Pre-Reading Vocabulary Exercises

Ex. 1. Study the verbs which you can find in the text and point out the irregular verbs. Are you sure you know their forms in Past Simple (Past Indefinite) and Past Participle?

Embed, extend, consist (of), break (into), transfer, drill, settle, freeze, penetrate, include, swell, shrink, vary, distort, occur, crack, follow, build, try, prevent, melt, found

Ex.2. Make nouns out of the adjectives using the proper suffixes (-th, -ness, -ity). Make the necessary changes.

Strong, stable, deep, weak, wet, dry, wide, long

Ex.3. A) Divide the adjective into simple and complex (consisting of a root and suffix).

Shallow, permanent, different, deep, common, differential, typical, expansive, weak, total, seasonal special, strong, simple, thermal, exact, wet

B) In complex adjectives identify the base form (from which the adjective is derived).

Ex. 4. Analyse the compound words. Find the root(s), prefix(es), suffix(es):

bedrock, slab-on-grade, pre-tensioned, reinforced, semi-arid, permafrost.

Ex. 5. The following words can function as nouns, verbs or adjectives (conversion). Consult the dictionary to find this information (A) and then translate the sentences (B):

A) surface, load, support, design, flow, form, cause, swell, crack, effect, soil.

B) Changes in soil moisture can cause expansive clay to swell and shrink. This swelling can vary across the footing. The variation in swell can cause the soil to distort, cracking the structure over it. The primary design concerns are settlement and bearing capacity. Other design considerations include scour and frost heave. Generally, the structure is designed in a way that tries to prevent the permafrost from melting.

Ex. 6. Match the words contrary in meaning:

A	B
shallow	wet
stability	changeable
hot	cold (frosty)
permanent	deep
later	earlier
dry	above
upper	instability
common	lower
different	secondary
primary	similar
to swell	to shrink
strong	unusual
below	weak

Ex. 7. Translate the following word combinations:

permanent stability, to transfer loads to the ground, shallow foundation, deep foundation, to be embedded into soil, spread footing, strips/pads of concrete, below the frost line, to transfer the weight, slab-on-grade foundation, at the surface, an upper weak layer of soil, earth stabilized column, to penetrate bedrock, primary design concerns, total/differential settlement, to cause problems, to loaded beyond bearing capacity, detached house, dead/imposed load, to carry load, exact imposed load, design considerations, frost heave, flowing water, supporting soil, to form ice lenses, soil moisture, expansive clay, to vary across the footing, to remove moisture, to distort soil, semi-arid climate, in areas of permafrost, to prevent from melting.

Read text 1 ‘FOUNDATIONS IN CONSTRUCTION’. In the text point out the introductory part, the main part and the conclusion.