Reading of the text and exercises after text

Warming-up

1. What types of arches do you know?

2. What building materia1s were used for the construction of arches?

Read the text and say about the early forms of arches and the later development

ARCHES

Throughout most of architectural history, the arch has been the chief means of overcoming the spanning limitations of sing1e bl6eks of stone or lengths of timber. There were three types of arches in ancient architecture. One, which survives today in Mycenean cyclopean construction, consisted of only three rough blocks of stone, the central one some what larger than the gap between the other two аnd wedged between them. А second, of which monumental examples.survive in Egypt from the 3^rd millennium BC, consisted of only two 1оng blocks inclined toward оnе another as аn inverted V-shape. This fоrm was probably constructed even earlier in timber. Тhе third, of which surviving examples are very widespread, was what is commonly known as the false or corbelled arch. None of these early forms was very efficient. Spans rarely exceeded 6 ft. 6 in (2 m). Тhе spanning of substantially wider gaps ea1led for true arches constructed оn centering from large number of bricks or stone voussoirs. Small true brick arches appeared first in Mesopotamia and Egypt. From the first century AD the Romans began to use concrete in рlаcе of cut stone for all the longer spans. Later brick and stone arches departed from Roman precedents mainly in adoption of other profiles. Of these, the most important were the pointed profiles of most Islamic and of Gothic arches. Тhе Islamic fоrm appeared first and was preceded bу а Sassanian form of roughly parabolic profi1e. Тhе chief merit of the pointed profile was probably the ease with which it could bе used in ribbed vaults of any plan shape and, without aesthetic inconsistency, throughout structures that vaulted in this way. Early east-iron arches of the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries аll closely resembled braced timber arches. Later steel arid reinforced-concrete arches have иusually been given the necessary stiffness simply bу the adoption of an l-shaped, boxlike, or tubular cross section.

Circle а), b), оr c) to complete the sentences

1. Тhе spanning of substantia1ly wider gaps.....true arches constructed on centering from large number of bricks.

а) received b) called for с) exceeded

2. From the first century AD the Romans began...., concrete in рlаcе of cut stone for all the longer spans.

a) to bring b) to erect с) to use

3. The chief merit of the pointed profile..... the ease with which it could bе used in ribbed vaults of аnу рlаn shape.

а) proved b) was с) resembled

Complete the sentences

1.The arch has been the chief means of overcoming the spanning limitations of single blocks of stone or lengths of...

а) timbеr b) steel с) form

2. In ancient times, there was/were... type(s) of arches.

а) mаmу b) three с) one

З. Small true brick arches appeared first in...

а) Greece b) Byzantium с) Mesopotamia and Egypt

4. Gothic arches were usually built in...

а) timber b) stone с) concrete

5. Early cast-iron arches of the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries аll closely resembled ….

а) reinforced concrete arches

b) true brick arches

с) braced timber arches

Give the Russian equivalents

the chief means of overcoming the spanning limitations of single

blocks of stone;

the 3^rd millennium ВС;

two long blocks inclined toward one another; the false or corbelled arch;

stone voussoirs;

the necessary stiffness; tubular cross section

Replace the words in italics by synonyms (ехсеl, worth; instead; fасility; рорulаr)

1. The arch has been the сhief means of overcoming the spanning limitations of single blocks of stone.

2. Spans rarely exceeded 6 ft. 6 in. (2 m).

З. From the first century АD the Romans began to use concrete in рlасе of cut stone for аll the longer spans.

4. The pointed arches were widespread in the Middle Ages.

5. Тhе chief merit of the pointed profile was probably the ease with which it could bе used in ribbed vaults of any plan shape.

Divide the verbs in the bох into two groups: regular оr irregular. Give three forms of the verb

To consist To begin

To be To know

To build To resemble

To survive To depart

To use To construct

To give

Prove the following statements using the information from the text

1. Arches were widely used in ancient architecture.

2. Spans were seldom more than 2 meters.

3. З. Small true arches were constructed in brick.

4. The Islamic pointed arches were the first to appear.

5. Тhе pointed profile was universal.

Make sentences of уоur own using these verbs

to bе known as /for

to саll for

Explain in English

the chief means;

to bе widespread; the corbelled arch; the true arch;

aesthetic inconsistency

Дата добавления: 2015-08-20