Unlocking
Word Meanings
Read
the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. commemorate (v.) [kuh-mem-uh-reyt] – to keep alive the
memory of somebody or something in a ceremony
Example:
We are gathered here today to commemorate
the 25th anniversary of our company.
2. intend (v.) [in-tend] – designed or aimed (for
someone or something)
Example:
TOEIC is intended to test the English
skills of an individual.
3. indicator (n.) [in-di-key-ter] – something which
shows conditions through observation and calculation
Example:
Her good performance as a student is an indicator
that she could go far in her future career.
4. amphibian (n.) [am-fib-ee-uhn] – an animal which can
live in both land and water
Example:
Frogs are the most common amphibians
found in our village.
5. endeavor (n.) [en-dev-er] – an effort to achieve
something
Example:
Our next endeavor is to establish our
own consulting firm.
Article
Read
the text below.
Children
from different countries worldwide participate in the biggest Chemistry
experiment. Pupils in countries including the UK, Australia and India among
others, are conducting tests on the acid level of rivers and lakes.
This project
is part of the International Year of Chemistry 2011, which was organized to commemorate the day when chemist Marie
Curie won a Nobel Prize for Chemistry exactly a hundred years ago (1911).
According to
David Phillips, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), this endeavor shows that no one is too young
to participate in Science.
There are
already 430 teachers around the world who have registered and uploaded
information on the RSC website. Though the project was intended for children aged 13 to 16,
several pre-school students also took part in the experiment. Diann Ross,
a primary school head teacher in the UK, shared that her young students love to
experience hands-on experiments while working with real scientists.
Provided
with test kits, students conduct the experiment by adding a fluid indicator to the water sample taken from
rivers and lakes. The fluid then changes color based on the acidity of the
water. By looking at a color chart included in the kit, the participants are
able to know how much acid is present in the water.
Scientists
at RSC are saying that results from these experiments have huge impact on the
environment. They believe that a decrease in amphibians is due to the increasing level of
acid in rivers and lakes. Even a slight change in water acidity can drop the
success of egg hatching in fishes and can harm aquatic animals, they added.
Viewpoint
Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
Do we need to
conserve our rivers and lakes? Explain your answer.
·
How do people in
your country help in conserving rivers and lakes?
Discussion B
·
In what subjects
have you experience hands-on activities when you were a student?
What
do you think are the advantages or disadvantages of hands-on activities in
schools?