UNIT 1

ENGINEERING – WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

Reading

 Before You Read

1. Discuss the pictures in small groups.

Study these illustrations. They show some of the areas in which engineers work. Can
you identify them? What kinds of engineers are concerned with these areas –
electrical, mechanical, or both?

a
b

c d

e
2. Match each text to one of the illustration above.

1. Transport: Cars, trains, ships, and planes are all products of mechanical
engineering. Mechanical engineerings are also involved in support services such
as roads, rail track, harbors, and bridges. (…............)
2. Food processing: mechanical engineers design, develop, and make the machine
and the processing equipment for harvesting, preparing, and preserving the
foods and drinks that fill the supermarkets. (…............)
3. Medical engineering: body scanners, X-ray mechines, life-supports systems, and
other high tech equipments result from mechanical and electrical engineers
combining with medical experts to convert ideas into life-preserving products.
(…........)
4. Building services: Electrical engineers provide all the services we need in our
homes and places of work, including lighting, heating, ventilation, air-
conditioning, refrigeration, and lifts. (…...........)
5. Energy and power: Electrical engineers are concerned with the production and
distribution of electricity to homes, offices, industry, hospitals, colleges and
schools, and the installation and the maintenance of the equipment involved in
the processes. (….........)
Taken from: Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering p.13

3. Vocabulary Preview
Learn the meaning of these vocabulary items from the reading.
Nouns Verbs Adverbs Adjectives Phrases
engineering deal largely practical are concerned with
activity concern partly electrical deal with
idea include medical belong partly
action belong mechanical
engineer
bridge
road
airport
design
test
manufacture
tool
generation
distribution
electricity
application
components
 Read

4. Read the following material quickly.

What is engineering?
Engineering is largely a practical activity. It is
about putting ideas into action. Civil engineers are
concerned with making bridges, roads, airports, etc.
Mechanical engineers deal with the design, test,
manufacture, and operating tools and machinery of all
types. Electrical engineering is about the generation and
distribution of electricity and its many applications. Electronic engineering is
concerned with developing components for communication, computing, and so on.
Mechanical engineering includes marines, automobile, aeronautical, heating
and ventilating, and others. Electrical engineering includes generating electricity,
electrical installation, lighting, etc. Mining engineering and medical engineering
belong partly to mechanical and partly to electrical.

Taken from: Oxford English for Electrical and Mechanical Engineering p.11

 After You Read

5. Complete the blanks in this diagrams using information from the text.

6. Identifying Topic
a. What is a topic?
Topic is another word for subject. It answers the question, ―Who or what is the
paragraph (or article) about?‖ The topic is stated as a single word or phrase—not
a complete sentence.
b. Why is identifying the topic important?
Identifying the topic is the key to monitor your comprehension, getting the full
meaning of the text, and answering your instructor when she asks, ―So what is
this section about?‖ Once you identify the topic, you can more easily determine
the author’s main idea.
c. How do I get started?
Preview your text before you begin. Ask yourself, ―What is the article about?‖
The answer can often be found in the title. If the topic is not specifically stated in
the title, you will want more information before reading the entire article.
Preview further by reading subtitles and headings. Look at diagrams and/or visual
aids. Read the introductory material, opening paragraph, final paragraph. If the
text is only one paragraph long, read the first and last sentences. The point is to
quickly gain as much understanding as possible.

Finding the Topic

 Ask yourself, “Who or what is the paragraph (or article) about?”
 Use these clues to help you:
1. Look for a heading or title.
2. Look for pictures and words in special print, such as bold, italics, or
color
3. Read the first and last sentences of the paragraph.
4. Look for repeated words in a paragraph. It helps to use a pencil to circle
or box repeated words and ideas.
5. Look for something mentioned at the beginning of the paragraph and
then referred to throughout the paragraph by pronouns or by other words.
6. Look for ideas that are implied, or suggested, in addition to being
named.

Phrasing the Topic

 Write a single word or phrase. If more than one idea is repeated or referred
in a paragraph, the topic needs to be expressed in a phrase rather than a single
word.
 Strike a balance. Be general enough to include everything discussed but
specific enough to exclude what isn’t.
 Never write complete sentence.
7. Now try to indentify the topic of the above passage.

Find the topic What is engineering?

1. Look for a heading or title
 ―What is Engineering‖ is general Engineering
topic. is largely a practical
activity. It is about
2. Look for pictures and words in special putting ideas into
print, such as bold, italics, or color action. Civil
 There is a picture reflecting the engineers are
kinds of engineering concerned with
making bridges,
3. Read the first and last sentences of the roads, airports, etc. Mechanical
paragraph. engineers deal with the design, test,
__________________________ manufacture, and operating tools and
__________________________ machinery of all types. Electrical
__________________________ engineering is about the generation and
__________________________ distribution of electricity and its many
__________________________ applications. Electronic engineering is
concerned with developing
4. Look for repeated words in a components for communication,
paragraph. It helps to use a pencil to computing, and so on.
circle or box repeated words and Mechanical engineering
ideas. includes marines, automobile,
__________________________ aeronautical, heating and ventilating,
__________________________ and others. Electrical engineering
__________________________ includes generating electricity,
__________________________ electrical installation, lighting, etc.
__________________________ Mining engineering and medical
engineering belong partly to
5. Look for something mentioned at the mechanical and partly to electrical.
beginning of the paragraph and then
referred to throughout the paragraph Phrasing the Topic
by pronouns or by other words.  Write a single word or phrase.
__________________________  Strike a balance
__________________________
__________________________ General topic:
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________
6. Look for ideas that are implied, or
suggested, in addition to being named. Specific topic:
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________
__________________________
8. Language Use
What is the link between column A and column B?
A B
Mechanical machines
Electrical electricity
Column A lists a branch of engineering or a type of engineer. Column B lists things
they are concerned with. We can show the link between them in the number of ways:
1. Mechanical engineering deals with machines.
2. Mechanical engineers deal with machines.
3. Mechanical engineering is concerned with machines.
4. Mechanical engineers are concerned with machines.
5. Machines are the concern of mechanical engineers.

Match each item in column A with an appropriate item from column B and link
the two in a sentence.
A B

1. Marine a. air-conditioning
2. Aeronautical b. roads and bridges
3. Heating and ventilating c. body scanners
4. Electricity generating d. cables and switchgear
5. Automobile e. communications and equipment
6. Civil f. ships
7. Electronic g. planes
8. Electrical installation h. cars and trucks
9. Medical i. power stations

1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________________________