Unit 12

Household
Technology
Kitchen Furniture
- Kitchen furniture usually comes in flat packs for assembly
by the purchaser.
- It is produced in high volumes from resin-bonded wood chip
material finished with plastic coating or MDF which is an
artificial material used instead of wood.
- The pieces are cut to size using the latest computer
numerical control machinery .
- Resin-bonded material are very stable, unlike wood, so they
can be assembled easily into a well-finished product.
- The customer is given the choice of different finishes and
designs for the visible part of the furniture such as doors.
- Those items may be manufactured from real wood such as
oak, or from a low cost material with an expensive veneer or
paint finish.

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Kitchen Furniture
The carcasses, the basic boxes which form wall cupboars
for supporting the worktops, are hidden behind the door
and under worktops so can be made from white
melamine covered chipboard.
They are common through a range of kitchen designs so
can be produced at low cost due to their high volumes.
Worktops, the surface where food is prepared, need to be
easy clean and resistance to scratching and damage from
knife cuts and dropped kitchen utensils.
There are several new innovations that have been made
into kitchen designs. (Newer versions, entertainment
systems, smart appliances, and energy saving devices).

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 Switch on
Which of these domestic appliances do you
use? How many can you name?

Household appliances = a machine or piece of equipment designed to do a particular job in the home

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Switch on
Which appliance is being described in the sentences?
1 Refrigerator (fridge)

2 iron

3 microwave oven

4 electric kettle
5 vacuum cleaner

6 hair dryer

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 Reading Making Kitchens
Work in pairs to label the pictures. Choose
from the words below.
1
drawer hinge 3 panel 6 tap
8 5
Handle 2 knob 4 sink 7 worktop 1

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 Reading Text
Making Kitchens
Scan the text to complete the table 2
Componant Materials used
carcass • melamine-faced chipboard
doors • Solid wood, board material, MDF
worktops • melamine coated chipboard, manmade materials,
e.g corian, stone (granite, salt, marble)

Abbreviation Meaning
CNC computer numerical control
MDF medium density fiberboard

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 Reading Making Kitchens
Keywords
o comprise: consist of; be made up of.
o carcasses: well-built cabinets used to provide
storage in kitchen.
o CNC: computer numerical control machine.
o Melamine: a white crystalline compound made by
heating cyanamide and used in making plastics.
o Chipboard: material made in rigid sheets or
panels from compressed wood chips and resin.
o hinge: a movable joint or mechanism on which a
door or lid swings as it opens and closes.
o knob: a rounded lump or ball, especially at the
end or on the surface of something.
o grooves: a long, narrow cut made to receive a
corresponding shelve.
o PVC: (Polyvinyl Chloride): a solid and robust
material with high dimensional stability, ensuring
long tool life.
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 Reading Making Kitchens
Keywords
o edge banding: gluing a melamine or PVC strip
around the raw edge.
o slab door: a rectangular, thick, flat one-piece
door.
o coated: covered with a hard decorative layer.
o Acrylic: plastic made from polymers of acrylic
acid or acrylates.
o Vinyl: a synthetic resin or plastic consisting of
polyvinyl chloride, used especially for
wallpapers or other covering materials.
o wrapped: covered in paper or soft material.
o lacquered: varnished or coated with lacquer (a
liquid made of synthetic substances, that dries
to form a hard protective coating).
o moulded door: made or shaped in a mould or a
distinctive typical form.

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 Reading Making Kitchens
Keywords
o fiberboard: a building material made of wood
or other plant fibers compressed into boards.
o carve: cut or engrave to produce an object.
o 5-piece door: made up of 5 pieces.
o stiles: a vertical piece in the frame of a paneled
door
o rails: a horizontal piece in the frame of a
paneled door 
o panel: a rectangular flat or curved component
that forms the surface of the door.
o assembly: the action of fitting together the
component parts of the door.

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11
 Reading Making Kitchens
Keywords
o denibbed:  sanded to remove nibs trapped in
a layer of paint or other finish.
o man-made: artificial, made or caused by
human beings, not natural.
o Corian: a brand of solid surface material
(several layers welded together to look like
one piece)
o Granite: a very hard, granular (consisting of
small grains), crystalline, rock.
o Slate: a fine-grained gray, green, or bluish
rock.
o Marble: a hard, crystalline rock, typically
white with streaks of color.

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 Reading Making Kitchens
Activity
Find the following words in the text (page 87)
and choose the correct meaning of the word:

◎ 1 grooves 1. a- long narrow cuts

1 b- wooden knobs
◎ 2 denibbed 2. a- washed
5 b- sanded
◎ 3 welded 3. a- joined with screws
6 b- joined by heating and pressing together

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 Reading Text
Making Kitchens
Read in detail. Complete the flow chart: 3
slab

carving
edge banding
acrylic-coating, vinyl-wrapping, assembly
lacquering

spraying

denibbing
spraying

drying
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• Language spot
Question review
Yes/No Questions
Form: (Aux + S + main V?)
Aux: Do/ Does/ Did,
Is/ Am/ Are,
Was/ Were,
Have/ Has,
Can/ Could/ Will/ Must, etc.
Example:
- Can solid wood be used for carcasses?
- Will marble worktops be better than granite?
- Was melamine coated chipboard used?

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• Language spot
Question review
Wh- questions
Form: (Wh + Aux + S + main V?)
- Question words: What, Who, When, Where, Why, Which and How.
e.g. What does a CNC cutter do?
- We can use How with other combinations: (How much, How many, How long, How far, etc.)
e.g. How much do marble worktops cost?
- What, Which, How much, How many can be followed by a noun.
(Wh / Wh & O + Aux + S + main V?)
e.g. How many eco-kettles has the company made so far?
- What, Who, Which, How much, How many can be the subject of a sentence.
Word order is the same in a positive sentence: (Wh/ Wh & S + main V?)
e.g. What types of door are available?
How much experience has he got in designing kitchens?
Who invented the microwave oven? 16
 • Language spot
Question review
Requests To reply:
- We use a polite question form to make requests: (Could you tell me ..? / I’d like to know ..? ) Would you mind?
- After these questions, Word order is the same in a positive sentence : No, of course not.

- Form: for wh- questions: (Req+ Wh- + S + main V?) Could you & other request
questions: Certainly, yes of
e.g. Could you tell me how the router works? NOT Could you tell me how does the router work? course.
- Form: for Yes/No questions: (Req+ If/whether + S + main V?)
e.g. Could you tell me if/whether solid wood can be used? NOT Could you tell me if/whether can solid wood be used?
- Other structures: (I’d like you to / I wonder if you could + infinitive / Would you mind + -ing )
e.g. I’d like you to send me a catalogue please. / I wonder if you could help me? /
Would you mind giving me a demonstration?
- Note: (I wonder if you could help me?) precedes a more specific request.
- I wonder if you could help me? I am interested in finding out more about your kitchen design service?
- (I wonder if you could + infinitive. ) can be used as a request on its own.
- I wonder if you could send me a catalogue, please?
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• Language spot

1 How many boxes of screws have you ordered?

2 Did you see the edgebander working?

3 Have they got any computerized machines?

4 What (material) do they use?

5 Where did he study?

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• Language spot

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It’s my job
1
�
Asma Bakour is a kitchen designer
(Technology used in kitchen)

Listen and note down key words

�
Qualifications Cabinet making, graduate in Wood technology and Business.
Job title Managing Director
Ovens Self-cleaning, catalytic convertor changes food residue and fat into
water and carbon dioxide
Hobs Magnetic induction hobs heat metal pot base, saving electricity, safer
and quicker to heat food, only work with steel pots.
Flat screens Flip-down screens for TV, internet access, watching security cameras.

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 2

Catalyst: is a
substance that
increases the rate of
a chemical reaction
without itself
undergoing any
permanent
chemical change. a gadget,
especially one
whose name the
speaker does not
know or cannot
recall.
Residue: ia a part
or small amount Take turns to ask each other questions about Asma
of leftover.

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Gadget Box (discussion)
◎ How many have seen or own a device like this?
◎ How has photography changed through the years?

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Pronunciation (Polite Requests)

A Could you tell me B Could you tell me

how this oven works? how this oven works?

Rude Polite

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P R
R R
P P
P P

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 Pairwork

What do you understand by the term “global warming”?

Climate change : It’s the increase in the

temperature of the earth’s atmosphere due to the
increase in some gases, like carbon dioxide, which
traps the heat of the sun.

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Name of the What it’s How it works The conventional
product used for technology it
replaces
Compact Provide light Electrical discharge through Incandescent light
fluorescent mercury vapour makes bulb
bulb ultraviolet light. This makes
coating on the inside of tube
glow brightly.

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Electroluminescence = an optical and electrical phenomenon where a material emits
light in response to an electric current passed through it.
Name of What it’s used for How it works The conventional
the technology it
product replaces
Wattson Measure and Clip on the electricity cable Dial on the
display the transmits information wirefree to electricity meter
amount of the device. Device glows blue
electricity being (lot of energy being used), red
used in the house (less energy being used)

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Name of the What it’s How it works The conventional
product used for technology it
replaces
Water- To perform Water battery using special Conventional
powered calculations alloy electrodes that produce batteries or
calculator electricity in water electricity

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Name of the What it’s How it works The conventional
product used for technology it
replaces
Eco-kettle Boiling water There are two chambers: Conventional
- Inner reservoir and outer electric kettles
boiling chamber.
Only the required amount of
water is released from
reservoir into the chamber to
be boiled.

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Vocabulary
Make Do Have Take
Something Engineering A rest A seat
work well at university
A noise well A machine on A long time
A decision The job A conference action
An impact research A good effect A photograph
progress Someone a A machine Someone’s
favour repaired advice
Something An interesting 2000 litres
about it time
An impact A decision
A seat Engineering at
university
A rest
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Answers:
1. Have, on
2. have an effect / make
an impact.
3. take / make a
decision / take
advice.
4. take 2000 litres.
5. do something about it
/ make a decision /
have the machine
repaired.
6. had an interesting
time / took
photographs.
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Listening
◎ Evaporate “‫تبخر‬ ‫ =” يـــ‬this happens when water
boils and changes to steam.
◎ Absorb “‫متص‬ ‫ =” يـــ‬a towel absorbs water when you
dry yourself.
◎ Compress”‫ = ” ضـغط‬compressed air is squeezed
into a smaller space so it is at a higher pressure.
◎ Condense ‫ف‬ “ ‫تكث‬ ‫ =” يـــ‬water vapour in the air cools
as it rises and then condenses to form clouds in
the sky.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIP3pSio7-M

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Heat-exchange coils

compressor

Expansion valve

Heat-exchange coils
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 The refrigeration process
◎ A refrigerant is a substance, fluid or gas, used for refrigeration, which
evaporates at a very low temperature.
◎ The compressor (the pump) compresses the refrigerant (gas – high
pressure).
◎ The high pressurized gas is pushed to the heat-exchanging coils
(outside the fridge) / the heat goes in the surrounding area.
◎ When the hot gas in the coils meets the cooler air temperature of the
kitchen, it becomes a liquid.
◎ The liquid then flows into the expansion valve, which reduces the
pressure of the refrigerant.
◎ The low pressurized liquid now goes through the heat-exchange pipes
and evaporates as it absorbs heat from the food in the fridge.
◎ As the refrigerant leaves the fridge, it enters the compressor again and
the cycle repeats.
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◎ In old fridges, when water evaporates inside the freezer,
it changes to ice as it hits the very cold icebox.
◎ Modern fridges are frost-free = preventing the buildup
of ice.
◎ These fridges has a heating-coil besides the freezer
coils, switched on by a timer. (preventing frosting).
◎ A temperature sensor detects the rising temperature
when all the ice is melted and switches the heater off.
◎ Fluctuate = rise and fall / change.
◎ Listening (4)

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Component Function
Compressor Compresses refrigerant  increases
temperature and pressure.

Heat exchange coils Heat lost  gas condenses to liquid.

Expansion valve Reduces pressure  refrigerant expands

and evaporates.

Heat-exchange pipes Absorb heat  space feels cold.

Frost-free Heating coil beside freezer coils.

Timer Switches heater coil on.

Sensor Switches heater coil off.

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