times?

4.How long is the Simplon Tunnel?

5.When did the first suggestion to construct a tunnel under the Channel come?

6.When did the work begin?

7.When was the Tunnel opened to traffic?

Grammar Exercises

I. Ознакомьтесь с примерами употребления составных предлогов и переведите предложения на русский язык.

Составные предлоги

1. according to According to the information received by us the ship will arrive on the 10th of April.

2.because of They didn’t go to the country because of the rain.

–124 –

3. in addition to In addition to the trouble in the engine there appeared another in the transmission.

4. in order to The new equipment was used in order to test the vibration of the engine.

5. in spite of He left in spite of all my protests.

6. thanks to Thanks to his help we finished our work early. 7. instead of What book can you give me instead of that one.

II. Переведите следующие предложения, обращая внимание на составные предлоги.

1. The work is going on according to the schedule.

2.The engine did not operate well because of bad fuel.

3.In order to protect the surface from heat and cold we covered it with special substance.

4.The monument was restored in spite of many difficulties.

5.Who can repair the apparatus instead of him?

6.In addition to the usual methods of computation they made use

of computers.

III. Ознакомьтесь с примерами употребления составных союзов и переведите предложения на русский язык.

Составные союзы

1. as soon as I’ll telephone you as soon as I return home.

2.as well as This book is interesting as well as useful.

3.both...and... Both the bridge and the tunnel will be constructed next year.

4.either...or... I shall leave either tonight or tomorrow.

5.neither...nor... I could find him neither at home nor in the office.

6.so...that... They crossed the mountains so that they could reach the village before dark.

7.the...the... The longer I think of your plan, the more I like it.

IV. Переведите следующие предложения, обращая внимание на составные союзы.

1. You can get there either by bus or by underground.

2.As soon as all the calculations are completed, we will begin the tests.

3.These children know neither German nor French.

4.The sun gives us both light and heat; it gives us energy as well.

5.We decided to cross the mountains so that we could reach the

airfield in the daytime.

– 125 –

ПРИЛОЖЕНИЕ

Prepare for your English Exam Examination Card No 1

1. Read the text Engine with the help of a dictionary, translate it into Russian. Be ready to answer the questions.

Engine

All motor vehicles have an engine. There are two types of engines. There are petrol engines and there are diesel engines. There are two engines in the diagram. There is a two-stroke petrol engine on the left. There is a four-stroke diesel engine on the right. There are spark plugs in all petrol engines. Diesel engines do not have spark plugs. They have fuel injectors.

There are always valves in 4-stroke diesel engines. There are no valves in 2-stroke petrol engines. A 2-stroke petrol engine never has valves. There is no oil sump in a 2-stroke engine. There is oil in the fuel. The 4-stroke engines have an oil sump. There is no oil in the fuel.

2. Read the text Canadians and Americans without a dictionary. Put 5 or 6 types of questions to the text. Retell it in Russian.

Canadians and Americans

Canadians and Americans usually tip in places like restaurants, airports, hotels and hair salons because people who work in these places get low salaries. A tip shows that the customer is pleased with the service.

At airports, porters usually get a dollar for each bag. Hotel bellhops usually get a dollar for carrying one or two suitcases. A hotel door attendant or parking valet also gets about a dollar for getting a taxi or for parking a car. Many people also tip hotel maids, especially when they stay in a hotel for several days. They usually leave a dollar a day.

The usual tip for other kinds of service – for taxi drivers, barbers, hairdressers, waiters and waitresses – is between 15 and 20 percent of the check. The size of the tip depends on how pleased the customer is.

3. Give English equivalents to the following words and expressions.

Явление, оборудование, исчезать, медь, производить, длина, опасный, напряжение, производить, вращать, вклад, сеть, землетрясение, предотвращать, сталь, бетон, выполнять.

– 126 –

Grammar Card No 1

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. What he (to do) for a living? – He (to sing) and (to play) the guitar.

2.Tom’s father (to teach) him to drive, when he (to be) 17.

3.It (to be) the most interesting book I ever (to read).

4.I (own, not) an umbrella. I (to wear) a waterproof hat on a rainy days.

5.If I (to see) him, I (to give) him a book.

6.My car (to steal) last night.

7.Don’t bother to read that book. It is (boring, bored).

Report the following statements:

8.Nora and Jim are getting married next month.

9.I’ve been playing tennis a lot recently.

10. My father is a businessman.

Examination Card No 2

1. Read the text Alternative Sources of Energy with the help of a dictionary, translate it into Russian. Be ready to answer the questions.

Alternative Sources of Energy

There are several alternatives to fossil fuels and wind power is one of them. Wind power was at one time an important source of energy on farms. It has been considered recently for use in regions where strong winds prevail. An enormous number of windmills would be required, accompanied by electric storage facilities. The aesthetic aspect of windmill power must be considered beyond the technical and economic factors.

Tidal power is a less conventional method in which water from the sea enters and leaves a restricted channel periodically, with each stream turning a turbine. Only one full-scale plant is in existence, on the coast of France, and there are a few other promising sites where tides and terrain are suitable.

2. Read the text To Send a Message without a dictionary. Put 5 or 6 types of questions to the text. Retell it in Russian.

To Send a Message

500 years ago it took five months for news of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in South America to reach Queen Isabel in Spain.

– 127 –

150 years ago it took 2 weeks for the news of President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to get to Europe.

A walkie-talkie is a small two-way radio. The US army first used them in the 1930s, but they weighed 13.6 kilos so talking was easier than walking! After World War II, they became popular with policemen. Before that policemen had to use whistles to call for help! Nowadays, you can send messages, pictures and text around the world in a few seconds via a computer using e-mail. Millions of people send and receive e-mails every day. But in the early 1990s, very few people had e- mail, and only one person in fifty knew what it was.

an assassination – убийство a whistle – свисток

3. Give English equivalents to the following words and expressions.

Включать, защищать, составная часть, требовать, сталь, зависеть, похожий, двигатель, инструмент, расстояние, происходить/ брать начало, охлаждать, окружающая среда, обеспечивать.

Grammar Card No 2

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. Jim (not to be) here at the moment. He (to go) to the shop.

2.By the way, I (to have) a little party here tonight.

3.What you (to look for)? – I (to loose) my purse.

4.My grandmother (to come) to us this weekend. She always (to bring) us nice presents.

5.I (to buy) a new house last year, but I (not to sell) my old house yet.

6.If I (to be) you, I (to apply) for the job.

7.There isn’t any food left. All of it (to eat).

8.(Delayed, delaying) by technical problems, the plane took off one hour late.

Report the following statements:

9. I’ve left some books on your table. I think you will find them useful.

10. I’m working in a restaurant, and I don’t much care for it.

– 128 –

Examination Card No 3

1. Read the text Solar Power as a Source of Energy with the help of a dictionary, translate it into Russian. Be ready to answer the questions.

Solar Power as a Source of Energy

Solar power is often mentioned as the logical and proper alternative to exhaustible sources of energy. And indeed, the amount of radiant energy that strikes the Earth’s surface is far more then is needed. However, there are serious problems to be solved. To collect and concentrate the energy by reflectors and converters of present efficiency is the major difficulty. An area of collector of about 16 mi2 – 4 miles on a side – would be needed to supply electricity to a city of a couple hundred thousand population. Obvious problems come to mind, related to unfavourable weather conditions, energy storage requirements, and the use of the shadowed space. The desert is a logical place to locate solar devices because of open space, isolation, and the frequency of sunny days, but transmission costs for electrical power to cities would be excessive.

a desert – пустыня

2. Read the text Street Markets Around the World without a dictionary. Put 5 or 6 types of questions to the text. Retell it in Russian.

Nowadays you can shop by telephone, by post or through your home computer; but for many people the most exciting way to shop is also the most traditional – at a street market. You can find markets anywhere in the world. Every weekend thousands of young people from all over London travel to Camden Market in an attractive area in the north of the city – it’s the place to go for street fashion, jewellery, CDs and tapes ... but many people just go for the lively atmosphere!

There are many ‘floating markets’ in Asia; perhaps the most famous is in Thailand, at a place called Damnoen Saduak 100 km from the capital city, Bangkok. From six in the morning to midday, every day, people sell fresh tropical fruit and vegetables from their boats.

The Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, Turkey is more than four thousand shops under one roof! You can buy almost anything, but the most popular items for tourists are the beautiful rugs and carpets. It’s open all day every day.

– 129 –

3. Give English equivalents to the following words and expressions.

Пружина, частица, ошибка/ошибочно, рецепт, быть доступным, доставлять/поставлять, зависимость, источник, обеспечивать, строить, уровень, передавать/транслировать, длина, причинять, загрязнять, острый/точный.

Grammar Card No 3

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. Where you (to be), Tommy. Your face is dirty.

2.I hear you just (to get) married. Where the ceremony (to take)

place?

3.Water (to boil) at 100 °C.

4.Tom usually (to sleep) very well. Last night he (to sleep) badly.

5.Mr and Mrs Davis were in an airplane. They (to be) very nervous, as the plane (to take) off, because they (never fly) before.

6.If he (to eat) all that he (to be) ill.

7.Can I take the documents? – I am afraid not They (not type) yet.

8.(Entering, entered) the hall you will see a staircase (leading, lead) to the basement.

Report the following statements:

9.You must leave a note for your mother, or she will be terribly worried.

10.I’ve got a job.

Examination Card No 4

1. Read the text Fuels with the help of a dictionary, translate it into Russian. Be ready to answer the questions.

Fuels

There is a lot of carbon (about 85 %) in diesel fuel. There is also a lot of carbon in petrol. There is a little hydrogen in both these fuels. But there is little sulphur (about 1 %) in diesel fuel and there is no sulphur in petrol. There is a great deal of petrol (about 95 %) and a little oil (about 5 %) in the fuel mixture for two-stroke engines. There is no oil in the fuel for four-stroke engines. There is a great deal of air (90 %) and not much fuel (10 %) in the fuel and air mixture.

– 130 –