Unit 1:
Engineering - what's it all about?
Task 1
List the main branches of engineering. Combine your list with others in your group. Then
read this text to find out how many of the branches listed are mentioned.
Engineering is largely a practical activity. It is about putting ideas into action. Civil
engineering is concerned with making bridges, roads, airports, etc. Mechanical
engineering deals with the design and manufacture of tools and machines. Electrical
engineering is about the generation and distribution of electricity and its many
applications. Electronic engineering is concerned with developing components and
equipment for communications, computing, and so on. Mechanical engineering includes
marine, automobile, aeronautical, heating and ventilating, and others. Electrical
engineering includes electricity generating, electrical installation, lighting, etc. Mining
and medical engineering belong partly to mechanical and partly to electrical.

Task 2
Complete the blanks in this diagram using information from the text.

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Reading Introduction
In your study and work, it is important to think about what you are going to read
before you read. This helps you to link old and new knowledge and to make guesses
about the meaning of the text. It is also important to have a clear purpose so that you
choose the best way to read. In this book, you will find tasks lo make you think before
you read and tasks to help you to have a clear purpose when you read.

Task 3
Study these illustrations. They show some of the areas in which engineers work. Can you
identify them? What kinds of engineers are concerned with these areas - electrical,

mechanical

machines

electrical

electricity

Column A lists a branch of engineering or a type of engineer. Column B lists things
they are concerned with. We can show the link between them in a number of ways:
1 Mechanical engineering deals with machines.
2 Mechanical engineers deal with machines.
3 Mechanical engineering is concerned with machines.
4 Mechanical engineers are concerned with machines.
5 Machines are the concern of mechanical engineers.

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Task 5:
Match each item in column A with an appropriate item from column B and link the
two in a sentence.
A

B

1 marine

a


ships

7 electronic

g

planes

8 electrical installation

h

cars and trucks

9 medical

i

power stations

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Task 6: Writing
Fill in the gaps in the following description of the different branches of engineering using
information from this diagram and language you have studied in this unit.

The main branches of engineering are civil, 1 ……….., 2 ……….., and electronic.
Mechanical engineering is 3…………., 4 ………….machinery of all kinds. This branch
of engineering includes 5 …………., automobile. 6……….,and heating and ventilating.

In engineering, graphs and charts are a common way of giving information. They
allow a great deal of data to be presented easily in visual form.

Task 1

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Task 2
Study the graph opposite which shows typical daily load curves for a power station,
Answer these questions about the graph for weekdays
1. When is the peak load?
2. When is there least demand?
3. When is the load 65% of capacity?
4. What is the load at 1 p.m.?
Describe changes in load for these periods:
5. Between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.
6. Between 7 p.m. and midnight.
7. Between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Language study Describing graphs
Look at the period 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. We can describe the change in load in two ways:
1 The load rises.
2 There is a rise in load.
We can make our description more accurate like this:
3 The load rises sharply.
4 There is a sharp rise in load.
Study this table of verbs and related nouns of change. The past form of irregular verbs is



These adjectives and adverbs are used to describe the rate of change:
Adjective

Adverb

slight

slightly

gradual

gradually

steady

steadily

steep

steeply

sharp

sharply

sudden

suddenly

Word study Common verbs in engineering
Study this list of common verbs in engineering which you have studied in this book.
They all have the sense of 'make something happen'.
lower

make low

raise

make high

heat

make hot

release

make free

compress

make smaller volume

reduce

make smaller

increase

make larger

-

fill in the missing references (0, P, E, Y, U, F).

a From …………to ……….the specimen extends in direct proportion to the load
applied.
b This rapid extension continues until point…………….., the maximum load, is
reached.
c From……………..there is a rapid increase in length for each increase in load.
d At……………..the specimen finally fractures.
e After……………..the specimen lengthens further but the load falls.
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f Soon after P the material reaches its elastic limit, marked on the graph as
point……………...

Task 7
Add this extra information to your text.
a Up to the elastic limit, the steel will regain its original length when the load is removed.
b Up to U there is no change in the cross-section of the steel.
c After the elastic limit, the steel will not regain its original length.
d After U the specimen undergoes 'waisting'.
e Y is the yield point.

Task 8
Refer to each of these figures at an appropriate place in your text. Use expressions such as these:
As shown in Figure A. See Figure A. (Figure A)

Technical reading Properties and applications of carbon steels

Many players figure in New York City's electricity system. The most visible player is Con
Edison, which supplies most of the electricity the city uses and serves Westchester County, too.
Since the industry was deregulated, Con Edison delivers electricity through its immense
5 transmission and distribution system to the 3.2 million customers in its 690-square-mile service
area. (Among other statistics: Con Edison's 93,000 miles of underground cable could circle the
Earth 3.6 times; it has 36,000 miles of overhead cable.) Electricity not generated locally is
imported via transmission lines that come in from New Jersey, from Long Island, and from the
northeast and Canada through Westchester County.
10 Conceptually, Con Edison's system looks like this:

Fig.1-1. Con Edison’s system outline

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As its name suggests, "Consolidated Edison" was formed through consolidation of many small
power generation companies. Today, history is reversing itself: clean "distributed generation" is
coming into favor, as the substantial benefits of a decentralized system come to be appreciated
and as new technologies facilitate it. Con Edison defines distributed generation as a facility
producing up to 20 MW of electricity dedicated to the support of nearby associated load. Con
Edison's portfolio includes electric and natural gas delivery, as well as steam delivery through the
largest district steam system in the world.
20 Among other players are these:

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Task 1

Rephrasing

Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the words in italics with expressions from the
passage which have similar meanings:
1. The most visible player is Con Edison, which provides most of the electricity the city uses
and serves Westchester County, too.
2. Con Edison distributes electricity through its immense transmission and distribution
system to the 3.2 million customers in its 690-square-mile service area..
3. As its name implies, "Consolidated Edison" was formed through consolidation of many
small power generation companies.
4. The Independent System Operator (a.k.a. the New York Power Pool) operates the state's
high-voltage electric transmission network and administers the state's wholesale energy
markets.

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5. The New York Power Authority sells electricity to the city government and other parties
and owns and operates several electric generation stations.

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Task 2

Contextual reference


(b)New York City Energy Policy’s; energy needs
(c)Overview’s; future energy needs
(d)New York City’s; the city’s current and future energy needs

Task 3

Checking facts and ideas

Decide if these statements are true or false. Quote from the passage to support your decisions.
1. Only Con Edison figures in New York City's electricity system.
2. Con Edison supplies most of the electricity the city uses and serves Westchester County, too.
3. Con Edison imports electricity from New Jersey, from Long Island, and from the northeast
and Canada through Westchester County.
4. Con Edison defines distributed generation as a facility producing 20 MW of electricity
dedicated to the support of nearby associated load.
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5. Con Edison provides services of electric and natural gas delivery, as well as steam delivery
through the largest district steam system in the world.
6. Public Service Commission and NYSERDA are parts of Con Edison.
7. Verdant Power's project in New York is funded by NYSERDA.
8. The state's high-voltage electric transmission system is operated by the Independent System
Operator.
9. The function of FERC is to only license hydropower projects.
10. The New York Power Authority owns and operates several electric generation plants.
II

USE OF LANGUAGE


and 1,795 megawatts for Westchester County

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4. Workers require illumination of 300 lux.
The workers install heavy machinery.
5. In 1982, the first hydro-electric plant was built in the United States.
The first hydro-electric made use of a fast flowing river for generating electricity.
6. The large consumers should be supplied stable voltage
The large consumers use a large quantities of electricity.
7. Dams are constructed to create artificial water storage areas at the most convenient locations.
Dams control the water flow rate to the power station turbines.
8. Francis turbines are the most common water turbine in use today.
The Francis turbine was developed by James B. Francis.
9. An electric motor is a machine for converting electrical energy into mechanical energy.
The electric motors can be run on direct (dc) or alternating current (ac).
10. Hydroelectric power now supplies 20% of world electricity .
The hydroelectric powers use the kinetic, or movement energy of rivers.

Task 5

Pronoun links between sentences

When we link sentences together, or into paragraphs, repeated nouns usually become pronouns.
EXAMPLES

1. A short circuit occurs in a generator.
2. The short circuit may cause large current.
3. The large current may damage the equipment.

charge comparable prices to similar classifications of consumers, and to give consumers access to
services under similar conditions. Most investor-owned electric utilities are operating companies
that provide basic services for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity. The
majority of investor-owned utilities perform all three functions. The investor-owned electric
utilities operate in all States except Nebraska, where electric utilities consist primarily of
municipal systems and public power districts.

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