Module 1 Civil Engineering – a “Challenging” Profession?

"The profession of Civil Engineering is the art of directing the great sources of the power of Nature for the use and convenience of Man." ( from Wikipedia)

Learning strategy

Thinking about what you are going to learn before starting helps you to focus on it better.

In this module you will

listen, read and talk about:

• responsibilities, occupation tasks and work activities of civil engineers

• knowledge, skills and abilities civil engineers should possess

• civil engineering specialties

learn how to:

• express opinion

• agree/disagree

• summarise information in the form of a table

practise:

• modal verbs and their equivalents (can, be able be to, must, have to, should)

• infinitive of purpose

• prepositions

What is Civil Engineering?

Unit 1

Occupation

Unit 2

Unit 3

Specialities

Unit 1

What is Civil Engineering?

Learning strategy

Thinking about what you already know about the topic and the reasons for studying it gives you a focus for your learning.

Lead-in	Your future profession is civil engineering. What do you know about it? What do civil engineers do? What are they responsible for? What do they have to study to become professionals?
A harbour dam coastal protection water supply public health material strength water flow foundation capacities breaking waves contamination treatment land interaction facilities meet technological challenges satisfy the demands ctivity 1	You are going to read an extract from the website of the University of Queensland in Australia, which provides a degree in Civil Engineering. 1. Before reading make sure that you understand English words and expressions in the left-hand column, matching them with their Russian equivalents in the right-hand column. удовлетворять потребности дамба, плотина береговая защита удобства, оснащение, возможности, приспособления загрязнение несущая способность фундамента предельные колебания сопротивление (прочность) материала здравоохранение водный поток взаимодействие с землей (почвогрунтом) водоснабжение идти в ногу с технологическим прогрессом порт, гавань обработка /очистка
	2. Read the text “What is Civil Engineering?” and find the answers to the questions in Lead-in section. Do they coincide with your answers? Have you found any new information about your future profession? Would you like to add something to the text?

		Civil HOME About Civil Engineering

What is Civil Engineering?

Civil engineering is for people; planning and constructing the environment in which they live. Civil engineers are men and women who can plan, design, construct and maintain the facilities which contribute to our modern way of life. Civil engineers are responsible for buildings, bridges, roads, harbours, dams, airports, coastal protection, water supply and public health. They must understand material strength, water flow, foundation capacities, breaking waves, transport, land interactions, contamination and treatment. They should be well informed about the sciences, they must apply their theoretical knowledge to create economical and aesthetical facilities which satisfy the demands of society. The Civil engineer must be good at mathematics and physics, should have a desire to meet technological challenges and has to be able to work with a wide range of people.

Activity 2

Grammar review

Modal verbs

Very often modal verbs are used to describe responsibilities and abilities of people.

1. Look through the text again and underline all the verbs and expressions that describe responsibilities and skills of civil engineers. Find modal verbs among them. (See Table 1 for reference).

Table 1. Modal verbs and their equivalents.

1.CAN 2. BE ABLE TO 3. MUST 4. HAVE TO 5. SHOULD

1.Умение, возможность что-то делать. 2. Возможность что-то сделать в определенной ситуации. 3. Долженствование. 4. Необходимость что-то сделать. 5. Совет (следовало бы).

2. Check if you remember how to use modal verbs.

Complete the sentences with the necessary modal verbs.

1. Civil engineers ______ choose from a wide range of opportunities in industry and consulting practice as well as research and development.

2. Modern civil engineers ______be good specialists in information technology, computer- aided design as computers are becoming increasingly important.

3. During the course of studies graduate and undergraduate students ______ complete a number of research projects.

4. They ______ have a vision, and the technology can help them to carry that vision to reality.

5. Every morning we turn on the tap, boil a kettle, use the bathroom, walk along the road, cross a bridge or take a train. Without civil engineering we wouldn’t ______do any of these.

6. In future civil engineers ______find new ways to minimize problems and to maintain the quality of the world in which we live.

7. On site civil engineers ______ organize and supervise the workforce, plant and materials.

8. If you study Civil Engineering you ______ learn how to use maths and science to design big construction projects.

Learning strategy

Creating your own sentences can help you check your understanding of grammar rules.

3. Make up some sentences, describing your abilities and responsibilities as a civil engineering student. Use different modal verbs.

Activity 3 1. Read the text “Our World and The Civil Engineer” and fill in the gaps with the words from the box:

water supplies, facilities, meet technological challenges, coastal protection, waste (*3), satisfy the demands (*2), dams, harbours, treatment, clean water (*2).