TEXT 2. Choosing the profession.

The problem of choosing the future profession has always been very important. The profession a person chooses in many ways determines his future life. This is a universal problem of our epoch. Every generation in this or that way comes across it. For most people choosing a career is not an easy task. It is one of the most important decisions one makes in life. The properly chosen career makes a person happy and successful for the rest of his life.

There are several factors that influence the decision of people to make their choice. They concern material and spiritual aspects of the future profession. It is generally believed that professions should be both prestigious and interesting. Everybody wants to benefit fromthe social privileges provided by the profession. At the same time other factors are important. Much depends on the inclinations and interests of the person. Although it is wonderful when one's hobby becomes one's profession it seldom happens in reality. Another important factor is social environment. The profession of the parents often in this or that way influences the future profession of their children. Today we have dynasties of physicians, historians, lawyers, economists, pilots, and military officers.

It is impossible to forget about the material aspect of the future profession. It indicates the level of the society's values. Today all professions can be classified as prestigious and not prestigious. The problem of prestige is subjective. Nobody can explain the meaning of this notion. "Prestigious" jobs give a chance to an individual to enter the upper circles of the society. When the job is prestigious money is of secondary importance. The future profession should be interesting and meet the demands of the person.

To avoid mistakes, I discuss career prospects with my friends even today. Some of us want to become physicians, others teachers, economists, historians, historians of art, mathematicians, biologists, and computer operators. All the professions are very useful. Physicians help people to be healthy and live a long life. They save the lives of their patients. This profession requires well-educated people. Mistakes are impossible in this profession. Physicians should be very patient and attentive with their patients.

Teachers also should be patient and kind. Teachers should not only give knowledge to their pupils but understand their problems, help them to become real citizens of their country, be honest and hard working. For education to be successful, teachers and pupils should work together. Every word and every gesture of the teacher should be carefully chosen, otherwise the misunderstanding is inevitable. Certainly, it is very difficult to be a teacher, because sometimes pupils do not behave properly. They can shout, whistle, and drum on the desk. Teachers should maintain discipline among the troublemakers. At the same time one should not forget that discipline should work hand in hand with freedom. Freedom is welcomed if it helps a pupil to learn. Teachers should encourage their pupils to do things successfully. Teachers should be well educated themselves. Unfortunately both professions - physician and teacher are not well paid in our country. One has to be an enthusiast to choose one of them. I do not know how to cope with this problem but it is said that a state declines if the government does not support health care and education.

Today the most popular professions are lawyers and economists. These professions are prestigious. After graduating from Law and Economics Faculties it is possible to find good jobs. Law and Economics students are better motivated to do their best because they have clearly set goals. Their competence and knowledge, required by the developing business economy, are well paid. To be a designer is attractive too. This profession can fit creative people who know how to make things around them look nice. For those young adults who choose the profession of a chemist, a mathematician or a physicist the determinant factor is not prestige but interest and inclination. To be a biologist is very prestigious and interesting today, because the biologists are at the forefront of cloning. They are on the threshold of great discoveries. I think that to be a sociologist or a psychologist is very interesting and useful too. Psychologists try to help people to cope with their spiritual problems. Sociologists study the health of the society.

One of the most fashionable and prestigious professions of today is that of a computer operator. Although computers came into our life only in the 1960s they quickly gained the ground of the contemporary society having become its indispensable part. Today our life is entirely connected with computers. With the help of computers people can do a lot of wonderful things from controlling spaceship up to buying books and participating in virtual conferences. New programmes are needed all the time to meet the increasing demands of our time. The roots of computer science lie primarily in the related fields of electrical engineering and mathematics. Electrical engineering physics and mathematics became the source of the development of computers. Boolean algebra developed in the 19-th century made its contribution to the elaboration of different programmes. Computers began to be widely used 40 years ago. From the start they were used for computational support of scientific and engineering disciplines and for business needs. Mathematicians did a lot for the development of the computer science. The significance of Mathematics in the general system of human knowledge constantly rises. Modern mathematical ideas and methods are used for the control of spaceship flights, different branches of industry, and transport systems. Applied Mathematics is part of different arts and sciences, such as Physics, Biology, Medicine, and Linguistics.

After you read

Questions

1. What roads are opened before school leavers?

2. Is it an easy thing to choose a profession out of more than 2,000 existing in the world?

3. Why is teaching a very specific and difficult job?

4. What would be enough to succeed in your work?

5. What are some good jobs to have and why?

3. What are the worst jobs?

4. What job would you like to have?

5. Would you rather have an uninteresting well-paid job or an interesting but poorly paid job?

6. Are there many unemployed people in your country? Who? Young? Old?

7. How can they find a job?

8. Why don't the majority of young people know what they want to be?

9. What things do you have to think about when choosing an occupation?

10. What should one do to qualify for a particular job?

Tasks

1. Add one job to each letter below. Use the picture to help you.

a. is for architect and

b. is for barman and

c. is for civil servant and

d. is for doctor and

f. is for farmer and

j. is for journalist

l. is for lawyer and

n. is for nurse and

p. is for psychologist and

s. is for shop assistant and

t. is for taxi driver and

w. is for writer and

 

2. Look at the sentences below. Which job(s) do they refer to?

- You can make a lot of money doing this.

– This can be dangerous.

– You have to study a long time to do this.

– You can work at home.

– This is a job where you can really people.

–You have to be very patient to do this.

– You have to be good at languages to do this.

– You have to be very good with people to do this.

3. Think of a job, but don’t say what it is. Describe the job by saying what you can/ can’t or have to do. Can other students guess what job you are describing?

4. Divide the jobs in exercise 1 into the three categories below. Compare your ideas with other students. Which jobs are the most/ least popular?

- Jobs I’d like to do

- Jobs I wouldn’t like to do

I know someone who does this job

5. a. Look at the jobs (picture) and think of ideas of your own. Suggest two or three possible jobs for you. Complete the Possible Jobs and Reasons columns in the table below.

You	Interests	Possible Job	Reasons

b. Compare your s answer in groups. Do you agree on the best job for each person?

6. Present your ideas to the class. Do other groups agree?

7. You are going to tell other students about your future job. Spend a few minutes planning what you are going to say.

8. Work in pairs or small groups. Tell the other students about your ideal work. Your partners can ask questions.

9. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Выбор профессии сложная задача для любого поколения.

2. Большинство молодых людей выбирают престижную, хорошо оплачиваемую, интересную работу.

3. Выбор будущей профессии и работы зависит от интересов молодых людей и материальных аспектов работы.

4. Часто родители навязывают своим детям ту, или иную специальность.

5. Увлечения и хобби часто становятся будущей профессией.

6. Престижные профессии в большинстве случаев бывают низко оплачиваемыми.

7. Престижная работа дает социальные преимущества.

8. Все профессии необходимые, важные и полезные для общества.

9. На сегодняшний день саамы престижные профессии юрист и экономист.

10. Получив одну специальность, студенты часто стараются получить и вторую, чтобы обеспечить свое будущее.

Before you start

What is the role of an engineer in civilized society?

Why did you make your mind to become an engineer?

TEXT 3. Civil Engineering.

Civil Engineering is regarded as one of the most attractive profession or career by students worldwide. Civil Engineering includes designing, developing and maintaining huge buildings, bridges, and such other mammoth structures all over the world. Civil engineers are responsible for designing and planning roads, dams, buildings, canals, etc. Civil engineering includes geotechnical engineering, environmental engineering, structural engineering, transportation engineering, rural or urban engineering, as its various sub-disciplines. As a civil engineer, you will be looking into matters like sewage, water supply, road planning and maintenance and such other public works. Civil engineering is ideal for those who have a creative bent of mind and love to travel around the world. Today, we are seeing women studying this branch of engineering to take up more challenging tasks and risks related to the society at large. Without the civil engineers, we would not have lived a life so comfortable and urban. For instance, think of such great works like the Bhakra Nangal Dam in India or the almost completed largest-ever designed civil works project - the “Great Wall of Louisiana” in USA. Who can ever forget the great architectural wonders such as the Taj Mahal of India or the Great Wall of China? These historical monuments speak high of civil engineers’ work in ancient times. There are many famous schools and colleges imparting education on civil engineering. Students in large numbers are showing interest in studying civil engineering in all over the world. Making a career in this field ensures taking up senior position along with getting a good remuneration. After studying civil engineering, you can make careers in environment if that suits you or else move on to some other career options such as transportation or urban engineering works. For ambitious, career-oriented individuals, this branch of engineering offers diverse scope and good chance of professional growth. After graduating in civil engineering, you might have to start from the lower ladder with minimal work pressure, but gradually you will be given tougher jobs to handle that involve more hard work and added responsibilities. In some companies, entry-level civil engineers are entrusted with the work of monitoring construction on the field or assisting some seniour engineers on-site. In some other organisation, you may be allowed to analyse and design important projects. In many cases, civil engineers need to work as a team, coordinating projects with several other engineers. Civil Engineering as a profession also involves working as a consultant to some big firm. Civil engineering is a dream career for those who wish to do something innovative and useful for a country. A civil engineer’s hard work finally pays off when he/she successfully completes the project, without any problem.

After you read

Questions

1. What I Civil Engineering?

2. What does Civil Engineering include?

3. Who can become an engineer? What features should person possess to be an engineer?

4. Why is Civil Engineering prestigious profession?

5. What role does Civil Engineering play in society?

6. What architectural wonders can you recall?

7. Where can you study Civil Engineering?

8. Where can you work after studying Civil Engineering?

Tasks

1. Read the following text again and find out if the following statements true or false.

1. Civil Engineering is regarded as one of the most attractive profession.

2. Civil engineers are responsible for designing and planning roads, dams, buildings, canals.

3. Today, we are seeing women and men studying this branch of engineering.

4. In some organisations, you may be allowed to build and design important projects.

5. Civil engineering is ideal for those who have a lot of money.

6. In many cases, civil engineers need to work individual.

7. Without the civil engineers, we would not have lived a life so terrible.

8. After graduating in civil engineering, you might have to start from the mechanic.

2. Complete the sentences.

1. Civil engineers can work as …

2. Without the civil engineers…

3. After graduating in civil engineering…

4. Civil engineering is a dream career for…

5. For ambitious, career-oriented individuals, this branch of engineering offers…

6. Civil Engineering includes…

3.Make up the sentences with the following expressions.

1. attractive profession

2. structures

3. environmental engineering

4. a creative bent of mind

5. challenging tasks

6. branch of engineering

7. challenging tasks

8. architectural wonders

9. make careers

10. career-oriented individuals

11. professional growth

12. added responsibilities

13. need to work as a team

14. innovative and useful

4. Give the Russian equivalents.

1. attractive profession

2. structures

3. environmental engineering

4. a creative bent of mind

5. challenging tasks

6. branch of engineering

7. challenging tasks

8. architectural wonders

9. make careers

10. career-oriented individuals

11. professional growth

12. added responsibilities

13. need to work as a team

14. innovative and useful

5. Discuss the following questions with your partner.

1. The profession of Civil Engineering – pluses and minuses.

2. Innovations in Civil Engineering.

3. The professional growth of engineers.

6. Write the essay.

- My future profession.

- The future of Civil Engineering.

- Civil Engineering in the USA-what should we study.

7. Translate the sentences into English.

1. Строительная инженерия (также инжиниринг) — инженерия в строительной отрасли, инженерное обеспечение строительства, охватывающее все фазы реализации инвестиционно-строительных проектов: проектирование, строительство, эксплуатацию объектов.

2. В более узком смысле — инженерно-консультационные услуги по подготовке, обеспечению строительства и эксплуатации промышленных, инфраструктурных и прочих объектов.

3. Термин «инженерия» заимствован из французского (фр. ingénierie), в свою очередь восходящего к латинскому (лат. ingenium) — ум, способности, изобретательность.

4. В градостроительной деятельности со строительством связаны реконструкция и капитальный ремонт объектов капитального строительства, выполнение строительных работ.

5. Инженерные изыскания выполняются для подготовки проектной документации, строительства, реконструкции объектов капитального строительства.

6. Архитектурно-планировочное задание — комплекс требований к назначению, основным параметрам и размещению архитектурного объекта на конкретном земельном участке, а также обязательные экологические, технические, организационные и иные условия его проектирования и строительства.

7. Собственно строительство является наиболее капиталоёмким этапом в инвестиционном проекте.

8. Некоторые виды строительного инжиниринга имеют самостоятельное значение и классифицируются по видам объектов (зданий и сооружений) или по видам услуг по инженерному обеспечению.

 

Before you start

1. When do people understand that the time to choose future profession has already come?

2. Do all children choose their future professions in their own way?

3. Why do some parents persuade their kids to enter local colleges and universities or institutes?

4. Have you made up your mind what to be in the future?

5. Are you going to work and study at the same time?

6. What can you tell about your Univercity?