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4.7 Read the article entitled The Early Bird Catches the Worm… and say whether you find the research surprising.
The Early Bird Catches the Worm…
(Is it a fact or a myth?)
The early bird may catch the worm – but people who lie around in bed in the morning and work into the evening are more intelligent, according to Richard Roberts of the University of Sydney.
The scientists asked 400 volunteers to fill in questionnaires to work out if they considered themselves early-rising ‘morning types’ or late-working ‘evening types’. Each was then subjected to mental agility and memory tests.
The researchers discovered that the ‘evening types’ had significantly better mental speed and memory. ‘The results indicate that, contrary to conventional folk wisdom, evening types are more likely to have higher intelligence scores,’ Roberts told The Sunday Telegraph. He also suggested that the link between intelligence and working late may be a hang-over from prehistoric times, when those who were still alert after dark would be more likely to survive attacks by nocturnal predators.
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4.8Answer the following questions:
Do you personally consider yourself
a ‘morning type’ or
an ‘evening type’?
Tick an answer and explain why.
Do you think the findings the research suggests might be dubious (difficult to believe)?
4.9Which is the best summary of the article you’ve just read? – .
According to Richard Roberts, ‘evening types’ do better in intelligence tests because
a)they sleep more.
b)of their genetic inheritance.
c)they regard themselves as more intelligent.
4.10Do you think the information in the article is
a fact or
a myth?
4.11Groupwork. Share ideas with your groupmates.
What do you do to get your brains into gear?
What do you do to calm your nerves and put yourself in a relaxed frame of mind?
Have you got any special techniques?
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MODULE 2. BRANCHES OF ENGINEERING
Group A
1 Look through five documents below. Each document deals with one branch of engineering. Put the number of the text (1–5) corresponding to the branch of engineering:
civil engineering
chemical engineering
mechanical engineering
electrical engineering
aerospace engineering
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THE TOMORROW’S TECH |
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CHALLENGE IS HERE |
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The Tomorrow’s Tech Foundation is offering a large |
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licensed production payment for its fourth annual |
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challenge. The goal is to design a new spacecraft. The |
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design is mostly wide-open, but there are some |
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requirements and restrictions. It must meet the following |
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requirements: |
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capability to launch up to 6,000 pound payload |
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an internal fuel capacity of at least 5,000 pounds |
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at least 16,000 pounds of thrust |
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a minimum velocity of Mach 2.5 |
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All types of propellant are acceptable. Obviously, |
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designs featuring ramjets will not be accepted. |
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500 million euros is the maximum flyaway value for this |
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project. Go to our website to register your design team. |
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Good luck! |
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SHARP & CO.
http://sharp&co.com.uk
At Sharp & Co., we specialize in designing and building pressure vessels. We offer many kinds of services. These include:
Creating a physical prototype of systems
Creating virtual models of systems with CAD (computer-aided design)
Testing conditions with CFD (computational |
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fluid dynamics) simulations |
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Drafting of the mechanism
Building parts to specifications using CAM (computer-aided manufacturing)
Studying and testing of stresses
Building a pressure vessel system requires expert skill and knowledge. Let our mechanical engineering team help build your system today. Please call or email us for more details.
From: Ted Everett <teverett@elecco.com> |
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To: Brian Smith <bsmith@elecco.com> |
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Subject: Deadline Changes |
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Brian, |
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The deadline for the model GR-7 DVD player |
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project is next month. As a result, we’re |
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delaying production on the GR-2.2 model. We |
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need to adjust our production of some |
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components. |
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Fortunately, both models use many of the same parts. Keep making circuit card assemblies for both. However, the models use different power supplies. Stop all production of GR-2.2 power supplies and focus on creating GR-7 power supplies.
Remember to make the necessary adjustments. The GR-7 power supplies require an input voltage of 120 volts and an output voltage of 5 volts. These are slightly higher than the settings for the GR-2.2 power supplies. Remember the output power, too. The GR-power supplies must produce 27 watts – the GR-2.2 only produce 24 watts.
Please inform the rest of the staff of the change.
Ted Everett
Electrical Engineering Supervisor
Howard & Davidson
Engineering
Job title: Civil Engineer
Location: Dover, Kent, United Kingdom 4 Company: Howard & Davidson Engineering
Howard & Davidson Engineering is seeking a civil engineer. Applicants need experience designing many types of infrastructure. This includes:
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Small-scale residential and commercial projects. These serve individual clients
Large-scale municipal projects. These serve entire communities.
We work primarily with land development and road construction projects. As such, we need someone with knowledge of the related water supply issues. Experience with making topographic models is a plus. Knowledge of updated construction techniques is essential. We are looking to fill this position quickly.
Improving Biodiesel |
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Gary Flanders, a chemical engineer, is changing how the country uses fuel. |
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Most of the country uses fossil fuels for energy. Gary is making |
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breakthroughs with alternative fuel. |
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He’s starting with diesel, which powers buses and trucks. He’s working on a |
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new fuel called biodiesel. Because it comes from plants instead of |
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petroleum, it’s completely biodegradable and non-toxic. It is also 100% |
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renewable. |
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But some people don’t like biodiesel. They say that it requires too much |
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farmland. And creating additional farmlands would destroy animal |
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habitats. Critics are also worried that farmers would grow crops for |
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biodiesel instead of food. This would cause food shortages. |
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2 What type of document does each text represent? Put the number of the text (1–5).
job posting
newspaper article
website of a firm
email from a supervisor
notice from a journal
3 Read the five texts carefully and answer the following questions:
1)What is the posting mostly about?
2)What experience and knowledge should the successful applicant have?
3)What is the article about?
4)Why are some people against biodiesel?
5)What information does the page from the website of a firm give?
6)What is the email about?
7)What can you infer about the company?
8)What is the notice mostly about?
9)Why will designs featuring ramjets not be accepted?
4 Read the definition and guess the defined word or phrase (used in the texts 1–5 above):
Civil Engineering
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1)The physical structures needed to operate a society or an organization are
called i .
2)Something that is r is related to where people live.
3)Something that is m is related to an entire city, town or community.
4)Something that is c is related to business or commerce.
5)The process of building structures such as buildings, roads, and bridges is
called c .
6) The process of building a road is called
r c .
7) The supply of fresh water for an area or community is called w
s .
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8) The process of making an area of land more useful by constructing buildings, road, or bridges is called l d .
Chemical Engineering
9)An energy source that is made from organic remains is called f
f . The examples are coal, gas and oil.
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10)P is a type of oil found in the ground.
11)If a source is r , it can be replaced by the natural
world.
12)T means poisonous.
13)If something is b , it will break apart
naturally.
Mechanical Engineering
14) A m is a number of parts in a machine that are
linked together to perform a particular task.