Ex. 22. Translate the sentences with more comparisons.

1. New techniques aim at a higher output of better structures at lower cost. 2. It is a well-known fact that the drier is the cut wood the greater is its strength and hardness. 3. Whatever may be the quality of mortar used, the wall should contain as much stone and as little mortar as possible, as the former is the stronger material. 4. When building walls, blocks and bricks are primary materials. Bricks are smaller and made of clay, although concrete bricks are also available. 5. Thatch is one of the oldest building materials known in recorded history. 6. For longevity of building, metal is the best building material. 7. Stone is the longest lasting building material available, and is usually readily available. 8. Clay is the most common material used to build houses, especially the houses in country sides are made from clay and mud. 9. One of the most popular types of steel used in construction is the hot dip galvanized steel. 10. Construction with cross-laminated timber is faster and requires fewer workers and lighter equipment, which can make construction more affordable. 11. The most important use of cement is the production of mortar and concrete. 12. Of all the metallic alloys in use today, the alloys of iron make up the largest proportion both by quantity and commercial value. 13. Plywood for indoor use generally uses the less expensive urea-formaldehyde glue which has limited water resistance. 14. The more rapid the growth or the wider the rings of growth, the heavier, harder, stronger, and stiffer the wood. 15. Since the more the wood substance the greater the weight, and the greater the weight the stronger the wood, chestnuts with wide rings must have stronger wood than chestnuts with narrow rings. 16. The interior rooms of a house in which the plaster is laid on the stone walls must always be more or less damp.

Ex. 23. Translate the sentences into Russian. Remember that pronoun it can be used in different functions (as personal, impersonal, demonstrative, formal, emphatic pronoun).

1. It is important that the building materials should be hard, durable and easily fastened together. 2. Wood has certain disadvantages. First, it burns and is there­fore unsuitable for fire-proof buildings. Second, it de­cays. 3. If the hinges (петли) are on the left and the door opens in, it is a left hand door. 4. Titanium can be used for structural purposes, but it is much more expensive than steel. 5. It was only during the mid-18th century that visible brick walls regained some degree of popularity. 6. It is well known that bricks are usually extremely durable. 7. It requires a great deal of human labor to produce metal, especially in the large amounts needed for the building industries. 8. The most important requirements for concrete are: it should be hard, strong, durable, fire-resistant and economical. 9. It usually takes about three weeks before the final strength is achieved. 10. Titanium can be used for structural purposes, but it is much more expensive than steel. 11. It is steel and metal that is employed as reinforce­ment in modern ferroconcrete structures. 12. It requires a great deal of human labor to produce metal, especially in the large amounts needed for the building industries. 13. Ceramics used to be just a specialized form of clay-pottery, but it has evolved into more technical areas. 14. It is common to classify wood as either softwood or hardwood. 15. It is not only the proportion of late wood (летняя древесина), but also its quality, that counts.

Ex. 24. Translate the sentences into Russian. Remember that the verb have can be used in different functions (as notional, modal, auxiliary verb or as part of a set word group).

1. Plastics have found a wide application not only in construction, but many other industrial fields. 2. Dry-stone walls have been built for as long as humans have put one stone on top of another. 3. Each area of the planet is different and has many different materials that can be used for housing. 4. A new house has to be insulated in order to reduce heating costs and to save money. 5. The designer must have in mind the actual conditions during the construction. 6. In cold places houses must be more compact and have thick walls and small windows to resist the cold; they also have heating systems. 7. In 1641 the five-story city hall, was the tallest building New Yorkers had to look up at or down from. 8. A multi-story building is a building that has multiple floors above ground in the building. 9. Long ago, people built homes with whatever building materials that they had. 10. In the northern part of North America and in northern Europe wood has been the main building material for many centuries. 11. When the outside of the house is finished you have to start working on the interior. 12. To some extent, aluminum and steel have displaced some traditional building materials. 13. A building is a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place. 14. For many, many years nature has been destroying stone, changing it into sand. 15. Many houses have several rooms with specialized functions.

Reading Practice

Read the text divided into parts. Find answers to the questions which come before each of the coming passages.

Text 3. Stone as House Construction Material