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Light industry as it was and as it is

Since the early days of mankind people have been wearing clothes and footwear. Their needs grew constantly which resulted in appearing of different handicrafts. Such as weaving, spinning, knitting, dress and shoes making. In the course of their historic development those crafts turned out into modern technologies.

Nowadays manufacturing fabrics, leather, clothing, footwear, knitting-wear is a highly specialized affair that requires sophisticated machinery and technologically skilled manpower. The sphere of consumer goods manufacture is provided by the branches of light industry, which include the manufacture of cotton, wool, silk, leather, knitting-wear, fur, haberdashery, etc. Besides, light industry supplies the other branches of national economy with chemical fibres, technical fabrics and upholstery, cord, conveyer belts, sacks, medical materials and so on.

Manufacturing involves everything from preparing and treating the raw material, to cutting, stitching and adding the finishing touches. This is a highly mechanised process handled by skilled production specialists.

These specialists are trained at special higher schools, such as Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design, Khmelnytsky Technological University and others.

Future specialists are intended for managing, researching and manufacturing. Students study social sciences, humanities, fundamental and applied sciences. Special subjects and technologies are taught to senior students. Apart from this students have to possess a lot of professional skills and know-how in designing, technology and research. Designers and technologists should know all processes of manufacture; predict customers’ desires and fashion trends several years in advance.

Students have to know how to explore new tendencies in production, be ready to carry out research and put its results into practice. They take practical training at the students’ design bureaus and at the light industry enterprises.

Nowadays, students developing their own designs participate in international competitions. The task of highly-qualified engineers, technologists, designers is to contribute to the development of the national economy and achieve European living standards.

  1. Find the answers to the questions:

  1. Since when have people been wearing clothes and footwear?

  2. What handicrafts appeared as a result of needs growth?

  3. What branches of light industry provide the consumer goods manufacture?

  4. What processes does manufacturing involve?

  5. What educational establishments train well-qualified specialists?

  6. What sciences are taught to future specialists?

  7. What is the task of highly-qualified specialists?

  1. Match the correct words:

1. weaving a) прядіння

2. fibre b) в’язання

3. conveyer belt c) тканини

4. skills d) виготовлення взуття

5. customer e) ткацтво

6. manufacture f) конвеєрна стрічка

7. shoes making g) виробництво

8. spinning h) волокно

9. fabric i) навички

10. knitting j) споживач

  1. Complete the sentences with the correct word:

skills manufacture handicrafts, production specialists technologies craft, subjects

  1. The needs grown constantly which resulted in appearing of different …

  2. In the course of the historic development those … turned out into modern ...

  3. The sphere of consumer goods … is provided by the branches of light industry.

  4. This is a highly mechanized process handled by skilled production …

  5. Special … and technologies are taught to senior students.

  6. Students have to possess a lot of professional … and know-how.

  7. Students have to know how to explore new tendencies in …