New engineering designs Scottish case study

文章大意

讲座介绍苏格兰一项工程案例：为连接福斯-克莱德运河与联盟运河，解决35米水位落差，建造了旋转式升船机“福尔柯克轮”。文章讲述两条运河的历史、铁路竞争导致的衰落，以及千禧年改造计划中这一创新机械结构的设计与意义。

题目与答案

1. Historical background

   ·1790: opening of the Forth and Clyde Canal (Scotland`s 31_____ canal)

   答案：oldest

   原文定位：the Forth and Clyde, opened in seventeen ninety, and it's the oldest of Scotland's canals

2. ·1822: opening of the Union Canal

   ·The two canals allowed boats to cross the 32_____ part of Scotland

   答案：central

   原文定位：enabled vessels to travel from west to east across central Scotland

3. ·Locks(steps) connected the two cannals near Falkirk

   ·1842: competition from a new 33_____

   ·1930s: the locks were demolished

   答案：railway

   原文定位：faced serious competition when the railway opened which served the same cross-country route

4. Millennium Project

   ·Aim: to improve Scotland`s 34_____

   答案：economy

   原文定位：long‑term plan which had been developed to stimulate the national economy

   同义替换：「improve」↔「stimulate」

5. ·The long-term goal - to strengthen the Scottish 35_____

   ·Involved restoration of the two canals

   ·Problem: one canal is 35m lower than the other

   答案：transport

   原文定位：upgrade the country's infrastructure, especially in the area of transport

   同义替换：「strengthen」↔「upgrade」

6. The Falkirk Wheel (a mechanical lift)

   ·Completed in 2002

   ·Two large tanks are attached to the ends of an arm

   ·The tanks are designed to remain in a 36_____ position.

   答案：horizontal

   原文定位：the tanks are mounted in such a way that they stay in a horizontal plane

   同义替换：「remain」↔「stay」，「position」↔「plane」

7. ·A boat sails into each tank

   ·The weight of the tanks with their contents is always 37_____ .

   答案：equal

   原文定位：ensure that the weight of each boat plus the water that it floats in will be equal to the other

8. ·Little energy is needed to rotate the arm

   ·Visual quality - resembles a 38_____

   答案：sculpture

   原文定位：In fact, it almost looks like a sculpture

9. Manufacturing

   ·All the parts were constructed off-site

   ·1,200 tonnes of 39_____ were used

   答案：steel

   原文定位：It was constructed from steel, one thousand two hundred tons of it

10. ·Joints were bolted and welded to reduce the effects of 40_____ .

    答案：stress

    原文定位：This was because a lot of stress would be placed on them by the weight of the boats and the water