Reading and Speaking

MATERIALS SCIENCE

Section A. Copper

Lead-in

I. Discuss the following questions.

a) How much do you know about copper?

b) Where is copper used today? Make a list of possible applications of copper. Compare it with that of your group mates.

c) Do you know any copper alloys? What are their constituents?

II. The students are at the seminar on metals technology. Listen to their
discussion and learn what properties copper has and where it can be
used.

Teacher: Dear students, today we're going to discuss the main pro­perties and applications of copper. So far, what can you say about this metal?

Andrew: If I'm not mistaken, copper is a non-ferrous metal. And it can be found in a free state in nature.

Alice: And as far as I remember, people were able to extract this metal in prehistoric times. Various things such as weapons, tools and decorations could be made of it.

Teacher: Very good. Were those copper tools very reliable?

Andrew: I think not. Pure copper is a soft ductile metal. Strong cutting tools could be made only of copper alloys such as bronze.

Teacher: OK. What are the present applications of copper?

Alice: Well, they are numerous. Copper metals can be used in most domestic appliances. Electrical industry is impossible without copper wiring as it is a very good conductor of electricity. Also, copper is corrosion resistant which makes it valuable for marine industry. Besides, this metal is even used in making money!

Teacher: You are quite right. Tomorrow we will be able to study the valuable properties of copper in the practical class.

IV. Match a line in A with a line in B.

А В

1. Copper was discovered	a. Yes, it is.
long ago.	b. Where exactly?
2. Is copper used in automobile	с You are welcome.
industry?	d. You are quite right.
3. Bronze was first produced	e. Because of its valuable
in Asia and Africa.	properties.
4. Why is copper so widely	f. Certainly.
used today?
5. Electric wiring is made of
pure copper, isn't it?
6. Thank you very much.

Language Practice Vocabulary

I. Learn how to read these words.

ductile ['daktail] recycling [ri'saikliη]

reliable [ri'laiəbl] plumbing ['plamiη]

decorative ['dekərətiv]

II. Match the Russian words with their English equivalents.

1. оценивать	a. qualities
2. извлекать	b. conductor
3. проводник	с purpose
4. домашний	d.to extract
5. вязкий (эластичный) е. ductile
6. нержавеющий f. domestic
7. качества	g. to estimate
8. цель	h. corrosion resistant
III. Match the words with the opposite meaning.
A	В
1. useful	a. varied
2. ability	b. decorative
3. functional	с tremendous
4. magnetic	d. unnecessary
5. present	e. useless
6. small	f. inability
7. necessary	g. ancient
8. uniform	h. nonmagnetic

Grammar: Modal Verbs "can, could, he able to"

IV. Say what these people could do in the past.

EXAMPLE: I can't use the new apparatus now but I could use it yesterday at the lesson.

1. He can't do research on copper alloys this term but he... it last term.

2. We can't compare the properties of these substances now but we... them during our previous experiment.

3. They can't study aluminium bronze at the lesson now but they... it in the lab yesterday.

4. We can't extract copper with the help of stone and bone tools but ancient people... it in this way thousands of years ago. 5.1 can't describe the results of his experiment today but he... them yesterday.

V. Use the following statements in the past and future.

EXAMPLE: He can drive well.

He could drive well 10 years ago.

He will be able to drive well in a month.

1. He can continue his studies at the Mechanical Engineering facul­ty.

2. Our engineers can extract copper in several ways.

3. I can visit the Bingham Canyon copper mine.

4. This new car can move without a driver.

5. The scientists can use the samples of this substance in the test.

VI. Ask your scientific supervisor to explain what can happen to these
engineering materials.

VIII. Correct mistakes in the following sentences.

1. We didn't can work in the laboratory on Sunday.

2. Will be you able to make a report on your scientific research?

3. He could to use the old equipment in his experiment.

4. The teacher can explains this rule again.

5. You will able to cut soft metal with greater speed than hard metal.

6. Engineers will be not able to use this new alloy in industry, I'm afraid.

7. The student not able to determine the nickel content of this copper alloy.

8. Can this technology to make the extraction of copper easier?

IX. Translate the sentences into English using your active vocabulary.

1. В качестве электрического проводника мы можем использо­вать медь.

2. Он способен объяснить, как добывают медь в промышлен­ных целях.

3. Мы смогли изучить свойства алюминиевой бронзы на прак­тических занятиях.

4. Бронза может оказывать сопротивление коррозии.

5. Преимущество меди в том, что ее можно перерабатывать не­сколько раз.

6. Медные сплавы могут быть использованы в разных отраслях промышленности.

Reading and Speaking

I. These words are taken from the text. Use the dictionary to find out their meaning.

rather, adv circulation, n

vital, adj

junked, adj

remainder, n throughout, prep discarded, adj demand,

II. Skim the text to find answers to these questions.

1. Is copper the oldest metal that is known to man?

2. What properties does copper possess?

3. What is bronze?

4. When, where and why did bronze appear?

5. What are the applipations of copper and its alloys?

6. Why aren't we afraid of working out the resources of copper?

III. Read the text attentively for more information about copper.

Copper is man's oldest metal as people could extract it more than 10,000 years ago. As it is rather soft and ductile, copper is alloyed with other elements. There is evidence that the first copper alloy — bronze (90% copper, 10% tin) - was produced around 2800 ВС in countries such as India, Egypt and Mesopotamia. Bronze was harder and could be used for making reliable cutting tools. Its use charac­terizes the Bronze Age.

The workability and the ability for corrosion resistance made cop­per, bronze and brass the most important functional as well as deco­rative materials from the Middle Ages and on till the present day. With the beginning of the Electrical Age the demand for copper increased tremendously because it is an unusually good conductor of electricity and heat. Today more than 5 million tons of copper are produced annually and the copper metals are playing an increasingly vital part in all branches of modern technology.

The good news is that we will not run out of copper. The worldwide resources of this important and valuable metal can be estimated at nearly 5.8 trillion pounds of which only about 0.7 trillion (12%) have been mined throughout history. Besides, nearly all of 700 billion pounds is still in circulation because copper's recycling rate is high­er than that of any other engineering metal. Each year nearly as much copper is recovered from recycled material as is obtained from newly mined ore. Almost half of all recycled copper scrap is old post-consumer scrap, such as discarded electric cable, junked automobile radiators and air conditioners, or even ancient Egyptian plumbing! The remainder is new scrap, such as chips and turnings from screw machine production. Engineers hope that we will be able to use cop­per for centuries on.

I. Say if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false
statements.

1. Copper was extracted by man more than 10,000 years ago.

3. Copper alloys appeared because there was shortage of pure copper

4. Copper metals are important functional and decorative materials today.

5. In the 19th century the demand for copper greatly decreased.

6. The resources of copper will be worked out in the near future.

7. If Egyptian plumbing is recycled a lot of copper can be obtained.

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