Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. resistant (adj.) [ri-zis-tuhnt] – characterized by
or showing capacity to refuse or withstand something
Example: I use my water-resistant watch when I go swimming.
2. tension (n.) [ten-shuhn] – the act of stretching
something tight
Example: The wires holding the bridge
have a lot of tension.
3. yarn (n.) [yahrn] – a continuous twisted
strand of natural or man-made fibers
Example: Yarn is usually used in weaving, knitting, or other special
purposes.
4. violently (adv.) [vahy-uh-luhnt-li] – done or occurred
with great force
Example: The car got broken after it hit
the post violently.
5. cluster (n.) [kluhs-ter] – a group of the same
things or elements gathered; bunch
Example:
Clusters of wires are put in the
supply room.
Article
Read the text below.
Read the text below.
A new kind of bag developed by British researchers can protect airline
passengers from bomb explosions.
The bag, called the Fly Bag, is made from soft and flexible material that
hardens when suddenly hit by an object.
Researchers from University of Sheffield coated the bag with elastomers,
a material resistant to heat and
flame. This material acts as a seal that holds in gas even if the bag experiences
high levels of tension.
In addition to elastomers, researchers also coated the yarn of the bag’s fabric with
shear-thickening fluid (STF). This substance remains fluid under normal
circumstances, butut when an object violently
hits the substance, its molecules band together to form hydro-clusters which then make the substance
temporarily solid.
According to its developers, the bag can be used to protect passengers
from bombs hidden inside luggage. They hope to sell the bag to the public
within two years.
Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
·
What are the
safety precautions being done by airlines in your country?
·
Do you think
airlines/airports in your country are safe? Discuss your answer.
Discussion B
·
Do you think the
Fly Bag is a significant invention? Explain your answer.
What
important inventions do you think can be made?