Differences between American and British Systems

Many American units of weights and measures are based on units in use in Great Britain before 1824, when the British Imperial System was established. Since 1893, the U.S. yard and pound and all other units derived from them have been defined in terms of the metric units of length and mass, the meter and the kilogram. Thus, there is no longer any direct relationship between American units and British units of the same name. In 1959 an international agreement was reached among English-speaking nations to use the same metric equivalents for the yard and pound for purposes of science and technology.

The English units of measurement have many drawbacks: the complexity of converting from one unit to another, the differences between American and British units, the use of the same name for different units, and the existence of three different systems of weights (avoirdupois, troy, and apothecaries'). Because of these disadvantages and because of the wide use of the much simpler metric system in most other parts of the world, there have been proposals to do away with the U.S. Customary System and replace it with the metric system.

III Answer the questions:

1.When did the English system appear?

2. What is the basic unit of weight?

3. What is the basic unit of length?

4. What drawbacks does the English system of units have?

5. What are the differences between American and British Systems?

 

 

IV Complete the sentences:

1. Many American units of weights and measures… on units in use in Great Britain before 1824.

2. The English units of measurement have many….

3. The… has its roots in the Roman system.

4. For dry measure or dry …, the basic unit is the…

5. The… is the basic unit of weight which is proportional to mass.

V Find the English equivalents to the words:

Недолік, конвертувати, звична система, дорогоцінні метали, походити, розширятися, аптека, кубічний дюйм, об’єм.

VI Match the English words with their Ukrainian equivalents:

1. fraction a. дорогоцінні метали

2. long ton b. кварта

3. disadvantage c.недолік

4. apothecary d. велика тонна

5. unit of measurement e.тяжкість

6. to convert f. аптека

7. complexity g. конвертувати

8. to emanate h частина

9.quart i. походити

10.precious metals j.одиниця вимірювання

VII True or false statements:

1. The basic unit of length is the yard.

2. The English System has its roots in the Greek system.

3. The pound is the basic unit of weight which is proportional to mass.

4. The troy system is used not only for precious metals.

5. The English units of measurement have no drawbacks.

 

VIII Translate into English:

1.Англійська система вимірювання сягає коренями Римської системи.

2.Одним з основних недоліків Англійської системи вимірювання є складність конвертування.

3.Основною одиницею довжини є ярд.

4.Фунт-основна одиниця ваги, яка є пропорційна масі.

5.Така одиниця вимірювання як барель використовується для вимірювання місткості.

IX Make up sentences with the terms:

Customary system, yard, The English System, drawbacks, complexity of converting, Apothecaries' weights, avoirdupois, troy, precious metals, American gallon.

X Speak on the topic using the following words and word - combinations:

The Roman system, roots, pound, English units, yard, American and British units, fractions of the yard, the survey foot, drawbacks, three different systems of weights, dry capacity, base units, English-speaking nations, differences, the older definition, the corresponding foot, the complexity of converting, pure water.

 

TEXT B

 

I Read and remember:

1. Vitruvian Man – Вітрувіанський чоловік

2. world-renown – всесвітньо відомий

3. to depict – зображувати

4. correlation – взаємовідношення

5. ink – чорнило

6. to superimpose – накладати(одне на одне)

7. to inscribe – вписувати

8. treatise – трактат

9. to accompany – супроводжувати

10. width – ширина

II Read text and define the main idea of it:

VITRUVIAN MAN

The Vitruvian Man is a world-renowned drawing created by Leonardo da Vinci in 1487. The drawing, which is in pen, and ink on paper, depicts a male figure in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and simultaneously inscribed in a circle and square. The drawing and text are sometimes called the Canon of Proportions or, less often, Proportions of Man. It is stored in the Gallery de Academia in Venice. The drawing is based on the correlations of ideal human proportions with geometry described by the ancient Roman architect Vitruvius in Book III of his treatise “De Architectura”. Vitruvius described the human figure as being the principal source of proportion among the classical orders of architecture.

According to Leonardo's notes in the accompanying text, it was made as a study of the proportions of the human body as described in Vitruvius:

· a palm is the width of four fingers;

· a foot is the width of four palms;

· a cubit is the width of six palms;

· a pace is four cubits;

· a man's height is four cubits (and thus 24 palms);

· the length of a man's outspread arms (arm span) is equal to his height;

· the distance from the hairline to the bottom of the chin is one-tenth of a man's height;

· the distance from the top of the head to the bottom of the chin is one-eighth of a man's height;

· the distance from the bottom of the neck to the hairline is one-sixth of a man's height;

· the maximum width of the shoulders is a quarter of a man's height;

· the distance from the middle of the chest to the top of the head is a quarter of a man's height;

· the distance from the elbow to the tip of the hand is a quarter of a man's height;

· the distance from the elbow to the armpit is one-eighth of a man's height;

· the length of the hand is one-tenth of a man's height;

· the distance from the bottom of the chin to the nose is one-third of the length of the head;

· the distance from the hairline to the eyebrows is one-third of the length of the face;

· the length of the ear is one-third of the length of the face;

· the length of a man's foot;