4. Listening and Reading: Applications of Electrolysis Detailed

The text in the previous task listed some applications of electrolysis. Now two of the applications will be described in more detail: converting alumina into aluminium and making steel.

The process of converting alumina (i.e. aluminium oxide) into aluminium (aluminum in American English) is sometimes called smelting. First, look at the diagram on p. 41 in your coursebook (Bonamy, D. (2013). Technical English Level 4 Coursebook. Pearson Longman). Study it carefully before listening to an expert explaining the process. You can then either listen to the related recording (no. 16) or read its transcript on p. 121. As you listen or read, complete a summary of the process in this task. Finally, in order to make a better picture of the process, watch the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOrGNtlN3sg , where you can also see the half equations and an overall equation of the chemical reaction happening during the electrolysis process. As you watch the video, complete this listening comprehension task.