Англійська мова для студентів технічних ВНЗ

Earthquake-Proof Buildings. The new San Francisco International Airport uses many advanced building technologies to help it withstand earthquakes. One of these technologies involves giant ball bearings. The 267 columns that support the weight of the airport each ride on a 5-foot-diameter (1. 5-meter) steel ball bearing. The ball rests in a concave base that is connected to the ground. In the event of an earthquake, the ground can move 20 inches (51 cm) in any direction. The columns that rest on the balls move somewhat less than this as they roll around in their bases, which helps isolate the building from the motion of the ground. When the earthquake is over, gravity pulls the columns back to the center of their bases.

Speech Patterns

There aremany species of insects. Існує багато видів комах. 

many species of insectsin rain forests. В тропіках багато видів комах. 

І. Decide which of these statements are true and which are false.

1. Bearings help to prevent wearing of parts caused by friction. 2. The concept of bearing is rolling instead of jumping. 3. Magnetic bearings are used in fly-wheels. 4. Ancient Egyptians put big stones under logs when they constructed pyramids. 5. Giant ball bearings are used in San Francisco’s Opera House to prevent the building from ruining in earthquakes.

ІІ. Answer the following questions.

1. Why things that slide begin to slow down? 2. At what speed do some flywheels run? 3. Why do magnetic bearing withstand such speeds? 4. How many columns support the building of San Francisco airport? 5. What force moves the columns back to their places after an earthquake?

Text 10. The Properties of Diamonds

Active Vocabulary: 

roughгрубийsolidтверде тіло

to processоброблятиorthoclaseортоклас (мінерал) 

gemкоштовний каміньfileнапилок

to purchaseкупуватиto linkз’єднувати

hardтвердийlatticeрешітка

to rankзаймати місцеto shareділитися

Diamonds are found as rough stones and must be processed to create a sparkling gem that is ready for purchase.

Diamonds are the crystallized form of carbon created under extreme heat and pressure. It’s this same process that makes diamonds the hardest mineral we know of. A diamond ranks a 10 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. The Mohs Scale is used to determine the hardness of solids, especially minerals. It is named after the German mineralogist Friedrich Mohs. Here’s the scale, from softest to hardest:

talc – easily scratched by the fingernail;

gypsum – just scratched by the fingernail;

calcite – scratches and is scratched by a copper coin;

fluorite – not scratched by a copper coin and does not scratch glass;

apatite – just scratches glass and is easily scratched by a knife;

orthoclase – easily scratches glass and is just scratched by a file;

quartz – (amethyst, citrine, tiger’s-eye, aventurine) not scratched by a file;

topaz – scratched only by corundum and diamond;

corundum – (sapphires and rubies) scratched only by a diamond;

diamond – scratched only by another diamond.

Even though diamond is only one level higher on the scale than corundum, diamond can be anywhere from 10 to hundreds of times harder than this class of gems.

It is the molecular structure of diamonds that makes them so hard. Diamonds are made of carbon atoms linked together in a lattice structure. Each carbon atom shares electrons with four other carbon atoms, forming a tetrahedral unit. This tetrahedral bonding of five carbon atoms forms an incredibly strong molecule. Graphite, another form of carbon, isn’t as strong as diamond because the carbon atoms in graphite link together in rings, where each atom is only linked to one other atom.

Speech patterns

It is him whoinvented this machine. Саме він винайшов цю машину. 

It is the helmet thatsaved my life. Саме шолом врятував мені життя. 

It is tomorrow thatI make a report. Саме завтра я роблю доповідь. 

І. Decide which of these statements are true and which are false.

1. Diamonds are a form of sodium. 2. Diamond is the hardest mineral we know. 3. Friedrich Mohs was an Italian Physicist. 4. Quartz is harder than gypsum. 5. In diamonds, carbon atoms make a hexahedron unit.

ІІ. Answer the following questions.

1. What physical phenomena influence the creation of diamonds? 2. What property is the criterion for ordering minerals in the Mohs Scale? 3. How many minerals are there in the Mohs Scale? 4. What makes diamond molecules so strong?

Text 11. Are Cell-phones Harmful?

Active Vocabulary: 

cell phoneстільниковий телефонfrequencyчастота

proximityблизькістьavailableнаявний

to causeвикликатиadverseшкідливий

exposureпіддаванняto dissipateрозсіювати

tissueтканинаvulnerableуразливий

to