UNINVERSITY OF TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS

ENGLISH SECTION

TH.S NGUYỄN THỊ QUYÊN

TIẾNG ANH CHUYÊN NGÀNH CƠ KHÍ

ENGLISH FOR
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Hà nội, 2021
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 Table of Contents

Unit 1 Engineering- What’s it all about? Page 1

Unit 2 Forces in Engineering 9

Unit 3 Engineering Materials 19

Unit 4 Metals 28

Sample Test 01 37

Unit 5 Mechanisms 41

Unit 6 The Electric motor 50

Unit 7 Lasers 60

Unit 8 Washing machine 69

Sample Test 02 79

Practice 83

Glossary 102

References 113

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 Unit 1
ENGINEERING – WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?
A. READING
This passage will give you some information about different branches of engineering.
Work in pair. Before reading, answer these questions:

1. List the main branches of engineering

2. Read this text to find out how many of the branches listed are mentioned

Branches of Engineering
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.

Transport: Cars, trains, ships, and planes are all products of mechanical engineering.
Mechanical engineers are also involved in support services such as roads, rail track,
harbours, and bridges.

Food processing: Mechanical engineers design, develop, and make the machine and
the processing equipment for harvesting, preparing and preserving the foods and
drinks that fill the supermarkets.

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Medical engineering: Body scanners, X-ray machines, life-support systems, and
other high tech equipment result from mechanical and electrical engineers combining
with medical experts to convert ideas into life-saving and life-preserving products.

Building services: Electrical engineers provide all the services we need in our homes
and places of work, including lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning,
refrigeration, and lifts.

Energy and power: Electrical engineers are concerned with the production and
distribution of electricity to homes, offices, industry, hospitals, colleges and schools,
and the installation and maintenance of the equipment involved in these processes.

Task 1. Complete the blanks in this diagram using information from the text.

Engineering

Civil 1 Electrical 2

3 Automobile Aeronautical 4 Electricity Electrical 6

5 installation
7
Medical

Task 2. Put T or F to indicate if the statements below are true or false.

1. Engineering is about putting ideas into action.
2. Mechanical engineering is concerned with making bridges, roads, airports,
etc.
3. Electrical engineering is about developing components and equipment for
communications, computing and so on.
4. Cars, trains, ships and planes are all products of civil engineering.

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 5. Mechanical engineers deal with the design, making the machines and the
processing equipment for harvesting, preparing and preserving the food that
fill the supermarkets.
6. Mechanical engineers are concerned with the production and distribution of
electricity to homes, offices, and industry.

B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1. Word formation – Suffixes
Suffixes are endings on words. They change the form of the word, for example, from
a noun to an adjective or from a verb to a noun.
Eg. aeronautics – aeronautical; act – action; install – installation

Task 3. Complete the table

- al -ion - ation
noun adjective verb noun verb Noun
electricity distribute install
mechanics refrigerate combine
practice generate transport
industry ventilate form

Task 4. Fill the blanks with the correct forms of the words in brackets
a) When developing a new engine, scientists want to ____________ high power
output and low fuel ____________ (COMBINE/CONSUME)
b) Body scanners can give doctors far more ____________ than X-rays and
there’s no risk to the patient. (INFORM)
c) Do you know what branch of engineering electrical ____________ belongs
to? (INSTALL)
d) _____________ preserves foods and drinks by lowering their temperature.
(REFRIGERATE)

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 e) _____________ engineering appeared as a field during the _____________
revolution in Europe in the 18 century. (MECHANICS/INDUSTRY)

2. Deal/ be concerned with

What is the link between column A and column B?

A B
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 engineering is concerned with machines.
3. Machines are the concern of mechanical engineers.

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. transport a. tools and machines
2. aeronautics b. roads and bridges
3. heating and ventilating c. body scanners
4. electricity generating d. cables and switchgear
5. automobiles e. communications and computings
6. civil engineering f. roads, rail track and harbours
7. electronic engineering g. planes
8. electrical installation h. cars and trucks
9. medical engineering i. power stations
10. mechanical engineering j. air-conditioning

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Eg.: Transport is concerned with roads, rail track and harbours.
1.........................................................................................................................
2.........................................................................................................................
3.........................................................................................................................
4.........................................................................................................................
5.........................................................................................................................
6.........................................................................................................................
7.........................................................................................................................
8.........................................................................................................................
9.........................................................................................................................
10………………………………..……………………………………...……………..

3. Tense Revision

1. Present simple S + V (-s; -es)

2. Present continuous S + is/am/ are + V-ing
3. Simple past S + V-ed
4. Present perfect S + have/has + past participle
5. Future S + will + V(infinitive) or S + be going to + V(inf.)

Task 6. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct form

1. Engineering (be) ………………… an aspect of life since the beginning of human
existence.
2. A long time ago, before the development of nuclear power plants, people (have)
………………… the sun as their source for mechanical energy.
3. A combustion engine (can/ convert) ………………… heat into mechanical
energy?
4. You (know) ………………… who (invent) ………………… the steam engine?
5. Nowadays, scientists (do) ………………… different research to find out better
materials to produce cars, ships and planes.

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6. People hope that the Government (spend) ………………… more money building
hospitals with modern medical equipment in the coming years.
7. A German scientist, Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen, (discover) ………………… X-
rays by accident when he was doing an experiment with electricity.
8. Scientists and engineers (apply) ………………… a lot of modern equipment and
technology in food processing recently?
9. Internal combustion engines so far (appear) ………………… in almost all
vehicles such as automobiles, trucks, motorcycles and boats.
10. Many people (think) ………………… that the earliest practice of civil
engineering (start) ………………… between 4000 and 2000 BC.

C. WRITING Summarizing a text from a diagram

Task 7. Fill in the gaps in the following description of the different branches of
engineering using information from this diagram and language you have learnt
in this unit.
Engineering

Civil Mechanical ______________________ Electrical Electronic

Marine Automobile Aeronautical Heating and Electricity Electrical

ventilating generating installation Lighting

Mining Medical

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. The first three are concerned with
transport: (7) ........................, cars and planes. The last (8) ..................... with air-
conditioning, refrigeration, etc. Electrical engineering deals with (9) .....................

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from generation to use. Electricity generating is concerned with (10) .....................
stations. Electrical installation deals (11) ..................... cables, switchgear, and
connecting up electrical equipment. Two branches of engineering include both (12)
..................... and (13) ..................... engineers.These are mining and (14)
..................... engineering. The former deals with mines and mining equipment, the
latter with hospital (15) ..................... of all kinds.

D. LISTENING: Giving Instructions

 01 You are a trainee mechanic. A trainer is giving you instructions. Listen and
write numbers 1-10 to show the correct order of instructions.
 Tighten the wheel nuts.
 Raise the car with the jack.
 Loosen the wheel nuts.
 Take the old wheel off.
 Take the old wheel away.
 Adjust the air pressure in the tyre.
 Bring the new wheel out.
 Put the new wheel on.
 Put the jack under the car.
 Lower the car and take the jack away.

 02 Listen and respond to these instructions quickly. Confirm (a) what you are
doing and then (b) what you have done.
Confirm what you are doing: S + am/is/are + V-ing
Confirm what you have done: S + have/has + PII
Example: 1 (You hear) Bring out the new types.
(You say) Right. I’m bringing them out now. OK, I’ve brought them out.

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E. SPEAKING: Reporting Jobs
Work in pairs. Make dialogues between a supervisor (S) and a trainee (T) from the
checklists.
1 - T: put new tyres on done
- T: tighten wheel nuts in progress
- S: adjust air pressure not yet done
2 - T: take cover off done
- T: repair computer in progress
- S: take out damaged chip not yet done
3 - T: replace burnt wire done
- T: switch on power in progress
- S: check other wires not yet done
4 - T: switch off electricity done
- T: test all circuits in progress
- S: find any faults not yet done
5 - T: strip off old paint done
- T: plaster holes in wall in progress
- S: buy new paint not yet done
6 - T: take apart telephone done
- T: put it together again in progress
- S: test it not yet done

S: How are you getting on?

T: I’ve put the new tyres on. I’m still tightening the wheel nuts. It’s almost done.
S: OK, good. Have you adjusted the air pressure yet?
T: No, I haven’t done that yet. I’ll do it next.

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 Unit 2
FORCES IN ENGINEERING

A. READING
Task 1. Working in your group, try to explain these problems
1. Why doesn’t the ship sink?
2. What makes the spring stretch and what keeps the weight up?
3. Why doesn’t the box slide down the slope?

Predicting
As you know, it is important to think about what you are going to read before you
read. Do not start to read a text immediately. One way to help your reading is to
think about the words, which might appear in the text. The title might help to focus
your thoughts. Which words might appear in a text with the title Forces in
engineering?

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The text you are going to read is called Forces in engineering. Here are some of the
words it contains. Can you explain the link between each word and the title of the
text?
weight buoyancy equilibrium
elasticity magnitude resultant
newton gravity

Forces in Engineering

To answer the question why the ship doesn’t sink, we must look at the forces on the
ship (Fig.1). The weight, W, acts downwards. That is the gravity force. The
buoyancy force, B acts upwards. Since the ship is in equilibrium, the resultant force
is zero, so the magnitudes of B and W must be the same.

Another very important force in engineering is the one caused by elasticity. A good
example of this is a spring. Springs exert more force the more they are stretched.
This property provides a way of measuring force. A spring balance can be calibrated
in newtons, the unit of force. The block in Fig. 2 has a weight of 10 newtons. The
weight on the balance pulls the spring down. To give equilibrium, the spring pulls up
to oppose that weight. This upward force, F1, equals the weight of the block, W.

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It is important to get the distinction between mass and weight absolutely clear. Mass
is the quantity of matter in an object. Weight is the force on that object due to
gravity. Mass is measured in kilograms, whereas weight, being a force, is measured
in newtons

We have looked at buoyancy, elasticity, and gravity. There is a fourth force important in
engineering, and that is friction. Friction is a help in some circumstances but a hindrance
in others. Let us examine the forces on the box (Fig.3). Firstly, there is its weight, W,
the gravity force, and then there is the reaction, R, normal to the plane. R and W have
a resultant force trying to pull the box down the slope. It is the friction force, F,
acting up the slope that stops it sliding down.

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Task 2. Put T or F to indicate if the statements are true or false
1. As the ship is in equilibrium, the resultant force is zero.
2. Spring is another important force in engineering which is caused by elasticity.
3. A spring balance can’t be calibrated in newtons.
4. It is not very important to get the distinction between mass and weight.
5. Mass is measured in kilograms.
6. Weight, being a force, is measured in newtons.

B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1. Links in texts
One of the ways in which sentences in a text are held together is by grammar
links. In this extract, note how each expression in Italics links with an earlier
expression. For example:
Another very important force in engineering is the one caused by elasticity. A
good example of this is a spring. Springs exert more force the more they are
stretched. This property provides a way of measuring force.

Sometimes these links cause problems for readers because they cannot make the
right connection between words in different parts of a text. Study these common
grammar links:

1. A repeated noun becomes a pronoun: Springs becomes they.

2. A word replaces an earlier expression: Force in engineering becomes one.
3. A word replaces a whole sentence or clause: Springs exert more force the more
they are stretched becomes this property.

Task 3. With which earlier expressions do the words in italics link? Join them as
in the example above
Friction in machines is destructive and wasteful. It causes the moving parts to wear
and it produces heat where it is not wanted. Engineers reduce friction by using very
highly polished materials and by lubricating their surfaces with oil and grease. They

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also use ball bearings and roller bearings because rolling objects cause less friction
than sliding ones.

2. Word formation
Some more common noun endings: -t, -ment, -ance
E.g. fly- flight
employ- employment
assist- assistance

Task 4. Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the given word

Verb Noun
_____________________________________
1.weigh
_____________________________________
2.measure
_____________________________________
3.maintain
_____________________________________
4.produce
_____________________________________
5.allow
_____________________________________
6.arrange
_____________________________________
7.hinder
_____________________________________
8.lubricate
_____________________________________

3. Active and passive

Study the following sentences:

The machine hasn’t been put into use yet.

I think the project will be finished till the end of this year.
Is water circulated through a heat exchanger above the burner?

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The passive is used when it is not necessary to mention who does the action, or when
it is impossible to know who does the action. The passive is frequently used in
scientific writing because the form is impersonal and objective.

• Form: Be + past participle (P2) Be + P2

• Tenses:
1. Simple present: is/are+ P2
E.g. The tools are cleaned after the work.
2. Present continuous: is/are/+being P2
E.g. The new material is being developed at the moment.
3. Present perfect: has/have + been P2
E.g. Many materials have been used to build ships, cars and planes so far.
4. Simple past: was/were + P2
E.g. The house was repainted by my uncle last week.
5. Past perfect: had +been P2
E.g. These boxes had been delivered before we left.
6. Simple Future: will +be P2
E.g. The findings will not be announced until next week.
7. Passive Voice with Modal verbs:
can / could / may / might / should / must….+ be + P2
E.g. All diesel engines can be classified based on their main features.

Task 5. Underline all the passive verb forms in the text

4. Giving instructions
Study these instructions for a simple experiment on friction

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a. Place a block of wood on a flat surface.
b. Attach a spring balance to one end of the block.
c. Apply a gradually increasing force to the balance
d. Note the force at which the block just begins to move
e. Pull the block along so that it moves at a steady speed.
f. Note the force required to maintain movement.
g. Compare the two forces.

When we describe this experiment, we use the present passive:

A block of wood is placed on a flat surface. A spring balance is attached to

one end of the block.

Task 6. Complete this description of the experiment using the present passive

A block of wood (1)…………..….……on a flat surface. A spring balance

(2)…………..….…… to one end of the block. A gradually increasing force.
(3)…………..….……to the balance. The force at which the block just begins to
move (4)…………..….……The block (5)…………..….……along at a steady speed.
The force required to maintain movement (6)…………..….……The two forces
(7)…………..….…… It is found that the first force is greater than the second.

Task 7. Rewrite these sentences using the passive form instead of active ones
1. We rarely find pure metals in nature.
…………………………………………………………………………..………….

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 2. Do they recover metallic ores from the earth in many ways?
……………………………………………………………………………………
3. Joseph Thomson discovered the electron.
……………………………………………………………………………………
4. Scientists have proved the existence of several subatomic particles.
……………………………………………………………………………………
5. People must dispose of nuclear waste very carefully.
……………………………………………………………………………………
6. They can store it as a liquid in stainless-steel containers.
……………………………………………………………………………………
7. They might turn the most dangerous nuclear waste into glass.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
8. They plan to store this substance in deep underground mines.
……………………………………………………………………...…………….

C. WRITING

Task 8. Make sentences from the given words

a. First cars/ be made/ 100 year ago/. They/ be/ slow and unreliable/ begin with.
People soon/ learn/ how /make/ they/ faster and better.

……………………………………………………………………….….……………...
…………………………………………………………………………..……………...
b. Mechanical engineering/ be/ very large field/ that involve/ application of physical
principles/ analysis, design, manufacturing and maintenance/ mechanical systems.
…………………………………………………………………….……………………
…………………………………………………………..……..………………………
c. As applied to motorcycles/, two stroke engine/ have some advantage/ over
equivalent four stroke.
…………………………………………………………………………..……………
…………………………………………………………………………..……………

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d. Automobile be/ our most familiar engineering system/ and one that/ undergo/
major change/ materials used/ its construction.
……………………………………………..…………………..………………………
………………………………………………………………………….………………
e. Basic purpose/ any solar energy system/ be/ collect/ solar radiation/ and/ convert
it/ useful thermal energy.
………………………………………………………………………….………………
…………………………………………………………………….……………………

D. LISTENING: Talking about Jobs

 03 Listen to these oil rig workers talking about their jobs. Tick their jobs on the
organization charts.
BILL TORE
SUB-SEA CREW DECK CREW
Sub-sea Engineer Crane Operator

Assistant Sub-Sea Engineer Assistant Crane Roustabout

Operator

KEN ADEL
DRILL CREW ELECTRICAL DEPARTMENT
Driller Maintenance Supervisor

Assistant Driller Chief Electrician

Derrick Man Pump Man Electrician

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E. SPEAKING: Describing Routines
1. Work in pairs. Ask each other about the changes in the work routine.
Changes to Monday morning for today only (because of staff illness)
6.00-7.45 8.00-9.45 10.00-10.45
BILL inspect underwater supervise drivers conduct safety drill
pipes inspect blowout preventer attend safety meeting
check diving
equipment
TORE supervise deck crew operate main crane work in control room
operate main crane train new deck crew work on deck
ADEL check generators do maintenance work test electrical
repair power line supervise electricians switches
write safety report

A: What does Tore usually do from six to seven forty-five?

B: He usually supervises the deck crew. But not today.
A: What’s he doing today?
B: He’s opening the main crane.

2. Work in pairs. Act the parts of two of the oil rig workers. Ask each other about
your jobs.
What’s your job? What do you do?
I’m an Assistant Driller. I operate the drilling equipment.
Do you supervise anyone? Who do you supervise? Who reports to you?
Who do you report to? Who supervise you?

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 Unit 3

ENGINEERING MATERIALS

A. READING
In engineering it is important to practise reading tables, charts, diagrams, and graphs
because so much information is presented in these ways. We will start in this unit
with a table. Scanning is the best strategy for finding information in a table. With
scanning, you know before you read what sort of information you are searching for.
To scan a table, you move your eyes up and down the columns until you find the
word or words you want. To scan quickly, you must learn to ignore any information
which will not help you with your task.

Task 1. Scan the table which follows to find a material which is

1. soft
2. ductile
3. malleable
4. tough
5. scratch-resistant
6. conductive and malleable
7. durable and hard
8. stiff and brittle
9. ductile and corrosion-resistant
10. heat-resistant and chemical-resistant

Materials Properties Uses

Metals
Aluminium Light, soft, ductile, highly Aircraft, engine components,
conductive, corrosion-resistant foil, cooking utensils

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Copper Very malleable, tough and ductile,
highly conductive, corrosion-
resistant.
Brass(65% copper, Very corrosion-resistant. Casts
35% zinc) well, easily machined. Can be
work hardened. Good conductor.
Mild steel (iron with High strength, ductile, tough,
0.15 % to 0.3 % fairly malleable. Cannot be
carbon) hardened and tempered. Low
cost. Poor corrosion - resistance
High carbon steel Hardest of the carbon steels but
(iron with 0.7 % to less ductile and malleable . Can
1.4 % carbon) be hardened and tempered.
Thermoplastics
ABS High impact strength and
toughness,scratch-resistant,
light and durable
Acrylic Stiff, hard, very durable, clear,
can be polished easily. Can be
formed easily.
Nylon Hard, tough, wear-resistant,
self-lubricating
Thermosetting
plastics
Epoxy resin High strength when reinforced,
good chemical and wear-
resistance
Polyester resin Stiff, hard, brittle. Good
chemical and heat resistance
Urea formaldehyde Stiff, hard, strong, brittle, heat-
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Electric wiring, PCBs,
tubing
Valves, taps castings, ship
fittings, electrical contacts
General purpose
Cutting tools such as drills,
files, saws
Safety helmets, car
components, telephones,
kitchenware
Aircraft canopies, baths,
double glazing
Bearings, gears, casings
for power tools
Adhesives, encapsulation
of electronic components
Moulding, boat and car
bodies
Electrical fittings,
 resistant, and good electrical adhesives
insulator

Task 2. Scan the table to find

1. A metal used to make aircraft
2. Plastics used for adhesives
3. Steel which can be hardened
4. An alloy suitable for castings
5. A plastic with very low friction
6. A material suitable for safety helmets
7. A metal suitable for a salt-water environment
8. A metal for general construction use but which should be protected from
corrosion
9. A plastic for car bodies
10. A metal used for the conductors in printed circuit boards

B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1. Word formation
Some other common noun endings are: -ness, -ity, -th.

Task 3. Give the NOUN forms of the following words.

a. soft …………….……………… f. ductile
……………………………..….…..
b. conductive ……………….…… g. tough
……………………………………..
c. strong ………………….……… h. hard
………………………………..……..
d. brittle …….…..……………….. i. stiff
………………………………………...

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 e. elastic ………………………… j. wide
……………………...……………….

Task 4. Use your dictionary to find the meanings of the following words.
a. corrosion- resistant
……………………………………..………………………….
b. easily machined
………………………………………………..…………………..
c. highly conductive
……………………………………………...…………………….
d. good conductor
…….………………………………………………………………..
e. self-lubricating
…………………..…………………………………………...………
f. wear-resistant
…………….................................................................................

2. Relative Clauses
A relative clause gives more information about a noun in a sentence. Study these
facts from the table about aluminium:
1. Aluminium is a light metal.
2. Aluminium is used to make aircraft.

We can link these facts to make a definition of aluminium using a relative clause:
1+2: Aluminium is a light metal which is used to make aircraft.
relative clause
A relative clause starts with a relative pronoun. We use
• who or whom with people
Eg. He’s the engineer who has designed a lot of machines.
He’s the engineer who(m) I told you about last week.

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• which with things
Eg. In a gas central heating, the flow of gas to the burner is controlled by a valve
which can be operated by a time switch.
• that with people and things
Eg. He’s the engineer that has designed a lot of machines.
In a gas central heating, the flow of gas to the burner is controlled by a valve that
can be operated by a time switch.
• where with places
Eg. In jet engines, fuel and air flow steadily into the engine where a stable flame is
maintained for continuous combustion.
• whose with possession
Eg. The woman whose bicycle was stolen yesterday is my sister.

● Non-defining relative clauses

Non-defining relative clauses are placed after nouns which are definite already. They
do not therefore define the noun, but only add something to it by giving some more
information about it. Unlike defining relative clauses, they are not essential in the
sentence and can be omitted without causing confusion. Also unlike defining
relatives, they are separated from their noun by commas. The pronoun can never be
omitted in a non-defining relative clause. For example:

- Alluminium, which is light, soft, and ductile, is used to make engine components.
non-defining relative clause
- I have invited Ann, who lives in the next flat.
- Mrs Jane, whose children are at school all day, is trying to get a job.
Notes:

In a relative clause we can sometimes omit the relative pronoun who, which,
where or that. We can do this if the relative pronoun is the object of the clause.
Look at these sentences:
This is the book. I bought it yesterday.

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 = This is the book (that/which) I bought yesterday.
In this sentence the book is the object of the relative clause, so we can omit the
relative pronoun.
He’s the engineer. He has designed a lot of machines.
= He’s the engineer who/that has designed a lot of machines.
In this sentence the engineer is the subject of the relative clause, so we can’t omit the
relative pronoun. But “whose” and the relative pronoun in a non-defining relative
clause can never be omitted.

Task 5. Complete the sentences with that, who, which, where or whose. In which
sentences can we omit the relative pronouns?
1. The mechanical engineer ………..…… you met yesterday is my former
student.
2. The washing machine ………..…… I bought last week is not very expensive.
3. Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engines use a new combustion control
method ………..…… injects gasoline directly into the cylinders.
4. In general, a piston is a sliding plug………..…… fits closely inside the bore
of a cylinder.
5. An engineer………..…… is employed to keep a system in good working
order
6. specializes in maintenance.
7. Was iron the first material ………..…… was used by humans to build cars?
8. The mechanic ………..…… son is working for me is one of my old friends.
9. This is the factory ………..…… my grandfather worked when he was alive.
10. George Brayton, ………..…… had developed a two-stroke kerosene engine
in 1873, was an American engineer.
11. This engineer, ………..…… is going to talk about modern techniques in
machine designing, used to be my student.

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Task 6. Use the table on the previous page to make definitions of each of the
materials in column A. Choose the correct information in column B and C to
describe the materials in column A.

A B C
1. An alloy a. allows heat or current to flow easily
2. A thermoplastic b. remains rigid at high temperatures
3. Mild steel c. does not allow heat or current to flow easily
4. Conductor a metal d. contains iron and o.7% to 1.4 % carbon
5. An insulator a material e. becomes plastic when heated
6. High carbon steel an alloy f. contains iron and 0.15% to 0.3% carbon
7. Brass g. formed by mixing other metals or elements
8. A thermosetting h. consists of copper and zinc

1. An alloy is a metal which is formed by mixing different metals or elements.

2. .........................................................................................................................
3. .........................................................................................................................
4. .........................................................................................................................
5. .........................................................................................................................
6. .........................................................................................................................
7. .........................................................................................................................
8. ........................................................................................................................

C. WRITING Adding information to a text

Study this text about aluminium.

Aluminium is used to make aircraft, engine components, and many
items for the kitchen.
We can add extra information to the text like this:
Alluminium, which is light, soft, and ductile, is used to make aircraft,

25
 engine components - for example, cylinder heads- and many items for
the kitchen,such as pots.

Note that the extra information is marked with commas or dashes:

, which; -for example,.. ,such as…,

Task 7. Add extra information (1-10) to the following text about plastics.
1. Plastics can be moulded into plates, car components, and medical aids.
2. Thermoplastics soften when heated again and again.
3. Thermosetting plastics set hard and do not alter if heated again.
4. ABS is used for safety helmets.
5. Nylon is self-lubricating.
6. Nylon is used for motorized drives in cameras.
7. Acrylic is a clear thermoplastic.
8. Acrylic is used for aircraft canopies and double-glazing.
9. Polyester resin is used for boat and car bodies.
10. Polyester resin is hard and has good chemical and heat resistance.

Plastics are synthetic materials. They can be softened and moulded into useful
articles. They have many applications in engineering. There are two types of plastics:
thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics.
ABS is a thermoplastic which is tough and durable. Because it has high impact
strength, it has application where sudden loads may occur.
Nylon is a hard, tough thermoplastic. It is used where silent, low friction operation is
required.
Acrylic can be formed in several ways. It is hard, durable, and has many uses.
Polyester resin is a thermosetting plastic used for castings. It has a number of useful
properties.

26
D. LISTENING: Giving a Definition
 04 The four inventors are making their opening statements. Listen and complete
the sentences with which, who or that.
1. My invention is an electronic device (1)________________ can boil eggs
without using water.
2. Lifeguard is an alarm system (2)________________ can find someone
(3)________________ has fallen off a boat.
3. This is a music website (4)________________ allows you to download and
mix dance music.
4. It’s a seat belt adjuster (5)________________ protects children in car booster
seats.

E. SPEAKING: Making a Definition

Use a relative clause to make a definition for the following items, using who,
which, or that.
1) A solar panel is a device. It converts sunlight into electricity.
➔ A solar panel is a device which converts sunlight into electricity.
2) The hovercraft is a vehicle. It carries people over land and sea.
3) A lab assistant is a technician. He or she maintains the equipment in a
laboratory.
4) A torque wrench is a tool. It tightens nuts and bolts.
5) GPS is a satellite system. It gives the location of objects on the ground.
6) An ammeter is an instrument. It measures electric current.
7) An MP3 player is a device. It downloads and plays music from a computer.
8) A solar-powered car is a vehicle. It is powered by electricity from a solar
panel.

27
 Unit 4
METALS
A. READING
This passage will give you some information about metals, alloys and their uses.
Now look at the following questions and read the text to find the answers:
1. What is the main advantage of metals?
2. Can plastics be recycled?
3. Which type of heat treatment makes metal softer and less brittle?
4. Why are Concorde’s engine surrounds made of titanium alloys?

Why does man use metals still so much today when there are other materials,
especially plastics, which are available? A material is generally used because it offers
the required strength, and other properties, at minimum cost. Appearance is also an
important factor. The main advantage of metals is their strength and toughness.
Concrete may be cheaper and is often used in building, but even concrete depends on
its core of steel for strength.

Plastics are lighter and more corrosion-resistant, but they are not usually as strong.
Another problem with plastics is what to do with them after use. Metal objects can
often be broken down and the metals recycled; plastics can only be dumped or
burned.

Not all metals are strong, however. Copper and aluminium, for example, are both
fairly weak- but if they are mixed together, the result is an alloy called aluminium
bronze, which is much stronger than either pure copper or pure aluminium. Alloying
is an important method of obtaining whatever special properties are required:
strength, toughness, resistance to wear, magnetic properties, high electrical resistance
or corrosion resistance.

28
The properties of a metal can be further improved by use of heat treatment. Heat
treatment is the term given to a number of different procedures in which the
properties of metals and alloys are changed. It usually consists of heating the metal
or alloy to a selected temperature below its melting point and then cooling it at a
certain rate to obtain those properties, which are required. For example, hardening is
used to make metals harder. Tempering makes them softer and less brittle. Annealing
is carried out to make a metal soft so that it can be machined more easily. In this
way, metallic materials can be produced to meet every kind of engineering
specification and requirement.

When Concorde was built, a material was needed which could withstand extreme
aerodynamic conditions and would have a life of at least 45,000 flying hours. To
achieve this, a special aluminium alloy was developed which is tough and
lightweight and is used in over 70% of Concorde’s structure. Another 16% is made
of high-strength steel, and titanium alloys are used in the engine surrounds to
withstand temperatures of 4000 degrees centigrade.

Methods of extracting, producing and treating metals are being developed all the
time to meet engineering requirements. This means that there is an enormous variety
of metals and metallic materials available from which to choose.

Task 1. Put T (true) or F (false) to indicate if the statements below are true or
false according to the facts in the passage
a. Concrete is a cheap building material.
b. Plastics are more easily recycled than metals.
c. Aluminium bronze is an example of an alloy.
d. Pure cooper is stronger than the alloys that are made by mixing copper with
aluminium.
e. Tempering is a kind of heat treatment.
f. It is sometimes an advantage for a metal to be soft.

29
 g. Concorde is built mainly of steel.

Task 2. Answer the following questions

a. In paragraph 1, which noun does the underlined pronoun “it” refer to?
b. In paragraph 2, which noun does the pronoun “them” refer to?
c. In paragraph 3, what does the word “which” refers to?
d. In paragraph 4, what does the pronoun “it” refer to?
e. In paragraph 4, which noun or nouns does the word “its” refer to?

Task 3. Properties of materials

(a) These words and phrases refer to properties of materials:
strength toughness corrosion resistant

Task 4. In the passage, there are 9 more words which refer to properties of
materials. List them below:
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
(b) Now write the meanings of these words.
loosen _________________ brighten ______________________
tighten _________________ stiffen ______________________
cool____________________ harden ______________________

Task 5. Nouns and adjectives

Fill in the spaces with the correct form of the word given:

Noun Adjective
________________________________________
1. importance
________________________________________
2. wind resistance
________________________________________

30
 3. elasticity
________________________________________
4. plasticity
________________________________________
5. rigidity
________________________________________
6. flexibility
________________________________________
7. lightness
________________________________________
8. hardness
________________________________________

B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1. Adverbs and adjectives

Adjective Adverb

A mechanical enginer works carefully

A weak metal breaks easily
A good student studies hard

Many adverbs end in -ly but there are exceptions, such as:
often sometimes always never well hard fast
Some adverbs go with adjectives to modify them, for example:
Aluminium is extremely light.
Many alloys have been specially developed.

Task 6. Choose either the adjectives or the adverbs to complete each of the
sentences below

a. Alloys are (general/ generally) prepared by mixing molten metals.

b. Pure iron is a (softly/ soft) metal.
c. Platinum has (exceptional/ exceptionally) resistance to corrosion.

31
 d. Iron is (easy/ easily) to extract from iron ores.
e. Rolled gold consists of a (thin/ thinly) layer of gold alloy.
f. It is also (highly/high) radioactive.
g. Magnesium is known as a metal, which burns (bright/ brightly).

2. Comparatives and superlatives

● Equal comparison
as + adj/ adv +as
● Comparative
- Short adjectives/ adverbs: adj/adv-er +than
- Long adjectives/ adverbs: more/less + adj/adv +than
● Superlative
- Short adjectives/ adverbs: the + adj/adv-est
- Long adjectives/ adverbs: the + most/ least + adj/adv

Irregular comparatives and superlatives

far - farther -farthest
- further -furthest
good/ well - better -best
bad/ badly - worse -worst
Notes
• Spelling: big – bigger – the biggest
noisy – noisier – the noisiest
large – larger – the largest
• Comparative comparisons can be further intensified or modified by adding
much, far, a bit, … before the comparative form.
Eg. - Ben’s watch is far more expensive than mine.
Task 7. Complete the sentences using the correct forms of the words in brackets.
Add any other words that may be necessary.

32
 1. One of the ________ internal combustion engines in the world, the Wortsilo-
Sulzer RTA96-C is a two-stroke , it is __________ __________ most two
storey houses. (big)
2. A new house is much __________ __________ __________ an older one
3. (expensive)
4. Body scanners can give doctors far _________ information than X-rays and
there’s no risk to the patient. (much)
5. Traditionally, two stroke engine needed _________ maintenance and tended
to wear out ___________ __________ four stroke engines. (much/ fast)
6. They have used ___________ construction machines in building that
skyscraper. (modern and reliable)
7. The roads in Hanoi were not as __________ __________ they are now.
(beautiful)
8. A full cantilever bridge would require considerably __________ material
and be much __________ __________ a cable stayed. (much, heavy)
9. Is Thang Long bridge as __________ __________ Bai Chay bridge? (long)
10. Mount Kinabalu is __________ __________ in South East Asia (high)

C. WRITING Describing the chart using comparatives and superlative

Production of iron in millions of tones

20 40 60 80 100

Australia _____________________________
USA _________________
Canada ________
Chile _____

Using the information in the following chart we can say:

• Australia produces the most iron.

• Canada produces a little more iron than Chile.
• Chile produces a lot less iron than Australia.

33
Task 8. Now write five sentences about tin production using the chart below:
Production of tin in thousands of tones
10 20 30 40 50 60
Malaysia __________________________________________________
Bolivia _____________________________
Indonesia __________________
Thailand __________
China _______

1……………………………………………………………………………………..….
2……………...…………………………………………………………………………
3………………………..………………………………………………………………
4…………………………………………………………….………….………………
5………………………………………………………………..………………………

D. LISTENING: Making Comparisons

 05 A customer (C) wants to drive her car onto a car ferry. Listen and complete
the phone conversation between the customer and the sales staff (S) of the ferry
company.
S: How (1)________________ is your van?
C: It’s just under (2)________________ metres wide.
S: OK, that’s fine. The vehicle must not be (3)________________ than 2 metres.
C: Great.
S: How (4)________________ is it?
C: It’s exactly (5)________________ metres long.
S: Please measure it again carefully. It must not be (6)________________ than 7
metres.
C: OK, I’ll do that and get back to you.
S: How (7)________________ is it?
C: It’s just over (8)________________ metres high, including the bicycles.

34
 S: Mm, that’s too high. The vehicle must not be (9)________________ than 2.9
metres.
C: OK, I’ll take the bikes off.

E. SPEAKING: Making Comparisons

1. Look at the chart and complete this phone conversation.
Comparison between two ePhones
Classic Fonarama
Dimensions 115 x 61 x 11.6mm 96 x 52 x 9.7mm
Weight 135g 94g
Screen size 88.9 mm (diagonal) 72 mm (diagonal)
Capacity 8GB, 12 GB 8Gb, 12GB, 16 GB
Battery 16 hours 24 hours
Charging time 3.5 hours 3 hours

A: What’s the difference between the Classic and the Fonarama ePhones?
B: Well, the Fonarama is much (1)_______________ than the Classic. It’s only 9.7
mm thick.
A: I see. And what about the weight?
B: The Fonarama is much (2)_______________ than the Classic. It weighs only
94g.
A: OK, and what about the screen size?
B: The screen of the Fonarama is much (3)_______________. It’s only 72 mm
across.
A: I prefer a (4)_______________ screen size. I want to watch movies on it. I’ll
order the Classic.
B: Certainly. Which one would you like? The 8GB one or the 12 GB one?
A: The 12 GB one, please.
→ Practice the conversation. Add more information from the chart.

35
2. Making comparisons. Think of as many differences as possible. Think of some
more groups and make comparisons.
a. Zinedine Zidance / Wayne Rooney / Cristiano Ronaldo
…………………………………………………………………………………
b. Mount Everest (8,848m) / North Face of the Eiger (3,970m) / Aconcagua
(6,961m)
…………………………………………………………………………………
c. Coal-fired power / nuclear power / wind power
…………………………………………………………………………………
d. Toyota / Huyndai / BMW
…………………………………………………………………………………

36
 SAMPLE TEST 01
(Time allowed: 60 minutes)

I. Read the passage and answer the questions.

Nobody can imagine what our life would be like without metals. Until he
discovered how to make things with metals, man had only stones and wood as raw
materials. The first metal that primitive man used was copper – a pure or base metal.
This was around 5000 B.C in the Middle East. Copper has the advantages of being
very easy to extract from rock, but its use is limited because it is fairly soft.
Around 1500 B.C it was discovered that if copper was mixed with tin –
another soft metal- the resulting alloy was bronze, which was very much harder than
either of them.
The softer metals- copper, tin, lead, gold- were the first metals to be used
because they needed less heat to smelt them. It was not until 600 B.C that the Greeks
learnt how to extract the hard metal, iron from its ore. Even then, only small amounts
could be produced, because there was not enough charcoal available. It was not until
the 18th century that an English man, Abraham Darby, discovered that coke could be
used instead of charcoal. This made it possible to produce the vast amounts of iron
and steel that we use today.
New words: - stone: đá - raw: thô - primitive: nguyên thuỷ
- smelt: luyện, nung chảy - charcoal: than đá - coke: than cốc
Questions:
1. What raw materials did people use before they discovered metals?
2. Why were copper, tin, lead, gold the first metals to be used?
3. Did the Greeks learn how to extract iron from its ore before 600 B.C?
4. What did Abraham Darby find out in the 18th century? And what could this help?

II. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D.

6. _________ is concerned with developing components and equipment for
communications, computing, and so on.

37
 A. Civil engineering B. Electrical engineering
C. Mechanical engineering D. Electronic engineering
7. Electrical engineers are concerned with the _______ and ______ of electricity.
A. produce/distribute B. productive/distributive
C. production/distribution D. productively/distributively
8. The first internal combustion engine was built _______1859 _______ Etienne
Lenoir.
A. at/with B. in/by C. on/with D. from/to
9. Alluminium, which is light, soft, and ductile, is used _______ aircraft and engine
components.
A. make B. making C. to make D. made
10. The first person _______ did experiment with an internal-combustion engine
was the Dutch physicist Christian Huygens.
A. where B. who C. which D. whose
11. Diesel engines are _______ heavier, noisier, and _______ at lower speed than
gasoline engines.
A. general/ powerful much B. generally/ powerful more much
C. general/ more powerful much D. generally/ much more powerful
12. George Brayton, _______ had developed a two-stroke kerosene engine in 1873,
but it was too large and too slow to be commercially successful, was an American
engineer.
A. that B. who C. whom D. X
13. When developing a new engine, scientists want to _______ high power output
and low fuel______.
A. combine/ consumption B. combination/ consume
C. combine/ consume D. combination/ consumption
14. People hope that a lot of new kinds of materials ______ to make better engines
in the future.
A. will develop B. are going to be developed
C. are developing D. will be developed

38
15. Friction is sometimes a help _______ it is often a hindrance.
A. because B. since C. but D. so

III. Match a phrase in column A with another in column B

A B
16. Mechanical engineers
17. High carbon steel
18. Spring is another
important force in engineering
19. It is important
A. is the term given to a number of
different procedures in which the
properties of metals and alloys are changed
B. to get the distinction between mass and
weight absolutely clear.
C. are involved in support services such as
roads, rail track, harbours, and bridges.
D. to use escalators and lifts, switch on
lights turn taps and open doors.

20. Heat treatment E. which is caused by elasticity

F. a rapid rise in cylinder pressure which is

converted to useful mechanical energy by
the piston and crankshaft.
G. includes electricity generating,
electrical installation, lighting, etc.
H. contains iron and 0.7% to 1.4 % carbon.

IV. Make sentences from the given words

21. ABS/ have/ high impact strength,/ so/ it/ often/ use/ make/ safety helmet,/ car
components,/ etc.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
22. You/ know/ when/ the first internal combustion engines/ make?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
23 It/ be/ likely/ that/ future intelligent machines/ such as robots/ use/ much more/
they/ at present.
…………………………………………………………………………………………

39
24. Civil engineering/ not deal/ generating and distributing/ electricity,/ but/ it/
concerned/ making/ bridges,/ roads,/ airports,/etc.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………………………………………………………
25. The Boeing/ a little/ shorter/ the Airbus.
…………………………………………………………………………………………

V. Translate into Vietnamese

26. Mechanical engineers design and make machines and processing equipment
for harvesting, preparing and preserving foods and drinks.
27. Copper and aluminium, are both fairly weak- but if they are mixed together,
the result is an alloy called aluminium bronze, which is much stronger than
either pure copper or pure aluminium.
28. China produces a little less tin than Indonesia.
29. Can heat treatment change properties of metals?
30. Mass is measured in kilograms but weight is measured in newtons.

40
 Unit 5

MECHANISMS

A. READING
Identify these simple mechanisms. Try to explain the principles on which they
operate.

Scanning is the best strategy for searching for specific information in a text. Move
your eyes up and down the text until you find the word or words you want. Again, try
to ignore any information which will not help you with your task.

Task 1. Scan the text below quickly to find out which of these mechanisms are
mentioned
1. cam 3. pendulum
2. tap 4. escalator

41
 Mechanisms
Mechanisms are an important part of everyday life. They allow us to do simple
things like switch on lights, turn taps, and open doors. They also make it possible to
use escalators and lifts, travel in cars, and fly from continent to continent.

Mechanisms play a vital role in industry. While many industrial processes have
electronic control systems, it is still mechanisms that deliver the power to do the
work. They provide the forces to press steel sheets into car body panels, to lift large
components from place to place, to force plastic through dies to make pipes.

All mechanisms involve some kind of motion. The four basic kinds of motion are:
Rotary: Wheels, gears, and rollers involve rotary movement.
Oscillating: The pendulum of a clock oscillates -it swings backwards and forwards.
Linear: The linear movement of a paper trimmer is used to cut the edge of the paper.
Reciprocating: The piston in a combustion engine reciprocates.
Many mechanisms involve changing one kind of motion into another type. For
example, the reciprocating motion of a piston is changed into a rotary motion by the
crankshaft, while a cam converts the rotary motion of the engine into the
reciprocating motion required to operate the valves.

Task 2. Read the text to find the answers to these questions.

a. What does a cam do?
b. What does oscillating mean?
c. How are plastic pipes formed?
d. What simple mechanisms in the home are mentioned directly or indirectly?
e. What is the function of a crankshaft?
f. Give an example of a device which can produce a linear movement
g. How are car body panels formed?
h. What do mechanisms provide in industry?
Task 3. Now say what the words or phrases below refer to

42
 a.paragraph1: they _______________________________
b.paragraph2: they _______________________________
c.paragraph3: it _______________________________

B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1. Compound Noun
Compound nouns are common in English. We make a compound noun by putting two
or more separate nouns together to make a new noun.
E.g. control system steel sheet car factory
Task 4. Find all the compound nouns in the text Mechanisms.
1_______________________________
2_______________________________
3_______________________________
2. Dealing with technical terms
One of the difficult things about the English of engineering is that there are many
technical terms to learn. Newer terms may be the same, or almost the same, in your
own language. But many terms will be quite different and you may not always
remember them. When this happens, you will have to make your meaning clear using
other words.
Task 5. The technical words in column A are similar in meaning to the more
general English in column B. Match them.
A B
1 oscillates a changes
2 rotates b large, thin , flat pieces
3 reciprocates c moving stairs
4 has a linear motion d goes round and round
5 converts e movement
6 motion f goes in a line
7 escalator g swings backwards and forwards
8 sheets h goes up and down

43
Task 6. Can you find any other words or phrases which also express:
play a vital role in:………………………………………………….
make it possible to:……………………..…………………………..

3. -ing form and infinitives

Study sentences taken from the text:

Many mechanisms involve changing one kind of motion into another type.
Mechanisms allow us to do simple things like switch on lights, turn taps, and
open doors.

4. Common uses of the –ing form.

The –ing form is used
• in continuous tenses
E.g. They are inspecting the combustion chamber at the moment.
• as an adjective
They are trying their best to reduce the running cost of the system.
• as a subject of a sentence
E.g. Building a hospital, a block of flats, or other civil engineering projects
requires special equipment and machinery.
- In civil engineering, designing a foundation is really necessary.
• after some verbs
E.g. He stopped working for that automobile company last year.
• as a complement of sentence
Eg. One of the responsibilities of a mechanical engineer is designing
tools and machines.
• after prepositions
Eg. Mechanical engineering deals with designing and manufacturing
tools and machines.

44
5. Common uses of the infinitive
The to- infinitive is used
• as a subject of a sentence
Eg. To obey the traffic rules is everyone’s duty. (= It is everyone’s duty is to
obey the traffic rules)
• as a complement
Eg. One of the responsibilities of a mechanical engineer is to design
tools and machines.
• to express a purpose
Eg. To be successful, mechanical engineers need to catch up with modern
technology.
• after some verbs and in some structures
Eg. - They want to build a new car factory in this area.
- It is not as expensive to build a local road as a superhighway.
The bare-infinitive is used
• after modals
Eg. All people must obey the traffic rules.
• after some verbs
Eg. They never let me use their car
Notes
Some verbs and structures can take an -ing form or an infinitive and the meaning is
more or less the same.
Eg. - It’s just started raining or It’s just started to rain
- My hobby is to collect stamps or My hobby is collecting stamps.

Task 7. Underline all the –ing forms and infinitives in the text Mechanisms.
Task 8. Put the correct forms of the verbs in brackets.
a. (Burn) fuel inside the engine cylinders produces heat.
.........................................................................................,,,,,....................................

45
b. The lubricating system allows the parts (move) freely with little power lost in
(make) them (move).
.........................................................................................,,,,,,....................................
c. In an automotive engine, power is produced by (burn) a mixture of air and fuel
inside cylinders in the engine.
...................................................................................................................................
d. Workers (should / clean) the tools after (use) them.
...................................................................................................................................
e. (Continue) running, an engine (must / have) 4 support systems: fuel, ignition,
lubricating and cooling systems.
…………………………………..………………………………..…………………
f. We are looking forward to (see) more and more advancements (achieve) safer
travelling.
………………………………………………………………………………..………
g. Recently, people have tended (book) e-tickets through the Internet (avoid) (queue)
for ages.
…………………………………………………………………………………..……
h. (Complete) a project today requires compliance with a broad range of rules,
regulations, laws, procedures, policies, guidelines, and specifications.
………………………………………………………………………….…………….
i. If your car (not start) in the morning, you (should check) three things first: the
battery, the fuel level and the spark plugs. It is easy (repair) these faults.
...................................................................................................................................
j. (Use) an excavator makes the task of (lift) and (carry) much easier and quicker.
…………………………………………………………………………...……………..

C. WRITING Ways of linking ideas

When we write, we may have to describe, explain, argue, persuade, complain, etc. In
all these forms of writing, we use ideas. To make our writing effective, we have to

46
make sure our readers can follow our ideas. One way of helping our readers is to
make the links between the ideas in our writing.

What are the links between these pairs of ideas? What words can we use to mark the
links?

1. Mechanisms are important to us.

2. They allow us to travel.
3. Mechanisms deliver the power to do work.
4. They play a vital role in industry.
5. Friction is sometimes a help.
6. It is often a hindrance.

Sentence 2 is a reason for sentence 1. We can link 1 and 2 like this:

Mechanisms are important to us because/since/as they allow us to travel.
Sentence 4 is the result of sentence 3. We can link 3 and 4 like this:
Mechanisms deliver the power to do work so they play a vital role in industry.
Mechanisms deliver the power to do work; therefore they play a vital role in
industry.
Sentence 6 contrasts with sentence 5. We can link 5 and 6 like this:
Friction is sometimes a help but it is often a hindrance.

Task 9. Use appropriate linking words to connect the sentences.

1. Copper is highly conductive
It is used for electric wiring
………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Weight is measured in newtons
Mass is measured in kilograms.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. Nylon is used for bearings.

47
 It is self -lubricating.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. ABS has high impact strength.
It is used for safety helmets.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. The foot pump is a class two lever.
The load is between the effort and the fulcrum.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. Friction is essential in brakes
Friction is a nuisance in an engine.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
7. The upper surface of a beam is in compression.
The lower surface is in tension.
………………………………………………………………………………………….

8. Concrete beams have steel rods near the lower surface

Concrete is weak in tension
………………………………………………………………………………………….

48
D. LISTENING: Suggesting an Action
 06 Listen to this diving instructor brainstorming with trainees how to rescue
someone trapped under water. Number the points in the order in which they are
mentioned.
How to rescue trapped diver
bring to surface remove from water
give first aid make diver buoyant
provide extra oxygen do artificial respiration
free diver’s leg attract help at surface
take to hospital locate diver
tow diver to safety mark position

E. SPEAKING: Describing Methods

Make questions and answers.
A: How does the passenger activate the ticket machine?
B: He activates it / He does it by touching the screen.
Device How to start/activate it
1. accelerator on motorbike a. rotate the handle
2. voice –operated computer b. speak to it
3. solar battery c. put it under an electric lamp
4. emergency stop in train d. pull the lever
5. shop door alarm e. step on a sensor in the door mat
6. car engine f. insert the key and turn it

49
 Unit 6
THE ELECTRIC MOTOR
A. READING
Work in your groups. List as many items as you can in the home which use electric
motors. Which room has the most items?

Another useful strategy is reading a text quickly to get a general idea of the kind of
information it contains. You can then decide which parts of the text are worth
reading in more detail later, depending on your reading purpose. This strategy is
called skimming.

Skim this text and identify the paragraphs which contain information on each of
these topics. The first one has been done for you.

a. What electric motors are used for paragraph ____ 1 ____

b. The commutator paragraph __________
c. Why the armature turns paragraph __________
d. Electromagnets paragraph __________
e. Effects of putting magnets together paragraph __________
f. The armature paragraph __________

In an electric motor an electric current and magnetic field produce a turning

movement. This can drive all sorts of machines, from wrist watches to trains. The
motor shown in Fig. 1 is for a washing machine. It is a universal motor, which can
run on direct or alternating current.

An electric current running through a wire produces a magnetic field around the
wire. If an electric current flows around a loop of wire with a bar of iron through it,
the iron becomes magnetized. It is called an electromagnet; one end becomes a north

50
pole and the other a south pole, depending on which way the current is flowing
around the loop.

Fig.1

If you put two magnets close together, like poles - for example, two north poles-repel
each other, and unlike poles attract each other.

In a simple electric motor, like the one shown in Fig.2, a piece of iron loops of wire
round it, called an armature, is placed between the north and south poles of a
stationary magnet, known as the field magnet. When electricity flows around the
armature wire, the iron becomes an electromagnet.

51
The attraction and repulsion between the poles of this armature magnet and the poles
of the field magnet make the armature turn. As a result, its north pole is close to the
south pole of the field magnet. Then the current is reversed so the north pole of the
armature magnet becomes the south pole. Once again, the attraction and repulsion
between it and the field magnet make it turn. The armature continues turning as long
as the direction of the current, and therefore its magnetic poles, keeps being reversed

To reverse the direction of the current, the ends of the armature wire are connected to
different halves of a split ring called a commutator. Current flows to and from the
commutator through small carbon blocks called brushes. As the armature turns, first
one half of the commutator comes into contact with the brush delivering the current,
and then the other, so the direction of the current keeps being reversed.

Task 1. Answer the questions about the text

1. What do an electric current and magnetic field produce in an electric motor?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
2. Can a universal motor run on direct and alternating current?
…………………………………………………………………………………………

52
3. What happen if you put two magnets close together, like poles- for example, two
north poles?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
4. What make the armature turn?
…………………………………………………………………………………………
5. What must be done to reverse the direction of the current?
…………………………………………………………………………………………

Task 2. Match each of these diagrams with the correct description A, B, C or D.

One of the descriptions does not match any of the diagrams. (The diagrams are
in the correct sequences, but the descriptions are not.)

The armature turns a quarter of a turn. Then electric contact is broken because of the
gap in the commutator, but the armature keeps turning because there is nothing to
stop it.

53
When current flows, the armature becomes an electromagnet. Its north pole is
attracted by the south pole and repelled by the north pole of the field magnet.
C
When a universal motor is run on direct current, the magnetic poles in the armature
change while those of the field magnet remain constant.
D
When the commutator comes back into contact with the brushes, current flows
through the armature in the opposite direction. Its poles are reversed and the turn
continues.
B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1.Word formation
Some nouns and verbs have the same form, the same spelling and pronunciation.

VERB NOUN
design design
cause cause
use use

Task 3. Look back at the reading text and find all the verbs and nouns which
have the same form.
NOUN VERB
1………………………………………………………………………………………
2………………………………………………………………………………………
3………………………………………………………………………………………
4………………………………………………………………………………………
5………………………………………………………………………………………
6………………………………………………………………………………………
7………………………………………………………………………………………
8………………………………………………………………………………………
9………………………………………………………………………………………

54
10……………………….………………………………………………………………
11…………………………………………………………………………….…………
12……………………………………………………………………….………………

Task 4. Fill in the blanks with the correct forms of the words in brackets.
1. In a simple experiment on friction, a block of wood ___________on a flat
surface. (PLACE)
2. After work, tools should be kept in dry and clean __________ . (PLACE)
3. Friction in ____________ is destructive and wasteful. (MACHINE)
4. Brass is a metal which is a good conductor and can be easily _____________.
(MACHINE)
5. In order to avoid future accidents, equipment should not be operated by
__________ personnel. (TRAIN)
6. It is important that all workers must be __________ in basic safety. (TRAIN)
7. In an electric motor an electric current and magnetic field produce a turning
movement which can drive all sorts of ____________,from wrist
___________to __________ . (MACHINE/ WATCH/ TRAIN)
8. “It’s my___________to keep___________”,said the soldier.
(TURN/WATCH)
9. When electricity ____________ around the armature wire, the iron becomes
an electromagnet.(FLOW)
10. Over the past fifty years, most American and European cities ___________ to
landfills, where waste___________ are regulated and controlled.
(TURN/FLOW)
11. The two substances are now in___________ and a chemical reaction is
occurring. (CONTACT)
12. Where can technicians____________ the manager tomorrow? (CONTACT)
13. While he was ____________ a brass component on Tuesday, last week,
Kenneth Oliver, machinist, received an injury to his eye. (TURN)

55
 14. As the armature _____________, first one half of the commutator comes into
____________ with the brush delivering the current. (TURN/ CONTACT)

2. Describing function
Try to answer this question:
What does an electric motor do?

When we answer a question like this, we describe the function of something. We can
describe the function of an electric motor in this way:
An electric motor converts electrical energy to mechanical energy.
We can emphasize the function like this:
The function of an electric motor istoconvert electrical energy to mechanical
energy.

Task 5. Match each of these motor components to its function, and then describe
its function in a sentence.
Component Function

1 armature a transfers rotation from the motor

2 bearings b creates an electromagnetic field
3 brushes c converts electromagnetic energy to rotation
4 commutator Revers
d reverses the current to the armature
5 drive shaft e support the drive shaft
6 field windings Suppl
f current to the armature

1………………………………………………………………………………………
2………………………………………………………………………………………
3………………………………………………………………………………………
4………………………………………………………………………………………
5………………………………………………………………………………………
6………………………………………………………………………………………

56
C. WRITING Describing components
Task 6. Dismantle this simple dc motor into its components by completing the
labeling of the chart below.

Now study this description of the motor.

A simple dc motor consists of a field magnet and an armature. The armature is
placed between the poles of the magnet. The armature is made up of a loop of wire
and a split ring known as a commutator. The loop is connected to the commutator.
Current is supplied to the motor through carbon blocks called brushes.

To write a description, you need to use language to:

1 dismantle a piece of equipment into its main parts. These expressions will
help:
consists of
A is made up of X and Y
is composed of
2 name of components:
Carbon blocks known as brushes
called
3 locate components:
The armature is placed between the poles.

57
 4 connect components:
The loop is connected to the commutator.

Task 7. Complete the text with the help of the diagram. Use the following
words:

are made up is composed

consists is placed

A transformer…………………of two coils, a primary and a secondary. The coils are

wound on a former which is mounted on a core. The coils …………………
………………… of a number of loops of wire. The core ………………… of thin
pieces of soft iron. U- and T-shaped pieces are used. The former ………………… on
the leg of the T.

Task 8. Now label the diagram below using the completed text.

D. LISTENING: Describing Specifications

 07 Listen and complete the specifications chart.

58
 MB471/316 Tunnel Drill Specifications
Cost
Length
Diameter
Weight
Speed
Manpower needed

E. SPEAKING: Expressing Solutions

Make full questions and answers based on the following information.
A: What should we do if the diver’s location under water is unknown?
B: You should locate them and mark their position.
Diver’s oxygen low? → Give extra gas cylinder to diver.
Diver’s location under water → Locate diver and mark their position.
unknown?
Diver’s not buoyant at the surface? → Inflate diver’s wet suit.
Not breathing? → Give artificial respiration.
Other boats in area? → Send signal for help.
Serious injury? → Call helicopter to take to hospital.
Diver close to boat or land? → Remove from water.
No help available at surface? → Tow diver to boat or land.
Diver trapped underwater? → Free diver with knife.
Diver submerged in water? → Bring to surface carefully.
Diver needs immediate treatment? → Give first aid.

59
 Unit 7

LASERS

A. READING
Task 1. In your groups, list any applications you know for lasers.
Task 2. Read this text to find out how many applications of lasers listed are
mentioned.

Lasers (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation) are devices which

amplify light and produce beams of light which are very intense, directional, and
pure in colour. They can be solid state, gas, semiconductor, or liquid.

When lasers were invented in 1960, some people thought they could be used as
‘death rays’. In the 1980s, the United States experimented with lasers as a defence
against nuclear missiles. Nowadays, they are used to identify targets. But apart from
military uses, they have many applications in engineering, communications,
medicine, and the arts.

In engineering, powerful laser beams can be focused on a small area. These beams
can heat, melt, or vaporize material in a very precise way. They can be used for
drilling diamonds, cutting complex shapes in materials from plastics to steel, for spot
welding and for surfacing techniques, such as hardening aircraft engine turbine
blades. Laser beams can also be used to measure and align structures.

Lasers are ideal for communications in space. Laser light can carry many more
information channels than microwaves because of its high frequency. In addition, it
can travel long distance without losing signal strength. Lasers can also be used for
information recording and reading. Compact discs are read by lasers.

60
In medicine, laser beams can treat damaged tissue in a fraction of a second without
harming healthy tissue. They can be used in a very precise eye operation.

In the arts, lasers can provide fantastic displays of light. Pop concerts are often
accompanied by laser displays.

Task 3. Complete this table of laser using information from the text. You may
also add any applications you know of which are not included in the text.

Military Engineering Communications Medicine Arts

drilling treating
diamonds damaged tissue
cutting complex information
shapes recording and
reading

B. LANGUAGE STUDY
1. Noun + noun compounds
We can use adjectives to describe an object in greater detail. For example:

light electrical light

a motor an electric motor
steel stainless steel
gears helical gears

We can also use nouns. For example:

61
 light laser light
a motor an air motor
steel carbon steel
gears titanium gears

Many relationships are possible in noun compounds. For example:

an air motor a motor which uses air
carbon steel steel which contains carbon
titanium gears gears made of titanium

Task 4. Put each of these examples in the correct column.

carbon blocks a power tool
aluminum alloy a ball bearing
carbon fibre a concrete beam
a gas burner a diesel boat
roller bearings a spring balance
a circuit board a plastic tube
magnesium alloy steel sheets

uses is made of contains

_______________ ______________ ______________
a gas burner carbon blocks carbon blocks
…………………… ……………………. ……………………
…………………… ……………………. ……………………
…………………… ……………………. ……………………
…………………… ……………………. ……………………
…………………… ……………………. ……………………
…………………… ……………………. ……………………

62
2. Time clauses
What is the relationship between these pairs of actions? How can we link each pair
to show this relationship?
1. Cold water passes through a heat exchanger.
The water is heated.
2. The water is heated.
It reaches a pre-set temperature.
3. The water is heated.
It is pumped to a diverter valve.
4. The water temperature reaches the right level.
The gas control valve shuts off.

We can show how actions are linked in time by using time clauses. We can use as to
link two connected actions happening at the same time. For example:
1 As cold water passes through a heat exchanger, the water is heated.
We can use until to link an action and the limit of that action. For example:
2 The water is heated until it reaches a pre-set temperature.
Note that until normally comes between the stages.
We can use after to show that one action is followed by another action. For example:
3. After the water is heated, it is pumped to a diverter valve.
We can use when to show that one action happens immediately after another. For
example:
4. When the water temperature reaches the right level, the gas control valve
shuts off.
Note that when the time word comes first in the sentence, a comma (,) is used after
the time clause.

Task 5. Link these sets of actions with appropriate time words:

1. The system is switched on.
Cold water passes through a heat exchanger in the boiler.

63
 2. The water passes through the heat exchanger.
The water becomes hotter and hotter.
The water reaches a pre-set level.
3. The water temperature reaches the pre-set level.
A thermostat causes the gas control valve to shut off.
4. The water is pumped to a diverter valve.
The water goes to the hot water cylinder or the radiators.
5. Hot water passes through the inside of the hot water storage cylinder in a coil
arrangement.
Heat is transferred to the surrounding water.
6. The hot water flows through the radiators.
The hot water loses heat.
7. The water passes through the radiators
The water returns to the boiler.

3. used to / for
Study these examples of laser applications:
1 Laser beams can be used to measure and align structures.
2 They can be used for drilling diamonds.
3 They can be used for light displays.
We can describe applications with used to + infinitive or used for + -ing or noun.

Task 6. Describe the applications of lasers using the information in your table
and the structures given above.
……………………………………………..…………………………………………..
…………………………………………………………………..……………………...
……………………………………………………………………………..…………..
…………………………………………………………………..……………………...
……………………………………………………………………………..…………..
…………………………………………………………………..……………………...

64
……………………………………………………………………………...…………..
…………………………………………………………………..……………………...

Task 7. What new relationship can you find in the examples below? Rewrite
each compound to show the relationship. For example:
a foot pump a pump which is operated by foot
a ribbon cable a cable which is like a ribbon
a gear lever a lever for operating gears

1 chain wheel………………………………………………………….…………..
2 disc wheel………………………………………………………………….…….
3 foot brake……………………………………………………………..………….
4 a hand throttle………………………………………………………..………….
5 strain gauge……………………………………………………………..……….
6 college lecturer………………………………………………………..…………
7 toe-clip…………………………………………………………………….……..
8 boiler thermostat……………………………………………………………..….
9 safety helmet…………………………..................................................................
10 aircraft engineer………………………………………………………………....

C. WRITING Describing a process: Sequence

When we write about a process, we have to:

1 Sequence the stages

2 Locate the stages
3 Describe what happens at each stage
4 Explain what happens at each stage

65
In this unit we will study how to sequence the stages. Consider these stages in the
operation of a washing machine.

1 The drum is filled with water.

2 The water is heated to the right temperature.
3 Soap is added.
4 The drum is rotated slowly.
5 The dirty water is pumped out.
6 Clean water is added.
7 The drum is rotated much faster and the water pumped out
8 The clean clothes are removed.

Instead of numbers, we can show the correct order using sequence words.
1. First the drum is filled with water.
2. Then the water is heated to the right temperature.
3. Next soap is added.
4. After that, the drum is rotated slowly.
5. Next the dirty water is pumped out.
6. Then clean water is added.
7. After that, the drum is rotated much faster and the water pumped out.
8. Finally, the clean clothes are removed.

Task 8. Study this diagram. It shows an extruder for forming plastic pipes.
Describe the extruder:

66
Task 9. Now put these stages in the process in the correct sequence.

a The hot plastic is forced through the die to form a continuous

length of pipe.
b The rotating screw forces the plastic past heaters.
c The plastic granules are mixed and placed in the hopper.
d The pipe is cooled and cut to suitable lengths.
e The plastic melts.

D. LISTENING: Describing Use and Function

 08 Listen and complete the dialogues
a) A: So, tell me about your invention. What’s it for?
B: It’s for _____________ _____________ _____________.
b) A: OK. And what about this device. What’s it used for?
B: It’s for _____________ a flat _____________ from inside the car.
c) A: Tell me about this invention. What can it be used for?
B: You can use it to _____________ quickly over and under _____________.

E. SPEAKING: Describing Use and Function

Present Simple What does the carburetor do? It mixes air and petrol.
for + V-ing What’s the carburetor used for? It’s for mixing air and petrol.
to + V You use the carburetor to mix air and petrol.

67
Work in pair. Make questions and answers about the uses of the devices bellow.

Device Use and Function

1 This tool hammer in nails.
2 This machine produce drinking water
3 This machine change batteries
4 This machine find lost objects
5 This device turn nuts and bolts without hurting your hand
6 The X-beam wrench loosen tight and rusty old bolts without hurting your
hand
7 This device start your car without getting wet
8 This box store pencils

68
 Unit 8

WASHING MACHINE

A.READING
Many items found in the home contain control systems. The washing machine is one
of the most complex. List some of the factors the control system of a washing
machine must handle. This diagram may help you.

Fig.1 Cross section through a washing machine

69
Reading diagrams
In engineering, diagrams carry a great deal of information. They can also help you to
understand the text. For this reason, it is helpful to try to understand any diagrams
before reading the text.
Study the diagram again. Try to explain the function of each of these items.

1 Pump
2 Motor
3 Shock absorber
4 Solenoid valves
5 Heater
6 Pressure sensor
7 Door lock and sensor
8 Temperature sensor
9 Fan

Text 1
Door position
The machine will not start any program unless the door is fully closed and locked.
When the door is closed, it completes an electrical circuit which heats up a heat-
sensitive pellet. This expands as it gets hot, pushing a mechanical lock into place and
closing a switch. The switch signals the control unit that the door is closed and
locked. Only when it has received this signal will the control unit start the wash
program.

Text 2
Water level
When a wash program first starts it has to open the valves which allow the water in.
There are usually two of these valves, one for hot water and one for cold. Each must
be controlled separately depending on the water temperature needed for that

70
program. The valves are solenoid operated, i.e. they are opened and closed
electrically.

The rising water level is checked by the water level sensor. This is a pressure
sensor. The pressure of the air in the plastic tube rises as it is compressed by the
rising water. The pressure sensor keeps the control unit informed as to the pressure
reached and the control unit uses the information to decide when to close the water
inlet valves.

Text 3
Water temperature
The temperature sensor, a type of thermometer which fits inside the washer drum,
measures the water temperature and signals it to the control unit. The control unit
compares it with the temperature needed for the program being used. If the water
temperature is too low, the control unit will switch on the heater. The temperature
sensor continues to check the temperature and keep the control unit informed. Once
the correct temperature is reached, the control unit switches off the heater and moves
on to the next stage of the program.

Text 4
Clock
The control unit includes a memory which tells it how long each stage of a program
should last. The times may be different for each program. The electronic clock built
into the control unit keeps the memory of the control unit informed so that each stage
of each program is timed correctly.

Text 5
Drum speed
During the wash and spinning cycles of the program, the drum has to spin at various
speeds. Most machines use three different speeds. The control unit signals the motor

71
to produce these speeds. The motor starts up slowly, and then gradually increases
speed. The speed sensor, a tachogenerator, keeps the control unit informed as to the
speed that has been reached. The control unit uses the information to control the
power to the motor and so controls the speed of the drum at all times.

Task 1. Read the text 1 to find the answers to these questions.

1 What device is used to lock the door?
2 What provides feedback to the control unit about the door position?

Task 2. Now work in pairs, A and B. Student A: Read Text 2 and 3. Student B:
Read Text 4 and 5. Complete your section of the table. Then exchange
information with your partner to complete the whole table.
Control factor Operating device Feedback by
_____________ ______________ _________________
1 Door position heat-sensitive pellet switch
2 Water level ________________ _______________
3 Water temperature ________________ _______________
4 Wash and spin times ________________ _______________
5 Drum speeds ________________ _______________

B. LANGUAGE STUDY Verbs and related nouns

Task 3. Each of the verbs in column A has a related noun endings in –er or –or in
Column B. Complete the blanks. Use a dictionary to check any spellings which
you are not certain about.

Verbs Nouns
Eg.: control controller
1 divert ………………………
2 …………………… absorber

72
3 heat ………………………
4 ……………………… evaporator
5 compress ………………………
6 ……………………… resister
7 charge ………………………
8 ……………………… generator
9 conduct ………………………
10 ……………………… exchanger
11 radiate ………………………
12 ……………………… refrigerator

B. LANGUAGE STUDY If / Unless sentences

Task 4. Fill in the blanks in this table using the information in the texts.

_____________________________________________________________
Sensor Condition Control unit action
_______________ _______________ __________________
Water level low open inlet valves
1. level high enough __________________
Water temperature 2. _______________ switch on heater
3. high enough __________________
Drum speed 4._______________ _________________
5._______________ decrease motor speed
______________________________________________________________

The conditions which the sensors report determine the action of the control unit. We
can link each condition and action like this:
If the water level is low, the inlet valves are opened.

73
Task 5. Write similar sentences for the other five conditions given.
1……………………………………………………………………………………….
2……………………………………………………………………………………….
3………………………………………………………………………..........................
4.………………………………………………………………………………………
5………………………………………………………………………..........................

Now study this example.

Sensor Condition Control unit action
Door Door open Machine cannot start
Door closed Machine can start

We can link these conditions and actions as follows:

1 If the door is open, the machine cannot start.
2 If the door is closed, the machine can start.
3 Unless the door is closed, the machine cannot start.
We use unless when an action cannot or will not happen if a condition is not true. In
example 3, Unless means If … not. We can rewrite 3 as:

If the door is not closed, the machine cannot start.

Task 6. Complete these sentences using your knowledge of engineering.

1 Unless the ignition is switched on, a car cannot __________.
2 Unless the pilot light is on, gas central heating will not __________.
3 Unless the diverter valve is switched to central heating, the radiators will not
__________.
4 Unless there is current flowing in the primary coil of a transformer there will
be no current in the __________ coil.
5 Unless there is __________ in the cylinders, a petrol engine will not start.
6 Unless the doors are __________ a lift will not operate.

74
 7 Unless mild steel is painted, it will __________.
8 Unless electrical equipment is earthed, it may be __________

C. WRITING Explaining a diagram

Task 7. Study this diagram of a pressure sensor. Explain how it works by
linking each pair of actions with appropriate time words.

1 A wash programme first starts.

It opens the valves to allow the water in.
2 The water level in the drum rises.
The air in the plastic tube is compressed.
3 The pressure rises.
The diaphragm moves upwards.
4 This continues.
The switch contacts are separated.
5 This happens.
The fill valves are closed.

Task 8. Join the following groups of statements to make longer sentences. Use
the words in Italics above each group. You may omit words and make whatever

75
changes you think are necessary in the word order and punctuation of the
sentences. Join the sentences to make a paragraph.
1 which
The temperature sensor measures the water temperature.
The temperature sensor is a type of the thermometer.
2 and
The temperature sensor fits inside the washer drum.
The temperature sensor signals the water temperature to the control unit.
3 which
The control unit compares the water temperature with the temperature.
The temperature is needed for the programme being used.
4 If
The water temperature is too low.
The control unit will switch on the heater.
5 and
The temperature sensor continues to check the temperature.
The temperature sensor keeps the control unit informed.
6 When …and
The correct temperature is reached.
The control unit switches off the heater.
The control unit moves on to the next stage of the programme.

D. LISTENING: Describing a System

 09 Listen to this presentation about the Wave Energy Converter, and complete
the listener’s notes.
WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER
DEFINITION: system for converting the (1)_________________________ from sea
waves into electrical power.
LOCATION: fixed to the (2)_________________________

76
MAIN COMPONENTS: a flexible disc, a lever, a chamber which takes in sea water,
a set of (3)_________________________, many sea water pipes, a turbine on the
land.
MAIN SPECIFICATIONS: 4.6 m (H) x 20.4 m (L); pipe
(4)_________________________ mm (W); pressure 7000 kPa (1000psi); can
generate (5)_________________________ kW of electricity
OPERATION: wave oscillates -> pushes disc (6)_________________________ in a
linear motion -> lever oscillates -> reciprocating pumps push water through pipe at
(7)_________________________ pressure -> turbine rotates -> generates electricity
BENEFITS: Wave energy is a (8)_________________________ energy resource;
uses no fossil fuels

E. SPEAKING: Discussing How Things Work

Read the magazine article and write the name of the devices in the chart.
Murata Boy weighs less than 5 kg and is only 508 mm tall, but it can do something
that no other robot can do. It can ride a bike. How does it do this? By means of
sensor keeps the robot upright and prevent it from falling sideways. The robot can
look ahead using a small camera in its head. The camera helps the robot to ride in a
straight line. Another sensor is located in its chest. This sensor prevents it from
hitting a wall or other object. The robot can receive instructions from an external
computer by means of a wireless receiver in the box on its back. The computer
makes it follow the correct road. Finally, if the road is not flat, another sensor (in the
frame of the bike) can feel the movement of the wheel. The sensor allows the robot
to ride over bumps in the road.

Murata Boy can do these things device location

(1) It can stay in a vertical position on the bike. sensor body
(2) It can receive instructions from an outside
computer.
(3) It can detect changes in the surface of the

77
 road.
(4) It can look straight ahead and move straight
forward.
(5) It can detect walls and move away from
them.

Complete the questions for this interview with the inventor of the robot
1 A: What ____________________ the ____________________ do?
B: It can ride a bicycle.
2 A: How ____________________ it ____________________?
B: It works by means of sensors and wireless technology.
3 A: How ____________________ it detect ____________________ in the
surface of the road?
B: By means of a sensor in the frame of the bike.
4 A: How can it detect walls and ____________________
____________________ from them?
B: By a sensor in its chest.
5 A: How can it ____________________ ahead and ____________________
straight forward?
B: By using a camera.

78
 SAMPLE TEST 2
(Time allowed: 60 minutes)

I. Read the following passage and answer the questions

Design is at the heart of technology. This is why most technology courses

include design in their program. Look at any manufactured product and you will see
evidence of design. It may be beautiful, but appearance is only one aspect of design.
It must also function well. The design process is a series of stages, or steps. It begins
when someone notices that there is a need or problem in society which must be
solved. It ends when a product is manufactured and meets or fulfils that need. These
are the stages of the design process. First, identify the problem. For example, when a
certain cooking pot is heated, the handle becomes too hot to touch. Sometimes the
designer may have to invent a new product to solve the problem. Sometimes he or
she may modify or change an existing design to improve it. The design process
involves a lot of steps like write the design brief, do an investigation, develop
alternative solutions, choose the best solution, make a model or prototype, test and
evaluate.

1. Why do most technology courses include design in their program?

2. What aspects must be considered in a product?
3. When does a design process begin?
4. Is inventing a new product the only way to solve the problem?

II. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D

6. _______ deals with the construction of bridges, roads, airports, etc as well as the
maintenance of them.
A. Electronic engineering B. Medical engineering
C. Civil engineering D. Mechanical engineering
7. _______ is concerned with mechanics, electronics, computing, control
engineering and molecular engineering.

79
A. Mechanics B. Electronics C. Electrical D. Mechatronics
8. Did some people think that lasers _______ as “death rays” when they _______ in
1960?
A. could be used/ were invented B. could use/ invent
C. can be used/ are invented D. can be used/ were invented
9. If the water temperature _______ too low , the control unit _______ the heater.
A. was/ will switch on B. is/ switched on
C. is/ will be switched on D. is/ will switch on
10. A simple dc motor consists _______ a field magnet and an armature. The
armature is made up _______ a loop of wire and a split ring known as a commutator.
A. at/ on B. of/of C. in/ at D. with/ by
11. When the door is closed, it completes an electrical circuit _______ heats up a
heat-sensitive pellet.
A. which B. that C. A & B D. who
12. In severe cases of clogged radiators, it is necessary___________ them and have
them cleaned by specialized equipment.
A. remove B. to remove C. removing D. to removing
13. Without adequate accident investigation data , the company may be subjected to
costs, claims and legal action for _______ it has no defence.
A. that B. which C. where D. when
14. In engineering, ______ laser beams can be focused on a small area. These beams
can heat, melt, or vaporize materials in a very _______ way.
A. power/ precise B. powerful/ precisely
C. powerless/ precise D. powerful/ precise
15. Many accidents happen _______ workers’ carelessness
A. because B. since C. but D. because of

III. Match a phrase in column A with another in column B

A B
16. Mechanical engineering A. an electric current and magnetic field produce a turning

80
deals with... movement.
17. In an electric motor, ... B. carry many more information channels than microwaves
because of its high frequency.
18. The control unit of a C. to use escalators and lifts, switch on lights turn taps and
washing machine... open doors.
19. Laser light can... D. it has to open the valves which allow the water in.
20. When a wash program E. the design and manufacture of tools and machines.
first starts,…

F. converts the rotary motion of the engine into the

reciprocating motion required
G. includes a memory which tells it how long each stage of
a program should last.
H. belong partly to mechanical and partly to electrical.

IV. Make sentences from the given words

21. Washing machine/ not start/ unless/ door/ be fully/ close and lock.
22. Tools/ should put/ away/ when/ not/ in use/ and/ any breakages and looses/
must report.
23. Lasers/ use/ engineering/, communications/, medicine/, and arts/ since/ they/
first/ invent/ 1960.
24. It/ true/ that/ since/ first internal combustion engine/ build/ 1859/, its design/
not change/ much?
25. Copper/ highly conductive/ so/ it/ use/ make/ electric wiring.

V. Translate the sentences into Vietnamese

26. Electrical engineers provide all the services we need in our homes and places
of work, including lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning,
refrigeration, and lifts.

81
27. If you put two magnets close together, like poles repel each other and unlike
poles attract each other.
28. The function of an electric motor is to convert electric energy into mechanical
energy.
29. Mechanisms plays a vital role in our everyday life because they allow us to
do simple things like switching on lights, turning taps and opening doors.
30. ABS is light and has high impact strength so it is used to make safety
helmets.

82
 PRACTICE
UNIT 1
Task 1. Translate the sentences into English
a. Tôi là sinh viên năm thứ hai khoa Cơ khí trường Đại học giao thông vận tải.
Chúng tôi đang học tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Cơ khí.
…………………………………………………………………………………….……
………………………………………………………………………………………….
b. Có bốn ngành kỹ thuật chính là kỹ thuật cơ khí, kỹ thuật công trình, kỹ thuật điện
và kỹ thuật điện tử.
…………………………………………………………………………………….........
...………………………………………………………………………………………..
c. Bạn có biết kỹ thuật cơ khí liên quan đến lĩnh vực nào không?
………………………………………………………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………………….
d. Việc sản xuất, phân phối và lắp đặt điện là lĩnh vực thuộc về kỹ thuật điện.
………………………………………………………………..………………………..
………………………………………………………………………..………………..
e. Có phải ô tô, tàu hỏa, tàu thủy và máy bay tất cả đều là sản phẩm của kỹ thuật cơ
khí không?
…………………………………………………………………………….……...……
……………………………………………………………………………….…...……

Task 2. Translate the sentences into Vietnamese

1. Electrical engineering is about generating and supplying power.
………………………………………………………………………………….……..
2. Electronic engineering is about designing and making machines that use electric
power.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Civil engineering is about designing, building, and looking after structures.

83
………………………………………………………………….…………….………..
4. Marine engineering is applying engineering to take advantage of the sea.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Manufacturing engineering is about making useful things from raw materials.
………………………………………………………………………………………….

Task 3. Put the list of common technical words into groups using the table below
1. engineer engine engineering
2. mechanical mechanism mechanics mechanic
3. electronics electron electronic
4. technical technology technician
5. electricity electrician electrical
Subjects People and jobs Things Adjectives
1. engineering engineer engine engineering
2.
3.
4.
5.

Task 4. Make sentences from the given words

1. When/ he/ start / work/ this/ factory? Since/ he/ move/ here/ 2000.
…………………...………………………………………….………………………….
2. How much/ this model/ weigh? It/ weigh/ 120 grams.
…………………………………………………………….………………………..….
3. How many/ function/ the/ new machine/ have? It/ have/ more than/ 20 function.
…………………………………………………………………….…………….….….
4. Civil engineering/ concerned/ make/ road/ bridge/ airport, etc.
………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. Transport technology/ deal/ all type/ transport/ as well as/ road,/ railway,/ airport?
…………………………………………………………………….…..……………….

84
 UNIT 2
Task 1. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D
1. This book provides a ___ introduction to the application of electronic control
systems in mechanical and electrical engineering.
A. clearly and comprehensively B. clearly and comprehensive
C. clear and comprehensively D. clear and comprehensive
2. Food must be refrigerated in order ___
A. keep fresh longer B. keeping fresh longer
C. to keep fresh longer D. to be kept fresh longer
3. New technology allows manufacturers ___ production.
A. to increase B. increase C. increasing D. increased
4. Mechanisms play an ___ important role in industry.
A. very B. essential C. essentially D. so
5. A few days ago I spoke to the man ___ is a specialist in plastic surgery.
A. which B. whose C. whom D. who
6. ___ engineering belong partly to mechanical and partly to electrical.
A. Mine and medical B. Mining and medicine
C. Mining and medical D. Mine and medicining
7. Any minor trouble, if left uncorrected, can bring ___ a serious failure or accident.
A. to B. about C. with D. at
8. Heating and ventilating are the concern of ___ engineers.
A. civil B. mechanical C. electrical D. electronic
9. Diesel engines are more economical than gasoline engine in ___
A. price B. fuel C. fuel price D. fuel cost
10. Friction is essential in brakes but it is a ___ in engine.
A. help B. nuisance C. motion D. tension

85
Task 2. Match a phrase in column A with another in column B

A B

1 Another very important force in A being a force, is measured in

engineering is
2 Friction causes the moving parts to
wear and it produces
3 Pull the block along
4 Since the ship is in equilibrium, the
resultant force is zero,
5 Mass is measured in kilograms,
whereas weight,
newtons.
B so the magnitudes of B and W
must be the same.
C friction in machines is destructive
and wasteful.
D heat where it is not wanted.
E and compare the two forces.
F so that it moves at a steady speed.

G the one caused by elasticity.

H a way of measuring force.

86
 UNIT 3
Task 1. Put the verbs in brackets in the correct tenses.
1. About 20 years after Otto first (run) his engine, Rudolf Diesel successfully
(demonstrate) an entirely different method of igniting fuel.
………………………………………………..………………………………
2. Engineered systems contain many components, and a suitable material (must
select) for each of them.
………………………………………………..………………………………
3. Why the first Concorde’s engine surrounds (make) of special alloy?
………………………………………………..………………………………
4. Since the 1950s, the size of computers (decrease) considerably.
………………………………………………..………………………………
5. Charles Babbage (produce) the first general purpose digital computer?
………………………………………………..………………………………
6. You (think) that a new power plant (build) near this area in the future?
………………………………………………..………………………………

Task 2. Make sentences from the given words

1. How/ alloy/ make? It/ make/ mix/ different/ metal/ together.
………………………………………………..…………………………..……………
…………………………………………………….……………………………………
2. Aluminium/ soft/ highly conductive metal/ and/ often/ use/ make air craft/ as well
as/ other/ kitchen/ equipment.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
……........………………………………………………………………………..……..
3. What material/ often/ use/ make/ safety helmet? It/ usually/ make of/ ABS/
because/ this kind/ plastic/ durable/ and/ have/ high impact strengh.
……………………………………………………………..……………………..……
………...…….................................................................................................................

87
4. Brass/ alloy/ which/ consist of/ copper and zinc.
……………………………………………………..…………………………..………
5. Mild steel/ metal/ which/ contain/ iron and 0.15% to 0.3% carbon?
.........................................................................................................................................
6. Since/ introduction/ computer imaging/ the 1970s/, X-ray machines/ use/ many
field.
.........................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................

88
 UNIT 4
Task 1. Read the passage and complete the sentences below, using the correct
form of the word in brackets
There are three main materials used in making pipes: metal, rubber and
plastic. Metal is stronger than rubber or plastic. It is also heavier and more rigid than
rubber or plastic. Rubber is the most flexible of the three materials, but it is more
expensive than either steel or plastic.
1. Rubber is _________ than metal or plastic. (strong/ weak)
2. Rubber is also _________ than the other two materials. (flexible/ rigid)
3. The _________ of the three materials is metal. (strong/ weak)
4. The _________ _________of the three materials is rubber. (expensive /
cheap)
5. Plastic is _________ than metal. (heavy/ light)
6. Metal is the _________ of the three materials. (heavy/ light)

Task 2. Fill the gaps to compare computers now and ten years ago. Use the
adjectives in brackets
Computers today are more powerful ____________1 (powerful). They operate
___________ 2 (fast) and they have much ___________3 (large) memories. Because
they contain more electronics, the cases have become __________ 4 (big) but the
flat-screen monitors are _____________5 (heavy) and fit into a ___________6
(small) space on your desk. Computers are also ____________ 7 (cheap). The price
is ___________ 8 (low) now than in the past. The programs too are ____________9
(good). They are ____________10 (sophisticated) and you can work much
____________11 (efficiently).

Task 3. Make sentences from the given words

1 The Boeing/ a little/ shorter/ and/ can fly/ higher/ the Airbus.
…………………………………………………………………………………………

89
2 The Airbus/ can carry/ heavier weight/ and fly/ farther/ the Boeing.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
3 The Boeing/ faster/ the Airbus/ but/ the Airbus engines/ more powerful.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
4 Metal/ much/ heavier/ plastic and rubber/ but/ it/ strongest/ three materials.
…………………………………………………………………………………………
5 Friction/ sometimes/ help/ but/ it/ often/ hindrance.
…………………………………………………………………………………………

Task 4. Most of the following sentences are incorrect. Find and correct them
1. Is the Wortsilo-Sulzer RTA96-C biggest internal combustion engine in the world?
2. Deep-type filters are more efficient and have a longer service life.
3. Iron is plentiful, cheap, much stronger than wood, and flexible than stone.
4. Which is the building highest in the world?
5. I think My Thuan bridge is not beautiful as Can Tho bridge.
6. Cable-stayed bridges have much greater stiffness than suspension bridges.
7. Now I earn fewer than before but spend more than so I am always in the lack of
money.
8. I think this unit is difficult much more than the next one.
9. Life in the city is more noisy than life in the country.
10. The Airbus was introduced most recently than the Boeing.

90
 UNIT 5
Task 1. Make sentences from the given words
a. There/ 4 basic kind/ motion/ engineering: rotary, reciprocating, oscillating and
linear.
…………………………………………………………………………….……………
b. Mechanisms/ play/ vital role/ industry/ as well as/ daily life?
………………………………………………………………………………….………
c. Function/ crankshaft/ convert/ reciprocating motion/ piston/ into/ rotary motion.
……………………………………………………………………………….…………
d. What/ difference/ between/ function/ crankshaft/ and/cam?
………………………………………………………………………………..………
e. People/ hope/ that/ a lot of/ new material/ develop/ make better/ engine/ future.
………………………………………………………..………………………………

Task 2. Match a phrase in column A with another in column B

A B
1. Plastics are lighter and more
corrosion-resistant,
2. Alloying is an important method
of obtaining
3. The properties of a metal can be
further improved
4. Tempering makes metals
5. You need a lot of electrical
energy
A. by use of heat treatment.
B. to make a metal soft so that it can be
machined more easily.
C. what to do with them after use.
D. which is much stronger than either pure
copper or pure aluminum.
E. to separate aluminum from the oxygen in
aluminum ore.
F. but they are not usually as strong.
G. softer and less brittle.
H. whatever special properties are required.

91
Task 3. Fill in the missing prepositions
a. The linear movement ……….. paper trimmer is used to cut the edge ……….. the
paper.
b. Internal combustion engines can be classified according ………… the cooling
system employed.
c. If the water temperature is too low, the control unit will switch………. the heater.
d. Weight is measured …………. newtons and mass is measured …………
kilograms.
e. Air pollution can lead …………. some dangerous diseases like asthma, lung
cancer and even premature death.
Task 4. Translate the sentences into Vietnamese
a. Mechanical engineering is about designing and making all the parts of machines
that move. That could mean rocket science or bike design – and everything in
between.

……………………………………………………………………………..………..…
………………………………………………………………………………….………

b. Chemical engineering is about using the processes which change materials in a

chemical or physical way. The science behind these processes helps to find out the
best way to make the right products.

…………………………………………………………………………………..…..…
……………………………………………………………………….…………………

c. Information technology is about using computers for collecting, storing, and

sending information.
……………………………………………………………………………..……..……
……………………………………………………….…………….….….……………

d. Transport technology is concerned with all types of transport as well as roads,

railways, airports, and sea ports.
……………………………………………………………………………...………..…

92
 UNIT 6
Task 1. Change these sentences like this
A robot never gets bored. → A robot does not get bored.
Robots never get bored. → Robots do not get bored.
A Robots never complain. →…………………………………………...……………
B A computer never makes mistakes. →………………………….………………
C A robot never eats. →………………………………………………………………
D Some satellites never return to Earth. →……………………………...………
E Machines never demand higher wages. →………………………………………
F Some materials never decay. →……………………………………..…………
G A wet bird never flies at night. →………………………………………..………..
Task 2. You are planning a factory operated totally on robots. Make a list of
things you don’t need and say why
E.g. a canteen
You don’t need a canteen to provide meals because robots don’t eat.

1 medical facilities
2 a clock
3 washing facilities
4 wages clerks
5 car park
6 heaters

Task 3. Make sentences from the given words

1. If/ robot/ programmed,/ it/ will do/ its job/ over and over again.
…………………………………………………………..……………….……………..
…………………………………………………………….………….………………...
2. Robot/ can work/ 24 hour a day/ without breaks/ food, rest or sleep./ It/ not take/
holiday/ or demand/ higher wages.

93
……………………………………………….…………………………….…………..
…………………………………………………………….…………………………...
3. Robots/ can design/ do almost/ any job;/ they/ can also do/ very heavy work/
……………………………………………………………………..…………………..
…………………………………………………………………..……………………...
4. Robots/ can operate/ conditions/ that/ too dangerous,/ too hot/ or too cold/ people/
to work in.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………….……………………..……………………...
5. Electric motor/ convert/ electrical energy/ mechanical energy.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. They/ spend/ 5 year/ company/ which/ build/ ultrasonic measuring instrument/ so
far.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
7. That engineer/ work/ our factory/ 10 year/ before/ he/ move/ London.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
8. What material/ often use/ make/ car body panel?
………………………………………………………………………………………..

Task 4. Match each requirement to the correct reason

Product: Garden chair

Requirement Reason

1 lightweight a. stores easily in winter

2 strong b. spends most of the time outside
3 stackable c. supports heavy adults
4 available in a range of colours d. keeps manufacturing costs low
5 durable e. easy to lift
6 comfortable f. competes with rivals

94
7 easy to mass-produce g. looks attractive
8 sell for less than €20 h. encourages people to use it

Task 5. Tick (√) the ones you agree with and cross (X) those you disagree with
1 Appropriate technology is only for poor countries.
2 Technology students should invent and make appropriate technology devices.
3 Studying appropriate technology is a waste of time.
4 Appropriate technology is out-of-date technology.

Task 6. Put the verbs into the correct tenses

I: Where you (1.work_____________) before present job?
A: I (2. spend ____________) three and a half years with a large defence company.
I: And what your job (3.be____________) there?
A: I (4.be______________) a test engineer.
I: You (5.find_____________) that experience useful when you
(6.move____________) over to your present job?
A: I (7.think____________) it (8.be_____________).
I: You (9.go) there on leaving school or you (10.go_____________) to college first?
A: No, I (11. spend______________) three years doing a course in Electrical and
Electronic Engineering. I (12.do_____________) six months doing work-related studies.
I: Where you (13. do____________) that?
A: I (14. spend) some time in a company which (15. build_____________) ultrasonic
measuring instruments. Again I (16. be) lucky- it (17. be____________) a very
interesting job. I (18. do_____________) a lot of field service.

95
 UNIT 7
Task 1. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D
1. That construction corporation ……… a lot of important construction items in this
city this year.
A. has made B. makes C. is making D. make
2. Friction ……… the moving parts ……….
A. makes / to wear B. makes / wear
C. made / to wear D. made / wearing
3. Electronic Fuel Injection system ……… into three basic sub-systems.
A. can be divide B. can divide C. can divided D. can be divided
4. Friction is sometimes a help, but it is ……… a hindrance.
A. always B. commonly C. never D. just
5. After the piston reaches the bottom of its first stroke, the cylinder is ……… full of
an air / fuel charge.
A. especially B. importantly C.practical D. practically
6. ……… electric current running through a wire produces a magnetic field around
……… wire.
A. The / the B. An / a C. An / the D. The / a
7. In general, a piston is a sliding plug ……… fits closely inside the bore of a
cylinder.
A. who B. whose C. that D. what
8. Mechanisms provide the forces to force plastic ……… dies to make pipes.
A. to B. into C. with D. through
9. Designing and manufacturing tools are the concern of ……… engineers.
A. civil B. mechanical C. electrical D. electronic
10. Engineers use ball bearings and roller bearings because ……… objects
cause less friction than sliding ones.
A. rolling B. rolled C. oscillating D. rotary

96
Task 2. Complete the paragraph with appropriate words
Robots are particular useful for (1) ………………… in places where
humans would die. They don’t (2) ………………… air, so they can be used in space
or underwater. Special (3) ………………… have also been designed for handling
radioactive materials. A number of industrial and military robots are also (4)
………………… to operate (5) ………………… poisonous gases. So in many ways
robots mean that people do (6) ………………… have to work in (7)
………………… jobs. But of course, (8) ………………… are still needed to
program and repair the robots.

Task 3. Make sentences from the given words

1. Robot/ can do/ heavy work/ and/ operate/ condition/ that/ too/ dangerous/ people.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
………………………………………………………………………………………..
2. When/ electric current/ run/ wire,/ it/ produce/ magnetic field/ the wire.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Laser/ use/ spot welding/ and/ treat/ damage/ tissue.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
4. What/ happen/ if/ you/ put/ 2 unlike pole/ close/ together?
………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Property/ metal/ can further improve/ use/ heat treatment.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
6. Traveling by train/ popular/ 50 year ago?
………………………………………………………………………………………..
7. Since/ new road/ open/ more/ people/ travel/ here.
………………………………………………………………………………………..
8. You/ should read/ instruction manual/ careful/ before/ operate/ machine.
………………………………………………………………………………………..

97
Task 4. Match a phrase in column A with another in column B
A B

1. To give equilibrium, A. produces a magnetic field around the

2. Spring is another important force in
engineering
3. An electric current running through a wire
4. When electricity flows around the armature
wire,
5. There are usually two of these valves,
wire.
B. one for hot water and one for cold.
C. to decide when to close the water inlet
valves.
D. current flows through the armature in
the opposite direction.
E. which is caused by elasticity.
F. which can run on direct or alternating
current.
G. the iron becomes an electromagnet.
H. the spring pulls up to opposite that
weight.

98
 UNIT 8
Task 1. Put the verbs into the correct tense
The standard design of the bicycle (a. be) ______________ in existence for
about 100 years. But in the past 10 years there (b. be) _____________ more changes
than during any other decade. Bicycles (c. have) _____________ much in common
with aircraft: both (d. design) _____________ to minimize wind resistance.
The heart of the bicycle (e. be) _____________ its frame. It (f. must/be)
_____________ strong, light, flexible. Many racing bicycle frames (g. make)
_____________ from aluminum alloys. In recent years, bicycle manufacturers (h.
experiment) _____________ with composite materials.

Task 2. Show the links between these sets of ideas using appropriate linking
words: in addition, moreover, but, for example, because, therefore, so, since
1 Many accidents happen.
Workers’ carelessness.
2 Education can reduce accidents.
It is important that all workers receive training in basic safety.
3 Eye injuries can be serious.
Goggles must be worn for grinding and cutting.
4 Safety gloves provide protection for the hands.
They prevent burns.
They reduce the danger of cuts.
5 Safety shoes protect the feet against falling objects.
They prevent the feet getting caught in machinery.
6 Respirators should be worn in dusty conditions.
Dust can damage the lungs.
7 Safety gear exists for every danger.
Each year people are injured.
They refuse or forget to wear the right gear.

99
Task 3. Translate the sentences into Vietnamese
1 Do not wear loose-fitting clothing when working with machines.
…………………………………………………………………………………….
2 Protective clothing should be worn.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
3 Lighting should be adequate.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
4 Equipment should be used properly.
……………………………………………………………………………………..
5 Equipment must not be operated by untrained personnel.
……………………………………………………………………………………..

Task 4. Make sentences from the given words

1 Washing machine/ must maintain/ periodically.
……………………………………………………………………………..………..
2 If/ drum speed/ low,/ motor speed/ increase.
…………………………………………………………………………………..…..
3 Work place/ should keep/ tidy and clean.
…………………………………………………………………………………..…..
4 After/ water/ pump/ diverter valve,/ it/ go/ hot water cylinder/ or/ radiator.
……………………………………………………………………………….……
5 Laser beam/ can use/ measure/ and/ align/ structure.
……………………………………………………………………………….……
6 Water/ heat/ until/ it/ reach/ pre-set temperature.
……………………………………………………………………………….……
7 Epoxy resin/ brittle and chemical resistant/ so/ it/ use/ boat and car body.
……………………………………………………………………………….……
8. The last 20 year/ many high building/ construct/ this town.
……………………………………………………………………………….……

100
Task 5. Match a phrase in column A with another in column B
A B
1. Mechanical engineering deals with A. which is formed by mixing other metals
2. Electricity generating is concerned or elements.
with B. aircraft canopies and double – glazing.
3. Conductor is a material C. which becomes plastic when heated.
4. An alloy is a metal D. motorized drives in cameras.
5. Acrylic is used for E. power stations .
F. cables, switchgear, and connecting up
electrical equipment.
G. which allows heat or current to flow
easily.
H. machinery of all kinds.

101
 GLOSSARY
UNIT 1
aeronautical [eərə'nɔ:tikəl] adj thuộc về hàng không
application [æpli'kei∫n] n sự áp dụng, ứng dụng
automobile ['ɔ:təməbi:l] n xe ô tô
body scanner ['bɔdi 'skænə] n máy chụp, chiếu toàn thân
branch [brɑ:nt∫] n ngành
cable ['keibl] n dây điện, dây cáp
concern [kən'sə:n] n, v mối liên quan, có quan hệ
combine ['kɒmbain] v kết hợp, hợp nhất
communication [kə,mju:ni'kei∫n] n viễn thông, sự trao đổi thông tin
component [kəm'pounənt] n cấu kiện, bộ phận, linh kiện
computing [kəm'pju:tiη] n tin học
design [di'zain] n, v sự thiết kế, thiết kế
distribution [,distri'bju:∫n] n sự phân bố
electrical [i'lektrikəl] adj thuộc về/ liên quan đến điện
engineering [,endʒi'niəriη] n kỹ thuật
equipment [i'kwipmənt] n đồ trang bị, đồ dùng, thiết bị
generation [,dʒenə'rei∫n] v sự phát ra, tạo ra, sinh ra
harbour ['hɑ:bə] n cảng
harvest ['hɑ:vist] v gặt hái, thu hoạch
heating ['hi:tiη] n nhiệt, sưởi ấm
include [in'klu:d] v bao gồm
industry ['indəstri] n ngành công nghiệp
installation [,instə'lei∫n] n sự lắp đặt
* electrical ~ n sự lắp đặt điện
involve [in'vɔlv] v gồm có, liên quan tới
lighting ['laitiη] n sự thắp sáng, chiếu sáng
lift [lift] n thang máy

102
 machine [mə'∫i:n] n máy móc
maintenance ['meintinəns] n bảo quản, bảo dưỡng
manufacture [mænju'fækt∫ə] n, v sản xuất
marine [mə'ri:n] adj thuộc về hàng hải, biển
mine [main] v,n đào, khai thác mỏ, hầm mỏ
partly ['pɑ:tli] adv một phần
prepare [pri'peə] v chuẩn bị
preserve [pri'zə:v] v giữ gìn, bảo tồn, bảo quản
process ['prouses] n, v sự chế biến, xử lý, chế biến,
produce ['prɒdju:s] v sản xuất
rail track [reil] [træk] n đường sắt
result in [ri'zʌlt] phr dẫn đến, kết quả là
support [sə'pɔ:t] n, v sự hỗ trợ, ủng hộ, hỗ trợ,
switchgear [swit∫giə] n công tắc, hộp số
tool [tu:l] n công cụ, dụng cụ
ventilation [,venti'lei∫n] n sự thông gió, thông hơi

UNIT 2

absolutely ['æbsəlu:tli] adv tuyệt đối, hoàn toàn

bearing ['beəriη] n (kỹ thuật) ổ; giá; trụ; đệm
buoyancy ['bɔiənsi] n sự nổi; sức nổi
calibrate ['kælibreit] n đo, xác định đơn vị đo lường
circumstance ['sə:kəmstəns] n hoàn cảnh; trường hợp
distinction [dis'tiηk∫n] n sự khác biệt
elasticity [,elæs'tisiti] n (vật lý) tính đàn hồi
equal ['i:kwəl] v bằng; ngang
equilibrium [,i:kwi'libriəm] n (sự) cân bằng giữa các lực
exert [ig'zə:t] v đưa , tác động
force [fɔ:s] n sức; lực; sức mạnh

103
friction ['frik∫n] n (sự) ma sát; mài xát
gravity ['grævəti] n (sự) hút; (sự) hấp dẫn; trọng lực
grease [gri:s] n dầu mỡ; dầu nhờn
hindrance ['hindrəns] n sự cản trở
lubricate ['lu:brikeit] v tra dầu mỡ, bôi trơn (máy)
magnitude ['mægnitju:d] n tầm lớn, độ lớn, lượng
maintain [mein'tein] v giữ cho khỏi thay đổi; duy trì
mass [mæs] n (vật lý) khối lượng
matter ['mætə] n vật chất (nói chung)
measure ['meʒə] v đo, đo lường
normal ['nɔ:məl] adj (toán học) trực giao, vuông góc
object ['ɒbdʒikt] n đồ vật, vật thể
oppose [ə'pouz] v đối lập, đối chọi
plane [plein] n mặt, mặt bằng, mặt phẳng
polish ['pɒli∫] v,n đánh bóng, làm cho láng (cái gì)
quantity ['kwɔntəti] n lượng; khối lượng; số lượng
reaction [ri:'æk∫n] n (vật lý); (hoá học) phản ứng
adj
resultant [ri'zʌltənt] (vật lý) (toán học) tổng hợp, hợp
slide [slaid] n,v sự trượt, trượt
slope [sloup] n dốc, đường dốc
solve [sɔlv] n giải quyết
spring [spriη] n lò xo
stretch [stret∫] v kéo dài ra, căng ra, duỗi ra
weight ['weit] n trọng lượng

UNIT 3
acrylic [ə'krilik] n nhựa acrylic
adhesive [əd'hi:siv] n keo dính
air-craft canopy [eə krɑ:ft 'kænəpi] n vòm che buồng lái máy bay

104
alloy ['ælɔi] n hợp kim
aluminium [,ælju'minjəm] n nhôm
bearing ['beəriη] n cái đệm,thiết bị làm giảm ma sát
brass [brɑ:s] n đồng thau
brittle ['britl] adj giòn, dễ vỡ
cast [kɑ:st] v đúc, đổ khuôn
circuit ['sɜ:kit] n mạch điện
chemical-resistant ['kemikl-ri'zistənt] adj chịu hóa chất
conductive [kən'dʌktiv] adj có tính dẫn điện
contain [kən'tein] v bao gồm, gồm có
copper ['kɔpə] n đồng đỏ
corrosion-resistant [kə'rouʒn - adj có tính chống ăn mòn
ri'zistənt]
current ['kʌrənt] n dòng điện
diagram ['daiəgræm] n biểu đồ
double-glazing [,dʌbl - 'gleiziη] n kính hai lớp
drill [dril] n, v máy khoan, khoan
ductile ['dʌktail] adj dễ kéo sợi
durable ['djuərəbl ] adj bền, chắc
electric wiring [i'lektrik 'waiəriη] n dây điện
encapsulate [in'kæpsjuleit] v bọc, gói gọn, đóng chặt
file [fail] n cái giũa
fitting ['fitiη] n thành phần, bộ phận
*electrical ~ n các bộ phận điện
form [fɔ:m] v hình thành, tạo hình
gear [giə] n bánh răng, bộ số
graph [græf] n đồ thị
hard [hɑ:d] adj cứng, chắc, rắn
heat-resistant ['hi:t - ri'zistənt] adj chịu nhiệt
insulator ['insjuleitə] n vật liệu cách điện

105
kitchenware ['kit∫in,weə] n đồ bếp núc
machine [mə'∫i:n] v cắt, gò, đánh bóng (bằng máy)
malleable ['mæliəbl] adj dễ dát mỏng
material [mə'tiəriəl] n vật liệu
metal ['metl] n kim loại
mould [mould] v đúc, tạo khuôn
reinforce [,ri:in'fɔ:s] v tăng cường, gia cố
safety ['seifti] n sự an toàn
* ~ helmet ['helmit] n mũ bảo hiểm
scratch-resistant [skræt∫- ri'zistənt] adj chống cào xước, sức bền bề mặt tốt
self-lubricating ['self - lubri'keitiη] adj tự bôi trơn
soft [sɔft] adj mềm
steel [sti:l] n thép
*high carbon ~ [hai 'kɑ:bən] n thép có tỉ lệ cácbon cao
*mild ~ [maild] n thép mềm
stiff [stif] adj cứng (không biến dạng)
strength ['streηθ] n sức bền, độ bền
*high impact ~ [hai 'impækt] n độ bền/ chịu va đập cao
temper ['tempə] v tôi (nung nóng kim loại rồi
làm nguội để có độ cứng
và đàn hồi cần thiết)
temperature ['temprət∫ə] n nhiệt độ
thermoplastics [,θə:mou'plæstik] n nhựa dẻo, nhựa tổng hợp có thể gia
công, tái chế
tough [tʌf] adj dai
tubing ['tju:biη] n ống, hệ thống ống
utensil [ju:'tensl] n đồ dùng, dụng cụ
wear-resistant [weə - ri'zistənt] adj chịu được mài mòn
zinc [ziηk] n kẽm

106
 UNIT 4
achieve [ə't∫i:v] v đạt được, giành được
advantage [əd'vɑ:ntidʒ] n lợi thế, ưu điểm
aerodynamic [,eəroudai'næmik] adj (thuộc) khí động lực học
anneal [ə'ni:l] v (kỹ thuật) ủ, tôi, thấu
at least [ət li:st] it nhất, ít ra
burn [bɜ:n] v đốt, đốt cháy
at a certain rate [ət ə sə:tn reit] nphr ở một tỷ lệ nhất định
cool [ku:l] v làm mát, làm nguội
concrete ['kɒηkri:t] n bê-tông
core [kɔ:] n (kỹ thuật) nòng; lõi; ruột
dump ['dʌmp] v đổ thành đống (rác)
extract [iks'trækt] v chiết, tách xuất
extreme [ik'stri:m] adj vô cùng; tột bực, rất
factor ['fæktə] n nhân tố, yếu tố
flying hour ['flaiiη'auə] nphr giờ bay
freezing point ['fri:ziη pɔint] nphr điểm đóng băng
further ['fə:đə] adj/adv thêm nữa; hơn nữa
improve [im'pru:v] v cải tiến, cải thiện
lead [led] n chì
lightweight ['laitweit] adj nhẹ
magnetic [mæg'netik] adj (thuộc) từ tính
molten ['moultən] adj nấu chảy (kim loại)
ore [ɔ:(r)] n quặng
melting ['meltiη ] n tan chảy
method ['meθəd] n phương pháp
mix [miks] v trộn, pha lẫn, hoà lẫn
mixture ['mikst∫ə] n sự pha trộn, sự hỗn hợp
obtain [əb'tein] v đạt được, thu được

107
procedure [prə'si:dʒə] n thủ tục, quy trình
pure [pjuə] adj nguyên chất, tinh khiết
recycle [ri:'saikəl] v tái chế
nphr sức bền; độ bền cần có,
required strength [ri'kwaiəd'streηθ]
theo yêu cầu
resistance to wear [ri'zistəns tə weə] nphr chống mài mòn
select [si'lekt] v lựa chọn, chọn lọc,
n đặc điểm, thông số kỹ
specification [,spesifi'kei∫n]
thuật
structure ['strʌkt∫ə] n kết cấu, cấu trúc
surround [sə'raund] n vỏ (động cơ)
temper ['tempə] v tôi (thép...)
term [tə:m] n từ, thuật ngữ
tin [tin] n thiếc
titanium [tai'teiniəm] n (hoá học) ti-tan
toughness ['tʌfnis] n tính dai, tính bền
treat [tri:t] v (hoá học) xử lý
withstand [wiđ'stænd] v chịu đựng; chống lại

UNIT 5

beam /bi:m/ n dầm (bằng gỗ, kim loại, bê tông)

brake /breik/ n phanh
cơ cấu trong kỹ thuật để tạo ra được
cam /kæm/ n
các chuyển động theo yêu cầu
car body panel /kɑ: 'bɔdi 'pænl/ n tấm panel của thân ô tô
combustion /kəm'bʌst∫n / n sự cháy, sự đốt cháy
compression /kəm'pre∫n / n sự nén, sự ép
concrete /'kɔnkri:t/ n bê tông
crankshaft /'krænk∫ɑ:ft/ n trục khuỷu

108
escalator /'eskəleitə/ n thang máy (cuốn)
essential /i'sen∫əl/ adj cần thiết, thiết yếu
foot pump /fut pʌmp/ n bơm chân
friction /'frik∫n/ n sự cọ xát
gear /giə/ n bánh răng, răng cưa
hinder /'hində/ v cản trở
hindrance /'hindrəns/ n sự cản trở
linear /'liniə/ n chuyển động thẳng
load /loud/ n sự tải, tải trọng
mass /mæs/ n khối lượng
mechanism /'mekənizm/ n cơ cấu
motion /'mou∫n/ n sự chuyển động, di động
move /mu:v/ v chuyển động
nuisance /'nju:sns/ n điều bực bội, mối gây thiệt hại
oscillating /'ɔsileitiη/ n dao động
pendulum /'pendjuləm/ n quả lắc
piston /'pistən/ n pitông
chuyển động qua lại (theo đường
reciprocate /ri'siprəkeit/ v
thẳng)
roller /'roulə/ n trục quay
rotary /'routəri/ adj quay
steel rod /sti:l rɔd/ n thanh thép
surface /'sə:fis/ n bề mặt
tap /tæp/ n vòi nước
trimmer /'trimə/ n lưỡi cắt
valve /vælv/ n van
weight /'weit/ n trọng lượng
wheel /wi:l/ n bánh xe

109
 UNIT 6

alternating current ['ɒ:ltərneɪting 'kʌrənt] phr dòng điện xoay chiều

(AC)
armature ['ɑ:mət∫ə] n cuộn cảm ứng, lõi, cốt
attraction [ə'træk∫n] n sức hút, sự hút
carbon brush ['kɑ:bən brʌ∫] phr chổi than
commutator ['kɔmju:teitə] n cái đảo mạch, cái cổ góp
field [fi:ld] n (điện) trường, lĩnh vực
gap [gæp] n khe hở, khoảng cách
loop [lu:p] n,v cuộn, mạch, móc lại
magnet ['mægnɪt] n nam châm
opposite direction ['ɑ:pəzɪt dɪ'rek∫n] phr chiều ngược lại, đối diên
pole [poʊl] n cực (nam châm, ắc qui)
quarter ['kwɔ:rtər] n một pnần tư, phía, nơi
repel [rɪ'pel] v đẩy đi xa, đẩy lùi, đẩy
repulsion ['ri'pʌl∫n] n lực đẩy
reverse [rɪ'vɜ:rs] adj, đảo,sự đổi chiều,
skimming [skɪming ] n lướt qua, (đọc) qua loa
split [splɪt] adj chia ra, tách ra, vỡ ra
stationary ['steɪ∫nərɪ] adj tĩnh, đứng yên, ổn định
strategy ['strætədʒɪ] n chiến thuật, sách lược,
wrist watch [rɪst wɒʧ] n đồng hồ đeo tay

UNIT 7
accompany [ə'kʌmpənɪ] v đệm nhạc, phụ họa
align [ə'laɪn] v sắp cho thẳng hàng
amplification [,æmplifi'kei∫n] n sự khuyếch đại công suất
be focused [bi 'foukəst] phr điều tiêu, hội tụ
beam of light [bi:m ɑ:v laɪt] phr chùm, tia ánh sáng

110
 blade [bleɪd] n cánh (tua bin)
damaged tissue ['dæmɪdʒ 'tɪ∫u:] phr cơ bị tổn thương
drilling [drɪling] n việc khoan lỗ
emission [ɪ'mɪ∫n] n sự phát ra, bốc ra
fraction of a ['fræk∫n ɑ:və 'sekənd] phr một phần nghìn giây
second
frequency ['fri:kwənsɪ] n tần suất, số
identify [aɪ'dentɪfaɪ] v xác định
intense [ɪn'tens] adj chói, mãnh liệt, dữ dội
microwave ['maikrəweiv] n vi sóng, sóng cực ngắn
missile ['mɪsəl] n tên lửa
precise [prɪ'saɪs] adj chính xác
radiation [reɪdɪ'eɪ∫n] n bức xạ, phóng xạ
ray [reɪ] n tia
semiconductor [,semikən'dʌktə] n chất bán dẫn
shape [∫eɪp] n hình dạng
solid ['sɑ:lɪd] adj thể rắn
spot welding [spɑ:t welding] phr hàn điểm
stimulate ['stɪmjʊleɪt] v kích thích, khích động
target ['tɑ:rgɪt] n mục tiêu, mục đích
vaporize ['veɪpəraɪz] v làm cho bốc, bay hơi

UNIT 8

absorber [əb'sɔ:rbər ] n thiết bị hấp thụ, hút thu

adjusting [ə'dʒʌsting] n điều chỉnh
circuit ['sɜ:rkɪt] n chu vi, mạch (điện)
cycle ['saɪkl] n vòng, chu kỳ
device [dɪ'vaɪs] n thiết bị, dụng cụ

111
drum speed [drʌm spi:d] n.phr vận tốc lồng giặt
expand [ɪk'spænd] v giãn nở, mở rộng
feedback ['fi:dbæk] n phản hồi
sensitive pellet ['sensətɪv 'pelɪt] n.phr viên, bi cảm ứng
lock [lɑ:k] v,n khóa chặt
position [pə'zɪ∫n] n vị trí, địa điểm
pressure ['pre∫ər] n áp suất, áp lực
pump [pʌmp] v,n bơm, máy bơm
reach [ri:ʧ] v,n đạt được, tới được
sensor ['sensər] n bộ cảm biến
separately ['sepərətlɪ] adv riêng rẽ, tách biệt
solenoid ['soulənɔid] n,adj điện từ (Cuộn dây kim loại trở
nên có từ tính khi có dòng
điện đi qua)
spin [spɪn] v,n xoay tròn, quay tròn
stage [steɪdʒ] n chu trình, giai đoạn
thermometer [⊖ər'mɑ:mɪtər] n nhiệt kế
valve [vælv] n van

112
 REFERENCES

1. Cunningham, S. & Moor, P. (2007). New Cutting Edge (Pre-Intermediate).

Longman.
2. Cunningham, S. & Moor, P. (2007). New Cutting Edge (Intermediate).
Longman.
3. Eastwood, J. (1999). Oxford Practice Grammar. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
4. Eastwood, J. (1994). Oxford guide to English grammar. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
5. Glendinning, E.H. & Glendinning, N. (1995). Oxford English for electrical
and mechanical engineering. Oxford University Press.
6. Liên hiệp đường sắt Việt nam. (1999). Từ điển thuật ngữ đường sắt Anh -
Việt. Hà nội: Nhà xuất bản Giao thông vận tải.
7. Minh, ĐTT., Oanh, PK. & Thanh, BT. (2015). English for Mechanical
Engineering. Hanoi: Nhà xuất bản Giao thông vận tải.

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