TECHNICAL ENGLISH

STUDENT’S MANUAL

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ENAIRE – Inglés técnico. Unit 5 – Student’s Manual
 UNIT 5: Meteorology

Vocabulary: Energy

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ENAIRE – Inglés técnico. Unit 5 – Student’s Manual
Make word combinations with energy using words from above. Then match the combinations
with the descriptions (1-8).

1. ___________________ energy = energy stored within the liquids or solids in a battery

2. ___________________ energy = mechanical energy in the form of movement
3. ___________________ energy = potential energy stored in a deformed material
4. ___________________ energy = energy converted to the form required for a purpose
5. ___________________ energy = energy converted to a form that cannot be used
6. ___________________ energy = the form of energy that shines, and can be seen
7. ___________________ energy = the form of energy that can be heard
8. ___________________ energy = energy that results in an increase in temperature
Complete the article about electric and diesel-electric locomotives using the words in the box.

chemical convert powered power

dissipated efficiency source powerful
efficient form thermal stored
electrical gain waste useful
joules kinetic work wattage

An electric locomotive is one that is (1) ____________ by an external energy (2) ____________, most
often via overhead electric lines. This differs from a diesel-electric locomotive, which has an onboard
fuel tank and a diesel-powered generator to provide electricity for its motors. Purely electric power
has numerous advantages over diesel-electric power, explaining the choice of electric locomotives for
use in high-speed trains.
Firstly, an electric locomotive needs to carry neither a generator nor fuel. Its mass is therefore lower
than a diesel-electric equivalent. This results in a significant efficiency (3) ____________, as the
electric locomotive’s smaller mass means less (4) ____________ is done – measured as a total number
of (5) ____________ - on a given journey. For a comparable rate of acceleration, its motors are also

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required to provide less (6) ____________. As they use a lower (7) ____________, this means less (8)
____________ motors can be used, making them smaller, thus further reducing weight and improving
(9) ____________. In addition, electric locomotives use only (10) ____________ energy. This means
there is no need to (11) ____________ energy from one (12) ____________ to another on board the
train (electricity can be generated more efficiently in power stations).

In a diesel-electric unit, the energy conversion process starts with (13) ____________ energy, which
is (14) ____________ within the hydro-carbon compounds of diesel. This fuel is burned to produce
(15) ____________ energy, and the heat is then converted by the engine into (16) ____________
energy, which provides the movement to drive the train. This process is a very long way from being
100% (17) ____________ - only a small percentage of the initial chemical energy is converted to the
(18) ____________ energy that is actually used to drive the train, with a significant percentage being
(19) ____________ into the air in the form of heat, constituting (20) ____________ energy.

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ENAIRE – Inglés técnico. Unit 5 – Student’s Manual
 Meteorology

Listen to three weather descriptions and make notes to complete the chart below.

Bristol Almaty Kerala

Winter

Summer

Prevailing wind

Warning

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ENAIRE – Inglés técnico. Unit 5 – Student’s Manual
Some broadcasts may contain more information on local conditions. Match the words to the
pictures below.

a. birds f. sandstorm
b. CB clouds g. slush
c. earth tremors h. snow drifts
d. hail i. strong winds
e. heavy rains j. volcanic cloud

Match each message to one of the following pictures.

Message 1 ____ Message 3 ____ Message 5 ____
Message 2 ____ Message 4 ____

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ENAIRE – Inglés técnico. Unit 5 – Student’s Manual
 Discussing technical requirements

Complete the following phrases from a conversation using the words in the box.

concerned regard regarding regards terms

1. … with ___________________ to the capacity …

2. … in ___________________ of the number of people …
3. … as far as size is ___________________ .
4. … And as ___________________ the graphics …
5. … ___________________ the schedule …

Write questions using the following prompts and the phrases in the previous exercise.

1. dimensions: what / overall size / module?

2. materials: what / bodywork / made of?
3. schedule: when / work start?
4. power: what / maximum output / need / be?
5. heat resistance: what sort / temperature / paint / need / withstand?
6. tolerance: what level / precision / you want us / work to?

Explain what is meant by the words and phrases in bold.

1. … to what extent do you want the experience to be physical?

2. The degree to which it moves can be varied …
3. … it’s obviously difficult to quantify something like this …
4. The only way to determine what’s right is to actually sit in a simulator …
5. … you can assess the possibilities.

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After a meeting, Claudia writes an email to update Rod, an engineering colleague. Read the extract
and choose a word or phrase from the previous exercise that means the same as the words in bold.
Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

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 Modal verbs

Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs which cannot be used on their own. They need to be accompanied by
another (main) verb. Modals can express ability, obligation, permission, assumptions, probability and
possibility, requests and offers, and advice. Some modals may have more than one meaning
depending on the context. For example:

You can go now. (=permission)

I can play the guitar. (=ability)

Positive sentences
Subject + modal verb + main verb (infinitive) + complements
You must finish your homework before dinner.
Mark can speak Spanish fluently.

Negative sentences
Subject + modal verb + not + main verb (infinitive) + complements
You must not tell lies.
I should not be late.

Questions
Modal verb + subject + main verb (infinitive) + complements
May I help you?
Can you hear me?

You must check out when you leave the office at the end of the
Obligation
day.
Must
Certainty He must be tired, he is working long hours lately.

Ability I can call the client, if you are very busy.

Can
Permission Can I use your phone, please?

Ability When I was younger, I could work at night.

Could
Permission Excuse, could I just say something?

Possibility It may rain tomorrow!

May
Permission May I borrow your notes, please?

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 I might be working on Saturday, if I don’t finish the project on
Possibility
Friday.
Might
Permission Might I suggest an idea?

Advice You should / ought to revise the report.

Should
Ought to
Conclusion He should / ought to be very tired.

Prediction I would be surprised if he is not elected.

Would
Request Will you be quiet, please!

Fill in the gaps using could, would, should or might.

Waitress: Hi, my name is Sandy. I’ll be your waitress tonight. What can I get for you?
Tony: I haven’t decided yet. Is there anything you _____________ recommend? Is there anything
you think I _____________ try?
Waitress: You _____________ try Cajun catfish – or perhaps the Gumbo. They’re both delicious.
Tony: That sounds wonderful, but that _____________ be a little too spicy for me. Actually, the
prawns sound good. Umm, _____________ I have barbecued prawns?
Waitress: Sure, _____________ you like a salad with that?

Jan: What _____________ we look for in a candidate when we vote in a presidential election?
Peter: I think citizens _____________ vote for a President who has the ability to improve the quality
of life in the United States.
Jan: What _____________ you do if you were President of the United States?
Peter: I _____________ focus on reducing environmental pollution.
Jan: Every candidate always says he’s going to do that, but it’s a really complicated problem – it’s
not one which is easily solved. What makes you think you _____________ actually stop pollution?

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 Heat and temperature

Complete the sentences about water using words from the above. Sometimes there is more than
one possible answer.

1. When the temperature of ice reaches 0º C, it changes __________________ - it

__________________ to become water.
2. At 100º C, water __________________.
3. When water is __________________ to 0º C or below and __________________ to become ice,
it is said to freeze.
4. In gas form, water is called __________________ or __________________
__________________.
5. Between 100º C and 374º C water is a __________________ because it is below its critical
temperature.
6. Extremely hot water vapour is called __________________ __________________.

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Match the two parts to make correct sentences.

1. A liquid pumped onto a workpiece that is being machined, to stop it overheating, is called a
2. The form of heat transfer that occurs with infrared heat – a form of electromagnetic wave – is
called
3. The metal fins (plates) around air-cooler engines, intended to maximize the surface area of the
hot engine that is in contact with the cooler air, are designed to act as a
4. Thick, dense, internal walls inside an energy-efficient house, which are intended to absorb heat
energy during the day and store some of it to be emitted at night, function as a
5. The soil and rocks on the surface of the earth remain warm at night in summer, due to the
principle of

a) radiation
b) coolant
c) heat sink
d) thermal inertia
e) heat exchanger

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Circle the correct words to complete the article about condensing boilers. The first one has been
done for you.

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 Assessing feasibility

Complete the following expressions below using the words in the box and indicate the degree of
feasibility each expression describes.

1. It’ll be _______________ easy   

2. It’ll cost _______________   

3. It’ll be quite a _______________ job   

4. It’s _______________ feasible   

5. It’s achievable, but it’s _______________ it   

6. There’s no _______________ you can do it   

7. It’s _______________   

8. It’s a _______________ order   

9. It’ll take _______________   

10. It’ll cost an arm and a _______________   

How feasible do you think the following suggestions are? Label them according to the previous
exercise.

1. The machine parts are tricky to pain with brushes, or to spray. Why don’t we dip them in paint?
2. The steel bar is 100mm in diameter. Couldn’t it be cut by hand, using a hacksaw?
3. Silver’s a good conductor. Why don’t we use it for wiring, instead of copper?
4. Instead of putting lead ballast in the helium balloon basket, why don’t we use water containers?
5. They’ve used the wrong type of fuel in the engine. I’d suggest stripping the whole thing down and
cleaning it by hand.
6. They produce 6,000 units per day and normally do a quality check on 1% of them. Couldn’t they
check every single product?

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 Past modals

Look at the photo and then answer the questions using must be, might be or can’t be.

1. What time do you think it is?

a. 2.00 pm b. 8.00 am c. 6 am
2. What day of the week do you think it is?
a. Friday b. Saturday c. Sunday
3. What country do you think it is?
a. Brazil b. the UK c. the USA
4. What do you think the man is looking for?
a. His glasses b. his car keys c. his briefcase

Now listen and check your answers.

Now listen again to this conversation and two more and complete the extracts with must have,
may / might have, can’t have or should have.

Conversation 1
1. You __________ left them in your jacket pocket. ____
2. I __________ put them there – I wasn’t wearing a jacket. ____
3. Someone __________ moved them. ____
Conversation 2
4. We __________ taken the wrong turning again. ____
5. We __________ turned left at the last traffic light. ____
6. OK, I __________ said ‘right’. ____
Conversation 3
7. Yes, but I think you __________ used less sugar. ____
8. You __________ read it properly. ____

Look at the extracts again and link A, B, C and D to the sentences on the left. Which phrases
mean…?

A. You are sure about something that happened or something that somebody did.
B. You think it’s possible that something happened or somebody did something.
C. You think it’s impossible that something happened or somebody did something.
D. You think somebody did something wrong.

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 Engines and motors

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Complete the text about diesel engines using words in the texts above.

Diesel engines differ from (1) _________________ engines in one key respect: they are not fitted with
a (2) _________________, in each cylinder, to ignite the fuel. This is because when a (3)
_________________ of diesel and air is compressed inside a hot (4) _________________, it will
explode spontaneously, without the need for a spark to provide (5) _________________. A diesel
engine must therefore work in a way which prevents the diesel from exploding before the piston is at
the top of the cylinder. To achieve this, the engine takes in only air during the (6) _________________
stage of the cycle. Therefore, during the (7) _________________ stage, only air – and not air-fuel
mixture – is pressurized. It is only at that last instant, when full compression has occurred, that the (8)
_________________ above each cylinder forces vaporized diesel into the combustion chamber, where
it ignites.
Diesel engines operate at lower speeds than petrol engines, making them less suitable for high-speed
applications. However, they are more able to (9) _________________ heavy vehicles, as they can
produce greater amounts of (10) _________________ than petrol engines.

Look at the cross-section of an engine, and label it using words and expressions from the previous
slides.

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 Assessing and interpreting faults

Match the words in the box to their synonyms in the sentences (1-7).

defect defective fault faulty systematically

properly major minor intermittently

1. There’s a problem. _______________ / _______________

2. Perhaps something in the fuel injection system is wrong. _______________ / _______________

3. It’s a serious problem. _______________

4. It’s a slight problem. _______________

5. Is it working correctly? _______________

6. The problem only occurs from time to time. _______________

7. The problem doesn’t occur every time. _______________

Mr Rooney, an engineer at a quarry firm, is talking to AI, a helpline consultant, about a problem
with a diesel engine. Listen to the conversation and answer the following questions.

1. What does the warning message say?

2. What external factor is discussed as a possible cause?

3. Why is this possible cause eliminated?

4. In what circumstances does the fault occur?

5. What does the consultant identify as the most likely cause?

6. What action is required, and how urgent is it?

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Harry made the following notes about three engine problems. Match the faults (1-3) with the
possible causes (a-c).

1. Starter motor sometimes works, sometimes a. Cooling system problem. Fan?

doesn’t. Engine is 9 years-old. Water pump?

2. Distribution belt failed. Engine blew. Belt b. Electrical contact problem.

replaced recently – almost new. Loose connection?
3. New engine. Runs for 20 mins, then temp. gauge
c. Manufacturing defect?
always goes into red, and engine cuts out (safety
Incorrect fitting? Not wear.
override).

In pairs, describe the problems in the previous exercise using the following phrases.

a faulty part a sudden problem a systematic problem an installation problem

an intermittent caused by wear and

It’s / It was … It’s / It was probably …
problem tear

Perhaps it’s / it was … This is / was a …

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 Bibliography

❑ Aviation English. Radiotelephony English for Air Traffic Controllers. Air Services Australia. RMIT

English Worldwide, 2007

❑ Professional English in Use. Engineering. Mark Ibbotson. Cambridge University Press, United

Kingdom, 2009.

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