2076

5. Change the Russian words with their English equivalents.

1. A combination of timber stringers with (деревянный или железобетонный настил) sometimes (применяется для пролетов) of less than about 20 ft. 2. (Пролеты) greatly in excess of 500 ft are generally (консольные мосты со сквозными фермами или висячие мосты). 3. For more important construction, location for the bridge structure itself becomes

Сincreasingly important and trends more and more to outweigh considerations of cost for the (конструкция подъезда к мосту). 4. (Косой) steel superstructure is generally slightly more expensive; owing to the cost of fabrication. 5. All undesirable features may be eliminated by the revised иalinement without added (кривизна). 6. Where (быки моста) must be set into streams with erodible beds, possible undermining by scour becomes a primary consideration. 7. (Быки и опора моста) can be increased in length and the wing walls on (опоры моста) will be longer on two corners. 8. A bridge structureбАshould take advantage of any narrow neck or point of construction in (фарватер). 9. Graceful (арки) of steel or reinforced concrete may well be most appropriate from an aesthetic if not from a cost point of view. 10. The weight of (косая стальная конструкция) may also be greater, especially if the (поперечные алки) are parallel to the (быки моста).

6. Answer the questions.

1.What is the purpose of bridges?

2.What are the principal differences between bridges and other structures?

3.What are the structures of bridges in the simplest terms?

4.Why there may be sharp turns at the approaches?

5.What factor will determine the location of the bridges?

6.What should the bridge-survey report include?

7.How is the proper form of the bridge chosen?

8.What is the tendency for highway bridgework today?

9.What types of bridges must be bridges engineer acquainted with?

7. Read and entitle the text, render it.

Most bridge maintenance is of a specialized nature. At times cleaning,

И

freezing, and painting bridge seats and rollers may be required. Deck joints may extrude or become filled with dirt so that their cleaning and resealing is necessary. On occasion vehicles out of control strike handrails or other appurtenances; and these must be repaired and straightened. If bridge decks become rough, resurfacing is in order. Remedial measures are sometimes required to correct serious scour around and under piers and abutments. It is common practice among highway agencies to have traveling crews exclusively for bridge work.

51

8. Match Russian and English word combinations.

	cantilever trusses bridge		арочный мост
	skew bridge		двухъярусный мост
	leaf bridge		мост с проезжей частью из
			бетонной плиты
	right-angle bridge		решетчатый мост
	truss bridge		разводной мост
	right-frame bridge		арочный консольный мост
	arch bridge		косой мост
	stone masonry bridge		балочный мост
	arched cantilever bridge		мост с ездой поверху и понизу
С			бетонный балочный мост
	beam bridge
	concrete girder bridge		мост со сквозными фермами
	open-deck bridge		висячий мост
	concrete slab bridge		прямоугольный мост
иdouble-deck bridge			каменный мост
	suspension bridge		консольный мост
	lattice bridge		однопролетный мост
9. Make a brief report on topics given.
1. Types of bridges.
2. The site for a bridge.
3. The functions of bridges.
	бА
		Д

10. Give a talk on your speciality using the following plan.

a) the similarity of purposes of bridges and highways; the principal

	differences between them;	И
	b) the types of bridges;

c) the main parts of a bridge;

d) the criterion of choosing the location of the bridge; e) why do you want to be a bridge engineer.

52

III.ENGINEERING PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

1.Read and learn the words by heart.

environment – окружающая среда

to seem – казаться
to design – проектировать, разрабатывать
commissioning – пуск, ввод в действие
maintenance – обслуживание, эксплуатация
stage – ступень, этап, шаг
disposal – размещен е, расположение
endeavours – збавление, устранение
averting – предотвращение, предупреждение
С	, порча
contamination –
hazardous – опасный, рискованный
assessments – отч	сления
to save – спасать, сохранять
to destroy – разрушать
загрязнение
to investigate – разра атывать, исследовать
2. Read and translate the text.
	ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

бА It seems that engineering andДecology have nothing in common; however,

nowadays people understand that all modern technologies should be “ecologised”. That is, a future specialist (an engineer-ecologist) will take part in the building process on its every stage (pre-designing, designing, commissioning and maintenance of the constructed object).

Environmental Engineering is the developmentИof processes and infrastructure for the supply of water, the disposal of waste and the control of pollution of all kinds. These endeavours protect public health by preventing disease transmission, and they preserve the quality of the environment by averting the contamination and degradation of air, water, and land resources.

Environmental engineering is a field of broad scope that is connected with such disciplines as chemistry, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, economics, and mathematics. It was traditionally a specialized field within civil engineering and was called sanitary engineering until the mid-1960s, when the more accurate name environmental engineering was adopted.

Projects in environmental engineering involve the treatment and distribution of drinking water; the collection, treatment, and disposal of wastewater; the control of air and noise pollution; the management of

53

municipal solid waste and of hazardous waste; the cleanup of hazardouswaste sites; and the preparation of environmental assessments, audits, and impact studies.

The main task of highway and bridge construction is to save but not to destroy clean lakes and rivers. The whole world and particularly our country need specialists in this sphere. That’s why the qualification “Environmental

СEngineering” was created at the Highway Engineering faculty in 2001. The students study such specialized subjects as ecological law, monitoring and expertise.

Northern areas of the Omsk region are being investigated now. It is necessary to build roads and bridges there paying attention to wildlife and using environmentally friendly technologies. So, the need in such specialists

и 3. MatchбEnglish and Russian words and word combination. Learn

as engineer-ecologists is constantly growing.

them.

Volition, injury, law of limiting factors, overwatering, overfertilizing,

pitfall, growing season, drought, restricting, application, predation, constant struggle, weeds, pests, spread, influence, altering, ripple effect, verge, evidence.

Закон минимума (ограничивающих факторов), изменение, ловушка,

переизбыток удо рений, влиять, вегетационный период (сезон роста),
			Д
ограничивающий, переувлажнение, хищный образ жизни, сорняки,
применение, засухаА, постоянная борьба, воля, вредители,
распространяться,		повреждение,		эффект	пульсации,	грань,
доказательство.
4.	Answer the questions.
1.	What does the term “Environmental Engineering” mean?
2.	What disciplines are connected with this sphere?

3. When did the term “Environmental Engineering” appear? What term was

used before?		И
4.	What is the biosphere?
5.
	What can you tell about ecosystem and ecology?
6.	What can you tell about the functions of environmental engineer?
7.	What do you know about the history of this speciality in our academy?
8.	Why does our region need such specialists as environmental engineers?
9.	What is the main aim of their job in your opinion?

54

5. Read the text and render it.

ECOSYSTEMS: WHAT THEY ARE

1. There are two "sides" in every ecosystem, the organisms on one hand and the environmental factors on the other. All the organisms – plants, Сanimals, and microbes – in the ecosystem are referred to as the biota (bio,

"life"). The way the categories of organisms fit together is referred to as the biotic structure. The nonliving chemical and physical factors of the environment (climate, soil quality and so forth) are referred to as abiotic (a, "non") factors.

иsalinity (saltiness) and fire. The degree to which each is present or absent, high or low, profoundly affects the ability of organisms to survive. However,

2. As it was noted before, the environment involves the interplay of many

physical and chemical, or abiotic factors, the major ones being rainfall

(amount and distribution over the year), temperature (extremes of heat and

all living бАthings, both plants and animals. Some like it very wet; others like it relatively dry. Some like it veryДwarm; others do best in cooler situations. Some tolerate freezing, others don't. Some require bright sun; others do best

cold as well as average), light, water, wind, chemical nutrients, pH (acidity),

different species may be affected differently by each factor. This difference in response to environmental factors determines which species may or may not occupy a given region.

3. In any study of the abiotic side of ecology, the key observation is that

different species thrive under different conditions. This principle applies to

in shade. Thus, a single factor – temperature, say – can be varied in a systematic way, while all other factors are kept constant. Experiments show

temperature is raised still further, the plants become increasingly stressed; they do less well, suffer injury and die.

that, as temperature is raised from a low point that fails to support growth, plants grow increasingly well until they reachИsome maximum. Then, as

4. Since the results just described apply to any and all abiotic factors, we

observe what is known as the Law of Limiting Factors: Any

one factor being outside its optimal range at any given time will cause stress and limit the growth of an organism. The factor that is limiting the growth is called the limiting factor. It may be any factor that affects the organism. The Law of Limiting Factors includes the problem of "too much" as well as the problem of "too little". For example, plants may be stressed or killed by overwatering or overfertilizing as well as by underwatering or underfertilizing, a common pitfall for amateur gardeners. The factor that is limiting may change from one time to another.

55

5. The Law of Limiting Factors was first presented by Justus von Liebig in 1840 in connection with his observations regarding the effects of chemical nutrients on plant growth. He observed that restricting any one of the many different nutrients at any given time had the same effect: it limited growth. Thus, this law is also called Liebig's Law of Minimums. Observations since Liebig's time, however, show that his law has much broader application.

СBeyond its application to all abiotic factors, it may be applied to biotic factors as well.

6. In summary, the biosphere consists of a great variety of environments, both aquatic and terrestrial. In each environment we find plants, animal, and иmicrobial species that are adapted to all the abiotic factors and also to each other in various feeding and nonfeeding relationships. Such environment supports a more or less unique grouping of organisms interacting with each other and with the environment in a way that perpetuates or sustains the entire group.бАThat is, each environment with the species it supports is an ecosystem. Every ecosystem is interconnected with others through ecotones and through some species that cross from one system to another. At the same time, each species and, as a result, each ecosystem, is kept within certain bounds by limiting factors. That is, the spread of each species is at some point limited by its not being able to tolerate particular conditions, compete with other species, or cross some physical barrier.

7. A major concern of many environmentalists is how altering any factor, abiotic or biotic, may upset these limits and have far-reaching consequences through a ripple effect. RecognizingДthat everything in the biosphere is interconnected leads to the conclusion that nothing can be changed without affecting everything else to a greater or lesser degree. Obviously, humans have changed and are continuing to change things on a very large scale. What will these changes bring? Many environmentalists, including a number of scientists, promote the idea that we may beИon the verge of a sudden and catastrophic "collapse of the biosphere" in which most if not all life may perish. On the other hand, cornucopians, also including a number of scientists, point out that there is no solid evidence to support such a "doomsday scenario"; much less that it is imminent. Indeed, they argue that all our experience to date should lead to the quite opposite conclusion: Humans have already caused the extinction of thousands of species and made manifold changes over most of the earth, but we and the biosphere are still doing well. Therefore, they maintain that continuing development as we have been does not pose an environmental threat.

56

6. Choose the correct answer.

1. What is the main idea of the article?

a. The biosphere consists of a great variety of environments, both aquatic and terrestrial.

Сb. Every ecosystem has two "sides": the organisms on one hand and the environmental factors on the other.

c. Humans have changed and are continuing to change things on a very large scale.

2.According to paragraph 2, the environment involves the interplay of:

a.rainfall, temperature, light, water and wind;

b.chemical nutrients, pH, salinity and fire;

c.many physical and chemical, or abiotic factors.

3.The difference in response to environmental factors determines

a.which organisms do or don't survive;

b.which species may or may not occupy a given region;

c.the degree to which each is present or absent.

4.The Law of Limiting Factors includes

a.any factor that affects the organism;

b.the problem of "too little";

c.the problem of "too much".

5.In paragraph 5, the Law of Limiting Factors was first presented

a.in connection with the observations regarding the effects of chemical nutrients on plant growth;

b.by Justus von Liebig;

c.in 1840.

6.Liebig's Law of Minimums may be applied to

a.our agricultural crops;

b.biotic factors;

c.all abiotic factors.и И

57

7.	In paragraph 6, each environment with the species it supports is
	a. an ecotone;
	b. an ecosystem;
	c. a unique grouping of organisms.
С
8.	Every ecosystem is interconnected with others through
	a. certain bounds of limiting factors;
	b. ecotones;
	c. some species that cross from one system to another.
9.	Humans	have changed and are continuing to change things on a
very large scale (paragraph 7). What will these changes bring?
	a. The extinction of thousands of species.
	b. Manifold changes over most of the earth.
иc. A sudden and catastrophic "collapse of the biosphere".
7. Make up a dialogue on one of the topics.
1.	What two "sides" are there in every ecosystem?
2.	Describe abiotic factors.
3.	Different	species thrive under different conditions. How do you
feel about it?			Д
4.	DefineбАa fundamental biological principle.
5.	What is the Law of Limiting Factors? How do you feel about it?
6.	Explain how every ecosystem is interconnected with others.
7. Compare a major concern of many environmentalists and the conclusion of
corncopians.				И
8.	Give a talk on your speciality (environmental engineering).

58

PART IV

THE CIVIL ENGINEERING FACULTY

1.	Answer the questions.
1.	What do you know about this faculty?
С
2.	Is it interesting to study here?
3.	What general-educational and specialized subjects do the students study?
4.	What activities is the term “civil engineering” usually applied to?
5.	What specialties are at your faculty?
и
6.	What qualification do you get after graduating from the university?

2. Read the words and study them by heart. Make up three sentences with the new words.

municipal – мун ц пальный, городской utilities – коммунальные сооружения (услуги)

prefabricated –		орный, готовый
design – конструкц я, проект; проектирование; проектировать
manufacturing –		производство; изготовление
supply –			; сна жать
	снабжение
soil – грунт, почва
concrete – бетон
reinforced concrete – железобетон
masonry – каменная или кирпичная кладка
			А
computed strength – расчетная прочность
limited strength – предельное сопротивление
load – груз; нагрузка				Д
basement – основание					И
wall – стена
partition – перегородка
floor – пол, настил; этаж
ceiling – потолок
roof – крыша
sewerage – канализация

insulation – изоляция

3. Pay attention to the pronunciation of the letter U in different letter combinations.

[ju:] students, municipal, utility, computed, insulation, superintendent, manufacturing, universal, curriculum;

[u:] influence, solution;

59

[Λ] rupture, structures, construction, subject, study; [ə] faculty, structures, curriculum, manufacturing.

4. Read and translate the text. How many parts can it be divided into? Entitle each part.

СTHE CIVIL ENGINEERING FACULTY

The students of this faculty are trained in eight qualifications, among

which are building and economical specialties. The former are Architecture, Industrial and Civil Engineering, Building Design, Manufacturing of Building Structures, Architectural Design, Construction of Unique Buildings

иengineers, architects, specialists, bachelors of Science and masters of Science.

and Structures, Heat and Gas Supply and Ventilation. The latter one is Real

Estate Expertise. In fact, the faculty has already got the status of an institute

Structures,бАTheoretical Mechanics and Strength of Materials. The latter is one of the most important subjects, becauseДit deals with different kinds of loads. A building engineer should take into account the loadings which influence

(The Engineering Construction Institute). Its graduates get diplomas of

The speciality of building engineer is the most universal and wide-spread.

In order to be a competent specialist the students of the faculty study a

number of specialized subjects: Building Materials, Geodesy, Geology, Soil

Mechanics, Bases and Foundations, Engineering Systems of Buildings and Structures, Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Structures, Wood and Plastic

the building; he should be able to calculate the computed and limited strength and stresses of a building.

The students of the faculty study various structures and buildings, their parts and elements and also construction technology.ИThe structures and buildings are usually built of concrete, steel and wood. A structure consists of a basement, walls, partitions, floors, ceilings and a roof. All this the students study by listening to courses of lectures, as well as having practice at construction sites, where they get practical experience. The students of the faculty also get acquainted with Architecture; they study the architectural styles and various architectural structures.

The construction of any building, house or office is connected with utilities, lighting, heating, ventilation, water supply and sewerage. Besides, the students of the faculty have lectures on Construction Physics which deals with acoustics, heat insulation and microclimate. A good building engineer should follow the appearance of new building materials, technologies and achievements of modern construction.

60