ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Всовременных условиях информационной и технической интеграции чтение и извлечение информации из текста на иностранном языке становится одним из необходимых умений состоявшихся и будущих специалистов, строительная область здесь не исключение.

Автор надеется, что предлагаемое пособие для подготовки к вступительному экзамену в аспирантуру по иностранному языку (английский язык) окажет существенную помощь поступающим в аспирантуру, стажерам и соискателям в овладении необходимыми языковыми навыками, способствуя формированию

иразвитию коммуникативной компетентности, что в настоящее время признано основной целью обучения профессиональноориентированному языку.

Впособии представлены тексты, насыщенные современной информацией по строительству, строительным технологиям, а также смежным наукам, тематика которых тесно связана с актуальными вопросами современного градостроения в точном соответствии с требованиями, предъявляемыми на вступительном экзамене в аспирантуру по дисциплине «иностранный язык». Они предназначены для аналитического и ознакомительного чтения (в конце каждого текста указаны цифровые данные, выражающие объем текста в печатных знаках).

Всего в данном пособии 2 блока текстов: 20 – для письменного перевода и 20 – для ознакомительного чтения. Каждый из разделов предваряется необходимыми рекомендациями по переводу специальных текстов, а также предложены приемы, которые помогут повысить скорость чтения на иностранном языке. Кроме того, изложены особенности работы над иностранными научно-техническими и техническими текстами с грамматическими явлениями и терминологией, общей для строительных и архитектурных специальностей.

Пособие снабжено грамматическим разделом, в котором собран материал повышенной сложности, охватывающий весь лексико-грамматический корпус, необходимый для овладения языковыми и речевыми умениями, свойственными работе над текстами научного стиля.

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Справочник снабжен грамматическими таблицами, списками «ложных друзей переводчика» и сокращений. Представлены разделы на употребление существительного в функции определения, особенности употребления фразовых глаголов, анализ предложения как средство раскрытия его содержания.

Автор выражает глубокую, искреннюю благодарность коллегам – преподавателям кафедры иностранных языков МГСУ, рецензентам и научным консультантам за оказанную помощь и интересные идеи; аспирантам и студентам МГСУ – признательность за участие в апробации текстов и грамматических упражнений.

Особую благодарность автор выражает кандидату филологических наук профессору Дубровской С.Г., доценту Сальниковой Ю.Н. и ст. преподавателю Шаменовой Р.А. за их рекомендации, своевременную поддержку и практические советы.

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ТРЕБОВАНИЯ, ПРЕДЪЯВЛЯЕМЫЕ НА ВСТУПИТЕЛЬНОМ ЭКЗАМЕНЕ В АСПИРАНТУРУ

ПО ДИСЦИПЛИНЕ «ИНОСТРАННЫЙ ЯЗЫК»

Выпускник вуза, поступающий в аспирантуру Национального исследовательского университета строительства и архитектуры, сдает вступительный экзамен по иностранному языку. Вступительный экзамен сдается по одному из трех иностранных языков: английскому, французскому или немецкому.

Вступительный экзамен по иностранному языку основан на программе по иностранным языкам для вузов неязыкового профиля Министерства Образования и Науки Российской Федерации.

Цель экзамена – определить уровень знаний абитуриента по иностранному языку для решения научных и академических задач.

Абитуриент, поступающий в аспирантуру, должен уметь переводить (со словарем) иноязычные общетехнические тексты, а также обладать навыками поискового, просмотрового и ознакомительного видов чтения; общаться на иностранном языке по вопросам своей специальности (неподготовленное высказывание), воспринимать на слух речь на иностранном языке, уметь отвечать на вопросы экзаменаторов.

Необходимо владеть грамматическим минимумом вузовского курса по иностранному языку. При чтении и переводе научной литературы по специальности необходимо уделять основное внимание средствам выражения и распознавания главных членов предложения, сложным синтаксическим конструкциям, типичным для стиля научной речи: оборотам на основе неличных глагольных форм, пассивным конструкциям; средствам выражения модальности.

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СТРУКТУРА ВСТУПИТЕЛЬНОГО ЭКЗАМЕНА ПО ИНОСТРАННОМУ ЯЗЫКУ

Билет состоит из трех вопросов:

1.Письменный перевод (со словарем) с иностранного языка на русский текста общестроительной направленности.

Объем иноязычного текста: 1600 – 1800 печатных знаков. Время подготовки: 45 минут.

2.Просмотр (без словаря) иноязычного текста общестроительной направленности и устная передача основного содержания на русском языке.

Объем: 1600 печатных знаков. Время подготовки: 10 – 12 минут.

3.Беседа на иностранном языке на темы, связанные с биографией, учебой, специальностью и работой абитуриента.

СПИСОК ПРИМЕРНЫХ ТЕМ ДЛЯ БЕСЕДЫ

–иностранный язык как средство профессионального общения;

–значение Вашей научной работы для развития отрасли;

–актуальность разработки избранного научного направления;

–почему Вы решили поступать в аспирантуру,

–краткая профессиональная биография.

Будьте готовы к монологическому, диалогическому и полилогическому общению, ознакомьтесь со списком полезных выражений и словосочетаний (см. стр. 99).

Результаты экзамена оцениваются как «отлично», «хорошо», «удовлетворительно», «неудовлетворительно». Экзамен не пересдается.

На экзамене необходимо иметь словарь и документ, удостоверяющий личность.

Тематика текстов – окружающая среда и ее охрана; наука и техника; компьютер; строительство, архитектура и экономика.

Грамматический, лексический и фонетический материал по-

добран с учетом обучения в техническом (строительном) вузе.

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ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ПИСЬМЕННОГО ПЕРЕВОДА

Методические рекомендации:

–перевод должен быть адекватным, т.е. должен воспроизводить смысловое содержание и стилистические особенности подлинника в соответствии с нормами русского языка;

–при выполнении перевода не забывайте о времени, отведенном на выполнение этого задания (45 минут);

–оформляйте перевод аккуратно и разборчиво, оставляя расстояние между строк для внесения возможной правки.

ПРИЕМЫ, КОТОРЫЕ ПОМОГУТ ПОВЫСИТЬ СКОРОСТЬ ЧТЕНИЯ НА ИНОСТРАННОМ ЯЗЫКЕ

1.Возьмите текст и прочитайте только значимые слова: существительные, глаголы, прилагательные, числительные и наречия.

Не обращайте внимания на артикли, предлоги, союзы, местоимения и междометия. Подчеркните существительные и глаголы, затем прочитайте их опять.

Практикуйтесь до тех пор, пока вы автоматически не будете читать только значимые слова. Важный смысл несут также имена собственные, даты, отрицания.

2.Прочитайте текст, обращая внимание только на структуру предложения: подлежащее, сказуемое, дополнение. Игнорируйте определения и обстоятельства образа действия.

3.Не вчитываясь в детали, отметьте карандашом связующие слова и выражения, например, ‘from my point of view’, ‘to sum up’, ‘however’ и др.

Практикуйтесь до тех пор, пока не научитесь видеть связующие слова и выражения автоматически.

4.Прочитайте текст, обращая внимание только на союзы, поскольку они выражают логическую связь между отдельными высказываниями и служат для соединения, противопоставления, обобщения. Внимание к союзам позволит без труда следовать логике развития событий и, соответственно, повысить скорость чтения.

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5.Прочитайте только первые фразы каждого абзаца, пытаясь спрогнозировать содержание следующего абзаца.

6.Прочитайте текст, игнорируя незнакомые слова. Если вы останавливаетесь на незнакомых словах, это замедляет скорость чтения.

7.Прочитайте только глаголы. Это поможет вам понять, меняется ли содержание текста, поскольку именно глаголы вводят новую информацию в предложения.

8.Закройте левую или правую часть текста, просмотрите оставшийся для обзора текст, попытайтесь уловить основную идею текста.

9.Быстро прочитайте текст. Затем попытайтесь прочитать его быстро справа налево и опять слева направо и т.д.

10.Ведите карандаш по центральной вертикали текста вверх и вниз, одновременно пытаясь «сканировать» информацию

-сначала слева от карандаша, а затем справа.

11.Быстро прочитайте текст сначала по вертикали, затем по горизонтали. Повторите так несколько раз. Это упражнение формирует умение быстро находить информативные фрагменты текста.

Вусловиях реальной коммуникации во многих ситуациях чрезвычайно важна языковая догадка. Мы не знаем всех слов, которые слышим и читаем, даже в родном языке. Однако в родном языке нам легче проявить языковую догадку. Не менее актуально это и в любом другом языке.

Необходимо овладеть умением догадываться о значении незнакомых слов, читая, например, текст на иностранном языке. Существенны законы словообразования, порядок слов в предложении и другие грамматические, орфографические, синтаксические и лексические нюансы языкового строя любого иностранного языка. (См. «Краткий грамматический справочник»).

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ТЕКСТ 1 MATHEMATICS AS IT IS

Mathematics is loved by many, disliked by a few, admired and respected by all.

Charles Dickens

That Mathematics is a great power seems incredible. The disbelief results from erroneous conception of what significant role Mathematics does play. Having general, ingenious, and just elementary knowledge, an average person considers this science a number of techniques for a restricted range of specialists. A corresponding reaction is a firm decision to ignore it.

Schopenhauer described Mathematics as the lowest kind of spirit activity. But any laymen’s decision to neglect Mathematics is wrong. Mathematics is a method of carefully formulated definitions and explicitly stated logical assumptions to be easily used in all spheres of life.

Mathematicians employ a high order of intuition and imagination. Logical conclusions of great scientists Pythagoras, Fermat, Gauss, Newton, Lomonosov, Leibniz and other exceptional mathematicians not only break away rigid traditions but also set up revolutionary concepts.

If Mathematics is really so creative, what an insuperable force causes men to pursue it? The main motive is sure to meet social needs viz. commercial and financial transactions, navigation and calendar making problems, and rational interpretation of natural phenomena.

Nevertheless, concepts, methods, forecasts and conclusions cannot be substratum of only one science. Undoubted success of joint efforts is partnership, coordination and interrelation with which versatile scientists have entered Mathematics together.

Mathematics turns out to have breathed new life into dry bones of numbers, digital calculations of disconnected, abrupt facts and proofs and have bound miscellaneous opinions and observations into a perfect body of real science.

(1771 печатный знак)

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TEXT 2

WORK

Bertrand Russell

Whether work should be placed to be the causes of happiness it may be regarded as a doubtful question. There is much work which is exceedingly irksome, and it is always very painful. I think that provided work is not excessive in amount, even the dullest work is to most people less painful than idleness. Most of the work people have to do is not interesting in itself, but even such work has certain great advantages. To begin with, it fills many hours of a day without the need of deciding what one shall do.

Most people, when they are left free to fill their own time according to their own choice, are at a loss to think of anything sufficiently pleasant to be worth doing. And whatever they decide on, they are troubled by the feeling that something else would have been more pleasant. To be able to fill leisure intelligently is the last product of civilization, and, in fact, very few people have reached this level. Moreover, the exercise of choice is tiresome. Except people with unusual initiative it is positively agreeable to be told what to do at each hour of a day, provided the orders are not too unpleasant.

Most of the idle rich suffer unspeakable boredom as the price of their freedom from drudgery. More intelligent rich men work nearly as hard as if they were poor.

Work therefore is desirable, first and foremost, as a preventive of boredom, for the boredom that a man feels when he is doing necessary through uninteresting work is nothing in comparison with the boredom that he feels when he has nothing to do. With this advantage of work another is associated, namely it makes holidays much more delicious when they come. Provided a man does not have to work so hard as to impair his vigour, he is likely to find far more zest in his free time than an idle man could possibly find.

(1823 печатных знака)

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TEXT 3

REINFORCED CONCRETE

…This story is said to have been true, but you be the judge...

Some French gardener J. Monies was keen on growing up palm trees in his greenhouse. He had to work hard in order to earn on living. From time to time he carefully replaced his saplings into clay pots and sent them to England. Being brittle, fragile, not solid and thinned wall, his pots often crashed and broken into pieces on the way there; palm trees died. The gardener did suffer heavy losses.

Once upon the time annoyed Monies decided to make a special tub and used some cement for it. He took two wooden flanks and placed them one into another so that a smaller was placed into a larger one, gaps between walls having been filled in with cement. To improve the process and make product stronger and more durable he devised an iron core skeleton and covered it with wet cement. It was a great idea. After cement hardening new flanks were strong, convenient and even nice. Monies had a patent for his unusual flower tubs. It was in 1867 when a talented gardener received a grant for his invention. The very date is considered to have been a year of reinforced concrete invention. The product is a universal fireproof building material spread all over the world.

Inspired with unexpected success, goods promotion and quite enough amount of money he had as a grant, a significant inventor devoted the rest of his life to many other building materials. In 1877 Monies patented reinforced-concrete railway cross ties. In 1880-83 it were reinforced concrete overlapping floors, buildings, beams, arches, bridges and what not which he paid much professional attention to.

It is difficult to overestimate certain merits of reinforced concrete: low cost; fireproof; adaptability; chemical and biological firmness (no subject to corrosion, ageing, decomposing).

Manufacturing of reinforced concrete designs includes armature preparation; erection of frameworks; reinforcing; concreting; and hardening.

(1972 печатных знака)

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TEXT 4

ALLOYS

Metals are much more effective being combined. About 30 metallic elements serve modern needs, but over 5,000 alloys are known and are in common use. Great amounts of certain metals can be converted into compounds of significant importance. Brass, bronze, pewter, plumber solder, coinage metals, and stainless steels are only few patterns of alloys. These are formed when two or more metals are melted together, mixtures being to cool and solidify. Alloys are tended to contain some nonmetals, such as carbon, sulphur, arsenic, phosphorus, and silicon.

The main reason why so many different alloys to be prepared is that modern industry does require metals with certain properties, or certain combinations of properties, which no metallic element in the pure state can provide. Numerous kinds of stainless steel illustrate chemical properties of alloys enable to resist the action of acids and the corroding agents of the atmosphere.

Alloys may be classified in several ways. They are usually thought of in terms of composition, uses, or notable properties. Thus, according to the composition there are ferrous and nonferrous alloys.

The nonferrous alloys can be subdivided in accordance with the predominant or base metal. Thus, we have had alloys in which such metals as aluminium, lead, copper, gold, silver, or any other metal – except iron – make up the largest per cent of a constituent.

There are bearing metals or antifriction alloys, coinage metals, and solders. Groups of alloys based upon distinctive properties include the lightweight alloys, low melting-point alloys, and electricalresistant metals.

(1618 печатных знаков)

TEXT 5

FOAM BUILDING BLOCKS

Foam block is an artificial cement stone with regularly distributed closed pores. It is surely inexpensive, economic, strong and ecological. It can serve as a perfect insulator too. Being incombustible, it

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combines all possible advantages of both stone and wood, such as durability, strength, lightness, portability, workability, and nail-ability. Such material determines copious unique properties of the cellular concrete and makes it much more effective and perspective as building material in comparison with other kinds of light concrete.

Recent years blocks of foam concrete being quite accessible and universal with absolutely unique nature have been widely and equally used either in erection or modernization of already existing buildings and producing new constructions. Foam blocks are extensively used in fencing, façades devise, frame building, acoustic and thermal insulation, design of roofs, floors, walls etc. Well-made foam blocks are considered extreme and exceptional use cases for numerous practical purposes in diverse buildings such as country cottages, industrial buildings and shopping centers; reconstruction of various buildings; residential or office housing.

Foam block is light porous concrete produced by hardening of certain mortar consisting of cement, sand, water, and foam itself. It is foam that plays an immense role during the manufacturing period, since it provides necessary air content and expected air bubbles distribution in the concrete mass vid. air entrainment. Foam concrete is nontoxic, fire-resistant and that is why finds various applications in fire-resistant designs. The foam block does not split and does not blow up, the armature being protected longer inside. The 150mm foam concrete is proved to be able to withstand combustion for 4 hours. Thus, the risk of rapid and disastrous fire damage is reduced to the minimum.

(1893 печатных знака)

TEXT 6

FLOOR COVERING MATERIALS

There are many things to improve our life conditions. The Earth itself is the best manufacturer of various durable, workable and perfect building materials. Stone tiles are of extreme hardness, natural patterning with varied colours and individual benefits. Porcelain tiles are floor applications either in cold or hot climate because of low ten-

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dency to absorb moisture and sustained existence in freezing /thaw surroundings. Ceramics tiles are preferable for indoors.

Parquet, linoleum, carpet and tile are sure a most popular floor covering materials.

Parquet is enough practical wood covering with some disadvantages e.g. its deterioration due to water presence. Yet, it is not the cheapest material and needs being varnished from time to time.

Linoleum is a versatile polymer material of certain profitable properties such as durability, comparative inexpensiveness and waterproofing. That is the reason why it is frequently used for kitchens and places with moisture in abundance. Linoleum can imitate any other covering as well.

Carpeting is quite ideal as a ‘warm floor’. Being neither fireresistant nor waterproof, its service life is reduced. But a minute price and easiness to place are sure its advantages. Yet, the carpet pattern can represent a real masterpiece in accordance with your own taste.

Tile has both advantages and disadvantages especially in comparison with other coverings. It is impermeable and fire-resistant, being very vital for domestic premises but without effects of ‘warm floor’. Thus carpet is the best solution for living rooms while tile is for kitchen spaces.

Floors are the most noteworthy efficient components as the subject to dirt, moisture, and dust. It is floor that is under constant feet action and furniture load. Floors should be designed to solve numerous problems of sanitation, fire-resistance, and combustibility as well as dead and live loads.

(1912 печатных знаков)

TEXT 7

DEVELOPMENT OF ASTM STANDARDS

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) was organized in 1898 as a nonprofit organization to develop engineering standards for materials, products, and services. The work of ASTM is performed by 32,000 members worldwide. About 10,000 standards are published each year. The best way to understand the ASTM functions is to pose fundamental questions and answer them.

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–What is an ASTM Standard? – It is a document that has been developed within the principles of ASTM and meets with the established procedures and regulations.

–What types of standards does ASTM produce? – Standard test methods; standard specifications; standard practice; standard terminology; standard guide, and standard classification.

–Why are ASTM standards so widely accepted? Where is the key to the success of ASTM? – Before an item becomes a Standard it must undergo the scrutiny of a voluntary, full consensus to bring together backgrounds and expertise; balanced representation of interests; intense round robin testing; procedures to assure the latest accurate information, and objectivity.

–Who uses and writes the Standards? – The standards are used and developed by technical committees and only become binding on the parties using them via certain contractual relationships.

–What are ASTM technical committees? – The 132 technical committees are subdivided into subcommittees and further into task groups. They are the instruments with expertise. Standards development begins when a need is recognized and given to a task group to prepare a draft that then works through the approval process. Any individual or commercial organization may initiate the process by submitting a request to the ASTM headquarters. The activities of the ASTM technical committees are governed by the ASTM Board of Directors who are elected by the entire membership.

(1869 печатных знаков)

TEXT 8

COMPUTERS

When computers and the Internet entered the world of education, it has truly initiated and experienced a profound revolution. The information in books and other written sources remains fixed and static, but available one from the Internet is reorganized and updated all the time. In addition, students of all levels are taught, keeping a pretty fast pace because of much drawing to electronic gadgets with permanently renewable information. The computer combined with books as a perfect possession of knowledge supply does boost learning progression.

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Today cyber cafés are certain to have become an inseparable part of both public and cultural life such as cinemas, libraries, parties and supermarkets. However, home computers are almost useless if you are out or happen to be on business or even on holiday somewhere. The cyber café is the obvious place to go if you are eager to keep in touch with friends, relatives or business partners. Such cafés are extremely popular with students studying abroad. Foreign students must feel undisputable importance to keep ‘here and now’ in touch with any person at home, e-mail being much cheaper than a telephone conversation.

Currently the majority of libraries in the world possess modern electronic services, so readers don’t have to wait at all the materials they need.

To sum up aforementioned significant tips of computers, it will not be uninteresting to know that in our country there is the e- library named after the first President of Russia accessible to every one. Yet, you may order and read any e-book, e-manuscript and e- journal from any library in the world.

Computer engineering breakthrough is changing both our life and our language. People are permanently making up new words or giving new meanings to old ones. Computer language being universal and widely used all over the planet is the most curious branch.

(1877 печатных знаков)

TEXT 9

TALL BUILDINGS

Design development has resulted in new types of structure. In fact, new potentials in structural design were, on the one hand, strong demands of clients. Overall pattern of architectural design has been the interrelation of techniques, construction technology, creative ambition and functions.

To build higher and higher has been an aspiration of mankind ever since immemorial time. All through the history of skyscrapers, architects and structural engineers struggled to find more and more appropriate architectural and structural expression as well as to devise solutions regarding their adaptation to the surrounding urban envi-

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ronment, a number of technical challenges having to be solved. They include not only sufficient compressive strength of superstructures and foundations but also real protection against earthquakes, strong wind blows, impact actions (aircraft crash, explosion, etc.), vibration and horizontal movement discomfort.

Some of these solutions involve a strong influence on buildings design, the evolution of the vertical (lateral) systems resulted in:

•shear frame with rigidly jointed columns and beams;

•shear truss with diagonal bracing between columns;

•shear truss and frame with both shear frame and shear trusses;

•shear-truss-frame outrigger and belt trusses: 2D planar framework with the floor slab providing the lateral tie between them;

•framed tube: closer spacing of columns and a continuous frame over corners;

•truss tube with a form as framed tube but with wider spacing of columns and tired across by a system of diagonals;

•bundled or modular tubes: grouped together framed or trussed tubes;

•super-frame or mega-frame: a shear frame where horizontal and vertical members are large, several storeys deep and several bays wide;

•composite systems: mixed reinforced concrete and steel systems with concrete shear walls or concrete framed tubes combined with steel framing.

(1924 печатных знака)

TEXT 10

WHAT FACTORS AND CONDITIONS CAUSING INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT?

Terry M. Brennan & A. Turner

The air in buildings contains potentially harmful substances and microorganisms. They originate from heating and ventilating systems, building materials, cleaning products, dust, fuel consumption and household activities.

17

Indoor air contaminants (IAC) cause either physiological changes in occupants or physical and chemical changes in indoor materials, furnishings, and equipment. IAC often cause health problems such as eye, nose, throat or skin irritation, allergic congestion, difficult breathing, hives or rashes, and respiratory infections.

Examples concern allergies to fungal spores and compounds in quantities released by melting plastics, and contact dermatitis caused by some mineral fibers and low temperatures. Less frequently, cases of more serious infectious diseases, permanent disability, hypersensitivity, and life threatening poisoning are encountered.

IAC damage building materials, furnishings, and equipment, for they are thickly coated with residue from some fumes, burning tobacco, fireplaces, chimneys, or even candles. And as a result it can be a disruption of human life. If a person becomes ill from an exposure to IAC, their effectiveness at work is sure to be lowered or they are unable to work at all during the recuperation period. If the problem is chronic, the disruption becomes major – if it’s lethal, it ends the person’s life.

There are consequences for employers and families who depend on an affected person. These include reduced productivity or performance, increased absenteeism, or disability with increased stress and an impact on income or expenses in the home. In the workplace, these problems prove to have direct economic effects because of reducing salary for fewer days worked, or for work of lesser quality.

Thus, all the factors and conditions causing problems are to be taken into consideration and stopped by mutual efforts.

(1997 печатных знаков)

TEXT 11

RENEWABLE AND NON-RENEWABLE RESOURCES

Non-renewable resources occur where natural replacement is so slow that it is deemed insignificant. The difficulties are very often mentioned when we ‘run out’ of oil. In reality we will never ‘run out’ of oil. Would you drive anywhere if the price of petrol increased hundred times?

18

The construction industry uses considerable quantities of nonrenewable resources, especially sand, gravel, stone, clay and chalk, and since these rocks are readily found near the surface of the earth there would seem to be in unlimited available amounts. However, the quarrying of raw materials can only take place on a commercially viable scale. In the long term we may regret leaving stocks in the ground which are difficult to abstract. The basic premiss of supply and demand is that as the stock decreases, so the price increases.

An excellent example of a renewable resource for the construction industry is timber. Generally softwoods grow relatively quickly. They are sufficiently mature to be felled within approximately 100 years, depending on the species. Timber producers can therefore maintain a commercial stock by constant planting. On the other hand, hardwoods grow comparatively slowly. So, traditionally demand has considerably outstripped sustainability. This is especially true of tropical hardwoods and has placed them firmly on the nonrenewable list. Recent attempts to better manage timber production in tropical countries may lead to improved supplies and therefore lower future costs. The International Timber Trades Organization (ITTO) suggests tropical hardwoods should be from sustainable resources by the nearest future. This may be optimistic on a global scale, but also a step in the right direction.

(1750 печатных знаков)

TEXT 12

COMPUTER VISION

Dana H. Ballard & Christopher M. Brown

Computer vision (CV) is the science and technology of machines that see; ‘see’ in this case means the machine is able to extract information from the image that is necessary to solve certain task.

As a scientific discipline, CV is concerned with the theory behind artificial systems to extract information from a set of images. The image data takes many forms, such as video sequences, views from multiple cameras, or multi-dimensional data from a medical scanner.

19

As a technological discipline, CV seeks to apply its theories and models to the construction of CV systems. Examples of applications of CV include systems for:

•Controlling processes (e.g. as an industrial robot or an autonomous vehicle).

•Detecting events (e.g. for visual surveillance or people counting).

•Organizing information (e.g. for indexing databases of images and image sequences).

•Modeling objects or environments (e.g. industrial inspection, medical image analysis or topographical modeling).

•Interaction (e.g. as the input to a device for computer-human interaction).

CV is closely related to the study of biological vision. The

field of biological vision studies and models the physiological processes behind visual perception in humans and other animals. CV, on the other hand, studies and describes the processes implemented in software and hardware behind artificial vision systems. Interdisciplinary exchange between biological and CV has proven fruitful for both fields.

CV is, in some ways, the inverse of computer graphics. While computer graphics produces image data from 3D models, computer vision produces 3D models from image data. There is also a trend towards a combination of the two disciplines, e.g. as explored in augmented reality.

Sub-domains of CV include scene reconstruction, event detection, video tracking, object recognition, learning, indexing, motion estimation, and image restoration.

(1942 печатных знака)

TEXT 13

SUSPENDED PLASTERBOARD CEILINGS

Suspended plasterboard ceilings (SPCs) are sure to be important parts of any room. Their pattern, shape, colour, texture play a great role for visual impression, being a significant functional component to control the light and sound spread.

20

SPCs have shown themselves to advantage, for a film stretched to the main ceiling masks cosmetic defects, cracks, and any irregularities. SPCs can be chosen exactly in accordance with what you do want, taking into consideration your taste, money, and purpose in a great assortment of attractive and decorative ornamentations or paintings, even of your own design.

SPCs impregnated with polyurethane consist of mounting profile or baguette and soft thermoplastic polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyester fabric. SPCs are waterproof, high strength, durable and green oriented.

The most impressive quality is a fast installation which takes you only few hours to do it as well as air conditioning ducts, water and waste piping, electrical and communications wiring. Ceilings provide fume ducting, vacuum piping, and compressed air lines, serving as fire protection for the floor and roof structure above. Ducts, pipes, and conduits are easily put between the ceiling and the structure. Lighting fixtures, loudspeakers, and fire detection devices may also be installed there. The process does not require a special furniture rearrangement and does not lead to garbage.

SPCs are to bear up high loads: 1m² proves to withstand 100kg. Moisture resistance is also to be spoken about as a property representing a reliable barrier to water in any case.

As for practicality SPCs do not require special care and can be straightforwardly removed and installed. Longevity is at least 10 years remaining their original colour and texture. The term of fixing and joints strength and reliability is about 15 years.

(1859 печатных знаков)

TEXT 14

CRAWL SPACE AND INDOOR AIR QUALITY PROBLEMS

A crawl space is a type of basement where one cannot stand up – the height is little and the surface is soil to offer a convenient access to pipes, substructures and other areas to be difficult or expensive to install otherwise. (Rat-proofing is to take into consideration. It is a thin, irregular concrete covering to prevent rodents from burrowing under foundation wall and entering crawl spaces).

21

While a crawl space cannot be used as a living one, it is normally used as a storage place. Close care must be regularly taken, as water from the damp earth, humidity entering from crawlspace vents, and moisture seeping through porous concrete will create a perfect environment for mold, mildew to form on any surface, especially cardboard boxes, wood floors and surfaces, drywall and some types of insulation.

Health and safety issues must be considered, as air warms in, it rises and leaves through the upper areas of the house, in the same way that air moves through a chimney. This phenomenon, called the ‘stack effect’, causes the home to suck air up from the crawlspace into the main area of the home. Spores, fecal material, and dust mites in the crawlspace come up with the air, agitating asthma and a variety of health-related problems.

It is more desirable to finish such places with a plastic vapour barrier not to support mold growth or humidity from the soil into the basement. This trick insulates crawlspaces and discourages the habitation of insects and vermin by breaking ecological chains by which the insects feed off the mold and vermin feed on the insects as well as creating a physical inorganic barrier to deter their entrance into the space. Today similar barriers have been increasingly popular.

(1760 печатных знаков)

TEXT 15

EXPANDED CLAY AGGREGATE CONCRETE

Expanded clay aggregate block is known as the universal building material applied to erect either external walls or partitions. Modern blocks are absolutely irreplaceable during ferrous-concrete monolithic housing construction.

This material does possess a large number of advantages, thermal insulation being the very property to use even in severe climate. Thanks to porous structure of the material expanded clay aggregate concrete blocks tend to perfectly regulate humidity of a premise. Combining all useful characteristics of wood and stone, blocks do not decay, do not burn and do not rust.

22

To sum up aforementioned this material is non-combustible, durable, workable, economic, effective as insulator, accessible to produce, universal, unique and perspective in building industry. Structures with expanded clay aggregate concrete blocks are extremely strong, reliable and do not demand tiresome problems. It is cement, burnt clay, sand and water that are absolutely necessary to make such a building material.

In comparison with ceramic and silicate bricks expanded clay aggregate concrete blocks have some significant advantages to be taken into consideration:

•the density is 2.5 times lower than at bricklaying, allowing a much lower load on the base;

•the cement maintenance is lesser than at bricklaying that leads to decrease building expanses;

•referring to volume it replaces at least seven standard bricks, greatly accelerating construction terms;

•being green oriented it is very perspective, since only natural and non-polluting raw materials are used to produce it.

(1615 печатных знаков)

TEXT 16

ATTIC SPACES

A classic concern for an attic space is the formation of frost on the underside of the walls and roof decks. The classic solutions to these problems are sure to be a perfect ventilation system or a periodical process of clarification.

Most water tribulations in attics are due not to vapour transport but rather to roof leaks, snow entry through vent devices, severe condense on cold exposed pipes and ducts, leaking mechanical equipment, etc.

Interstitial condensation can occur only in assemblies with cavities. Where there is no cavity, interstitial condensation is proved impossible. Most low-slope roofs are constructed with dense cellular foam insulation directly beneath the roof membranes. (To distinguish them from cavity roof systems such systems are called compact roof systems).

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The materials contained within attic cavities can be porous or hydroscopic, and their moisture content does depend on changes in the ambient air around them. The best way to estimate, predict and overcome moisture performance of cavities is various transient methods rather than steady-state ones.

The moisture content of the materials strongly depends on the humidity characteristics of the air. The air properties in the attic are a function of the inand outdoor air properties, and the relative contributions of indoor air and outdoor air. Simply placing a vent to the outdoors does not guarantee a high proportion of outdoor air and a low proportion of indoor air – both of which are desirable. The relative concentration of indoor and outdoor air is mostly affected by both the aerodynamics of roofs and any mechanical fans.

To design perfect attics (when buildings are humidified) means preventing humidified indoor air from being transported into attics.

(1760 печатных знаков)

TEXT 17

CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY: APPROACH TO LOGISTICS

Logistics – as a detailed organization and implementation of complex operations – is sure to be a great potential affecting shareholders and stakeholders in a similar way. It is one of the most significant elements of a construction project to influence basic site performance factors such as cost, speed of construction and plan reliability. Logistics influences certain industry performance indicators such as accident statistics and contributions to landfill.

As a result of these issues connotation, it might be expected that a considerable attention be paid to logistics when intensifying a construction strategy. Nevertheless, the reality is little is known about construction-specific logistics.

Construction logistics has developed into an essential support service that adopts many of the characteristics which are generally associated with facilities management. This, in turn, has led to the emergence of the dedicated logistics contractors who suppose a single

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point responsibility to integrate all essential support services connected with construction projects.

There are at least four basic compelling reasons why the construction industry should implement an out-and-out approach to logistics. They are:

•to maximize both productivity and efficiency of the knowledgeable workforce on site (the same motives are in the manufacturing and retail industries).

•to enlarge the service quality by enabling a qualified logistics service team to provide an extensive support service for the construction project.

•to diminish the negative environmental and social impact which construction projects do create.

•to ensure the highest possible health and safety standards attained by using an appropriately trained and experienced logistics workforce.

(1804 печатных знака)

TEXT 18

SEISMIC VIBRATION CONTROL

Seismic vibration control (SVC) is an asset of technical means aimed to mitigate seismic impacts in both building and non-building structures. All SVC devices may be classified as passive, active or hybrid where:

-passive control devices have no feedback capability between them, structural elements and the ground;

-active control devices incorporate real-time recording instrumentation on the ground integrated with earthquake input processing equipment and actuators within the structure;

-hybrid control devices have combined features of active and passive control systems.

If ground seismic waves reach up and start to penetrate a base of a building, their energy flow density, due to reflections, reduces dramatically usually up to 90%. However, the remaining portions of incident waves during a major earthquake still do bear a huge devastating potential.

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If seismic waves enter a superstructure, there are a number of ways to control them in order to soothe their damaging effect and improve the building’s seismic performance, e.g.:

-to dissipate the wave energy inside a superstructure with properly engineered dampers;

-to disperse the wave energy between a wider range of fre-

quencies;

-to absorb the resonant portions of the whole wave with the help of so called mass dampers.

The last kind of devices correspondingly abbreviated as PMD for passive, as AMD for active and as HMD for hybrid mass dampers have been studied and successfully installed in high-rise buildings, predominantly in Japan.

There is another effective approach: partial suppression of a seismic energy flow into the superstructure known as seismic or base isolation. To do it some pads are inserted into or under major loadcarrying elements in the building base to decouple a superstructure from its substructure resisting on a shaking ground.

(1848 печатных знаков)

TEXT 19

SCAFFOLDING SYSTEMS

To provide safe access to and egress from a working platform temporary staging is usually used. Minimum legal requirements contained in the Construction (Health and Welfare Regulations, 1996) are appropriate either to traditional scaffolds or to particular ones which are designed to fulfill a specific function or to provide access to areas where it is impossible or impractical to use traditional formats. Special scaffolds can be constructed from standard tubes or patent systems, the latter complying with most regulation requirements are easy and quick to assemble but with some lack of design flexibility.

There are some basic types of scaffolds to be mentioned:

•birdcage scaffolds;

•slung scaffolds;

•suspended scaffolds;

•cantilever scaffolds;

•trust-out scaffolds

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Birdcage scaffolds are for certain internal work such as painting, cleaning in large buildings to provide access to ceilings and soffits. They consist of parallel rows of standards connected by ledgers in both directions, the whole structure being firmly braced in all directions.

Slung scaffolds designed as an alternative to birdcage scaffolds are very suitable for cinemas and theatres with high ceilings.

Suspended scaffolds consist of a working platform in the form of a cradle suspended from cantilever beams or outriggers from the roof of a tall building to give access to the façade. Many high-rise building have a permanent cradle system installed at a roof level. It can be recommended for buildings of over 30meters high.

Cantilever scaffolds are welcome where traditional scaffolding is impracticable, unwanted or uneconomic. Therefore, the cantilever scaffolds assembly is to be carried out only by experienced personnel.

The supporting scaffold structure known as truss-out scaffolds is a form of separate tied scaffold.

(1821 печатный знак)

TEXT 20

REPAIR STRATEGIES

John Broomfield & Susan Macdonald

It is very difficult to separate repair and maintenance strate-

gies.

Concrete restoration systems include patch; recasting; sprayed overlays and replacement of concrete.

Patch repairs are usually prior to any other treatment providing an effective long-term solution to deterioration. Patches are handapplied; poured or pumped, or spray-applied. Repair materials are to be chosen and applied only by trained and experienced applicators. Tests on bond strength, compressive strength and consolidation should be carried out as a part of a properly specified repair contract.

Proprietary patch repair materials are more expensive than site batched sand /cement mixtures, but they ensure consistent good-

27

quality, low-shrinkage repairs to perfectly bond to the parent concrete. Proprietary mixes do not provide the best visual effect, for it is not so easy to match new concrete to the parent one cosmetically.

Coating is required aesthetically. It is crucial to prepare cutout areas with no feathered edges to minimize recurrent problems and it is imperative to diagnose deterioration causes in time in order to identify right repair methods. Patch repairs are often carried out in combination with other methods.

Concrete replacement removes damaged concrete.

Sprayed overlays are to rebuild the profile in large areas of removal, in strengthening works. It is necessary to produce durable, good-quality sprayed concrete with first-class surface preparation to ensure long-term adhesion to substrates.

Barrier and impregnation systems are to reduce or prevent the ingress of chemical or environmental agents; to control the moisture and to provide resistance to chemical or physical attack.

Coatings, sealants and membranes are applied to concrete structures elements under severe conditions. Coatings are effective to reduce chloride ingress or carbonation progress. If sufficient chlorides are already present at rebar depth to initiate corrosion, membranes and coatings do not prevent it.

(2031 печатный знак)

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ТЕКСТЫ ДЛЯ ОЗНАКОМИТЕЛЬНОГО ЧТЕНИЯ

Методические рекомендации:

–главное – это получить самое общее представление о содержании в целом, понять суть текста, его основную идею;

–обратите внимание на:

(а) заголовок; (б) даты, числа, цифры;

(в) интернациональные слова; (г) имена собственные;

(д) графическую информацию и т.п.;

–не задерживайте внимание на незнакомых и прочно забытых словах. Используйте языковую и контекстуальную догадку, языковое чутье;

–не забудьте, что время выполнения этого задания от 10 до 12 минут;

-– словарем пользоваться нельзя.

Итог работы должен представлять собой устную передачу на русском языке общего содержания текста. Не стремитесь к переводу или дословному пересказу. Необходимо изложение сути.

Не рекомендуется делать письменные пометки, они не способствуют оптимизации воспроизведения. Их использование при ответе не поощряется.

TEXT 1

METAL REALM

Since the earliest times, known now as the Stone Age, man has elaborated the Earth crust to get raw materials as much as possible. It was a momentous discovery when our ancestors realized certain ‘rocks’ respond to fire and give forth metals.

Then someone and somewhere succeeded in discovering metals when melted and mixed together they produced a new one much stronger than either of them taken separately, some unknown discoverer being responsible for the Bronze Age.

Iron is likely to have been obtained by accident. But when man learnt to reproduce it at will and need, iron is sure to have become the central metal, we having entered the Iron Age.

29

So, we have gained quite enough knowledge to get supplementary metals, we do know how to produce some thousands of alloys. No doubt we have managed to master and take under control some dozens of other construction materials. But it is iron which is still the key to an industrialized civilization.

However, it may state a paramount of necessity how various metals are obtained and prepared for general use, but that is only half the story. Moreover, it is the ‘less important half’, so far as most of us are concerned. As consumers of metals produced by others, the most immediate need and requirement is how to take care of metallic structures and objects once they enter our everyday life and services.

We have to wage a constant battle to retain possession of existing metals. Some processes entail serious sequences: deterioration, rusting, tarnishing, and corrosion to be avoided by electroplating, tinning, galvanizing, painting, or otherwise treating metals, for natural resources and deposits are neither inexhaustible nor renewable.

(1702 печатных знака)

TEXT 2

TYPES OF CERAMIC MATERIALS

A ceramic material is defined as any inorganic crystalline oxide material. It is solid and inert. Ceramic materials are brittle, hard in compression, weak in shearing and tension. But they withstand chemical erosion in acidic or caustic environment. Ceramics generally withstand high temperatures that range from 1,000° C to 1,600° C. Exceptions are inorganic materials not to have oxygen such as silicon carbide.

Traditional ceramic raw materials include such clay minerals as kaolinite (a colourless or white, soft material, hydrous aluminium silicate), recent materials include aluminium oxide, more commonly identified as alumina. The modern ceramic materials to be classified as advanced ceramics consist of silicon carbide and tungsten carbide. Both are valued for their abrasion resistance and, hence, find use in mining operations. Advanced ceramics are also used in medicine, electrical and electronics industries.

Known physical properties of materials are of a wide variety. Mechanical properties are important in structural and building mate-

30

rials as well as textile fabrics. They are elasticity /plasticity, tensile strength, compressive strength, shear strength, fracture toughness and ductility (low in brittle materials), and indentation hardness.

It is a formation and subsequent micro-cracks propagation in materials that is of concern to fracture mechanics. It uses methods either of analytical solid mechanics to calculate a thermodynamic driving force on a crack or of experimental solid mechanics to characterize the materials resistance to fracture and catastrophic failure.

(1620 печатных знаков)

TEXT 3

BUILDING COST

Buildings are known to be essentially very expensive objects. Expenses can be measured in the amounts of physical resources consumed and the human time consumed. All physical resources are assessed only in relative terms, but human time is to be estimated in a much more precise way. In fact, the average building in America requires something about one-fifteenth of a human’s working lifetime to produce. Thus, an average skyscraper in Manhattan uses the equivalent of the entire useful lives of 50 to 100 building workers during its construction, and the equivalent of several lifetimes per year during its maintenance. Very large buildings are proved to cost several times this amount.

Even a small, utilitarian building uses tonnages, volumes, and areas of expensive building materials, most of them are to be delivered, positioned, lifted, and joined by human labour. A great number of nails, bricks, or bolts consumed are spread over a period of time, and each such a component involves the disbursement of a finite and nontrivial quantity of human time. A number of separate operations obligatory to complete at least the simplest construction details are to a certain extent surprising.

Such indispensable activities as managing workers, ordering building materials, thinking through numerous problems, planning all construction stages, keeping records, and paying bills also take up large amounts of time.

Once the design of a building has been established, economy is a matter of perfect management. Successful management does re-

31

quire the best and most well-organized use of human resources, tools, equipment, and money.

(1634 печатных знака)

TEXT 4

WALL FRAMING

Framing is a perfect building technique based on structural members to provide a stable frame as a main supporting part to which both interior and exterior wall coverings are attached and sheltered by roof horizontal ceiling joists and sloping rafters or pre-fabricated roof trusses. (Structural members are usually called studs).

Contemporary light-frame structures significantly increase strength from rigid panels (plywood or other plywood-like composites) to shape wall sections, and modern carpenters employed diagonal bracing (‘wind braces’) to stabilize walls. Diagonal bracing is a fundamental interior element in roof systems. In-wall wind braces are required by building codes or by individual state laws.

Recently light frame construction with dimensional lumber has become extremely dominant because of its actual economy.

There different types of platforms, they may be boxed structures of a ceiling and roof, or a ceiling and floor joists. The technique is referred to building trades as ‘stick and frame’ or ‘stick and platform’, or ‘stick and box’ as the sticks (studs) give a structure its vertical support, and a box shaped floor sections with joists contained within length-long post and lintels (headers) support the weight of whatever is above. Yet, the platform does provide the lateral support against wind and holds the stick walls true and square. Any lower platform supports the weight of the platforms and walls above the level of its component headers and joists.

(1500 печатных знаков)

TEXT 5

CYBERNETICS

Cybernetics is an interdisciplinary study of the structure of regulatory systems; it is closely related to control theory and systems theory. Nowadays cybernetics is equally appropriate to both physical and social systems.

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Cybernetics is of paramount importance when a system under scrutiny is involved in a closed signal loop, where actions cause some change, and that change via information or feedback adapts to new conditions, the system changing its behavior. It is a ‘circular causal’ relationship that is essential for a cybernetic perspective.

Contemporary cybernetics began as a study connecting fields of control systems, electrical network theory, mechanical engineering, logic modelling, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, anthropology, and psychology in 1940s. Cybernetics provides a means for examining a design and function of any system making them much more efficient and effective.

Cybernetics includes a study of feedback, black boxes and derived concepts such as communication and control in living organisms, machines and organizations as well as self-organization. As for Lois Kauffman, ‘Cybernetics is the study of systems and processes that interact with themselves and produce themselves from themselves’.

Concepts studied by cyberneticists embrace but do not limit to only learning, cognition, social control, adaptation, emergence, efficiency, efficacy and interconnectivity. These concepts are studied by either engineering or biology.

Other fields of study which have influenced or been influenced by cybernetics include game theory, system theory (a mathematical counterpart to cybernetics), sociology, psychology, philosophy, and architecture as well.

(1694 печатных знака)

TEXT 6

FIRE PROTECTION DEMANDS

The foremost responsibilities of fire protection are to prevent every one of would-be fires from starting and spreading, and, if these do happen, to guarantee all possible opportunities to rescue persons, animals and property, to minimize losses caused by fires as well as to create a set of accurate conditions for an effective fire fighting chance. However, complete safety from fires is unattainable, for it is not possible to eliminate all combustible materials and all possible ignition sources.

33

The compulsory building authority requirements are typically supplemented by the requirements of the insurers. Satisfying them is not obligatory but does lead to noticeable reductions in insurance premiums.

Besides active fire-fighting measures, such as sprinkler systems and fire alarms, the emphasis is to be on preventive fire protection maintenance through numerous constructional measures (referred to structural fire protection).

It includes guaranteeing adequate fire resistance for the components using such materials that do not generate any or at least no excessive amounts of, smoke or toxic gases during a fire, and reduces the risk of fires through vigilant setting up measures. The latter includes the arrangements of fire compartments; the safeguarding of escape and rescue routes; and provides means for a perfect smoke and heat ventilation.

The building authority requirements contain should both testing standards for investigating and assessing fire behavior and information on analyzing fire protection for classified building materials and components.

(1594 печатных знаков)

TEXT 7

CERAMIC ENGINEERING AND CERAMIC MATERIALS

Ceramic engineering is both science and technology to create objects from inorganic, non-metallic solids by heat and subsequent cooling, precipitation reactions from high purity chemical solutions being used.

Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure. Glass ceramics may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be an amorphous or glassy structure, with limited or short-range atomic order.

The definition is frequently restricted to inorganic crystalline materials, as opposed to non-crystalline glasses. Ceramics is formed from a molten mass to solidify on cooling, formed and matured by the action of heat, and chemically synthesized at low temperatures.

34

The special character of ceramic materials gives many applications in electrical engineering; materials engineering; chemical engineering and mechanical engineering. Ceramics because of heat resistance is sure to be used in a wide range of industries including mining; aerospace; medicine; refinery; food and chemical industries; packaging science; electronics; industrial and transmission electricity, and guided light-wave transmission when such materials like metal and polymers are unsuitable.

The earliest ceramics were pottery objects made from clay, either by itself or mixed with other materials. Ceramics now include domestic, industrial and building and art objects. In the 20th century new ceramic materials were developed to use in advanced ceramic engineering such as semiconductors.

(1538 печатных знаков)

TEXT 8

ARCHITECTURAL STYLES

Initially architecture is sure to have evolved out of urgent needs, available building materials and individual skills. Human civilizations having developed, knowledge and comprehension of nature laws as well as exchanges of generations’ experience were gradually formed and passed through oral and written traditions as well as successions of events. Finally, Architecture did become a world spread craft. Architectural work is a unique process of trials and errors, a bright improvisation and sometimes a simple replication of successful ‘know-how’.

Early human settlements were mostly rural. But step by step – not at one moment – the economy began to expand, urban areas growing and evolving in many industrial cases of ancient civilizations such as Egyptian and Mesopotamian ones. Architecture and urbanism levels are sure to reflect the constant engagement with divine and supernatural forces. Later with a steady growth of ancient cities architects are used to reflect the power of states.

Architecture associated with certain urbanization processes of typical civilizations developed from civic ideals rather than religious or empirical ones, new building types having emerged.

35

So, a great number of architectural styles have come to life. Many unique written evidences and proofs of miscellaneous architectural styles appeared only in Classical period and then became canons to be followed always and everywhere. Architecture can be civil, commercial, general, functioning, church, military, landscape, municipal, interior and others. Classic, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Pseudo-Classic and Recent styles are the most notable ones.

(1668 печатных знаков)

TEXT 9

NATIONS BANK CORPORATE CENTER

The Nations Bank Corporate Center may be considered as one of the intermediate projects by an outstanding designer Caesar Pelli in the path that leads from the immense complex of the World Financial Center in New York to the twin towers of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

A design seems to have combined the great sixty-storey tower destined prevalently for use as the headquarters of Nations Bank, resenting one of the eye-catching innovations in American urban skyscrapers.

The tower base, standing 875 feet tall, is faced in light beige granite, which progressively tones with lighten space of glass and anodized aluminum facing. This design leads to a dematerialization in the final part of the tower, where the dark granite roofs tended on the other hand to mark the different heights and geometries of the towers.

Founder’s Hall as a large public expanse is designed to stimulate the revitalization of the artistic and commercial activities.

Founder’s Hall, intended as a unique particular extended space covered by a glassed in barrel vault, presents itself at once as an entry hall for both employees of Nations Bank and numerous public performances. Moreover, its axial position with respect to the tower and various aggregated structures is sure to transform it into a principal element of union and distribution of the entire complex.

Connected to Founder’s Hall the Overstreet Mall a sector – raised above the urban level – dedicates to commercial activities, inked by severe raised passages to the spaces outside the complex.

(1552 печатных знака)

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TEXT 10

BASEMENTS

A basement is one or more floors of a building which is either completely or partially below the ground floor.

Nevertheless, shallow foundation buildings do not have any basements at all. Basements are typically used as a utility space for a building where such items as the furnace, water heater, breaker panel or fuse box, car park, and air-conditioning system are located; so also are amenities such as the electrical distribution system, and cable television distribution point.

In British English the word ‘basement’ is usually used for underground floors of, for example, department stores, but is only used for a space below the ground floor of a house, when it is habitable i.e. with windows and (usually) its own access. The word cellar is used to apply to any such large underground room. Subcellar is a cellar beneath the principal cellar and lies further underneath.

For most of its early history the basement took one of two forms. It could be little more than a cellar, or it could be a section of a building containing rooms and spaces similar to those of the rest of the structure, as in the case of basement flats and basement offices.

However, beginning with the development of large, midpriced suburban houses in the 1950s, the basement, as a space in its own right, gradually took hold.

In the beginning, any basement was typically a large, con- crete-floored space, accessed by indoor stairs, and with exposed columns and beams along the walls and ceilings, or sometimes, walls of poured concrete or concrete cinder blocks.

(1547 печатных знаков)

TEXT 11

NOISE PROBLEMS

Noise is considered little of health hazard or danger. But it is the environmental predicament that is always and everywhere taken into consideration for the inhabitants benefits.

Near vociferous airports and busy roads windows are often doubled glazed. Doubled glazed windows area usually considered for

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their thermal efficiency, but where external noise is a problem they also function as an effective sound insulator. The optimum air gap for sound insulation is around 170 mm while it may be sufficient in rooms where there is a background or distracting sound, it is often necessary to increase the sound insulation in quieter rooms such as bedrooms or studies by roof insulating.

Insulation is an outgoing problem. As new roads are constructed or old ones are upgraded any nearby property is likely to suffer increased noise. Whether they are likely to be funded for sound insulation is often a matter of assertion which is settled by the local environmental Health Officer with responsibility for noise pollution.

Noise travelling between partitions is the cause of many complaints. Complaints about domestic noise may be described by placing the sources in one of three approximately equal categories, ‘dogs’, ‘music’ and ‘other’. ‘Other’ includes loud domestic applications, shouting and DIY (abbreviation stands for ‘do it yourself’, e.g. all kinds of joiner’s work or housework).

Consideration of sound insulation in building design is very imperative not only to protect the occupants from external noise, but also to minimize the sound to escape from buildings.

(1581 печатный знак)

TEXT 12

SOLAR ENERGY CONTROL

Passive solar design for natural heating and cooling is practiced throughout the world under all climate conditions. Since currently energy costs rise, it is critical to consider building orientation, window placements, stone floors, roof overhangs, reflective barriers and other techniques to control solar energy consumption.

To face the broad side of the house to the north or south is to avoid excessive heat gain as the sun rises and drops in the horizon in warm climates. Deep overhangs or screens are used to shield glass areas from direct sun, skylights or greenhouse rooms being to avoid because of too much heat gain.

In colder climates solar heat can be captured and stored in building materials such as concrete or stone to be released during the evening. An open floor plan optimizes the effect of passive solar heat-

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ing or cooling. Doors and windows are to be placed to catch the prevailing breeze and allow cross ventilation. Lower inflow windows and higher outflow windows are known to keep air moving, for hot air rises.

A thermal chimney in a hot zone such as a glass cupola with windows or vents creates rising air currents to pull air through the building.

Double glass panes provide an insulating air space between the panes, heat transmit being reduced. The metal oxide coating on Low-E (emissive) glass keeps solar heat out and interior heat in.

In hot climates attic spaces do accumulate heat transferring it to living areas below. AC ducts located there are to run this heat.

(1514 печатных знаков)

TEXT 13

COMPUTER VISION TASKS

Each of application areas employs a wide range of` numerous computer vision tasks; more or less well-defined measurement problems or processing problems which can be successfully solved by exceptional computer vision methods such as recognition, motion analysis, scene reconstruction, and image restoration.

Motion. Several tasks relate to motion estimation where an image sequence is processed to produce an estimate of the velocity either at each point in the image or in 3D scene, or even of the camera that produces the images:

•Egomotion.

•Tracking: following the movements of a set of interest points or subjects (vehicles or humans) in the image sequence.

Scene reconstruction. Given one or more images of scene, or a video, scene reconstruction aims at computing a 3D model of the scene. In the simplest case the model can be a set of 3D points. More sophisticated methods produce a complete 3D surface model.

Image restoration. The aim of any image restoration is the removal of noise (sensor noise, motion blur, etc.).

The simplest possible approach for noise removal is various types of both low-pass and median filters. More complicated methods suppose a model of how the local image structures are to look like, a

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model to distinguish them from the noise. The best result is when the image data of local image structures such as lines or edges are first thoroughly analyzed and only after that controlled by the filtering of local information, a better noise level removal being typically obtained.

(1526 печатных знаков)

TEXT 14

CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATION

The preparation of estimates is one of the most important functions performed in any business enterprise. The estimating process begins as soon as the project idea is conceived, estimations being prepared and updated recurrently throughout the project or facility.

The parties engaged in the project repeatedly ask themselves ‘What will it cost?’ To answer this question certain assessment must be developed. A precise reply cannot be determined until the project is completed.

Any estimation is sure to be a complex procedure to collect valid information relating to the scope of projects, expected resource consumption, and future changes in costs. The process involves synthesis of the information through a mental practice of visualization which is mentally translated into an approximation of the final cost.

As estimation at any stage of the project cycle involves considerable effort to gather information, the estimator is to collect and review all of detailed plans, specifications, accessible site data (labour, materials, equipment and others), contract documents, resource cost information, pertinent government regulations, and applicable owner requirements.

Information gathering is a persistent process due to the uniqueness of each project and invariable changes in the industry environment. All steps of the building process should be accounted for along with necessary support activities and embedded temporary work items required for completion.

The estimation is to convey an assessment of the accuracy and risks as well.

(1618 печатных знаков)

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TEXT 15

LABOUR RESOURCES

Labour resources refer to a mixture of human craft or skill possessions that in reality put up a project. A great number of crafts have been evolved to carry out dedicated functions, tasks and responsibilities in the construction industry for a long period of time.

The area of craft expertise has been defined through an intricate combination of collective bargaining agreements, a chain of negotiations, close labour relations, and accepted extensions of trade practices. The evolutionary process of work jurisdiction definition has followed a logical progression; however, there are some restricted examples of bizarre craftwork assignments. Over 30 different crafts known in the construction industry are differentiated by different building materials, diverse construction processes and multifaceted construction projects types.

If union construction is dominant, the work assignment does become a significant issue with the potential for stopping or even impending progress. Typically, abundant jurisdictional disputes are nonexistent in non-union constructions; still there is more flexibility for workers task assignments. As for union construction it is extremely imperative that the estimator recognizes in the proper way the construction process because labour wage rates can substantially diverge in singular crafts.

In nonunion construction much more decision-making flexibility exists, and the critical concern to the estimator is that a sufficient wage rate must be used to attract more productive craft workers without hindering any changes of competitive reward of construction contracts.

(1617 печатных знаков)

TEXT 16

RISK MANAGEMENT

The English Dictionary defines risk as ‘hazard, a chance of bad consequences, loss or exposure to mischance’. Constituents which typically enter are events, decisions, consequences and uncertainty. Mostly only the downside of risk is mentioned, rarely a possible up-

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side, i.e. the potential for a gain. A definition for financial risks is ‘any event or action that may adversely affect an organization’s ability to achieve its objectives and execute its strategies’ or, alternatively, ‘the quantifiable likelihood of loss or less-than-expected returns’.

While these capture some risk elements, no single onesentence definition is entirely satisfactory in all contexts. Autonomously of any context risk relates strongly to uncertainty, and hence, to the notion of randomness.

Consider the following examples: an investor who holds stock in a particular company; an insurance company that has sold an insurance policy; an individual who decides to convert a fixed-rate mortgage into a variable one. All of these situations have something important in common: the investor holds today an asset with an uncertain future value.

It is understandable in the case of the stock. For the insurance company the policy may or may not be triggered by the underlying event covered.

As for the mortgage, to enter into the refinancing agreement is to change (for better or for worse) would-be repayments. So, randomness does play a crucial role in the valuation of current products held by the investor, the insurance company or the home owner.

To model such situations a mathematician would now define a one-period risky position X (or simply risk) to be a function on the probability space (Ω, F, Р); this function is called a random variable.

(1739 печатных знаков)

TEXT 17

CONTEMPORARY CONCEPTS IN ARCHITECTURE

The greatest 19th century architect of skyscrapers Louis Sullivan promoted a precept to architectural design: ‘Form follows function’. It was met with both admiration and skepticism, it having had the effect of the ‘function’ in place of ‘utility’. ‘Functionality’ came to be seen as encompassing all use criteria, perception and enjoyment of a building, not only practical but also aesthetic, psychological and cultural.

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It is a famous statement, ‘Through its aesthetic dimension architecture goes beyond the functional aspects that it is in common with other human sciences’. Through its own particular approach of expressing values architecture can stimulate and influence social life without presuming that, in and of itself, it will promote social development. To restrict the meaning of architectural formalism to art for art’s sake is not only reactionary; it can also be a purposeless pursuit of perfection or originality which degrades form into a simple instrumentality giving us a key to comprehension.

Rationalism, empiricism, structuralism, post structuralism, and phenomenology are among other scientific branches to have influenced on modern architecture, architects and their approach to building design.

In the late 20th century a new concept was added viz. sustainability. To satisfy the contemporary approach any building should be erected in a friendly environmental manner in terms of its material production, grout mixes control, pressure, quantity and, most important, demands that it makes upon non-sustainable power sources for heating, cooling, water and waste management and lighting.

(1645 печатных знаков)

TEXT 18

STRUCTURAL VIBRATION DAMAGE

Seismic forces developing in vibratory structure response to earthquake ground shaking at its foundation are known as inertia forces; their strength greatly depending on a structure mass. Hence, it is sure to be of a paramount importance to reduce the structure mass to a minimum.

One of the most significant guiding principles and strict recommendations for the perfect seismic-resistant structures design and construction is that the whole structure-foundation system should work as an inseparable unit, a superstructure being tied or anchored to the foundation in a proper way.

During earthquake activities structural sliding occurs not only in buildings but in their parts as well. As a result, on the first floor

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level walls shift on their supports, for they are purposely separated by a steel plate from the reinforced concrete supporting floor frame.

All kinds of buildings are to be carefully designed to provide proper lateral bracing, all of their components being tied together from the roof down to the foundation. The importance of adequate lateral bracing and tying together every building component cannot be overestimated.

Being a relatively heavy material of a very small, practically negligible tensile, concrete is considered very strong and durable. However, normally concrete should be reinforced with steel to increase its best properties. The proper amount and correct detailing of reinforced steel do play an important role in would-be ground shaking situations.

If the concrete is properly reinforced with steel it can be used effectively in seismic-resistant construction, but it still has relatively low strength per unit weight when normal weight aggregates are used. The exploit of lightweight aggregate concrete offers a significant advantage in seismic regions.

(1814 печатных знаков)

TEXT 19

REPAIRING DAMAGED CONCRETE

John Broomfield & Susan Macdonald

The primary step is available data review which leads to the selection of only available repair or remediation options.

When selecting a treatment for damaged concrete, all advantages and limitations must be evaluated. Repair techniques range from ‘doing nothing’ to complex treatments include:

–protection against the ingress of agents (such as water, gases, chemical vapour, other liquids and biological agents) by impregnation, surface coating, crack bandaging, filling or transferal to joints, and membrane application;

–moisture control within a specified range of values;

–concrete restorations with mortar patch repairs; recasting; sprayed overlays and replacement;

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–structural strengthening to increase or restore load-bearing capacity by the addition or replacement of rebars /bonded rebars; additional concrete; crack /void injection and prestressing;

–physical and chemical resistance to physical or mechanical

attack;

–increasing the resistivity of the concrete by limiting moisture using surface treatments, coatings or sheltering;

–cathodic and anodic control and /or protection.

A structure may suffer from various types of problems, and therefore a combination of repair methods is necessary to address each problem. Each treatment with its evident technical advantages and limitations can be appropriately used. The choice of what treatment to use is determined by its technical merits, its appropriateness for the structure, and by a life-cycle cost analysis.

(1533 печатных знака)

TEXT 20

ASPHALT ROAD REFURBISHMENT

Asphalt is a durable viscous-elastic substance used for roads and driveways in most weather conditions. However, moisture, temperature extremes, and standard exploitation do diminish its performance, causing cracks and holes.

Several methods of asphalt repair are employed to alleviate these imperfections.

Most driveways are made with cold asphalt which is easier to repair than hot asphalt since no special tools are required. Asphalt contractors generally patch potholes. Depending on their severity potholes are repaired in two basic ways.

A minor one which only impacts the surface layer involves removing all kinds of debris from the hole and filling it with new hot asphalt. As soon as the hole is pitched, the asphalt is flattened with a hand tamper or roller. A section of pavement is to be cut to the subgrade, or base layer, to repair a large pothole. When the material is removed with a jackhammer, each layer of the pavement needs to be filled, including an asphalt patch on the surface. Contractors compact repaired areas with a hand tamper or roller.

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Asphalt contractors sometimes spray old, brittle roads with a protective coating – a fog seal or rejuvenator – to stop them from crumbling. A fog seal is made of tar or diluted asphalt and is sprayed on the pavement. It fills minor cracks and gets rid of surface blemishes a rejuvenator which brings an oxidized pavement surface to its original status and is also applied as a spray.

In some cases slurry is used to repair distressed asphalt. A slurry seal is a combination of aggregate, water, mineral filler and asphalt emulsion applied to hot asphalt on roads with weather-related fissures and splitting.

(1691 печатный знак)

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КРАТКИЙ ГРАММАТИЧЕСКИЙ СПРАВОЧНИК ДЛЯ РАЗВИТИЯ НАВЫКОВ ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНО-ОРИЕНТИРОВАННОГО ЧТЕНИЯ

ИНТЕРНАЦИОНАЛЬНЫЕ СЛОВА

Слова, заимствованные из других языков, называются интернациональными. В русском, английском и других европейских языках много слов, совпадающих по написанию и звучанию. Во все словари мира из русского языка, например, вошли слова

«спутник», «луноход», «перестройка» и другие.

Существует группа слов, которые сохраняют сходное произношение и значение в разных языках. Значение таких слов в ряде случаев можно установить самостоятельно, не обращаясь к словарю: примерами таких слов могут быть: ‘locomotive’ – «ло-

комотив», ‘signal’ – «сигнал», ‘telegram’ – «телеграмма», ‘kokoshnick’ – «кокошник» (элемент русского зодчества) и другие.

К самостоятельному определению значения подобных слов надо относиться с большим вниманием, тщательно проверяя соответствие предполагаемого значения контексту. Более того, следует предостеречь от перевода абсолютно всех слов по их звучанию или написанию. Необходимость такой проверки вызвана тем, что в русском и английском языках существует очень большая группа слов-«ловушек» или, как их принято называть, «ложных друзей переводчика», которые при полном совпадении написания имеют совершенно разные значения.

Внешнее сходство этих слов часто бывает причиной не только курьезных, но и очень серьезных ошибок.

СПИСОК НЕКОТОРЫХ «ЛОЖНЫХ ДРУЗЕЙ» ПЕРЕВОДЧИКА ТЕХНИЧЕСКИХ ТЕКСТОВ

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УПОТРЕБЛЕНИЕ СУЩЕСТВИТЕЛЬНЫХ В ФУНКЦИИ ОПРЕДЕЛЕНИЯ. «ЦЕПОЧКА СУЩЕСТВИТЕЛЬНЫХ»

В английской научно-технической литературе существительное может употребляться в функции определения другого существительного. Часто встречаются целые цепочки из нескольких стоящих рядом существительных. В такой группе определяемым является последнее слово: все существительные, стоящие перед ним, являются его определениями. Проще говоря, переводить надо с конца «цепочки»:

•damage compensation sta- – данные о компенсациях за

Переведите:

(А)

Water Water supply

Water supply system

Water supply system development Water supply system development issue

(B)

Estimation

Implications estimation Systems implications estimation

Vision systems implications estimation Computer vision systems implications estimation

State computer vision systems implications estimation

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(С)

Changes Demand changes

Conditions demand changes Monitoring conditions demand changes

Quality monitoring conditions demand changes Pollution quality monitoring conditions demand changes

Noise pollution quality monitoring conditions demand changes

(D)

Results

Strategy results Development strategy results

Base development strategy results Data base development strategy results

Delivery data base development strategy results Equipment delivery data base development strategy results

Office equipment delivery data base development strategy results

Из-за многообразия семантических связей между членами словосочетания, из-за многозначности словосочетания, а также из-за различия структур английского и русского языков возникают определенные трудности при переводе. Поэтому очень важно анализировать внутренние смысловые связи между членами «цепочки», принимая во внимание контекст и /или знание ситуации.

Некоторые словосочетания превратились в термины: competition-based programs; day-to-day-activities; flexible short-term contracts; man-made hoaxes; word-of-mouth recommendations; spe- cially-designed life-size statistics, traffic-control systems, decisionmaking process, fan-coil units, a constant volume reheat system, a coal-fired water heater, shear-truss-frame outrigger и другие.

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Переведите:

1. Amdur suggested a use of a room-within-a-room or ‘cocoon’ for humidity controlled museum spaces. 2. The rates of chemical decay may or may not approach zero, depending on slow non- moisture-controlled-mechanisms. 3. Sensible-only heating or cooling elements should be avoided because they can create local humidity extremes near collections. 4. In some buildings (especially in museums) 60-year old multi-zone duct systems renovations are more economical in comparison to common duct-distribution systems (such as terminal reheat, dual-duct, and variable-air-volume systems). 5. For lower leaks risks and better-managed illumination, clerestory daylighting is preferred to skylights. 6. Numerical step-by-step integration proves to be a more efficient method of analysis for multi-degree-of- freedom structural systems with several non-linearity under a transient process. 7. The popular trial-and-error approach to problem-solving also reflects the practical.

МЕСТОИМЕНИЯ ‘SOME’, ‘ANY’ И ИХ ПРОИЗВОДНЫЕ

Для обозначения неопределенного (небольшого) количества предметов или вещества используются неопределенные местоимения ‘some’ и ‘any’. Они обычно являются определениями к существительным и стоят вместо артикля.

‘Some’ употребляется, как правило, в утвердительных предложениях. Выполняя функцию определения к исчисляемому существительному во множественном числе, ‘some’ имеет значе-

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Выполняя функцию определения к исчисляемому существительному в единственном числе, ‘some’ имеет значение «ка-

Выполняя функцию определения к неисчисляемому существительному, ‘some’ имеет значение «немного», «некоторое

‘Any’ употребляется, как правило, в вопросительных и отрицательных предложениях.

Выполняя функцию определения к исчисляемому существительному во множественном числе, ‘any’ имеет значение «какиелибо», «какие-нибудь»; а в сочетании с отрицательным словом

Местоимение ‘any’ и его производные также могут употребляться в утвердительных предложения в значении «любой»,

1. Any fax message should be written in accordance with a special form. 2. Stucco as any other cement-based material can be reinforced with plastic or wire lath, nails or screws embedded into the base coat to add strength.

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МЕСТОИМЕНИЯ ‘SOME’, ‘ANY , NO’

И ИХ ПРОИЗВОДНЫЕ

В английском языке в отрицательном предложении может быть только одно отрицание; поэтому если в предложении

– отрицательное местоимение ‘no’, то глагол употребляется в утвердительной форме:

МНОГОЗНАЧНОСТЬ ГЛАГОЛОВ

TO DO

1. Основной глагол:

делать:

9If you want a thing well done, do it yourself.

9They have done their best to satisfy all the requests.

9Did they do it every day?

9It is better to do well than to say well.

2.Для замены смыслового глагола во избежание его повторения:

9They produce many room coolers, more than their would-be competitors do.

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9He established the pertinent training programs for Russian staff, better than he did last time.

3.Вспомогательный глагол:

а) Вопросительная или отрицательная форма Present/ Past Indefinite:

9What do you think about new developments connected with the problem in question?

9She didn’t inform us about latest catalogues.

б) Повелительное наклонение отрицательная форма:

9Don’t neglect all these recommendations!

9Don’t be in a hurry!

4.Для усиления:

а) значения, выраженного смысловым глаголом в утвердитель-

ной форме Present, Past Indefinite:

9But she does know everything about our previous arrangements. («ведь», «же», «действительно» + вы-

деление интонацией, голосом)

9I do hope you will enclose a copy of the latest Product List.

б) в повелительном наклонении:

9Do include some subsequent components! (обяза-

тельно, очень прошу)

9Do be careful in carrying out such a risky experiment!

9Do set up the premise completion and delivery guarantee fund!

9Do read a list of do’s and don’ts and take them into consideration!

TO BE

1.Основной глагол:

быть, находиться где-то:

9 He is at the Institute now.

9 How long have you been there?

9 If he had been in the laboratory yesterday, he would have helped us.

2.Глагол-связка (to) be + n /adj.:

а) быть, являться, состоять:

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9I hope he’ll be a great authority in this field.

9Money is one of man’s greatest inventions.

9These basic design data are not interesting for them.

9The new element was radioactive and very dangerous.

3.Модальный глагол

а) (tо) be + to V выражает долженствование в соответствии с планом, расписанием, предварительной договоренностью:

9They are to carry out a series of necessary experiments in a week.

9The conference was to begin at 5.

9Structural design, style and thermal insulation are to be compatible with local climatic and weather conditions.

б) (to) be + to have V(ed)3 выражает действие, которое должно было совершиться в прошлом, но не совершилось:

9I was to have finished my work yesterday.

9They were to have received the information two days ago.

9Designers were to have considered the prevailing winter wind.

в) (to) be + to be V(ed)3 выражает возможность:

9New window unit air conditioners are to be installed here.

9Many elite buildings are to be seen in the streets of Moscow.

9More heat is to be added than to be lost via radiation, convection and conduction.

4.Вспомогательный глагол:

а) Continuous Tenses: (to) be + Ving

9Economic conditions are changing on a large scale.

9She is working on the statement of probable construc-

tion cost now.

б) Passive Voice: (to) be + V3

9The answer was known to all of us.

9This vexed question will be discussed in a day.

9The request for delay of payment is being discussed.

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