Tasks for the text:
1) Read and translate the text (in the written form)
2) Answer the questions in the written form (according to the text):
- How do Fine Arts can be useful for the Civil engineer?
- Why should the given characteristics of a piece of art be emphasised in a course for Civil engineers?
- What characteristics are necessary for engineers nowadays?
3) Make up the sentences in Indefinite (3 sentences), Continuous (3 sentences) and Perfect (3 sentences) forms, using words in bold from the text and time phrases which justify the usage of the verb form. (Total: 9 sentences)
The words: rewarding, include, apply, society, appreciation, expand, narrow, broad, shade, mundane.
4) Put the following sentences into negative (1 sentence) and interrogative (4 sentences) forms
1. An appreciation of the arts also enhances communication skills and enables an engineer to provide the public with infrastructure that goes beyond functionality.
2. A course in art appreciation has emphasized the following characteristics of a piece of art.
3. An artist is using proportions of objects in a picture to control the feelings of the viewer by placing emphasis on certain objects within the art piece.
4. Variations in color, shading, and object shapes can add variety to art, which can invoke feelings in the viewer.
5) Write a short essay (150 - 200 words) on the topic:
Civil Engineer of the 21st Century
Test 2 Version 6
Text
The engineer must have both technical and societal knowledge to be a socially responsible citizen and a professional. It is important for the engineer to be liberally educated in the humanities and social sciences. While students are obtaining technical knowledge they should realize that civil engineers of the twenty-first century must be critical thinkers who can analyze problems and produce creative solutions. They must be viewed by the public as unselfish and honest, which will maintain the positive public image that civil engineers now enjoy compared with the reputations of some other groups. Civil engineers of the twenty-first century must be good communicators in order to meet their responsibilities to clients and the public, and to efficiently interact within design teams. Knowledge of the humanities helped prepare engineers to ask the right questions, to be open-minded and creative, and to communicate well to bring about solutions to the broad-based problems that confront society. The humanities are an essential part of undergraduate curricula, yet many students have not recognized the importance of the humanities to their future as a professional. The humanities are branches of knowledge that address human culture and include disciplines such as history, language, philosophy, the fine arts, literature, and architecture. Working definitions of these are as follows:
• History: The branch of knowledge that records and analyzes past events.
• Language: The means of communicating thoughts, feelings, meaning, or intent, with a special emphasis on transmitting knowledge of a culture.
• Philosophy: A system of inquiry into the nature of beliefs and values based on logical reasoning rather than empirical investigation and evidence.
• Fine arts: Creative works intended to invoke contemplative delight or thought rather than for utilization.
• Literature: Communications, usually written and often imaginative, produced by learned scholars for transmitting ideas.
• Architecture: The art and science of design, usually structures, for orderly proportioning.
Knowledge of the humanities with its emphasis on creative thought complements the emphasis placed on utility in the engineering and science subjects.