Reading and comprehension exercisesExercise 1. Read the following text and translate it. Can you understand the terms in bold without a dictionary? What are their Russian equivalents?
1. Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the design, production, and operation of machines and tools. It is one of the oldest and broadest engineering disciplines. 2. The engineering field requires an understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, materials science, and structural analysis. Mechanical engineers use these core principles along with tools like computer-aided engineering and product lifecycle management to design and analyze manufacturing plants, industrial equipment and machinery, heating and cooling systems, transport systems, aircraft, watercraft, robotics, medical devices and more. 3. Mechanical engineering emerged as a field during the industrial revolution in Europe in the 18th century; however, its development can be traced back several thousand years around the world. Mechanical engineering science emerged in the 19th century as a result of developments in the field of physics. The field has continually evolved to incorporate advancements in technology, and mechanical engineers today are pursuing developments in such fields as composites, mechatronics, and nanotechnology. Mechanical engineering overlaps with aerospace engineering, civil engineering, electrical engineering, petroleum engineering, and chemical engineering to varying amounts. Exercise 2. Answer the following questions about the text.
1. What is mechanical engineering? 2. What does mechanical engineering involve? 3. What are the objectives and goals of mechanical engineering? 4. Mechanical engineering requires an understanding of core concepts including mechanics, kinematics, thermodynamics, materials science, and structural analysis, doesn’t it? 5. Does mechanical engineering use tools like computer-aided engineering or product lifecycle management? 6. How long back can its development be traced? 7. Did mechanical engineering science emerge in the 18th or 19th century? 8. Why is mechanical engineering one of the broadest engineering disciplines?
Exercise 3. Complete the sentences with the information from the text.
1. Mechanical engineering is a discipline of … that applies the principles of … and … for... of mechanical systems. 2. The engineering field requires an understanding of core concepts including …. 3. Mechanical engineers use tools like …. 4. The target of mechanical engineers is the design and analysis of … and more. 5. Mechanical engineering emerged as a field in …. 6. Mechanical engineering science emerged in …. 7. Mechanical engineers today are pursuing developments in such fields as …. 8. Mechanical engineering overlaps with ….
Exercise 4. Select the number (1, 2, 3) of the paragraph which gives the information about:
1. the core concepts of (mechanical) engineering; 2. the history of mechanical engineering and mechanical engineering science; 3. the disciples with which mechanical engineering overlaps.
Exercise 5. Read the following text and translate it. The field of mechanical engineering can be thought of as a collection of many mechanical engineering science disciplines. Some of these subdisciplines are unique to mechanical engineering, while others are a combination of mechanical engineering and one or more other disciplines. Mechanics is, in the most general sense, the study of forces and their effect upon matter. Typically, engineering mechanics is used to analyze and predict the acceleration and deformation of objects under known forces (also called loads) or stresses. Subdisciplines of mechanics include Statics, the study of how forces affect static bodies; Dynamics (or kinetics), the study of how forces affect moving bodies; Mechanics of materials, the study of how different materials deform under various types of stress; Fluid mechanics, the study of how fluids react to forces; Continuum mechanics, a method of applying mechanics that assumes that objects are continuous (rather than discrete). Mechanical engineers typically use mechanics in the design or analysis phases of engineering. Kinematics is the study of the motion of bodies (objects) and systems (groups of objects), while ignoring the forces that cause the motion. Mechanical engineers typically use kinematics in the design and analysis of mechanisms. Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary branch of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and software engineering that is concerned with integrating electrical and mechanical engineering to create hybrid systems. A common example of a mechatronics system is a CD-ROM drive. Mechanical systems open and close the drive, spin the CD and move the laser, while an optical system reads the data on the CD and converts it to bits. Integrated software controls the process and communicates the contents of the CD to the computer. Robotics is the application of mechatronics to create robots, which are often used in industry to perform tasks that are dangerous, unpleasant, or repetitive. These robots may be of any shape and size, but all are preprogrammed and interact physically with the world. To create a robot, an engineer typically employs kinematics (to determine the robot’s range of motion) and mechanics (to determine the stresses within the robot). Robots are used extensively in industrial engineering. They allow businesses to save money on labor, perform tasks that are either too dangerous or too precise for humans to perform them economically, and to insure better quality. Many companies employ assembly lines of robots, especially in Automotive Industries and some factories are so robotized that they can run by themselves. Outside the factory, robots have been employed in bomb disposal, space exploration, and many other fields. Structural analysis is the branch of mechanical engineering (and also civil engineering) devoted to examining why and how objects fail and to fix the objects and their performance. Failure is not simply defined as when a part breaks, however; it is defined as when a part does not operate as intended. Some systems, such as the perforated top sections of some plastic bags, are designed to break. If these systems do not break, failure analysis might be employed to determine the cause. Structural analysis is often used by mechanical engineers after a failure has occurred, or when designing to prevent failure. Thermodynamics is an applied science used in several branches of engineering, including mechanical and chemical engineering. At its simplest, thermodynamics is the study of energy, its use and transformation through a system. Typically, engineering thermodynamics is concerned with changing energy from one form to another. Drafting or technical drawing is the means by which mechanical engineers design products and create instructions for manufacturing parts. A technical drawing can be a computer model or hand-drawn schematic showing all the dimensions necessary to manufacture a part, as well as assembly notes, a list of required materials, and other pertinent information. Drafting is used in nearly every subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, and by many other branches of engineering and architecture. Exercise 6. Match the terms from the text and their Russian equivalents.
Exercise 7. Find in the text the English equivalents of the following Russian words and phrases.
Область машиностроения; совокупность многих научных дисциплин машиностроения; статические тела; движущиеся тела; междисциплинарная отрасль; гибридные системы; запрограммированный; предприятия; сэкономить на трудозатратах; экономически; гарантировать лучшее качество; обезвреживание взрывных устройств; космические исследования; посвященный кому- или чему-либо; должным образом (как предполагалось); перфорированные верхние секции; определить причину; предотвратить отказ оборудования (избежать неудачи); прикладная наука; в самом простом понимании; как правило; начерченная от руки схема; заметки по сборке; перечень необходимых материалов; соответствующая информация.
Exercise 8. Find in the text the following English words and phrases and give their Russian equivalents.
Unique to mechanical engineering; the study of forces and their effect upon matter; to analyze and predict; under known forces (also called loads); the study of how forces affect static bodies; the study of how fluids react to forces; continuous (rather than discrete); a common example of; converts the data to bits; communicates the contents of the CD to the computer; allow businesses to save money on labor; either too dangerous or too precise; assembly lines of robots; does not operate as intended; designed to break; failure analysis; through a system; a computer model; hand-drawn schematic; required materials; used in nearly every subdiscipline of mechanical engineering.
Exercise 9. Complete the sentences with the information from the text.
1. The field of mechanical engineering can be thought of as a collection of …. 2. Some of these subdisciplines are unique to mechanical engineering, but others are …. 3. … is, in the most general sense, the study of forces and their effect upon matter. 4. Subdisciplines of mechanics include …. 5. Mechanical engineers typically use kinematics in …. 6. Mechatronics is concerned with integrating electrical and mechanical engineering to …. 7. Robotics is the application of … to create robots. 8. To create a robot, an engineer typically employs kinematics in order to … and mechanics in order to…. 9. Some factories are so robotized that they can …. 10. … is the branch of mechanical engineering that examines why and how objects fail and how to fix the objects and their performance. 11. At its simplest, thermodynamics is the study of …, its use and transformation through a system. 12. Drafting or … is the means by which mechanical engineers design products and create instructions for manufacturing parts. 13. A technical drawing is a computer model or hand-drawn schematic showing all the dimensions necessary to …. 14. Drafting is used in ….
Exercise 10. Re-read the text and say if the following statements are: – true – false – of no information in the text.
1. Mechanical engineering is a set of several disciplines. 2. Statics is the study of non-moving bodies under known loads. 3. Kinematics is the study of the motion of bodies and systems, taking into account the forces that cause the motion. 4. Mechatronics is a subdiscipline unique to mechanical engineering. 5. Robots are also sold for various residential applications. 6. Structural analysis may be used in the office when designing parts, in the field to analyze failed parts, or in laboratories where parts might undergo controlled failure tests. 7. At its simplest, thermodynamics is the study of speed, its use and transformation through a system. 8. Drafting is an important aspect of mechanical engineering, and of many other branches of engineering and architecture.
Exercise 11. Read the text again and think of a title for it.
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