© Oxford University Press Reading bank 4

Reading bank
1 Digital technology
1 How often do you use each
Electronic money
method of payment (in shops,
to pay rent or bills, to pay for We’ve used home computers and the Internet for banking
services)? since the 1990s. Is the ‘mobile wallet’ going to replace cash?
1 Cash
2 Cheque
3 Credit or debit card
4 Electronic bank transfer
2 Read the text. Mark each
statement T (true) or F (false).
1 Wave-and-pay is a way for
shoppers to buy things.
2 Wave-and-pay uses technology
that already exists in all mobile
phones.
3 Shoppers can use wave-and-pay to
transfer money directly from their
bank to the shop’s till.
4 The technology might easily
allow parents to control their kids’
spending. It’s now possible to pay for things in a shop by standing near the till and tapping
5 Wave-and-pay is even safer than an app on your mobile phone. ‘Wave-and-pay’ technology allows electronic
cash because no one can steal it. devices to communicate when they are near each other. Shoppers can add
money to their phones electronically, and shopkeepers’ devices can take money
6 Paper money and coins probably in exchange for goods. Soon, some experts say, all mobile phones will have this
won’t be used five years from technology.
now. Imagine the convenience. Most of us carry a mobile phone, and with electronic
3 Answer the questions. money, we would never worry about having enough cash. We could top up the
phone’s ‘wallet’ online, from a bank account, and never think about having the
1 Do you use wave-and-pay now?
Where and when? correct change for the bus. Using the phone’s software, parents could give their
kids money that could be spent only on certain things – books and pencils, for
2 Do you think wave-and-pay is a
example, but not sweets or soft drinks.
good idea? Why or why not?
3 Do you believe paper money and But don’t give up on cash yet. Very few phones have the wave-and-pay
coins will disappear by 2030? Why computer chip, and most shops don’t have wave-and-pay readers. Security is
or why not? also an issue. Some experts warn that thieves may be able to steal your money
simply by standing near you. Wave-and-pay doesn’t always use a personal
identification number (PIN). A hidden reader in a thief ’s pocket might be able
to take your money without you knowing.
We won’t give up cash this year or next, but some experts believe that by 2030,
all money will be electronic.
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 5

2 Careers in
technology
1 What questions would you ask
someone with the job title of
Technical Installation Engineer?
2 Read the answers to the questions
the interviewer asked Ron
Martinez, a Technical Installation
Engineer. Correct your questions
in 1 if necessary.
3 Now match the questions a–h to
the answers in the text and put
them in a logical order.
a What’s the worst thing about the
job?
b What does your work involve?

c How long have you worked there?

d What advice would you 

give students entering your
profession?
e Why did you choose this job?
f What’s the best thing about the
job?
g What’s the biggest challenge of
your job?
The pay’s not bad and there are opportunities for overtime
if you want.

Planning the job, especially in older buildings. It’s important
to work out the best routes for the pipes, ducts, and cables
involved as this can affect the cost of the work
considerably.
I like being out and about, not stuck in an office, and this
job involves a lot of travelling. I also like the contact with
customers.

h What’s the salary like? I work for a company which installs central heating and air-
conditioning systems. We do everything: planning,
installing, testing, and commissioning.


Get the highest qualifications you can when you’re at
college. It’s better to do it at that stage in life than try to
catch up later. Keep up your professional training when
you’re in the job. Move to a company large enough to offer
good promotion prospects.


When you switch on and it all works perfectly.


Working in confined spaces, for example under floors or in
roof spaces where there isn’t a lot of headroom.


Five years.
© Oxford University Press
3 Biology
1 Answer the questions.
1 What do you think are the world’s
top three problems today?
2 Can you think of possible
solutions to any of the problems?
3 Can you guess what a bioengineer
does?
2 Compare your answers with the
information given in the text.
3 Now read the text again and
choose the best phrase to
complete each sentence.
1 Smart medicine .
a improves the function of the
brain
b detects and treats illness
c improves skin appearance
2 Carbon capture may . could release drugs into the human
a help governments catch
criminals
b become a useful energy
source
c help reduce global warming
3 Super wheat will .
a make agriculture more
efficient
b help reduce global
population
c turn plants into a clean fuel
source for cars
Reading bank 6
How bioengineers apply biology, physics, chemistry, and
mathematics to real-world problems
Biological engineering (usually shortened to bioengineering) is the practice of
working with, and sometimes changing, the natural world. But what does that
mean? Here are some projects bioengineers are working on today.
Smart medicine
We usually take medicine after
we realize we’re ill. Bioengineers
are working on tiny ‘intelligent’
capsules (small containers) that can
be placed inside the human body.
At the first sign of illness – usually a
small chemical change – a capsule
body and fight the illness. At the
moment, this is very specialized
technology for astronauts. But
one day, smart medicine may be
available to everyone.
Carbon capture
Climate change is a big issue, and most experts agree that carbon dioxide
(CO2) in the atmosphere is a major problem. While governments argue
about the best ways to control CO2 production, bioengineers are working
on technological solutions. One solution is to remove CO2 from emissions as
they’re being produced by cars and factories. This could be done by mixing the
CO2 with other chemicals. Another possibility is to create huge carbon capture
stations. They would look like nuclear power plants, but they would remove
large amounts of CO2 from the surrounding air.
Super wheat
The world’s population has reached seven billion people and is still growing.
Agriculture – growing plants and animals to feed people – requires huge
amounts of land, water, and other resources. Experts believe that as the
population grows, it will become more difficult to feed everyone. Bioengineers
are working on ways to improve basic food plants such as wheat. How? They
believe they can improve the efficiency of photosynthesis – the process of
plants turning the Sun’s energy into food for the plant. This increases the grain
yield – the amount of edible wheat produced – without increasing the area
of land needed. If they can do this, farmers will be able to provide more food
without using more resources.
© Oxford University Press
4 Chemistry
1 Make a list of three materials that
you think are very important in
the modern world. List ways they
are used.
Example
paper – used for books,
newspapers, magazines, and
shopping bags.
2 Read the text and find the
answers to these questions.
1 What everyday item uses
graphite?
2 In addition to graphite, what
other two substances does the
text name that are made entirely
from carbon atoms?
3 Who gave graphene its name?
4 What everyday item helped two
physicists win a Nobel Prize?
5 What two materials does
graphene perform better than?
6 What three products might use
graphene?
3 When it was first invented, glass
must also have been a ‘miracle
material’. How many everyday
things can you think of that
include glass?
Reading bank 7
Graphene – a miracle material
Graphite has been used
in pencils for hundreds
of years. But could it be
the source of the next big
breakthrough in materials
science?
Graphite is made entirely of carbon atoms – just as diamonds are. In
diamonds, the atoms are arranged in a crystal structure that makes the
material incredibly hard – the hardest substance in the world. By contrast,
carbon atoms in graphite are arranged in flat layers. This makes graphite
relatively soft. It also means that graphite can form very thin layers, such
as when you make a mark on paper with a pencil.
Hanns-Peter Boehm, a German chemist, first observed layers of graphite
that were only one-atom thick in the 1960s. He named his discovery
graphene. Other scientists studied and tried to produce graphene
throughout the 1970s, 80s, 90s, and into the 2000s. A breakthrough finally
came in 2004, when two physicists at Manchester University removed a
single-atom-thick layer of graphene from a piece of graphite – using a
piece of ordinary sticky tape. They received a Nobel Prize for their work.
What’s so great about graphene?
• Graphene sheets are 200 times harder than steel.
• Graphene conducts electricity better than silicon.
• It’s extremely thin and lightweight.
What will we do with it? Here are some of the experts’ ideas:
• Graphene could be used to replace silicon in computers’ logic circuits.
• Incredibly strong fabrics or ‘smart clothing’ could be made with
graphene.
• Screens of gadgets such as smartphones could be made much stronger
with graphene.
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 8

5 Mathematics
What can you do with a
1 Answer the questions.
1 How often do you use
degree in Mathematics?
mathematics?
2 What do you use mathematics You probably know about accounting and teaching, but
for?
here are some maths jobs you may not have heard of …
3 Can you name any jobs that
require very strong mathematical
ability?
Computer security
Computers are everywhere, and they
2 Read the text. Were any of your contain our bank account information,
ideas from 3 in 1 mentioned? credit card details, medical records,
3 Complete the sentences with the and other data we want to keep secret.
words below. How can we keep hackers from stealing
this data? Cryptography is a field of
biomathematician
mathematics that involves writing codes
business analyst and finding ways to keep secrets. Governments and private companies
cryptographer employ cryptographers to keep computer data safe and secure.
geologist
meteorologist Atmospheric science and meteorology
Global warming has become a big concern. Scientists use mathematical
models to help them understand how the Earth’s complex environment
1 A studies rocks and
systems might behave in the future. Meteorologists (weather experts) also
soil and uses maths to find oil.
use mathematical models when they’re predicting the weather for the next
2 A is an expert at
weekend or trying to understand what huge storm systems might do next.
keeping computer data secret.
3 A uses maths to Biomathematics
help improve a company’s Doctors and medical researchers rely on experiments and observation
performance. to understand medication. They also use complex mathematics to
4 A predicts the understand drug data and to predict possible responses to medicines.
weather using mathematical Biomathematicians also apply mathematics to the understanding of the
models. interaction of living things in biological systems.
5 A applies maths to
medical problems. Business analysis
Businesses usually want to improve their efficiency. But particularly in
4 Would you like to do any of the larger, more complicated businesses, it isn’t always easy to understand
jobs mentioned in the text?
how systems really work. Mathematical analysis can be applied to many
Why? / Why not?
aspects of business (production processes, transportation and storage of
products, worker efficiency) to help identify places where improvements
can be made.

Petroleum production
From exploration to transport, use and environmental impact,
mathematics is an incredibly useful tool in the energy industry. In
addition to understanding the financial side of the business, mathematics
is used by geologists (experts in rocks, soil, and other features of land)
to predict where oil might be located, how much there is, and how long
it will last. Mathematics is also used to predict what may happen as oil
becomes more difficult to find.
© Oxford University Press
6 Technology and
society
1 Answer the questions.
1 What are the biggest problems
in cities today? Think of things
that make them difficult or
uncomfortable to live in, or
ways in which cities harm the
environment.
2 What rules or arrangements has
your town or city made to help the
environment?
3 Can you think of things that cities
– or people living in cities – could
do to use energy more wisely?
2 Read the text. Underline the
correct answer.
1 The article is about cities of today /
the future.
2 Most buildings have solar panels /
plants on the roof.
3 Water / Plastic is reused and
recycled.
4 Some waste is used to produce
energy / feed plants.
5 The electric power grid / waste
management system is controlled
by computers.
6 Cars aren’t allowed / are carefully
monitored in the smart city of
2050.
7 People are / aren’t allowed to
control their own energy use,
because this tends to save energy.
3 Is your city like the smart city of
2050 in any way? Do you think
that by 2050, it will be a smart
city?
Reading bank 9
Smart cities
By 2050, 70 per cent of the world’s
population will live in cities. Experts
say that we need to make the best
use of technology to make these cities
good places to live. So … fast forward
to 2050, and what do we see?
Green roofs
Most buildings in the smart city of 2050 have plants on the roof. Plants help
keep the air clean, and they reduce flooding problems when heavy rain
falls. They also absorb heat, which keeps cities in warm climates cooler.
Some people grow fruit and vegetables for themselves, too.
Grey water
The smart city of 2050 wastes nothing. Rainwater is collected and used
on gardens. Grey water – water from showers and from washing up – is
recycled for rooftop plants and is also used for flushing toilets. Purifying
water uses a lot of energy, so using grey water saves both water and energy.
Clever waste management
There are no lorries collecting rubbish in the smart city. This helps reduce
traffic on the roads. All waste travels from homes and businesses in a
system of pressurised pipes. Some of the waste is used to produce methane
gas, which is used for energy production.
Green power
In addition to the power generated using methane gas, wind and solar
generation also powers the smart city. Computers monitor power use in the
entire city and the electric power grid can respond to the need for power at
any moment. When a lot of power is needed, the system can supply it, but
when little power is needed, parts of the system shut down. This reduces
energy waste.
Intelligent traffic management
Every car in the smart city of 2050 has a ‘smart
tag’ number plate. Sensors in the road track every
vehicle and control the flow of traffic. If a road is
completely empty, the traffic signals are turned off
to conserve energy.
Smart homes
Research shows that when people can see how
much energy they’re using, they limit their energy
use. The smart home of 2050 has an energy control
panel. People can monitor their energy use and
control heating and lighting.
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 10

7 Studying technology
1 Answer the questions. Tech Education and Jobs Fair
1 Can you name some types of
technology that students study at
colleges and universities in your
country?
● The UK’s biggest tech
careers fair – and it’s free!
2 What areas of technology are
you most interested in (medical,
transport, computers, etc.)?
3 Name some ways that students
● Join us on 9–10 April
at The London Tech Centre

can learn about job opportunities.

2 Read the text. Mark each
statement T (true) or F (false).
1 The Tech Education and Jobs Fair
is an event where students and
graduates can learn about places to
work or to study.
2 The fair will present more than
20,000 jobs for graduates.
3 Graduates interested in companies
that make things – for example,
cars – would be interested
in talking with some of the
companies at the fair.
4 The fair will include some
instruction on the skills you need
to get a job.
5 The fair is only for people who are
ready to begin working very soon.
Employers’ fair
More than 50 employers will present career opportunities to over 20,000 high
school, college, and university students, as well as recent graduates from around
the world. Fields represented include: computers and IT, telecommunications,
sports technology, manufacturing, transport, entertainment, medical, energy,
robotics, and more.
Workshops
During the event, employers will discuss career development and conduct job
interviews. Experts will offer workshops in CV writing, job interview skills, what
to expect from a technology career, and stress management. There will also be
hands-on workshops showing the latest computer-aided design technology.
Universities and colleges
About 70 educational institutions from around the country will attend to provide
information about their courses and also provide guidance on what they look for
in an applicant. If you’re in high school and considering studying technology, this
is the perfect opportunity for you to find out about different courses.

6 Some companies plan to present The future of technology

the history of their recent products
as well as stories from the past Tech companies will give presentations on their latest developments and on
fifty years in technology. where technology may take us in the next fifty years.
3 Answer the questions.
1 Which industries mentioned in the
uuuDon’t miss it!
text would you most like to work
in?
2 Which workshops would you like
to attend? Why?
3 Does this sort of event happen in
your country?
© Oxford University Press
8 Design
1 Answer the questions.
1 What do you think are the design
considerations for clothing and
equipment for skydivers (people
who jump out of aeroplanes)?
2 And considerations for clothing
and equipment for astronauts?
3 What kind of emergency or
safety equipment do you think
space tourists will need? Think
of the design considerations for
equipment for people who are not
highly trained.
2 Read the text and find the
answers to these questions.
1 About how far did Joe Kittinger
fall before opening his parachute?
2 Did Kittinger set his records before
or after the first human space
flight?
3 Who wanted to learn more about
high-altitude jumps?
4 As a jumper falls from the
stratosphere to Earth, does the
atmospheric pressure increase or
decrease?
5 What chemical in air can cause
serious medical problems during
changes of pressure?
6 What is the amount of
temperature change between
the coldest and hottest outside
temperature that the suit must
operate in?
7 What makes the main parachute
open automatically?
8 What medical information does
the communication system
record?
3 Would you like to do a high-
altitude jump? Why? / Why not?
Designing for performance:
A high-altitude safety suit
How astronauts, pilots, and space tourists dress for success
In 1960, US Air Force pilot Joe Kittinger
used a balloon to travel more than 31
kilometres above the surface of the Earth.
From that altitude, he jumped and fell for
four and a half minutes, reaching a speed
of 988 kilometres per hour before opening
his parachute at 5,500 metres above the
Earth. In one day, he set the record for the
highest balloon flight, highest parachute
jump, longest free fall, and fastest human
fall. As humans were approaching the
possibility of space flight (the first space
flight was on 12 April 1961) aerospace
doctors wanted to understand the effects of
very high altitudes on the human body, and
wanted to know if people could jump out of
spacecraft high in the Earth’s atmosphere
in case of emergency. Amazingly, Kittinger’s
record wasn’t broken until 14 October
2012, when an Austrian skydiver, Felix
Baumgartner, made a 39,045 metre jump.
What are the design challenges of making
a suit that can survive a fall from the edge
of space?
Pressure
In the stratosphere – the part of the
atmosphere where Kittinger began his fall
– the air pressure is about 1/1,000th of the
pressure at sea level and contains very little
air. To avoid altitude sickness, the safety suit
must have a pressure inside that is similar
Reading bank 11
to the pressure nearer the Earth’s surface.
The suit is tightly sealed, and special
containers of gas are used to maintain a
comfortable pressure.
Oxygen supply
The suit has two tanks of 100% oxygen (not
air, which is about 78% nitrogen). Breathing
pure oxygen removes nitrogen gas from
the skydiver’s body. This is because during
changes in pressure, nitrogen bubbles in the
body can cause serious medical problems.
Temperature control
The temperature outside the suit is between
–68 ºC and 38 ºC. The suit is made of a
super-insulating material that keeps the
inside of the suit comfortable even as the
outside temperature changes rapidly.
Parachute
The main parachute opens automatically,
at about 750 metres above the Earth. A
sensor detects the atmospheric pressure at
that altitude. This means that if the skydiver
is injured or unconscious, a safe landing is
still possible.
Communications
In addition to a two-way radio, the suit
includes instruments that measure the
skydiver’s breathing, heart rate, speed, and
angle of the body as it falls. The suit also
includes a video camera.
© Oxford University Press
9 Technology in sport
1 How can clothing help athletes to
perform better?
2 Scan the text quickly to find out
which items of sportswear are:
a designed for swimmers
b designed for runners
c designed by Adidas
d designed to reduce drag.
3 Now read the text again and find
the answers to these questions.
1 How does the Precool vest
improve performance?
2 Why did the designers of Fastskin
work with an expert in sharks?
3 What are Power socks designed
to prevent and why is this
important?
4 In addition to reducing drag, how
does Swift suit help athletes?
5 How are Strapless goggles held on
the swimmer’s face?
Reading bank 12
High-tech sportswear
Sports companies are always trying to develop new
sportswear that will allow athletes to perform more
efficiently. Recent developments include:
Precool vest
Nike has developed a vest which holds ice packs in its lining. It is designed
for athletes who compete in marathons and other long distance races.
Wearing it for one hour before the race will reduce the body temperature
by 19%, and therefore reduces the risk of heat injury.
fastskin
Speedo has designed a swimsuit which it claims is the world’s fastest. The
designers have worked with an expert on sharks – famously fast swimmers
of the fish world. The material copies features of Sharkskin and is designed
to reduce drag. The makers say it can increase performance by up to 4%.
power socks
Adidas produces knee-length socks for runners which are designed to
reduce leg fatigue. The socks save energy by compressing the muscles in
the legs. This prevents the muscles vibrating each time the runner’s foot
hits the ground. The vibration is a waste of energy.
swift suit
Adidas has designed an aerodynamic
head-to-ankle suit for sprinters, cyclists,
rowers, and ice-skaters. It keeps athletes
cool and reduces drag. The designer
claims it gives a ten-centimetre
advantage in a 100-metre sprint.
strapless goggles
For swimmers, Nike has developed featherweight carbon goggles without
straps. Each lens is stuck to the eye socket with medical glue. Having no
straps, the goggles produce less drag than ordinary goggles.
 © Oxford University Press Reading bank 13

10 Appropriate
technology
1 Study the diagram of this rubber shock absorber
mechanical device. Choose its (inside wheel)
correct function.
5-metre pole
a farming
b exploding mines
c travelling on the Moon
d filming in dangerous places wheel motor
e carrying things
2 List some of the components of
this device in the table. 2 layers armour plate
hydraulic
3 Read the description of how toothed hose
the device works and find the wheel
answers to these questions.
1 What is the device called?
2 What does it do? 125 cc petrol engine
3 Why is it suitable for the
developing world?
4 Why do the wheels have steel Item Quantity
teeth? 5-metre metal or bamboo poles 3
5 How often does a wheel have to

be changed?
6 Why does the machine not miss
any mine in its path?

The device is called a Dervish. It is a
mine-detonating vehicle for clearing
anti-personnel mines from farmland
in countries of the developing world.
It has a very simple design and
uses inexpensive parts. The United
Nations estimates that 24,000
people die each year because of
mines.
The Dervish has three wheels. Each
wheel has steel teeth to create more
pressure. When the teeth pass over a
mine, it explodes. The wheels can
explode around 1,500 mines before
they have to be changed.
A motorbike engine powers the
Dervish. The device rotates. As each
wheel passes a certain point in the
rotation, it slows down. This makes
the machine advance in tight circles,
about 30 mm apart. For this reason,
no mine in its path is missed.
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 14

11  Crime-fighting and A
security Shock tactics
1 Read one of these texts, A, B, or C,
as your teacher directs. Find out
the answers to these questions.
1 What is this device or system
called?
2 Who uses it?
3 How does it work?
2 Share your answers with others in
your group.
3 Now read the other two texts The advanced taser gun is an electric stun gun which allows police to
and see if you can find any extra deal with violent people without causing injury or death. It has a laser
information. sight to make sure the suspect is properly targeted. It uses a compressed
air cartridge to fire two darts at the suspect. The darts pull behind them
fine electric cable. They can penetrate the thickest clothing, up to 5
centimetres, at a range of 6.4 metres.
When the darts hit someone, the gun delivers a 50,000 volt shock for
five seconds. The shock causes temporary paralysis. Taser waves –
electrical signals – cause the suspect’s muscles to contract. The guns
contain a microchip which records the date and time of each firing.

B
The iris is the coloured ring round the central part of
your eye. Each one is different, which makes it perfect Eyes don’t lie
for security systems such as iris scanning.
First, your iris is scanned and the information converted
to a digital file which is stored in a database. This
process takes about three minutes. When you go to a
high-security area, you simply look at a camera which
scans your iris. The result is compared with your
database entry. It takes just over a second to complete
the check.
The system is used at airports to speed passengers
through passport control and to control entry to
restricted areas. Some banks use it at ATM machines
instead of PINs.
Apart from the speed, the advantage is that users don’t
need to remember a password or key. The system can
handle users wearing glasses, contact lenses, and also
changes to the eye as people age. So far, it’s foolproof.
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 15

Offender tracking consists of a small

C
tracking unit worn on the belt or
ankle. It uses global positioning GPS helps track offenders
system (GPS) technology to record the
wearer’s movements. This data is fed
to a server which matches movements
with places. Some offenders are
restricted to an area around their
home. If they move outside that area,
this is reported by email to the police.
Some offenders are forbidden to enter
certain areas. If they go there, this too
is reported automatically to the police.
The system also contains details of
crimes. If an offender is near the scene
of a crime at the time it takes place, a
report is sent directly to the police.
 © Oxford University Press Reading bank 16

12 Transport
1 A hybrid results from combining Hybrid cars
two different things. What two
things are combined to make a petrol engine
hybrid car? Look at the diagram battery
and check your answer.
2 Read the text and find the
answers to these questions.
1 When is the petrol engine used
alone?
2 When is the electric motor used
alone?
3 When are both motors used?
4 What advantage does this car electric
have over an electric car? motor
5 How is the battery charged?

driving
wheels

A hybrid-electric vehicle (HEV) has both a petrol engine and an

electric motor. The petrol engine is the main power source. It is
smaller and lighter than the engines of conventional cars. The
electric motor provides extra power when needed. In some HEVs, it is
connected to the wheels by the same transmission. In addition to a
fuel tank, the HEV carries a pack of advanced batteries. There is also a
processor which decides when to use the motor and engine.
When the car is running at a constant speed – cruising – the petrol
engine provides all the power required. For overtaking, hill climbing,
and accelerating from a standstill, the electric motor provides extra
power. In some cars, the motor also provides power for low-speed
cruising, as petrol engines are least efficient in these conditions.
HEVs use regenerative braking. When the driver brakes, the resistance
of the motor helps to slow down the car. At the same time, the energy
from the wheels turns the motor which then functions as a generator,
producing electricity to recharge the batteries. When the batteries are
low, the petrol engine also drives the generator.
HEVs have automatic start / shutoff. The petrol engine shuts off
when the car comes to a stop. When the driver presses the accelerator,
the motor instantly starts the engine again. No energy is wasted from
idling when the car is stopped.
HEVs are more efficient and pollute less than cars with only petrol
engines. They do not require special fuel like hydrogen cars and,
unlike electric cars, they do not need to be plugged in overnight to
recharge the batteries. However, they are heavy because of the weight
of the batteries.
 © Oxford University Press Reading bank 17

13  High living:
skyscrapers
1 You need to be able to travel
How lifts work
quickly up and down skyscrapers.
The development of tall buildings and lifts go together. The first
Look at the diagram of a lift
lifts, or ‘elevators’ in American English, consisted of a platform
system on the next page and
suspended from a rope which passed over a pulley at the
answer these questions.
top of the building. If the rope broke, the platform fell to the
1 What is the counterweight for?
ground. In 1852, Elisha Otis invented the first safety lift. If the
2 What are the guide rails for? rope broke, a brake was applied automatically which locked the
3 What are the safety features? platform in place between guide rails. Today the Otis company
is the largest supplier of lifts in the world.
2 Now read the text to check and to
add to your answers. Most lifts today are roped lifts. The car runs between vertical
3 Read the text again and find the guide rails which keep it steady and act as a safety device. Steel
answers to these questions. ropes, or cables, attached to the roof of the car pass over a
1 What does the microprocessor do? pulley, called the drive sheave, which is turned by an electric
motor. The other end of the cable is attached to a
2 Why is travelling in a lift one of
counterweight. This matches the weight of a car with an
the safest journeys you can take?
average load of passengers.

The counterweight saves energy. Its weight helps to raise the

car. In the same way, the weight of the car when it descends
helps to raise the counterweight. For the most part, the motor
only has to overcome friction.

Lifts are controlled by a microprocessor in the machine room.

This logs all passenger calls and monitors the number of
passengers travelling from floor to floor, the position of any car
in the system, and its speed. It can direct passengers to the car
which will get them to their destination fastest, and will prevent
any car which is overloaded from moving.

Lifts have many safety devices which make it virtually impossible

for an accident to happen. The cables consist of up to eight
steel ropes wound together. Each one is strong enough to
support the car. If the car starts to run too quickly, a ‘governor’,
or safety brake, locks the car to the guide rails. Doors on each
floor ensure that no one can fall down an open lift shaft. Doors
on the car ensure that no passenger can be injured by contact
with the shaft. The car cannot move until both sets of doors
are closed. Finally, at the bottom of the shaft there are large
shock absorbers, or buffers, to cushion the impact of any fall. All
these things combined make travelling in a lift one of the safest
journeys you can take!
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 18

drive sheave brake ‘governor’, or

safety brake
motor

controller

machine room
hoist
ropes

lift car guide rails

door operator
lift car

car door
safety gear

liftwell

travelling cables
counterweight
guide rails

landing indicator
counterweight

landing push button

landing entrance

buffers
 © Oxford University Press Reading bank 19

14 Information
technology
1 Do you own or have you used
any gadgets with a touch screen?
If so, what do you like about
touch screen technology? Is there
anything you don’t like about it?
2 Answer the questions.
1 Find four adjectives in the text
that describe today’s touch
screens.
a f
b c
c l
d e - -c
Touch screens
2 What does Tactus say is the
advantage of real buttons over
With tablets and smartphones, plastic keyboards seem a
touch screens? bit old-fashioned. So what’s next for touch screens?
3 What material will tactile screens
be made from? Today’s touch screens are made of glass. They’re flat like glass, and a bit cool like
glass. If you’re used to typing on a traditional keyboard, you may think touch screen
4 What creates the feeling of
texture in REVEL technology? typing isn’t as nice. You don’t feel a click when you press a key (though you can
choose to hear one). Many people say this is a small problem compared with the
5 What does the Tactus screen do
great benefits of touch screen keyboards: they’re lightweight, easy-to-clean, and they
that the REVEL screen doesn’t do?
disappear when you aren’t using them.
6 What are the possible applications
of this technology? Touch screens are here to stay, but researchers at a company called Tactus say that
people like to feel things more – that while touch screens are beautiful, real buttons
3 What’s your favourite piece of IT are more user-friendly. These researchers are working to create ‘tactile’ touch screens
equipment to use? Why do you
– flat screens that can create raised buttons that users can temporarily feel. Small
like it?
areas of the plastic screen ‘inflate’ and then return to a flat surface. This sort of
screen is still probably a few years away, but research and development teams are
already working hard at producing it.
The feeling of buttons may be just the beginning. Another team of researchers has
announced a technology called REVEL that can create not only the feeling of a raised
area, but also different textures, for example rough wood or smooth cloth. At the
moment, this technology works only when the finger is moved across the screen. In
this case, the screen itself doesn’t change. It works by attaching a small electrical
signal generator to a person’s chair, or perhaps the inside of their shoe. When they
touch certain objects, a small electrical signal travels through the body, and a small
electrostatic force is created where the finger touches the screen. This creates the
illusion of feeling.
These two technologies will be useful not only in smartphones and tablets, but also in
games, navigation equipment, and controls on electrical appliances.
So, what’s the future of the touch screen? It turns out it may be something you can
feel, like an old-fashioned keyboard.
© Oxford University Press Reading bank 20

15 Telecommunications
1 Have you heard of an Internet-ready fridge or
Telec mmunications
Internet-ready washing machine? How do you
think these home appliances use the Internet?
– more than just TV and telephones
2 Read the text and choose the best phrase to
complete each sentence. TVs and smartphones are getting smarter – but
1 Internet-ready fridges can . fridges and washing machines now include computers
a make food last longer
b order restaurant meals
and are Internet-ready
c send emails Many of us are used to getting an
2 Smart fridges can provide information about email or a text message saying
. ‘Please pick up some milk on the
a foods with RFID tags way home’. Soon, that message may
b any food they store not come from a friend, roommate,
c fresh foods only or spouse, but from the fridge. How
3 A smart fridge might communicate does the ‘Internet-ready’ fridge
with . work?
a your doctor
Products in the smart fridge have
b the supermarket radio frequency identification (RFID)
c your children’s school tags. These are small computer
4 The smart fridge app could tell you chips that store information, for
. example ‘This is a two-litre carton
a what to cook of milk. It was manufactured on
b what’s in the fridge 22 September’. With a built-in RFID
c how many calories are in your food reader, the fridge knows what’s
5 The smart fridge is designed to . inside it at all times. You can set the
a be energy efficient fridge to send you an alert when there’s only one carton of milk
b be solar powered left. The smart fridge can also be programmed to keep a list of
c recycle food waste products that you need, and place an order with the supermarket
6 Internet-ready washing machines for delivery when certain products are about to run out. An app on
. your smartphone allows you to check the contents of your fridge
a monitor water prices from anywhere.
b use special soap products The smart fridge also communicates with the electrical power
c download information company. Some companies charge different rates for power at
3 Study these statements. Decide which ones different times of day. The fridge receives signals from the power
you agree with. Give reasons for your choices. company when electricity rates are higher, and switches to a low-
1 Basic appliances such as fridges and washing energy mode for brief periods.
machines shouldn’t have computers in them. It’s easy to see the benefits of an Internet-ready fridge, but what
It makes them expensive and difficult to about an Internet-ready washing machine? Korean appliance maker
repair. LG already produces one. If there’s a problem with the machine, it
2 Soon, there will be an ‘Internet of things’. sends you a message with a full explanation. If you need to deal
Cars, fridges, ovens, washing machines, and with particular stains in clothing, you can download a special wash
other appliances will all use the Internet cycle to solve the problem. The product line also includes an oven
to communicate with each other, and with
that can download recipes and cooking instructions, and will send
people.
you a message when a meal is cooked and is ready to be taken out
3 The Internet is the greatest invention in the of the oven.
history of the world.
 © Oxford University Press Reading bank 21

16 Medical technology
1 Answer the questions.
1 The affix tele- means ‘distant’.
What do you think these terms
mean?
a telemedicine
b telecare
c telesurgery
2 What sort of technology would
be needed for each of the services
described by these terms?
3 Who might benefit from these
services?
2 Read the text to check your
answers.

Telemedicine is the application of Information Technology to medical care.

It’s about providing medical support at a distance to people who have no
access to a doctor. Using the Internet, satellite phones, video links, and digital
cameras, patients, nurses, doctors, and others can obtain specialist help
quickly.
If passengers fall ill on an aircraft in flight, cabin crew can use a device called
Vital Signs to measure blood pressure and other important signs. The data
can then be transmitted to a doctor to interpret and provide advice on
treatment. Medical images, such as X-rays or ultrasound scans, can be taken
in one country and sent by broadband to a specialist in another for expert
advice. Using a video link, nurses in a minor injuries clinic can call a specialist
to examine difficult cases remotely. This is much cheaper than having a
specialist available in the clinic.
Telecare is a way of looking after vulnerable people, such as the elderly, at a
distance. Sensors in their homes can detect falls, lack of activity, or even if
food is removed from the refrigerator. Lack of movement triggers an alarm
which alerts medical staff or relatives. Patients can wear monitors for
recording their pulse and other signs. This can be sent via a telephone
system to medical staff without the patient leaving home.
Telesurgery was used in 2001 to allow a surgeon in New York to operate on
a patient in France. The operation was carried out using a high-speed
computer link and robotic tools in the French operating theatre. At this
stage, such procedures are expensive, and a local surgeon has to be present
in case the network link fails. In the future, however, telesurgery could be a
life-saver for people living, working, or travelling remote from medical help.
 © Oxford University Press Reading bank 22

17 The future of
technology
1 For robots to function less like
machines and more like humans,
they need to be covered in Robots are very good at doing the same task in the same place over
artificial or synthetic skin. and over again. In factories and nuclear power stations, more than a
Which features of human skin million robots behave in this way every day.
does robot skin need to copy?
For robots to work with people, for example caring for the elderly, they
Choose from a–d.
need to be much more like humans. They need to be able to move
a sensitive to touch
like humans and adapt to new places. They also need to be more
b sensitive to heat
sensitive to touch and temperature. In humans, it is skin which provides
c stretchable
important information on pressure and heat.
d all of these
2 Now read the text to check
your answer.
3 Read the text again and find the
answers to these questions.
1 What sorts of tasks are robots
good for?
2 Typically, which industries make
use of robots?
3 What do robots need in order
to work with people?
4 How does E-skin stretch?
5 Why is stretchability important?
6 How could walking robots Engineers at the University of Tokyo have developed an artificial skin for
use information from E-skin robots which is sensitive to pressure and temperature thanks to a large
in their feet? number of sensors. In addition, because it uses a mesh or net structure
7 How could E-skin help robots not it can be stretched by up to 25% and still retain its sensitivity. This
to damage themselves? means it can be used to cover moving parts like joints.
8 What two features of E-skin This E-skin opens the way for much more sensitive robots. For example,
would be important in
walking robots could use feedback from their feet to adjust to different
bathing a baby?
surfaces. Robots in the future may be able to grasp different tools and
use them as humans do. Domestic robots could pick up and bathe a
baby without hurting it. They would also be less likely to damage
themselves.
A lot remains to be done. E-skin will provide much more information
than the robot requires at any one time. Human brains can select only
the important information. Before robots can act like humans, they need
to have brains like humans.
 © Oxford University Press
18 Ways in to
technology
1 Answer the questions.
1 What science and technology
projects do you remember from
your school days?
2 Do universities, companies or
professional organizations in
your country hold science or
technology contests? If so, can you
say anything about them?
3 If you could do any kind of
research project in technology,
what area of study would you
choose?
2 Read the text. Mark each
statement T (true) or F (false).
1 The WSTC is designed to help
students pass exams.
2 Abdullah’s project could help
make banks or government
buildings safer from crime.
3 Lo-Chi’s project is designed
to learn more about the bad
behaviour of teenage boys.
4 The police might find some of
Lo-Chi’s research results useful.
5 Michel’s project may help
designers choose better paint for
automobiles.
6 Michel’s project could improve
the work environment of factory
workers.
3 Which of the three projects would
you most like to work on? Give
reasons for your choice.
Reading bank 23
WAYS IN TO TECHNOLOGY
The World Science and Technology Contest
Three participants in the World Science and Technology Contest
explain their projects
The World Science and Technology Contest (WSTC) invites students from around
the world to submit a research project. The winning project is paid for and run by
the WSTC and its partners in industry, and the winning applicant given further
training and an apprenticeship. Here are three of this year’s entries:
Research question: Are there connections between the
sound of a person’s voice and the appearance of a person’s
face?
Where the idea came from: Watching TV, I started to
wonder if people who look alike also sound the same. In
some cases, it seems to be true. For example, my brother
looks a lot like a famous newsreader, and their voices are
Name: Abdullah Al Ansari similar.
Country: Saudi Arabia Practical application for this research: Some security
Course of study: Computer systems use face recognition and voice recognition. If there
Science at Saudi Electronic are connections between faces and voices, then the system
University could detect people who are trying to fool it.
Research question: Why are some noises extremely
unpleasant?
Where the idea came from: When I hear the loud,
squealing sound of the brakes on a lorry in the street, I hate
it. It gives me a really bad feeling. But that’s strange, isn’t
it? How can a sound cause a feeling – and such a strong
feeling?
Name: Lin Lo-Chi Practical application for this research: If we understand
Country: Taiwan more about the way sounds affect people, sounds could be
Course of study: Biology at used to help people have positive feelings. Also, ‘negative’
National Taiwan University sounds could be used to break up crowds without hurting
anyone. People would want to leave the area just because
of the sound.
Research question: How does the colour of industrial
machines affect the people who work with them?
Where the idea came from: My brother recently bought
a new car. He had a hard time choosing the colour, because
he felt it was an expression of his personality. He felt it was
an important decision because we have strong feelings
about colour. Machines in factories are usually painted
Name: Michel Fabié for safety – to make them highly visible – and also for
Country: Belgium protection of the machine, for example against rust.
Course of study: Industrial Practical application for this research: We might find
Design at Lacambre Visual that certain colours of machine paint make workers more
Arts School alert, or perhaps less stressed. This could be a type of safety
improvement, and also might improve productivity.
 © Oxford University Press
19 Food and agriculture
1 Answer the questions.
1 Can you name any food plants that
grow naturally in your country?
2 Do you know what foods are grown by
farmers in your country?
3 Where does your country’s water come
from?
2 Read the text. Match the words 1–5
from the text with the correct
meanings a–e.
1 surplus
2 fertilizer
3 consumer
4 evaporation
5 consumption
a a chemical that help plants grow
b the process of liquid water turning to
vapour
c an extra amount of something
d the act of eating or using something
e a person who uses something
3 Now read the text again and find the
answers to these questions.
1 What examples does Karim give of
mainstream agriculture using a lot of
energy?
2 How do mainstream farmers in Jordan
improve the soil?
3 What two sources of water does the
permaculture farm in Jordan use?
4 How do plants work together on the
permaculture farm?
5 What does the permaculture farm use
for fertilizer?
6 Why is growing food for local
consumption efficient?
4 Would permaculture be useful in your
country? Why? / Why not?
Interview: Farming the desert
Permaculture expert Karim Benzid talks
about farming in a land with no water
What is permaculture?
Permaculture is an approach to
growing food. It aims to develop
sustainable systems of agriculture.
What are its main objectives?
To take care of the Earth, to take
care of the people, and to share the
surplus – the food we grow beyond
what we need.
How does it meet those
objectives?
It aims to integrate agricultural
systems with natural ecosystems
as much as possible. In the world
today, mainstream agriculture often
requires the transportation of water
and fertilizers long distances to make
plants grow. Farm produce, in turn,
is transported long distances to the
consumer. Permaculture uses local
resources to grow food for local
consumers.
Can you give us an example?
Sure – Jordan. Jordan is a desert
country with very little water. The
soil is often poor and requires a
lot of chemicals to grow fruits and
vegetables. More than half of the
available water in Jordan goes to
agriculture, but demand for water
has increased in the past ten to
twenty years. It’s an incredibly tough
place to grow food.
At one farm in Jordan Valley, in the
Kafrin area near the Dead Sea,
they’re practising permaculture.
The rainfall there is usually less than
150 mm per year, and it falls in two
or three big storms. The soil is poor.
Reading bank 24
So first, let’s consider water. On
this farm, they’ve set up a system
to harvest rainwater when it does
fall. They can store the water, and
they use it in a way that reduces
evaporation. It is fed to the plants in
a steady drip. They also use some
water from a well on the farm. So
it’s local ground water. The plants
are arranged so that the ones that
need the most water are nearest to
the source of the water. This reduces
waste.
Second, plants. The farm has olive
trees and date palms – they both
love the dry climate. These help
shelter and protect other smaller
plants – tomatoes, onions, garlic,
and so on – from the Sun. In fact, the
variety of plants is really important. In
this area, farmers usually grow just
one type of plant at a time.
Which brings me to my third point,
soil. Growing just one type of plant is
terrible for the soil. Growing a variety
of plants actually helps the soil.
Also, the farm has chickens, sheep,
ducks, and other animals. Waste
from the animals, plus waste from
the plants, is used to feed the soil.
All of the energy and chemicals that
the soil needs come from this waste
material. There’s no need to use
chemical fertilizers.
Finally, consumption. The food
grown on this farm is eaten locally.
That means they don’t use energy
bringing some foods into the
area, and they don’t use energy
transporting farm produce out of the
area. It’s very efficient.
 © Oxford University Press
20
Plastics
1 Answer the questions.
1 What plastic objects do you have
with you, or can you see around
you, right now?
2 Could any of those objects
possibly be made of a different
material? What material would
work?
3 Have you heard anything about
3-D printers? If so, what do you
know about them? If not, can you
guess what a 3-D printer might
do?
2 Read the text. Complete the
sentences with the words below.
3-D printers designs
doctors engineers
instructions objects
wires
1 were the first people
to use 3-D printing.
2 now use 3-D printing
to make objects that injured
people need.
3 A 3-D printer uses coloured plastic
to make objects.
4 can be downloaded
from the Internet.
5 The printer’s software creates
for building objects.
6 The aren’t solid
plastic – they’re hollow.
7 for the home don’t
make useful objects at the
moment.
3 If you had a 3-D printer at home,
what would you use it to make?
Reading bank 25
3-D printing
Turning computer images into plastic models
Since the 1990s, engineers have used
3-D printing to make models of complex
designs. More recently, 3-D printing has
been used to make objects for actual use,
not just models. For example, doctors
have used 3-D printing to make artificial
body parts such as bones and joints. The
process – called rapid prototyping – is
still not widely used. But it’s becoming
more common and techniques are being
improved constantly.
And now, three-dimensional printing at home is a reality. You buy and bring
home a 3-D printer, download a design from the Internet, and create plastic
objects in your own home. Here’s what you do:
1 Prepare the printer by loading it with plastic wire. The wire comes in ten
colours. You also have to spread glue on the print platform.
2 Search the Internet for designs of objects that can be 3-D printed. Printer
manufacturer Cubify has a wide selection at cubify.com, and others are
available elsewhere. Designs include toys and games, jewellery, cups,
lampshades, and many other things.
3 Using the 3-D printer’s software, convert the design to a set of
instructions for building the object. The software works out any special
supports that might be needed as the object is printed.
4 Press ‘Print’ and watch the printer create your design.
5 Let the plastic cool off, and enjoy your creation.
So how does it work? The printer heats the plastic wire until it’s soft. The
printer tip is heated to 300 °C, so when the plastic passes through it, it
becomes even softer. The software tells the tip of the printer where to move
to build up the object line-by-line. The printer tip can move up, down, and
sideways, so it can go anywhere the software tells it to.
The 3-D printer doesn’t make solid plastic objects. Instead, they are mostly
hollow, with a kind of grid structure between the two walls of plastic. This
makes the object strong and lightweight, and also reduces the amount of
plastic needed to print it.
There’s an important difference between 3-D printing in medicine and
industry and 3-D printing at home: engineers and doctors use it to create
things they really need. But for now, at least, the things you can print in plastic
at home aren’t especially useful.
 © Oxford University Press
21 Alternative energy
1 Imagine you are planning to start a
community of about 10,000 people
on an island in the middle of the
ocean. Answer the questions.
1 What would be the best way to
supply electrical power to the
island?
2 What would be the most efficient
way to feed the community?
3 How would you deal with the
island’s waste?
2 Read the text. Match the numbers
1–9 from the text with the facts a–i.
Give the unit.
1 1,400 6 700
2 11,000 7 2
3 3,000 8 40,000
4 11 9 2 million
5 500,000
a amount of time that the wind
blows every year in El Hierro – unit:
b elevation of El Hierro’s water-
storage lake – unit:
c distance from El Hierro to the
mainland – unit:
d the amount of oil that the island
isn’t using now – unit:
e The number of residents of El
Hierro – unit:
f the amount of money that the
island isn’t spending on oil – unit:
g power production of El Hierro’s
wind farm – unit:
h volume of El Hierro’s water-storage
lake – unit:
i the amount of time the
hydroelectric system can power the
island – unit:
3 Do you think small-scale, local
power generation like El Hierro’s
could work for your city? Why? /
Why not?
Reading bank 26
El Hierro The world’s
first energy
self-sufficient
island
This North Atlantic island is giving up fossil fuels
El Hierro, an island about 1,400 kilometres off the coast of Africa, is
home to 11,000 people. Until recently, their energy supply relied
on oil that arrived by ship from the mainland. However, as energy
prices increased, it became harder and harder for them to pay for
the delivery of fossil fuels. Lucky, then, that the island has over 3,000
hours per year when the wind blows hard enough to turn large wind
turbines. The island’s wind turbines produce about 11 megawatts of
power.
But the wind doesn’t always blow on El Hierro, and when the wind
stops blowing, the electricity stops flowing. The power grid doesn’t
store electricity – it needs to be constantly generated, which is one of
the big challenges of wind energy. The solution? El Hierro has created
a 500,000m3 reservoir at an altitude of 700 metres, inside the dormant
volcano at the island’s centre. That means that when the wind is slow,
water can be allowed to flow downhill through hydroelectric turbines
that generate the electricity the island needs. The water ends up in a
smaller reservoir near sea level, where it is purified for drinking.
You might imagine that the reservoir would soon drain all of its water
downhill. But you’d be wrong. When the wind is blowing and there’s
plenty of electricity available, pumps push desalinated seawater back
up to the top of the hill, ready for the next drop in wind speed. The
winds tend to blow the hardest at night, when people are asleep and
energy demand is low, so this is the perfect time to refill the upper
reservoir. The system generates enough electricity for two wind-free
days. If the wind stops for three days, they’ll have a problem. But so far,
that hasn’t happened.
The project can generate enough energy to save the 40,000 barrels
of oil they were importing each year, at a cost of €2 million at current
oil prices. The system also provides drinking water and water for
agriculture.
 © Oxford University Press
22
Mass transportation
1 Answer the questions.
1 What types of transport do you
use regularly?
2 If you use mass transportation,
what do you like about it? What
do you dislike?
3 If you don’t use mass
transportation, why don’t you?
2 Read the text. Underline the
correct answer.
1 The exhaust from a hydrogen fuel
cell is water / CO2.
2 Hydrogen fuel cell technology has
been perfected / is being developed
and tested.
3 Hydrogen must be manufactured /
is easily collected from the air.
4 The process of obtaining hydrogen
produces water / CO2.
5 Hydrogen may be a practical / an
impractical fuel source for trains.
6 Hydrogen-powered buses haven’t
/ have been tested on actual city
streets.
7 The challenge of powering a car
with a hydrogen fuel cell is the
car’s small size / expensive price.
8 Hydrogen fuel cells will probably
be useful for powering all / some
vehicles in the next ten years or
so.
3 Do you think hydrogen fuel
cells for cars would be useful
technology, or is researching them
a waste of time?
Reading bank 27
Is hydrogen the fuel of the future?
Hydrogen fuel cells produce electricity
by combining oxygen and hydrogen.
A series of fuel cells can provide
enough power to drive an electric
motor. The only waste product is water.
So why aren’t we using it?
In fact, we are using it. Wheelchairs,
The Fuel Cell Bus Club
trains, buses, bikes, golf carts,
This organization is running a trial using
motorcycles, and a few other vehicles
three Mercedes-Benz hydrogen fuel cell
can already run on some form of
buses in eleven cities around the world.
hydrogen power. However, all of these
Each bus can carry about 70 passengers
are experimental vehicles.
for a range of 300 kilometres – and costs
Challenges $1.2 million. The aim of the project is
Hydrogen doesn’t occur naturally on to demonstrate that clean, urban public
Earth – it must be produced. At the transport is possible.
moment, hydrogen is mostly produced by
Fuel cell cars
using methane (a powerful greenhouse
Most of the major automotive
gas) or other fossil fuels, which produce
manufacturers are carrying out research
CO2. Also, the equipment required to
into how to power cars with fuel cells in
produce and safely store hydrogen is
order to fight global warming. However,
large and complex – too big to fit on
critics say that even twenty years in
most vehicles. Researchers working on
the future, a fuel cell car may not be
hydrogen power are trying to develop
possible, and also that fuel cells simply
technology that will make hydrogen
aren’t practical for smaller vehicles. Many
power more mobile for use in vehicles.
believe that fighting global warming
They’re also trying to find practical ways
with fuel cell car research is a waste of
to produce it without fossil fuels.
time and money.
Hydrogen trains The road ahead
Researchers in several countries
Hydrogen fuel cells have been proven
have independently announced the
to be effective ways of powering larger
development of hydrogen-powered
vehicles. However, there’s still the
trains. Trains are ideal for hydrogen fuel
serious challenge of creating hydrogen in
cells because they have a lot of storage
an environmentally friendly way. Experts
space on board, and they also stop
are working on using wind, solar and
routinely at stations. Station stops for
nuclear energy for hydrogen production.
hydrogen trains would allow frequent
H H
refuelling. This would mean that the
large and complex hydrogen-production
equipment could remain in fixed
H H
locations.
 © Oxford University Press
23 Petroleum engineering
1 Answer the questions.
1 The world is facing an energy crisis. What
potential alternative energy sources do
you know about?
2 What sources does your country rely on
for energy?
3 What environmental problems can be
caused by the energy industry?
2 Read the text and choose the best phrase
to complete each sentence.
1 Shale gas exploration earthquakes.
a sometimes causes
b probably doesn’t cause
c has no connection with
2 In the UK, shale gas exploration
a is illegal
b is ongoing
c is done offshore
3 Shale gas is a type of . to the surface when a well is drilled. However, shale gas is different.
a exhaust gas
b natural gas
c greenhouse gas
4 ‘Fracking’ means creating . What is ‘fracking’?
a cracks
b water
c oil
5 Shale gas could provide energy.
a completely clean
b renewable
c a huge amount of
6 A lot of people are worried about the
caused by fracking.
a smell
b pollution
c extremely loud noises
7 Fracking continue.
a will probably not
b can’t legally
c is expected to
3 Based on what you know about fracking,
would you be happy for fracking to be
carried out near your home? Why? /
Why not?
Reading bank 28
Shale gas
Energy solution
or environmental
nightmare?
‘Fracking’ could solve a lot of
energy problems, but many
people say it isn’t safe
In April 2011, a small earthquake shook the English seaside resort of
Blackpool. The following month, there was another. The earthquakes
didn’t do a lot of damage, but they worried people. Geologists said
there was a direct connection between the earthquakes and nearby
. gas exploration. The exploration work was stopped for a year, but has
since been allowed to continue.
What is shale gas?
Natural gas usually comes out of the ground under pressure – it rises
It’s trapped inside a type of rock known as shale, and it doesn’t come
out, even when a well is drilled directly into the shale. A technique
called ‘fracking’ is used to extract shale gas.
Fracking is short for ‘hydraulic fracturing’. Water under pressure is
used to create cracks in shale – the rock that contains the gas. The
water, containing sand and a mixture of chemicals, is forced into steel
pipes that have been placed into the ground.
Why do we need shale gas?
Because there’s a lot of it. Experts believe that most countries that
currently produce natural gas have huge reserves of shale gas. If they
can use that shale gas, many of the world’s energy problems would be
temporarily solved.
What’s the problem with fracking?
There are three main worries. First, fracking sometimes causes
earthquakes, and earthquakes can hurt or even kill people, as well
as damage buildings and other property. Second, the water used in
fracking contains chemicals, and they can leak into drinking water
under the ground. There are hundreds of chemicals used in gas
drilling, and many of them can cause serious health problems for
people and animals. Finally, fracking uses a lot of water. In some
cases, fracking has used so much water that is has affected local water
supplies and taken water that was needed for drinking and farming.
Despite the potential problems, fracking continues today all over the
world, and shale gas may soon be an important part of the world’s
energy supply.
 © Oxford University Press
24 Environmental
engineering
1 Answer the questions.
1 What causes global warming?
2 What are people (including
companies and governments)
doing to address the problem of
global warming?
3 Do you think we will be able to
save the planet before we have
very serious problems?
2 Compare your answers with the
information given in the text.
3 Now read the text again. Mark
each statement T (true) or F (false).
1 CO2 attracts heat from space and
transfers it to the Earth.
2 Scientists are working on a plan to
slightly shade the Earth from the
Sun.
3 Volcanoes are a dangerous source
of heat that is causing global
warming.
4 Scientists are experimenting with
the best way to put more sulphur
dioxide in the atmosphere.
5 Many people worry that a
solution to global warming based
on the reaction of sulphur could
make problems worse.
6 Scientists believe using sulphuric
acid is a safe solution to global
warming.
4 Do you think man-made
volcanoes are a good solution to
the problem of global warming?
Why? / Why not?
Reading bank 29
Can man-made volcanoes
solve our climate problems?
The Earth’s atmosphere – the layer of air around How one natural
the planet – helps control the Earth’s temperature.
CO2 in the atmosphere can cause problems
disaster might
because it allows sunlight to come through, but it help save us
tends to trap heat. Since the 1800s, people have
added a lot of CO2 to the atmosphere, mostly
from another
through industrial activities. This is causing our
planet to become warmer.
Most experts agree that we should reduce
the amount of CO2 in the air to reduce global
warming. But some scientists think we may need
to do more. Researchers in Britain would like to
find a way to cut down the sunlight that passes
through the atmosphere. They believe that if we
could achieve this, we could stop global warming.
They are trying to find a chemical that would
reduce the amount of sunlight coming through
the atmosphere if sprayed into the air.
Researchers have known for years that large
volcanic eruptions can cool the planet. The
smoke from volcanoes contains sulphur dioxide.
Chemical reactions in the atmosphere change the
sulphur dioxide into tiny particles of sulphuric
acid. The acid particles reflect the Sun’s radiation.
This cools the planet. Scientists are not suggesting
that we should spray sulphuric acid into the
atmosphere – it’s a strong chemical that can
damage people, plants, animals, and property.
However, they do want to find a chemical that
behaves in the same way.
Not everyone thinks this is a good solution. If
something unexpected happened, placing large
amounts of chemicals into the atmosphere could
cause serious changes in the weather or create
other problems. Even the scientists who are
working on the project agree that it might be too
dangerous to try. But if global warming becomes a
lot worse, we may have to consider it.
 © Oxford University Press
25
Robotics
1 Answer the questions.
1 Think of some examples of robots
in science fiction books or films
(for example, Star Wars). Describe
them.
2 What household job would you
like to have a robot to do for you?
3 Do you think robots could cause
problems for people in the future?
If so, how?
2 Read the text and find the
answers to these questions.
1 All three robots have features that
work like, or are modelled on, a
living thing. What are they?
2 Only one robot can move around
on its own. Which one is it?
3 Which robot doesn’t interact with
its environment very much, at
least at the moment?
4 Which robot probably looks the
least like a living thing?
3 Answer the questions.
1 Are any of the robots in the text
like robots you discussed in 1 of 1
above? Which ones? What are the
similarities?
2 Do you think that in the future,
robots like the Eccerobot will
be common, and ‘live’ amongst
humans? Why? / Why not?
3 Can you think of a practical way
that each of the three robots
might be used, when fully
developed?
Reading bank 30
The future of robots
Three very different approaches to machines
that work like living things
The robot that eats
The Ecobot III produces its own energy by ‘eating’ unwanted human food, such as rotten
fruit, and also water from the environment around it. The robot contains fuel cells that
work like a cow’s stomach. The cells contain bacteria that consume the ‘food’. The
resulting chemical reaction creates energy that powers the robot. Of course, everything
that eats also produces waste – in the case of the Ecobot III, this is CO2. However,
scientists point out that this isn’t the same as releasing CO2 by burning fossil fuels. The
CO2 produced by the Ecobot III would have been produced by the food biodegrading
anyway. In experiments, the Ecobot III has managed to ‘stay alive’ and feed itself for up to
seven days. It moves around slowly on small wheels.
The robot that runs
The cheetah is the fastest land animal in the world. That’s why scientists at robotics firm
Boston Dynamics chose it as the model for their four-legged, running robot. By looking
closely at how a cheetah’s running body functions, they were able to create a robot that
can run. The secret is in the flexibility of the robot’s back. The back bends so that the
robot’s back feet can move as far forward as its chin as it sprints. This allows its feet
to stay on the ground longer, making it fast – like a real cheetah. Currently, the cheetah
robot can move at 45 kilometres per hour. That’s impressive, but at the moment, it can run
only on a treadmill in the laboratory, with support. It also requires a power cable to an
outside battery. Scientists are working hard to improve the robot’s balance and develop an
onboard power source.
The robot that looks like a person
Earlier robots like ASIMO had a human shape but moved in a mechanical way. The
Eccerobot has a body that uses systems and structures that are similar to the human
body: artificial bones, muscles, and tendons. Where traditional robots have rigid joints and
very mechanical movements, the Eccerobot’s movements are strangely human. Why? The
robot’s ‘bones’ are connected by rubber bands and pieces of soft rubber tissue. When the
robot moves, motors pull on the rubber bands, which
in turn move the bones. The movement of the bones
causes other parts to move slightly, rather than
creating an isolated, mechanical motion. The robot’s
‘brain’ is, of course, a computer. At the moment,
the main function of the computer is to receive
information input from the robot’s body and react
appropriately. For example, if you hand the robot a
ball, it can gently take it from you.
At the moment, the Eccerobot only has an upper
body – it has no legs, and it can’t move itself. But
as scientists perfect the robot’s movement and
‘thinking’ ability, it will be able to perform more and
more activities.
 © Oxford University Press
26
Defence technology
1 Answer these questions.
1 How do wild animals make
themselves less visible to
enemies?
2 If you want to make yourself less
noticeable in a crowd, what can
you do?
3 What techniques does the
military use to hide things from
enemies?
2 Read the text. Mark each
statement T (true) or F (false).
1 ‘Optical camouflage’ is a special
type of cloth that produces colours
and images.
2 Marine biologists have
successfully created a submarine
that changes colour to match its
environment.
3 Scientists have discovered crystals
that could make buildings almost
invisible.
4 Researchers have made dead
tissue transparent, and may
one day make living tissue
transparent.
5 Nowadays, the most widely used
technique for concealing military
equipment and personnel is very
high tech.
3 Can you think of anything that
you would like to make invisible?
Why would you like to make it
invisible?
The secret of
invisibility
Since ancient times, people have used
camouflage – body paint or other
coverings – to hide while hunting or
fighting. These simple techniques are still
used today, but technology offers many
more sophisticated ways of hiding.
Invisible clothes
Who wouldn’t want an invisibility
suit? This isn’t yet possible, but
researchers have discovered that
they can create a type of ‘optical
camouflage’. Here’s how: the person
who wants to disappear wears
clothing in a solid, light colour.
Cameras film the area behind the
person, and this background image
is projected onto the front of the
person. When you look at the person
from the front, you can see the
background projected on the person,
and they becme difficult to see.
Hidden submarines
Sea creatures such as the octopus
and cuttlefish can change the colour
of their skin to blend in with the
background. Their skin contains
chemicals that make this possible.
Marine biologists are now working
with the military to understand
exactly how some fish can change
colour in an attempt to figure out
how navy submarines could be made
to do the same thing. This research is
still in the very early stages.
Disappearing buildings
Architects and town planners often
talk about the visual impact of a
structure – will a new building
make the city more beautiful, or will
people complain because it’s ugly?
Optical science researchers have
discovered that some tiny crystals
Reading bank 31
can bend and reflect light. In theory,
if you covered an entire building in
these crystals, they could reflect the
light in such a way that the building
would be very difficult to see. That’s
probably not practical for city-
centre buildings, but the military is
definitely interested.
Transparent people
Brain scientists have created a
chemical that makes brain tissue
transparent. Researchers have made
small pieces of mouse brain tissue
completely see-through, which aids
their research. Would it be possible
to turn an entire living creature
transparent? At the moment, we’re
not even close. The chemical used
on mouse brains is toxic, and not
used on living creatures. However,
scientists have already discovered a
milder chemical that may have the
same effect.
Good old-fashioned
camouflage
Technology can do a lot to help the
military hide people and things, but
most soldiers still use grease paint on
their faces, camouflage clothing, and
some leaves when they need to hide.
Soldiers are trained to use plants
and other natural materials to hide
or disguise military equipment, or to
create decoys – things used to attract
an enemy’s attention away from
certain objects.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 32

Writing bank
:
: ::

: : ::

Cc: Cc: Cc:

Cc:

Emails [FACS: email ]

:

Carol Larque 1
1 Mark each statement T (true) or :

Cc: :
:
: : :

F (false). : : : : : :
Hartmut Schwandner
: :
Cc: Cc: :
Cc:
Cc:
1 If you know the recipient well, you Cc: Cc: Cc:

can leave out the opening greeting Earplug 2

and complimentary close.
:
2 Emoticons :-) J can be used in any :
type of email. Dear Mr Schwandner 3 Cc:

3 To stress a word, write it in I was interested to read the article in the Engineering and
CAPITAL LETTERS.
Technology Journal last month about the revolutionary
4 You should keep your message earplug you have developed.4
short. :

5 It’s not necessary to answer an : I work for a woodworking company in central Sweden and
Cc:
email quickly. I would be grateful if you could let us have technical
6 You should never write something details of this product as well as price and minimum order
you don’t want others to see. requirements.5
7 You should try to be amusing.
I look forward to hearing from you.6

Carol Larque
2 Read the email and find the
answers to these questions. Health and Safety Officer 7
1 Who is Carol Larque?
2 Who is Hartmut Schwandner?
3 What does Carol want?
4 Why does she tell Hartmut where
she works?
3 Match the parts of the email 1–7
with the sections a–g.
a Reason for writing
b Sender’s position
c Subject line
d Complimentary close
e Sender’s name
f Opening greeting
g How Carol knows about Hartmut
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 33

:
: ::
: : :
: : ::
: : :
Cc: Cc: Cc:
Cc:
Cc: Cc: Cc:

4 Read the two emails and find the [FACS: email ]

answers to these questions. :

1 How does Per begin the main body

: : Per Lowi
Cc: :
of the email? : : Ken Trim :

: : :
2 How does Per make polite Cc:
Cc: Cc: Cc:

requests? Security cameras

3 How do Per and Larrie open and
close their emails? Which one of
them knows the person they are
writing to?
5 1 Write an email to ask for
technical information about the
heat pumps advertised in The
Energy Journal last week. You
also want to know about the
cost and details for installing
them. You think you could
install it yourself. Ask about the
length of the guarantee. Write
70–90 words.
Dear Ken
Following our telephone conversation this morning regarding the
installation of security cameras at your factory, I would be grateful if
you could send me a detailed map of the premises. We need to be
able to assess how many cameras we would need to cover your
premises and the most suitable places to fix them so that the whole
area can be seen. Can you also indicate on the map where you would
like the monitors to be placed? For example, you could have them in
the reception area or main office where they are constantly on view.
Best wishes
Per :
: ::

: : ::
: : :
Cc: Cc: Cc:
Cc:
: : :

Cc: Cc: Cc:

[FACS: email ]
:

: : Larrie Dale
Cc: :
: : info@barrierdesigns.com
:

: : :
Cc:
Cc: Cc: Cc:

Catalogue

If you are looking for a safe and

environmentally-friendly
alternative to fossil fuels, heat
pumps are the answer.
Heat pumps provide a safe
solution to heating the house
and reduce costs by up to 70% .
Dear Sir/Madam
As a consultant to the oil industry I am very interested in your safety
products. Could you please send me your catalogue and latest
price list? We are particularly interested in providing our customers
with effective gas detection systems.

I look forward to hearing from you.

For more information, contact Yours faithfully
Steve Ford. SF@heatpumps.com
Larrie Dale

Dale Products
2 Write an email to Plastics
Tel: 001 519 1557 323232
Incorporated asking for details
of their apprenticeship or young 24 Alberta Road, Newington, London, Ontario
graduate schemes. Write 35–50
words.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 34

Describing graphs Fig. 1

The rose slightly.

1 Complete the tables with the temperature
words below.
considerably increased
decreased moderately
dropped sharp
gradually slowly Fig. 2
growth steep There dramatic rise in solar
increase went up was a energy
production.
2 Look at the graph in Fig. 4.
1 What is the topic of the graph?
2 What does the horizontal (X) axis
represent? Fig. 3
3 What are the figures on the Rice fell significantly.
vertical (Y) axis? production
4 What were the most important
sources of energy? Why are 1978
and 1983 significant? What do you
notice about alternative sources
Fig. 4
of energy? Which source of energy
grew significantly after 1970? WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION
45,00
3 Read the description of the graph coal
in Fig. 4. 40,00 natural gas
1 What is the purpose of the first
35,00 petroleum
sentence? nuclear electric
MILLION BILLION JOULES

2 What is the purpose of the second 30,00 power

sentence?
3 Which words have a meaning
similar to approximately?
The graph in Fig. 4 shows how much
energy from different sources was
used between 1950 and 2005. We
can see that over this period the
amount of energy used increased
sharply, and the largest amount of
energy came from petroleum. In
1950, just over 13,000 million billion
Joules were used, but this figure rose
sharply to reach a peak of roughly
40,000 million billion Joules in
1978. There was a dramatic fall to
just over 30,000 million billion in the
following five years, before
conventional
25,00 hydroelectric
power
20,00
wood, waste,
5,00
alcohol
geothermal
0,00
solar
5,000 wind
0
950 960 970 980 990 2000 200 year
rising rapidly to reach 42,000 million during this time, but there was a
billion Joules by 2005. The second growth in the amount of nuclear
and third largest sources of energy electric power after 1970, reaching
were natural gas and coal, which each approximately 8,000 million billion
accounted for about 25,000 million Joules in 2005. The fall in energy
billion Joules in 2005. The graph consumption in the years around
shows that insignificant amounts of 1980 was probably due to the world
energy came from renewable sources oil crisis.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 35

4 Look at the pie charts in Fig. 5. Fig. 5

PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION IN CROATIA
1 What do they show?
Read the description of the pie
charts.
2 What does respectively mean?
3 The word while is used to
contrast two pieces of
information. Find two other words
which have the same function.
5 Underline the correct answers.
58% ROAD
A line graph / pie chart shows a
32% RAILWAY
relationship between two
variables. The variable on the X 9% SEA AND COASTAL
axis is often time. We use a line 1% AIR
graph / pie chart to show increases
and decreases.
A line graph / pie chart is divided
into sectors which represent a CARGO TRANSPORTATION IN CROATIA
percentage of the whole. We use a
line graph / pie chart to compare
and contrast data.

48% ROAD
32% SEA AND COASTAL
11% RAILWAY

8% PIPELINE
1% INLAND WATER

The pie charts compare the use of different modes of passenger and cargo
transportation in Croatia. It can be seen that more than half of all
passengers choose to travel by road, accounting for 58%, while just under
half of all cargo is carried by road. About a third of all passengers use rail
transport but only 11% of Croatia’s cargo goes by rail. Croatia has a long
coastline, and just under a third of Croatia’s cargo is transported by sea.
However, only 9% of passengers use this form of transport. This is probably
because sea transport is cheaper for cargo but too slow for passengers.
Pipeline and inland water transportation account for 8% and 1% of cargo
transportation, respectively.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 36

6 1 Use expressions from the Fig. 6 UK OIL CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION

Clipboard to write a description
of the graph in Fig. 6. In your 4,000
first sentence, describe what

BARRELS PER DAY (1000)

the graph is about by using 3,000
the title, X, and Y axes. In
the second sentence, give an
overview of the trends shown 2,000
in the graph.
Then describe the graph in
more detail. Write 80–100 1,000
words.
2 Write a description of the pie 0
chart in Fig. 7. Write 80–100 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
words. YEAR
CONSUMPTION
PRODUCTION

Clipboard
Fig. 7 WHY PEOPLE USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Language for describing graphs
The graph shows
The graph provides information
about
The chart compares
Between  and 6
From  to 6
Over this period
In 5
During this time
Reach a peak
Account for

7 Carry out a class survey of the

method of transport used by
34% TO AND FROM WORK
students to get to class. Display
3% WORK RELATED
the results in a pie chart and then
write a description. 13% SHOPPING
11% FAMILY / PERSONAL BUSINESS
13% SCHOOL / CHURCH
5% MEDICAL / DENTAL
2% VACATION
8% VISIT FRIEND
11% SOCIAL RECREATIONAL
© Oxford University Press
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
1 Read Marc’s CV. He is applying for
graduate schemes specializing in
Environmental Consultancy and
Impact Assessment. Answer the
questions.
1 Which school did he go to?
2 What subjects did he study at
school?
3 Which university did he study at?
4 What subject did he study?
5 What did he do while he was in
Germany?
6 Where is the Eden Project?
7 What did he do there?
8 What does he think his strengths
are?
9 What does he do in his free time?
2 Write a CV for yourself. In your CV
you have to sell yourself. Unit 2 in
the Student’s Book will give you
ideas of different skills. Once you
have completed the CV, write a
covering letter to go with it.
Writing bank 37
Marc Foster
D.O.B. 03.06.1986
Email: mfoster@worldwide.co.uk
Tel: home 01295 670026 mobile 07884128831
Nationality: British
Profile
I am a highly-motivated and hard-working young graduate with excellent
academic qualifications and appropriate work experience in the field of
ecology. I work very well in a team, have excellent communication and
organizational skills, and enjoy encouraging and motivating others,
including children.
Education and qualifications
2005 – 2008 University of Leeds
BSc (Hons) 2.1 Environmental Biogeoscience
My personal research project on collecting biodata in the river
Danube floodplain is to be published by the Worldwide Fund
for Nature in their quarterly magazine.
Modules studied
Environmental Risk: Science, Policy, and Management
Air quality: Science and Policy
Earth System Science: Biochemical Cycles
Soils and Environmental Change
Sustainable Development: Challenges and Practice
1998 – 2005 Polam Hall School, Darlington
A2 level: Chemistry (B), Mathematics (A), Biology (B)
AS level: Business Studies (C), General Studies (B)
9 GCSE grades: 2A*, 4A, 2B, 1C
Work Experience
July/August 2006, 2007 Worldwide Fund for Nature, Germany
Total of 12 weeks spent assisting with species
and habitat management, surveying and
monitoring activities, and the collection of
biodata. This provided valuable experience
of ecosystems as well as working in an
international team.
Summer 2004, 2005 The Eden Project, Cornwall
Summer assistant with responsibility for selling
tickets, guiding visitors around the centre, and
assisting with educational activities for children.
This helped me develop my skills in working with
children and members of the public, as well as
explaining issues related to the environment.
Interests
I take great pleasure in travelling to experience different cultures, meet new
people, and learn from new experiences. I enjoy playing the piano and
singing. I have been a member of the university operatic society for the last
three years.
© Oxford University Press
Memos
1 Read the memo and find the
answers to these questions.
1 What is the purpose of the memo?
2 How will apprentices be chosen?
3 What should the team leaders
in the Maintenance Department
do now?
Clipboard             
A memo is an internal company
document that is normally
impersonal and formal in style.
It can be sent to one person or
a number of people within the
organization and may be put on
a noticeboard. It should:
state who it is to
state who it is from
have a title explaining what it is
about, and a date
state the purpose in the opening
paragraph
be as brief as possible.
Writing bank 38
KEY S T O N E E N G I N E E R I N G
122 – 128 Highland Street
Newby
Tel: 0044 547 222234
email: enquiries@keystone.co.uk
Memo
To Maintenance Department
From Training Manager
Subject Six apprenticeship places starting
September 20—
Date 14 May 20—
A decision has been made by senior management that
apprenticeships for six Maintenance Technicians will be
made available to start in September 20—. Advertisements
inviting applicants will be placed in national newspapers
in June. Interviews will be arranged for the week beginning
3 July.
The apprenticeships will be for three years and will consist
of on-the-job training under supervision in the Maintenance
Department and day release one day a week to the local
college.
Would team leaders please attend a meeting in Room D on
Thursday 17 May at 9 a.m. to discuss possible skilled
supervisors for the apprentices and the apprentices’ work
rotation.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 39

2 Complete the memo by putting

the information a–f in the correct Kirby Components
place.
a all transport vehicles will be fitted Kirby North Industrial Estate
with GPS navigation system Kirby
equipment
b Short briefing courses
c Would all drivers please sign up
d Memo 1

e to improve the efficiency of our

To 2
delivery service
f Transport Department From General Manager

3 1 Write a memo to all staff Subject GPS vehicle navigation system for all delivery vehicles
working in the Food Date 24 November 20—
Department at Briteways
Supermarket. Use the notes in A
below. Provide a company
address, date, etc. Write 80–100 3
words.
As part of the company efficiency programme,
over the next few weeks. This equipment will allow drivers to find their
2 Start Engineering have recently
way to delivery addresses more quickly and 4.
signed a contract with a
German company, Poch AG, to 5 on how to operate the equipment will be run
supply them with components
for the next three years. A on Monday 4, Tuesday 5 and Thursday 7 December at 8.30 a.m.
group of Senior Managers from
6 for one of these dates with their group
the company are coming to
visit Start Engineering. Write manager.
a memo to all staff using the
notes in B below. Write 70–90
words.

A B
Change in fruit and vegetable packaging – visit 10 – 13 April
will stop using plastic trays
be prepared to answer technical questions –
New trays compostable, starting next month be helpful
Less attractive so staff need to reassure
customers be prepared to explain production procedures
Company advertising campaign to promote – be informative
them as environmentally-friendly next month arrange lunch and rest breaks so there is
Everyone to attend short training session always someone available to answer any
Friday 1p.m., Room D technical questions
Those unable to attend, speak to line manager
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 40

Instructions A B

1 Match the hand signals with the

instructions to the driver.
C
Lower D E
Move forward
Move backwards
Raise
Stop
2 What instructions do these A B C D
signs give?
example
A Do not smoke.
When we give instructions, we use
E F G H
the infinitive of the verb. To give a
warning or prohibit an action we
use do not.
3 Have you ever used a fire
extinguisher? Would you use the
Do not 1 a fire if there is
same extinguisher for an electrical
fire as for a paper fire? Why? / a) considerable heat
Why not?
b) significant smoke or fumes
Find the nearest fire extinguisher
c) a possibility you will be trapped.
to your room and read the type of
fire it is suitable for. 2 the fire emergency services

Use the words below to complete 3 the correct extinguisher

the instructions for using a fire
extinguisher.
4 the pin
Aim Point
Be Pull out 5 the nozzle away from you
Call Release
Choose Squeeze 6 the locking mechanism

Fight Sweep
7 low
Hold

8 the extinguisher upright

and aim at the base of the fire

9 the trigger

10 prepared for the force and

noise of the extinguishing agent

11 the nozzle from side to side
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 41

4 Look at the sketches that show

how to make a solar oven. Write a
set of instructions on how to build 1
a solar oven to accompany the
illustrations. Include all the parts
and materials from this list:
main structure
plywood or other board material
interior
black painted metal
lid
glass
reflective panels 2
aluminium foil
corrugated cardboard
Write 50–70 words.

Clipboard             
Useful verbs
Place Attach
Connect Cut
Paint Measure 4
Cover Use
Estimate Fix
Calculate Try to

3
© Oxford University Press
Health and safety
1 Look at part of a completed
accident report form.
1 Who was injured?
2 How old is he?
3 What were his injuries?
4 Why do you think the driver didn’t
see the boy?
Clipboard              Employee
Language of injuries
He cut his hand and needed
stitches.
She broke her leg / had a broken leg.
He was knocked unconscious.
He burnt his arm.
She has a bruised face.
He was knocked down by a car.
He slipped on / tripped over ...
He suffered a major injury /
a broken neck.
When we write an incident report
we use past tenses.
Jolan Balog saw .. . Past Simple
Abdul was hit ... Past Simple Injured by animal
(Passive)
Abdul had entered . . . Past Perfect
Writing bank 42
Name of injured person Abdul Azizi
Address Flat 267, Block 65, New City,
Birmingham
Phone number 0121 121212
Age 9
Female/Male Male
Job title Not applicable
Who was the injured person?
On training scheme
On work experience
Employed by someone else
Self-employed
Member of the public ✓
Kind of accident
Contact with moving machinery
Hit by moving object
Hit by moving vehicle ✓
Hit something fixed
Injured while handling, lifting,
  carrying
Slipped, tripped, fell
Trapped
Drowned
Exposed to harmful substances
Exposed to fire
Exposed to electricity
Physically assaulted by a person
Description of what happened Abdul was hit by a moving dumper
truck which was carrying earth
on the construction site in Main
Road. The truck driver did not see
Abdul, who had entered the site.
Jolan Balog, Site Foreman, saw the
accident and called an ambulance.
Jolan and two other workers stayed
with Abdul until the ambulance
arrived. At hospital, Abdul was
X-rayed and found to have a broken
leg and bruised arms.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 43

2 Dan Skrebowski, 22, has been

involved in an accident at work About you, the person filling in About the person who had the
the report accident
during his training in electrical
installation. Look at the pictures Name Name
below, and then fill in the report Address Address
form. Use imaginary personal Occupation Occupation
details for Dan. Use the
expressions in Clipboard on p.42
Signature   Report number  Date
and the Past Simple to describe his
injuries. Write 60–80 words.
About the accident
When did it happen?   Date    Time
Health and safety Where did it happen?
report How did it happen and why?
3 An Accident Investigation
Inspector has produced a Health
Give details of any injury suffered and treatment given
and safety report following
_____________________________________________________________
Abdul’s accident. Match the
paragraphs A–D with the correct Give any recommendations to avoid similar accidents occurring
parts of the report 6.1–7.2. _____________________________________________________________
A Vehicle access points to the site _____________________________________________________________
should be manned during _____________________________________________________________
construction work to prevent
persons accessing the site
when gates are open.

B Vehicle access points to the

site were constantly open and
unmanned.

C Site should be securely fenced

off to prevent unauthorized
access by members of the
public. Any breaks should be
fixed immediately.
6.0 Findings
6.1
D Site had not been securely
fenced off. Temporary fencing 6.2
had fallen over in two places and
had not been put back up.

7.0 Recommendations

4 Write the findings and 7.1

recommendations sections of a 7.2
report following Dan’s accident.
Write 60–80 words.
© Oxford University Press Writing bank 44

Reports
1 The treadle pump uses simple technology to raise water from
1 Complete the short description of
underground sources. Fuel is not ...
what reports are for with the
words below. On the other hand, the diesel pump has the advantage of being
able to pump larger quantities of water (see Appendix 1.1). It ...
issue purpose
describes written 2 Because rain only falls during certain months of the year and
possible there is only limited finance available, it is essential to find an
irrigation system that is cost-effective.
A report 1 a study,
The aim of this report was to find the most suitable method of
investigation, or project. Its raising ground water, with the main criteria being cost, low
2 is to provide maintenance, and ease of use.
This report presents two irrigation systems: the treadle pump
recommendations, updates, and
and the diesel pump.
sometimes to sell an idea. It is A description and an analysis of operational efficiency for each
3 by a single pump are followed by a comparison of the two designs. Finally
person or group of people who the most effective pump is recommended.

have investigated the 3 Appendix 1.1 – table showing comparative figures

4 and it is read by 4 2.0 Treadle pump
people who require the 2.1 Operation
The treadle pump is operated by a person using his/her body
information. It should be as long weight and leg muscles in a walking movement to pump the
as necessary and as short as water. ...
5! The pump consists of two pistons positioned inside two
cylinders. ...

5 Summary
2 Read the extracts from a report. 1.0 Introduction
4.0 Comparison
Match the items a–g with the 5.0 Recommendation
2.0 Treadle pump
extracts 1–7. Two have been done and conclusions
2.1 Operation
for you. 6.0 References
2.2 Costs
a Title Appendices:
3.0 Diesel pump
Appendix 1.1
b Table of contents 3.1 Operation
c Introduction 3.2 Costs

d Body of the report 6 In conclusion, two alternative designs have been presented: a
e Comparison low-cost treadle pump and a diesel-generated pump. Each is
low in basic cost and easy to ..., however, the treadle pump is
f Summary and Conclusion 6
recommended as it presents lower maintenance costs and ...
g References 3
7 A comparison of two irrigation systems for small farmers in
rural Africa

By Frank Burton and Ailsa MacLeod

24 July 20__
© Oxford University Press
3 The summary / abstract
The summary is often called an
executive summary or abstract.
A descriptive abstract tells the
reader:
a what the report is about
b the purpose
c methods used
d the scope.
An informative abstract also
includes:
e the results
f conclusions
g recommendations.
Look at the informative abstract
in A. Match the points a–g above
with phrases in the abstract.
example
A the most effective way to reduce
the costs of heating an average
home in Britain and reduce
carbon emissions
4 Use the notes in B to write part of a
report on two possible bridge
designs. Write the title, list of
contents, introduction, summary,
and conclusion for the report. Use
expressions from Clipboard.
Clipboard              Durability
Language for reports
Introduction
The aim of this report is to . . .
The purpose of this report is to . . .
This report presents . . .
In this report we review . . .
Recommendations and conclusions
In conclusion,
... A is recommended as it . . .
We recommend ...
Based on the research, we
  recommend that . . .
The main recommendations are . . .
Writing bank 45
A
This report compares fourteen different practical measures that can
be taken in order to find the most effective way to reduce the costs
of heating an average home in Britain and reduce carbon emissions.
To achieve this, the research compares the cost of installation, the
number of years required to pay back the investment cost, and the
amount of carbon saved each year. The study shows that the cost of
insulating loft and walls is recovered within three years but saves
only a small amount of carbon. Although it takes approximately
thirteen years to pay back the cost of installing a ground source heat
pump, it saves the maximum amount of carbon and is, therefore, the
best long-term solution. Based on the research, we recommend that,
where possible, new homes are fitted with ground source heat
pumps.
B
Two possible bridge designs
Steel beam bridge and composite girder bridge
Background: Dual carriageway – total 4 lanes to cross
River Dee, north Scotland
Span 132 metres between man-made
compacted fill embankments
Soil conditions uncertain
16 metres above water level
Gradient – 0.07m/m
Criteria: Method of construction
Costs of construction and maintenance
Aesthetics
Include: Sketches of elevations and cross-sections
Costing calculations
Time scale
Comparison: Both bridges need piers on piled foundations
due to soil
Design 2 made of steel so longer spans but we
recommend design 1
Recommend: Design 1 – minimal framework in
construction
Easy to erect
Cheaper
More durable