Problem-solving process

Read the text and fill in the gaps with the following words:

discipline Testing solutions knowledge evaluate find known

Engineers use their (1) _ knowledge _________ of science, mathematics, and appropriate experience to (2) ____find______ suitable solutions to a problem. Engineering is considered a branch of applied mathematics and science. Creating an appropriate mathematical model of a problem allows them to analyze it (sometimes definitively), and to test potential (3) _ solutions _________ .

Usually there may be several reasonable solutions, so engineers must (4) ___ evaluate _______the different design choices on their merits and choose the solution that best meets their requirements.

Engineers typically attempt to predict how well their designs will perform to their specifications prior to full-scale production. They use, among other things: prototypes, scale models, simulations, destructive tests, nondestructive tests, and stress tests. (5) ______ Testing ____ ensures that products will perform as expected.

Engineers as professionals take seriously their responsibility to produce designs that will perform as expected and will not cause unintended harm to the public at large. Engineers typically include a factor of safety in their designs to reduce the risk of unexpected failure. However, the greater the safety factor, the less efficient the design may be.

The study of failed products is (6) __ known ________ as forensic engineering, and can help the product designer in evaluating his or her design in the light of real conditions. This (7) ____ discipline ______ is of greatest value after disasters, such as bridge collapses, when careful analysis is needed to establish the cause or causes of the failure.

Now answer the following questions about the text:

8) What should an engineer do if there are many possible solutions for a problem?
9) How can possible solutions be evaluated?
10) Why is testing so important?
11) Does the high degree of safety always mean the efficiency of the design?

Part III

(… адрес интернет-странички с видеороликами…)

BEING AN ENGINEER

(01:02)

PRE-LISTENING

1. How can you characterize an engineer? What kind of person is an engineer?

2. Study the following words and phrases:

‘to disassemble’, ‘to take things apart’, ‘components’, ‘to run a test’,

‘vision’, ‘inaptitude’, ‘to lead a normal life’.

WHILE-LISTENING

Watch the whole video-track and answer the following questions:

3. What kind of video is this?

- a documentary;

- a comedy;

- a humoristic cartoon.

4. Why did they come to the doctor?

5. Was the result of a visit good? Why do you think so?

Watch the parts of the video and answer the following questions:

00:00 – 00:24

6. What did the child do yesterday?

7. How long did it take the child to do this?

00:25 – 00:41

8. What happened to the diagnostic machine?

9. Was the doctor satisfied with this?

00:42 – end

10. What was the doctor’s diagnosis?

Watch the whole video again:

11. Fill in the gaps in the following text:

- I’m worried about this little Dilbert. He’s not like other kids. - What do you mean? - (1) __________ I left him alone for a (2) __________ and he disassembled the (3) __________ , our clock and the stereo. - That is perfectly (4) __________ . Kids take things apart. - The part that worries me is that he used the components to build a home radio set. - Oh, dear … - Is that (5) __________ ? - Normally I’d run an EEG…mmm… but machine is not (6) __________ . ……… - It’s …… . - What is it? - I’m afraid your (7) _________ has the “mark”. - The “mark”? - The “mark” – it’s a rare condition characterized by an extremity vision about all things, mechanical and (8) __________ , and other social inaptitude. - Can he lead a normal (9) __________ ? - No. He’ll be an (10) __________ . :o)) :o)) :o))

POST-LISTENING

12. What is the general idea of the track?

13. What do you think about this?

WHAT IS ENGINEERING?

(02:37)

PRE-LISTENING

1. What do engineers do in their profession? Use verbs to answer. For example – design, invent, etc…

2. What spheres of life do engineers deal with? Make a list.

3. What can a career in Engineering provide a person with?

WHILE-LISTENING

Watch the parts of the video-track and answer the following questions:

00:00 – 01:50

4. Order the spheres of life that engineers deal with which appear in the track.

5. Compare it to your own list. What didn’t you mention? What wasn’t mentioned in the track?

01:51 – end

6. What can a career of an engineer provide for a person according to the track?

7. Do you agree that Engineering is our future? Why?

POST-LISTENING

8. Watch the video again and try to make your own comments (you should make sentences to perform a small text about the video).

WHAT IS ENGINEERING ?

(A REAL VIDEO LECTURE)

(10:08)

PRE-LISTENING

1. What is Engineering? Is Engineering for you? Why did you choose Engineering as a profession?

2. What may a lecturer speak about in the lecture “What is Engineering”?

WHILE-LISTENING

Listen to the video a part by part without watching and answer the following questions:

00:00 – 00:15

3. What is the main aim of the lecture?

00:16 – 00:53

4. What do engineers do every day?

5. What does Engineering technology improve?

6. What can we call engineers in other words?

00:54 – 03:15

7. What are the attributes of a real engineer? List 10 attributes.

03:25 – 04:22

8. What should an engineer be able to do? (7 items)

04:23 – 05:05

9. What does the word “design” mean? Fill in the gaps in the explanation with the words you hear:

Design is a __________ of going from __________ needs to a __________ that meets those __________ .

05:06 – 05:48

10. What product is it spoken about in this part?

05:50 – 06:37

11. What are important aspects of design? (2 aspects)

12. What are measures of product design? (3 measures)

06:38 – 07:54

13. What are the steps of a design process?

Now listen and watch to the parts above again and check your answers.

07:55 – 09:40

Watch the video and answer the question:

14. What is the idea of this part?

POST-LISTENING

Try to summarize this lecture and make a small text (15 – 18 sentences) to comment on the following:

- What is the main aim of the lecture?

- What do engineers do every day?

- What does Engineering technology improve?

- What can we call engineers in other words?

- What are the attributes of a real engineer?

- What should an engineer be able to do?

- What does the word “design” mean?

- What product is it spoken about in this part?

- What are important aspects of design?

- What are measures of product design?

- What are the steps of a design process?

TYPES OF ENGINEERING

Part I