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Reading bank 4 © Oxford University Press
Reading bank
Electronic money
We’ve used home computers and the Internet for banking 
since the 1990s. Is the ‘mobile wallet’ going to replace cash?
It’s now possible to pay for things in a shop by standing near the till and tapping 
an app on your mobile phone. ‘Wave-and-pay’ technology allows electronic 
devices to communicate when they are near each other. Shoppers can add 
money to their phones electronically, and shopkeepers’ devices can take money 
in exchange for goods. Soon, some experts say, all mobile phones will have this 
technology.
Imagine the convenience. Most of us carry a mobile phone, and with electronic 
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 
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 
example, but not sweets or soft drinks.
But don’t give up on cash yet. Very few phones have the wave-and-pay 
computer chip, and most shops don’t have wave-and-pay readers. Security is 
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.
1 Digital technology
1 How often do you use each 
method of payment (in shops, 
to pay rent or bills, to pay for 
services)?
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. 
5 Wave-and-pay is even safer than 
cash because no one can steal it. 
6 Paper money and coins probably 
won’t be used five years from 
now. 
3 Answer the questions.
1 Do you use wave-and-pay now? 
Where and when?
2 Do you think wave-and-pay is a 
good idea? Why or why not?
3 Do you believe paper money and 
coins will disappear by 2030? Why 
or why not?
 Reading bank 5 © Oxford University Press
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? 
h What’s the salary like? 
 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.
 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.
 
 
 Reading bank 6 © Oxford University Press
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 
could release drugs into the human 
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.
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 .
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 7 © 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?
Graphene – a miracle material
Graphite has been used 
in pencils for hundreds 
ofyears. 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.
 Reading bank 8 © Oxford University Press
What can you do with a 
degree in Mathematics?
You probably know about accounting and teaching, but 
here are some maths jobs you may not have heard of …
Computer security
Computers are everywhere, and they 
contain our bank account information, 
credit card details, medical records, 
and other data we want to keep secret. 
How can we keep hackers from stealing 
this data? Cryptography is a field of 
mathematics that involves writing codes 
and finding ways to keep secrets. Governments and private companies 
employ cryptographers to keep computer data safe and secure.
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 
systems might behave in the future. Meteorologists (weather experts) also 
use mathematical models when they’re predicting the weather for the next 
weekend or trying to understand what huge storm systems might do next. 
Biomathematics 
Doctors and medical researchers rely on experiments and observation 
to understand medication. They also use complex mathematics to 
understand drug data and to predict possible responses to medicines. 
Biomathematicians also apply mathematics to the understanding of the 
interaction of living things in biological systems.
Business analysis
Businesses usually want to improve their efficiency. But particularly in 
larger, more complicated businesses, it isn’t always easy to understand 
how systems really work. Mathematical analysis can be applied to many 
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.
5 Mathematics
1 Answer the questions.
1 How often do you use 
mathematics? 
2 What do you use mathematics 
for? 
3 Can you name any jobs that 
require very strong mathematical 
ability?
2 Read the text. Were any of your 
ideas from 3 in 1 mentioned?
3 Complete the sentences with the 
words below.
 biomathematician 
business analyst 
cryptographer 
geologist 
meteorologist 
1 A studies rocks and 
soil and uses maths to find oil.
2 A is an expert at 
keeping computer data secret.
3 A uses maths to 
help improve a company’s 
performance.
4 A predicts the 
weather using mathematical 
models.
5 A applies maths to 
medical problems.
4 Would you like to do any of the 
jobs mentioned in the text? 
Why? / Why not?
 Reading bank 9 © Oxford University Press
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.
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 10 © Oxford University Press
Tech Education and Jobs Fair
● The UK’s biggest tech careers fair – and it’s free!
● Join us on 9–10 April at The London Tech Centre
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.
The future of technology 
Tech companies will give presentations on their latest developments and on 
where technology may take us in the next fifty years. 
uuuDon’t miss it!
7 Studying technology
1 Answer the questions.
1 Can you name some types of 
technology that students study at 
colleges and universities in your 
country?
2 What areas of technology are 
you most interested in (medical, 
transport, computers, etc.)?
3 Name some ways that students 
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. 
6 Some companies plan to present 
the history of their recent products 
as well as stories from the past 
fifty years in technology. 
3 Answer the questions.
1 Which industries mentioned in the 
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? 
 Reading bank 11 © 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 
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.
 Reading bank 12 © 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?
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 medicalglue. Having no 
straps, the goggles produce less drag than ordinary goggles.
 Reading bank 13 © Oxford University Press
 10 appropriate 
technology
1 Study the diagram of this 
mechanical device. Choose its 
correct function.
a farming
b exploding mines
c travelling on the Moon
d filming in dangerous places
e carrying things
2 List some of the components of 
this device in the table.
3 Read the description of how 
the device works and find the 
answers to these questions.
1 What is the device called?
2 What does it do?
3 Why is it suitable for the 
developing world?
4 Why do the wheels have steel 
teeth?
5 How often does a wheel have to 
be changed?
6 Why does the machine not miss 
any mine in its path?
 
Item Quantity
5-metre metal or bamboo poles 3
 
 
 
 
 
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.
rubber shock absorber 
(inside wheel)
wheel motor
5-metre pole
toothed 
wheel
hydraulic
hose
125 cc petrol engine
2 layers armour plate
 Reading bank 14 © Oxford University Press
 11 Crime-fighting and 
security
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 
and see if you can find any extra 
information.
The iris is the coloured ring round the central part of 
your eye. Each one is different, which makes it perfect 
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. 
The advanced taser gun is an electric stun gun which allows police to 
deal with violent people without causing injury or death. It has a laser 
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.
Eyes don’t lie
Shock tactics
A
B
 Reading bank 15 © Oxford University Press
Offender tracking consists of a small 
tracking unit worn on the belt or 
ankle. It uses global positioning 
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.
 GPS helps track offenders
C
 Reading bank 16 © Oxford University Press
 12 Transport
1 A hybrid results from combining 
two different things. What two 
things are combined to make a 
hybrid car? Look at the diagram 
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 
have over an electric car?
5 How is the battery charged?
Hybrid cars
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.
petrol engine
battery
driving 
wheels
electric 
motor
 Reading bank 17 © Oxford University Press
 13 High living: 
skyscrapers
1 You need to be able to travel 
quickly up and down skyscrapers. 
Look at the diagram of a lift 
system on the next page and 
answer these questions.
1 What is the counterweight for?
2 What are the guide rails for?
3 What are the safety features?
2 Now read the text to check and to 
add to your answers.
3 Read the text again and find the 
answers to these questions.
1 What does the microprocessor do?
2 Why is travelling in a lift one of 
the safest journeys you can take?
The development of tall buildings and lifts go together. The first 
lifts, or ‘elevators’ in American English, consisted of a platform 
suspended from a rope which passed over a pulley at the 
top of the building. If the rope broke, the platform fell to the 
ground. In 1852, Elisha Otis invented the first safety lift. If the 
rope broke, a brake was applied automatically which locked the 
platform in place between guide rails. Today the Otis company 
is the largest supplier of lifts in the world. 
Most lifts today are roped lifts. The car runs between vertical 
guide rails which keep it steady and act as a safety device. Steel 
ropes, or cables, attached to the roof of the car pass over a 
pulley, called the drive sheave, which is turned by an electric 
motor. The other endof the cable is attached to a 
counterweight. This matches the weight of a car with an 
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!
How lifts work
 Reading bank 18 © Oxford University Press
drive sheave ‘governor’, or 
safety brake
controller
machine room
lift car guide rails
lift car
safety gear
liftwell
counterweight 
guide rails
counterweight 
buffers
landing entrance
landing push button
landing indicator
travelling cables
car door
door operator
hoist 
ropes
motor
brake
 Reading bank 19 © Oxford University Press
Touch screens
With tablets and smartphones, plastic keyboards seem a 
bit old-fashioned. So what’s next for touch screens?
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 
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 
great benefits of touch screen keyboards: they’re lightweight, easy-to-clean, and they 
disappear when you aren’t using them. 
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 
are more user-friendly. These researchers are working to create ‘tactile’ touch screens 
– flat screens that can create raised buttons that users can temporarily feel. Small 
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.
 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 
2 What does Tactus say is the 
advantage of real buttons over 
touch screens? 
3 What material will tactile screens 
be made from? 
4 What creates the feeling of 
texture in REVEL technology?
5 What does the Tactus screen do 
that the REVEL screen doesn’t do?
6 What are the possible applications 
of this technology? 
3 What’s your favourite piece of IT 
equipment to use? Why do you 
like it?
 Reading bank 20 © Oxford University Press
Telec mmunications 
 – more than just TV and telephones
TVs and smartphones are getting smarter – but 
fridges and washing machines now include computers 
and are Internet-ready
Many of us are used to getting an 
email or a text message saying 
‘Please pick up some milk on the 
way home’. Soon, that message may 
not come from a friend, roommate, 
or spouse, but from the fridge. How 
does the ‘Internet-ready’ fridge 
work?
Products in the smart fridge have 
radio frequency identification (RFID) 
tags. These are small computer 
chips that store information, for 
example ‘This is a two-litre carton 
of milk. It was manufactured on 
22 September’. With a built-in RFID 
reader, the fridge knows what’s 
inside it at all times. You can set the 
fridge to send you an alert when there’s only one carton of milk 
left. The smart fridge can also be programmed to keep a list of 
products that you need, and place an order with the supermarket 
for delivery when certain products are about to run out. An app on 
your smartphone allows you to check the contents of your fridge 
from anywhere. 
The smart fridge also communicates with the electrical power 
company. Some companies charge different rates for power at 
different times of day. The fridge receives signals from the power 
company when electricity rates are higher, and switches to a low-
energy mode for brief periods. 
It’s easy to see the benefits of an Internet-ready fridge, but what 
about an Internet-ready washing machine? Korean appliance maker 
LG already produces one. If there’s a problem with the machine, it 
sends you a message with a full explanation. If you need to deal 
with particular stains in clothing, you can download a special wash 
cycle to solve the problem. The product line also includes an oven 
that can download recipes and cooking instructions, and will send 
you a message when a meal is cooked and is ready to be taken out 
of the oven.
 15 Telecommunications
1 Have you heard of an Internet-ready fridge or 
Internet-ready washing machine? How do you 
think these home appliances use the Internet?
2 Read the text and choose the best phrase to 
complete each sentence.
1 Internet-ready fridges can .
a make food last longer
b order restaurant meals
c send emails
2 Smart fridges can provide information about 
 .
a foods with RFID tags
b any food they store
c fresh foods only
3 A smart fridge might communicate 
with .
a your doctor
b the supermarket
c your children’s school
4 The smart fridge app could tell you 
.
a what to cook
b what’s in the fridge 
c how many calories are in your food
5 The smart fridge is designed to .
a be energy efficient
b be solar powered
c recycle food waste
6 Internet-ready washing machines 
.
a monitor water prices
b use special soap products
c download information
3 Study these statements. Decide which ones 
you agree with. Give reasons for your choices.
1 Basic appliances such as fridges and washing 
machines shouldn’t have computers in them. 
It makes them expensive and difficult to 
repair. 
2 Soon, there will be an ‘Internet of things’. 
Cars, fridges, ovens, washing machines, and 
other appliances will all use the Internet 
to communicate with each other, and with 
people.
3 The Internet is the greatestinvention in the 
history of the world. 
 Reading bank 21 © Oxford University Press
 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.
 Reading bank 22 © Oxford University Press
 17 The future of 
technology
1 For robots to function less like 
machines and more like humans, 
they need to be covered in 
artificial or synthetic skin. 
Which features of human skin 
does robot skin need to copy? 
Choose from a–d.
a sensitive to touch
b sensitive to heat
c stretchable
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 
use information from E-skin 
in their feet?
7 How could E-skin help robots not 
to damage themselves?
8 What two features of E-skin 
would be important in 
bathing a baby?
Robots are very good at doing the same task in the same place over 
and over again. In factories and nuclear power stations, more than a 
million robots behave in this way every day.
For robots to work with people, for example caring for the elderly, they 
need to be much more like humans. They need to be able to move 
like humans and adapt to new places. They also need to be more 
sensitive to touch and temperature. In humans, it is skin which provides 
important information on pressure and heat.
Engineers at the University of Tokyo have developed an artificial skin for 
robots which is sensitive to pressure and temperature thanks to a large 
number of sensors. In addition, because it uses a mesh or net structure 
it can be stretched by up to 25% and still retain its sensitivity. This 
means it can be used to cover moving parts like joints. 
This E-skin opens the way for much more sensitive robots. For example, 
walking robots could use feedback from their feet to adjust to different 
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.
 Reading bank 23 © Oxford University Press
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:
 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.
Name: Abdullah Al Ansari
Country: Saudi Arabia
Course of study: Computer 
Science at Saudi Electronic 
University
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 
similar.
Practical application for this research: Some security 
systems use face recognition and voice recognition. If there 
are connections between faces and voices, then the system 
could detect people who are trying to fool it.
Name: Lin Lo-Chi 
Country: Taiwan
Course of study: Biology at 
National Taiwan University
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?
Practical application for this research: If we understand 
more about the way sounds affect people, sounds could be 
used to help people have positive feelings. Also, ‘negative’ 
sounds could be used to break up crowds without hurting 
anyone. People would want to leave the area just because 
of the sound.
Name: Michel Fabié
Country: Belgium
Course of study: Industrial 
Design at Lacambre Visual 
Arts School
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 
for safety– to make them highly visible – and also for 
protection of the machine, for example against rust. 
Practical application for this research: We might find 
that certain colours of machine paint make workers more 
alert, or perhaps less stressed. This could be a type of safety 
improvement, and also might improve productivity.
 Reading bank 24 © Oxford University Press
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. 
 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
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.
 Reading bank 25 © Oxford University Press
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.
 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 26 © Oxford University Press
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 
hoursper 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. 
 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?
El Hierro The world’s first energy 
self-sufficient 
island
 Reading bank 27 © Oxford University Press
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?
 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?
In fact, we are using it. Wheelchairs, 
trains, buses, bikes, golf carts, 
motorcycles, and a few other vehicles 
can already run on some form of 
hydrogen power. However, all of these 
are experimental vehicles.
Challenges
Hydrogen doesn’t occur naturally on 
Earth – it must be produced. At the 
moment, hydrogen is mostly produced by 
using methane (a powerful greenhouse 
gas) or other fossil fuels, which produce 
CO2. Also, the equipment required to 
produce and safely store hydrogen is 
large and complex – too big to fit on 
most vehicles. Researchers working on 
hydrogen power are trying to develop 
technology that will make hydrogen 
power more mobile for use in vehicles. 
They’re also trying to find practical ways 
to produce it without fossil fuels. 
Hydrogen trains
Researchers in several countries 
have independently announced the 
development of hydrogen-powered 
trains. Trains are ideal for hydrogen fuel 
cells because they have a lot of storage 
space on board, and they also stop 
routinely at stations. Station stops for 
hydrogen trains would allow frequent 
refuelling. This would mean that the 
large and complex hydrogen-production 
equipment could remain in fixed 
locations. 
The Fuel Cell Bus Club 
This organization is running a trial using 
three Mercedes-Benz hydrogen fuel cell 
buses in eleven cities around the world. 
Each bus can carry about 70 passengers 
for a range of 300 kilometres – and costs 
$1.2 million. The aim of the project is 
to demonstrate that clean, urban public 
transport is possible. 
Fuel cell cars 
Most of the major automotive 
manufacturers are carrying out research 
into how to power cars with fuel cells in 
order to fight global warming. However, 
critics say that even twenty years in 
the future, a fuel cell car may not be 
possible, and also that fuel cells simply 
aren’t practical for smaller vehicles. Many 
believe that fighting global warming 
with fuel cell car research is a waste of 
time and money.
The road ahead 
Hydrogen fuel cells have been proven 
to be effective ways of powering larger 
vehicles. However, there’s still the 
serious challenge of creating hydrogen in 
an environmentally friendly way. Experts 
are working on using wind, solar and 
nuclear energy for hydrogen production.
H H H H
 Reading bank 28 © Oxford University Press
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 
to the surface when a well is drilled. However, shale gas is different. 
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.
What is ‘fracking’?
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 causesearthquakes, 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. 
 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 . 
a exhaust gas
b natural gas
c greenhouse gas
4 ‘Fracking’ means creating .
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 29 © Oxford University Press
Can man-made volcanoes 
solve our climate problems?
The Earth’s atmosphere – the layer of air around 
the planet – helps control the Earth’s temperature. 
CO2 in the atmosphere can cause problems 
because it allows sunlight to come through, but it 
tends to trap heat. Since the 1800s, people have 
added a lot of CO2 to the atmosphere, mostly 
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.
 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?
How one natural 
disaster might 
help save us 
from another
 Reading bank 30 © Oxford University Press
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.
 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 tothese 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 31 © Oxford University Press
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.
 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?
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 
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.
 Writing bank 32 © Oxford University Press
Writing bank
emails
1 Mark each statement T (true) or 
F (false).
1 If you know the recipient well, you 
can leave out the opening greeting 
and complimentary close. 
2 Emoticons :-) J can be used in any 
type of email. 
3 To stress a word, write it in 
CAPITAL LETTERS. 
4 You should keep your message 
short. 
5 It’s not necessary to answer an 
email quickly. 
6 You should never write something 
you don’t want others to see. 
7 You should try to be amusing. 
2 Read the email and find the 
answers to these questions.
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
[FACS: email ]
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Dear Mr Schwandner3
I was interested to read the article in the Engineering and 
Technology Journal last month about the revolutionary 
earplug you have developed.4
I work for a woodworking company in central Sweden and 
I would be grateful if you could let us have technical 
details of this product as well as price and minimum order 
requirements.5
I look forward to hearing from you.6
Carol Larque
Health and Safety Officer7
Carol Larque1
Hartmut Schwandner
Earplug2
 Writing bank 33 © Oxford University Press
4 Read the two emails and find the 
answers to these questions.
1 How does Per begin the main body 
of the email? 
2 How does Per make polite 
requests?
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.
 
 2 Write an email to Plastics 
Incorporated asking for details 
of their apprenticeship or young 
graduate schemes. Write 35–50 
words. 
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%. 
For more information, contact 
Steve Ford. SF@heatpumps.com
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Per Lowi
Ken Trim
Security cameras
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
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Larrie Dale
info@barrierdesigns.com
Catalogue
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.
Yours faithfully
Larrie Dale
Dale Products
Tel: 001 519 1557 323232
24 Alberta Road, Newington, London, Ontario
 Writing bank 34 © Oxford University Press
Describing graphs
1 Complete the tables with the 
words below.
considerably increased 
decreased moderately 
dropped sharp 
gradually slowly 
growth steep 
increase went up
2 Look at the graph in Fig. 4.
1 What is the topic of the graph?
2 What does the horizontal (X) axis 
represent?
3 What are the figures on the 
vertical (Y) axis?
4 What were the most important 
sources of energy? Why are 1978 
and 1983 significant? What do you 
notice about alternative sources 
of energy? Which source of energy 
grew significantly after 1970?
3 Read the description of the graph 
in Fig. 4.
1 What is the purpose of the first 
sentence?
2 What is the purpose of the second 
sentence?
3 Which words have a meaning 
similar to approximately?
Fig. 1
rose slightly.
 
 
The 
temperature
Fig. 3
fell significantly.
 
 
Rice 
production
Fig. 2
There 
was a
in solar 
energy 
production. 
dramatic rise
 
 
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 
rising rapidly to reach 42,000 million 
billion Joules by 2005. The second 
and third largest sources of energy 
were natural gas and coal, which each 
accounted for about 25,000 million 
billion Joules in 2005. The graph 
shows that insignificant amounts of 
energy came from renewable sources 
during this time, but there was a 
growth in the amount of nuclear 
electric power after 1970, reaching 
approximately 8,000 million billion 
Joules in 2005. The fall in energy 
consumption in the years around 
1980 was probably due to the world 
oil crisis.
Fig. 4
WORLD ENERGY CONSUMPTION
M
IL
LI
O
N
 B
IL
LI
O
N
 JO
U
LE
S
coal
natural gas
petroleum
nuclear electric 
power
conventional 
hydroelectric 
power
wood, waste, 
alcohol
geothermal
solar
wind
45,00
40,00
35,00
30,00
25,00
20,00
5,00
0,00
5,000
0
 950 960 970 980 990 2000 200 year
 Writing bank 35 © Oxford University Press
4 Look at the pie charts in Fig. 5.
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.
A line graph / pie chart shows a 
relationship between two 
variables. The variable on the X 
axis is often time. We use a line 
graph / pie chart to show increases 
and decreases.
A line graph / pie chart is divided 
into sectors which represent a 
percentage of the whole. We use a 
line graph / pie chart to compare 
and contrast data.
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.
Fig. 5 PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION IN CROATIA
CARGO TRANSPORTATION IN CROATIA
48% ROAD
32% SEA AND COASTAL
11% RAILWAY
 8% PIPELINE
 1% INLAND WATER
 
58% ROAD
32% RAILWAY
 9% SEA AND COASTAL
 1% AIR
 Writing bank 36 © Oxford University Press
6 1 Use expressions from the 
Clipboard to write a description 
of the graph in Fig. 6. In your 
first sentence, describe what 
the graph is about by using 
the title, X, and Y axes. In 
the second sentence, give an 
overview of the trends shown 
in the graph. 
Then describe the graph in 
more detail. Write 80–100 
words.
 2 Write a description of the pie 
chart in Fig. 7. Write 80–100 
words.
7 Carry out a class survey of the 
method of transport used by 
students to get to class. Display 
the results in a pie chart and then 
write a description.
Clipboard
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
34% TO AND FROM WORK
 3% WORK RELATED
13% SHOPPING
11% FAMILY / PERSONAL BUSINESS
13% SCHOOL / CHURCH
 5% MEDICAL / DENTAL
 2% VACATION
 8% VISIT FRIEND
11% SOCIAL RECREATIONAL
WHY PEOPLE USE PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Fig. 6
CONSUMPTION
PRODUCTION
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
BA
RR
EL
S 
PE
R 
D
A
Y 
(1
00
0)
YEAR
UK OIL CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION
Fig. 7
 Writing bank 37 © 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.
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 sellingtickets, 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.
 Writing bank 38 © 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?
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.
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.
K E Y S T O N E E N G I N E E R I N G
 Writing bank 39 © Oxford University Press
2 Complete the memo by putting 
the information a–f in the correct 
place.
a all transport vehicles will be fitted 
with GPS navigation system 
equipment
b Short briefing courses
c Would all drivers please sign up
d Memo
e to improve the efficiency of our 
delivery service
f Transport Department
3 1 Write a memo to all staff 
working in the Food 
Department at Briteways 
Supermarket. Use the notes in A 
below. Provide a company 
address, date, etc. Write 80–100 
words.
 2 Start Engineering have recently 
signed a contract with a 
German company, Poch AG, to 
supply them with components 
for the next three years. A 
group of Senior Managers from 
the company are coming to 
visit Start Engineering. Write 
a memo to all staff using the 
notes in B below. Write 70–90 
words.
 
visit 10 – 13 April
be prepared to answer technical questions – 
be helpful
be prepared to explain production procedures 
– be informative
arrange lunch and rest breaks so there is 
always someone available to answer any 
technical questions
Change in fruit and vegetable packaging – 
will stop using plastic trays
New trays compostable, starting next month
Less attractive so staff need to reassure 
customers
Company advertising campaign to promote 
them as environmentally-friendly next month
Everyone to attend short training session 
Friday 1p.m., Room D
Those unable to attend, speak to line manager
1
To 2
From General Manager
Subject GPS vehicle navigation system for all delivery vehicles
Date 24 November 20—
As part of the company efficiency programme, 3 
over the next few weeks. This equipment will allow drivers to find their 
way to delivery addresses more quickly and 4.
5 on how to operate the equipment will be run 
on Monday 4, Tuesday 5 and Thursday 7 December at 8.30 a.m. 
6 for one of these dates with their group 
manager.
A B
 Kirby North Industrial Estate
 Kirby
Kirby Components
 Writing bank 40 © Oxford University Press
instructions
1 Match the hand signals with the 
instructions to the driver.
Lower 
Move forward 
Move backwards 
Raise 
Stop
2 What instructions do these 
signs give?
example 
A Do not smoke.
When we give instructions, we use 
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 
same extinguisher for an electrical 
fire as for a paper fire? Why? / 
Why not?
Find the nearest fire extinguisher 
to your room and read the type of 
fire it is suitable for.
Use the words below to complete 
the instructions for using a fire 
extinguisher. 
Aim Point 
Be Pull out 
Call Release 
Choose Squeeze 
Fight Sweep 
Hold
A B
C
D E
A B
E F G H
C D
Do not 1 a fire if there is 
a) considerable heat 
b) significant smoke or fumes
c) a possibility you will be trapped.
2 the fire emergency services
3 the correct extinguisher
4 the pin
5 the nozzle away from you
6 the locking mechanism
7 low
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
 Writing bank 41 © Oxford University Press
4 Look at the sketches that show 
how to make a solar oven. Write a 
set of instructions on how to build 
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 
aluminium foil
corrugated cardboard
Write 50–70 words.
Clipboard 
Useful verbs
Place Attach
Connect Cut
Paint Measure
Cover Use
Estimate Fix
Calculate Try to
1
2
4
3
 Writing bank 42 © 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? 
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?
Employee
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
Injured by animal
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.
When we write an incident report 
we use past tenses.
Jolan Balog saw . . . Past Simple
Abdul was hit . . . Past Simple 
 (Passive)
Abdul had entered . . . Past Perfect
Clipboard 
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.
 Writing bank 43 © Oxford University Press
 Site had not been securely 
fenced off. Temporary fencing 
had fallen over in two places and 
had not been put back up.
A
B
C
D
About you, the person filling in About the person who had the 
the report accident
Name Name 
Address Address 
Occupation Occupation 
Signature Report number Date 
About the accident
When did it happen? DateTime 
Where did it happen? 
How did it happen and why? 
Give details of any injury suffered and treatment given 
_____________________________________________________________
Give any recommendations to avoid similar accidents occurring 
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
7.0 Recommendations
7.1
7.2
6.0 Findings
6.1
6.2
2 Dan Skrebowski, 22, has been 
involved in an accident at work 
during his training in electrical 
installation. Look at the pictures 
below, and then fill in the report 
form. Use imaginary personal 
details for Dan. Use the 
expressions in Clipboard on p.42 
and the Past Simple to describe his 
injuries. Write 60–80 words. 
Health and safety 
report
3 An Accident Investigation 
Inspector has produced a Health 
and safety report following 
Abdul’s accident. Match the 
paragraphs A–D with the correct 
parts of the report 6.1–7.2. 
4 Write the findings and 
recommendations sections of a 
report following Dan’s accident. 
Write 60–80 words.
 Vehicle access points to the site 
should be manned during 
construction work to prevent 
persons accessing the site 
when gates are open.
 Vehicle access points to the 
site were constantly open and 
unmanned.
 Site should be securely fenced 
off to prevent unauthorized 
access by members of the 
public. Any breaks should be 
fixed immediately.
 Writing bank 44 © Oxford University Press
Reports
1 Complete the short description of 
what reports are for with the 
words below.
issue purpose 
describes written 
possible
 A report 1 a study, 
investigation, or project. Its 
2 is to provide 
recommendations, updates, and 
sometimes to sell an idea. It is 
3 by a single 
person or group of people who 
have investigated the 
4 and it is read by 
people who require the 
information. It should be as long 
as necessary and as short as 
5!
2 Read the extracts from a report. 
Match the items a–g with the 
extracts 1–7. Two have been done 
for you. 
a Title 
b Table of contents 
c Introduction 
d Body of the report 
e Comparison 
f Summary and Conclusion 6 
g References 3 
1 The treadle pump uses simple technology to raise water from 
underground sources. Fuel is not . . . 
 On the other hand, the diesel pump has the advantage of being 
able to pump larger quantities of water (see Appendix 1.1). It . . .
2 Because rain only falls during certain months of the year and 
there is only limited finance available, it is essential to find an 
irrigation system that is cost-effective.
 The aim of this report was to find the most suitable method of 
raising ground water, with the main criteria being cost, low 
maintenance, and ease of use.
 This report presents two irrigation systems: the treadle pump 
and the diesel pump.
 A description and an analysis of operational efficiency for each 
pump are followed by a comparison of the two designs. Finally 
the most effective pump is recommended.
3 Appendix 1.1 – table showing comparative figures
4 2.0 Treadle pump
 2.1 Operation
 The treadle pump is operated by a person using his/her body 
weight and leg muscles in a walking movement to pump the 
water. . . .
 The pump consists of two pistons positioned inside two 
cylinders. . . .
5 Summary
 1.0 Introduction
 2.0 Treadle pump
 2.1 Operation
 2.2 Costs
 3.0 Diesel pump
 3.1 Operation
 3.2 Costs
6 In conclusion, two alternative designs have been presented: a 
low-cost treadle pump and a diesel-generated pump. Each is 
low in basic cost and easy to . . . , however, the treadle pump is 
recommended as it presents lower maintenance costs and . . .
7 A comparison of two irrigation systems for small farmers in 
rural Africa
 
 
 By Frank Burton and Ailsa MacLeod
 24 July 20__
 4.0 Comparison
 5.0 Recommendation 
 and conclusions
 6.0 References
 Appendices:
 Appendix 1.1
 Writing bank 45 © 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.
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
 Durability
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
Clipboard 
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 . . .
A
B
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.