Engineering as a Profession

Exercise 1. Match the pictures. There are some main branches of Engineering. Look at these photographs with different areas of engineering and match them with Texts 1-4 below.

a) b) c) d)

Text 1. This engineering branch deals with the design of computers and computer systems. This may involve the design of new hardware, the design of PDAs and the use of computers to control an industrial plant. Engineers may also work on a software system.

Text 2. This branch focuses on the design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works such as bridges, roads, canals, dams and buildings.

Text 3. In this field engineers design, test, build and operate machinery of all types; they also work on a variety of manufactured goods and certain kinds of structure. Engineers use the main principles of mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics and energy to design and analyze motor vehicles, aircraft, heating and cooling systems, watercraft, industrial equipment and machinery, robotics, medical devices and more.

Text 4. This branch of engineering deals with the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity. Engineers work with such devises as transformers, electric generators, electric motors, high voltage engineering and power electronics. In many regions of the world, governments maintain an electrical network called a power grid that connects a variety of generators together with users of their energy.

Exercise 2. Match these captions with the pictures.

1) Structures and vehicles of all sizes...

2) The Twin Towers, designed by Thornton-Tomasetti and Ranhill Bersekutu engineers were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004.

3) Electrical Engineers design complex power systems...

4) Personal digital assistant

Exercise 3. There are some words which you can guess from the context. Look at them. Are they nouns, verbs or adjectives?

Engineering, deal with, machinery, design, maintenance, transmission, building, generator, include, industrial, variety, user, range, aircraft

Exercise 4. Match the following words with the Russian equivalents below. Translate the sentences containing them (Texts 1 – 4). If necessary look at the Vocabulary.

1) Hardware a) единая энергетическая система;

2) Robotics b) производственное оборудование;

3) Desktop computers c) робототехника

4) Power grid d) системы обогрева и охлаждения

5) Maintenance e) автомобиль

6) Distribution f) хардвер, "железо" детали компьютера

7) Digital g) настольный ПК

8) Heating and cooling systems h) судно

9) Motor vehicle i) цифровой

10) Watercraft j) распределение

11) Industrial equipment k) содержание и техническое обслуживание

Exercise 5. Refer back to the Texts 1-4 and discuss the questions: