unit five

Mechanical & Electrical English

Unit five

The Operation, Installation and Maintenance of Household Appliances


• Introductory Remarks

• Listening and Talking

• Passage Exploration

• Practical Writing

• Workplace Project


Introductory Remarks • Nowadays mechanical and electrical products are incr

easingly popular in China, especially the household electrical appliances. For the Chinese families, the most popular products are the air conditioners, the refrigerator, the TV, washing machine and etc.; and the electrical products such as iphone and ipad are young people’s favorites. In recent years, our mechanical and electrical products’ international competitiveness has been strengthened while their foreign trade also has a big step further. In 2006 our mechanical and electrical product exportation surpasses Japan, rising to the world third while the import surpasses Germany to rise to the world second. 　　


• Under the state’s long-term support and guidance, our mechanical and electrical products will maintain its progressive improvement. However, the trade of our mechanical and electrical products needs to pay attention to the following questions: the favorable balance mainly concentrates on the finished product, also the processing trade; the overseas-funded enterprises still constitute our country’s largest trade surplus; in addition, the domestic enterprise also should pay attention to the trade friction in international trade.


• With the popularization of the mechanical and electrical products, the Chinese people should learn to distinguish decent products from inferior ones. The most important thing is that they should acquire more knowledge concerning the maintenance and repairs of the household electrical appliances, so that they can really enjoy the convenience and handiness those products bring.


Listening and Talking

Task one:

Marianna is asking Steven’s advice about how to use an air conditioner. Listen to their conversation and judge whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).


1. F 2. F 3. T 4. T 5. F 6. T

Mechanical & Electrical English • Task 2 Listen to the conversation again and

complete the sentences according to what you’ve heard.

• 1. what’s the problem• 2. 18°C • 3. condenser• 4. the weather• 5. standard • 6. vary • 7. capacity• 8. different brands


• Task 3 Listen to a passage and answer the following questions.

• 1. Does an air conditioner usually have a noise problem? Why?

No, there would be no abnormal noises as most air conditioners are attached with an anti-vibration cup.


• 2. What should you do if there is a noise problem?

• We should ask for a technician’s further inspection.


• 3. What should you do if the indoor air is not fresh?

When the indoor air is not fresh, just turn the Exhaust Air to “open”.


• 4. Why should you clean the air conditioner regularly?

• Without regular cleaning, the air conditioner will not work properly and the compressor or fans are likely to fail prematurely.


• 5. What should you do to keep the air conditioner’s efficiency?

• We should close our windows and outside doors.

Mechanical & Electrical English • Task 4 Listen to the passage with

some blanks for you to fill in.

• 1. abnormal noises

• 2. further inspection

• 3. indoor air 4. stale air

• 5. lower 6. regularly

• 7. compressor or fans 8.efficiency


• Task 5 Pair work. Start a conversation with your partner according to the situation:

• You are a Customer Service Representative. A customer is complaining to you about the abnormal noises of her new refrigerator, which is bought from your company. Now you are having a conversation concerning the problem.

Sample dialogue 1

Mechanical & Electrical English • Language tips:

• abnormal noises• anti-vibration cup• put the machine on a flat ground• set the refrigerator at a proper level• adjustable feet• proper use of the machine• Check whether you have closed all the doors

properly.• Maybe you should adjust the position of some items

inside the machine.• You can ask for a technician’s further inspection.


• Task 6 Pair work. Role-play a conversation with a maintainer according to the situation:

• There’re undesirable odors in your refrigerator and you have no idea how to get rid of it. Now you are asking the maintainer how to solve the problem and he is giving you some useful advice.

Sample dialogue 2

Mechanical & Electrical English • Language tips:• Power off the refrigerator and allow it to air out

for two or three days.• Throw away the food when it spoils.• Clean and defrost your refrigerator every few

months. • Keep those odors from coming back.• Never use bleach. • Use mild detergent and water to clean your

refrigerator gasket and freezer doors. • Prevention is the key.


Passage Exploration• Task 7 Read Passage 1 about Installing

a Central Air Conditioner and then work in pairs to speak out the common expressions given in brackets.


• 1. electrician

• 2. existing structure

• 3. heat gain

• 4. modifications

• 5. avoid electrocution

• 6. electrical tubes

• 7. main power supply

• 8. regular inspections


Proper names

• AC unit 空调机组

• Heat-Gain Calculation热增益

• the Air Conditioning Contractors of America Manual J load calculation

• 《美国空调承包商协会手册 J— 住宅负荷计算》


Difficulty Structures• 1. Also, the plans of the house need to be looke

d over to plan where ducts would be installed and where the unit would be placed.

• 这个句型里动词 plan 后面接了两个 where 引导的宾语从句，又如：

• The customers are required to read the manuals in the first place to make sure they understand where the equipment should be installed and when they can put it into practical use.


• 2. The main power supply needs to be inspected to make sure that it can withstand the added pressure from an air conditioner.


• 此句的主语是 the main power supply, 谓语是 needs to be inspected ，之后接了一个不定式 to make sure…, 动词短语 make sure后是 that 引导的宾语从句“ it can withstand the added pressure” 。

• Withstand 在此处表示“承受”，在科技英语里一般用来表示承受压力或者高温等，又如：

• The materials used have to be able to withstand high temperatures.


• Task 8 Read the passage again and supply the missing words or expressions to complete the following statements in pairs.


• 1. professionals

• 2. cheaper and quicker

• 3. the best bargains

• 4. inspected

• 5. install the ducts

• 6. disconnecting

• 7. break down

• 8. functional


• Task 9 Work in groups and discuss the following questions.

• 1. Why should the main power supply be inspected?

• The main power supply needs to be inspected to make sure that it can withstand the added pressure from an air conditioner. If it can not, a subpanel would need to be installed.


• 2. How can a contractor calculate the heat gain of a home?

• Contractors use something called the Air Conditioning Contractors of America Manual J load calculation to determine the heat gain.


• 3. What kind of upgrades should be done about older ducts?

• The upgrades that may be needed on older ducts are the upsizing of the furnace blower, sealing of the ducts and swapping out the supply registers.


• 4. Where is the compressor placed?

• At about 12 inches from the foundation, the compressor is placed on a plastic base on leveled ground.


• 5. What kind of contractor should people sign on with? And why?

• People should sign on with a contractor that will give them special deals on regular inspections and minor repairs. Because the air conditioner may break down sometimes and they will need to have parts of it serviced or replaced.


• Task 10 Read the sentences taken from Passage 1 and work in groups to translate them into Chinese.


• 1. Also, the plans of the house need to be looked over to plan where ducts would be installed and where the unit would be placed.

• 此外，也要查看整个房屋的设计来确定管道的安装位置及空调机组的安置处。


• 2. On large dwellings, a more powerful unit may be needed to effectively cool the entire home while being energy-efficient at the same time.

• 对于面积大的房子，选购功率更大的款式才能在节能的同时，达到对整个房屋制冷的目的。


• 3. Other thing to consider is if you need a fully electric unit or if it needs to be connected to a gas line also.

• 还有其它需要考虑的事情，比如你是否需要全电动空调，或是否需要将空调连接到输气管道。


• 4. A contractor needs to examine the insulation, windows and your home’s orientation to the sun to determine the size of unit needed to cool the home.

安装承包商需要检查房屋的隔热程度、窗户大小及房屋的朝向来决定所需空调功率的大小，以达到整个房屋制冷的目的。


• 5. If ducts aren’t currently present, this will be the brunt of the legwork that needs to be done.

• 如果目前房屋内并没有安装管道，那就需要做大量的调研工作。


• Task 11 Work in pairs to complete the statements with the information from Passage 2.

Mechanical & Electrical English • 1. quality and reliability

• 2. operation manuals

• 3. industrial associations, safety notices

• 4. specific information

• 5. troubleshooting systems

• 6. consumer and product

• 7. product-related accidents, incorrect use 8. manufacturers, visuals

Mechanical & Electrical English Proper names

• Product Liability Act 产品责任法

• the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry• 经济贸易和工业部门 • the Association for Electric Home Appliances• 家电协会

• The National Institute of Technology and Evaluation • 日本国立技术与评估研究院

Mechanical & Electrical English Difficulty Structures

• 1. In Japan, instruction manuals are defined as “an important means of conveying procedures for the correct, safe use of products to consumers, including information required to use products properly, to maintain them correctly, and to secure user safety”.


• 此句的主干是一个 sth. is defined as … 的结构 , 由 be defined as 引出的这个名词性复合结构比较复杂，主要结构是 an important means of conveying sth. to sb.

• 最后 including information… 是一个分词结构，对主语做补充说明。 required to… 后面加三个并列的不定式短语（ to…, to…, to… ）作 information 的定语。


• 2. In order to prevent serious consumer-involved accidents and anticipate problems that occur while using products, laws regarding safety and cautionary notices have been strengthened recently under the guidance of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Mechanical & Electrical English • 句子前半部分是一个由 in order to prevent

… and anticipate… 引导的目的状语，而 anticipate 所加的宾语 problems 后面有一个that 引导的定语成分，用来修饰 problems 。

• 句子的主干是 laws have been strengthened ， laws 后面接 regarding safety and cautionary notices 做定语，解释是什么方面的法律，最后 under the guidance of… 是解释由什么机构来加强这一方面的法律的。


• under the guidance of… 通常表示在…的指导或者引导下，又如：

• All working procedures should be conducted under the guidance of the manual as well as the experienced technician.


• 3. In particular, the various industrial associations have played a central role in addressing the approximately one-third of product-related accidents that result from incorrect use.

• Have played a central role in… 表示扮演非常重要的角色，又如：

• The media played an important role in the last election.


• address 表示处理，对付；

• result from 后面接原因，表示前面发生的事件的缘由，又如： job losses resulting from changes in production.

• 与之相对的是 result in 后面接结果。


• 4. Because Japanese consumers are particularly receptive to the use of illustrations, photographs, and figures as a means of lending clarity to explanations, manufacturers should devote much effort to using visuals in an effective manner.


• 句子前半部分是由 because 引导的原因状语从句，结构为 sb. are receptive to the use of sth.as a means of…

• 句子的主干是 manufactures should devote sth. to sth./doing sth. ，即在什么方面付出努力。

• receptive 表示乐于接受新的观点或建议等，又如： She was always receptive to new ideas.

• 此文中是指日本用户易于接受插图、照片及图表在用户手册中的使用。


• Task 12 Read the passage again and translate the expressions into Chinese or English in pairs.


• 1. 便于用户的 / environment-friendly

• 2. 售后服务 / pre-sales service

• 3. 企业形象 / national image

• 4. 操作手册 / operation procedures

• 5. 逐步熟悉 / developing understanding with


• 6. 找到特定的信息 / locate the common faults

• 7. 涉及消费者的事故 / multinational-involved trade/transaction

• 8. 家用电器 / household food security• 9. 排除可预知的风险 / exclude food poiso

ning • 10. 易于接受建议 / receptive to new know

ledge

Mechanical & Electrical English Practical Writing

• Task 13 Read the sample letter of job application and work in pairs to complete the sentences or expressions by translating the parts given in Chinese.


• 1. to your satisfaction

• 2. In case of any doubt

• 3. We would like to assure

• 4. graciously acknowledge

• 5. most reliable refrigerator dealer


• 6. preservation effect

• 7. maintenance tips

• 8. troubleshooter

• 9. customer service team

• 10. valuable suggestion


• Task 14 Suppose you are a customer service personnel of Midea and you are writing a follow-up letter to a customer who have just bought a soybean milk maker from your company. Make reference to the second sample above and try to finish the letter.


Dear Sir,

We cordially welcome you to the Midea family.

We graciously acknowledge your selection of our

products as well as your trust in our dealership.

Midea is one of the most reliable as well as most

competitive dealers of soybean milk maker in China and

We have been known for our high quality and considerate

service.

Our soybean milk maker is one of our hot sales and

enjoys a good reputation among our customers.


We are confident that your choice will provide you

the most savory and nutritious soybean milk that you

have ever tasted. We will be sending you regular

updates and maintenance tips to help you maintain your

soybean milk maker in its best condition.

Don’t hesitate to consult our customer service

executive if you have any questions, we will be happy if

we can come into any help.


Kindly update us with your contact information so

that we can provide you better and more considerate

service.

Your inquiries and valuable suggestion will be most

welcome on the email ID [email protected]. Our

service hotline is available from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

at 0751-8866213.

We assure you the best of services through the

years of our valued relationship.

Regards,

Jenny

Mechanical & Electrical English Workplace Project• Task 15 Work in groups to do a survey of

the types of household electrical appliances that are most popular and try to give some tips concerning how to use and maintain them. Then write a survey report, which should include:

• 1. types of popular household electrical appliances

• 2. tips on how to use the appliances• 3. the most common complaints about these

appliances and tips on how to maintain them


• Language tips on how to use and maintain household electrical appliances.


Air ConditionerPosition: out of direct sunlight; remove a window unit in winter or cover it to prevent

accumulation of dust and debris inside

Efficiency: turn it down or off when you are out for a day or more; give the fan a break;

Cleaning: do all-rounded cleaning regularly;change the filters regularly;discourage from using a hose and water to clean it;

Warning: risk of electrical shock while do the cleaning


RefrigeratorPosition: not inside the kitchen; away from direct sunlight and heat sources;use adjustable feet or casters to put it at a proper level;

Efficiency:don’t keep the door open for too long;don’t open the door too often;keep the door tightly closed;keep the refrigerator full;

Cleaning:clean it regularly; use mild detergent and water; never use bleach; brush and vacuum the condenser coils


Washing MachinePosition:adjust the machine’s feet and level the machine;

Cleaning: use just enough fabric softener and detergent; use liquid detergent instead of powder; regularly call maintenance personnel to clean theinsides of the washer;keep the door open to dry its inside; check the pockets of your clothes before washing them;load clothes loosely into the machine; do not overload the washing machine;

unit five

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