4. Decide which statements are true and which ones are false.

1. A modern building contains the space only for offices, classrooms, apartments.

2. Heating and cooling systems, communications and power systems, lighting systems, elevators, plumbing systems help to provide a comfortable environment.

3. In steam or hot-water heating warm air passes through radiators that stand throughout the house.

4. The widespread use of power, telephone, and of closed circuit television, intercommunication, and security and alarm systems has increased the amount of wires and cables.

5. The most important task of electrical wiring is to supply electricity to operate air conditioners.

6. Passenger lifts and freight lifts are the major form of vertical transport in high-rise structures.

5. Complete the sentences.

1. Mechanical and electrical systems help to provide …

2. Ventilation supplies fresh air to indoor places and removes …

3. One of the most important tasks of such wiring is …

4. … can carry from 900 to 1,800 kilograms.

5. Low-rise buildings and the lower floors of commercial buildings may also….

6. All buildings, even the tallest, should have two enclosed and protected stairways for….

7. Buildings must have a piped-in water supply for a variety of purposes: ….

6. Answer the questions on the text.

1. What space does a modern building contain?

2. What heating systems do most houses have?

3. Why are elaborate mechanical systems provided for ventilation and air conditioning?

4. What is electrical wiring?

5. Why are emergency power generators installed in an increasing number of buildings?

6. What are the major forms of vertical transport in high-rise structures?

7. What are the two main kinds of lifts?

8. Most lifts operate automatically, don’t they?

9. Why should all buildings have two enclosed and protected stairways for their entire height?

10. A piped-in water supply serves a variety of purposes. What are they?

7. Transform as in the models.

Model 1: similar – similarity Adj. →N

electric –

secure –

complex –

regular –

various –

stable –

Model 2 : form – formal N→Adj

mechanic –

electric –

center –

environment –

resident –

commerce –

8.Arrange the words according to the parts of speech (nouns, adjectives, adverbs).

Apartment, communication, comfortable, vertically, elevator, important, vertical, appliance, commonly, operation, structure, automatic, failure, inconvenience, electric, automatically, generator, addition.

9. Choose the right word or word-combination.

1. Most houses have … systems.

a) escalators systems b) air conditioning c) central heating

2. In hot-air heating, a fan connected to the furnace blows … through ducts, or pipes, into the rooms.

a) warm air b)steam c) hot water

3. Because of the increased use of sealed buildings with windows that cannot be opened, elaborate mechanical systems are provided for…

a) lighting systems b) hot-air heating c) ventilation

4. Some … can carry as much as 45,000 kilograms.

a) freight lifts b) passenger lifts c) escalators

5. In addition to lifts and escalators all buildings, even the tallest, should have two enclosed and protected …for their entire height.

a) alarm system b) open shafts c) stairways