Vocabulary:

1. population (n) – население

2. place of interest (n) – достопримечательность

3. outstanding (adj) – выдающийся, знаменитый

4. create (v) – создавать

5. remarkable (adj) – замечательный

6. ensemble (n) – ансамбль

7. last (v) – продолжаться

8. defence (n) – защита

9. district (n) – район

10. outskirt (n) – окраина

11. provide (v) – обеспечивать

12. conveniences (n) – удобства

Questions to the text:

1. What is the population of St.Petersburg?

2. Is St.Petersburg one of the greatest industrial centres of Russia?

3. When did the history of the city begin?

4. When was St.Petersburg founded?

5. Who was it founded by?

6. Is St.Petersburg a great centre of science and education?

7. How many higher schools are there in the city?

8. Students from different countries of the world study in St.Petersburg, don’t they?

9. Is St.Petersburg an important cultural centre?

10. How many museums and theatres are there in the city?

11. What is the city famous for?

12. Who lived and worked in St.Petersburg?

13. What did they create?

14. How many days did the heroic blockade last?

15. How many Leningraders gave their lives during the defense of the city?

16. Where are thousands of multy-storied blocks of flats built every year?

An industrial building under construction

In the picture one can see an industrial building under construction. Its framework is made of precast reinforced concrete. There is a formwork (shuttering) in the right-hand corner of the picture. It was used for casting the reinforced concrete beams.

The framework consists of columns and beams. The column spacing is 6 m (19 ft 8 in). They are at 6 m centres. The main bearing structures are the columns. The floor beams rest upon cantilevered sills. The flooring is assembled of reinforced concrete panels (slabs). The floor slabs (panels) rest upon reinforced concrete lateral beams. There is a crane-beam in the upper part of the picture. One can see a truss above it. It rests on the top of the column. The walls are self-bearing. They are made of brick resting on girders (longitudinal beams). There are three openings in the wall. Two of them are finished with window frames installed.

The third opening is unfinished – there is no window frame in it.

There is a staircase in the top right-hand corner. This is an emergency staircase leading to a gallery. The building consists of two parts: the superstructure and the substructure. The superstructure is two-storied. A staircase leads to the basement located in the substructure of the building. These two parts are connected by a staircase.

The staircase consists of ten steps (treads). There are piles below. These piles support the column footing.

On the left one can see an adjoining industrial building. It is a single (one) storied building. In plan this building is T-shaped. The six storey block forms the upright of the T.

Vocabulary:

13. framework (n) – каркас, рама

14. reinforced concrete – железобетон

15. formwork (n) – опалубка

16. corner (n) - угол

17. beam (n) – балка

18. consist of (v) – состоять из

19. bearing structure – несущая конструкция

20. rest upon (v) – находиться, покоиться на

21. flooring (n) – перекрытие

22. lateral (adj) – боковой

23. truss (n) – ферма, стропило

24. girder (n) – балка. ферма

25. longitudinal (adj) – продольный

26. opening (n) – отверстие

27. staircase (n) – лестница

28. emergency (adj) – запасный

29. lead to (v) – вести к

30. superstructure (n) – наземная часть (сооружения)

31. substructure (n) – подземная, подвальная часть (сооружения)

32. basement (n) – подвал

33. locate (v) – размещаться, находиться

34. connect (v) – связывать, соединять

35. adjoining (adj) – примыкающий

36. shape (v) – придавать форму, формовать

37. upright (adj) – вертикальный элемент конструкции

Questions to the text:

38. What can one see in the picture?

39. What is the framework made of?

40. What can one see in the right-hand corner of the picture?

41. What was the framework used for?

42. What does the framework consist of?

43. What do the floor beams rest upon?

44. What kind of flooring can one see here?

45. What do the floor slabs rest upon?

46. What are the walls made of?

47. How many openings are there in the wall?

48. Is there a window frame in the opening?

49. What can one see in the top right-hand corner?

50. How many staircases are there?

51. What are the substructure and the superstructure connected by?

52. Where does the lower staircase lead to?

53. Where does the upper staircase lead to?

54. What do the piles support?

55. Where are the piles shown?

56. What can one see on the left?