Unit 2c Book

1. Introduction

Unit 2b was dealing with features of a product and capabilities it should have. Unit 2c is going to follow up with the same topic by talking about material properties. It will also present some basic phrases for giving suggestions and responding to them.

Contents:

• Adjectives used to describe properties of materials: translucent, durable
• Word families: nouns derived from adjectives: translucency, durability
• Speed reading: scanning (reading for specific info)
• Making suggestions and responding to them: Why don´t we...?  ̶  Yes, great idea!

2. Warm-up: Forum

Unit 2c deals with material properties. Particularly, a development team discusses materials to be used for a new type of roof. In this context, discuss the questions below. Answer at least two of the following questions and respond to at least one contribution of a fellow student.

1. Which is better: a flat roof or a sloping roof? Why?
2. What is normally used as a roofing material?
3. Open your book (Bonamy, D. (2013). Technical English Level 4 Coursebook. Pearson Longman). Find page 14 and look at the three roofs in the pictures. Can you identify these roofs? Match the roofs to these places:

1. Vancouver Cruise Ship Terminal, Canada.
2. The Sony Centre, Potsdamer Square, Berlin, Germany.
3. The O2 Arena, Greenwich Park, London, United Kingdom.

If you are not sure, google the answer.

1. In what ways is the roofing fabric in the pictures different? What properties must the roofing fabric used have?
2. What do you think the fabric was originally used for in space?

Forum

3. Vocabulary: Material Properties

In this unit, a group of designers discusses properties of a new roof. They agree that the roof must be strong, non-flammable, and translucent. The other properties they discuss are listed in Task 2 on p. 14 in your book. Match them with the CAPITALIZED phrases in the full description of the material properties in this task.

In general, you can talk about material properties using adjectives or nouns. In other words, it is possible to convert an adjective into a noun by adding (or changing) the suffix while the root of the word remains the same. This means that both the adjective and the noun belong to the same word family. This property of words can also help you figure out the meaning of unknown words while reading. Thus, by applying your basic knowledge of English morphology, you can limit the cases when you need to use a dictionary. Now, try to convert the adjectives in this task into nouns by adding a correct suffix.

Finally, there are also some other ways to talk about material properties. For example, you can describe the property by using other, everyday descriptive words or phrases. Thus, instead of saying that a material is durable, you can simply say that it can last a long time and withstand harsh conditions. Practise this in this task.

4. Reading: More on Materials

Now that you have studied some ways to describe material properties, you should not find it too difficult to read about some special fabrics. First, practise your scanning skills in this task (scanning = a method of speed reading by which you look for specific information that you need).

The short passage in the speed-reading task was copied from an article titled “Tensile Fabrics Enhance Architecture Around the World”, which was issued in 2009 and which deals with tensile fabrics as one of the spin-offs of NASA research. If you want, you can expand your technical vocabulary by reading the entire text in a pdf document here or online at: https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/413411main_TensileFabrics.pdf . If necessary, you can use a dictionary.

5. Phrases for Making Suggestions

Read or listen to transcript 7 on p. 119 in your coursebook. It is about a team brainstorming the properties of roof fabric. During this brainstorming session, they use some useful phrases for inviting suggestions, introducing ideas and praising contributions. Divide the phrases into these three categories in this quiz. Then study this grammar overview listing some basic phrases you can use for making suggestions and responding to them either positively or negatively. Finally, practise this grammar point by rephrasing sentences in this task and by choosing the correct options in this quiz. Make sure you learn these basic phrases really well, so that you can use them freely before you are given more phrases for making suggestions and proposals in the AEL6N course.

6. Writing Forum: Giving Suggestions

Now it is your turn to give some suggestions. Below, you can see a list of problems reported by your friend, your fellow student or a member of your family. Choose at least two of these problems and suggest possible solutions. At the same time, respond to at least one contribution of a fellow student by evaluating their suggestions.

List of problems to choose from:

1)      My computer is very slow.

2)      I have just bought a faulty product.

3)      I may have a virus on my computer.

4)      I’ve just got the blue screen of death on my PC.

5)      The light bulbs in my home keep burning out.

6)      I only have one socket/outlet in my room, but five home appliances.

7)      My circuit breaker keeps tripping.

8)      My printer won’t work.

9)      I can’t log in to the Orion system.

10)  Someone else has just accessed my Gmail account.

11)  My computer won’t recognize my USB device.

12)  One day, I would like to build my own house. I am not sure what material to choose for the walls.

13)  You may come up with your own real problem to see if your fellow students can suggest some good solutions. If you choose this option, make sure to describe your problem in an understandable way.

Useful vocabulary: complain, complaint, defragment, flip on, main electrical panel, power strip, plug in, refund, reboot, switch, USB port, wattage

Forum

7. Listening: Nanotechnology

Nowadays, materials science tries to enhance some materials or even come up with some brand-new ones. In this effort, scientists rely on the advancements in nanotechnology. Watch the video explaining the basics of carbon nanotubes at https://www.azonano.com/nanotechnology-video-details.aspx?VidID=15 or  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4Ax8sY2U4A&ab_channel=WarwickICAST and complete the related task.

8. Reading: Nanotechnology

Now, read more about nanotechnology in this reading comprehension task. Can nanotechnology be risky or dangerous? Read this text to find out.

9. Word List

The key terms related to the topic of Unit 2c can be found:

• in the Excel format here.
• in the interactive flash card format here. This format is particularly good for drilling the new vocabulary.
• in a zip file here. This file is downloadable, so that after unpacking it, you can drill the new vocabulary on your desktop, laptop or any other portable device where you have a browser installed. The recommended one is Mozilla Firefox. Important: after unzipping the zip file, make sure to keep all the related files in the same directory at all times. Do not change any file names and do not transfer or delete anything.

Recommendation: Remember that the best way to learn new vocabulary is to see each new word in a context; that is, seeing it in the contexts provided in the tasks you complete in the unit.

10. A printer-friendly version of Unit 2c exercises and the keys

A printer-friendly version of Unit 2c exercises and the keys to these exercises can be found here.