Пособия / Techical English Basics. Основы технического английского

2. Read the text Discovering New Worlds without a dictionary. Put 5 or 6 types of questions to the text. Retell it in Russian.

Discovering New Worlds

Nine planets of our solar system orbit round the Sun, six of them being visible to the naked eye. To see the other three (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) you need a telescope, and you need to know where to point it. The two outermost planets were discovered because of the effect of their gravitational pull on the orbit of Uranus. From the speeding up and slowing down of Uranus, astronomers could work out where the unseen planets were.

Distant planets are almost impossible to see, as they do not shine by their own light. However, they reflect the light of their star. Moreover, moving around its orbit such a planet will periodically block the star’s light giving the scientists more proofs of its own existence.

There is a problem with the newly-discovered planets. They seem to be massive. Their orbiting around the stars at high speed means that they are very close to the stars, and therefore very hot. Our ideas of how planets form do not fit very well with this. Jupiter-sized planets are expected to be gassy giants, far from their stars, where it is cold enough for gases such as carbon dioxide and ammonia to freeze solid. The theorists have some explaining to do.

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

Выключать, создавать, плавить/сваривать, в соответствии с чемлибо, топливо, производительность, цель, увеличивать, рекламировать, лезвие/лопасть, сотовые телефоны, поставлять, пар, металлург, запас воды, освобождать, покупатель/заказчик.

Grammar Card No 4

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. No wonder he (to be) very tired. He (to work) hard for the last 3 months.

2.My mother (to come) to stay with us next weekend.

3.I (not to see) him since we finished school.

4.I (to live) in London many years ago.

5.When you last (to wear) it? – I (to wear) them at the theatre.

6.If she (to need) a radio she (to buy) this one.

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7.Football (to play) all over the world.

8.The soldier spent an hour (polished, polishing) his boots.

Report the following sentences:

9. Is your apartment far from here?

10. Janice, you have to clean up your room.

Examination Card No 5

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

Holography and Holograms

Holography and hologram are normally referred to as a process and as a plate or film itself respectively. In 1947 Dennis Gabor (the father and the first theorist of holography, awarded with the Nobel prize for his research) coined the term hologram from the Greek words ‘holos’ meaning whole or complete and ‘gram’meaning message. Gabor’s theory was originally intended to increase the resolving power of electron microscopes. Incidentally, it was proved not with an electron beam, but with a light beam. The result was the first hologram ever made. Gabor’s hologram was clear, but imperfect, as he lacked the correct light source – the LASER, which was first seen operating in 1960.

Holography is an art that attracts people’s attention and curiosity and colourful multidimensional images are widely used in advertising, stamps, jewelry, with holography museums exhibiting masterpieces. Credit cards are considered original if supplied with a hologram. Holographic lenses are lighter than traditional lenses and mirrors and can be designed to perform more specialized functions, for instance, to make the panel instruments of a car visible in the windshield in order to increase safety.

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

Electricity Basics

Electricity is something we do not notice until we do not have it. However, few people understand what it is and still fewer can explain it.

So, what is electricity? Electricity is simply a movement of charged particles through a closed circuit. The electrons, which flow through this wire, carry a negative charge. A lightning discharge is the same idea, just without the wire.

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Electricity is made by converting some form of energy into flowing electrons at the power plant. The type of power plant depends on the source of energy used: thermal power (coal, oil, gas, nuclear, underground steam), solar power (photovoltaic), kinetic power (water, wind) and chemical power (fuel cell).

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

Поперечное сечение, заставлять, таять, прорываться, преобразовывать, защищать, процент, киберпространство, дополнительный, производство, влиять, улучшать, делить, пыль, углерод, нержавеющая сталь.

Grammar Card No 5

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. I (to do) the room when my mother (to come) home from work.

2.You (to drive) a car? – Not yet. But I (to learn) to drive now.

3.Next month I (to get) the driving licence.

4.They say if you (to see) a back cat, you (not to have) good luck.

5.He (not allow) us to go out in the boat yesterday as a strong wind (to blow).

6.If you (not go) away, I (to send) for the police.

7.Wine (to produce) in many parts of France.

8.To please my daughter, I had her old bicycle (painted, painting) bright red.

Report the following sentences:

9. I went to the dry-cleaner’s at lunchtime. 10. What country do you come from?

Examination Card No 6

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

Copper

Copper is man’s oldest metal as people could extract it more than 10,000 years ago. As it is rather soft and ductile, copper is alloyed with other elements. There is evidence that the first copper alloy – bronze (90 % copper, 10 % tin) – was produced around 2800 BC in countries

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such as India, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Bronze was harder and could be used for making reliable cutting tools. Its use characterizes the Bronze Age.

The workability and the ability for corrosion resistance made copper, bronze and brass the most important functional as well as decorative materials from the Middle Ages and on till the present day. With the beginning of the Electrical Age the demand for copper increased tremendously because it is an unusually good conductor of electricity and heat. Today more than 5 million tons of copper are produced annually and the copper metals are playing an increasingly vital part in all branches of modern technology.

2. Read the text The Curse of Tutankhamun without a dictionary. Put 5 or 6 types of questions to the text. Retell it in Russian.

The Curse of Tutankhamun

On 26 November 1922, the archaeologists Howard Carter and the Earl of Carnarvon finally discovered the remains of the Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, which had not been seen for over 3,000 years. It was dais that a curse of death would be on anyone who disturbed Tutankhamun’s body. Very shortly after the discovery, a cobra, which was considered by the ancient Egyptians to be a royal snake, bit and killed Howard Carter’s pet canary. Shortly after, the Earl of Carnarvon fell ill and died. At the exact moment of his death all the lights in Cairo suddenly and inexplicably went out. At this same moment in England, the Earl’s dog began to howl and then died. Three of the archaeologists assistants died shortly after this, and then a French professor visiting Egypt to see the tomb died on the night of his arrival. An exhibition of treasures opened in London in 1972. The curator of the museum publicly laughed when questioned about the curse. Four weeks later he was dead. Curse or coincidence?

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

Закрывать, редко, решать, стоимость, нелегальный, сокращать, производить, величина, необходимость, поддержка, использовать, содержание, дренаж/осушение, пространство, изобретение, представить.

Grammar Card No 6

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

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1. Don’t turn on the TV set. Little Kate (not to get up) yet. She (to fall asleep) very late yesterday.

2.Kate always (to help) her mother about the house.

3.Last term Ann (to make) good progress in her English.

4.You (to be) to the movies this week?

5.Her phone (to ring) for 10 minutes. I wonder why she doesn’t answer it.

6.If he (to be) late, we (to go) without him.

7.I had to wait a little. When I came the students (to test).

8.I’ve never seen him (danced, dancing).

Report the following sentences:

9. Are you still angry with me?

10. I’m going to buy a little island in the Pacific.

Examination Card No 7

1. Read the text Design and Construction of Tall Buildings with the help of a dictionary, translate it into Russian. Be ready to answer the questions.

Design and Construction of Tall Buildings

The world is building at an ever-increasing pace to house the rapidly growing population, to replace deteriorating or obsolete buildings, and to satisfy the demand for accommodation of a higher quality.

The need for tall buildings is increasing rapidly. They provide more open space and green areas in the conditions of increasing the urban population.

The scarcity of land in the desirable central parts of cities is undoubtedly one of the basic reasons for tall buildings. High land values make the erection of tall buildings the only economical way to build. Economic considerations were the prime movers in the erection of the early skyscrapers. The prestige value of tall buildings is undoubtedly another reason that has prompted buildings owners to strive for greater heights.

The desire to preserve the central core of a city, and to limit the urban sprawl, are further factors which favour tall buildings. The increased permitted population densities combined with requirements for ample open space, make tall buildings the only practical way for effective urban renewal schemes.

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scarcity – недостаток

a skyscraper – небоскреб

2. Read the text Einstein, Albert without a dictionary. Put 5 or 6 types of questions to the text. Retell it in Russian.

Einstein, Albert

In the summer of 1905, a young man was sitting at home after a day’s work. While rocking his one-year old baby, he thought something over. Suddenly it came to him. The equation E=mc2 was born, an equation which would change our understanding of the Universe but would help to create the nuclear bomb. Albert Einstein was aware of recent developments, such as Marie Curie’s research into radioactivity, but he had been working on his own. His mould-breaking equation showed how a small piece of mass could produce an unbelievable amount of energy. Einstein then demonstrated in his ‘theory of relativity’ that not even time, mass or length are constant – they vary according to our perspective of them. For example, if we could see people moving at the speed of light, they would appear much heavier and larger and would seem to move in slow motion.

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

Различный, оборудовать, и так далее, превышать/превосходить, ломать, накопительная батарея/накопительный гальванический элемент, средства массовой информации, поставлять, сохранять, проходить, современный, подсчитывать, опустошающий.

Grammar Card No 7

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. I (not to read) much since I (to leave) school.

2.People (to speak) English in different countries.

3.He (to leave) for London tomorrow.

4.The man (to tell) us, he (to buy) two boxes of chocolate.

5.He had a hard time finding a job. He (to try) to get a new job for six months.

6.If I (to have) enough time, I (to write) to my parents every week.

7.Is the plane going to be late? – No, it (to expect) to be on time.

8.The leaves (lying, laid) on the ground give us the answer.

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Report the following sentences:

9. How often does Ann go shopping?.

10.The soup is cold.

Examination Card No 8

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

Engineering Materials

All engineering materials are divided into metals and non-metals. Copper, cast iron, aluminium are examples of metals. Rubber, plastic and ceramics are examples of non-metals. Today different metals are widely used in machine-building industry.

We can divide all metals into ferrous and non-ferrous. Steel and cast iron are in the group of ferrous metals. They are alloys of iron with carbon, manganese, silicon and other components.

Non-ferrous metals are metals and alloys the main component of which is not iron but some other element such as aluminium, copper and others. Some of the characteristics of non-ferrous metals are high electric and heat conductivity, high corrosion resistance, light weight and easiness of fabrication.

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

Easy English

English is an important global language – but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to learn. Many experts have tried to make English easier for students to learn ... but they weren’t always successful.

In 1930, Professor C.K.Ogden of Cambridge University invented Basic English which it had only 850 words (and just 18 verbs!), and Ogden said most people could learn it in just thirty hours ... The problem was that those people who learned Basic English could write and say simple messages ... but they couldn’t understand the answers in ‘real’ English! It was also impossible to explain a word which wasn’t in the Basic English world list; so if you wanted a water melon, you asked for ‘a large green fruit with the form of an egg, which has a sweet red inside and a good taste.’

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

Двигаться, ветер, использовать, неудача, источник, раскаленный, потеря, наказание, гибкий, военный, луч света/ вспышка (молнии), волна, предприятие, волна прилива, установка, проводить, расщепление, получать/достигать.

Grammar Card No 8

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. John never (to go) bed before 11 o’clock.

2.I (to give) her the flowers, that I (to buy) for her.

3.When you (to meet) him last?

4.I (to go) to London tomorrow.

5.I (hear, not) the thunder during the storm last night, because I (to

sleep).

6.If I had a typewriter, I (to type) it myself.

7.Even though construction costs are high, a new building (to build) next year.

8.The (stealing, stolen) car was found in the wood.

Report the following sentences:

9. We are waiting for the school bus. It’s late again. 10. Did you see him today?

Examination Card No 9

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

Welding

Welding is one of the most important operations that are used in industry. Many parts of machines, automobiles, airplanes, ships, bridges and buildings are welded. In order to join two metal pieces it is necessary to soften them with heat and then to press, hammer or fuse them together. The most widely used method of welding is electric arc welding where the workpieces are joined by means of electricity at the temperature of about 7,232 єF. This is the hottest heat that can be obtained for engineering purposes.

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In electric arc welding two workpieces are welded by an electric arc. In order to create the arc a powerful electric currect should be provided. The currect must be at least 60A and for thicker workpieces it may be 250A or more.

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

Internet

The Internet is a global computer network that embraces millions of users all over the world. It dates back to 1969 when it began as a military experiment. Information that people send over the Internet takes the shortest path available from one computer to another. Because of this, any two computers on the Internet stay in touch with each other as long as there is a single route between them. This technology is called packet switching network. Owing to this technology, if some computers on the network fail, the information just routes around them.

One of the most popular Internet services is e-mail. Most of the people, who have access to the Internet, use the network only for sending and receiving e-mail messages. However, other popular services are available on the Internet: reading USENET News, using the World-Wide Web and Intranet.

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

Близко к, занавес, служить, шедевр, приключения, игнорировать, разрушать, заключать в себе, колебаться, микроволновая печь, потребление энергии, защищать, ограничивать, пересекать, называть/выражать, центральная телефонная станция.

Grammar Card No 9

Open the brackets, using the right verb-forms:

1. Don’t make so much noise. I (to study).

2.Tom can’t find his key. He’s afraid he (to loose) it.

3.Nick usually (to get up) early at 7. Yesterday it (to be) Sunday and he (to get up) a little later.

4.If you (to come) at 5 o’clock, you (to see) an interesting program

on TV.

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5.You (to see) Helen today? – No, I (to see) her 2 days ago.

6.If I (to have) enough time tomorrow, I (to write) to my parents.

7.Millions of cars (to export) from Japan every month.

8.Have you heard the latest news? It’s really (exciting, excited).

Report the following sentences:

9. When did you play first TV role? 10. Ask Clare to get a few more details.

Examination Card No 10

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

Branches of Engineering

Engineering is a very practical activity. It is the process of applying the latest achievements of science and technology into practice. There are a lot of branches in engineering. Mechanical engineers are experts in the design and manufacture of tools and machines. Mechanical engineering has marine, automobile, aeronautical, heating and ventilating branches.

Electrical engineering deals with producing and applying electricity in various fields of national economy. It has the following branches: electrical installation, electrical generation, lighting, etc.

Components and equipment for computing and communicating are the products of electronic engineering. Civil engineering deals with constructing bridges, roads and airports.

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

Important Inventions

Nobody knows who wrote the first letter, or when. But we know that 4,000 years ago in Ancient Egypt, people carried letters by hand over hundreds of kilometres. In those days you didn’t need a stamp to send a letter: the first stamp didn’t appear until 1840 – it cost one penny

... nowadays one of these original stamps costs 225Ј.

An American company – Remington and Sons – made the first typewriter in 1871. All the letters in the word ‘typewriter’ were on the top line on the keyboard, so the salesmen could demonstrate the machine

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