Technical Reading

Collected by Dr Shaban Aldabbus
TECHNICAL READING
Collected by
Dr Shaban Aldabbus
0
Introduction
Technical reading course is especially designed for students studying
in the field of engineering. It contains a collection of passages which
have been selected and presented for the use of the teachers and
students. The first purpose of this selection is to consolidate and further
increase the students’ range of technical vocabulary in particular and
to extend their English in general. The topics in this course were
collected from different sources and then divided into two parts that
can be distributed on two semesters. Part one is considered to be an
introduction to engineering through which students will learn the
definition of engineering, different kinds of engineering, jobs in
engineering, some engineering tools and common safety signs. In part
two more specific engineering topics are presented, such as states of
matter, computers, electricity, civil engineering, telecommunications
and aviation.
All passages are accompanied by exercises which are intended to
strengthen the points made in the passages. However, teachers do not
need to stick only on these exercises. They can apply more
supplementary activities either in class or to be set as homework to
enhance the students' understanding.
1
Contents
Part I
 What is engineering ..............................................
 Jobs in engineering ..............................................
 Choosing a course ................................................
 Engineering tools .................................................
 Safety at work .....................................................
Part II
 States of matter .....................................................
 Computers ..............................................................
 Electricity ................................................................
 Civil engineering .............................................
 Telecommunications ................................................
 Aviation .....................................................................
2
Part I
3
What is Engineering?
Engineering is largely a practical activity. It is about putting ideas into

action. Civil engineering is concerned with making bridges, roads,
airports, and other buildings.
Civil engineering
Mechanical engineering deals with the design and manufacture of

tools, machines, cars, etc.
Mechanical engineering
4
Electrical engineering is about the generation and distribution of

electricity and its many applications.
Electrical engineering
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
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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
machines and the processing equipment for harvesting, preparing and

preserving the foods and drinks that fill the supermarkets. Medical
engineering: body scanners, X-ray machines, life-support systems, and
other high-tech equipment result from mechanical and electrical
engineers combing with medical experts to convert ideas into life-
saving and 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.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendinning, E., & Glendinning, N., 2005. Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering. Oxford University Press
6
Exercises
Exercise A: 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 engineers deal with machines.
3. Mechanical engineering is concerned with machines.
4. Mechanical engineers are concerned with machines.
5. Machines are the concern of mechanical engineers.
Exercise B: Match each item in column A with an appropriate item
from column B and link the two in a sentence.
A B
1. Marine a. Air-conditioning
2. Aeronautical b. Roads and bridges
3. Heating and ventilating c. Body scanners
4. Electricity generating d. Cables and switchgear
5. Automobile e. Communications and equipment
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6. Civil f. Ships
7. Electronic g. planes
8. Electrical installation h. Cars and trucks
9. Medical i. Power station
Exercise C: Fill in the gaps in the following description of the
different branches of engineering using information from this diagram
and language you have studied in this unit.
Engineering
Civil Mechanical Electrical Electronic
Marine Automobile Aeronautical Heating and Electricity Electrical Lighting

ventilating
Generating Installation
Mining Medical
The main branches of engineering are civil, ...............,............, and
electronic. Mechanical engineering is ........................ machinery of all
kinds. This branch of engineering includes .................., automobile,
................and heating and ventilating. The first three are concerned

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with transport: ...................., cars and planes. The last ...................
with air conditioning, refrigeration, etc.
Electrical engineering deals with ...................... from generation to use.
Electricity generating is concerned with ............... station. Electrical
installation deals ............. cables, switchgear, and connecting up
electrical equipment. Two branches of engineering include both
................. and ............... engineers. These are mining and ...............
engineering. The former deals with mines and mining equipment, the
latter with hospital ......... of all kinds.
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Jobs in Engineering
There are various jobs in Engineering. The following are some of the
most common ones:
Design engineers: they work as part of a team to create new products
and extend the life of old products by updating them and finding new
applications for them. Their aim is to build quality and reliability into
the design and to introduce new components and materials to make the
product cheaper, lighter, or stronger.
Installation engineers: they work on the customer's premises to install
equipment produced by their company. Production engineers: they
ensure that the production process is efficient, that materials are
handed safely and correctly, and that faults which occur in production
are corrected. The design and development departments consult with
them to ensure that any innovations proposed are practicable and cost-
effective. Just below the professional engineers are the technicians.
They require a detailed knowledge of a particular technology –
electrical, mechanical, electronic, etc. Technicians may work as:
Test/ laboratory technicians : they test samples of the materials and
of the product to ensure quality is maintained. Installation and service
technicians: they ensure that equipment sold by the company is
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installed correctly and carry out preventative maintenance and essential
repairs. Production planning and control technicians: they produce
the manufacturing instructions and organize the work of production so
that it can be done as quickly, cheaply, and efficiently as possible.
Inspection technicians: they check and ensure that incoming and
outgoing components and products meet specifications. Debug
technicians: they fault find, repair, and test equipment and products
down to component level. Tool makers: they make dies and moulding
tools which are used to punch and form metal components and produce
plastic components such as car bumpers. Fitters: they assemble
components into larger products. Maintenance fitters: they repair
machinery. Welders: they do specialized joining, fabricating, and
repair work. Electricians: they wire and install electrical equipment.
Operators: they require fewer skills, many operator jobs consist
mainly of minding a machine, especially now that more and more
processes are automated. However, some operators may have to check
components produced by their machines to ensure they are accurate.
They may require training in the use of instruments such as
micrometers or venires.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendinning, E., & Glendinning, N., 2005. Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical
Engineering. Oxford University Press
11
Exercises
Exercise 1: List some of the jobs in engineering mentioned in the

text.
Exercise 2: Translate the following jobs in engineering into Arabic:

Design engineers ........................................................
Electricians ..................................................................
Tool makers ................................................................
Maintenance fitters .....................................................
Inspection technicians ................................................
Production engineers ..................................................
laboratory technicians ................................................
Welders ......................................................................
Debug technicians ............. .......................................
Operators ...................................................................
Exercise 3: Which field of engineering you prefer and why?
12
Choosing a Course
The following courses are offered by London College. Do any
match the courses offered by the college you are studying in?
Code Course title
EL 1 Full-time National Certificate in Electronics
IT 2 Full-time National Certificate Course in

Information Technology
CV 3 Bachelor degree in Civil Engineering
ME 4 Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
BM 5 Part-time National Certificate in Business

Management
AC 7 National Certificate in AutoCAD for Industry
EE 8 Bachelor in Electrical Engineering
AS 9 Bachelor in Aviation Science
Further information may be obtained on course provision by contacting
the College Information Centre and requesting the appropriate course
leaflet by code number.
Information Centre, London EH 11 4DE

Telephone: 0044709876756
13
Exercises
Exercise A: study this information about two courses in electronics.
What are similarities and differences between these courses.
Course 1 Course 2
Description: this course provides a basic Description: this course provides basic
introduction to the world of electronic information about electronics and
systems for beginners. control systems for technicians.
Award: National Certificate

Award: National Certificate
College: Newcastle College
College: Manchester College
Duration: two years
Duration: 16 weeks , 3 hours a day
Registration: Full-time only
Registration: full-time only
Fees: 7,540 pound per year
Fees: 8,650 pound
Exercise B: What are the courses offered by your college?
Exercise C: What is the course would you like to choose and why?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendinning, E., and McEwan, J., (1993) Oxford English for Electronics. Oxford University
Press
14
Course Time Table
Ali's weekly timetable.

Time/day 08:00 – 08: 55 - 09:45 09:50 – 10:40 - 10:21- 11:11
08:40 10:40 11:15
Saturday Physics (lab) physics break Maths
Sunday PE English Maths break Chemistry
Monday Physics Statistics General law break
Tuesday PE chemistry English break
Wednesday Maths Statistics *** break Engineering
Drawing
Thursday Engineering Administrative *** break
Drawing work
Exercises
Exercise A: With the help of your teacher read Ali's timetable and find
out the meaning of each subject in Arabic.
Exercise B: Answer the following questions:
a. What time does Ali start in the morning?

b. What time does he finish?
c. How often does he have maths?
d. What does he have in Thursday?
e. When is the lunch break?
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Exercise C: Write your own timetable. Then note any similarities and any
differences between Ali's timetable and your own.
Time/Day 08:00 – 08:40 08: 55 - 09:45 09:50 – 10:40 10:40 -11:15 11:15-12:05
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
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Engineering Tools
Hammer Drill bit sets
engineering files hydraulic press
cold chisels lathe
bench vice screw driver
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Safety at work
Men working with machines, sharp tools, motors, electricity or
inflammable material must always be careful. They must do what they
are told so as to avoid accidents. The things they do to avoid accidents
are called safety instructions. To save his eyes, the welder must use his
mask. The mask may make his face hot but it is better for him to be
uncomfortable than to hurt his eyes for ever. The electrician must
check that the current is turned off before he starts to handle radios and
other electrical machinery. The fitter must use a machine with guards
on the moving parts where his clothing may catch. Those who work
with or near inflammable material must always have the thought of fire
in the back of their minds. They must not smoke or strike matches.
These are some things we can all do to avoid accidents wherever we
work or whatever we work at. We should always keep watch on
machines, for we are the brain of the machine – they cannot think and
when something goes wrong , they will not stop of course; we must
stop them. We must avoid loose clothing which might get caught in
machines and take us against the machine. We must drive cars
carefully, watching always, but especially where we cannot see far,
where people, animals or other cars may come suddenly upon us.
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Accidents happen more frequently when we are tired towards the end
of the working day. That is the time to be especially careful and to see
that all safety instructions are taken. We should never use matches
when finding what unknown liquids or substances are. For if the
unknown stuff is inflammable it might catch fire or even explode.
Example of Safety Instructions
Safety Instructions
1. Wear protective clothing at all times.

2. Always wear eye protection when operating lathes, cutters, and ensure that the
guard is in place.
3. Keep your workplace tidy.
4. The areas between benches and around machines must be kept clear.
5. Tools should be put away when not in use and any breakages and losses reported.
6. Machines should be cleaned after use.
7. Do not run in the workshop: always walk.
8. Take off your tie.
9. Ask your supervisor how to use every tool. Do not experiment tools and machines
yourself.
10. Read instructions before operating any machine.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shakaliem, H., 1977. Introduction to Technical English. INC Technical Training Centre
19
Exercises
Exercise A: Which of the answers a, b, c or d is correct?
i. You want to switch on a machine for the first time. What

must you do?
a. Keep your hands near your sides.
b. Experiment with the levers and switches.
c. Ask your supervisor how to use it.
d. Wait for instructions.
ii. You are going to use a cutting tool. Where must you keep
your hands?
a. Pointed downwards.
b. Behind the cutting edge.
c. On the bench.
d. Under your apron or overalls.
iii. You are going for a lesson in the workplace. What clothes
will you put on in the workplace?
a. A tie
b. An apron or overalls
c. A shirt with long sleeves
d. An old coat
iv. You do not know how to use a tool. What must you do?
a. Experiment with it.
b. Leave it on the top of the bench.
c. Point it downwards.
d. Ask for help.
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Exercise B: Translate the following words into Arabic:
a. inflammable ..............................................
b. accident .....................................................
c. instructions ...............................................
d. Avoid .........................................................
e. Substances .................................................
f. protective clothing .....................................
g. operate ........................................................
h. workplace ...................................................
i. supervisor ...................................................
j. report ..........................................................
Exercise C: With the help of your teacher, answer these questions:
a. Why must you walk and not run in the workplace?
b. Why must not you experiment with tools?
c. Why must you take off your tie when operating machines ?
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Safety Signs
Respiratory protective Protective eye wear Protective ear
Protective clothing Protective foot wear Protective gloves
Fire extinguisher First aid Toxic
Harmful Poison Fire blanket
Don't eat or drink No open flames Do not touch
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Part II
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States of Matter
Matter can be in a solid state, a liquid state or a gas state. Iron, copper
and other metals are solid. Water is a liquid, oxygen is a gas. Matter
changes in shape and size. Solids can become liquids or (liquefy) by
melting. Metals melt at different temperatures, some melt at low
temperatures, others melt at high temperatures. Liquids may become
solids by freezing. Gases may liquefy and some liquids may become
gases. Water boils at 100C but it does not always boils at that
temperature.
When a substance changes its state from solid to liquid or from liquid
to gas, it absorbs a great deal of heat energy. Heat energy transfers
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from one body to another by conduction, convection or radiation. A
cube of ice of 250g changes into water by heating it for sometime. The
heat that is transferred to the ice liquefies it. To change water to steam
(gas) takes longer time. It takes about eight minutes to change the cube
of ice of 250g into water and it takes about fifty seven minutes to
change it into steam.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fituri, A., Zlitni, F., 1995. The path to scientific English. ELGA Publication
www. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
25
Exercises
Exercise A: Comprehension questions:
1. What are the tree states of matter?
..........................................................................................
2. How can solids change to liquids?
........................................................................................
3. What is the boiling temperature of water?
............................................................................................
4. How long does a cube of ice of 750g take to change to gas?
..............................................................................................
5. How does heat transfer from one body to another?
.............................................................................................
Exercise B: translate the following words into Arabic:
1. Matter .......................
2. Liquid .........................
3. Solid ............................
4. Temperature ..........................
5. Melt ..........................
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Exercise C: Fill in each space with the right word from the list:
Temperature, melts, boil, freeze, transfers, become, different,
oxygen, solids, absorb
1. Water is composed of ....................... and hydrogen.
2. Nasser wants to ...................... a famous engineer.
3. You should see a doctor if you your ..................... reaches 40 C.
4. Heat energy ...................... from one body to an other.
5. People should .......... milk before they drink it.
6. Some substances ................ heat very quickly.
7. Butter ............... in hot weather.
8. We .............. meat and fish.
9. ................. liquids have different boiling temperatures.
10. We liquefy ............... by heating them.
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Computers
Computers are used everywhere in the world nowadays. A computer is
a machine that made up of many parts called Hardware and software.
The hardware runs software programs. Computers receive information,
do a lot of calculations on that information and give the results. The
information (data) given to the computer is called the input. The
handling of the data inside the computer is called processing and the
result it gives is called the output. Every computer has input devises
such as (key board, mouse, scanner, ... ), a processor which is the brain
of the computer and output devices as (screen, printer, ... ).
The input devices accept the information, the processor deals with all
the information it receives, and the output devices give you the final
result. The computer also has a memory, or a place where it stores
information. The memory is usually called RAM abbreviation for
(Random Access Memory). Data stays in RAM until you switch the
computer off. The unit of measuring memory is BYTE. A byte is what
the computer needs to hold one character. A one kilobyte equals 1024
bytes.
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Computers are very useful in our modern life. They save time and cut
routine. They are becoming so simple nowadays that a man with
limited education can operate them.
Computer parts
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fituri, A., Zlitni, F., 1995. The path to scientific English. ELGA Publication
Tenaz, M., (n/d) English language for computer users
29
Exercises
Exercise A: Comprehension questions
1. What is a computer?
..............................................................................................
2. What does a computer do?
………………………………………………………………
3. What is the information we put into the computer called?
..............................................................................................
4. What does the processor do?
..............................................................................................
5. What does data mean?
..............................................................................................
Exercise B: Translate the following words into Arabic.
Keyboard ...............
Input .....................
Output .......................
Screen ...............
Processor ......................
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Exercise C: Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if it is false:
1. Computers receive but do not store information ..........
2. There are many different kinds of computers ...............
3. Keyboards are the same as typewriters .....................
4. Monitor is one of the input devices .................
5. Only specialized people can operate computers ...........
31
Electricity
Electricity is a form of energy which can be converted into other forms
of energy, such as heat or light. Electrical energy (symbol E), like all
other forma of energy, is measured in units called joules (J).
In electrical systems this energy travels through wires and other
conductors. It is carried by very small particles called electrons.
Electrons are subatomic particles which have a negative charge (Q) is
the symbol for electrical charge). In electrical circuits, they flow
through a wire towards the positive charge at the other end. The unit
which measures electrical charge is the coulomb (C).
The rate at which electrons flow through the conductor is called
electric current (I). The strength of the flow is called voltage (V). The
moving electrons are slowed down by the conductor as they pass
through it. This slowing down is called the resistance (R).
UNITS AND FORMULAS
Electrical current (I) is measured in amperes or amps (A). One amp is a
flow rate of one coulomb per second, and so current can be expressed
by the following formula, where t = time in seconds: I = Q/T
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Voltage (or electromotive force) is measured in volts (V). When one
joule of energy is needed to move one coulomb of charge between two
points, the voltage between the two points is one volt. This is shown in
the formula: V = E/Q
The amount of resistance (R) in a conductor depends on the type and
size of the conductor. The resistance is measured in ohms (Ω) because
the relationship between voltage, current and resistance was discovered
by Georg Ohm, a German physicist (1787 – 1854). Thanks to him we
know the following formula: R = V/I
CIRCUITS, ENERGY AND POWER
When current flows around a circuit, energy is lost in the form of heat.
The heat increases if the resistance is increased. That is how, for
example, an electric kettle works. The element in the kettle is a resistor
that heats up quickly when current passes through it.
All electrical appliances convert electrical energy to other forms of
energy, such as heat, light or mechanical energy. The more energy they
can convert in one second, the more powerful they are. So the formula
for power (P) is: P =E/T
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vallance, D., ( 1999 ) Secondary 4 Engineering. Garnet
33
One joule of energy per second is called a watt (W). Larger units of
power are measured in kilowatts (KW), which means 1,000 watts, or
megawatts, which means 1,000,000 voltage and can be calculated with
the formula: P +VI.
Exercises
Exercise A: complete this paragraph about electric circuits using these
words:
Circuit, current, energy, flow, fuse, motor, switch
An electric ................... consists of a source of electrical ............., and

an appliance, such as an electric ............... or lamp, to convert the flow
of current into useful work, a ............... to control the .............. of
current, and conductors to connect these items. Most circuits also have
a device that protects them from an increase in ................. , such as a
................ or a miniature circuit-breaker.
Exercise B: Translate the following words into Arabic
a. Electrical energy ............................

b. Particles ........................
c. Electrical circuits .........................
d. Formula .......................
e. Current ...........................
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Exercise C: Which component goes for which function

Components
Ammeter , DC supply , AC supply , fuse , Earth (Ground) ,
Voltmeter , Transformer ,Ohmmeter , battery , Cell
Component Circuit Symbol Function of Component

Supplies electrical energy.
The larger terminal (on the left)
is positive (+).
A single cell is often called a battery,
but strictly a battery is two or more
cells joined together.
Supplies electrical energy. A

battery is more than one cell.
The larger terminal (on the left)
is positive (+).
DC = Direct Current, always
flowing in one direction.
AC = Alternating Current,
continually changing direction.
A safety device which will
'blow' (melt) if the current
flowing through it exceeds a
specified value.
Two coils of wire linked by an
iron core. Transformers are
used to step up (increase) and
step down (decrease) AC
voltages. Energy is transferred
between the coils by the
magnetic field in the core.
There is no electrical
connection between the coils.
A connection to earth. For
many electronic circuits this is
the 0V (zero volts) of the power
supply, but for mains electricity
and some radio circuits it really
means the earth. It is also
known as ground.
A voltmeter is used to measure
voltage.
The proper name for voltage is
35
'potential difference', but most people

prefer to say voltage!
An ammeter is used to
measure current.
An ohmmeter is used to
measure resistance. Most
multimeters have an ohmmeter
setting.
36
Civil Engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering that deals with the
design, construction and maintenance of the physical and naturally
built environment, including works such as bridges, roads, canals,
dams and buildings. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering
discipline after military engineering, and it was defined to distinguish
non-military engineering from military engineering.
The earliest practices of civil engineering may have started between
4000 and 2000 BC in Ancient Egypt when humans started to leave
behind a nomadic life, thus causing a need for the construction of
shelter. During this time, transportation became increasingly important
leading to the development of the wheel and sailing.
Until modern times there was no clear distinction between civil
engineering and architecture, and the term engineer and architect were
mainly geographical variations referring to the same person, often used
interchangeably. The construction of Pyramids in Egypt (2700-2500
BC) might be considered the first instances of large structure
constructions.
37
Pyramids
In the 18th century, the term civil engineering was coined to
incorporate all things civilian as opposed to from military engineering.
The first self-proclaimed civil engineer was John Smeaton who
constructed the Eddystone Lighthouse.
Eddystone Lighthouse
In 1771 Smeaton and some of his colleagues formed the Smeatonian
Society of Civil Engineers, a group of leaders of the profession who
met informally over dinner. Though there was evidence of some
technical meetings, it was little more than a social society.

38
In 1818 the Institution of Civil Engineers was founded in London, and
in 1820 the well-known engineer Thomas Telford became its first
president. The institution received a Royal Charter in 1828, formally
recognizing civil engineering as a profession.
The first private college to teach civil engineering in the United States
was Norwich University founded in 1819 by Captain Alden Partridge.
The first degree in civil engineering in the United States was awarded
by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1835. The first such degree to be
awarded to a woman was granted by Cornell University to Nora
Stanton Blatch in 1905.
Civil engineering is traditionally broken into several branches
including:
A. Structural engineering,
Burj Khalifa, Structural engineering
39
B. Geotechnical engineering.
A slab-on-grade foundation
C. Environmental engineering
Sewage treatment
E. Construction engineering
Building construction for several apartment blocks
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F. Material engineering
Material engineering
G. Transportation engineering
Roads & bridges
------------------------------------------------
41
Exercises
Exercise A: Put a tick against the ones that are true and a cross against
the ones that are false :
1. Civil engineering is a professional engineering that deals with
the distribution of electricity ( ).
2. Civil engineering is the oldest engineering discipline after
military engineering ( ).
3. The actual practices of civil engineering may have started two
decades ago ( ).
4. There is clear difference between civil engineering and
architecture ( ).
5. The first private college to teach civil engineering in the United
States was Manchester University ( ).

1. Construction .....................................
2. Architecture .....................................
3. Environment .....................................
4. Military engineering .....................................
5. Civil engineering .....................................
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Exercise C: Answer the questions:
1. What are the differences between civil engineering and other

types of engineering ?
2. What are the different branches of civil engineering?
3. Who first established the society of civil engineering?
43
History of Telecommunications
The first true telecommunications system using electrical signals to
carry messages started in the 1840s with machine telegraphy. Samuel
Morse first developed the telegraph in 1832 but it was not until the mid
1840s that the system was put into practical use sending coded
electrical messages (Morse Code) along the wires. The telegraph
became a rapid success, its speed quickly outdating the Pony Express
for long-distance communications.
The next major step forward came in 1878 with the invention of the
telephone by Bell. This enabled speech to be transported as electrical
signals along wires and revolutionized personal communications.
In 1886, Hertz verified experimentally that electrical energy could be
radiated and thus proved the existence of electromagnetic waves. This
opened the way for the free-space transmission of information without
wires. This provided the basis for all radio and TV broadcasting.
In 1901, Marconi established long-distance telegraph communication
by transmitting between England and Canada. Although he did not
realize it at the time, he achieved such long distances by reflecting
radio waves in the ionosphere (layers of ionized gasses and electrons
existing in the earth's upper atmosphere at heights of 50-500 km). This
44
overcome the problem of transmitting round the earth from one side of
the Atlantic to the other.
With the discoveries of the diode and thermionic valve in the early part
of this century, advances were made in both receiver and transmitter
design with an associated impact in telegraphy, telephony and civil
and military communications. Radio broadcasting soon followed, with
powerful transmitters serving to communicate over wide areas.
Television (TV) was first developed from the 1930s and played a vital
role in aircraft detection and navigation in World War II.
As further advances in technology took place (e.g. the invention of the
transistor in 1947 and the subsequent development of microelectronic
integrated circuit technology), new applications became feasible, and
new systems were developed.
Data communications-the transmission of coded data (e.g. text, graphs,
financial information) between 'intelligent' terminals and computers –
was fist established in the early 1950s using modems, equipment which
enables the telephone network to convey data as well as speech. Other
improvements in materials and devices also led to the transmission of
information via cables. Much of today's long distance telephone traffic
is by submarine cable.
45
The space race led to yet another means of long –distance
communication, via fixed and mobile earth stations to satellites. Today,
several hundred satellites orbit the earth, and satellite links provide all
forms of communication and related services such as telephony, data,
TV, navigation, meteorology, and surveillance.
One of the very latest developments is the optical fibre cable – a tiny
glass fibre which can be used to convey signal information by light
pulses. Optical fibre cable with extremely low loss at low cost has now
been developed with very high data-carrying capacity. Several
thousands of telephone messages can be carried down a single fibre.
Perhaps the greatest change which has occurred in the last twenty years
is that from analogue to digital methods of information transmissions.
The very first commercially employed telecommunication system,
telegraphy, was and still is a digital system. Today, the general trend is
strongly towards the digital, and within the next ten years the vast
majority of telecommunications systems will be digital. Problems of
noise and interference can be combated much more successfully in a
digital system.
The advances in microelectronics and the merging of communications
with computers have led naturally to the digital transmission mode
with its advantages of computer control, automatic error checking of
46
signals, excellent memory storage facilities for data, and intelligent
terminals. The market need fro vast quantities of information
transmission and processing at very high speed can only be reliably
catered for by using digital techniques. In fact the most rapidly
growing field is almost certainly in data communications employing
high-speed digital techniques.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Glendinning, E., and McEwan, J., (1993) Oxford English for Electronics. Oxford University
Press
47
Exercises
Exercise A: Put these developments in telecommunications in the

order in which they were invented. Compare your answer with your
partner.
1. Television
2. Modems
3. Telegraphy
4. Telex
5. Communication satellites
1. Electrical signals ...................................................

2. Coded electrical messages ....................................
3. Electrical energy......................................................
4. Electromagnetic waves............................................
5. Transistor ................................................................
6. Materials and devices...............................................
7. Optical fibre ...........................................................
8. Capacity ................................................................
9. Analogue system ...................................................
10. Digital system .......................................................
Exercise C: answer the following questions
1. Who invented the telephone?
2. When was telex introduced?
48
3. What form of telecommunications uses PCM?
4. What prediction is made about developments in the 1990s?
5. What important development in telecommunications took place
in the 1960s?
49
Communication Devices
Telegraph tower Telex machine
Mobile pone Satellite
Telephone TV
50
Development of Aviation
The modern age of aviation began in December 17, 1903 by the Wright
brothers. The Wright brothers were the first to fly in a powered and
controlled aircraft. Previous flights were gliders (control but no power)
or free flight (power but no control), but the Wright brothers combined
both, setting the new standard in aviation records. Following this, the
widespread adoption of ailerons versus wing warping made aircraft
much easier to control, and only a decade later, at the start of world
War I, heavier-than-air powered aircraft had become practical for
searching and attacking ground positions.
First assisted take-off flight by the Wright Brothers, December 17, 1903
Aircraft began to transport people and cargo as designs grew larger and
more reliable. In contrast to small non-rigid blimps, giant rigid
airships became the first aircraft to transport passengers and cargo over
51
great distances. The best known aircraft of this type were manufactured
by the German Zeppelin company.
The most successful Zeppelin was the Graf Zeppelin. It flew over one
million miles, including an around-the-world flight in August 1929.
However, the dominance of the Zeppelins over the airplanes of that
period, which had a range of only a few hundred miles, was
diminishing as airplane design advanced. Great progress was made in
the field of aviation during the 1920s and 1930s, such as Charles
Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight in 1927, and Charles Kingsford
Smith's transpacific flight the following year. One of the most
successful designs of this period was the Douglas DC-3, which became
the first airliner that was profitable carrying passengers exclusively,
starting the modern era of passenger airline service. By the beginning
of World War II, many towns and cities had built airports, and there
were numerous qualified pilots available. The war brought many
innovations to aviation, including the first jet aircraft and the first
liquid-fueled rockets.
52
NASA's Helios researches solar powered flight.
After WW II, especially in North America, there was an improvement
in general aviation, both private and commercial, as thousands of pilots
were released from military service and many inexpensive war-surplus
transport and training aircraft became available. Manufacturers such as
Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft expanded production to provide light
aircraft for the new middle-class market.
By the 1950s, the development of civil jets grew, beginning with the de
Havilland Comet, though the first widely-used passenger jet was the
Boeing 707, because it was much more economical than other planes at
that time.
Since the 1960s, composite airframes and quieter, more efficient
engines have become available, and Concorde provided good
passenger service for more than two decades. The arrival of solid-state
53
electronics, the Global Positioning System, satellite communications,
and increasingly small and powerful computers have dramatically
changed the arena of airliners and, increasingly, of smaller aircraft as
well. Pilots can navigate much more accurately and view ground,
obstructions, and other nearby aircraft on a map or through synthetic
vision, even at night or in low visibility.
On June 21, 2004, Space Ship One became the first privately funded
aircraft to make a spaceflight, opening the possibility of an aviation
market capable of leaving the Earth's atmosphere. Meanwhile, flying
prototypes of aircraft powered by alternative fuels, such as ethanol,
electricity, and even solar energy, are becoming more common and
may soon enter the mainstream, at least for light aircraft.
----------------------------------------------
54
Exercises
Exercise A: Put a tick against the ones that are true and a cross against
the ones that are false :
1. The Wright brothers' aeroplane looks like a modern aeroplane ( ).

2. A glider has a very small engine ( ).
3. The Wright brothers invented the petrol engine ( ).
4. Douglas DC-3 was one of the most successful airplanes during
1920s ( ).
5. The Boeing 707 was the first widely-used passenger jet because it
was much more economical than other planes at that time ( ).
1. glider …………………………
2. ailerons ………………………
3. pilots ………………………….
4. aircraft ……………………….
5. civil jets ………………………
6. efficient engines …………………………
7. navigate ………………………….
8. spaceflight ………………………..
9. light aircraft
10. fuel ……………………
55
Exercise C: Answer the questions:
1. Give two differences between the Wright brothers' plane and a
modern plane.
2. What is the difference between a glider and an aeroplane?
3. What is cargo?
==============================================
56

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Technical Reading

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Collected by Dr Shaban Aldabbus

Technical reading course is especially designed for students studying

in the field of engineering. It contains a collection of passages which

students. The first purpose of this selection is to consolidate and further

increase the students’ range of technical vocabulary in particular and

to extend their English in general. The topics in this course were

can be distributed on two semesters. Part one is considered to be an

introduction to engineering through which students will learn the

definition of engineering, different kinds of engineering, jobs in

engineering, some engineering tools and common safety signs. In part

two more specific engineering topics are presented, such as states of

matter, computers, electricity, civil engineering, telecommunications

All passages are accompanied by exercises which are intended to

strengthen the points made in the passages. However, teachers do not

need to stick only on these exercises. They can apply more

supplementary activities either in class or to be set as homework to

enhance the students' understanding.

 What is engineering ..............................................

 Jobs in engineering ..............................................

 Choosing a course ................................................

 Engineering tools .................................................

 Safety at work .....................................................

 States of matter .....................................................

 Civil engineering .............................................

Engineering is largely a practical activity. It is about putting ideas into

Mechanical engineering deals with the design and manufacture of

Electrical engineering is about the generation and distribution of

Electronic engineering is concerned with developing components and

Mechanical engineering includes marine, automobile, aeronautical,

machines and the processing equipment for harvesting, preparing and

Column A lists a branch of engineering or a type of engineer. Column

them in a number of ways:

1. Mechanical engineering deals with machines.

2. Mechanical engineers deal with machines.

3. Mechanical engineering is concerned with machines.

4. Mechanical engineers are concerned with machines.

5. Machines are the concern of mechanical engineers.

Exercise B: Match each item in column A with an appropriate item

from column B and link the two in a sentence.

Exercise C: Fill in the gaps in the following description of the

different branches of engineering using information from this diagram

and language you have studied in this unit.

Civil Mechanical Electrical Electronic

Marine Automobile Aeronautical Heating and Electricity Electrical Lighting

The main branches of engineering are civil, ...............,............, and

electronic. Mechanical engineering is ........................ machinery of all

kinds. This branch of engineering includes .................., automobile,

................and heating and ventilating. The first three are concerned

with transport: ...................., cars and planes. The last ...................

with air conditioning, refrigeration, etc.

Electrical engineering deals with ...................... from generation to use.

Electricity generating is concerned with ............... station. Electrical

installation deals ............. cables, switchgear, and connecting up

electrical equipment. Two branches of engineering include both

................. and ............... engineers. These are mining and ...............

latter with hospital ......... of all kinds.

most common ones:

Design engineers: they work as part of a team to create new products

product cheaper, lighter, or stronger.

Installation engineers: they work on the customer's premises to install

equipment produced by their company. Production engineers: they

ensure that the production process is efficient, that materials are

are corrected. The design and development departments consult with

effective. Just below the professional engineers are the technicians.