Inglés Técnico (29998)

ADDITIONAL BIBLIOGRAPHY
GRAMÁTICAS
MURPHY, R. 2004. English Grammar in Use (with answers and CD-ROM).
Cambridge University Press.
SWAN, M. 2005. Practical English Usage. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
 THOMSON, A.J. & MARTINET, A.V. 1987. A Practical English Grammar.
Oxford: Oxford University Press.
DICCIONARIOS
Inglés General
BENSON, M., BENSON, E. & ILSON, R. 1997. The BBI Dictionary of English
Word Combinations. Rev. Ed, Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Collins Universal. Español – Inglés, English – Spanish. London: Collins,
2005.
Oxford Learner’s Advanced Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2005.
Inglés Técnico
BEIGDEBER, F. 1996. Diccionario técnico Inglés - Español, Español-Inglés.
Madrid: Díaz de Santos, 1990.
BEIGDEBER, F. 1997. Nuevo Diccionario Politécnico de las Lenguas
Española e Inglesa. Inglés-español y español-inglés. Madrid: Ediciones Díaz
de Santos.

COMPUTER TOOLS FOR ENGINEERS (RECOMMENDED WEBSITES)

1. Technical English Webs

 Online Writing Lab (OWL) http://owl.english.purdue.edu

 Computer Writing and Research Lab http://www.io.com/~hcexres
 Using English for Academic Purposes
http://www.uefap.com/index.htm
2. Dictionaries
a. General Dictionaries
 http://www.wordreference.com
Wordreference. Apart from being a multilingual dictionary, it offers useful
language forums with a lot of examples of language usage.
 https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Merriam-Webster is a monolingual dictionary with a very interesting section,
a visual dictionary which allows one look a word up on a subject basis. It
also offers a Thesaurus option.
 https://www.linguee.com/
 Linguee is a bilingual dictionary that gathers together different translations
from official websites, including technical and professional texts.
 http://www.thesaurus.com
Thesaurus. To find synonyms, antonyms and definitions.
 http://www.ozdic.com
Ozdic. A collocations dictionary.
 http://www.onelook.com
Onelook. It gives you three options: find definitions, find translations, search
all dictionaries.
 http://www.yourdictionary.com
Yourdictionary, also very user-friendly. We can click to hear the words.
 http://www.foreignword.com
Foreignword. Very useful for translations.
 http://www.askoxford.com/?view=uk
The Oxford English Dictionary.
 http://www.wordsmith.org
Wordsmith. This word server offers the following services: dictionary by
mail, thesaurus by mail and acronyms by mail. In order to find a definition,
you have to send an email to this robot and in ‘subject’ you have to write the
word ‘define’, leave a space and then type the word you want, send the
message and in a few seconds you get the definition of that word.
Thesaurus (for finding synonyms) and acronyms by mail work exactly the
same.
b. Acronym Databases
 http://www.acronymfinder.com
The Acronym Finder has acronyms and abbreviations and their meanings.
c. Computer Dictionaries
 http://foldoc.org/
Free On-line Dictionary of Computing. A dictionary of computing. It
provides explanations and links to related words to expand your vocabulary.
 http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia
The Business Technology Network.
d. Dictionary of Units
 http://www.ex.ac.uk/cimt/dictunit/dictunit.htm
This site provides a summary of most of the units of measurement to be
found in use around the world today, together with the appropriate
conversion factors needed to change them into a 'standard' unit of the SI
(System International).

3. Electronic Translators
 http://iate.europa.eu
IATE: Interactive Terminology for Europe. Enter the word you want to
translate and choose the language. This is the best technical dictionary
online.
4. Interactive Websites for Listening and Practising Special Language
Skills
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/
It covers general and business English as well as grammar, vocabulary and
pronunciation exercises. It also offers an introduction to English for
Academic Purposes (EAP) available both in pdf and mp3 transcripts.
 http://www.eslpod.com/website/index_new.html ; http://englishpod.com
“English as a Second Language Podcast” offers the possibility of
practicing different professional situations and improving your English
oral skills with learning guides on different topics such as science,
medicine, leisure, etc. By downloading the Podcasts you can also follow
the transcript of the conversation easily with stressed syllables marked in
bold case.
 http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/
You can listen to a lot of radio programs related to science and technology.
 http://www.vaughanradio.com
You can listen to different topics of conversation in English for 24 hours a
day.

INTERESTING WEBSITES IN ENGLISH

1) ELLLO: www.elllo.org American English

Multimedia activities
Free mp3
Vocabulary, videos…

2) BBC: www.bbc.co.uk DOWNLOADS: text, audio, videos…

Very complete: Blogs for students, teachers, etc…

3) www.learnenglish.de schematic

4) www.englishbeginner.org redirected to: http://www.helloenglish.eu/

Like a blog. It contains various resources such as links to websites with
podcasts and mp3, listening comprehension extracts or videos and phonetics
exercises. A lot of information and links to other webs.

5) www.lamansiondelingles.com Free on-line courses, multimedia, all the

grammar, e-books, vocabulary by topics, listening comprehension, exercises…
explained in Spanish

6) http://elblogdelingles.blogspot.com/ Free course. 3 levels, up to upper

intermediate-advanced. All the grammar in pdf files. Links to videos in English
with grammar explanations and much more…

7) www.ebpai.com the English school corresponding to the previous blog. They

teach through Skype. You can listen to them. Link to free resources

8) www.blog.unir.es/ingles-b1 Universidad de La Rioja’s blog. Each entry

covers some vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. Links to videos and
exercises

9) www.aprenderinglesfacil.es blog with grammar in Spanish and exercises

10) www.ompersonal.com.ar tutorials on listening comprehension and reading

texts. Short stories and articles with listening, glossary and exercises

11) www.youtalk.es English school in Huesca. They have uploaded their

classes in audio files in the section: “you listen”

12) YOUTUBE English channels:

www.youtube.com/user/duncaninchina
http://www.youtube.com/user/vaughantv
http://www.youtube.com/user/podEnglish

13) www.engvid.com English lessons on video, in English without subtitles. 3

levels

14) www.siestamovies.com Movies in English with subtitles. You can watch

about 70 minutes a day

15) www.lingual.net learning English through media. Videos in English

 Revision of grammar and language usage

Correct the following sentences containing “Spanglish”

1 Solar and eolic energies are developing fastly because they are cheap.

2 This is a risk unnecessary and energy can be obtained from other sources.

3 This is due, for example, to frequents accidents.

4 And the last problem, but not less important for that is that …

5 Although most of enterprises…

6 Other great problem is the possibility of a great explosion.

7 … because there are less break downs.

8 The handling of radioactive substances have a high risk.

9 Nowadays, the old machinery that have most industries produces frequent
accidents.

10This solution will produce better safety conditions, that results in a increase in
production.

11This causes a lot of problems that they must be solved.

12I think we should make something for avoid the use of nuclear energy since is a
great threat for the environment.

13This companies must find a way to manufacture their products without to

damage the environment.
14Despite nuclear power being a really effective way to produce energy, we
cannot trust it because of the high risk it involves.

15The production of the mechanical industry is not very high, due to the managers
are not replacing old machinery.

16Of this form, they will be able to obtain more products.

17To solve these problems, although seems a contradiction, the enterprises

should make greater investments.

18Aluminium is very used in constructional engineering.

19About the robot work in dangerous places, I think that it is necessary to develop
new technology.

20It consists on the following parts.

21Besides of these two types, others materials as aluminium are being studied.

22Concrete is used in buildings because has great resistance.

23Energies can be classified by its origin.

24Each person should have its own eolic generator.

25The nuclear reactor makes that one of the released neutrons hits other U-235
nucleus.

26It is produced a controlled chain reaction.

27The use of this device is not indicated when is required high precision.
28This system has an important advantage because is not necessary electrical
energy to make that it works.

29The steam produced by a boiler makes spin the rotor of an alternator.

30Computers can process and storage enormous amounts of data.

31Computers provocate reduction of face-to-face staff interaction.

32Like employees work with a computer, there is less face-to-face interaction.

 Products: Descriptions, materials,
properties, functions and applications
IDEAS: what is it? Devices & Equipment

machine -
gadget - modern,
equipment with
not needed but
moving parts that
fun and nice to
works with
have
electricity
instrument - for
implement -
doing delicate
often used
and precise work,
outside or in the
where you need
kitchen
to be exact
appliance - a
piece of electrical
equipment we tool - simple, held
use in our house in our hands, for
(to wash making and
glassware, repairing things
pipettes, mixing
bowl)

1. Decide what these things are. Underline the best answer.

1 A screwdriver: a gadget b appliance c tool d machine
2 A microscope: a implement b instrument c gadget d appliance
3 An electric toaster: a tool b gadget c appliance d machine
4 A video-watch: a gadget b tool c instrument d appliance
5 A spanner: a instrument b machine c implement d tool
6 A potato peeler: a appliance b instrument c implement d machine
7 A voltmeter: a instrument b machine c appliance d implement
8 Digital speaking clock: a instrument b gadget c tool d machine
 Describing component shapes and features

Describing shapes

Appearance: What does it look like? What colour is it? What shape is it?
Use: What’s if for? What’s it used for? What does it do?
Dimensions: How long is it? How wide is it?
Materials: What’s it made of?
Properties: Is it flexible? Is it water-resistant?
You can describe the shape or appearance of something in these ways:
- The building looks like a TV transmitter
- The building is shaped like a dome. It’s a dome-shaped building.
- The plan is in the shape of an L. It’s an L-shaped plan.
- The screen is in the shape of a circle. It’s a circular screen.

 APPEARANCE
- What does it look like?

We sometimes describe shapes by We can also add shaped to the word

saying what things look like

a heart-shaped box a star-shaped

cookie cutter
It is a dome it is a pyramid

- What shape is it?

2. Use the words in the list to describe these shapes and draw the one
missing.

hemisphere cone square triangle oval semi-circle cube sphere cylinder

cylinder rectangle
 Noun Adj Noun Adj
1 hemisphere 6 semi-circle
2 cone 7 cube
3 square 8 sphere
4 triangle 9 cylinder
5 oval 10 cylinder

 USE
- What is it used for?

can / for / enable / use

You can take photographs with it can + infinitive → It’s possible

It’s for taking photographs for + -ing → This is the purpose

It enables James to take enable + person + to infinitive → It makes it
photographs possible

It is used for taking photographs used for + -ing → It makes it possible

It is used to take photographs. used + to infinitive → It makes it possible

used + as + noun → It is the purpose of

It is used as a body armour.
the object

 Purpose clauses (to, in order to, so that, in order that)

3. Match the beginnings of the sentences with the endings.

_F_ 1 This button is for ... a measuring the oil pressure.

_C_ 2 You can use this Palm b tightening or loosening the nuts.
program...
_E_ 3 This camera enables us ... c to store the names and addresses of your
customers.
_a_ 4 This gauge (indicador) is d to raise or lower the drill (taladro).
for…
_H_ 5 You can use this pen ... e to watch what is happening in this area.
_G_ 6 This key enables you ... f switching the machine on and off.
_B_ 7 This spanner is for... g to open and lock the car doors remotely.
_d_ 8 You can use this lever h to write notes underwater.
(palanca) ...
4 Complete with the verbs in the correct form.
Turn* use* break* increase* make fall* make
1 The up and down movement on the crankshaft _makes___ the wheels turn.
close
2 You can lift 1,000 kg with a 1 kg weight if you _use___ a long enough lever.
3 A chain connecting two cogs(engranajes) makes both cogs _turn___ in the
same direction.
4 If you hit an egg with a hammer, it _breaks___.
5 Water freezes when the temperature __fall__ below 0º C.
6 If you __increase__ the pressure of the steam in a steam engine, the pistons
move faster.
7 When the circuit ____ it switches on the alarm.
8 How do you _make___ this machine work?

 Conditional clauses (if, unless, as long as, provided (that))

 DIMENSIONS

5. Measurements are difficult to spell. Circle the correct spelling:

LONG longth lenght lengeth length longth

HIGH haight hight heigth hieght height
WIDE (ancho) wideth wiedth width widht wiedht
DEEP depeth depth deepth depht deepht
(to) WEIGH wieg weight weigth waight wight
(PESO)
BROAD broadth broadness breadth broadht breaht
(Amplio)
THICK thickness thought thougth thicknes thickth
(grueso)
THIN thiness thineth thinness thineht thinnes
(Delgado)

Think of other ways to ask these questions:

Example
How high is it? What’s its height?
adj noun
6. Match the pictures with the dimensions.

1 Maximum load 40 kg.

Dimensions: 90 cm high, 70 cm wide, 55 cm deep.
Price €99.99. D

2 Operates on 12 volts
Dimensions: 81 mm long, 60 mm high, 22 mm wide
Price €49.99. C

3 Dimensions: 150 mm long, 70 mm high, 30 mm wide.

Price €29.95. F

4 25-year guarantee. Weight, 7.5 kilos.

Dimensions: 1,200 mm high, 500 mm wide, 60 mm deep.
Price €539.50 E

5 Weight without batteries, 125 g.

Dimensions: 135 mm long, 90 mm wide, 15 mm high.
Price €134.99. A

6 Wavelength: 670 mm (red).

Dimensions: 15 cm long, 13 mm wide.
Price €29.95. B

7. Look at the answers and complete the questions.

- How ........... is the computer? What…….. of the computer? …..
- How ….. is the solar panel? What is ….. of the solar panel? 500 mm
- How ............................................ is the laser pointer? 15 cm
- How ............................................ is the electronic dictionary? 125 g
- How ............................................ is the electronic door opener? €49.99
- How ......................................... is the guarantee on the solar panel? 25 years
- How ............................................ is the electronic dictionary? 135 mm
- How ............................................ is the solar radio? 70 mm
8. Complete the following table

Name of dimension Large dimension Small dimension

1 What’s the lenght____? Is it__long____? Is it short?
2 What’s the width? Is it __wide_? Is it narrow?
3 What’s the_height___? Is it high? Is it low?
4 What’s the thickness? Is it __thick_______? Is it thin)
5 What’s the_depth_? Is it deep? Is it shallow?

9. Mei has done a revised drawing for the floor slab. Read the extract from
her email about the new design and complete the message using the
correct form of the words in Exercise 8.

To: Lewis Rosas

Subject: Revised floor slab drawing

Please find attached a revised drawing for the floor slab, now reconfigured for
defined movement. in order to accommodate guided vehicles 1080mm (1)
wide (as specified by the client) we propose a standard (2) _widht of 1280mm
for each superflat lane. At 14.5m, the (3)_lenght_ of the longest lane on the
network is within the maximum slab run that can be cast in a single concrete
pour, thus avoiding construction joints on straight runs. On curved sections, a
standard 8.5m turning radius is used, as per the guided vehicle
manufacturer's recommendations.
In order to allow for the eventuality of future grinding, we have located the top
layer of reinforcement 10mm deeper below the slab surface. This additional
(4)__depth___ has not, however, been added to the overall slab (5)
__height_____, which remains 275mm. the reinforcing bars also remain in 12
mm diameter. As a result, the levels of wall-mounted process installations –
many of which need to be fixed at a precise (6)_________ above finished
floor level – are unaffected.

Difference between tall and high

tall high
We usually use tall for long, thin We use high for other things, like
things like people, trees, and buildings mountains and walls.
with many floors.
10. Complete the sentences with high or tall.
1 Mount Everest is 8,848 metres __high____ .
2 There is a __tall____ tree outside my window.
3 How _tall_____ are you?
4 The sun is _high_____ in the sky.
5 The castle was built on ___high___ ground.
6 There are a lot of __tall____ skyscrapers in Manhattan.

Describing position of assembled components

11. Look at the keypad and the diagrams. Write the number of the key next
to its position.

1 at the top, on the right ....3..

2 in the centre, above the zero ...8...
3 on the left, below the four ...7...
4 at the top, in the centre ....2..
5 at the bottom, on the left ...*...
6 on the right, below the nine ......
AND ALSO:
on the top-right corner
on the top-left corner

12. Read the article and match the questions (a-d) to the paragraphs (1-4).

__ a) How did the actual flight differ from the one that was planned?
__ b) What incidents occurred just before and just after the landing
__ c) What is said about the modern equivalent of this type of activity?
__ d) What components were used to assemble the flying machine
CRAZY BUT TRUE: LARRY WALTERS AND THE FLYING GARDEN
CHAIR

1. On July 2, L982, a Californian truck driver named Larry Walters sat outside
his house on a garden chair. To say that he was out to get some air is an
understatement, for projecting above him a cluster of ropes was tied to 42
helium-filled weather balloons. Anchor ropes, situated underneath the chair,
were fastened around the bumper of his car, which was positioned just below
the makeshift flying machine.
 2. Mr Walters intended to climb gently to an altitude of a few hundred feet,
before drifting slowly out of town and across country. He then planned to use
an airgun to shoot some balloons and descend gradually to earth. But as the
helium gas contained within
the balloons warmed up in the summer sun, it progressively generated more
lift. \ü7hen the anchor ropes were released, the self-assembly airship shot up
like a rocket. Too shocked to reach for the pistol inserted in his pocket, the
first-time pilot held on for life. In just a few minutes, Larry Walters was 16'000
feet above the ground, floating over the city of Long Beach. A short time later,
there were further complications; he suddenly found himself inside controlled
airspace, adjacent to Long Beach Airport. The occupants
of passing Delta Airlines and TWA aircraft looked on at the curious spectacle
outside, as wide-eyed as the garden chair pilot hovering beside them.
3.Eventually, after managing to shoot some balloons, Mr Walters descended
safely to earth despite an anchor rope, which was still suspended beneath the
chair, getting tangled with a power line located alongside the landing site (in
someone's garden). He was immediately arrested by waiting police of6cers,
and was later fined for breaking Federal aviation laws.

4.Today, cluster ballooning, while still a fairly marginal sport, is steadily

starting to gain in popularity.

13. Label the diagrams using the prepositions in the box.

above Adjacent to Alongside Around Below Beneath
Beside Inside Outside Over Underneath within

a Above, over d Alongside

b Below, Underneath, Beneath e Outside
c Around, Adjacent to, beside F Inside, Within

NUMBERS AND CALCULATIONS (Professional English in Use by Ibbotson, M)

Decimals and fractions A manufacturer is thinking about giving both metric

measurements (for example, millimetres) and imperial measurements (for
example, inches) in its product specifications. One of the company's engineers
is giving his opinion on the idea in a meeting. 'One problem is, when you
convert from metric to imperial you no longer have whole numbers - you get
long decimal numbers. For example, one millimetre is nought point nought
three nine three seven inches as a decimal. So to be manageable, decimals
have to be rounded up or down. You'd probably round up that number to two
decimal places, to give you zero point zero four. Now, you might say the
difference is negligible- it's so small it's not going to affect anything. But even if
it's just a tiny fraction of a unit- one hundredth of an inch (1/100), or one
thousandth of an inch (1/1000)- and those numbers are then used in
calculations, the rounding error can very quickly add up to give bigger
inaccuracies.'

1 mm=0.03937 inches ≈ 0.04 inches

Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

 During a TV programme about garden design, the presenter is

explaining the calculations required to make a large setsquare
which can be used for setting out.

 Write the numbers in words.

a. 1.793 one point seven nine three
b. 1/100 mm one hundred of a milimeter
c. 1/1000 mm one thousand of a milimeter
d. 0 ...zero............................. or ................nought...............

 Complete the descriptions of the numbers.

a) 0.25 = 1/4 The first number is a decimal, and the second is a fraction…
b) 0.6368 ≈ 0.637 The second number is round. up to three 3 decimal places
c) 7.5278 ≈ 7.5 The second number is ...round up. to one decimal place
d) 8, 26, 154 The numbers aren't fractions or decimals.They're whole numbers.
e) Error: 0.00001% The error is so small that it's negligible.
f) 0.586 kg x 9,000 = 5,274 kg
0.59 kg x 9,000 = 5,310 kg This difference is the result of a rounding error.

 Complete the calculations using the words in the box. Sometimes

there is more than one possible answer.

divided minus plus square root subtract times

less multiplied square squared sum

1. 14 + 8 = 22 Fourteen plus eight equals twenty-two.

2. 100 x 20 = 2,000 One hundred times twenty is two thousand.
3. 7 x 11 = 77 Seven multiplied by eleven equals seventy-seven.
4. 400 ÷ 8 =50 Four hundred divided by eight equals fifty.
5. 95 + 2 = 97 The sum of ninety-five and two is ninety-seven.
6. 82 = 64 The square of eight is sixty-four.
7. 50-30 = 20 If you substract thirty from fifty, it equals twenty.
8. √100 = 10 The square root of a hundred is ten.
9. 112=121 Eleven squared is a hundred and twenty-one.
10. 48-12 = 36 Forty-eight minus twelve equals thirty-six.

 Use your knowledge of basic geometry to complete the sentences.

1. The ..sum.. of the three angles in a triangle equals 180 degrees.

2. The area of a circle is equal to the .square of its radius multiplied by 3.14.
3. The area of a right-angle triangle is equal to the length of one adjacent side,
................. the length of the other adjacent side, ................. two.
4. The length of each side of a square is equal to the ...... of the square's area.
5. If each angle in a triangle is 60°, then the lengths of its sides are ..................

Discussing dimensions and precision

14. Read the technical advice web page and answer the following
questions.

a) How is a superflat floor different from an ordinary concrete floor?

b) What accuracy can be achieved with ordinary slabs, and with superflat
slabs?

c) What problem is described in high bay warehouses?

Superflat Floors: FAQ

What is a superflat floor?
Compacting and finishing the surface of wet concrete is an inherently
imprecise process. For an ordinary concrete slab to be laid within tolerance,
engineers can only realistically expect the surface to be finished to plus or
 minus 5 mm. By contrast, superflat concrete floors are finished to meet
extremely close tolerances, being accurate to within 1 mm across their upper
surface.

Where are superflat floors used?

Floor surfaces with extremely tight tolerances are frequently specified in
warehouses where Automated Guided Vehicles operate. Uneven floors are
especially problematic in high bay warehouses, which use automated forklifts
with a vertical reach of 30 metres or more. At such a height, slight variations
in floor levels are amplified in the form of vertical tilt, causing inaccurate
manoeuvring at high level. If these variations are outside tolerance they can
lead to collisions with racking elements, or cause items to be dropped from
pallets.

15. Complete the following expressions from the web page which are used
to describe tolerances.

a) __________ tolerance (inside the limits of a given tolerance)

b) __________ or __________ 5 mm (+/- 5mm)
c) __________ tolerance (close tolerance)
d) ___

_______ tolerance (not inside the limits of tolerance)

Note

Tolerance is the acceptable difference between ideal designed size and

actual size.
In machining and assembly processes, it is impossible to achieve entirely
precise sizes. A degree of tolerance is always required.

A tight tolerance can also be referred to as a close tolerance. The opposite

of a tight tolerance is a loose tolerance.
Tight and loose tolerances are relative, depending on the situation. For
example, in concreting, ± 1 mm would be considered a tight tolerance
(extremely accurate and difficult to achieve, given
the material), whereas in many metalworking applications, ± 1 mm would be
considered a loose tolerance, as metal can be machined to within a few
hundredths of a millimetre.

16. Listening. Mei, a structural engineer, is talking to Lewis, a project

manager, about the floor specification for a manufacturing plant that is
currently at design stage. Listen to the conversation and answer the
following questions.

What has the client requested with regard to the floor slab?
What are free movement floors and defined movement floors?
What issue does the engineer discuss regarding quality?
What option is discussed involving grinding?
What can be done to the reinforcement to permit grinding?

 MATERIALS AND PROPERTIES. Specifying and describing

properties

- What is it made of? Is it…?

MATERIAL TYPES (Professional English in Use by Ibbotson, M)

o Metals and non-metals
Engineering materials can be divided into:
• metals- examples of metallic materials are iron (Fe) and copper (Cu)
• non-metals- examples of non-metallic materials are carbon (C) and
silicon (Si).
As iron is such a widely used material, metals can be divided into:
• ferrous metals- those that contain iron
• non-ferrous metals- those that do not contain iron.
o Elements, compounds and mixtures
With regard to the chemical composition of materials -the chemicals they
contain, and how those chemicals are combined- three main categories can
be used:
• Elements are pure materials in their most basic form. They cannot be
broken down into different constituents ('ingredients'). Examples of
elements widely used in engineering materials are iron, carbon and
aluminium (AI).
• Compounds consist of two or more elements that are chemically
bound - that is, combined by a chemical reaction. An everyday
example is water, which is a compound of hydrogen (H) and oxygen (0).
• Mixtures consist of two or more elements or compounds which are
mixed together, but which are not chemically bound. In engineering,
common examples are alloys -that is, metals which have other metals
and/or non-metals mixed with them. A common example is steel, which
is an iron-carbon alloy, and can include other alloying metals- metals
which are added to alloys, in small quantities relative to the main metal.
Examples of widely used alloying metals are chromium (Cr),
manganese (Mn) and tungsten (W).

 Composite materials
The article below is from an engineering journal.
 Materials under the microscope: composites
When you think of examples of hi-tech materials, composite materials
come to mind- such as carbon-fibre, used in aerospace and Formula 1
cars. But although we think of composites as hi-tech and highly
expensive, that's not always true. The earliest examples of composite
materials were bricks made from mud and straw. Or, to use the correct
composite terms, from straw reinforcement- the structural network that
reinforces the material inside, and a mud matrix- the material surrounding
the reinforcement. These terms explain what a composite material is: a
matrix with a reinforcing material inside it. A modern, everyday example
is fibreglass- correctly called glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) -which has
a plastic matrix reinforced with glass fibres.

- Complete the sentences using the words in the box.

metal non-metal metallic non-metallic ferrous non-ferrous

1. Carbon (C) is a non-metal.

2. Copper (Cu) is a .....metallic........................... metal.
3. Aluminium (AI) is a common ........metal........................ .
4. Steel (Fe + C) is a widely used ........ferrous........................ metal.
5. Although it is used in steel, carbon is ........not-metallic........................ .
6. Aluminium is relatively lightweight for a .........non-ferrous.......................
material.

- Complete the extract about concrete and steel, using suitable forms of the
word reinforce. Sometimes there is more than one possible answer.
(1)................................ concrete is one of the most widely used
construction materials, and one we take for granted. However, using
steel bars to (2) ................................ concrete structures located
outdoors is only possible thanks to a fortunate coincidence: concrete
and steel have practically the same coefficient of thermal expansion -
in other words, as atmospheric temperature varies, the concrete and
the steel (3) ................................ expand and contract at the same
rate, allowing uniform movement. Using a (4) ................................
material with a different coefficient of expansion would not be
feasible. For example, (5) aluminium-................................ concrete
would quickly disintegrate.

Steel

 Carbon steels
This extract from an article in an engineering journal is about different types of
steel.
 Steel is the most widely used engineering material. Technically, though, this
well-known alloy of iron and carbon is not as simple as one might think.
Steel comes in a huge range of different grades, each with different
characteristics. For the inexperienced, it can be difficult to know where to
begin.
A good place to start is with the two main types of steel. The first, carbon
steels, consist of iron and carbon, and contain no significant quantities of
other metals. Carbon steels can be divided into three main grades:
• Mild steel - the most widely used grade - is a low carbon steel which
contains up to approximately 0.3% carbon.
• Medium carbon steel contains between approximately 0.3% and 0.6%
carbon.
• High carbon steel contains between approximately 0.6% and 1.4% carbon.

 Alloy steels
The article goes on to look at alloy steels.
The second main category of steel is alloy steels, which consist of iron,
carbon and one or more alloying metals. Specific grades of alloy steel
include:
• low alloy steels, which contain 90% or more iron, and up to approximately
10% of alloying metals such as chromium, nickel, manganese,
molybdenum and vanadium
• high strength low alloy steels (HSLA), which contain smaller quantities of
the above metals (typically less than 2%)
• stainless steels, which contain chromium as well as other metals - such as
nickel - and which do not rust.
• tool steels, which are extremely hard, and are used in cutting tools. They
contain tungsten and/or cobalt. A widely used grade of tool steel is high-
speed steel, which is used in cutting tools that operate at high temperatures,
such as drill bits.

 Corrosion
One weakness of mild steel is that it corrodes - its surface progressively
deteriorates due to a chemical reaction. This reaction takes place between the
iron in the steel and the oxygen (O2) in the air, to form iron oxide. When iron
corrodes, we say that it rusts. In some metals, such as aluminium (Al), the
presence of corrosion is not a problem, as the layer of oxide around the metal
remains hard, which prevents it from oxidizing any further. However, when mild
steel goes rusty, the rust on the surface comes off continuously, and a new
rusty layer forms, progressively ‘eating into’ the metal.

- Complete the table with words related to corrode, oxide and rust.
Then use the words to complete the sentences below.

Verb Noun Adjective

 Corrode Corrosion corroded
Oxidizing Oxide Oxidized
/ go rusty (Oxidarse) Rust Rusty

1. When steel is exposed to air and water, it ...corrodes................................... .

2. A brown/red material on the surface of steel is called ............................... .
3. The strength of steel is reduced if it is ................................................ .

Non-ferrous metals
Common non-ferrous engineering metals

- These website extracts look at the engineering applications of some

non-ferrous metals - that is, metals that do not contain iron.

Aluminium is widely used, often in alloy forms. An example is duralumin, an

alloy used in aircraft manufacturing, which also contains copper (4.4%) and
magnesium (1.5%). Aluminium can also be alloyed with titanium to produce
very strong, lightweight metals.
Copper is an excellent electrical conductor, which makes it ideal for use in
electric wires. Good ductility also makes it suitable for pipes. Copper is widely
used in alloys, notably brass (copper and zinc) and bronze (copper and tin,
and sometimes lead).
Silver is a precious metal - a reference to its high cost. It is a better
electrical conductor than any other material, so it is often used for electronic
connections. Another precious metal - gold - is also an excellent conductor,
and is highly corrosion-resistant.

- Make correct sentences using one part from each column.

Duralumi can be mixed with copper to make silver

n
Titanium resists corrosion better than the other precious brass
metal,
Zinc has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is often aluminium
alloyed with
Copper is an aluminium alloy that also contains copper and bronze
Gold can be mixed with tin and lead to produce magnesium

Ceramics and Glass

Ceramic materials are used to make construction materials such as bricks.
These are made from clay, and are then fired in a kiln- that is, heated to a high
temperature in an industrial oven. Clay can also be vitrified - for example, to
make waterproof pipes.
Glass
A technical adviser for a glass manufacturer is giving a briefing to a group of
engineers at a trade fair.
'Sheets of glass, which are obviously flat and thin, are called float glass. This
refers to the manufacturing technique where molten glass is floated on molten
tin, to produce flat sheets. Usually, after float glass has been formed, it's
annealed - it's left to cool slowly. But if it's left in this state, and the glass later
gets broken, it breaks into dangerous, sharp pieces. So for most engineering
and architectural uses, annealed glass is unsuitable. We need to use what we
call safety glass.'
'One type of safety glass is toughened glass, also called tempered glass. As
the term suggests, the glass is tempered - it's heated and kept hot for a certain
time, to change its structure. Then if tempered glass is broken, it shatters - it
breaks into tiny pieces. These are a lot safer than the long, sharp pieces
produced when annealed glass breaks. The disadvantage of toughened glass is
that it can't withstand impacts from small objects, such as flying stones. So, for
instance, that makes it unsuitable for vehicle windscreens. So in cases where
impacts are a problem, another type of safety glass -laminated glass- is
generally used. This is made by laminating glass with a polymer- in other
words, making a glass and polymer 'sandwich', with a sheet of polymer in the
middle and sheets of glass at either side. The advantage of having a laminated
material is not just that it's very strong. The layers of glass are bonded to a
layer of polymer- they're stuck to the polymer- so if the glass does break, the
broken pieces are held together, and don't fly.'
- Use the words and expressions in the box to describe each photo. You
will need to use some words more than once.

annealed glass safety glass toughened glass

laminated glass tempered glass windscreen

Concrete
 Cement Sand – fine aggregate Gravel – coarse aggregate

Cement is a key material in construction. It consists of a very fine powder.

When water is added to cement, a chemical reaction occurs, and the cement
begins to set - it starts to become solid. The most widely used cement-based
material is concrete, which is made from cement, fine aggregate (sand),
coarse aggregate (gravel) and water. After concrete has set, it needs time to
reach its structural strength - the strength needed to perform effectively.
Generally, engineers consider that this strength is reached after 28 days - a
point called 28-day strength. Concrete mix designs, which are specified by
engineers, state the proportions of cement, fine aggregate and coarse
aggregate to be used for specific structures. For example, a 1:2:4 (one-two-
four) mix consists of one part cement, two parts fine aggregate and four parts
coarse aggregate. For mixing precise quantities- known as batching-
proportions are measured by weight. Mix designs also specify the water-
cement ratio - the amount of water added relative to the amount of cement
used. Excess water reduces the strength of concrete, so the quantity of water is
kept to a minimum. But as drier concrete is more difficult to work with, an
additive (added chemical substance) called a plasticizer is often used. This
helps the concrete to flow more easily. Other additives can also be used- for
example, a retarder may be added to delay setting, which gives workers more
time to pour (place) the concrete.

17. Match the things with the materials they are often made of on the right.
a leather c steel e polystyrene g paper i nylon k wood
b wax d polythene f aluminium h gold j rubber l glass

1 maps 7 drink cans

2 car bodies 8 doors
3 tyres 9 plastic bags
4 shoes 10lightweight packing
materials
5 computer 11cheap shirts
screens
 6 candles 12electrical contacts

Material properties

Tensile strength and deformation

When materials are exposed to forces, such as tension (stretching forces
□) and compression (crushing forces □), they deform- that is, they
change shape. The type of deformation depends on the type of force that is
applied. When a material is subjected to tension, its length will increase by a
certain amount. This is called extension or elongation. It is especially important
to understand the performance of materials in tension, as their tensile
strength (ability to resist tension) is usually lower than their compressive
strength (ability to resist compression).

Elasticity and plasticity

Some materials can extend significantly, but still return to their original shape. A
material's ability to do this is called elasticity. Rubber is an example of a very
elastic material- it can be elastically deformed to a considerable extent.
If a material has very low elasticity, and is strong, engineers say it is stiff. If a
material has low elasticity and is weak, it is described as brittle- that is, it
fractures (breaks, due to tension) very easily. Glass is an example of a brittle
material.
Some materials can change shape significantly, but do not return to their
original shape. We say these materials are plastic. Often, plasticity is
described in specific terms. A material that can be plastically deformed by
hammering or rolling- for example, lead (Pb)- is malleable. A material that can
be drawn out (stretched) into a long length- for example, copper (Cu)- is
ductile.

- Complete the sentences using the words in the box.

compression deformation elongation extension tension

1 A stretching force is called .........ext....................... .

2 A crushing force is called .........comp....................... .
3 Extension is also called ................................ .
1 Tension causes ..........def...................... or .............elon................... .
2 Tension or compression cause .....def........................... .

- Match the two parts to make correct sentences.

1 If a material is stiff (rigido) b
1 If a material is brittle (fragil) c
2 If a material is plastic a
4 If a material yields f
 5 If a material fractures e
6 If a material is elastically deformed d
a it is malleable and/or ductile.
b it has low elasticity and low tensile strength.
c it has low elasticity and high tensile strength.
d it has been extended to a point before its elastic limit.
e it has been loaded beyond its ultimate tensile strength.
f it has been significantly plastically deformed, but not broken.

18. Underline the properties or reasons that are correct.

1 We use gold connectors because gold

a is strong b is a good conductor c doesn’t react with most chemicals
2 Plastic bags are made of polythene because it’s
a cheap b simple to produce c brittle
3 Steel is used in the construction of a lot of buildings because it
a has high tensile strength b is ductile c is soft
4 A lot of cans are made of aluminium because aluminium
a corrodes quickly b is easy to recycle c isn’t toxic
5 We used polystyrene in the housing of the refrigeration unit because it’s
a lightweight b absorbent c a good heat insulator
6 We want to produce this part out of ceramics because ceramics
a can withstand high temperatures b are transparent c are wear resistant
7 The reason we don’t use glass is because it
a is too brittle b is very ductile c has a high melting point
8 We had to use platinum here because it
a is very light b is very ductile c has a high melting point

19. Match the materials to the descriptions (a-g).

1 compounds c combinations of materials

2 exotic g rare or complex
3 ferrous b iron and steel
4 ceramics (pottery items) f minerals transformed by heat
5 alloy d mixture of metals (made of combined metals)
6 non-metallic a materials that are not metal
7 polymers e plastic materials
20. The letters of the following words have been mixed up. Rearrange
them to find some chemical elements and match them to their
corresponding description:
a. EPCRPO e. YONEGX
b. ODGL f. NOIR
c. UMANIUILM g. NRGYDOHE
d. REYUCMR

1. It is golden, yellow, very malleable, ductile, expensive and a good conductor

of heat and electricity. It is used for coins, jewellery, decorations and for
coating certain space satellites. _b gold___
2. It is silvery-white, toxic, liquid, dense and volatile. It combines with metals to
form amalgams. It is used in thermometers and barometers. _d mercury___
3. Colourless, odourless, tasteless. It is very abundant on earth. It is necessary
for plants and animals, and for the process of combustion. It is used for
soldering and in hospitals. e oxygen____
4. It is silvery-white, metallic, magnetic and malleable. It corrodes easily. It is
used for making tools. _e iron___
5. It is a silvery-white metal. It is light, conductive, non-magnetic and resistant to
corrosion. It is used for kitchen utensils and outside building decoration. __c
aluminium__
6. It is reddish, malleable, ductile and a good conductor of heat and electricity. It
is used in the electrical industry. _a copper___
7. Colourless, diatomic, dense. It burns very easily and it is used as rocket
fuel._h hydrogen_

21. Fill in the gaps with a suitable preposition from those given below:
of out of into with from

1. Aluminium is made __out of__bauxite

2. Some pipes are usually made _of___PVC.
3. Nylon is made __from__combs and racket strings.
4. He makes spare machine parts __into__ waste materials.
5. It is not possible to make this particular tool _with___aluminium.

22. Complete the following sentences using from, with or of.

1 Bronze contains significant amounts __of__copper.
2 Galvanised steel is steel coated _from___ zinc.
3 Steel is an alloy derived __from__iron.
4 Pure metals can usually be recovered _with___ alloys.
5 To produce stainless steel, iron is mixed _with___ other metals.
 6 Stainless steel contains quantities _of___chromium and nickel.
7 Glass tableware contains traces __of__metals, such as lead.
8 When new metal is extracted __from__ore, the costs can be high.

23. Match these adjectives to their meanings.

1 artificial e a not hard or firm
2 soft a b able to last a long time
3 ductile f c weakened or destroyed by chemical action, for
example, rust
4 durable b d easily broken, cracks easily
5 brittle d e not natural, made by people
6 corroded c f flexible, can bend repeatedly without breaking

24. What kinds of materials do they use to make body implants, like
artificial hips and knees? Listen and make notes in the table.
Material Advantages Disadvantages

25. Complete the dialogue using the words in the list.

Brittle* speeds* materials* protect weight* nickel (X2)*

breaking* melts* alloys* withstand(resistir) * high* rotating*

A If weight is so important, why don’t you

use lighter 1 materials___
to build these aero-engine blades?
Ceramic blades, for example.
B Yes, 2
_weight__ is very important - but there are a lot of other factors we
have to think about, too. Ceramic blades are lighter and can 3
_withstand__
high temperatures, but they are also very 4 brittle___.
A So, if something hard was sucked into the engine and hit the blades, would
they break?
B Yes.
A What about using lighter metals? Aluminium 5 _alloys__?
6
B Yes, aluminium is light, but it _melts__ at about 660°C. The temperatures
inside these engines can be between 850 and 1,700°C.
A Wow! That’s hot.
B Yes, so we need to use materials that can withstand those temperatures -and
don’t forget the blades are 7 _rotating__ at very high 8 speeds___.
A What does that mean?
B That means we need materials that have a very 9 _high__ tensile strength.
A Tensile strength?
10
B Yes, the materials have to be able to stretch without _breaking__
A Hmm, so what materials do you use then?
B Mainly 11_nickel_ alloys. Look at this. This is a single-crystal 12_
_nickel alloy
turbine blade.
A But it looks as if it is made of ceramics.
B Yes, you’re right, but that’s because we give them a ceramic coating. The
coating helps to 13 _protect__ the blades from the high temperatures.

26. Read the dialogue again and circle T (true) or F (false).

1 Weight is the only factor in choosing materials for aero-engine blades. T / F

2 Ceramic blades aren’t used because they are too brittle. T / F
3 Aluminium alloys can’t be used because they are too light. T / F
4 Aluminium alloys can’t be used because they would melt in an aero-engine.
T/F
5 Tensile strength measures how far something can be pulled without
breaking. T / F
6 Pure nickel blades are normally used in aero-engines. T / F
7 The blades are covered with a thin layer of ceramic. T / F
8 The ceramic coating is a good conductor of heat. T / F
Read the following extract from DuPont’s technical guide to Kevlar.

27. Find words in the text to match the following definitions.

1 toughness = the opposite of fragility
2 ________ = resistance to damage caused by friction
3 ________= resistance to problems caused by temperature change
4 ________ = long-lasting
5 ________ = the opposite of heavy

28. Listen to the descriptions of three objects. What are people

describing?

What the thing does or what it’s for?

What the thing is like (its shape, colour, size, etc.)

Its parts?

The class of thing it is (building, tool, vehicle, etc.)?

Something else? (what?)

a.
b.

c.

Comparison and Contrast

Remember:
Comparative Superlative
Soft softer (than) the softest
Thin thinner (than) the thinnest
Heavy heavier (than) the heaviest
Flexible more flexible (than) the most flexible

Some irregular forms:

Comparative Superlative
Good better (than) the best
Bad worse (than) the worst
Far farther/further (than) the farthest/furthest
Little less (than) the least
Much more (than) the most

You can also use some other forms of comparison:

This machine is as expensive as that one.

This load is not so heavy as that one.
This machine is less expensive than that one.
There is less red liquid in this beaker.
There are fewer tools in the box on the left.

Comparison and Contrast

Remember:
Comparative Superlative
 Soft softer (than) the softest
Thin thinner (than) the thinnest
Heavy heavier (than) the heaviest
Flexible more flexible (than) the most flexible

Some irregular forms:

Comparative Superlative
Good better (than) the best
Bad worse (than) the worst
Far farther/further (than) the farthest/furthest
Little less (than) the least
Much more (than) the most

You can also use some other forms of comparison:

This machine is as expensive as that one.

This load is not so heavy as that one.
This machine is less expensive than that one.
There is less red liquid in this beaker.
There are fewer tools in the box on the left

29. Make simple comparisons, as in the following example.

Steel < titanium (resistant): Steel is less resistant than titanium.
1. Titanium > steel (strong):
2. Lithium < potassium (dense):
3. Copper > aluminium (good conductor): Gold > all metals (ductile):
4. Spring steel > mild steel (hard):
5. Wrought iron > cast iron:

A) Comparative and comparative:

Steel is getting tougher and tougher.
There are more and more alloy applications in the electronic industry.
B) The + comparative …. The + comparative:
The smaller the size of an iron bar is, the easier to transport it is.
The more powerful a machine is, the less time it uses to carry out a particular task.
30. Complete the following statements, using the comparative structures
shown above.

1. The more resistant a metal is,

2. The more tensile strength a metal has,
3. The stronger the material is,
4. The higher the carbon content a steel has,
5. The older the engine of a car is,