On Bridge Building

1.Today bridge building is considered to be a science; but while it is of very recent origin, it must not be thought that the previous centuries made no contribution to our knowledge of bridge construction. Everyone knows that there are in existence bridges that are believed to have been constructed over two thousand years ago. Even the idea of bridge has been given to man by nature. A tree accidentally fallen across a stream served to provide a safe crossing. To drop another tree at its side and to use strong creepers to bind them together must have been man’s first step in bridge building. Homer, who lived some time between 800 and 1000 B.C. writes that bridges were common in his day and mentions in particular pontoon bridges that

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were used for the passage of armies. Herodotes describes a bridge over the Euphrates, which must have been built at Babylon about 780 B.C. It was a short span structure thirty feet wide made of timber resting on stone piers to carry its load. Another and later form of bridge and one requiring a higher degree of skill was the arch. The Romans are known to have brought this construction to its high degree of perfection.

2.The history of Russian bridge building is closely connected with the name of Kulibin, one of the most talented self-taught engineers.

3.From his early childhood Kulibin showed a keen interest in all kinds of mechanical devices and liked to build models of mills, water mills, and different machine parts to be assembled into mechanisms. To acquire skill and knowledge became the boy’s greatest desire. He realized that in order to master the secret of mechanisms it was necessary to study mathematics and physics.

Пояснения к тексту

1.to be of recent origin - появиться недавно

2.bridges were common - мосты были распространены; мосты были обычным явлением

3.self-taught engineer- инженер-самоучка

6. Перепишите следующие утверждения. Определите, какие из них соответствуют тексту, а какие нет. Напротив правильных предложений напишите “True”(Верно).

1.From his early childhood Kulibin showed a keen interest in bridge building.

2.The boy realized it was necessary to study mathematics and physics.

3.Arch bridges were perfected by the Romans

4.Bridge construction as a science has a two-thousand-year history.

Контрольное задание №5

Грамматика:1.Условные предложения.. 2.Грамматическме функции should, would. 3. Обороты с инфинитивом и причастием, равнозначные придаточным предложениям.4.Различные значения слов: as, because, because of, due to, for, since, both … and, either … or, neither … nor.

Вариант 1

1.Перепишите и устно переведите следующие условные предложения. Напротив каждого из них напишите тип условия (реальное, маловероятное, нереальное). Подчеркните предложение, для которого верно утверждение “Peter is a university student.”

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1.If Peter had entered the university a year before he would have graduated from it last year. 2. If Peter enters the university this year he will graduate from it in five years.3. If Peter entered the university this year he could become an engineer in five years.

2. Перепишите предложения и переведите, обращая внимание на различные значения should, would.

1.It would be impossible to simplify the production of aluminium without using the electrothermal method. 2 Had man learnt to control thermonuclear explosion he would have a practically inexhaustible source of energy. 3. I think you shouldn’t tell him about it.

3. Перепишите предложения и переведите их, принимая во внимание, что инфинитивные и причастные обороты соответствуют придаточным предложениям.

1.Scientists consider solar energy to be an ideal source of power for artificial satellites. 2. Some materials undergo changes when subjected to heat and pressure. 3. There are still many problems to be solved concerning housing construction. 4.Matter is said to exit in four states- solid, liquid, gaseous and plasma, the latter being a hot ionized gas.

4. Перепишите предложения и переведите, обращая внимание на различные значения подчеркнутых слов.

1.This metal possesses high strength due to the addition of tungsten. 2. High strength of this metal is due to the addition of tungsten. 3.Copper is in a wide use for cables because it is a good conductor of electricity .4. Copper is widely used for cables because of its good conductivity of electricity.5. Both sedimentation (отстой) and filtration are water purification methods.

5. Прочитайте и устно переведите весь текст. Перепишите и письменно переведите 1,2,3 абзацы.