14. Find out from your partner:

– what building materials were used in different countries long ago;

– what the main groups of building materials are;

– what the main characteristics of the building materials nowadays are;

– why we build a lot nowadays.

15. Prove that:

– building materials influence greatly upon the schools of architecture;

– all building materials are divided into three groups;

– the scale of construction is growing from year to year in our country.

16. Comment on:

– the usage of the building materials in different countries;

– the usage of the building materials nowadays;

– the importance of building new houses.

17. Imagine that:

– You are going to report to your group mates about building materials in old times. Role-play a dialogue with your partner.

– Your fried from the other faculty knows nothing about the main building materials but he wants to know about them. Role-play a dialogue with your partner.

18. Comprehensive check. Choose the best alternative according to the text:

1. In Egypt sun-dried bricks were easily and cheaply made because …

a) there was a very dry weather;

b) there was a lot of clay;

c) there were favourable conditions for these material.

2. Because of stone’s durability it became … ..

a) very popular in ancient counties;

b) the material of the most rich houses;

c) the material of the temples and palaces.

3. In Egypt the less pretentious dwellings … .

a) were built from wood;

b) were built of brick;

c) were built in the suburbs.

4. In Mesopotamia large brick buildings were constructed and, in the absence of … ..

a) stone and wood to span their areas, the arch and dome came into being;

b) timber and marble to span their areas, the arch and dome came into being;

c) suitable building materials to span their areas, the arch and dome came into being.

5. Greece possessed perfect marble for columns and beams and ... .

a) the arch and dome received little attention;

b) the arch and dome received much attention;

c) the arch and dome were built very often.

6. … gave Rome stone and cement.

a) A fortunate combination of timber, marble, clay and pozzuolana;

b) A fortunate combination of lime, limestone, gypsum and wood;

c) A fortunate combination of lime, limestone, clay and pozzuolana.

7. Forests abounded and other materials were difficult to obtain … .

a) in Russia, Central Europe and Switzerland;

b) in Northern Europe, Switzerland and Russia;

c) in Northern Europe, Swiss and Germany.

8. Wooden architecture was characteristic for ... .

a) the less pretentious dwellings;

b) buildings of all types;

c) the rich houses all over the world.

9. We call the main building materials such as ... .

a) stones, artificial stones, timber and metals;

b) lime, stone, timber and brick;

c) stones, wood, clay and metals.

10. Binding materials are used for making artificial stones and ... .

a) for building some small dwellings;

b) for joining different planes;

c) for joining cement with timber.

11. Natural building materials are ... .

a) stone, gypsum, cement, lime and timber;

b) stone, limestone, clay and pozzuolana;

c) stone, clay, sand, lime and timber.

12. Artificial building materials are ... .

a) cement, marble and wood;

b) cement, gypsum and concrete;

c) cement, clay products and concrete.

13. The new materials of construction are ... .

a) used for building modern buildings;

b) characterized by increased strength;

c) expensive but used very often.

14. A greater speed in housing construction has been achieved because of ... .

a) the usage of the new materials of construction;

b) the good work of our builders;

c) the new elaborations in our science.

15. The scale of construction requires ... .

a) the use of the new building methods;

b) the growth of the good workers;

c) the use of the new investigations.

16. A great percentage of the houses ... .

a) are built in the new districts;

b) are constructed by the foreign builders;

c) are constructed by house-building plants.

17. The newly built blocks of flats ... .

a) give us possibility to improve our living conditions;

b) make our life more and more comfortable;

c) show the scale of construction in our country.