ENGLISH

FOR
Mechanical
Engineering
AN ACADEMIC ENGLISH COURSE FOR
UNDERGRADUATES MAJORING IN
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AT
COIMBRA POLYTECHNIC
ENGINEERING INSTITUTE (ISEC)
2020

AUTHOR: DEOLINDA SIMÕES

PhD in Didactics of Foreign Language Teaching, UNL
Professor of general, academic and technical English at ISEC

Notebook and Semester Outline
Lessons and Topics
1-Presentation – Information about English Subject
2-Engineering and the English Language
3-Engineering Materials Language
4-Mechanisms and Language Components
5-Internal Combustion Engine
6-Test 1
7- Refrigeration System, Cycles and Processes; Pronunciation of 3rd
personal and plural endings of academic and engineering vocabulary
8- Air-conditioning and Heating Systems
9- English for Computer Science and English for Electrical Engineering
10-English for Civil Engineering; Pronunciation of simple past and past
participle forms of -ed endings
11-Language Issues in Academic Engineering English – General and
Semi-technical lexis; Ways of expressing reason, result, contrast and
addition; Word formation with semi-technical vocabulary
12- Overview: General, Semi-Technical and Technical Language
13-Test 2
14-Results
Office hours

Monday – 12:00-13:00 and 16:30-17:30

Tuesday – 10:30-11:30
Thursday – 12:30-13:30
Friday –10:30-11:30 and 15:30-16:30

Place
Mechanical Engineering department building
1st floor

Contact

linda@isec.pt

2
 Author: Linda Simões

Image: Jones, Larry, Sciencebyjones.com, Daniel High school, Clemson, South Carolina

3
Language Focus: Reading; Pronunciation; Engineering Fields; Tense Revisions; General Academic Engineering
Language, Listening and Letter Writing (the body).

Reading and Pronunciation: Engineering Course Degrees at ISEC

Coimbra Institute of Engineering, known as ISEC, is one of Coimbra Polytechnic Institute’s
colleges, and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the engineering fields. The course degrees are
3 to 5 years depending on the degree you want to take. A Bachelor’s degree is 3 years and a Master’s degree
takes 2 years.
The main branches at ISEC include chemical and biological, civil, computer science, electrical,
electro-mechanical, and mechanical.
Chemical civil engineering is concerned with the process of converting raw materials and
chemicals into useful forms. Biological engineering also referred to as, bio-systems engineering and
bioengineering, works with engineering biological processes in general. It is a broad-based engineering
discipline that may also involve product design, sustainability and analysis of biological systems.
Biomedical engineering deals with hospital equipment such as body scanners.
Civil engineering has to do with building construction, making bridges and roads, etc. The
different branches of civil engineering are hydraulics, structures, and many others. The specific branch of
structures is about steel and concrete beams while hydraulics focuses on water pumps, for example.
Computer science engineering is about computers, hardware, and software, to name a few.
Computer science engineers work with computers and programming. This engineering has areas related
to digital hardware, digital processing, network installation, and programming, among others.
Electrical engineering is related to the generation and distribution of electricity and its many
applications. Electrical engineering includes electricity generating in power stations, electrical installation,
lighting, etc. Electronic engineering is concerned with developing components and equipment for
communications, computing, and so on.
Mechanical engineering deals with machinery of all kinds and the design and manufacture of tools
and machines. It has areas, which are related to production and thermodynamics. Mechanical engineering
includes air-conditioning, marine, automobile, aeronautical, heating and ventilating, and others.

Language study: deal(s) with / is (are) concerned with / is (are) related to / is (are) about / work(s) with
Look at the sentences.
Electrical engineering deals with electricity.
Computer science engineers deal with computers.
Civil engineering is concerned with building construction.
Mechanical engineers are concerned with machines.
Biological engineering is related to biological processes.
Electromechanical engineering works with machines and electrical features.
Electromechanical engineering is about mechanics and electricity.

*Practical exercise: Join the engineering branch to the task(s) it deals with and practice making
sentences with the language learnt.
1. Marine a air-conditioning
2. Aeronautical b roads and bridges
3. Heating and ventilating c body scanners
4. Electricity generating d network, communication and equipment
5. Automobile e planes
6. Civil f ships
7. Molecular h cars and trucks
8. Medical i power stations
9. Network installation j water pumps
10. Biochemistry k steel and concrete beams
11. Structures l programming and software design
12. Hydraulics m cells and genetics
13. Software n manufacture and manipulation of
organic materials
*Ideas for exercises and reading taken from Glendinning, Eric and Norman Glendinning;, Oxford English for
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; Oxford UP.

Five (5) ways to say “etc”. 1. ________ ________ 2. _______ _______ ________
3. _______ _______ _______ 4. _______ _______ 5. ______ ______ ______ ______

4
 General English: Revision of Present Tenses
Present Simple Tense
Present Simple
Positive
I / You / They / We live in Coimbra.
He / She / It lives in Coimbra.

Negative
I / You / They / We do not (don’t) live in Coimbra
He / She / It does not (doesn’t) live in Coimbra

Interrogative
Do I / you / they / we live in Coimbra?
Does he / she / it live in Coimbra?
Exercises to practise the Present Simple. Write sentences about yourself. Use the positive
or negative form.
Example: Live in Coimbra I live in Coimbra / I don’t live in Coimbra.
1. Smoke
2. Watch soap operas (telenovelas)
3. Ride a motorcycle
Make the following sentences negative. Then give the right information.
Example: The Queen lives in Ireland. The Queen doesn’t live in Ireland. She lives in
London.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo plays basketball.
2. Kangaroos come from Canada.
3. Electricians study biology.
4. The sun shines at night.
Present Continuous
Present Simple Present Continuous

I live in Porto. Now I’m living in Coimbra. I’m a student.

I usually have lunch in the canteen.. Today I’m having lunch in a restaurant.
Use the _______________________________ to talk about regular activities, and the
___________________________________ to talk about current activities.

Remember: To make the Present Continuous, use am / is / are + -ing form of the verb.
Form
Positive and Negative
I am (I’m) studying.
am not (I’m not) working.

You / They / We are (You’re / They’re / We’re) reading.

are not (aren’t) writing.

He / She / It is (He’s / She’s / It’s) sleeping.

is not (isn’t) eating.
Interrogative
Am I drinking?
Are you / they / we smoking?
Is he / she / it listening?

Gerunds and Spelling Rules

Wait _________ rain__________ eat________ catch_______drink_______help________
Use________write_______smile________have________arrive__________become________
Sit________run________swim________put________set________let________stop________
Study_________enjoy_________stay_________cry_________carry________play_________

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Write what is true for you now.
Examples: I / sing I’m singing or I’m not singing.
1. I / sit in class _________________________________________
2. It / rain _________________________________________
3. The sun / shine _________________________________________
4. My teacher / wear jeans _________________________________________
5. My colleagues / watch a football match ___________________________________

Write the negative of the following sentences.

Example: A teacher deals with students. (hospital equipment)
Answer: A teacher doesn’t deal with hospital equipment.
Electrical engineering deals with electricity. (animals)
Computer science engineers deal with computers. (plumbing)
Civil engineering is concerned with building construction. (cells and molecules)
Mechanical engineers are concerned with machines. (arts and humanities)
Biological engineering is related to biological processes. (musical instruments)

Pronunciation Practice
engineering engineer bridges mechanical manufacture machines
electrician electricity distribution applications develop development
components equipment liquid biological analysis analyse
automobile aeronautical heating ventilating ventilation installation
mining branches structures exploits experience microbiology
processing process processes construction hydraulics air-conditioning

Vocabulary: What are the words in English.

fabricar __________ ferramentas __________ aquecimento __________

iluminação __________ informática __________ eco grafia __________
central eléctrica __________ bomba de água __________ aço __________
viga de betão __________ engenharia naval __________ ramo __________
desenvolver __________ características ___________ processo ___________

Complete the spaces with verbs / expressions used to explain what the branches of
engineering are all about. The first letter of the word is given.

The main branches of engineering at Coimbra Institute of Engineering (ISEC)

i__________ (1) civil, electrical, chemical and biological, mechanical, electro-
mechanical and computer science.
Civil engineering is c__________ w__________ (2) building construction.
Mechanical engineering d__________ (3) with machinery of all kinds and
h__________ (4) areas which are r__________ (5) to production and thermodynamics.
Electrical engineering is a__________ (6) electricity generating, electrical installation
and electronics. Chemical and biological engineering a_____ c__________ (7) with
the biological and chemical fields. Computer science engineers w__________ (8) with
computers and programming.
The courses a__________ (9) 3 to 5 years depending on the degree you want to
take. A Bachelor’s degree i__________ (10) 3 years and a Master’s degree is 2 years.

to be concerned with to be about to include to be

to work with to have to deal with to be related to

6
 LISTENING

Before the teacher hands out this exercise, you are going to listen to engineers and
technicians talking about their jobs. You will be asked to write down the words
that you understand.

*Listen again. To which branch of engineering do these people belong?

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
*Listening exercise from Glendinning, Eric and Norman Glendinning;, Oxford English for Electrical and
Mechanical Engineering; Oxford UP; Adjusted and Adapted

Write a composition about the course you are taking and information about
yourself. Then add this information to the letter below.

Practise your English

We are looking for students who wish to improve their English skills to spend one day
a week working as a tourist guide in the Coimbra area with both native English speakers
and engineers who are in Portugal because of professional reasons. No specific
experience is required. However, priority will be given to college students in engineering
areas (especially electrical and mechanical) with a willingness to improve their English.
Good pay and conditions and a chance to win a trip to England for a month all expenses
paid. Write with information about yourself.

The format, address, salutation, ending, as well as the beginning and ending of the
letter are provided so that you can get an idea of letter writing procedures. You
need to write the body of the letter. There are instructions in that space.

Your Name
Your Address
City and Zip code
Country

December 14, 2018

Mr Donald Smith,
Malcolm Estate Road,
PO Box 222,
London, England

Dear Mr Smith,

I am writing to apply for one of the positions as a tourist guide you advertised in last Monday’s
Daily News.

7
Notes and Instructions from the teacher about the body of the letter:

• In this space I want you to describe the course degree you are taking at ISEC.
Use language expressions we looked at in part 1 of today’s lessons and look at
ideas in this part to describe your course (Exercises A and M, for examples)
(one paragraph).
• A second paragraph can be about your experience in that topic (whether you are
good at physics or have had experience helping out a friend with electrical
components or car mechanics or a hobby related to this course) For this part
get ideas from the listening you did where people described their specific
responsibilities, expertise, what they especially enjoy, etc..

I can be contacted on 955 555 555 in the evenings.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely,

*Listen again and read the tape script. Fill in the spaces with the correct word.

1. I work in a _______ _______. I am responsible for turbine __________.

I work __________: midnight to eight o’clock this month.
2. I design body __________. They give doctors far more information than
X-rays and there’s no risk to the patient.
3. I work on jet __________. Onboard computers record readings every
five hours and every twenty-five __________. This information
__________us to _______ _______ servicing before defects or
reduction in performance __________.
4. The best thing about my job is that I get to go on sea trials after the refit
is finished.
5. I’m working with the architects of a new hospital. Getting the
__________ and __________ right is important. I have to make sure that
the working environment will be comfortable for the patients and staff.
6. __________ is very important in my job. Everything must be
__________ to make sure that no one gets a shock.
7. My main areas of __________ are fuel consumption and engine
emission. International pressures are really making things difficult for us.
*Listening exercise from Glendinning, Eric and Norman Glendinning;, Oxford English for Electrical and
Mechanical Engineering; Oxford UP; Adjusted and Adapted

For the Test know:

• The vocabulary and language expressions studied;
• The language expressions deals with and others with a similar meaning;
• Ways to say etc.;
• Present tenses;
• Word and syllable stress;
• Writing: a formal letter, describing your course or college

8
Lesson 3

Language Focus: Engineering Materials; Technical Reading; Writing

(Defining); Oral Skill – Present Tenses and Pronunciation.

9
 Table of Engineering Materials
Materials Properties
Metals
Aluminium Light, soft, ductile, highly
conductive, corrosion-resistant
and durable.
Copper Very malleable, tough and
ductile, rather soft and
corrosion-resistant; High
thermal and electrical
conductivity.
Brass Very malleable, very corrosion-
resistant and highly conductive;
Casts well, easily machined and
can be work hardened; Good
acoustic properties.
Bronze Hard, brittle, durable, corrosion-
resistant and good heat and
electrical conductor.
Mild Steel High strength; Ductile, tough
and fairly malleable; Cannot be
hardened and tempered; Low
cost; Poor corrosion resistance.
High Carbon Steel Hardest of the carbon steels but
less ductile and malleable; Can
be hardened and tempered.
Stainless Steel Corrosion resistant and durable;
High resistance to water and air
environments, low maintenance,
low cost and antibacterial
properties.
Polymers (Plastics)
Thermoplastics
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene High impact strength and
(ABS) toughness, scratch-resistant,
light and durable.
Poly (methyl methacrylate) Stiff, hard, very durable and
(Acrylic) clear; Can be polished easily
and can be formed easily;
Shatter-resistant; High weather
resistance.
Polyamide (Nylon) Hard, tough, wear resistant and
(Poliamida – Nylon) self-lubricating.
Thermosetting Plastics
Epoxy Resin High strength when reinforced,
good chemical and wear-
resistance; A good insulator.
Applications
Foil, cooking utensils, aerospace
industry for structural
components, aircraft and rockets
and racing bicycles.
Electric wiring, PCBs (printed
circuit boards), lightning rods,
tubing, heat exchangers,
refrigeration and air-
conditioning equipment.
Valves, gears, locks, doorknobs,
hinges, taps, castings, pipe
fittings, electrical contacts,
musical instruments, horns,
trumpets, etc.
Boat and ship fittings, ship
propellers and submerged
bearings, springs and sleeve
bearings.
Building structures.
Cutting tools such as drills,
files, saws.
Storage tanks used to transport
orange juice; Cookware, cutlery,
surgery instruments and
building facades.
Protective headgear such as
safety helmets; club golf heads,
car components, telephones,
kitchenware and toys such as
Lego bricks.
Glass substitution; Aircraft
canopies, double glazing,
spectator protection in ice
hockey rinks, automobile
taillights, motorcycle helmet
visors, windshields and
aquariums; Signboards.
Bearings, gears, and casings for
power tools.
Adhesives, encapsulation of
electronic component,
generators, transformers,
bushings and insulators; Used to
10

Polyester Resin Stiff, hard, brittle; Good
chemical and heat-resistance.
Urea Formaldehyde Stiff, hard, strong, brittle, heat-
resistant, and a good electrical
insulator.
Elastomers
Elastomers Elasticity and relatively soft.
Ceramics
Ceramics Brittle, hard, strong (in
compression); Very good
chemical and heat resistance.
Very good wear resistance.
Traditional Ceramics
Whiteware
Building Ceramics
Technical Ceramics
Technical Ceramics Hard and strong; Low thermal
conductivity.
Glass
Glass Hard, strong (in compression)
and brittle; Corrosion and
chemical resistance and good
insulator; optically transparent.
Composite Materials
Composite Materials A combination of different
materials resulting in a material
bond copper foil to circuit board
substrates.
Molding, boat and car bodies.
Electrical fittings, adhesives,
finishes and to glue together
wood.
Seals and adhesives; Seals in a
plumbing systems containing
pressure, or to exclude
contamination; Coatings,
gaskets, lids for containers and
piston rings.
Industries; Mining - components
to dig holes in relatively soft
soils; Aerospace; Medicine -
bone and teeth prostheses; Food
and chemical industries;
Electronic tools for cutting,
spark plugs, inner part of dies,
ceramic lining and coating in
valves, inner part of taps to seal.
Porcelain, sanitary ware, bone
china and faience; Table,
kitchen and decorative wares;
objects of fine art; Insulating
parts and high tension electrical
cable assemblies
Bricks, earthenware, wall tiles,
roofing tiles, and stoneware.
Cutting tools for cutting,
grinding and polishing other
materials of lower hardness
such as metals; Tiles used in
space shuttle programs, gas
burner nozzles, ballistic
protection, bio-medical implants
and jet engine turbine blades;
Jewelry – diamond simulator
such as cubic zirconium.
Windows, bottles and eyewear.
Examples: A bathtub made of
polyester and glass fiber; A
11
 • Glass Fibre with new properties; Thus, no leisure boat body made of
clear definition; Made from polyester resin (which is light)
• Carbon Fibre distinct parts of 2 or more and combined with fiber glass
constituents. (which has high impact
strength); Reinforced concrete is
a result of concrete and steel;
Other Examples: plywood – a
plastic/wood composite;
Aerospace components such as
wings, and propellers; Frames in
racing car bodies; Fishing rods
and baseball bats, orthopedic
surgery.
*Ideas for elaboration of this table came from Glendinning, Eric and Norman Glendinning; Oxford English for Electrical
and Mechanical Engineering; Oxford University Press; ISBN: 0-19-457392-3. (Adjusted and Adapted).
The table was elaborated with the help of Prof. Carlos Rebelo and Prof. Doutor Luís Borrego, both from ISEC and with the
purpose of providing didactic support material for the Portuguese student in engineering.

PROPERTIES
Properties: Terms to describe properties (in alphabetical order)

1. Brittle
2. Clear
3. Conductive
4. Ductile
5. Durable
6. Friction
7. Hard
8. Insulator
9. Light
10. Malleable
11. Soft
12. Stiff
13. Strong
14. Tough

Properties: Resistant to...

1. Chemical-Resistant
2. Corrosion-Resistant
3. Heat-Resistant
4. Scatter-Resistant
5. Scratch-Resistant
6. Wear-Resistant

12
Practical Exercises

*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. The metal used for the conductors in printed circuit boards
*Glendinning, Eric and Norman Glendinning; Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; Oxford
University Press; ISBN: 0-19-457392-3. (Adjusted and Adapted).

Writing
1. Look at the example below about how to define something and add extra information to a text.
A conductor is a material that allows heat or current to flow easily. An example of a very highly
conductive material is aluminium, which is light, soft and corrosion-resistant. It can be used to make
aircraft, engine components – for example, cylinder heads – and many items for the kitchen, such as pots
and other cooking utensils.

2. Choose a material and write a text about it. Define and describe it, explain its properties and
then give examples of the different uses of the material. Add information that you are familiar with
to the text.

Reading - In the text about alloys (page ), you will find engineering material-related vocabulary we
focused on during this lesson. Find these words, or words related to the same meaning, in the text.
Some of the words in the text may not have the same form (plural, noun, etc.) as below.

Part 1
1. ligas metálicas
2. resistência
3. elevada / o (o adjetivo)
4. aviação
5. fluidez

Part 2
6. condutor
7. dureza
8. rolamento/chumaceira
9. rigidez
10. peso
Part 3
11. peças de fundição
12. cobre
13. frágil
14. mais baixo
15. defeitos

13
Reading: New vocabulary - Now find the words we focused on in this reading that were not
mentioned during the lessons about material in engineering terms.

Part 1
1. formado (moldado)
2. soldadura
3. o verbo “levar a”
4. garantir / assegurar
5. enchimento
6. matriz / (fieiras / molde)
7. fendas / (abertura)
8. sulcos / (encaixe; cavidade)
Part 2
9. menos
10. perda
11. aumento
12. reduzir

Part 3
13. merecer 17. Descontinuidade/vazios internos
14. afiado 18. fissuras
15. prejudicial 19. evitar

Note

For the test, you should know:

• the meanings of vocabulary concerning from the table (materials,

properties and applications) and reading

• how to define and describe materials with words like that / which, and how
to add information to your writing with words like such as / for example.

• the present tenses

• how to translate into Portuguese language from the table on materials and
the reading

14
Oral Practice Skill: Pronounce the words in the box.

engineering engineer bridges mechanical manufacture machines

electrician electricity distribution communication develop development
components equipment liquid biological analysis analyse
automobile aeronautical heating ventilating structures installation
mining branches structures manufacture concrete beams microbiology
processing process processes construction hydraulics air-conditioning

Oral Practice Skill: Put the following sentences into the negative.
Cristiano Ronaldo plays basketball.
1 My teacher is wearing jeans.
Mechanical engineers deal with cells and genetics.
Plumbers (canalizadores) repair helmets.
2 It’s sunny.
Electrical engineers are concerned with steel structures.
Kangaroos come from Canada.
3 A librarian (bibliotecária) works with animals.
Automobile engineering is concerned with building construction.
4 Electricians study biology.
The students are studying in class.
Mining engineering belong to computer science engineering
Brass is used for motorized drives in cameras.
5 It contains useful properties.
Some materials allow heat to flow easily.
6 The school opens at 8.00.
I’m talking about the course.
Engineers work with theoretical issues.
They’re doing their best.
7 A referee (árbitro) manages and controls a musical orchestra.
Aeronautical engineers work on jet engines.
8 A coffee costs 2 euros.
Miners wear suits (fato formal).
His main area of expertise is fuel consumption
The sun shines at night.
9 They’re checking the defects.
Vets (veterinários) write out fines (passer multas) for illegal parking.
The school opens at Midnight.
10 They are connecting the wires.
A tax inspector deals with people’s money.
11 She designs body scanners.
She’s working in a new hospital.
The job is concerned with medical equipment.
My partner comes from Australia
12 Engineers work with football referees.
The subject is related to electronics.
A nurse treats injuries (lesões).
13 It is a metal suitable for salt-water environments.
They have good flow characteristics.
14 The course is about machines
My parents live in China.
The material consists of copper and zinc.
15 Aluminium is heavy.
It becomes plastic when heated.
The materials remain rigid at high temperatures.
Acrylic is used for engine components.
16 It consists of copper and zinc.
They contain iron and carbon.

15
 Lesson 4

Engaging and Meshing

Mechanisms and Language Components
Linda Simões

16
Mechanisms and language to define – consist of / composed of / make up of

Gear: A gear is a wheel with teeth that can engage another wheel with teeth; gears work in pairs
to transmit or change motion.
Axial motion: Axial motion is a motion around an axis, the line around which a wheel rotates.
Spur gear: A spur gear has straight teeth parallel to the axis.
A helical gear: This is a gear with teeth cut in the shape of a helix. This gear has teeth that are
not parallel to the axis of the shaft but are spiralled around the shaft in the form of a helix.
A herringbone gear: This is a helical gear with two sets (conjunto) of teeth at equal but
opposite angles to each other. This gear has V-shaped teeth composed of half a right-handed
helical tooth and half a left-handed helical tooth.
Bevel gear: This is a gear with teeth slanted at an angle to the plane of the wheel itself.
Worm gear: This is a mechanism consisting of a gear that meshes with a worm. A worm is a
screw with helical teeth. It is a long, thin cylinder that has one or more continuous helical teeth
that mesh with a helical gear.
Rack and Pinion: A gear mechanism composed of a rack (a straight bar with teeth) and a
pinion (a spur gear).
Sprocket: This is another word for gear.

1. Find the words.

1. Roda
2. Roda dentada
3. Dentes
4. Dente
5. Movimento
6. Dentes direitos
7. Eixo
8. O verbo “cortar”
9. Forma (molde)
10. Veio
11. Hélice
12. Oposto
13. Ângulo
14. Metade
15. Inclinado
16. Engrenar (duas palavras) E_ _ _ _ _ / M _ _ _
17. Parafuso (rosca)
18. Comprido
19. Fino (magro)
20. Cremalheira
21. Pinhão
22. Duas palavras para roda dentada: G_ _ _ / S _ _ _ _ _ _ _
23. Conjunto
2. Answer the questions.
1. How are the teeth in a spur gear?
2. What is another name for gear in English?
3. Are the teeth of a helical gear parallel to the axis of the shaft?
4. What is the name of the gear that has two sets of teeth?
5. What is another way of saying “… the teeth of gears mesh with each
other”. Substitute the word “mesh with” with one word that has the
same meaning.
6. How could you describe a screw?
7. How could you describe a rack?

17
1. EXERCISE: FIND THESE WORDS IN THE PICTURES NUMBERED BELOW.
1. AS PALAVRAS “ESFORÇO” E “CARGA”:
2. A PALAVRA “ENTRE”:
3. AS PALAVRAS “VEIO” E “EIXO”:
4. A PALAVRA “MUDAR”:
5. AS PALAVRAS: CORDA, FIO OU ARAME, CORRENTE:
6. AS PALAVRAS PESO, ANEXO E LEVANTAR:
7. AS PALAVRAS AGUDO OU AFIADO, PARTIR AO MEIO, MACHADO E PREGO:
8. AS PALAVRAS AUTOESTRADA E CAMINHOS DE FERRO:
9. AS PALAVRAS AUMENTAR E MACACO PARA LEVANTAR CARROS E PARAFUSO OU ROSCA:
10. AS PALAVRAS APARELHO (DISPOSITIVO), LEVANTAR, PESADO:

2. Write the device on the line with its definition.

A SEESAW A NAIL AND AN AXE HAVE THIS SHAPE.

_________________________________
A CRANK IT IS USED TO RAISE HEAVY WEIGHTS SUCH
AS CARS. _________________________

A BLOCK AND TACKLE THIS CONSISTS OF A BAR THAT TURNS ON A

POINT. __________________________

AN INCLINED PLANE THIS IS USED FOR INCREASING OR

AMPLIFYING FORCE. IT IS A HELICAL
INCLINED PLANE. ____________________

A JACK IT IS A LEVER WITH AN EFFORT END AND A

LOAD END. CHILDREN PLAY ON THESE.

__________________________________
A SCREW “PLANO INCLINADO” _________________
A LEVER THIS IS A BENT SHAFT. IT IS USED FOR
TRANSMITTING OR CHANGING MOTION.

_________________________________
A WHEEL AND AXLE THIS HAS A WHEEL WITH A GROOVED RIM.
_________________________________
A PULLEY THIS CONSISTS OF A WHEEL THAT ROTATES
ON A SHAFT. _______________________

A WEDGE THIS INCLUDES BOTH A FIXED AND

MOVABLE BLOCK. ____________________

18
1. Look at the reading about mechanisms and kinematics. With which earlier expressions or
word(s) do the underlined words in the text refer to?

1. It (paragraph 3)
2. it (paragraph 3)
3. they (paragraph 5)
4. it (paragraph 5
5. it (paragraph 6)
6. They (paragraph 7)
7. They (paragraph 8)
8. They (paragraph 8)
9. It (paragraph 9)
10. it (paragraph 9)
11. they (paragraph 9)

2. Find the word(s) in the text that has (have) the equivalent meaning of the words
below.

Introduction
1. main emphasis
2. on the other hand
Mechanisms
1. perform
2. like
3. movement
4. provides
5. shows
6. even though
7. whole
8. objective / goal
9. raise
10. on top of
11. makes sure
Mechanism Terminology
1. form
2. though
3. so
4. normally
5. provide
6. permits
7. due to
8. while
9. engage

Note
For the test, you should know
• the meaning of mechanical components and how to define and describe these
• the meanings of the vocabulary in the text,
• synonyms and other ways to say a word and
• understand a text such as what do words like “it” and “they” refer to

19
 Introduction to Mechanisms and Kinematics
Introduction
The analysis of mechanisms and machines aims at understanding the relationships between the
motions of the machine parts and the forces that produce the motions. The initial problem in the design or
analysis of a mechanical system is determining the system’s motion. The study of motion is termed
kinematics. Kinematic analysis is the primary focus of this text.
As a secondary problem, a power source must be selected that will provide sufficient forces to
operate the machine. The study of dynamic forces is termed kinetics. This problem is introduced in Chapter
9 of the text. However, the concepts relative to the transmission of forces are posed throughout the text.
Mechanisms
Machines are devices used to accomplish work, such as a chain saw to cut wood. A
mechanism is the heart of a machine. It is the mechanical portion of a machine that has the function of
transferring motion and forces from a power source to an output. For the chain saw, the mechanism takes
power from a small engine and delivers it to the cutting edge of the chain.
Figure 1.1 illustrates an adjustable height platform that is driven by hydraulic cylinders. Although
the entire device could be called a machine, the parts that take the power from the cylinders and drive the
raising and lowering of the platform are mechanisms.
A mechanism can be considered rigid parts that are arranged and connected so that they produce
the desired motion of the machine. The purpose of the mechanism in Figure 1.1 is to lift the platform and
any objects that are placed upon it. Mechanism analysis ensures that the device will exhibit motion that will
accomplish the desired purpose of a machine.
Mechanism Terminology
As stated, mechanisms consist of connected parts. A linkage is a mechanism where all parts are
connected to form a closed chain. One part is designated the frame because it serves as the frame of
reference for the motion of all other parts.
Links are the individual parts of the mechanism. They are considered rigid bodies and are
connected with other links to transmit motion and forces. A true rigid body does not change shape during
motion. Although a true rigid body does not exist, mechanism components are designed to minimally
deform and are considered rigid.
Elastic parts, such as springs, are not rigid and therefore, are not considered links. They have no
effect on the kinematics of a mechanism and are usually ignored during kinematic analysis. They do
supply forces and must be included during the dynamic force portion of analysis.
A cam joint is shown in Figure 1.3A. It allows for both rotation and sliding of the two links that it
connects. Because of the complex motion allowed, the cam connection is called a higher order joint. A
gear connection also allows rotation and sliding of the teeth as they mesh.
“Introduction to Mechanisms and Kinematics” Machines and Mechanisms David H. Myzka

GEAR CHANGE AROUND STRAIGHT POWER VENTILATION RESPONSIBLE ATTACHED

STATION
AXIAL MOTION ENGAGE SHAPE ANGLE BODY MAINTENANCE AXLE
SHIFTS SCANNERS
TEETH MESH SHAFT HALF ARCHITECTS EDGE
ALLOW EXPERTISE
AXIS ROTATE EQUAL RIGHT- GEAR CHAIN
HANDED ALLOY TURBINE
HELICAL A SCREW SLANTED RAISE CRANK
LEFT-HANDED HEATING ENGINE
MECHANISM COMPONENT SPUR GEAR SHAPE LEVER
A BEVEL GEAR SAFETY COMFORTABLE
A SPROCKET A HELICAL GEAR A RACK AND TEETH PUSH
PINION A WORM GEAR CARRY OUT FUEL
WEIGHT SHARP LOAD PULL
ALUMINIUM SLANTED COMPONENTS MINING
EFFORT DEVICE PROCESSES ANALYSIS
ENGINEER
MESH

20
 Lesson 5

DESCRIBING A 4-STROKE ENGINE CYCLE,

AMONG OTHER LANGUAGE SKILLS SUCH AS

LISTENING, READING, ORAL AND WRITING SKILLS

AUTHOR: LINDA SIMÕES ISEC, SEMESTER 2

IMAGE: http://www.rkm.com.au/ANIMATIONS/animation-graphics/4-stroke-model.jpg

21
Language Focus: Describing a Cycle – Four-Stroke Engine; Grammar Links; Similar and Non-Technical Words in
Technical Reading; Technical Reading – Mechanisms and Kinematics.
I. Four-Stroke Engine
Describing a Cycle: Four-Stroke Engine
In an internal combustion engine, fuel is burned and changed into energy. This energy produces movement.
In a gasoline engine a mixture of fuel and air mixture is ignited inside a cylinder and this causes an
expansion of gases. The expanding gases push down the piston which turns the crankshaft. A stroke is one
movement of the piston either up or down. The piston has a linear (or reciprocating) movement. This linear
movement is transformed into rotary movement by the connecting rod and the crankshaft. The crankshaft
is responsible for the movement of the valves which causes them to open and close. This is transmitted by
a chain that connects the crankshaft to the cams.
During the first stroke, known as the admission stroke (also known as intake or suction stroke),
the piston moves down, away from the cylinder head while simultaneously the intake (inlet) valve is
opened. The exhaust valve is closed. The motion of the piston during this stroke sucks a quantity of fuel
and air mixture into the combustion chamber through the open intake valve. Towards the bottom of the
admission stroke, the intake valve begins to close. The combustible mixture is drawn into the cylinder and
is compressed and ignited by a spark plug on a compression stroke. This is the next stroke and it is the
compression stroke. During the second stroke, which is the compression stroke, both valves are closed, the
piston moves up towards the cylinder head and the fuel mixture is compressed in the combustion chamber.
Towards the end of this stroke combustion is initiated. The power stroke (expansion stroke) is the third
stroke. Both intake and exhaust valves are closed. The spark plug produces an electric spark. The fuel
ignites and forces the piston down away from the cylinder head. Towards the end of the power stroke, the
exhaust cam has rotated such that it begins to lift the exhaust valve. The intake valve is closed. During the
exhaust stroke, which is the fourth and final stroke, the piston rises towards the cylinder head and the
exhaust gases go out of the cylinder. The exhaust valve begins to close and the intake valve begins to open.
The process repeats itself.

1. Find the Portuguese words in the text.

Paragraph 1
2. motor
3. combustível
4. o verbo “queimar”
5. movimento
6. mistura
7. o verbo “inflamado”
8. o verbo “empurrar”
9. cambota
10. movimento alternative
11. movimento rotativo
12. biela
13. corrrente
14. cames (árvore de cames)
Paragraph 2
1. durante
2. um curso / um tempo
3. tempo de admissão
4. pistão
5. para cima e para baixo
6. cilindro
7. enquanto
8. outra palavra para movimento sem ser “movement”
9. câmara de combustão
10. válvula de admissão
11. válvula de escape
12. através
13. começar
14. comprimido
15. vela
16. tempo de compressão
17. tempo de explosão / expansão
18. faísca
19. o verbo “levantar”
20. tempo de escape
21. o verbo “subir”

22
2. The sentences below are from the first paragraph and are not correct. Put the sentence into the
negative and rewrite the sentence correctly.
Example:
Fuel is burned and changed into a power station.
Fuel isn’t burned and changed into a power station.
Fuel is burned and changed into energy.

1. During the compression stroke, the piston moves away from the cylinder head.
_________________________________________________________________________________
2. The piston has a rotary movement.
_________________________________________________________________________________
3. The air and fuel mixture is ignited inside the spark plug.
________________________________________________________________________________

3. Answer the questions about the second paragraph. Make complete sentences. Remember: Subject
+ Verb.
1. What is the name of the first stroke?
2. What does the piston do during the first stroke?
3 When is the intake valve closed?
4. When is the air and fuel mixture compressed?
5. How are the intake and exhaust valves during the second stroke?
6. When is the fuel mixture compressed?
7. What does the piston do during the fourth stroke?

4. Put the sentences into the correct column. Note: The verbs are in bold print (letra negra).
The piston
The piston moves (goes) up towards the cylinder head.
The piston moves (goes) down away from the cylinder head.

The valves
The intake valve is opened. The intake valve is closed.
The exhaust valve is opened. The exhaust valve is closed.
Both valves are closed. Both valves are opened.
The intake / exhaust valve begins to close / open.

The fuel and air mixture, exhaust gases and spark plug
The fuel and air mixture go into the combustion chamber through the intake valve.
The fuel and air mixture is compressed.
The fuel and air mixture is ignited by a spark plug.
The spark plug produces an electric spark.
The exhaust gases go out of the cylinder.

ADMISSION STROKE

COMPRESSION STROKE

POWER STROKE

EXHAUST STROKE

23
*Listening: The Moment of a Force. You are going to hear an extract from a typical
engineering lecture.

1. Put a check by the words when you hear them.

Extension turning measure size pivot spanner bolt nut

leverage fulcrum engine right-angled pull handle edge hinge

2. Answer these questions according to the information given by the lecturer.

a. What advantage does a longer spanner offer in loosening a tight nut?
b. What is the formula for calculating the moment of a force?
c. Why is it sometimes difficult to apply a force at right angles in a motor car engine?
d. Why is the handle of a door at the edge?
e. Write down the formulae for calculating force and distance.

*Grammar Links and Reading: One of the ways in which sentences in a text are held
together is by grammar links. Sometimes these links cause problems for readers because
they cannot make the right connection between words in different parts of a text. Look at
the extract below.

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.

Ex. 1: A word replaces an earlier expression. The words force in engineering become one.
Ex. 2: A repeated noun can become a pronoun. The word Springs becomes they.
Ex. 3: A word replaces a whole sentence or clause. The sentence Springs exert more force the
more they are stretched becomes This.

Do this exercise. With which earlier expressions do the underlined words 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 also use ball bearings and
roller bearings because rolling objects cause less friction than sliding ones.

1) It
2) it (line one)
3) it (line two)
4) their
5) They
6) ones

* Source: Glendinning, Eric H. and Norman Glendinning; Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering;
Oxford UP; ISBN 0-19-457392-3. (Abridged and Adapted).

24
Reading: Internal Combustion Engines
Synonyms and referents in reading about Internal Combustions Engines
In the internal combustion engine, combustion takes place within / __________ the
engine itself, hence / _________its name. This is unlike / _______________a steam turbine,
where steam is introduced to the turbine after having been raised externally in a boiler. The
combustion is external; it takes place in the boiler, not the turbine.
All internal combustion engines aspirate air into which is introduced a measured
quantity of fuel. This fuel burns within the engine and in such a way that it produces a gas
containing a high energy. This gas can then be made to expand within the engine and, using a
suitable / _______________mechanism, work may be obtained / _______________. Because of
the absence of external auxiliary equipment, such as a boiler, which is generally large, the
internal combustion engine is of a much more compact size for a given output.
Internal combustion engines run on gaseous fuels and liquid fuels; they may be found as
reciprocating piston engines, turbines and rotary engines.
The reciprocating element is a piston in a cylinder. The piston and the cylinder have a
very close / ______________fit, and to ensure / ___________the assembly is gas-tight, the
piston is fitted with piston rings. They spring out and wear to the cylinder bore, so /
____________ they greatly assist in making the piston gas-tight. The cylinder is bored in the
cylinder block, which may be cast integral with the crankcase or bolted / _____________on top.
The top of the cylinder is sealed by bolting on to it the cylinder head. The seal between the
cylinder head and the cylinder is usually made by inserting a gasket between them. The recess
in the cylinder head, above the cylinder, is known as / ______________the combustion space; it
is here that combustion is initiated. … Due to / _______________combustion, the cylinder
head, piston and cylinder block will become very hot. It is necessary to cool the engine to
preserve the engine materials and lubrication. Coolant passages are in the walls of the cylinder
block, round the cylinder and in the cylinder head round the combustion space. Water is the
usual coolant, which / ___________circulates through these coolant passages and this maintains
/ _____________the engine at a workable temperature.
Another method of cooling is that used in the air-cooled engine. It consists simply of
casting fins on to the cylinder and the cylinder head. These fins greatly increase the surface area
of the cylinder and the cylinder head; if air is passed over the fins, effective engine cooling is
obtained / ________________.
Now the reciprocating motion of the piston in the cylinder is to be converted into a
rotary motion. This is accomplished / ____________by using a connecting-rod to couple the
piston to a crankshaft. …
Source: “Internal combustion engines”, Basic Engineering Thermodynamics, by Rayner Joel. Abridged and Adapted

1. With which earlier expressions or word(s) do the words in italics refer to?
1. this (paragraph 1)
2. it (paragraph 1)
3. it (paragraph 2)
4. they (paragraph 3)
5. They (paragraph 4)
6. they (paragraph 4)
7. it (paragraph 4)
8. them (paragraph 4)
9. here (paragraph 4)
10. this (paragraph 4)
10. It (paragraph 5)
11. This (paragraph 6)
accomplish; aim; allow; also; although; and; appropriate; as; as a result of; because; because of; besides;
but; contrary to; different from; do; even though; guarantee; however; in spite of; inside; keep; leads to;
lift; like; main; make sure; motion; prevent; proper; provide; purpose; raise; refer to; screw; since; so;
suitable; that; therefore; though; through; thus; tight; too; which; whereas; with.

25
2. Find the word in the text that has the equivalent meaning of the words in Portuguese.
1. caldeira (Introduction)
2. à prova de gás
3. perfurar
4. cárter
5. segmentos
6. aparafusar
7. vedante
8. junta
9. refrigerante
10. fundir
11. alhetas
12. movimento alternativo
13. biela
14. acoplar
15. cambota

Continuation of Listening: Complete the spaces with the correct word.

Now what I thought I might do today … What we are going to talk of is the extension of a
force. We’re going to talk about the moment of a force.
If I apply a force to something, then I find that that force will __________ or at least it will try
to turn a particular object. It will turn, __________. __________ that turning tendency is called
the moment, the turning moment of the force. And if I want to __________ that turning
moment, the turning moment will depend on the __________ of the force itself. The
__________ the force, the __________ the turning effect. But equally the __________ away the
force is from the __________ … If you can think of a __________ and you try to __________ a
bolt or __________, it might be extremely difficult but if you got a __________ spanner you
would get a bigger __________. You would get a __________ turning moment.
Moment is __________ to force __________ distance. This, incidentally, you have in your
__________.
Something simple to illustrate. If we take the drawing of a __________ … The drawing of a
spanner there. We apply a force at the __________ there, your pivot or the __________
__________, or as we call it the __________, is in the centre there. Now the moment of that
force is that force (F1) __________ __________ the perpendicular distance (D1).
So that if you were doing … I’m thinking of a practical job, where you couldn’t get the
perpendicular distance in. If you were applying a force there because of some other component
that was in the way … You know that in a motor car __________ sometimes it’s very difficult
to get your hand in and get a ___________ __________.You might have to __________ it right
up at the head. Now that, __________ you can see, that, we’ll call it D2, is a __________
distance, so you would have to use a much __________ force there.
Why do we put a __________ there on the door? Why do we put a handle there on the
__________? Because it’s much __________ to open the door with the handle at the edge.
Because it’s __________ away from the fulcrum. Even a simple thing like that has got a
scientific reason. Is that understood? All right? We have the handle there because it’s much
easier. The fulcrum is the __________ of the door. It would be much __________ __________
to close the door right up at the hinge. Does that help you?
Now to calculate our moment, then, one would simply __________ the force __________ the
distance that you were away from it. __________ moment is force __________ distance. If I
want, if someone says, ah yes, we want the force … If I want to calculate the force, then it’s
moment __________ __________ distance. And if I want distance, moment __________
__________ force.
Well that’s it then – a little explanation of how you calculate moments.
* Glendinning, Eric and Norman Glendinning;, Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; Oxford
UP.

26
Translate the following into Portuguese.
1 Biological engineering, also known as bio-systems engineering and bioengineering, deals with
engineering biological processes in general. It is a broad-based engineering discipline that also may
involve product design, sustainability and analysis of biological systems.
2 Plumbers repair pipes and electricians work with wires and printed circuit boards, among others. Civil
engineers are concerned with concrete beams, steel structures and building construction.
3 My main area of expertise is fuel consumption. The main issue today is the environment. We try to
manage and control the negative effects of engine emission so as to ensure the future’s safety.
4 A conductor is a material that allows heat or current to flow easily. An example of a very highly
conductive material is aluminum which is light, soft and corrosion-resistant. It can be used to make aircraft,
engine components – for example, cylinder heads – and many items for the kitchen, such as pots and
other cooking utensils.
5 Brass is very corrosion-resistant, casts well, easily machined and can be work hardened. Its uses are
valves, taps, castings and ship fittings, to name a few.
6 Mild steel has high strength. It is ductile, tough but has very poor corrosion resistance. High carbon steel
is the hardest of the carbon steels. It is used for cutting tools.
7 Urea formaldehyde is a thermosetting plastic. It is stiff, strong, brittle, heat-resistant, and a good
electrical insulator. Epoxy resin has good chemical and wear resistance.
8 Of the most widely used 4xxx alloys, 4032 is a medium high-strength, heat-treatable alloy used mainly
for forgings in applications such as aircraft pistons. Alloy 4043 on the other hand is one of the most widely
used filler alloys for GMA and GTA welding 6xxx alloys for structural and automotive applications.
9 The same characteristic leads to both applications: good flow characteristic provided by the high silicon
content, which in the case of forgings ensures the filling of complex dies and in the case of welding
ensures complete filling of crevices and grooves in the members to be joined.
10 The 8xxx series is used for those alloys with lesser used alloying elements such as Fe, Ni and Li. Each
is used for the particular characteristics it provides the alloys: Fe and Ni provided strength little loss in
electrical conductivity and so are used in a series of alloys represented by 8017 for conductors.
11 In an internal combustion engine, the expanding gases push down the piston which turns the
crankshaft. A stroke is one movement of the piston either up or down. The piston has a reciprocating
motion.
12 The linear motion of the piston is transformed into rotary movement by the connecting rod and the
crankshaft. The crankshaft is responsible for the valves, which causes them to open and close. This is
transmitted by a chain that connects the crankshaft to the cams.
13 The power stroke is the third stroke of a 4-stroke engine. Both intake and exhaust valves are closed.
The spark plug produces and electric spark. The fuel ignites and forces the piston down away from the
cylinder head.
14 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 also use ball bearings and roller bearings because
rolling objects cause less friction than sliding ones.
15 The analysis of mechanisms and machines aims at understanding the relationships between the
motions of the machine parts and the forces that produce the motions. The initial problem in the design or
analysis of a mechanical system is determining the system’s motion.
16 Machines are devices used to accomplish work, such as a chain saw to cut wood. A mechanism is the
mechanical portion of a machine that has the function of transferring motion and forces from a power
source to an output. For the chain saw, the mechanism takes power from a small engine and delivers it to
the cutting edge of the chain.
17 Figure 1.1 illustrates an adjustable height platform that is driven by hydraulics cylinders. Although the
entire device could be called a machine, the parts that take the power from the cylinders and drive the
raising and lowering of the platform are mechanisms.
18 Acrylic is used for engine components. It consists of copper and zinc.
They contain iron and carbon.
19 A mechanism can be considered rigid parts that are arranged and connected so that they produce the
desired motion of the machine. The purpose of the mechanism in Figure 1.1 is to lift the platform and any
objects that are placed upon it. Mechanism analysis ensures that the device will exhibit motion that will
accomplish the desired purpose of the machine.
20 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.
Note
For the test, you should know the vocabulary in this lesson, how to describe a 4-stroke engine cycle
or how a machine works, how to translate technical texts as in the above exercise and understand a
text such as what do words like “it” and “they” refer to.

27
Lesson 6

Test 1 – worth 35%

A minimum score of 7 out of 20 is required.

The test covers material from Lessons 1 to 5.

At the end of each Lesson, there is a note indicating what to study from the Lesson.

The professor will let you know if other material in addition to Lessons 1 to 5 is
included in the test.

28
Lesson 7

TECHNICAL
ENGLISH
Author: Linda Simões
ISEC

29
The Refrigeration Process and Laws and Principles.

*Reading: The refrigeration process begins in the compressor. This compresses the gas so that it
heats up. It then pumps the gas into a condenser, a long tube in the shape of a zigzag. As the
warm gas passes through the condenser, it heats the surroundings and cools down. By the time it
leaves the condenser, it has condensed back into a liquid.
Liquid leaving the condenser has to flow down a very narrow tube (a capillary tube). This
prevents liquid from leaving the condenser too quickly, and keeps it at a high pressure.
As the liquid passes from the narrow capillary tube to the larger tubes of the evaporator, the
pressure quickly drops. The liquid turns to vapour, which expands and cools. The cold vapour
absorbs heat from the fridge. It is then sucked back into the compressor and the process begins
again.

Vocabulary

Technical Vocabulary: compressor; condenser; a capillary tube; evaporator; vapour

Phrasal verbs: heat up; cool down

Verbs: begin; compress; heat; cool; pump; pass; leave; condense; flow; prevent; keep;
drop; turn; expand; absorb

Prepositions: in; into; through; from; to

Linking expressions: As; By the time

Practice Exercises

*1. Language Focus: Sentence structure when expressing principles and laws.
Look at the following statements.
If a liquid is heated, it changes to a gas or vapour.
If a gas is allowed to expand, it cools down.
If a gas is compressed, it heats up.

*2. Each part of the statement consists of an action (a liquid is heated) followed by a result
(it changes to a gas or vapour). Example:
Action Result
If a liquid / to be heated it / to change / to a gas or vapour
If / When + (the action is in the present tense), (the result is the in the present tense).
If a liquid is heated, it changes to a gas or vapour.

*3. Link each action with a result by making complete sentences to describe an important
engineering principle.

1. If a liquid / to be heated / it / to change / to a gas or vapour

2. If a gas / to be cooled / it / to change / to a liquid
3. If a gas / to expand / it / to cool / down
4. If a gas / to be compressed / it / to heat up
5. If a force / to be applied / to a body / there / to be / an equal and opposite reaction
6. If a current / to pass / through a wire / it / to set up / a magnetic field around the wire
7. If a force / to be applied / to a spring fixed at one end / it / to extend / in proportion to the force
8. If a wire / to cut / a magnetic field / a current / to be / induced in the wire

30
*4. Writing: Describing a process.

Put these stages in the refrigeration process in the correct sequence with the help of
the diagram. The first one has been done for you.

a. The liquid enters the evaporator. __________

b. The gas condenses back into a liquid. __________
c. The vapour is sucked back into the compressor. __________
d. The gas is compressed. __________
e. The liquid turns into a vapour. __________
f. The gas passes through the condenser. __________
g. The liquid passes through a capillary tube. __________
h. The high pressure is maintained. __________

*5. Put the statements about the refrigeration process into composition form.

Explain the process in more detail and add sequence expressions such as First of
all/First/Firstly; Then/Next/After that; Finally, etc.

First, The gas passes through the compressor, where ___________________________.

__________, it passes through the condenser, where ___________________________.
__________, the liquid passes through a capillary tube, where ____________________.
__________, the liquid enters the evaporator, where ___________________________.
__________, the cold vapour is sucked back into the compressor, where ____________.
* Source: Glendinning, Eric H. and Norman Glendinning; Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering; Oxford UP;
ISBN 0-19-457392-3. (Adjusted and Adapted).

Reading: Grammar Links and Vocabulary

1. The following are practice exercises I made up for a reading about Processes and Cycles
taken from Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach by Yunus A. Cengel and Michael
A. Boles.

What do the underlined words in the reading refer to?

1. it (paragraph 1)
2. it (paragraph 2)
3. those (paragraph 2)
4. they (paragraph 3)
5. there (paragraph 3)
6. this (paragraph 3)
7. this (paragraph 3)
8. it (paragraph 4)
9. they (paragraph 4)
10. they (paragraph 4)
11. it (paragraph 8)
12. its (paragraph 8
13. one (paragraph 8)

31
2. Write the equivalent (synonym) next to the underlined words. Choose from the
following words: so; from; kept; whole; real; because; thereby; and; go up; emphasized;
but; although; wide; movement; is concerned with; like; similar to; because of; while;
as a result; shown; provide; raise; permits; as. Not all of these words are used.

1. To describe a process completely, one should specify the initial and final states of the
process, as well as / (__________) the path it follows.
2. A quasi-equilibrium process can be viewed as a sufficiently slow process which allows /
(__________) the system to adjust itself internally.
3. This is illustrated / (__________) in Fig. 1-27.
4. When a gas in a piston-cylinder device is compressed suddenly, the molecules near the face
of the piston will not have enough time to escape and they will have to pile up in a small region
in front of the piston, thus / (__________) creating a high-pressure region there.
5. Because of this pressure difference, the system can no longer be said to be in equilibrium,
and this makes the entire / (__________) process non-quasi-equilibrium. However /
(__________), if the piston is moved slowly, the molecules will have sufficient time to
redistribute and there will not be a molecule pileup in front of the piston. As a result, the
pressure inside the cylinder will always be uniform and will rise / (__________) at the same rate
at all locations. Since / (__________) equilibrium is maintained / (__________) at all times, this
is a quasi-equilibrium process.
6. It should be pointed out / (__________) that a quasi-equilibrium process is an idealized
process and is not a true representation of an actual / (__________) process.
7. First, they are easy to analyse; second, work-producing devices deliver / (__________) the
most work when they operate on quasi-equilibrium processes. Therefore / (__________) quasi-
equilibrium processes serve as / (_________) standards to which actual processes can be
compared.

Pronunciation

The sound of the end of the verb in the 3rd person singular of the Simple Present tense.
1. General English: Listen to the way that the s at the end of these verbs is pronounced.
starts /s/ lives /z/ finishes /Iz/
want _________ wash __________ study ________ go ________ read __________
miss ________ carry ________ do ________eat ________ catch ________fly ________

2. The following sentences are academic content in the engineering field. Put the sentences into the
3rd person singular of the Simple Present tense.

1. We analyze the ideas. The engineer

2. We develop new devices. She
3. I validate the calculations. She
4. They install the system. He
5. The machines consist of many components. The machine
6. The pulleys raise heavy objects. The pulley
7. The mathematicians calculate the differences. The mathematician

32
3. The sound of the end of the plural form of nouns: The above rules for pronunciation of the verb
in the 3rd person singular applies also to the plural (or possessive ‘s) sound at the end of nouns.
Decide how the final s is pronounced in the nouns below and then mark it with the symbols /s/, /z/
or /Iz/.
suburbs chances houses bedrooms gardens hours weeks
buses pets sports children’s miles

4. Academic Language: Let us now apply these rules to semi-technical vocabulary in engineering.

/z/ /Iz/ /s/

ideas processes measurements
applications bridges components
structures branches circuits
machines losses thermodynamics
calculations sentences coordinates
theories (theory) devices plates
species differences weights
engines edges heights
automobiles distances lengths
installations forces electromagnets

5. Syllable Stress: Pronunciation of academic terminology related to mathematics and the

engineering fields. The syllable stress is in bold print

1) engineering ideas develop development analyze analysis process

2) processes applications equipment liquid communication branches
3) building construction structures expertise responsible validity validate
4) bridges maintenance manufacture machines distribution electricit y
5) abstraction conjectures axioms ratio equations calculations measurements
6) numerical data finite theory theoretical biology micro-biology
7) metabolism macroscopic microscopic molecular chemical species
8) microprocessor evaporation quenching tempering air-conditioning
9) installation ventilating ventilation thermodynamics heating components
10) automobile aeronautical mining engineering aluminum copper iron steel
11) engine fuel consumption induction motors steam turbine integrated circuits
12) lighting lightning lightening signal processing electromagnetism electrician

6. Vocabulary within context

1) Engineering (to be base) _________________ on technology. (é baseado)

2) Engineers (deal) __________ with practical issues.
3) Civil engineers (concern) _____________ with building construction.
4) Heating and ventilating (relate) __________ to air-conditioning. (está relacionado)
5) Automobile engineering (about) __________ to fuel consumption and engine emissions.

33
6) Quenching and tempering (to be) ____________ hardening and strengthening processes.
7) These situations (need) ______________ to be analyzed.
8) An analysis of the situation (need) ________________ to be carried out (done)(performed).
9) Electrical engineering (to be) ________ the study of electricity, electromagnetism and electronics.
10) Broadly speaking, mathematics (include) _________ the study of quantity, structure, space and
change.
11) Aluminum (to be) ____________ a conductive metal.
12) In order to validate the models, two experiments were carried out.
13) Lightning strikes and circuit failures can (cause) _________ outages to electric equipment.
14) Chemical engineering is broad-based as it is about physical sciences, life sciences, mathematics and
economics. Replace as with two other alternatives.
15) Physical sciences (include) ____________physics and chemistry, while life sciences (comprise)
______________ biology, microbiology and biochemistry.
16) A worm gear (consist) (consiste em) ___________________ helical gear and a worm.
17) A pulley (compose) ________________ a wheel and a grooved rim.
18) A helical gear (to have) _______________ helical-shaped teeth.
19) A wheel and axle (make up) __________________ a wheel that rotates on a shaft.
20) A screw is used for ____________ (increase) force.
21) A screw is used to______________(amplify) force.

For the test you should know

• the vocabulary in this lesson

• how to explain the refrigeration process works or how another kind of cycle
or process works
• how to translate technical texts as in the above reading
• understand a text such as what do words like “it” and “they” refer to
• syllable stress

34
Lesson 8 – Air-conditional Systems

Glendinning, Eric H. and Glendinning, Norman. (1997) Oxford English for Electrical
and Mechnical Engineering. Oxford UP.

35
Glendinning, Eric H. and Glendinning, Norman. (1997) Oxford English for Electrical
and Mechnical Engineering. Oxford UP.

36
Technical English: Cooling and Heating Systems in automobiles; Reading and
decoding unknown vocabulary; Imperative; Adjective/noun strings; Modal verbs
should/shouldn’t

A. Reading: Cooling, heating and air-conditioning systems

Coolant mixtures

1. Plain water should never be used in the engine cooling system. Apart from giving
protection against freezing, an antifreeze mixture protects the engine internal surfaces
and components against corrosion. This is especially important in respect of the 1.3 all
alloy engine.
2. Always use a top-quality glycol-based antifreeze which is suitable for mixed metal
engines.
3. Ideally a 50% mixture of antifreeze and soft or demineralised water should be used to
maintain protection against freezing and corrosion. On no account use less than 30%
antifreeze.
4. Even when operating in climates where antifreeze is not necessary, never use plain
water, but add a corrosion inhibitor to it.

Thermostat – removal, testing and refitting

1. Remove the radiator filler cap, taking the necessary precautions (see Section 2) if the
engine is hot.
2. Drain the cooling system as described in Section 3.
3. Remove the thermostat cover and the thermostat. Extract the seal (photos).
4. To check the thermostat, its valve plate should be fully closed when cold. Now
suspend the thermostat in a saucepan of water which is being heated. Prevent the
thermostat from contacting the container which is being heated. Use a thermometer to
check that the thermostat valve plate begins to open and is fully open at the specified
temperature levels.
5. If the thermostat does not perform correctly, fit a new one.
6. Fit the thermostat using a new seal and make sure that the jiggle pin is uppermost.
Bolt on the thermostat housing cover.
7. Fill the cooling system as previously described in Section 3.

B. Look at the underlined words.

Use mineralised water. Don’t use plain water.

What are the meanings of these underlined words in the text?

Add
Remove
Drain
Extract
Suspend
Prevent
Fit
Make sure
Bolt

37
C. Plain water is translated as “água simples”.

What about:

1. Engine cooling system (A. 1.)

2. Antifreeze mixture (A. 1.)
3. Engine internal surfaces (A. 1.)
4. Top-quality glycol-based antifreeze (A. 2.)
5. Mixed metal engines (A. 2.)
6. Demineralised water (A. 3.)
7. Corrosion inhibitor (A. 4.)
8. Radiator filler cap (B. 1.)
9. Valve plate (B. 4.)
10. Thermostat valve (B. 4.)
11. Specified temperature levels (B. 4.)

D. Opposites

Always (A. 2.) is the opposite of N _ _ _ _

Less (A. 3.) is the opposite of M_ _ _

E. Meanings

1. What are the meanings of “fully closed / fully opened”?

2. Where can you get more information about what a “seal” is (B. 3.) if you didn’t know
what it was?
3. The meaning of “suitable” (A. 2.)
4. The meaning of “against” (A. 1.)

F. Should and Shouldn’t: Make sentences with Should and Shouldn’t.

Example:
Always use a top-quality glycol-based antifreeze.
You should use a top-quality glycol-based antifreeze.

1. On no account use less than 30% antifreeze.

You (should or shouldn’t) _________________________________________________
2. Never use plain water.
______________________________________________________________________
3. Add a corrosion inhibitor to it.
______________________________________________________________________
4. Remove the radiator filler cap.
______________________________________________________________________

38
Energy and Environmental Engineering - Reading and Synonyms
“Optimization of two-step transesterification production of biodiesel from neem oil”

accessible, aim, also, as a result of, because of, besides, conversely, crucial, deem, different
from, furthermore, lead to, like, moreover, necessary, nevertheless, nonetheless, obtainable, on
the other hand, originate from, particularly, practical, promptly, prove, so as to, to, thus, until
now, viable, vital

Diesel fuels have an essential / 1)___________function in the industrial economy of

developing and developed countries. The continued use of fossil fuel due to /
2)______________industrialization and domestic purposes especially in advanced nations
resulted in / 3)_____________environmental pollution which had contributed immensely to the
present climate change, and its attendant effects had made it necessary to the development of
alternative sources of energy [1]. This alternative fuel has been found to be technically feasible
/4)__________________, economically competitive, environmentally acceptable, and readily /
5)______________available / 6)______________[1]. In addition / 7)_______________the fast
depletion of fossil fuel and its high cost of procurement are factors that has made research into
biodiesel, an alternative energy source that is clean, nontoxic, and a renewable necessity.
Biodiesel, either alone or in blends with fossil fuel, will help meet the world energy
demands hitherto / 8)________________not yet sufficient. In addition, it is a renewable energy
source which is unlike / 9)_______________fossil fuels that are finite. Biodiesel obtained from
energy crops also produces favorable effects on the environment, such as a decrease in acid rain
and greenhouse effect caused by /10)_____________combustion [2]. Due to these factors and to
its biodegradability, the production of biodiesel is considered / 11)______________an
advantage than to that of fossil fuels [2]. Biodiesel is also nontoxic, eco-friendly, and useful in
CO2 recycling over short periods [3,4]. (…) Also, biodiesel evidences /
12)_______________*many salient properties, most notably cetane number, flash point, and
volumetric heating value which have also been shown to be comparable to those of petro-diesel
[5-8].
Many researchers have concluded that vegetable oils and their derivatives hold promise as
alternative fuels for diesel engines with the only exception that the use of raw vegetable oils for
diesel engines can cause numerous engine-related problems due to
13)___________________their high viscosity, low volatility, and high cetane number which
can lead to 14)_________________________severe engine deposits, injector coking, and piston
ring sticking [9,10]. However / 15)____________________, these effects can be reduced or
eliminated through transesterification of the vegetable oil to form an alkyl ester [9,11]. (…)
This work seeks / 18)___________________to optimize neem biodiesel production
from neem oil using response surface methodology. The optimization of the neem biodiesel
production via a two-step transesterification process will be designed using a central composite
design model of the response surface methodology. The effects of variables such as / 19)
___________________the neem oil/methanol ratio, reaction time, reaction temperature, and
catalyst amount on the biodiesel yield will as well be determined in order to / 20)
___________________find out the optimum conditions required for the neem biodiesel
production. The physicochemical properties and fatty acid profiles of the neem biodiesel
produced will be determined using appropriate established procedures. This will help in
establishing the conformity of the neem biodiesel to standards, hence / 21)
____________________its suitability as alternative fuel source.
Awolu and Layokun International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering 2013, 4:39 http://www.journal-
ijeee.com/content/4/1/39

39
Lesson 9 –English for Electrical Engineering and English for Computer Science

Glendinning, Eric H. (1997). English in Electrical Engineering and Electronics. Oxford

UP.

40
Glendinning, Eric H. (1997). English in Electrical Engineering and Electronics. Oxford
UP.

41
English for Electrical Engineering: Electric Machines

1. Equivalent meaning words. Find the words in the text with a similar meaning. The
number of the paragraphs are besides the word in parenthesis. Then put the words into
the correct form.

1. change (1) ______________________

2. operate (1) ______________________
3. illustrate (1) ______________________
4. include (2) ______________________
5. supply (2) ______________________
6. function (2) ______________________
7. offer (2) ______________________
8. way (2) ______________________
9. deliver (2) ______________________
10. have (3) ______________________
11. comprise (3) ______________________
12. attach (3) ______________________
13. let (3) ______________________
14. while (3) ______________________
15. function (3) ______________________
16. is/are compose of (4) ______________________
17. consist of (4) ______________________
18. work (5) ______________________
19. set (5) ______________________

2. Find the words in the text.

1. Corrente contínua
2. Corrente alternada
3. Estator
4. Armadura
5. Núcleu de aço
6. Campo magnético
7. Um veio
8. Rolamento
9. Comutador
10. Cobre
11. Escovas
12. Molas
13. Espira

3. What do these words refer to? The number of the paragraphs are besides the words.

1. Its (1)
2. It (2)
3. It (2)
4. This (3)
5. It (4)
6. These (4)
7. Them (4)

42
4. Answer the questions about the text.

1. What are the main parts of a dc motor?

2. Does an electric motor convert mechanical energy into electrical energy?

3. Is the rotor static?

4. Describe an armature. (just the parts)

5. What is the purpose of the armature?

6. Describe the commutator. (just the parts)

7. What happens when the rotor turns?

8. Describe the stator. (just the parts)

9. Describe the magnetic circuit. (just the parts)

43
English for Computer Science: Software

Before reading answer these basic questions.

1. What do you think the article is about?

2. What are the main topics the article covers?

Summary: Martin Fowler is an author and international speaker on software

architecture and specializes in object-oriented analysis and design, UML (United
Modelling Language), patterns and agile software development methodologies,
including extreme programming. This short article is an introduction to the software
design process. He aims to show why design patterns are important in software
engineering. He provides examples to explain design patterns.

*The elements of this language are entities called patterns. Each pattern describes a
problem that occurs over and over again in our environment, and then describes the core
of the solution to that problem, in such a way that you can use this solution a million
times over, without ever doing it the same way twice. — Christopher Alexander
(architect)

44
“Writing Software Patterns” by Martin Fowler
(A) What is a Pattern?
(1) A common definition of a pattern is that it is a solution to a problem in a context. That’s a definition that’s
always struck me as being rather unhelpful. For me, a pattern is primarily a way to chunk up advice about a topic.
Chunking is important because there’s such a huge amount of knowledge you need to write software. As a result, there
needs to be ways to divide knowledge up so you don’t need to remember it all – what you need is to be able to get at a
particular chunk of knowledge when you need it. Only then do you need details.
(2) The solution provides a useful focus for the chunking. With some young eager programmer asking some
grizzly veteran (i.e. anyone over thirty) how to deal with a particular situation and hear the veteran say “oh – you’ll
need an identity map there.” (Identity map: Ensures that each object gets loaded only once by keeping every loaded
object in a map.) The colleague can then look up identity map in some suitable patterns book.
(3) So, to make this chunking work each pattern should name a solution. This solution should be concrete, at
least at the level of discussion we are talking about. You should be able to go away and use the pattern once you’re
given the reference. If you’re successful the name should enter the vocabulary of the profession. It can take a while to
do this, but when you say ‘decorator’ any reasonable professional should know what you mean.
(4) Patterns should have recurrence, which means the solution must be applicable in lots of different situations.
If you are talking about something that’s a one-off, then it’s not adding the name to the profession’s vocabulary.
(5) One of the interesting things here is that a singular solution can often lead to a recurrent pattern. This usually
crops up when you see two different singular solutions which look completely different on the surface, yet have a
deeper similarity – what Christopher Alexander* refers to as the “core of the solution.” Let me give an example for
this. I was looking at one of our early Java web projects. On this project the team wasn’t allowed to use JSPs (Java
Server Pages). So they wrote a set of Java classes, which walked through a structure of domain objects, and produced
the appropriate HTML (HyperText Markup Language) for a particular domain object. They noticed they were getting
duplication in the code for spitting out common HTML spitting out common HTML structures for fields, tables, etc.
So they pulled all of the HTML spitting code out into a second utility class that had methods like renderField (String
label). When they did this they noticed that they could make drastic changes to the entire web application’s appearance
just by altering code in the utility class.
(6) Later on I saw a different project. They were using XSLT (Extensible Stylesheet Language Transformations)
to turn XML (Extensible Markup Language) into HTML pages, much as I do on this site. But they needed to support
multiple organizations who wanted the same data displayed in their own format. So they split the transformation into
two steps, first producing an intermediate XML with elements like field and table, with the second stage actually
producing the HTML. They would have a different second stage for each organization.
(7) Although it seems obvious as I write it now, when I first saw these two projects I sensed there was something
similar in their approaches. However, it took me several months to understand the key point – splitting a transformation
into two steps: logical page and physical (HTML) page. This is the “core of the solution” which I wrote up as Two Step
View (Turns domain data into HTML in two steps). One of the great intellectual challenges of patterns is finding and
isolating this core amongst all the surrounding stuff that’s needed on real projects.

(B) Patterns versus Recipes

(1) A popular, and very effective, form of technical writing is the cookbook style (eg The Perl Cookbook, Rais
Recipes) (Perl Cookbook is a collection to help those working with Perl language. Rais Recipes is a collection of recipes
to create web applications). There is a lot of similarity between cookbooks and patterns books. Both emphasize a
problem-solution style.
(2) I see the big difference of the two in the notion of building a vocabulary. Recipes tend to be more particular,
usually tied to a particular programming language and platform. Even when patterns are tied to a platform, they try to
describe more general concepts.
(3) As a consequence of this recipes have a stronger problem focus than the solution focus in patterns.
(4) Although my writing interest is in patterns, this reflects my interest in general design principles rather than a
judgment on the relative usefulness of the two styles. Both are effective for same basic reason – they chunk based on a
concrete thing somebody wants to get done today. As a result I find both very effective. You can also learn great
principles from them, but it’s the answers to particular questions that bring you to the table.

(C) Why are Patterns important?

(1) One of the quotes that I find particularly appealing when I think about the need for patterns that that part of
interest in patterns came from “…observations that projects fail despite the latest technology for lack of ordinary
solutions” (PLoPD 1) (PLoPD stands for Pattern Languages of Program Design). Patterns provide a way to organize
and name those ordinary solutions to make it easier for people to use them.
(2) Since these solutions are ordinary, it’s common that experts in a field won’t find anything new in a patterns
book. For such people the biggest value of a patterns book is to help them to pass on the solutions to their colleagues.
(3) Despite my liking for patterns, I don’t think patterns are the right approach for all situations. Even in my own
latest patterns book, I used a mixture of patterns and narrative text. I think the patterns helped focus the narrative and
provided a good way for me to separate the details of the solutions from the overview discussion of them. Patterns are
a communication medium, and like any communication technique there are situations where they work well and those
where they work badly. Practice and familiarity help you tell the difference.
Fowler, Martin. (2006). Writing Software Patterns.
https://www.martinfowler.com/articles/writingPatterns.html

45
A. “What is a Pattern” The seven statements below summarize one of the seven
paragraphs in “What is a Pattern”. Write the number of the paragraph next to each.

_____ 1. A pattern should have the concept of repetition

_____ 2. It takes time to find the core of the solution
_____ 3.The author’s definition of a pattern
_____ 4. An example of how a project was made to support different organizations with
data shown in a particular format.
_____ 5. How to form a pattern
_____ 6. An example of different singular solutions that seem to be different to the
naked but can actually be identical
_____ 7. An identity map

B. “Patterns versus Recipes

1. Which paragraph refers to the differences of patterns and recipes?

2. Which paragraph refers to the common features these share?

C. “Why are Patterns Important?”

1. Choose one sentence from this part to answer the question “Why are Patterns
important.”

2. True or False? Experts in a certain area of programming will not benefit at all from a
patterns book.
Write the sentence to justify your answer.

3. True or False? Patterns will solve all solutions.

Write the sentence to justify your answer.

D. Referents: What do these refer to?

A. 1. it
A. 1. it
A. 2. there
A. 4. it
A. 5. this
A. 5. they
A. 6. they
A. 6. their
A. 6. they
A. 7. their
A. 7. this
B. 1 Both
B. 2. the two
B. 2. they
B. 3. this

46
B. 4. two styles
B. 4. them

C. 1. them
C. 3. them
C. 3. they
C. 3. those

E. Synonyms
A. 1. quite
A. 1. mainly
A. 1. great
A. 1. therefore
A. 1. specific
A. 2. offers
A. 2. proper
A. 3. therefore
A. 3. when / as soon as
A. 5. result in
A. 5. but
A. 5. took out
A. 5. whole
A. 6. divided
A. 6. such as
A. 7. even though
A. 7. method
A. 7. but

B. 1. focus on
B. 2. linked
B. 3. due to
B. 4. though
B. 4. instead of

C. 1. in spite of
C. 2. because
C. 2. specialists
C. 3. general
C. 3. means

47
Lesson 10 – English for Civil Engineering

Construction in Portugal
Historical matrixes
Prevailing economic difficulties have left an indelible / _____________ mark that
characterize Portuguese architecture throughout History, albeit /______________ with some
historical exceptions (the influx of wealth from the various overseas colonies). The most
remarkable traits of this “plain architecture” were summed up by Kupler (1) as “formal
austerity”, “richness of interior proportions” and “coldly rational exteriors” all dictated by
“clarity, order, proportion and simplicity”. These characteristics, determined mainly
/____________ by economic hardship, were based on building with massive load bearing
solid walls and a reduced palette of finishes determined by locally available materials (light-
colored renders in the south, stone in the north).
The rational character of Portuguese architecture was further increased in the aftermath of the
1755 earthquake which razed Lisbon to the ground, since /__________ the town’s rebuilding
scheme became the first occasion on which building component standardization and pre-
fabrication was used on a very large scale.
The plain character of Portuguese architecture endured mainly until mid XX century, as a
consequence /_____________ of both political conditions (a dictatorship), and economic
hardships. In the aftermath of the Democratic Revolution of 1974, references have greatly
changed, with an opening to outside influences as expressed as the more cosmopolitan
architecture present in various urban centers. Nevertheless /____________, it can be argued
that there remains a longing for “heaviness” and “plainness” even in very recent modern
architecture.

Current construction habits

Building construction surged during the last two decades of the twentieth century following
an influx of European Community structural funding, applied to infra-structures (highways)
and public buildings (courthouses, universities, hospitals, etc.) Housing construction also
took off, leading /__________ to enormous changes on the national urban landscape. New
construction dominates the investment in the sector, with only 5% of all funds going to
refurbishment /____________ and maintenance (well below western European average).
Design-wise, initial costs prevail with little or no attention given to maintenance or
adaptability.
Reinforced concrete structures are dominant due to /_______________ an abundance of
associated mineral resources (limestone, gravel and sand), with steel structures slowly
becoming more commonplace. Enclosure and separation walls are usually made of ceramic
brick infill, finished with painted mortar renders, although / _____________ more
sophisticated panel or curtain-wall solutions are common outside residential programs.
Roofing is mainly of ceramic roofing tiles, but flat-roofing solutions (asphalt membrane or
zinc) are also very common. Infrastructures (namely water-piping electricity) are usually
embedded/________ into the brickwork with little access. Aluminum framing and
commercial interior door systems are widely available, but a very high degree of
customization is still possible through “handicraft” work, especially in woodwork and
stonework. This framework allows for relatively singular aspects of formal and material
expression that still distinguish Portuguese architecture.

Sustainability in the construction industry

The relatively poor character of Portuguese architecture throughout History led to the use of
locally available resources and the development of techniques which can be considered
sustainable (socially, economically and environmentally) in the sense that they responded to
physical and functional needs within economic possibilities and without compromising local
resources.
Currently, sustainability in the construction industry is being sought mainly in the energy
efficiency field for several reasons. Portugal is subject to a demanding climate with hot

48
summers (40 º C temperatures are not uncommon) and cold humid winters. Buildings (mainly
XX century stock) show a currently deficient performance in insulation issues/________,
leading to accelerated pathologies and energy waste on acclimatization. This has expressive
economic consequences since /___________ the country has scarce traditional energy
resources, being dependent on oil importation. There are, however, various renewable energy
sources available (solar, wind and tidal), which are already being pursued as European
Community and Kyoto Protocol objectives/________.
The other main trends for sustainability in construction – use of friendly materials and
management of construction and demolition waste (CDW) – are not yet priorities, although
some of the more traditional natural resources (certain types of stone and wood) are becoming
increasingly difficult to obtain. On the other hand, CDW is increasing at an alarming rate,
equaling domestic waste in volume but lacking appropriate legal and logistical structures for
disposal and reuse. The result is that illegal CDW dumping is a commonplace practice with
terrible ecological and landscape consequences.
Although/_________ the need for sustainability is widely agreed upon, the main obstacle to
further sustainability in construction lie in the socio-economic context of the Portuguese
construction industry. Tenders are resolved on a lowest price basis, which leads to generalized
price dumping with consequent low level of construction quality. Subcontracting is
commonplace, leaving the biggest construction companies as “tender managers”, with
uncertain control over subcontractor’s capacities and performance. Generally, the workplace
qualifications are low, with a great proportion of unskilled workers (both national and
foreign). This is compensated by sticking to known and trusted current (unsustainable)
construction techniques. Innovation comes mainly from the design professionals, but at a
slow pace for several reasons. There are no intermediate professionals depending on the
designer’s interests during construction, which almost always turns the construction process
into a “grinding” relationship between designers and builders (owners). In the context of
intense competition, project fees are also subject to generalized dumping, especially in
officially promoted works (disregarding the official fee calculation law). Pro-adaptability
design strategies such as/__________“layering” and “scenario buffering” are practically
unknown and unapplied, especially since/__________ there are no Life Cycle Analysis or
Whole Life Cost tools tuned to Portuguese specificities. All these aspects leave few
opportunities to implement new or different design methodologies and construction
techniques, since designers may not have the financial and technological edge to make such
an investment, nor the ability to guarantee/___________ a correct implementation.

The need for Adaptability

Although efforts for promoting sustainability in all sectors and aspects of the construction
industry are underway, the promotion of adaptability in design is not yet a priority for change.
Portugal has a long history of building reuse, especially after the extinction of the religious
orders in the early XIX Century, which left a vast amount of empty large buildings (mostly
monasteries) which were adapted to very different uses (universities, hospitals, government
ministries, even the National Assembly). Architects have tackled the need for adaptability on
an ad-hoc basis, doing their best resorting only to their resourcefulness. However, most of the
efforts in this field go unnoticed and unregistered, which in effect leads to a loss of
knowledge. Therefore, there is a real need for a systematic collection of examples and
methodologies, diffusing knowledge and practices amongst architecture professionals and
students alike.

(1) Kubler, G., 1972, Portuguese Plain Architecture 1521-1706, Portuguese edition, Vega
Editors, 1980

Source: Santo, A., Brito, J., Evangelista, L., (2005), Adaptable Buildings: A Portuguese Case
Study, The 2005 World Sustainable Building Conference, Tokyo, 27-29 September 2005
(SB05Tokyo) (Abridged and adapted)

49
1. The reading has 5 paragraphs. Match one of the sub-titles below to the paragraph.
a. Recent building construction practices

b. Main materials used in modern construction

c. The historical background of building construction in Portugal

d. Simplified architecture in Portugal began to adopt international expression

e. An opportunity for standardizing building

2. Equivalent meaning words: Replace the underlined word for an equivalent meaning
word from the box.
after; although; as; as a result of; because; because of; deep-rooted; desire; due to; even
though; founded; however; inserted; lasted; mostly, notwithstanding; permanent; primarily;
related; restoration; resulting in; since; still; though; yearning; yet
1. Prevailing economic difficulties have left an indelible / _____________ mark that
characterize Portuguese architecture throughout History, albeit with some historical
exceptions.

2. These characteristics, determined mainly /____________ by economic hardship, were

based /__________ on building with massive load bearing solid walls and a reduced palette
of finishes determined by locally available materials.

3. The rational character of Portuguese architecture was further increased in the aftermath of
the 1755 earthquake which razed Lisbon to the ground, since /__________ the town’s
rebuilding scheme became the first occasion on which building component standardization
and pre-fabrication was used on a very large scale.

4. The plain character of Portuguese architecture endured /____________ mainly until mid
XX century, as a consequence of /_____________ both political conditions and economic
hardships.

5. Nevertheless /____________, it can be argued that there remains a longing

/____________ for “heaviness” and “plainness” even in very recent modern architecture.

6. Building construction surged during the last two decades of the twentieth century
following /______________ an influx of European Community structural funding, applied
to infra-structures and public buildings.

7. Housing construction also took off, leading to /__________ enormous changes on the
national urban landscape.

8. New construction dominates the investment in the sector, with only 5% of all funds going
to refurbishment /____________ and maintenance.

9. Reinforced concrete structures are dominant due to /_______________ an abundance of

associated /______________ mineral resources.

10. Enclosure and separation walls are usually made of ceramic brick infill, finished with
painted mortar renders, although / _____________ more sophisticated panel or curtain-wall
solutions are common outside residential programs.

11. Infrastructures (namely water-piping electricity) are usually embedded/________ into

the brickwork with little access.

50
3. Pronunciation

matrixes matrix construction structure architecture

throughout exceptions wealth exterior characteristics
building component access handicraft standardization
residential process customization distinguish pre-fabrication
development sustainable infrastructure importation demolition
reuse basis subcontracting maintenance processes

/d/ /id/ /t/

determined dictated based
summed associated reduced
used sophisticated expressed
endured painted finished
changed embedded increased
applied responded reinforced

4. Questions for discussion

1. The following questions are partially incorrect. Explain why.

a. The historical background of building construction in Portugal can be portrayed

as lavish, plain, formal, simple and light. (paragraph 1)

b. Most funding of present-day construction is dedicated to maintenance and

conservation. (paragraph 4)

2. These questions are about paragraph 5.

a. Why is reinforced concrete the most used composite material?

b. What types of enclosure walls are mentioned in the text?

c. What types of roofs are mentioned?

d. The text says the aluminum framing is available, but what is used instead? How
does this method contribute to Portuguese architecture?

51
Pronunciation of -ed endings

Pronunciation of regular verbs in the Simple Past and Past Participle forms.
1. Listen to the verbs and mark the sound you hear at the end of each word.
stayed rented watched enjoyed invited toured visited talked attended
/d/
/t/
/Id/

2. Now practice the past and past participle forms of common verbs in academic English.
/t/ / d/ / Id/
processed presented analyzed
based included determined
introduced estimated classified
accomplished illustrated used
reduced calculated measured
developed detected identified

3. Practice the same verbs but in sentences.

a. The data from sensors are processed.
b. This work is based on certain variables.
c. Standards were introduced.
d. Technological innovations are accomplished.
e. Expenses were reduced.
f. The data is calculated.
g. Studies were presented.
h. The analysis included two studies.
i. Parameters were estimated
j. The matrixes are illustrated in the table.
k. The defects were detected.
l. The processes are analyzed.
m. Probabilities were determined.
n. They are classified into two groups.
o. These models were used.
p. The intervals can be measured.
r. Observable variables are identified.

52
Lesson 11

Language Focus: Ways of expressing reason, result, contrast and addition.

1. Ways to describe reason, result, contrast and addition.

1. To describe reason, we can use because / since / as.

A heating system was installed in the building because / since / as it is a very cold place.

2. To describe result, we can use so / therefore. There is a difference in punctuation.

It is a very cold place, so a heating system was installed in the building.
It is a very cold place. Therefore, a heating system was installed in the building.
Note: you can also replace the words so and therefore for as a result and thus although these
have different degrees of intensity.

3. To describe contrasts, we can use but / however. There is a difference in punctuation.

The car is nice, but it is too small.
The car is nice. However, it is too small.
Note: you can also replace the words but and however for on the other hand and nevertheless
although these have different degrees of intensity.

4. To add information, we can use in addition / also / furthermore / besides

Living the country is very pleasant because it is quieter than the confusion of the city. In addition,
/ Also, / Furthermore, / Besides, it has beautiful landscapes.

2. Practical Exercise: Put the pairs of sentences into one sentence by joining them with a
linking expression from one of the groups above.

1) Materials Engineering
1. Thermoplastics remain soft when heated over again.
Thermosetting plastics become and remain hard if heated again.

2. Brass has very good acoustic properties.

It is used for making musical instruments.

3. Storage tanks for transporting orange juice are best made of stainless steel.
Stainless steel has good antibacterial properties.

4. Nylon is used for bearings.

It is self-lubricating.

5. Aluminum is light, soft and ductile.

It is highly conductive.

6. Copper is highly conductive.

It is used for electric wiring.

2) Structural Engineering
1. Steel rods are used in concrete beams.
They increase the resistance on the tensile side.

53
 2. In civil engineering structures are designed to resist any applied load without losing their
strength capacities and appreciable deformation.
The structure design engineer needs to make sure that the structures are strong,
durable, stable and safe.

3. Two types of structures include frame and mass. The former resists the applied loads
by means of its geometry.
The latter resists the applied loads as a result of its weight.

4. Steel rods are used in concrete beams.

They increase the resistance on the tensile side.

5. It has been found that smooth rods are not the best ones to use for concrete beams.
There is a tendency for them to slip in the concrete.

3) Electrical Engineering
1. Electric energy is transmitted with high-voltage lines over long distances such as in the
countryside.
The line losses are much smaller than with low-voltage lines.

2. Storms cause short circuits in electrical lines.

Power outages occur.

3. Hospitals normally have backup power sources, such as standby generators.

Power failures can be very dangerous for hospitals.

4) Automobile Engineering
1. The method of disc braking systems produces heat.
Brakes need to be made from a heat-resistant material.
2. Friction is important for brakes.
Friction is unwanted in an engine.

5) Mechanisms
1. Gears are an important part in machines.
They are used to reduce or increase the speed of a motion and change the
direction of motion.

2. One type of gear is called the helical gear.

These have teeth in the form of a helix.

3. Racing bicycles should have disc wheels.

This reduces the wind resistance.

6) Thermodynamics
1. In the refrigeration process the gas in the compressor is compressed.
The gas heats up.

54
B. Linking Expressions

1. Common Confusions with some linking expressions

1. Don’t confuse but / however / on the other hand with although.
Compare:
The care is nice, but it is too small.
Although / Even though / Though the car is nice, it is too small.
Practice: Use the linking word although / even though / though in the sentence.
I like the city very much, but it is very cold.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
2. Although / Even though / Though all mean basically the same as In spite of / Despite. There is
a difference in sentence structure.
Compare:
Although (Even though / Though) it is cold and windy, they wanted to play outside.
In spite of / Despite the cold and wind, they wanted to play outside.
Practice: Use the linking word although / though / even though in the sentence. In spite of the
difficulty of the project, I got a good evaluation.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
3. Because and Because of / Due to have basically the same meaning. There is a difference in
sentence structure.
Compare:
Because it was cold, a heating system was installed.
Because of / Due to the cold, a heating system was installed.
Practice: Use the linking word because (since / as) in the sentence.
Due to the expanding gases in the internal combustion engine, the piston is forced down.
_____________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________

Linkers to express addition – The following are ways of linking two positive or negative
points about something.
• Not only does ISEC have undergraduate degrees, but they also confer master degrees.
• As well as conferring undergraduate degrees, ISEC also has master degrees.
• In addition to conferring undergraduate degrees, ISEC also has master degrees.
• ISEC has undergraduate and master degrees.
• ISEC has undergraduate degrees. Moreover/Furthermore, it confers master degrees.
• ISEC has undergraduate degrees. What’s more, it confers master degrees.

55
Apply these linkers to the following sentences.
1) My son is very nice-looking. He is also very intelligent.
2) The government gave us a raise. They also gave us back our Christmas and vacation benefits.
3) The charity event was a success. The people provided other ideas for next year’s event.
4) College professors need to prepare lessons founded on state-of-the art teaching methods.
They need to do academic research.
5) The weather in Portugal is fantastic. The beaches are absolutely beautiful.

Word Formation
Adjective Noun Verb
Resistant Resistance To resist
Elastic Elasticity To elasticize
Plastic Plasticity To plasticize
Rigid Rigidity --------------------------------
Brittle Brittleness --------------------------------
Tough Toughness To toughen
Soft Softness To soften
Hard Hardness To harden
Loose Looseness To loosen
Tight Tightness To tighten
Rough Roughness To roughen
Sharp Sharpness To sharpen
Light Lightness To lighten
Weak Weakness To weaken
Long Length To lengthen
Strong Strength To strengthen
Deep Depth To deepen
Wide Width To widen
High Height To heighten
Heavy / Light Weight To weigh

1. Choose the correct alternative for the space.

1. How ___________________(high, height, heighten) is the building?
2. We need to _________________(tight, tightness, tighten) the screws.
3. There are machines to _______________(hard, hardness, harden) material.
4. What is the ______________(long, length, lengthen) of the rope?
5. How much does the box ______________(weigh, weight, heavy).
1. Qual é a altura do prédio?
2. Qual é a largura e comprimento da mesa?
3. Qual é a profundidade do rio?
4. Qual é o peso da caixa?
5. Tenacidade

56
6. Dureza
7. Folga
8. Rugosidade
9. Leveza
10. Fraquesa
11. É necessário alargar a Estrada.
12. É necessário apertar os parafusos.
13. É necessário desapertar as porcas.
14. Quanto é que pesa?
15. É necessário aprofundar o furo.
16. É necessário alongar a corda.
17. Há máquinas para endurecer metal.

2. Now, put the words in brackets into the correct form.

1. Heating and quenching __________________ (tough) carbon steels.
2. Oil can __________________(loose) tight bolts.
3. Carbon fibre frames ____________________ (light) and
__________________(strong) racing bicycles.
4. Tensile forces will ______________________ (long) a beam.
5. Corrosion _______________________ (weak) structures.
6. Mild steel has high _____________________ (strong) and __________________
(tough).
7. Thermoplastics ____________________ (soft) when heated again and again, but
thermosetting plastics _____________________ (hard) if heated again.
8. A torque wrench is used to _____________________ (tight) cylinder head bolts.

For the test, you should know

• The different ways to describe reason, result, contrast and addition and
• Word formation with semi-technical vocabulary

57
Lesson 12

OVERLAPPING LANGUAGE AND ENGINEERING
General, Semi-technical and Technical Language

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Mitrh3wgT68/Ssd6ZHyBLiI/AAAAAAAAAMs/FuP9jLsRmx0/s400/overlap.jpg

58
Language Focus: Different Technical Literature in the Areas of Electromechanical
and Mechanical Engineering and Language Summary: Revision Lesson
(1)Testing Machines
Two essential parts of a testing machine are (1) a means for applying load to a specimen and (2)
a means for measuring the applied load. Depending on the design of the machine, these two parts
may entirely be separate or they may be superimposed one on the other. In addition to these basic
features, there are a variety of accessory parts or mechanisms, such as devices for gripping or
supporting the test piece, the power unit, controllers, recorders, speed indicators, and recoil or
shock absorbers. ... Some machines are designed for one kind of test only, such as tension
machines made for testing chain and wire and compression machines for testing concrete
specimens. If a machine is designed to test specimens in tension and compression, it is called a
universal testing machine, or sometimes UTM for short. By means of appropriate attachments,
universal testing machines can be used to perform flexure, shear, hardness, and other tests. There
are also special machines for torsion, hardness, impact, fatigue, cold-bending, and other tests. In
some of these special machines, load is not measured.
Sometimes it is advantageous to have the specimen horizontal, as when testing chain or long
specimens of wire rope. On the other hand, vertical machines are preferable when testing
columns to prevent the column from bending due to its own weight, which would occur if it
were in a horizontal position,
Source: The Testing of Engineering Materials, by Davis, Troxell and Hauck. (Abridged and Adapted.)
(2) The Drilling Process
In the machining world, drilling depths above 10 X D are regarded as deep hole drilling
operations, whereas smaller drill depths can naturally also be produced with gun drills.
Advantage is taken of the positive side effects, as for example good surface quality, low deviation
from concentricity and optimized alignment accuracy. ... In recent years, internal cooling has
established itself for all drilling tools. Coolants are now living up to their name and being supplied
via coolant ducts to where they are urgently required. Considerable improvements in tool life
and less breakages have been achieved by this measure for twist drills, taps, etc. Every
conventional machine tool currently on the market can be supplied with high pressure internal
cooling and is therefore also suitable for deep hole drilling.
Source: “Deep Hole Drilling Tool-Program” in Guhring Catalogue (Abridged and Adpated).
(3) Properties and State
In the macroscopic analysis of a substance any characteristic of the substance which can be
observed or measured is called a property of the substance. Examples of properties are pressure,
volume and temperature. This type of property which is dependent upon the physical and chemical
structure of the substance is called an internal or thermostatic property. ... If a value can be
assigned to a property then it is said to be a point function because its value can be plotted on a
graph. Properties which are independent of mass, such as temperature and pressure, are said to be
intensive properties. Properties which are dependent upon mass, such as volume and energy in its
various forms, are called extensive properties. ... Since, at a particular state, a substance will have
certain properties which are functions of that state, then there will be certain relationships which
exist between them.
Source: Rayner Joel, Engineering Thermodynamics (Abridged and Adapted)
(4) Roller chain drives
A simulation program for a roller chain drive is made in order to study the chain vibrations. The
different components of the roller chain drive are sprockets, rollers and links, which respectively
are modelled as rigid bodies, mass particles and finally the links as springs and dampers. ... In the
constraint method kinematic constrains are used to model the contact between the rollers and the
sprockets, whereas in the continuous force method the contact dealed with by applying force on
the rollers due to a pseudo indentation into the sprockets. ... The results from the two methods are
compared and discussed. The results show that there are some similarities between the two
methods. These similarities are in the motion of the rollers and oscillations around the middle of
a coupling segment. However, the forces between the engaged parts of the chain and the sprockets
has shown to be different, because of the difference in the modelling of the contact in the two
methods.

59
(5) Brake devices
Before discs came into use, drum brakes enjoyed tremendous development. However, the
degradation of braking performance at high temperature remains an insoluble problem of this
brake. The shoes and linings are difficult to cool, heat distorts the drums, and the resulting local
high pressures and temperatures can cause temporary loss of friction in the linings, producing a
form of failure known as fade. In the 1950s, the disc brake was adopted.
Source: L.J.K. Setright, Anatomy of the Motor Car) Abridged and Adapted.
In the disc brake, the disc is fixed to the wheel hub and bearing assembly so that it can rotate
freely. The calliper fits over the disc and is mounted to the suspension system. Fixed within the
calliper is the hydraulic cylinder and brake pads, which only come in contact with the disc when
the brake pedal is pressed. They work by using friction and hydraulic power. The brake pads are
held in a clamping device called a calliper. The calliper system ensures that one brake pad is
pushed against the inner surface of the disc while, the other pad is pulled against the outer surface.
Source: Glendinning, Eric H. And Norman Glendinning, Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering,
OUP.(Abridged and Adapted.)
(6) Corrosion of materials (a table)
Nature and appearance of corrosion products (Aircraft Engineering)

Alloys Type of attack to which alloy is Appearance of

corrosion
susceptible products

Corrosion resistant Intergranular corrosion (due to Corrosion evidenced by

Steel improper heat treatment). Some rough surface; sometimes
(CRES) tendency to pitting in marine by red, brown or black
(300-400 series) environment. Stress corrosion stain.
cracking.
In general, corrosion becomes worse when impurities are present in damp conditions. It never
starts inside a material, and there will always be surface evidence that indicates corrosion exists,
although close examination may be needed.
Source: ‘Data briefs: Corrosion of Materials’, Design Engineering (Abridged and Adapted.)

(7) Electrical Engineering systems in a modern automobile

Figure 1-2 presents a view of electrical engineering systems in a modern automobile. Even in
older vehicles, the electrical system – in effect, an electric circuit – plays a very important part
in the overall operation. An inductor coil generates a sufficiently high voltage to allow a spark
to form across the spark plug gap*, and to ignite the air and fuel mixture; the coil is supplied by
a DC voltage provided by a lead-acid battery. In addition to providing the energy for the
ignition circuits, the battery also supplies power to many other electrical components, the most
obvious of which are the lights, the windshield wipers, and the radio. Electric power is carried
from the battery to all of these components by means of a wire harness, which constitutes a
rather elaborate electrical circuit. In recent years, the conventional electrical ignition system
has been supplanted by electronic ignition; that is, solid-state electronic devices called
transistors have replaced the traditional breaker points. The advantage of transistorized ignition
systems over the conventional mechanical ones is their greater reliability, ease of control, and
life span (mechanical breaker points are subject to wear).
Source: Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering by Giorgio Rizzoni
* Spark plug gap: Spark plugs usually have a spark gap, which can be adjusted when installing
the spark plug, by bending the ground electrode slightly to bring it closer to or further from the
central electrode.

60
Exercise 1: Grammar Links
What do the underlined words refer to in readings (1), (3) (6) and (7)?
Reading (1)
16. they
17. one
18. other
19. it
20. its
21. it
Reading (3)
1. it
2. its
3. its
Reading (6)
1. it
Reading (7)
1. ones
Exercise 2: Synonyms or Similar words: Provide a word from the box with the same
meaning as the word in bold print in readings (1), (2), (3) (4) and (7).
also, although, and, as, as a result, avoid, because, because of, besides, but, consequently, despite,
due to, even though, furthermore, however, in addition, in addition to, in spite of, like, moreover,
movement, necessary, owing to, present, quite, since, so, so as to, so that, supply, that, though,
thus, to, type, way, whereas, while
Reading (1)
16. means
17. in addition
18. such as
19. kind
20. as
21. on the other hand
22. prevent
23. due to
24. which
Reading (2)
1. whereas
2. required
3. therefore
Reading (3)
1. because
2. since
Reading (4)
1. in order to
2. however
3. because of
4. motion
Reading (6)
1. due to
2. although
Reading (7)
1. presents
2. in addition to
3. carried
4. rather

61
Exercise 3: Portuguese to English
Find the words in the texts.
Reading (1)
1. carga
2. medir
3. características
4. aparelhos
5. velocidade
6. amortecedores
7. tensão
8. dureza
Reading (2)
1. profundidade
2. refrigerantes
3. ferramenta
4. indicado
5. torneira
Reading (4)
1. corrente
2. carreto
3. elo
4. mola
5. amortecedor
6. engrenar
Reading (5)
1. calços
2. revestimento
3. tambor
4. cubo da roda
5. montagem
6. pastilhas
7. atrito
Reading (6)
1. aço
2. tensão
3. fissura
4. rugoso
5. humidade
Reading (7)
1. bobina
2. faísca
3. inflamar
4. corrente contínua
5. chumbo
6. limpador de para-brisa
7. uma montagem de fios
8. estado sólido
9. dispositivo
10. alavanca mecânica

62
Lesson 13

Test 2 – worth 35%

A minimum score of 7 out of 20 is required.
The test covers Lesson 7 until Lesson 12.

Lesson 14

Results

63
Language Focus: Synonyms/Equivalent Meaning Words
Choose a word from the box that has an equivalent meaning as the underlined word in the
sentences and write it in the space provided. The words are not conjugated and are in neutral
form; therefore you may have to make the necessary changes to the word. There may be more
than one possibility.
aim; allow; also; although; and; as; as a result of; because; because of; besides; but; (is / are)
carry out; concerned with; do; due to; even though; goal; happen; however; illustrate; in spite
of; leads to; lift; like; main; motion; objective; owing to; perform; prevent; provide; purpose;
raise; show; since; so; so as to; suitable; that; therefore; though; through; thus; to; too; way;
which; whereas; with.
Example: Wheels have rotary movement / _________. The words “movement” and “motion”
mean pretty much the same thing in the context and so “motion” can substitute “movement”
here. The answer is: Wheels have rotary movement / __motion___.

1. In addition to / _______________ these basic features, there are a variety of accessory

parts or mechanisms, such as / _______________ devices for gripping or supporting the test
piece.
2. The power may be supplied / ________________ by hand or by some prime mover.
3. Sometimes it is advantageous to have the specimen horizontal, as / _______________
when testing chain or long specimens of wire rope. On the other hand / _______________,
vertical machines are preferable when testing columns to prevent the column from bending
due to / _______________ its own weight, which would occur / _______________ if it were in
a horizontal position.
4. Most machines provide only axial loading, while / __________ some are capable of
torsional loading as well / __________.
5. Two principle / _________ types of power-driven universal machines are now in common
use.
6. This chapter deals with / __________universal testing machines.
7. Since / __________ equilibrium is maintained at all times, this is a quasi-equilibrium
process.
8. The purpose / __________ of the mechanism in Figure 1.1 is to lift / __________ the
platform and any objects that are placed upon it.
9. Elastic parts, such as springs, are not rigid and, therefore / __________ are not considered
links.
10. Process diagrams that / __________ are plotted by employing thermodynamic properties
as coordinates are very useful in visualizing the processes.
11. Machines are devices used to accomplish /__________ work, such as a chain saw.
12. As a result of / __________ combustion, the cylinder head, piston and cylinder block will
become very hot.
13. Although / __________ the entire device could be called a machine, the parts that take the
power from the cylinders and drive the raising / __________ and lowering of the platform are
mechanisms.
14. A simulation program for a roller chain drive is made in order to / __________study the
chain vibrations.
15. Figure 1-2 presents / __________a view of electrical engineering systems in a modern
automobile.

64
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Awolu and Layokun International Journal of Energy and Environmental Engineering 2013, 4:39
http://www.journal-ijeee.com/content/4/1/39

‘Data briefs: Corrosion of Materials,’ Design Engineering.

Davis, H., Troxell, G., and Hauck, G. The Testing of Engineering Materials. McGraw-Hill College.
1982.

Fowler, Martin. (2006). Writing Software Patterns.

https://www.martinfowler.com/articles/writingPatterns.html

Glendinning, Eric H. (1997). English in Electrical Engineering and Electronics. Oxford UP.

Glendinning, Eric H. and Norman Glendinning. Oxford English for Electrical and
Mechanical Engineering. Oxford UP, 1997.

Guhring, Inc., “Deep Hole Drilling Tool-Program” in Guhring Catalogue. N.D.

Joel, Rayner. Basic Engineering Thermodynamics. TBS; Fifth Edition edition, 1997.

Kubler, G. Portuguese Plain Architecture 1521-1706. Portuguese edition. Vega Editors. 1980.

Myszka, David H. Machines and Mechanisms: Applied Kinematic Analysis. India: Prentice Hall,
2005.

Rizzoni, Giorgio. Principles and Applications of Electrical Engineering. McGraw-Hill Education.

2005.

Santo, A., Brito, J., Evangelista, L. “Adaptable Buildings: A Portuguese Case Study.” The 2005
World Sustainable Building Conference. Tokyo, 27-29 September, 2005. (SB05Tokyo)

Setright, L.J.K. Ian Ward (Editor). Anatomy of the Motor Car. Imprint unknown. 1976.

Yunus, A. Cengel and Michael A. Boles. Thermodynamics: An Engineering Approach. McGraw-

Hill Education. 2014.

Bibliography of Images
Jones, Larry, Sciencebyjones.com, Daniel High school, Clemson, South Carolina.

4-stroke engine. http://www.rkm.com.au/ANIMATIONS/animation-graphics/4-stroke-

model.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Mitrh3wgT68/Ssd6ZHyBLiI/AAAAAAAAAMs/FuP9jLsRmx0/s400/ov
erlap.jpg

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