IV. Comprehension

Exercise 8. Answer the questions.

1. What is flax fiber used for?

2. What kind of fiber is flax fiber?

3. How is flax fiber obtained?

4. In what way are the unwanted parts of the plant removed?

5. What are the flax fibers made up?

6. What are the leading flax producing countries?

7. What is linen used for?

8. What fiber is more expensive to produce flax or cotton? Why?

Exercise 9. Say whether it is true or false, if false say why. Begin with:

1. I fully / quite agree with you.

2. I can’t agree with you here.

3. To the best of my knowledge.

4. In my opinion.

1. Flax fiber is the bark of the flax plant.

2. The recovery of flax fiber involves greater expense than that of cotton fiber.

3. The harvested plants are dried in the sun.

4. The colour of the flax fibers at the stage of recovery is green.

5. Flax is grown in the countries with hot and dry climate.

6. Linen is used for making towels.

7. Linen is not elastic, it is stiff.

8. Linen is unexcelled for the manufacture of a large range of materials for household requirements.

V. Oral Practice.

Exercise 10. Retell Text A according to the plan:

1. The recovery of flax fiber.

2. Preparation flax fibers for manufacture.

3. Flax growing countries.

4. End-use of materials made of flax.

VI. Reading Comprehension.

Exercise 11. Read and translate text B “Asbestos”.

Text b Asbestos

1. Asbestos has been known and used as a textile since the earliest times. The first written evidence of asbestos was recorded by Pliny in the first century A. D.

2. It is told that one of the Emperors of Rome delighted guests by throwing a tablecloth made of asbestos into fire and then removing it unchanged from the flame. A few centuries later Marco Polo told his friends in Italy about a substance he observed in Siberia. He told that it could be woven into attractive textiles which did not burn even in direct flame.

3. Asbestos is one of the strangest of all the naturally occurring fibers. It is a rock which has been subjected to unusual treatment during its formation. Asbestos is the only mineral substance used as a textile fiber in the form it is obtained from natural sources. There are many varieties of asbestos rocks but only chrysotile is widely used for textile products. Chrysolite is mined in many countries of the world. The soft, long, white fibers of this mineral can be spun into yarn by the usual processes. Pure asbestos being very difficult to spin, a proportion to cotton fiber is usually added to help to bind the asbestos fibers together. The strangest characteristic of asbestos fibers is their resistance to heat and burning. This property determines the ways in which they are used.

4. Early uses for asbestos included such articles as handkerchiefs and table coverings. The Chinese used asbestos to make false sleeves which could be cleaned by putting them in the fire. All the dirt was burned off, leaving the asbestos clean. We know commercial development of the fiber to have started in the 19^th century. Asbestos was used in flame-proof clothing of many kinds, for laboratory, industrial and military purposes.

5. Fabric made of asbestos have good strength. Today the main applications are those in which non-inflammability is essential such as conveyor belting for hot materials, industrial packing, fireproof clothing, etc. Asbestos is sometimes used with glass fiber in making decorative fabrics for curtains for hospitals, theatres and other buildings where the public assembles. Asbestos is also used for electrical winding and insulation.

Note:

A. D. – нашої ери

chrysotile – хризотил

flame-proof clothing – вогнезахисний одяг

strength – міцність

winding – обмотка

rock - скеля

Exercise 12. Answer the questions to the text.

1. When was asbestos first mentioned?

2. How did the Emperors of Rome delight their guests?

3. Where did Marco Polo observe asbestos?

4. What is asbestos? How do asbestos fibers look like?

5. What is the most strange characteristics of asbestos?

6. What are the uses of asbestos?

7. What properties do goods made of asbestos possess?

Exercise 13. Say whether it is true or false, if false say why. Begin with:

1. I fully / quite agree with you.

2. I can’t agree with you here.

3. To the best of my knowledge.

4. In my opinion.

1. Asbestos is a man-made fiber.

2. It was discovered in the 19^th century.

3. There are many kinds of asbestos suitable for textile purposes.

4. Chrysotile is mined only in Siberia.

5. Textiles made of asbestos do not burn.

6. It is easy to spin pure asbestos.

7. Asbestos is used for making fire-proof textiles.

8. Fabrics made of asbestos are rather strong.

VII. Oral Practice

While doing the exercises given below, use some of these Conversational Formulas:

1. To begin with… – почнемо з того, що…

2. It’s interesting to note – цікаво відзначити

3. It’s well known that...- добре відомо, що…

4. It should be added – необхідно додати

5. To cut a long story short – коротше кажучи

6. It’s worth pointing out – слід підкреслити

7. We can’t but mention – ми не можемо не згадати

8. In conclusion, I’d like to stress - на закінчення, мені б хотілося підкреслити

Exercise 14.Speak on the climate favorable for growing flax.

Exercise 15. Explain why flax cultivation has decreased considerably nowadays.

Exercise 16. Comment on the saying:” Asbestos is “rock” flax”; common and different characteristics of flax and asbestos.

Exercise 17. Role play the following situation.

You are a supply manager at the sewing factory. You go to the trading company to get textiles for your factory. You meet a trading consultant. Ask him questions about the textiles suitable for making summer dresses, shirts, trousers, children clothing, table linen and so on. You are especially interested in their advantages and disadvantages and prices for them. Express your surprise at their expensiveness. Try to find out the reason for it.