Text a. Brick

1. Today brick is considered to be one of the main building materials. In shape it is a rectangular solid and its weight is from 6 to 9 lb. Bricks generally present a pleasing appearance and can be obtained with various qualities, colours and textures. Being of a high volume weight and high thermal conductivity ordinary brick can not be always used in building practice. There are other kinds of bricks which are more effective: they are light-weight building bricks, hollow or porous bricks. Light-weight building bricks differ from ordinary clay bricks in a lower weight and lower thermal conductivity, and therefore more economical than ordinary bricks.

2. The shape and convenient size of a brick enables a man to grip it with an easy confidence and, because of this, brick-building has been popular for many hundreds of years. The hand of the average man is large enough to take a brick and he is able to handle more than 500 bricks in an eight-hour working day.

3. Brick is a universally used structural material which in modern times is made by pressing clay into blocks and burning them to hardness. Bricks in their most primitive form were not burned, but were hardened by being dried in the sun. Brick probably existed in times of which no record remained.

Since the Middle Ages brick work has been in constant use everywhere, in every sort of construction and in every architectural style. Good bricks are practically indestructible by fire or atmospheric action and more durable than stone. At the beginning of the 19^th century, mechanical processes came into everyday use and by the end of the century had almost entirely replaced the ancient hand-fashioned methods.

4. Are these statements true or false? If they are false, say why. Use the following phrases:

I can’t agree to this statement because…

Just the contrary…

I think…

To my mind…

1. Brick is made by pressing clay into blocks and burning them.

2. We know when brick appeared.

3. Brick is used in every architectural style.

4. Brick is made by hand.

5. Brick is rectangular in shape.

6. There are different kinds of brick.

7. A bricklayer is able to handle more than 1000 bricks in an eight-hour working day.

5. Study the text and answer the following questions:

1. How is brick made?

2. How was primitive form of brick made?

3. Did brick exist in times of which no record remained?

4. What are the properties of brick?

5. What is the shape of a brick?

6. Are there different kinds of brick?

7. How many bricks is a man able to handle in an eight-hour working day?

6. Render the text in Ukrainian.

IV. Vocabulary and Grammar Activator

1. Study the text and give Ukrainian equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:

to consider; shape; solid; pleasing appearance; texture; high volume weight; ordinary brick; more economical; convenient size; eight-hour working day; at the beginning.

2. Study the text and find English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:

повністю замінити; древній метод; механічні процеси; постійне використання; архітектурний стиль; незруйнований; існувати; якість; фунт; давати змогу; висока теплопровідність.

3. Complete the following sentences:

1. Brick is universally used in …….. .

2. Brick is made by …….. .

3. Good brick is more durable than …….. .

4. The ancient hand-fashioned methods were replaced by …….. .

5. Brick is ……. in shape.

6. A brick weighs …….. .

7. ……. are more economical than ordinary bricks.

4. Combine the words from the left and right column to make word combinations. Translate them into Ukrainian:

	practice
rectangular	textures
pleasing	colours
various	material
volume	style
thermal	methods
building	brick
ordinary	qualities
architectural	weight
ancient	conductivity
	solid
	appearance