Engineering what's it all -
about?
Tuning-in
List the main branches of engineering. Combine your list with others in your
group. Then read this text to find out how many of the branches listed are
mentioned.
into
Engineering is largely a practical activity. It is about putting ideas
action. Civil engineering is concerned with making bridges, roads,
etc. Mechanical engineering deals with the design and
airports,
manufacture of tools and machines. Electrical engineering is about
the generation and distribution of electricity and its many
applications. Electronic engineering is concerned with developing
components and for communications, computing, and
equipment so
on.
Mechanical engineering includes marine, automobile, aeronautical,
includes
heating and ventilating, and others. Electrical engineering and
alectricity generating, electrical installation, lighting, etc. Mining
to mechanical and partly to
medical engineering belong partly
electrical.
Complete the blanks in this diagram using information from the text.
Engineerin9
Electrical
Civil
Automobile Aeronautical Electricity Electrical
installation
5
Medical
Reading ntroduction
In your study and work. it is important to think about what you are going to
read before you read. This helps you to link old and new knowledge and to
make guesses about the meaning of the text. It is also important to have a clear
purpose so that you choose the best way to read. In this book. you will find
tasks to make you think before you read and tasks to help you to have a clear
purpose when you read.
Study these illustrations. They show some of the areas in which engineers
work. Can you identily them? What kinds of engineers are concerned with
these areas- electrical. mechanical. or both?
Transport: Cars, trains, ships, and planes are all products of
mechanical engineering. Mechanical engineers are also involved in
support services such as roads, rail track, harbours, and bridges.
Food processing: Mechanical engineers design, develop, and make
the machines and the processing equipment for harvesting., preparing
and preserving the foods and drinks that fillthe supermarkets.
Medical engineering: Body scanners, X-ray machines, life-support
systems, and other high tech equipment result from mechanical and
electrical engineers combining with medical experts to convert ideas
into life-saving and life-preserving products.
Building services: Electrical engineers provide all the services we
need in our homes and places of work, including lighting, heating,
ventilation, air-conditioning, refrigeration, and lifts.
Energy and power: Electrical engineers are concernedwith the
production and distribution of electricityto homes, offices, industry
hospitals, colleges and schools, and the installation and maintenance
of the equipment involved in these processes.
Source: Adapted from Turningideas intoaction.,Institution ofMechanicalEngineers,
Career, Institution of Electronics and Electrical Incorporated
and Engineering a
Engineers.
Language study deals/is concerned with
What is the link between column A and column B?
B
mechanical machines
electrical electricity
Column A lists a branch of engineering or a type of engineer. Column B lists
things they are concerned with. We can show the link between them in a
number of ways:
1 Mechanical engineering deals with machines.
Mechanical engineers deal with machines.
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.
B
marine a air-conditioning
aeronautical b roads and bridges
heating and ventilating c body scanners
electricity generating d cables and switchgear
automobile e communications and equipment
civil fships
7 electronic 8 planes
electrical installation h cars and trucks
9 medical i power stations
Writing
Fill in the gaps in the
following of the
description branches
diferent
engineering using information from this diagram and language you have
of
studied in this unit.
Engineering
Civil Mechanical
Electrical Electronic
Marine Automobile Aeronautical Heating and
ventilating
Electricity
generating
Electron
installation
Lighting
Mining Medical
The main branches ofengineering are civil . and
electronic. Mechanicalengineering is machinery
of all kinds. This branch of engineering includes . automobile
and heating and ventilating. The first three are concerned with
transport cars and planes. The last with air
conditioning, refrigeration. etc.
Electrical engineering deals with from generation to use.
Electricity generating is concerned with stations. Electrical
installation deals cables. switchgear. and connecting up
electrical equipment.
Two branchesofengineering include both and
engineers. These are mining and engineering. The former deals
with mines and mining equipment. the latter with hospital of all
kinds.
