The following quiz will help to find out if civil engineering career fits you.

1. Do you get good grades in math and science?

2. Do you enjoy knowing how things work?

3. Do you ever think of new or better ways to do things?

4. If you get a gift that says “Assembly Required”, do you put it together yourself?

5. Do you like to work with computers and play video games?

6. Do you like to do mazes and jigsaw puzzles?

7. Do you usually make sound decisions, and do people trust your judgment?

8. Can you express yourself easily and clearly?

9. Do you work well with others?

10. Do you like to know “why”?
Answers:
If you answered “Yes” to most of the questions, your potential for success in civil engineering is high.

 

Activity 1 Let’s examine each of the 10 questions to see how a “yes” answer helps identify you as a potential civil engineer.

Example: 1. Do you get good grades in math and science?

f. Math and science are basic tools in engineering.

Read the other explanations and fill in the gaps using the words/ expressions from the box and then match the explanations to the corresponding questions in the quiz.

 

math and science, computers and video games, ideas and decisions, curiosity, “how it works”, to focus on the problem at hand, technologists and technicians, to figure things out, mazes and puzzles.

 

a. Engineers work with __________________________ as a team. They must be able to work with people who have different backgrounds and special interests.

b. Wanting to know how things work is something that drives all engineers. This ____________________ encourages engineers to break complex problems into more simple ones that will be easier to handle.

c. Wanting to know __________________ is essential to finding better ways to design things.

d. Engineers must be able to explain _____________________to all audiences.

e. The desire __________________ and “do it better” is an important drive in engineers.

f. Math and science are basic tools in engineering.

g. _____________________ provide an introduction to working with graphics as well as to problem-solving.

h. Analytical problem solving, the skill you use when working on ______________________, is among the most important aspects of engineering work.

i. As an engineer, your ability ________________________ and make knowledgeable comments and decisions will help you gain respect and will make you a valuable member of the engineering team.

 

Activity 2 To prepare yourself for a career in civil engineering you should know the tasks you will have to perform in your future job.

AMERICA’S CAREER INFONET provides a list of the most important tasks in the field of civil engineering.

Before reading match the following key words/expressions in English with their Russian equivalents:

1. survey report 1. blueprint 2. aerial photography 3. traffic pattern 4. environmental condition 5. impact 6. construction activities 7. quantity 8. project feasibility 9. project site 10. equipment 11. labor (Am) = labour (Br) 12. safety and sanitation standards 13. hydraulic systems and structures 14. modifications 15. soil 16. strength of foundations 17. concrete 18. asphalt 19. industrial personnel

a. почва, почвогрунт, грунт; строительный грунт b. оборудование, оснащение, арматура, оснастка c. гидродвигатели и гидротехнические сооружения d. условия окружающей среды, окружающие условия; внешние условия e. схема движения f. чертеж g. прочность; предел прочности фундамента/ основания h. асфальт i. труд; рабочая сила, рабочие j. сильное воздействие; влияние k. производственный персонал l. количество m. акт осмотра и экспертизы n. бетон o. воздушное фотографирование p. модификация; модифицирование; видоизменение q. строительство r. правила техники безопасности и санитарного контроля (санитарно-профилактические мероприятия) s. осуществимость/выполнимость проекта/строительного объекта t. строительная площадка

 

Activity 3 Pronunciation

Put the words from the box in the correct column, according to the pronunciation of the letters in bold.

study, computer, survey, hydraulic, conduct, blueprint, industrial, foundation, include, structure, occupation, construction
as in purple/murder	as in music	as in rude	as in cut	as in daughter	as in house	as in supply
	documenting

 

 

Learning strategy Learning new vocabulary in phrases and associating it with a context makes it easier to remember and use it correctly.

 

Activity 4 1. Read the table with the tasks and complete the gaps using the words in the box:

 

safety or sanitation standards, construction, hydraulic systems, program modifications, soil, aerial photography, labour, environmental conditions, equipment, blueprints

 

Do you know?

Occupation Specific Tasks:

·

A blueprint is a plan or design documenting an architecture.The name comes from the photographic print composed of white lines on a blue background commonly used in the past for copying architectural plans and engineering drawings. The blueprint process was developed by the British astronomer Sir John Herschel in 1840. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blueprint

Analyze survey reports, maps, drawings, __________, ____________, and other topographical or geologic data to plan projects.

· Conduct studies of traffic patterns or ___________________to identify engineering problems and assess the potential impact of projects.

· Estimate quantities and cost of materials, ___________, or __________ to determine project feasibility.

·

Aerial photography is the taking of photographs from above with a camera placed on an aircraft, balloon, rocket, kite or similar vehicle. It was first practised by the French airman Nadar in 1858.Aerial photography is used in cartography, land-use planning, movie production, environmental studies, espionage, commercial advertising, and other fields. Aerial photos are often processed by a GIS (geographic information system). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_photography http://www.aerialarts.com/History/history.htm

Inspect project sites to monitor progress and design _____________________.

· Plan and design transportation or ________________ and structures, following construction and government standards.

· Provide technical advice regarding design, construction, or ____________ to industrial and managerial personnel.

· Direct ____________ activities at project site.

· Test ___________ and materials to determine the strength of foundations, concrete, asphalt, or steel.

 

 

2. The following verbs all relate to civil engineering tasks and activities. Cross out the word/ phrase which cannot go with the verb:

 

to determine - project feasibility/a position/soils

to estimate - quantity/cost/size/asphalt

to conduct studies - industrial personnel/ of environmental conditions/ of traffic patterns

to identify - labour/problems/quantity/impact

to direct – a research project/construction activities/ feasibility /design

to provide – technical advice/building materials/impact

to inspect – project site/work/quantity

to monitor – concrete/progress/sanitation standards/labor costs

to plan – a hydraulic structure/topographical data/to work on …

to design – a building/a transportation system/progress/a project

to test – strength of foundation/a design/soil/equipment

Activity 5 To perform all the tasks efficiently a civil engineer must have certain knowledge, skills and abilities.

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) presents a list of most important Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) in different fields, necessary for Civil Engineers.