Vocabulary

Exercise 1. Match the English words in A with their Russian equivalents in B.

A. B.

1. usage 1. сравнение

2. tough 2. сравниться

3. handle 3. применение

4. split 4. жесткий

5. endure 5. расщеплять

6. comparison 6. внешний вид

7. match 7. ручка

8. shrink 8. выстоять, выдержать

9. appearance 9. использовать

10. utilize 10. усыхать

Exercise 2. Find the English equivalents to the following Russian.

инструменты; нужды; трудно; сердцевина; влажный; служить; выдерживать; столб; годность к обработке; валить деревья; обрабатывать; количества (объем); целый ряд; сохранять; в первую очередь; без сомнения; ценить

Exercise 3. Choose the words from the text which have the similar meaning.

requirements; to utilize; properties; to withstand; wet; pole; to compare; to cut; to machine; volumes; broadleaved species; coniferous; to consider.

Exercise 4. Study the definitions of the following tree species.

ash - forest tree with silver-grey bark and hard, tough wood; growsin Eurasia, Northern America

elm - common deciduous tree that grows to a great size and height with hard and heavy wood; grows in the temperate zone of Northern hemisphere

oak - sorts of large tree with tough, hard wood, common in many parts of the world

teak - evergreen tree of India, Malaysia; its hard wood is used in shipbuilding

mahogany - tropical tree with dark-brown wood much used for furniture

alder - tree of the birch family, usually growing in marshy places

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walnut - tree producing a nut with an edible kernel in a hard shell; the

wood of this tree is used as a veneer for making furniture

Exercise 5. Read a short text and do some exercises to it.

What is a Sequoia?

Sequoias, or redwood trees, grow in the western United States, mostly in California and Oregon. Sequoias are some of the oldest living things on earth. They are also among the biggest. They often grow more than 30 meters high.

To tell the age of a tree it is necessary to cut it down. The trunk of the tree has rings. There is a ring for each year of life of the tree. By counting the rings, people can learn the age of a tree. One sequoia had 3000 rings! Some sequoias are even older.

Sequoias are evergreen trees and their bark is tough. It is about 15 centimeters thick and is almost fireproof. The fireproof bark has helped sequoias live through many forest fires.

1. F

   V

   ind the information in the text and mark it with a

g row in California.

are found in the East.

Sequoias are very old.

grow 80 metres high.

are evergreen plants.

have thin bark.

are almost fireproof.

1. Insert the adverbs using the text.

1. _______ in California and Oregon

2. are ______ among the biggest

3. They ______ grow more than

4. are _______ older

5. bark is ______ tough

6. is _______ fireproof

2. Which sentence corresponds to the content of the first paragraph?

1. A sequoia has rings in its trunk.

2. A sequoia is one of the oldest living things.

3. A sequoia has fireproof bark.

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IV. Which sentence corresponds to the content of the second paragraph?

1. The age of a tree is told by rings.

2. The age of a tree is told by its height.

3. The age of a tree is told by its bark.

Finish the sentences.

1. A sequoia is a ______.

a) tree ring b) redwood c) tree house

1. The age of a tree is seen in its ______.

a) colour b) bark c) rings

2. Sequoia bark is very ______.

a) thin and soft b) thick and tough c) big and tall

4. Sequoias have tough ______.

a) trunks b) rings c) bark

Exercise 6. Here is the list of physical properties of wood. Why are they very important? Match their definitions.

1 strength a) the capability to last for a long time

2 durability b) the ability not to burn or crack or break when heated

3 appearance c) the quality of being strong

4 workability d) the capability to be worked up

5 toughness e) the ability not to be easily cut, broken or worn out

6 fireproofing f) that which shows or can be seen

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with the words from the box.

a cabinet - maker; hardwoods; durability; suitable; appearance; fireproof; valuable; handles; worked up; construction

1. Broad - leaved trees or ______ such as oak and beech produce hard and heavy wood. 2. Different wood species have different natural _______. 3. A _______ is a skilled workman who makes fine furniture. 4. Beech and mahogany are mostly used for decorative purposes due to their attractive ________. 5. Over the thousands of years man has learnt to choose those timbers most ________ for their purposes. 6. Different _______ chemicals or paints are usually used to prevent wood from fire. 7. Wood is the best thermal insulator so it is widely used in housing ______. 8. Wood is one of the poorest conductors of heat. This characteristic feature makes it especially suitable for the ________ of cooking utensils. 9. The facing parts of many wood products are covered with veneer of ________ species. 10. Wood is easily ________ with tools and machine - tools.

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Exercise 8. Remember all the phrasal verbs used in the previous texts and insert the necessary prepositions.

1. The form that the mature tree develops depends very much _______ its surroundings. 2. This conversion process results ________ the release of oxygen and purification of the atmosphere. 3. Timber was referred ________ as the best structural materials by Greeks and Romans. 4. The enlargement of the trunk in girth is brought _______ entirely by the activity of the cambium. 5. Wood is composed _______ carbon compounds. 6. Take a tree stump and look ________ it attentively. 7. All of those who deal _______ wood must have a good knowledge of this material.