Exercises

1. Find in the text English equivalents of the following word – combinations:

На користь і для зручності людини, прекрасні інженери, винаходження парового двигуна, важливість їхньої роботи для суспільства, різні галузі знань, теорія конструкції, велика кількість, люди різних зацікавлень і занять, зведення і ремонт будинків, житловий будинок, збірний залізобетон, почесна професія.

2. Combine the word “domestic” with the proper English word to form the equivalents of the following Ukrainian word – combinations:

Житловий будинок goods

Домашні справи gas

Домашні тварини cares

Внутрішні справи affairs

Домоведення animals

Вітчизняні товари dwelling

Комунальній газ science

3. Translate into English using words and expressions from the text:

1. Цивільне будівництво охоплює спеціальності різного профілю. 2. В стародавні часи цивільне будівництво не відокремлювалось від інших інженерних галузей. 3. В усіх країнах професія будівельника дуже важлива і почесна. 4. Цивільне будівництво займається зведенням житлових будинків і промислових будівель. 5. Планування і забудова міст завжди відображувала соціальний устрій, економічні, інженерно-технічні та художні можливості суспільства.

4. Answer the following questions on the text: 1. What is civil engineering?

2. When was the term, “civil engineering” used first? 3. What were most early engineers engaged in? 4. What branches is civil engineering subdivided into? 5. What branches of knowledge must civil engineering make use of? 6. What sciences is it connected with? 7. What is the difference between “construction” and “building”? 8. What is the characteristic feature of the Ukrainian civil engineering?

Text 2 urbanization and ecology

Every year more and more people are moving to urban places from rural parts of the country. The proportion of urban dwellers is increasing constantly. The urbanization process gives birth to a number of problems. Urban ecology is one of them.

Ecology is the study of the relationships between living things and the environment. Urban ecology, deals with the relationship between man and his most common home, the urban environment.

Unlike a lake or a forest, the urban environment is largely man-made. Man therefore takes a more prominent position in the development of the environment.

Not long ago town had a local impact on nature. Today, in the context of the scientific and technological progress, the influence of cities and urbanized areas is spreading over vast territories to the planet as a whole.

And the thing is not only that human activity “ousts” nature, creating an artificial environment that it opposes, impoverishes huge natural landscape. It (human activity) turns the biosphere into a global “translator” of the consequences of urbanization. In the past the natural and man-made environment was regarded by specialist primarily as an object of man’s actions, the instrument and material of his activity. Today, the changes in the environment brought about man’s activity are dangerous to the environment and man himself. The population outflow from rural areas and industrial activity leads to the destruction of natural wealth both in town and country. Therefore, nature conservation, cultivation of rural and town landscapes and measures may help man preserve ecological balance in a given territory. That’s why the tasks of “ecologization” of the industrial production and urbanized landscapes should be accomplished simultaneously.

VOCABULARY NOTES

1. environment – середовище

2. prominent – видатний

3. impact – вплив

4. influence – вплив

5. to oust – вигоняти

6. consequence – наслідок

7. simultaneously – одночасно

EXERCISES