Text 10. Elements of architecture. Durability

Words and word combinations:

Durability – прочность;

without costly maintenance – без дорогостоящих расходов;

to resist – устоять против, противостоять;

an exterior – внешний;

an interior – внутренний;

first significant architecture – первая значительная архитектура;

the Middle East – средний Восток.

Durability. Most architecture is intended to stand a long time. To last many years without costly maintenance, a building must have a strong foundation, the exterior must be able to resist wear from the weather, and high – quality materials must be used in the interior.

The first significant architecture appeared in two regions of the Middle East more than 5,000 years ago. One region was Mesopotamia, which lay between and around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now eastern Iraq, northeastern Syria, and southeastern Turkey. The other region was Egypt.

Exercises:

1. Give Russian equivalents of the following phrases:

is intended to stand a long time; have a strong foundation; to resist wear from the weather; be used in the interior; be used in the interior.

2. Say if the following sentences are true or false:

1. Most architecture isn’t intended to stand a long time.

2. A building must have a weak foundation.

3. The first significant architecture appeared in two regions of the Far East.

4. The other region was Egypt.

3. Insert missing words, use the text’s vocabulary:

1.To last many years without … maintenance, a building must have a strong foundation, the … must be able to resist wear from the weather, and high – quality … must be used in the interior. 2. The first significant architecture appeared in two regions of the Middle East more than … years ago.3. One … was Mesopotamia. 4. The other region was ….

4. Retell the text.