Read the text to yourself and try to understand what it is about.

2. While reading the text find the sentences where the Present
Indefinite Active is used.

BUILDING

Building is one of the most ancient human skills. It is part of how we have survived and it is the clearest symbol of every civilization. Although some other animals build simple structures, e.g. birds, ants and bees,
humans have learned to build in a great many different ways, to suit
different needs and local conditions. We build mostly for shelter. Buildings can shelter people, or animals, or machinery, or anything. The simplest building is just a roof, to keep the space beneath dry, or shady. Adding walls gives more shelter, from the wind or rain. It also gives security.

By putting a window in a wall, with or without glass, we let light
inside the building. We leave a hole somewhere big enough to go in and out, with a door which can be opened and closed. Often the door will have a lock, so the building can be left secure. If a building is to last for a long time, it must have a foundation. This is like the root of a tree, which is sunk in the ground and supports the walls. If the ground is soft, the foundation must be very deep and strong.

If a building is high enough, it can have more than one floor. People can climb from one floor to the next by a staircase, or perhaps by a lift or elevator. This is known as going upstairs, or downstairs. Buildings can also have a floor under the ground. This is usually called a cellar or basement.

So we build shelters: places to live and to raise our young. We also build places to work and to make things, places to store things, places to sell things, places where sick people can go to be treated, places to put people who break our laws. We build to make life easier, or to make money.

But we also design some buildings for a very different reason. We build churches where a large number of people can gather to worship god or listen to what other people have to say. Until we began to build skyscrapers, churches were always the very largest, tallest buildings of all, except for castles. The biggest churches of all, cathedrals, are even bigger than most castles.

Big buildings have always symbolised power. They are built to
impress and to give a focus to our cities. They are designed to make us feel small and to make those who own them appear big. Banks and
governments like to build tall, impressive buildings for the same reason.

Buildings can be beautiful or ugly, exciting or boring. Architects
are people trained to design buildings. There have been many good
architects and also many bad ones, just as there have been good builders and bad. Architecture can be an art form. Look at the building where you are reading this. Look at the shapes and shadows. Is there enough light? Do some rooms make you feel like staying in them, while others make you want to hurry away? Do they have interesting features? Think about how you could have made the building better. Almost anybody can become an architect if they want to badly enough, but only a good architect or a good builder can make a beautiful building.

Read the text once more. Find the most informative sentences or parts of the sentences. Put them in order and reproduce the text.

Text 2

1. Read the text to yourself and answer the question: What are civil engineers responsible for?

CIVIL ENGINEERING

Civil engineering is the term for the work of designing and building infrastructure. It usually means large structures, like bridges, dams, buildings, and tunnels. It also covers complicated networks such as
water, irrigation and sewerage networks. It also covers the construction of houses and homes. Civil engineers can be involved in all stages in the life of infrastructure, from planning and construction to maintenance and demolition. Civil engineering often overlaps with architecture.

Civil engineering is made up of many different areas or disciplines. Some important areas are geotechnical, structures, environmental,
construction management, hydrology, transportation, and materials. It is important for civil engineers to have an understanding of all these
disciplines as projects often involve many of them at the same time.

Civil engineers are responsible for lots of the things that are required for a society to function properly. Safe water supplies, sewage treatment, roads, railways and buildings are all part of civil engineering.

To work in civil engineering requires training. Construction workers will train at a center and 'on the job' (training while doing the job). To be a professional in civil engineering requires study at a university or
college. Civil engineers often study subjects like structures, materials, physics and calculus.

The profession of civil engineering is represented by professional bodies in various countries. In the UK the Institution of Civil Engineers promotes civil engineering as a discipline and supports engineers throughout their careers. The American Society of Civil Engineers
performs a similar task in the USA.

2. Make sure you understand the following words and phrases:

1) to suit different needs;

2) to be made up of smth.;

3) to make money;

4) to overlap with smth.;

5) to train at a center and 'on the job'.

3. Read the text again and answer the questions given below:

1. What does civil engineering mean?

2. Does civil engineering often overlap with architecture?

3. What disciplines does civil engineering include?

4. What educational establishments train civil engineers?

Text 3