3. Read the text once more. Find the most informative sentences or parts of the sentences. Put them in order and reproduce the text. Text 2

1. Read the text to yourself and answer the question: What are civil engineers responsible for?

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Civil engineering is the term for the work of designing and building infrastructure. It usually means large structures, like bridges, dams, buildings, and tunnels. It also covers complicated networks such as water, irrigation and sewerage networks. It also covers the construction of houses and homes. Civil engineers can be involved in all stages in the life of infrastructure, from planning and construction to maintenance and demolition. Civil engineering often overlaps with architecture.

Civil engineering is made up of many different areas or disciplines. Some important areas are geotechnical, structures, environmental, construction management, hydrology, transportation, and materials. It is important for civil engineers to have an understanding of all these disciplines as projects often involve many of them at the same time.

Civil engineers are responsible for lots of the things that are required for a society to function properly. Safe water supplies, sewage treatment, roads, railways and buildings are all part of civil engineering.

To work in civil engineering requires training. Construction workers will train at a center and 'on the job' (training while doing the job). To be a professional in civil engineering requires study at a university or college. Civil engineers often study subjects like structures, materials, physics and calculus.

The profession of civil engineering is represented by professional bodies in various countries. In the UK the Institution of Civil Engineers promotes civil engineering as a discipline and supports engineers throughout their careers. The American Society of Civil Engineers performs a similar task in the USA.

2. Make sure you understand the following words and phrases:

1) to suit different needs;

2) to be made up of smth.;

3) to make money;

4) to overlap with smth.;

5) to train at a center and 'on the job'.

3. Read the text again and answer the questions given below:

1. What does civil engineering mean?

2. Does civil engineering often overlap with architecture?

3. What disciplines does civil engineering include?

4. What educational establishments train civil engineers?

Text 3

1. Read the text and be ready to speak about modern technologies in building industry.

“THE GREY LADY” ON HORIZON

Building of a new tower for «New York Times», under the design of Renzo Piano is finished. The 52-storied skyscraper has called inconsistent reaction of critics: one rank it as one of the best high-rise buildings of Manhattan, others are dissatisfied with modest shape, third it seems too monumental and even similar to a fortress. But all are in agreement in one: «Grey lady» (this is the way New York Times has been called for a long time) has created the new standard of office space smoothly passing into the urban.

Piano has made glass hinged walls of a tower absolutely pellucid, using iron-poor glass. Also he has taken away a maximum of constructive parts from a building surface, so that fascinating views at New York open from within. So that such openness didn’t affected the consumption of electric power of the building, the architect has «dressed» the construction outside in sun-protection shields from 186 000 light ceramic tubes. They do not block the view from windows, but detain up to 50 % of the solar rays which are heating up a surface of the skyscraper. Inside they are supported by the automatic system of the jalousie, also allowing to save on air-conditioning (which pits are laid in a floor of each storey). Each shield rises on altitude of six floors over a tower roof that should create an effect of «thawing in air».

At level of street construction is as much as possible opened and attractive to pedestrians. Ground floor walls also are pellucid, and through a tower lobby it is possible to see an opposite side of the street. Despite the fact that what after events on September, 11th, 2001 demands to safety of high-rise buildings have increased, Piano has refused to transform the building into a concrete bunker.

To visitors of the editorial offices that are located at bottom 28 storey, and the financial and legal firms renting offices above, nevertheless it is necessary to pass through some kind of a check point consisting of red turnstiles and orange-yellow parting walls. Further there’s a small atrium where behind the glass you can see harmonious silvery birches growing among a moss. Behind them the Times Center conference hall for 378 places, solved in traditional «theatrical» red colors is located.

Three storey above are occupied by news department and shocking with the silence in spite of the fact that there, in an aero- sphere of permanent haste, the next issue of the newspaper is composed. From here, thanks to high ceilings, views on a city and on trees in an atrium below open, soft illumination supplements the picture. On the majority of floors sound-proof glass rooms-cubes for negotiations are arranged.

Separate floors are connected with the next tiers by internal stairways, also spaces for informal meetings that should promote interacting of separate divisions and employees of the newspaper are arranged everywhere.

Renzo Piano wished to arrange a garden with water area and the viewing platform opened for all comers at the roof of a building, but this element has not been realized for safety reasons.

In a sunny day the 320-metre tower looks light grey, and it’s almost illusive, easy volume in a landscape of Manhattan seems a metaphor of existence of the traditional big newspaper during an epoch of prompt development of the informational production engineering. The management «New York Times» optimistically assures, that a skyscraper should become «home» for the newspaper at least till 2107.