Text C                                           Water-Resources Engineering

Man has affected his environment ever since he introduced agriculture and started to exploit natural resources. And the very existence of humans, animals, and plants has always depended on the availability of water. Without it, there would be no life on the earth.

But the supply of water available for our use is limited by nature. Although there is plenty of water on the earth, it is not always in the right place and at the right time. Moreover, chemical wastes discarded yesterday are showing up in our water supplies today.

So the development of water resources is known to require the planning, design, construction and operation of facilities to control and utilize water. It is basically a function of civil engineers, but the help of such specialists as geologists, chemists, biologists, economists is also required. In other words water-resources engineering is a science of designing, construction and utilizing hydraulic structures (such as dams and hydropower stations), and structures related to the river and sea transport, reclamation and irrigation systems.

Thus, hydraulic engineering may be subdivided into four main branches:

1. Water projects;

2. Hydropower stations;

3. River and sea transport;

4. Reclamation and irrigation systems.

Water-resources engineering involves the application of engineering principles and methods for control, conservation and utilization of water.

Flood control, land drainage, sewerage and highway culvert design are fields where water-resources engineering is used for the control of water in natural processes and in human society.

Water supply, irrigation, hydroelectric power development and navigation improvement are examples of the utilization of water.

Conservation is planned management of a natural resource or of a particular ecosystem to prevent exploitation, pollution, destruction, or neglect and to ensure the future usability of the resource.

Modern civilization is far more dependent on water than the civilizations of the past. The increasing population requires expanded areas for agriculture, much of which must come through land drainage and irrigation. Increasing urban population requires more attention to water supply and sewerage. Industrial progress also requires much water. Thus, all factors point to unprecedented development of water-resources engineering in the future.

Do you know that the term “hydraulics” is derived from a Greek word meaning water and is fundamentally the science dealing with water at rest and in motion?

Decide whether the following statements are true or false according to the text.

1) The very existence of humans, animals, and plants has not depended on the availability of water.

2) There would be no life on earth without water.

3) Chemical wastes discarded yesterday are showing up in our water supplies today.

4) The development of water resources requires the planning, design, construction and operation of facilities to control and utilize water.

5) Hydraulic engineering may be subdivided into four main branches.

6) Water-resources engineering involves only methods for control, conservation and utilization of water.

7) Flood control, land drainage, sewerage and highway culvert design are fields where water-resources engineering is used for the conservation of water in natural processes and in human society.

8) Water supply, irrigation, hydroelectric power development and navigation improvement are examples of the utilization of water.

9) Control is planned management of a natural resource or of a particular ecosystem to prevent exploitation, pollution, destruction, or neglect and to ensure the future usability of the resource.

10) Increasing population and industrial progress require less water than the civilization of the past.

Answer the following questions.

1) What has humans, animals and plants always depended on?

2) Is the supply of water unlimited by nature?

3) Does the development of water resources require the planning, design, construction and operation of facilities to control and utilize water?

4) How many branches may hydraulic engineering be subdivided into? What are they?

5) What does water-resources engineering involve?

6) What are the examples of the water control?

7) What are the examples of the water utilization?

8) What are the examples of the water conservation?

9) What points to the development of water-resources engineering in future?

10) What does the word “hydraulics” mean?

11) Why is water-resources engineering developing?

Match the meanings of the terms with their definitions.

1) Inorganic compound composed of hydrogen and oxygen, existing in liquid, gas (steam, water vapour), and solid (ice) states.

2) To make (air, water, earth, etc.) dirty or harmful to people, animals, plants, esp. by adding harmful chemicals.

3) A useful or valuable possession or quality of a country, organization or person.

4) Unwanted matter or material of any type, often that which is left after useful substances or parts have been removed.

5) Artificial supply of water to land, to maintain or increase yields of food crops, a critical element of modern agriculture.

6) It is the attempt to make land suitable for building and farming and it is also the treatment of waste materials to obtain useful materials from them.

Fill in the correct preposition, then choose any five items and make sentences.

1) to depend … sth.; 2) to show … in our supplies; 3) to be subdivided … sth.; 4) to be used … the control of water; 5) to require attention … sth.; 6) to point … sth.; 7) to deal … sth.; 8) water … rest and … motion.

Fill in the tables.

Translate the following words into English using the vocabulary of the text.

Использовать природные ресурсы; развитие водных ресурсов; проявляться в запасах воды; использование гидравлического сооружения; осушительные и оросительные системы; применение инженерных правил; инженерия по использованию водных ресурсов; паводковый контроль; дренаж и канализационные системы; улучшение навигации; управление экосистемой; предотвращать разрушение; указывать на развитие науки в будущем.