Lesson V My future profession

1. Read and translate the text:

Housing and capital construction is being carried out on a large scale in our country. That is why the building profession attracts many young men and women nowadays. There are many institutes in our country, which train civil and industrial engineers whose profession embraces many fields. A civil engineer constructs and reconstructs residential and industrial buildings, bridges, schools, palaces, museums, theatres, kindergartens and hospitals, power stations, dams, reservoirs and irrigation systems.

Engineers must have a scientific altitude, imagination, initiative and good judgements, obtained by experience and serious work.

They must know mathematics as well as physics and strength of materials. A qualified building worker must be able to read technical drawing. Civil engineers and architects must have some knowledge of sculpture, painting, design and mechanical engineering, geography, city planning, etc.

The successful fulfillment of housing plans in our country is a practical realization of industrialized building method. Nowadays houses are ambled from prefabricated units, which are delivered to the construction site.

Students of building institutes study these new building methods as well as building materials and their use. Students have field courses do practical before graduation. They learn the trade of builder, master professional skills and understand industrial management. They deal with building in warn and humid climates. Outstanding specialists teach them how to build at permafrost, at sea, how to protect buildings from earthquakes, how to preserve environment.

Civil engineers and architects have the main aim - to provide people with all modern conveniences, such as running water, gas, electricity, central heating and so on.

They must create attractive structures. An engineer is engaged to prepare the plan and specifications and usually to supervise the construction of the project. It is the duty of an engineer to design the project, which will most nearly satisfy the needs of the occupants at the lowest practical cost. Civil engineers must not only help to fulfil construction programs but to carry out scientific and research work, to improve building materials and methods.

So as I have been studing in the building institute now, I have to learn various subjects connected with professions of engineers and architects: architectural projecting, drawing geometry, painting, math and so on.

I am fond of art. It is very difficult to say what art is. It has been differently characterized in every epoch of history.

The word art comes from a Latin term meaning ‘skill, way or method’. In ancient times and during the Middle Ages all kinds of trades and professions were known as arts. The liberal arts of the medieval curriculum included music, but neither painting, sculpture, nor architecture, which were numbered among the mechanical arts. Only beginning with the fifteenth century, the term art has taken on as its principle characteristic the requirement of aesthetic appreciation as distinguished from utility.

The word aesthetic arises from a Greek term for ‘perceive’. What perceived aesthetically is ‘beauty’. The ability to embrace human experience and transmit it to the observer distinguishes the work of art. We admire the works of art without knowing anything of their purpose, standing as we do at a totally different moment of history.

There are many works of prehistoric art – like the animals on cave walls and ceiling. We enjoy the works of art that came down to us; the most wonderful are the Seven Wonders of the World, the Old Masters’ works, the Impressionists.

I want to study the works of art of the outstanding painters, sculptors and architects to understand their power over people.

2. Answer these questions and add information to the given text:

1. Explain why you entered architectural faculty?

2. Which is your favourite academic subject and why?

3. What means “scientific work” in the institute?

4. How do you think if your going in for scientific work during studying helps in future? Give the reason.

5. What subjects can help you to obtain skills?

6. What kind of practical experiment during classes will be useful for your profession?

7. What kind of architecture are you interested in: design of interiors, reconstruction of ancient buildings, research work in using of new architectural forms or building materials, city planning, design of landscape or anything else?

8. Where do you prefer to work after graduating from the institute: in the institute, on the building site, in the projecting institute, at the firm?

3. Find English equivalents to the Russian words:

a scale навык

to attract ощущать

to train иметь дело

to embrace создавать

residential жилец

a bridge цель

a kindergarten вечная мерзлота

a power station оросительная система

a dam пещера

a reservoir требование

an irrigation system детский сад

altitude наблюдатель, зритель

imagination власть

initiative термин

judgement способность

to obtain совершенствоваться

experience цель

fulfillment инициатива

to be ambled охватывать

to deliver спецификация

trade дамба

to master доставлять

management суждение

to deal with защищать

humid жилой

to protect передавать

earthquake стремление

to preserve восхищаться

aim почти

to provide with подготавливать

to be engaged соответствовать

to prepare отличать

specification выполнение

to supervise возникать

to satisfy сохранять

nearly профессия

an occupant хранилище

to fulfil приобретать

to carry out обучать

to improve выполнять

a term воображение

skill мост

to be numbered составлять

requirement электростанция

aesthetic опытный

to arise привлекать

perceive влажный

ability руководство

to transmit осуществлять

observer масштаб

to distinguish обеспечивать

to admire улучшать

purpose эстетичный

prehistoric землетрясение

a cave быть занятым

to enjoy осуществлять контроль

power наслаждаться

permafrost доисторический

to create перечислять

4. Find synonyms to the following words: навык (опыт), цель, профессия, обучать, совершенствовать (улучшать).Compose some sentences on the topic of the text using these words.

5. Define which field of mankind’s activity these word combinations belong to:

Construction	Education	Art	Epoch-country

Strength of materials, a qualified building worker, technical drawing, mechanical engineering, city planning, housing plan, prefabricated unit, construction site, field course, graduation, professional skill, modern conveniences, running water, electricity, central heating, attractive structure, to design the project, lowest practical cost, construction program, building materials, building methods, architectural projecting, drawing geometry, painting, Middle Ages, liberal art, medieval, curriculum, architecture, century, aesthetic appreciation, utility, Greek, beauty, human experience, Seven Wonders, the Old Masters’ works, the Impressionists.

6. Prove these statements using information from the text and additional one:

1) Housing and capital construction is being carried out on a large scale in our country (Why? In what manner?). 2) Civil engineers and architects must have knowledge of some science and art (What kind of knowledge? What for?). 3) Students of building institute study new building methods, materials and their use (What peculiarities of the builder’s trade?). 4) Civil engineers and architects must create attractive structures with all modern conveniences (What kind? What are differences between these two trades?).

7. Define some peculiarities between these trades – a constructer and an architect. What kinds are they? How should they cooperate and add each other? Compose a dialog between a constructer and an architect discussing work over any project that you are doing now.

8. So as your future profession is a constructer or a designer you should learn much more interesting information about magnificent structures of human history and their authors. Listen to the text “Seven Wonders of the World” where you can get acquainted with great structures, most of which did not survive.

Key–words to the text:

twin – двойня

goddess – богиня

chase – охота

robust – крепкий

limestone – известняк

average – в среднем

require – требовать

labor – труд

entire – весь, целый

cover – покрывать

orchard – фруктовый сад

to be enclosed – быть обнесенным

gate – ворота

temple – храм

Hanging Gardens – Висячие сады

to be accustomed – быть привычным

mountain scenery – горные пейзажи

receding – расходящийся

support – поддерживать

arch – арка

shrub – куст

curling – курчавый

beard – борода

deity – божество

lighthouse – маяк

tomb - гробница

9. Answer the questions to the test:

TEST

“Seven Wonders of the World”

1. Diana was the goddess of the …

moon

sun

earth

2. As the goddess of the …, Diana is pictured … .

health, undressed

beauty, in a dress

chase, in a skirt

3. The pyramids of Egypt are built of blocks of … .

bricks

beards

limestone

4. The pyramid for Cheops was being constructed for … years by … men.

twenty, one hundred thousand

twelve, one thousand and hundred

twin, one hundred and ten

5. Babylon was enclosed by a … pierced by one hundred … .

1. limit, shrubs

2. brick wall, gates

3. curling beard, tombs

6. The Hanging Gardens were a … building of … terraces supported by … .

1. square, curling, granite and bricks

2. round, receding, bow and quiver

3. square, receding, arch and columns

7. The terraces of the Hanging Gardens were … with earth on which … grew.

1. covered; scenery, maiden and deity

2. pierced; fields, orchards and gardens;

3. covered; flowers, shrubs and trees

8. Zeus was represented as a man of … size with … .

a) gigantic; curling beard and hair

b) colossal; building gates and statue

c) great; covered arches and columns

9. The movement of Zeuss’ … would shake … to its base.

1. skirt; Babylon

2. eyebrows; Olympus

3. gardens; Ephesus

10. The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus was … of …; the colossus of Rhodes was … of; the Pharos was … of … .

1. a bronze statue – King Mausolus; a tomb – a light-house; a tower-sun-god Apollo

2. a tomb-King Mausolus; a bronze statue-sun-god Apollo; a tower-white marble

3. a great statue-white marble; a light-house-Alexandria; sun-god Apollo-Halicarnassus.

10. Draw the depiction of any Wonder you like more. Without showing your picture to the group mates speak about it so that everyone could guess which depiction you have.