Parts of a building Almost everyone has watched building of a house and followed its progress with interest.
First the excavation is dug for the basement, then the foundation walls bellow ground level are constructed; after this the framework is erected and clothed with various finishing materials and protected by several coats of paint.
The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the framework. It is intended for safely carrying the loads imposed. The floors, walls, roof and other parts of the building must be carefully designed and proportioned.
The architect or designer must decide what the size of the walls, the floors, the beams, the girders and the parts which make up the framework must be, and how they must be placed and arranged. Sometimes it is done by the architect who draws the plans for the house, sometimes by a designer.
are the main parts of a building and their functions. Foundations are to keep the walls and floors from contact with the soil, to guard them against the action of frost, to prevent them from sinking and settling which can cause cracks in walls and uneven floors.

Floors divide the building into stories. They may be either of timber or of a fire-resisting material.
Walls are built to enclose areas and carry the weight of floors and roofs. The walls may be solid or hollow. The materials used for the wall construction can be brick, stone, concrete and other natural and artificial materials.
Roofs cover the building and protect it from exposure to weather. They tie the walls and give the construction strength and firmness.

III. Give Russian equivalents to the following:
progress –
foundation walls –
below ground level –
parts of the building –
the loads –
must be carefully proportioned –
to prevent them from sinking –
fire-resisting material –
the weight of floors –
brick –
to tie the walls –
natural materials –
to protect from exposure to weather –

IV. Translate the text and say whether these statements are true or false:

1. First the excavation is dug for the framework.
2. The foundation walls are constructed above ground level.
3. The framework is clothed with various finishing materials and protected by several coats of paint.
4. The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the basement.
5. The walls and other parts of the building must be carefully proportioned.
6. The architect must decide what the size of the floors, the beams and the girders must be.
7. Sinking and settling of a construction can cause cracks in walls and uneven floors.
8. Floors may be of timber only.
9. The materials used for the wall construction can be natural only.
10. Roofs cover the building and protect it from settling.

If you go to school or university, you are faced with a number of exams. Basically, these exams are supposed to test your knowledge and skills. Also, they may motivate you to study harder.

In my opinion, it is really the case that exams motivate students to study harder. Firstly, exams are often a pass to a higher level of education. If you get good marks in examinations, you are admitted to further education. If you fail, you do not get the admittion. So, you make every effort to keep the right to study further. Secondly, exams are a good way to assess your learning efficiency and detect possible gaps in your knowledge. Bad marks mean that your knowledge is flawed and you need to be more disciplined and work harder to do away with the flaws.

But there are people who believe that examinations do not give real motivation to a student. They say that being a good student with excellent marks does not guarantee future prosperity.

Nevertheless, I cannot assent to the foregoing opinion, because being a good student is the beginning of being a good employee or worker who can earn a good living. Highly qualified professionals are always in great demand in any business sector.

In conclusion, exams play an important part in our life, although any exam is a kind of pain. But the saying is: no pain, no gain!

Once an instructive incident happened to me, after which important conclusions had to be drawn. On summer vacation, my grandparents decided to go for a walk in the forest. They live in their own house, and a large river flows not far away and there is a green forest. I went with them. We walked along the forest paths for a long time, it was warm, grandmother told interesting stories, and grandfather whistled beautifully. He promised that someday he would teach me how to whistle like that. Soon I said that I was tired and my grandmother took a blanket out of her backpack and spread it on the green grass. We had a picnic. Soon grandmother and grandfather decided to lie down to rest, And I could walk not far from them. I walked along the overgrown path and looked at the trees. I didn’t notice how I had moved too far. At first I decided to call for help, but then I remembered how cartoon characters act, and I decided to find my way on my own and go back. I began to follow my footsteps. Then I realized that I was confused and began to cry. Suddenly, I heard the voice of my grandfather and shouted back. It turned out that I had not gone far at all, and our camp was behind two bushes. After this incident, my grandmother told me that as soon as I realized that I was lost, I should shout and call for help. If I went the other way, I could go very far and get really lost. Now I know that if I lose sight of the adults again, I will stop there and call them, so as not to get lost even more.