Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. conceptualize (v.) [kuhn-sep-choo-uh-lahyz] – to make or
form an idea
Example: Our team conceptualized the project after we finished
the research.
2. give off (idiom) [giv] [awf, of] – to produce a certain smell
Example: Most flowers give off a pleasant smell.
3. fabric (n.) [fab-rik] – a material made
from thread woven together; cloth
Example: The fabric used for her wedding gown is expensive.
4. sensor (n.) [sen-sawr, -ser] – a device that
sends a signal
Example: The door in the laboratory opens when light hits the
sensors attached to it.
5. deterioration (n.) [dih-teer-ee-uh-rey-shuhn] – the state
in which something loses effectiveness or breaks down
Example: Old buildings suffer from deterioration because of
poor maintenance.
Article
Read the text below.
A British researcher from
Fashion and Textile Design at the University of the Arts in London has conceptualized a kind
of clothing that gives off scent .
Jenny Tillotson calls her
idea the Smart Second Skin. Designed to have tubes wired throughout the
whole fabric, the scented clothing
can help people improve their mood, communicate with others and even avoid
memory loss.
Using a built-in timer,
people can set the time when they want the clothing to release a particular
scent. For instance, it can give off the scent of coffee in the morning to
boost one’s energy or the scent of flowers at night to calm one’s mind and body
before sleeping.
It can also be connected
to body sensors which
can monitor heart rate and stress levels of a person. Once the sensors read
that a person is stressed, the clothing will release a relaxing scent.
Aside from improving
one’s mood, scent can also be a communication tool as seen in insect behavior.
Through the scent coming from the clothing, people can talk, find or remember
each other.
Since scent aids memory,
the clothing can help prevent Alzheimer, a disease which makes older people
lose memory. As people grow older, their sense of smell weakens along with
the deterioration of
memory. The clothing can release familiar scents of people they know or places
they love in order to sharpen their memory.
Tillotson got the
inspiration for the idea when she worked with AIDS patients. She discovered
that unpleasant hospital smell weakens patients, while pleasant smell improves
recovery.
Viewpoint
Discussion
Enjoy
a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion
A
·
Do
you think it’s possible to come up with such clothing as presented in the
article? Why or why not?
·
Do
you think that all science inventions are useful for people?
Discussion B
·
What
are the limitations of technology?
·
How
can scientists who invent technology benefit from nature?
