Unit 3bc Book

1. Introduction

In the previous unit, your book described the launch abort system, which is capable of saving crew´s life if something goes wrong at the launch of a rocket. Units 3b and 3c deal with the same system, explaining its principle in detail. Thus, you will have a chance to see the sequence of events that occur after the system is activated. The order of these events is not arbitrary, but it is set in advance.  Linguistically, there are several ways to indicate this order: either you can use sequencers (first, then, next, after that, consequently), correct verb tenses, conditional clauses or time clauses, sometimes even in their reduced form. This means that stylistically, you can use a variety of linguistic forms, thus preventing undesirable repetitions.

Contents:

Revision: conditional clauses:

• If the crew capsule did not have the protective cover, the hot exhaust would burn the crew.

Revision: sequencers: First, then, next, after that, consequently, finally.

Time clauses:

• After/Once/When/As soon as the capsule reaches a safe altitude, the parachute opens up/will open up.

Reducing time clauses:

• The computer detects a problem. Then it activates the abort engine.
• = After the computer detects a problem, it activates the abort engine.
• = After detecting a problem, the computer activates the abort engine.

2. Warm-up: Speed Reading

What do you remember about LAS from the previous unit? At least you should know that LAS stands for “the Launch Abort System”. It can save lives of the crew in case of a crash or another type of failure. Now, you have a chance to learn some more interesting facts about the system. Turn to pages 116-117 in your coursebook (Bonamy, D. (2011). Technical English Level 3 Coursebook. Pearson Longman, pp. 116-117) and find answers to the questions in this task as quickly as possible.

3. Listening and Revision of Conditional Clauses

Find p. 22 in your coursebook (Bonamy, D. (2011). Technical English Level 3 Coursebook. Pearson Longman) and look at the picture in Task 1. Then listen to Recording 09 that comes with your book (alternatively, you can read the transcript on pp. 119-120). As you listen, complete this matching task, in which you are asked to match the parts of the LAS system to their functions. After you finish, leave the task open because you will need it to revise second conditional clauses. Your task will be to ask second conditional questions on the facts from the task.

4. Grammar: Time Clauses

Go to page 23 in your coursebook (Bonamy, D. (2011). Technical English Level 3 Coursebook. Pearson Longman). Read the explanation of how the launch abort system works. As you read, put the events in this task in the correct order.

You may have noticed that the description of the events in the previous task just used very simple sentences and the only indication of the sequence of these events was through numbering. Stylistically, this is not sufficient. In order to make the order of events clear, it is necessary to add some time expressions and time indicators. In the previous unit, you came across sequencers, i.e. short adverbials of time which help readers understand the sequence of events. For example, you can say:

First, the capsule reaches a safe altitude, and then/after that, the parachutes open up.

Another option is to combine the two clauses using some time expressions:

After/Once/When/As soon as the capsule reaches/has reached a safe altitude, the parachutes open up.

You can see that what has been created is a complex sentence with one main clause and one subordinate time clause. The example above has present tenses in both the main and subordinate clauses because it describes a technical principle. But what if you just wanted to answer the following question asking about a probable consequence:

What will happen after/once/when/as soon as the capsule reaches a safe altitude?

The answer would read like this:

After/Once/When/As soon as the capsule reaches/has reached a safe altitude, the parachutes will open up.

Notice that the future tense is only used in the main clause. Like conditional clauses, time clauses cannot use the future tense and use the present tense instead.

You can also change the order of the clauses in the sentence:

The parachutes will open up after/once/when/as soon as the capsule reaches/has reached a safe altitude.

However, if you make this change, the comma will no longer be used. A comma is only used if the subordinate time clause comes first.

Notice that the example sentence above had different subjects in its clauses. However, if the subjects are the same, you can simplify the complex sentence a bit:

The computer detects a problem. Then it (= the computer) activates the abort engine.

= After the computer detects a problem, it activates the abort engine.

↓

After detecting a problem, the computer activates the abort engine.

However, this reduction is only possible if the subject in both the clauses is the same. This is because the present participle (“detecting”) doesn´t inform the reader who does the activity of “detecting”, so the reader automatically assumes that the subject of this subordinate clause is the same as the subject in the main clause.

Now practice the time clauses. In how many ways can you give information while not shifting its meaning? Find out in this task. Then match sentences in this task, so that there is a logical link between them. After you finish, leave the task open. Open a Word document and link the pairs of sentences from this task using a suitable time connective. Submit the completed task here. Finally, you will describe a more complex process in more sentences. First, put the sentences describing the process of barcode scanning in the correct order in this task. After you finish, leave the task open. Open a Word document and link the ordered set of sentences from the previous task using suitable time connectives. Submit the completed task here.

5. Your Turn to Write

Now that you know the basics of time clauses, you should try to write a longer text using this grammar. In your short piece of writing, describe how LEDs are produced. Here are some clues:

LED Manufacturing Process

1)      Preparing the LED chips (LED chips are unpackaged and placed onto a plate)

2)      Initial inspection of LED chips (LED chips are checked for quality and alignment)

3)      Picking and placing of LED chips (LED chips are precisely placed into the LED packages)

4)      Gold wire bond (gold wire is attached between the LED chips and package leads)

5)      Phosphor is applied on top of the LED chips (phosphor converts the blue light emitted from the LED chips to white light)

6)      Color temperature verification (each LED is scanned and verified for the appropriate color temperature)

7)      Colour temperature adjustment (phosphor is manually added or removed as needed)

8)      Preparation of protective cover (remove dust and dirt from polycarbonate casing)

9)      Attaching casing onto LED packages (enclosing the LEDs to provide protection for the underlying LED chip)

10)  Filling air void inside LED with silicon (placed on a tray in preparation for heat processing)

11)  LEDs are baked in an oven (heat is for curing the silicon material within the LED)

12)  Light output validation and Binning (LEDs are tested and binned according to lumen output)

13)  LEDs complete

If you want to see this manufacturing process before you write about it, watch the video

Then use appropriate time clauses to describe this manufacturing process. Write at least 250 words. Submit the finished text here.

6. Word List

The key terms related to the topic of Unit 3bc 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.

7. A printer-friendly version of Unit 3bc

A printer-friendly version of Unit 3bc exercises and the keys to these exercises can be found here.