Introductory Unit

English for Specific Purposes vs. General English

What is ESP?

What is GE?

Exercise 1:
Match the differences(s) between ESP and GE with the given information.

ESP

Science and Technology Language.

Language for Educational or Academic Purposes.
Conversational English Courses.
Primary and High School English Language Teaching.
Language for Occupational Purposes.
Four Skills Development: Reading, Writing, Listening
and Speaking.
One or two Skill Development for Specific Purposes.

GE

ESP
English for Specific Purposes is an approach to language
teaching in which all decisions as to content and method are based
on the learners reason for learning.

GE
General English is communicative English, where four skills are

developed: reading, writing, listening and speaking. It is taught in

Primary, High School and Conversational English courses.

Reading Comprehension vs. Translation

What is Reading Comprehension?

What is Translation?

Physics studies the/la

relationship/relacin between/entre
energy and matter/materia.

I understand

Exercise 1:
Match the following statements with the
Reading Comprehension Process or Translation Process.

It is the exact reproduction

of the grammar, style and
organization of a written
text from one language to
another.
It is interactive and
communicative activity between
the reader and the written text.
It involves extracting the
correct information from a text
as efficiently as possible.
It is a change of speech or
writing from one language to
another

Translation

or

Reading Comprehension

It is an approximation to a
word-for- word representation
of an original text from one
language to another
It is a passive process
between the reader and a
written text.
It is the understanding that
results when a reader
perceives a written text.
It is the reproduction of the
general meaning of a written
text from one language to
another.

- Guessing through

Cognates
Background knowledge
Visual aids
Word formation
Context

- Scanning
- Skimming

GUESSING BASED ON COGNATES

COGNATE

FALSE COGNATE

A word in one language that is

A word in one language that is

similar in form and meaning to a

similar in form but doesnt have

word in another language.

the same meaning to the word in

another language.

Identify the true and false cognates in the following examples:

1. A computer is a machine that performs tasks, such as mathematical

calculations or electronic communication, under the control of a set of
instructions called a program.
Cognates:
2. Most of us know about solids, liquids and gases.
Cognates:
3. The absolute zero temperature is obtained when systems exchange energy.
Cognates:
4. The arithmetic operation of division is the opposite, or inverse, operation to
multiplication.
Cognates:
5. Scientists like to make models to explain the phenomena.
Cognates:
6. In Medicine, laser light can cauterize tissues in a fraction of a second.
Cognates:
7. Anthropology is divided into four fields: biological anthropology, social
anthropology or cultural anthropology, archaeology and anthropological
linguistics.
Cognates:
8. You have to follow some directions in order to assemble the CPU.
Cognates:
6

GUESSING BASED ON BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

It is information, knowledge, and/ or
previous experiences that a person can
have about a topic.

According to your background knowledge, guess the meaning of the

underlined words:
1. People say that robots are replacing humans at work. What do you think?
Your guesses are: _____________________________________________

2. Salt and water are not elements. They are compounds.

Your guess is: ________________________________________________

3. Meteorologists have said that global warming causes severe storms as

tornados.
Your guess is: ________________________________________________

4. Through language, humans are able to use symbols, that is, they are able to
communicate meanings through sounds.
Your guesses are: _____________________________________________

5. Some common applications of interactive multimedia are: training programs,

video games and travel guides.
Your guesses are: _____________________________________________

6. Molecules conduct metabolism by processing the energy.

Your guess is: _____________________________________________

7. Linear Algebra is a branch of mathematics that studies the vectors.

Your guess is: _____________________________________________
8. Researchers have created a computer program that allows a car to be driven
without human control.
Your guess is: ________________________________________________
7

GUESSING BASED ON VISUAL AIDS

It is done through visual supports such as
figures, images, or any type of graph that help
to understand a particular message.

I. Match the pictures with the corresponding type of communication

1. ________

2. ___________

3. ___________

4. ___________

5. ___________

a. Person to person
b. By mail
6. ___________

c. By fax
d. By e-mail
e. By phone
f. By cellular phone
8

GUESSING BASED ON WORD FORMATION

It refers to the derivational and
compositional
words suffer.

processes

that

Examples:
By compositional process:

greenhouse, keyboard, paperwork

By derivational process: safe safely, react reactive, chemical biochemical

Read the sentences and guess the meaning of the underlined words:
1. Plastics producers produce many useful things but the production of those
products is constantly producing pollution.
Your guesses are: _______________________________________________

2. Computer scientists designed a driverless car.

Your guess is: __________________________________________________

3. Johns Hopkins hematologists developed a noninvasive infrared scanning

system to determine skin cancer.
Your guesses are: _____________________________________________

4. In some primitive societies people practice monogamy (having one spouse at a

time) or polygamy (having multiple wives).
Your guess is: __________________________________________________
5. E-mail enables users to send messages rapidly through a worldwide
communication network.
Your guesses are: _____________________________________________

GUESSING BASED ON CONTEXT

It is the surrounding, environment, circumstances,
or facts that help giving a total idea of the text.
The words have meaning in relation to other words
in the text and the situation in which they are used.

Example: If you read the following:

The scientific method has four key processes: - making observations
- forming a hypothesis
- doing experiments and
- drawing a conclusion

Which of the following guesses could be true for the word key?
a) llaves
b) claves
c) teclas

Which of the following guesses could be true for the word drawing?
a) dibujo
b) trazar
c) obtener

Read the sentences and guess the meaning of the underlined words:

1. Atmospheric water vapor (H2O) is the most important natural greenhouse gas.
Your guess is: _________________________________________________

2. An exponent, appearing to the upper right of the base, indicates the number of
times the base has been involved in the operation of multiplication.
Your guess is: ______________________________________________
10

3. Nowadays scientists study the ozone effects on earth.

Your guess is: ______________________________________________

4. Engineers built humanoid robots that can recognize objects by color by

processing information from a camera on the robot's head.
Your guess is: ______________________________________________

5. A convex lens produces an image when it focuses light.

Your guess is: _________________________________________________

6. The forms of energy are radio waves, gamma rays and X rays.
Your guesses are: ______________________________________________

7. Neutrons have no charge.

Your guess is: ________________________________________________

8. Some properties of matter are color, odor, hardness, density, etc.

Your guess is: ______________________________________________

9. There are many application computer programs that individual users can run.
Your guess is: ______________________________________________

10. Every chemical element has its own symbol.

Your guess is: ______________________________________________

11. In the 19th century anthropologists theorized that each human culture passed
through three stages of evolution: savagery, barbarism and civilization.
Your guesses are: ______________________________________________
12. Technology applies the knowledge gained from science in an effort to
improve the quality of human life.
Your guesses are: ______________________________________________

11

SCANNING
refers to a quickly going through a text to find a
particular piece of information.

In order to scan follow the instructions below:

Locate the key word(s) in the topic you are interested in. This will
provide clues to the information you need.
Read quickly to find the sentence or part of a sentence that contains the
information you require.

Scan the following texts looking only for the information required:
Paragraph 1

What is GOPHER?

One of the best things you can do with Internet e-mail

______________________________ is use gopher, the handy system for finding texts and
files on the Internet. The simplest way to use it with e______________________________ mail is to send an e-mail message to
______________________________ gophermail@calvin.edu.com.
______________________________

Source: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

__________________________.

12

Paragraph 2
One of gophers best features -and one that can be
What is the name of gophers used via e-mail- is a search function called
Veronica. With Veronica you can ferret out
search function?
information from throughout gopher space and
greatly reduce the frustration involved in trying to
________________________________ find a particular piece of information on the
Internet.
______________.
Source: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

Paragraph 3

What subject did the author Veronica generates a custom gopher menu on the
subject of your choice. For instance, I used
search for?
Veronica by e-mail to search for the subject
_________________________
______________________ .

influenza and received a list of 72 possible

choices.
Source: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

Paragraph 4

What tool permits you

search through FTP?

Now, lets say you know the file name you are
to looking for, but youre not sure where it is located.
An Internet tool known as Archie permits you to
search through FTP sites by file name.

_______________________________
_____________________.

Source: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

13

Scan the following texts looking only for the specific information:

Text 1
1. Where does Ivan Schuller work?
2. What does he teach?
3. What is his main contribution to the science?
4. What does the sensor measure?
5. When does the sensor indicate a difference in electrical conductivity?

Ivan Schuller, professor of physics at the University of California, has created a highly
sensitive explosives detector, which is a tiny sensor that monitors electrical conductivity that
allows scientists to detect the presence of explosives. The sensor measures the conductivity of
two different thin films, one made of a cobalt compound and another made of a copper
compound. When reacting to most fumes, the two films respond in similar ways, but when
exposed to hydrogen peroxide the films show a difference in electrical conductivity. When the
sensor indicates this difference, that means that trace amounts of hydrogen peroxide are
present, a common ingredient of explosives used by terrorist in many suicide bombings.
Source: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.

Text 2
1. When was John Dalton born?
2. What did John Dalton do for the sciences?
3. How old was Dalton when he started teaching?
4. Where did he move to in 1793?
5. How many observations did Dalton make?

Dalton, John (1766 -1844), British chemist and physicist, who developed the atomic theory
upon which modern physical science is founded. Dalton was born on September 6, 1766, in
Eagles field, England. He received his early education from his father at a Quaker school,
where he began teaching at the age of 12. In 1781 he moved to Kendal, where he conducted
the school. He went to Manchester in 1793 and spent the rest of his life there as a teacher at
New College. He died in Manchester on July 27, 1844. Dalton began a series of
meteorological observations in 1787 that he continued for 57 years, accumulating some
200,000 observations and measurements on the weather in the Manchester area.
Source: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.

14

Text 3
1. What

is

transmitted

from

generation to generation?

2. Do animals form societies?

3. How

is

social

behavior

transmitted by insects?

4. Who learn the behavioral rules?

5. What do monkeys acquire by

social learning?

Human societies consist of organized groups of

individuals, usually of both sexes and all ages,
which have a set of behavioral rules that are
transmitted from one generation to another. Many
animals, including insects and mammals, also have
societies, but their mode of transmitting social
behaviors differs fundamentally from that of human
societies. Insects transmit social behaviors by
biological heredity. The social behavior of most
mammals is acquired mainly genetically but also by
means of imitation, social conditioning, or teaching.
Studies with monkeys have revealed that they
acquired a variety of "customs" by social learning.
For example, mother monkeys living in troops
developed a system of cooperative baby-sitting;
they also learned to wash sweet potatoes before
eating them. Once discovered, these habits were
adopted by others in the troop.
Source: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia.

Text 4
A polynomial, in algebra, is a mathematical
expression that consists of two or more terms. If any
polynomial is set equal to zero, it is called a
polynomial equation.
If n=1, the polynomial is of degree 1. An equation
of this type is called a linear equation because its
graph is a straight line.
If n=2, the polynomial is of degree 2. A polynomial
equation of degree 2, in one variable, is called a
quadratic equation (Quad). Quad means four sides.,
as in a square. The term quadratic arises because the
area of a square is A = s (squared), where s is one
of the sides. Hence a quadratic equation is an
equation of degree two. Polynomials having degree
one is called monomials, two or three terms are
called, respectively, binomials and trinomials. A
polynomial equation of degree n has exactly n
roots.
Source: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.

1.-

How

many

terms

can

polynomial have?

2.- What is a polynomial equation?

3.- What does Quad mean?

4.-

What

is

the

name

that

polynomials receive when they have

three terms?

5.- Whats the name of the equation

of a polynomial of degree 1?

15

SKIMMING
consists in quickly running ones eyes over a text to get
the essence or main idea of it.

In order to skim, follow the instructions below:

Do not look at the questions before you have read the paragraph.

Force yourself to read the paragraph a little faster than you normally do

Concentrate on finding and following the writers main idea.

Do not try to remember details.

If it is the case, select the statement that best expresses the main idea.

Read the text and choose the statement that best expresses the main idea.
Text 1
The main idea is:
Computer-related jobs are among the most a) Computers are considered a valuable
rapidly growing employment segments in the
tool in todays industries.
United States and many other parts of the
world. Businesses continue to increase capital
expenditures

for

computer

equipment.

Hundreds of thousands of people will be

needed to manufacture, operate, program, and

b) People working with computers are

known as system analysts,
programmers, and operators.

manage new equipment. The most soughtafter computer specialists will probably be c) Jobs related to computers are one of the
systems
operators.

analysts,

programmers,

and

most important sources of employment

all over the world.

16

Text 2
Materials that are not uniform in composition are
said to be impure or heterogeneous and are called
mixtures. Most of the materials we encounter in
everyday life, such as cement, wood, and plastic
are mixtures. A mixture results when two or more
substances that do not react chemically are
combined. Mixtures are characterized by two
fundamental properties: First, each of the
substances in the mixture retains its chemical
integrity; second, mixtures are separable into these
components by physical means. If one of the
substances in a mixture is preponderantthat is, if
its amount far exceeds the amounts of the other
substances in the mixture then we usually call this
mixture an impure substance and speak of the other
substances in the mixtures as impurities.

The main idea is:

a) All materials are impure.

b) Mixtures are the results of the

combination of substances which
do not react chemically.

c) Mixtures are very common in

our daily life.

Text 3

The main idea is:

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

Sensory neurons are nerve cells within the nervous

system responsible for converting external stimuli
from the organism's environment into internal
electrical impulses. For example, some sensory
neurons respond to tactile stimuli and can activate
motor neurons in order to achieve muscle
contraction. Such connections between sensory and
motor neurons underlie motor reflex loops and
several forms of involuntary behavior, including pain
avoidance. In humans, such reflex circuits are
commonly located in the spinal.

17

Text 4
The World Wide Web (WWW) is a computer-based
network of information resources that a user can
move through by using links from one document to
another. The information on the World Wide Web is
spread over computers all over the world. The World
Wide Web is often referred to simply as "the Web."
The Web has become a very popular resource since it
became possible to view images and other multimedia
on the Internet, a worldwide network of computers, in
1993. The Web offers a place where companies,
institutions, and individuals can display information
about their products, research, or their lives. Anyone
with access to a computer connected to the Web can
view most of that information. A small percentage of
information on the Web is only accessible to
subscribers. The Web has become a forum for many
groups and a marketplace for many companies.
Museums, libraries, government agencies, and
schools make the Web a valuable learning and
research tool by posting data and research.

The main idea is:

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

Text 5

The main idea is:

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

Much of chemistry can be described as taking

substances apart and putting the parts together
again in different ways. Using this approach, the
chemical industry produces materials that are vital
to the industrialized world. Resources such as
coal, petroleum, plants, the sea, and the air yield
raw materials that are turned into metal alloys;
detergents and dyes; paints, plastics, and
polymers; medicines and artificial implants;
perfumes and flavors; fertilizers, herbicides, and
insecticides. Today, more synthetic detergent is
used than soap; cotton and wool have been
displaced from many uses by artificial fibers; and
wood, metal, and glass are replaced by plastics.

18

Text 6

The main idea is:

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

The concept of culture was first explicitly

defined in 1871 by the British anthropologist
Edward B. Tylor. He used the term to refer to
"that complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom,
and any other capabilities and habits acquired
by man as a member of society." Since then,
anthropologists define human culture as
learned behaviour acquired by individuals as
members of a social group. There have been
numerous variations on this definition, but all
have agreed that culture is learned behaviour
in contrast to genetically endowed behaviour

Text 7
"Nature versus nurture" refers to an ongoing debate
about how much genes are responsible for an
individual's traits, compared to how much is due to
the environment around the person.
There are some areas where genetics clearly
dominate: certain hereditary diseases, for example,
such as cystic fibrosis, or hair and eye color. And
what language a child ends up speaking is entirely
determined by his or her environment. But other
traits appear to develop from a combination of both
influences.
For example, a person's height as an adult is
determined to some extent by his or her genes, but
environmental factors such as diet can also impact
height. The same is true for weight. Some women
are genetically predisposed to store more body fat
in particular areas of the body (around the abdomen
versus the hips), but this propensity can be
controlled through diet and exercise. The issue
becomes even more complex when dealing with the
brain. Hormones help build structures in the brain,
so genetics clearly play a role in such matters as
distinctly male or female behaviors. But the brain is
also designed to be flexible, enabling it to adapt to
environmental experiences.

The main idea is:

_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________
_________________________

19

Functions of
the Texts

Definition
Narration
Classification
Instruction
Physical
Function
Description
Process

20

Text of Definition

A definition is a word or phrase expressing the nature of a person

or a thing or a process.

Characteristics:

I.

Verbs are in simple present or passive voice tense.

Use of adjectives.
Common expressions to define: is..., deals with..., is defined as
...., is called..., is known as..., is a kind of ..., refers to.

Match the term defined with its definition.

1. A process by which thermal radiation from

a planetary surface is absorbed by
atmospheric greenhouse gases, and is reradiated in all directions.

) Water vapor

2. A gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and

emits radiation within the thermal infrared
range.

) Global warming

3. A state of water within the hydrosphere

that can be produced from the evaporation
or boiling of liquid water or from the
sublimation of ice.

) Greenhouse effect

4. A rising average temperature of Earth's

atmosphere and oceans and its related
effects.

) Greenhouse gas

21

Text 1
Read the following text and answer the questions in Spanish.

1. Generally, a computer is any device that can perform numerical calculations even
2. an adding machine, an abacus, or a slide rule. Currently, however, the term
3. usually refers to an electronic device that can perform a series of tasks according
4. to a precise set of instructions. The set of instructions is called a program, and
5. the tasks may include making arithmetic calculations, storing, retrieving, and
6. processing data, controlling another device, or interacting with a person to
7. perform a business function or to play a video game.
Source: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

1. What is being defined?

3. How can we define a computer today?

4. Is a program a set of instructions?

5. Extract from the text, a synonym for the words:

Apparatus: ___________________
Nowadays: ___________________
Group:

___________________

6. Find the referent for the word: the term in line 2: _______________

7. What should the electronic device follow to perform the tasks?

8. Give some examples of tasks that can be performed by a computer.

22

Text 2
Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.

refers to the increasing unification of the world's economic

order through reduction of barriers to international trade such as tariffs,
export fees, and import quotas. The goal is to increase goods, and services
through an international division of labor by international relations,
specialization and competition. It describes the process by which regional
economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through
communication, transportation, and trade.
The term is most closely associated with the term economic globalization
which is the integration of national economies into the international economy
through trade, foreign direct investment, capital flows, migration, the spread
of technology, and military presence. However, globalization is usually
recognized as being driven by a combination of economic, technological,
sociocultural, political, and biological factors. The term can also refer to the
transnational circulation of ideas, languages, or popular culture through
acculturation. An aspect of the world which has gone through the process
can be said to be globalized. Against this view, an alternative approach
stresses how globalization has actually decreased inter-cultural contacts
while increasing the possibility of international and intra-national conflict.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/Globalization

QUESTIONS
1.

What is being defined?

2.

What is the goal of globalization?

3.

Mention some advantages of

globalization.

4.

8.

How does the author define

economic globalization?
Give a disadvantage of
globalization.
Extract a synonym for the word:
purpose
Extract an antonym for the word:
in favor
It in line 5, refers to:

9.

which in line 9, refers to:

5.
6.
7.

ANSWERS

10. The term in line 13, refers to:

23

Text 3
Read the text

Internet Addiction Disorder

Internet Addiction Disorder (IAD) is a term more commonly being used to describe
one who displays addictive characteristics with the internet in daily life. IAD is
relatively a new term that is supported by some people and criticized by others.
The point of the debate is whether internet addiction is really a disorder or whether
its just a bad habit of over using a new technology.
To be diagnosed as having IAD, a person must meet certain criteria as prescribed
by the American Psychiatric Association. Three or more of these criteria must be
present at any time during a twelve month period:
1. Relevancy: Using the internet dominates the persons life, feelings and
behavior.
2. Mood modification: The person experiences changes in mood when using
the internet. These people may be irritable when offline, or angry toward
anyone who questions their time on the internet. It is the habit of depending on
an external factor in order to feel happy or to escape from reality
3. Tolerance: This refers to the need for increasing amounts of time on the
internet to achieve satisfaction. A person may lie about how much time was
spent online or deny that they have a problem.
4. Unpleasant symptoms: If the person stops using the internet, they
experience unpleasant feelings or physical effects such as: trembling, tremors,
anxiety, fantasies or dreams about the internet, obsessive thinking about what
is happening on the internet, involuntary movements of the fingers.
5. Conflict: Using the internet causes conflicts with those close to the person, or
with their everyday life (their job, social life). Some shy people or those who
don't know how to socialize try to use the internet to satisfy the social needs
they can't satisfy otherwise.
6. Relapse: The addict tends to relapse into earlier patterns of behavior, even
after years of abstinence.

24

Answer TRUE or FALSE according to the text:

STATEMENTS
1.

Internet addiction disorder is well accepted by everybody.

2.
3.

The internet addiction debate is really about how internet is used

by people.
The internet addiction can become pathological.

4.

Internet overuse for a long time can`t cause mood changes.

5.

7.

The internet over user needs to spend longer periods of time

online in order to feel satisfied.
If a person depends on the internet to feel happy, this person
may be addicted to it.
Heavy Internet users are very sociable people.

8.

Everybody overuses the internet to forget their problem.

9.

One of the symptoms of the internet addiction disorder is the

domain of internet in the persons life.
Internet is addicting when the person experiences unpleasant
feelings having internet.
It has been established that internet addiction disorder develops
independency on people.
The addiction results from using the internet as a way of relieving
feelings of helplessness, guilt, anxiety, or depression.
IAD is a disorder involving tolerance, unpleasant symptoms,
affective disturbances and interruption of social relationships.
Internet disorder is seriously due to the very real obsession many
people have with online activities.
One of the physical effects of internet addiction is excessive time
devoted to internet use.
Social, occupational and recreational activities are given up
because of internet use.
An internet addict doesnt have difficulty cutting down on the
online time.
The addict is restless, moody, depressed, or irritable when
attempting to cut down or stop Internet use.
Internet can be as a route of escape to a mood altering
experience.
An online addict lies to family members, a therapist, or others to
conceal the extent of involvement with the internet.

6.

10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

TRUE

FALSE

25

Text 4
Read the text

Why is quitting smoking and staying quit hard for so many people? The answer is
nicotine. Nicotine is a drug found in tobacco. It is as addictive as heroin or cocaine.
Over time, a person becomes physically dependent on and emotionally addicted to
nicotine. The physical dependence causes unpleasant symptoms when people try to
quit. The emotional dependence (addiction) makes it hard to stay away from nicotine.
Nicotine causes pleasant feelings and distracts the smoker from unpleasant feelings.
This makes the smokers want to smoke again. Nicotine also acts as a depressant by
interfering with the nervous system.
Over time, the smoker develops a tolerance to the drug. Tolerance is the condition in
which larger amount of the substance are required to produce the same effect. This
leads to an increase in smoking.
When smokers try to cut back or quit, the lack of nicotine leads to unpleasant
symptoms. They include both physical and mental symptoms. Physical symptoms are
when the body reacts to the absence of nicotine such as: dizziness, sweating,
nausea, cramps, sore throat, cough, constipation, respiratory problem. Mental
symptoms are when the smoker is faced with giving up a habit, which calls for a
major change in behavior such as: depression, frustration, impatience, anger,
anxiety, and insomnia.
These symptoms can lead the smoker to start smoking again to boost blood levels of
nicotine back to a level where there are no symptoms.

26

I. Complete the sentences selecting the correct information from the right
column.
1.

The text is about

a. emotional addiction

2.

Nicotine is a

b. quit smoking

3.

A person gets emotionally

c. tobacco

4.

Nicotine makes people experience

d. dependence

5.

This drug interferes with

e. cocaine and heroin

6.

Dizziness, cramps, frustration, anger,

anxiety make smokers want to start
smoking again and lead to

As time goes by, even more nicotine is

required to maintain

8.

Physical dependence causes

9.

Symptoms can cause go back to

7.

f.

satisfaction level

g. nicotine
h. mental symptoms
i.

hard for people

j.

drug

k. blood levels
10. As a drug, nicotine is more addictive than

l.

physical symptoms

11. It is hard to stay away from nicotine

because of

m. insomnia

12. Smokers want to smoke again to avoid

n. pleasant feelings

13. Nicotine dependency is a real

o. smoke again

14. Because of the nicotine dependence, it is

difficult to

p. unpleasant symptoms
when people try to quit

15. Nicotine is in

q. addicted to nicotine

16. Nausea, sore throat, cough and respiratory

problem are some

r. nervous system
(

)
s. keep smoking

17. The more nicotine smokers have learned to

tolerate, the more likely they are to
18. The condition in which larger amount of the
substance are required to produce the
same effect is known as

t.

tolerance

u. mental illness
(

v. depressant

27

Text of Narration

A narration is the telling of a story.

Characteristics:

Verbs are in past tense.

Chronological indicators (dates)

Text 1
Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.

1. At the beginning of the 20th century the rapidly advancing field of electronics led to the
2. construction of the first general-purpose all-electronic computer at the University of
3. Pennsylvania by the American engineer John Presper Eckert, Jr. And the American
4. physicist John William Mauchly. Later, another American physicist, John Vincent
5. Atanasoff, successfully claimed that certain basic techniques he had developed were
6. used in this computer called ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer).
7. The ENIAC computer, which went into service in 1946, contained 18,000 vacuum
8. tubes and had a speed of several hundreds multiplications per minute. Its program
9. was wired into the processor and had to be manually altered.
Taken from: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.

1. Where was the first electronic computer constructed?

2. Who has been claimed as the developer of the basic techniques used in ENIAC?

3. When did ENIAC start working?

4. What does ENIAC stand for?

5. Extract from the reading the time order connectors.

28

Text 2
Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.

Late in 1997, film producer David Heyman received a copy of the first book in
what would become a series of seven Harry Potter novels. The book, Harry
Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, was written by Joanne Rowling. The book
was relegated to a low-priority bookshelf, where it was discovered by Haymans
secretary who read it and gave it to him with a positive review. Highly
impressed by Rowling's work, he began the process that was to lead to the
most successful cinematic franchise of all time. Heyman's enthusiasm led to
Rowling's book sale of the film rights to Warner Bros. for 1 million
(US$2,000,000). A film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
was released on 16 November 2001, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets on 15 November 2002. Both were directed by Chris Columbus.
The 4th of June 2004 saw the release of the film version of Harry Potter and
the Prisoner of Azkaban, directed by Alfonso Cuarn. The fourth film, Harry
Potter and the Goblet of Fire, was directed by Mike Newell, and released on 18
November 2005. The film of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix was
released on 11 July 2007. It was directed by David Yates, and Michael Goldenberg
wrote the screenplay. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was released on
15 July 2009. David Yates directed again. In March 2008, Warner Bros.
announced that the final installment of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows, was filmed in two parts: part one was released on 14 November
2010 and the second was in July 2011. Yates returned again to direct both films.
Source: wikipedia.org/wiki/HarryPotter

QUESTIONS
What is the topic of the text?

ANSWERS

What happened in 1997?

Who read the book Harry Potter and the
Philosophers Stone for the first time?
Who is the author of the novels?

What happened when David Heyman

read the book?
How much money was paid for the film
rights?

29

1. Find the referents for the following words.

It (in line 4) refers to _________________________________

It (in line 5) refers to _________________________________
him (in line 5) refers to _________________________________
he (in line 6) refers to ________________________________
Both (in line 11) refers to _____________________________
It (in line 16) refers to _________________________________
the second (in line 21) refers to _________________________________

2. Fill in the table with information from the text.

NOVEL

DIRECTOR OF FILM
ADAPTATION

DATE OF FILM
RELEASE

30

Text 3
Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.

1. Thomas Hunt Morgan (18661945), American zoologist, was born at

2. Lexington, Kentucky, USA., Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University in 1886. He
3. was professor of experimental zoology at Columbia University (190428) and
4. from 1928 was director of the laboratory of biological sciences at the California
5. Institute of Technology. He is noted for his ingenious demonstration of the
6. physical basis of heredity and the importance of the gene, using in his research
7. the fruit fly, Drosophila. In 1931, he described the phenomena of linkage and
8. crossing over, which he and his students utilized to map the linear
9. arrangement of genes along the chromosome. Morgan received in 1933 the
10. Nobel Prize in Medicine. His books, classics in the literature of genetics
11. include The Physical Basis of Heredity (1919), Mechanism of
12. Mendelian Heredity (rev. ed. 1923), Evolution and Genetics (1925), The
13. Theory of the Gene (rev. ed. 1929), and Embryology and Genetics (1934).
Taken from: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia.

1. What is the topic of the text?

2. Extract from the text the chronological sequence connectors.
3. Write the important events that occurred in these dates:
a. 1866:
b. 1904:
c. 1928:
d. 1931:
e. 1933:
4. Where was Thomas Hunt Morgan born?
5. What was his contribution to the sciences?
6. Was he a teacher?
7. Find the referents:
a) his in line 5, refers to:________________________
b) which in line 8, refers to: _____________________
31

Text of Classification

A classification is the process of arranging things into groups or

categories with common characteristics.

Characteristics:

Verbs are in simple present, passive voice.

Clues: is classified, is divided into, different types of...,
kinds of

Text 1
Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.

1. There are two types of telescopes: the refractor and the reflector. Which is
2. better for astronomy?. Even the experts do not always agree. Truth is,
3. neither type "does it all'. Some amateur astronomers even own one of each.
4. Here is a refractor vs. reflector comparison:
5. The refractor tends to produce a sharper image at high magnifications. It is
6. important if you want to see lunar and planetary detail. Because its optics are
7. sealed in the tube, the refractor requires relatively little cleaning and
8. maintenance. Unfortunately, refractor can cost $1000 or more, while a reflector
9. of the same aperture might be purchased for one-third that price. Another
10. minus of the refractor is that the refractor's eyepiece is placed in an awkward
11. position, requiring stooping when the scope is aimed overhead.
12. The reflector is the telescope of choice for astronomers who study large but
13. faint sky objects. Reflectors are relatively inexpensive, and they are large
14. telescopes that will collect lots of light and unveil dim nebulae. This type of
15. telescope uses concave mirror to collect light and the eyepiece is placed
16. correctly in a position where doesn't block the incoming light.
Source: Astronomy M^JZJrx

32

1. What is being classified?

2. Which telescope do you use if you want to see the nebulae?

3. What are the disadvantages of the refractor?

4. Is the reflector less expensive?

5. In line 12 who refers to: ______________________________
6. Explain the cause and effect introduced by the connector because in line 6.

Text 2
Read the text

Computer memory may be divided into internal memory and external memory.
Internal memory is memory that can be accessed directly by the central
processing unit (CPU)the main electronic circuitry within a computer that
processes information. Internal memory is contained on computer chips and
uses electronic circuits to store information. External memory is memory that is
accessed by the CPU via slower and more complex input and output operations.
It uses some form of inexpensive mass-storage media such as magnetic or
optical media.
Memory can further be distinguished as being random-access memory
(RAM), read-only memory (ROM), and sequential memory. Information stored in
RAM can be accessed in any order, and may be erased or written over
depending on the specific media involved. Information stored in ROM may also
be random-access which may be accessed in any order, but the information
recorded on ROM is permanent and cannot be erased or written over. Sequential
memory is a type of memory that must be accessed in a linear order, not
randomly.
Computer Memory," Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

33

I. Complete the sentences selecting the correct information from the right
column.

1. The classification is about

2. The CPU function is to

3. The internal memory is contained on

4. In paragraph 1, line 7, it refers to

5. The internal memory stores the

information in

a. more

b. electronic circuits

c. store information

d. CPU

e. any order

f. external memory
6. The external memory can be accessed

by the

g. random-access memory

7. The types of memory are

8. In paragraph 2, line 5, which refers to

9. The sequential memory has to be

accessed in

10.

The optical media are

11.

The term RAM stands for

12.

The type of memory that cannot be

h. process information

i. mass-storage media

j. computer chips

k. sequential memory

l. computer memory

erased is

)
m. internal and external
memory

)
n. ROM

13.

An antonym for the word less is

)
o. read-only memory

p. a linear order

34

Text 3
Read the text

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to enter the United States (U.S.) generally
must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is an authorization placed in the travelers
passport. The type of visa you must obtain is defined by U.S. immigration law, and
relates to the purpose of your travel. There are two main categories of U.S. visas:
1. Immigrant visas are for those citizens of other countries, who intend to reside
permanently in the United States. The U.S. offers several ways to become a
Permanent Resident (Green Card holder). A Green Card allows you to live and
work permanently in the U.S. There are various ways that a person may qualify for
a Green Card; they are:
1.1.
1.2.
1.3.
1.4.
1.5.
1.6.
1.7.
1.8.

Family Sponsored Immigration

Employment Based Immigration
Registry
Adoption
Diplomats
Asylum
Refugee
Green Card Lottery

2. Nonimmigrant visas are for international travelers coming to the U.S.

temporarily. Thats, for citizens of other countries who wish to be in the U.S. for a
short duration only. International travelers come to the U.S. for a wide variety of
reasons, including tourism, business, medical treatment, performing artists,
professional journalists, government representatives, students in exchange
programs and certain types of temporary work.
Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_%28document%29

Select the correct information from the text.

1.

What is the text about?

a. Living in the U.S.

b. Types of U.S. visa

c. U.S. citizens

35

2.

How many kinds of U.S. visas are there?

a. 2

3.

b. I.D. card

c. passport

b. wish to live
permanently in the
U.S.

c. intend to work for

short duration in
U.S.

b. A passport

c. Permanent resident
card

How can you become a permanent resident in the U.S.?

a. Adoption

9.

c. foreigners

What is a Green Card?

a. A discount card

8.

b. American citizens

Immigrant visas are for people who

a. travel
occasionally to
the U.S.

7.

c. Registry, diplomat,
asylum, refugee,
green card lottery,
etc.

Where is the visa placed?

a. Birth certificate

6.

b. Immigrant and
nonimmigrant visas

Who needs an American visa?

a. women

5.

c. 10

Which are they?

a. Immigrant visas

4.

b. 8

b. Medical treatment

c. Tourism

Choose some reasons that international travelers give when they go to the
U.S.
a.

vote for a president

b. build a house

c. vacation
36

 Instruction

Functions of
the Texts

Description

Physical
Function
Process

37

Text of Instruction

An instruction is an advice or indication on how to do or not to do something.

Characteristics:

Verbs in imperative.
Given in a numbered list or connectors of sequence:
(first, second, then, before, later, finally).
Provide instructional information that helps the reader
to understand explanations, descriptions, warnings, etc.

Text 1
Read the text.

The laboratory can be but is not necessarily a dangerous place. When a proper following
of instructions and a well understanding of techniques are employed, the laboratory is no
more dangerous than other classroom. Most of the instructions for lab work are just
common sense practices. These include the following:
1. Read the assignment before coming to the laboratory so that you know what to do.
2. Wear approved eye protection and a lab robe at all time while in the lab (No one will
be admitted without them).
3. Know where to find and how to use safety and first-aid equipment.
4. Consider all chemicals to be hazardous unless you are instructed otherwise.
5. Use only the necessary amount of reagent. If you pour too much reagent, dispose the
excess of it as instructed by your instructor. Never return reagents to the reagent
bottles and put them on the shelf where you found them so that other students can
find them too.
6. If chemicals come into contact with your skin or eyes while you are working, wash
immediately with copious amounts of water and then consult your instructor.
7. Never taste or smell anything and avoid rubbing your eyes unless you know your
hands are clean.
8. Keep your area clean.
9. Work independently unless instructed to do otherwise. Do not borrow apparatus from
other desks. If you need extra equipment, obtain it from the stockroom.
10. Work conscientiously to avoid accidents.
Source: A laboratory Manual of Semi-Micro Methods by J. Baxter.

38

Answer the following questions in Spanish:

1. What are these instructions preventing us from?

2. How many instructions are there? How do you recognize them?

3. What should be done before coming to the laboratory?

4. Do you have to know how to use the first-aid equipment?

5. What must be done if a chemical splashes near the eyes?

6. What do we have to do if we have an excess of reagent?

7. Where do you have to look for extra equipment?

8. Find the referents:

a) these in line 4, refers to: __________________________
b) them in instruction 2, refers to: _____________________
c) it in instruction 5, refers to: ________________________
d) them in instruction 5, refers to: _____________________
e) it in instruction 9, refers to: ________________________

9. In the reading, copious means:

a) abundant

b) diffuse

c) few

10. Extract from the text, an antonym for the word: always: ______________

11. Extract from the text, a synonym for the word: hazardous: ____________
12. Explain the meaning of the connector while in instruction 2.
13. Explain the meaning of the connector unless in instruction 4.
39

Text 2
Read the text.

Have you ever gotten stuck on the side of the road with a flat? Do you want to be
able to change a tire without having to ask for help? Fortunately, changing a tire is a
simple task, provided you're prepared and willing to exert a little effort:
1. Find a flat, stable and safe place to change your tire. You need a solid, level
surface that will restrict the car from rolling. If you are near a road, park as far
from traffic as possible and turn on your emergency lights.
2. Apply the parking brake and put car into "Park" position. If you have a
standard transmission, put your vehicle in first or reverse.
3. Place a heavy object (e.g., rock, concrete, spare wheel, etc.) in front of the
front and back tires.
4. Take out the spare tire and the jack.
5. Place the jack under the frame near the tire that you are going to change.
Ensure that the jack is in contact with the metal portion of your car's frame.
6. Raise the jack until it is supporting---but not lifting---the car. The jack should
be firmly in place against the underside of the vehicle. Check to make sure
that the jack is perpendicular to the ground.
7. Remove the hub cap and loosen the nuts by turning counterclockwise using
the wrench. Don't take the nuts all the way off. Having the wheel on the
ground means that you're turning the nuts instead of the wheel.
8. Crank the jack to lift the tire off the ground. You need to lift it high enough to
remove the flat tire and replace it with a spare. As you lift, make sure that the
car is stable.
9. Remove the nuts completely by turning them counter clockwise.
10. Remove the tire. Place the flat tire under the vehicle so in the event of a jack
failure the vehicle will fall on the old wheel, hopefully preventing injury.
11. Place the spare tire on the hub. Take care to align the rim of the spare tire
with the wheel bolts, and then put on the lug nuts.
12. Tighten the nuts by hand until they are all snug. Using the wrench, tighten
the nuts as much as possible. To ensure the tire is balanced, don't
completely tighten the nuts one at a time. Going in a star pattern around the
tire, one nut across from another, give each nut a full turn until they are
equally tight.
13. Lower the car without applying full weight on the tire.
14. Tighten the nuts as much as possible.
15. Lower the car to the ground fully and remove the jack.
16. Finish tightening the nuts.
17. Replace the hubcap.
18. Put the old tire in your trunk and take it to a mechanic.
Taken from: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

40

Answer the following questions in Spanish:

1. What are these instructions for?

2. How many instructions are there? How do you recognize them?

3. Find the referents:

a) it in instruction 6, refers to: ________________________
b) it in instruction 8, refers to: ________________________
c) them in instruction 9, refers to: _____________________
d) they in instruction 12, refers to: _____________________
e) another in instruction 12, refers to: _____________________
f) it in instruction 18, refers to: ________________________

True (T) or False (F)

1. You need a solid and level surface to restrict your car from rolling.
2. Emergency lights are not necessary when changing a flat tire.
3. Place the jack in front of the car.
4. The jack has to touch the metal portion of the frame of your car.
5. Be sure that the car is well supported by the jack.

(
(

)
)

(
(
(

)
)
)

Put in the correct order.

Take out the spare tire and the jack.

Loosen the nuts and lift the tire off the ground.
Park in a safe place to replace the tire.
Tighten the nuts and remove the jack.
Remove the flat tire and place the spare one.
Put the old tire in your trunk and take it to a mechanic.
Raise the jack to support the car.

41

Text 3
Read the text.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure to support and

maintain breathing and circulation for a person who has stopped breathing
(respiratory arrest) and/or whose heart has stopped (cardiac arrest).
CPR is performed to restore and maintain breathing and circulation and to provide
oxygen and blood flow to the heart, brain, and other vital organs. Respiratory and
cardiac arrest can be caused by allergic reactions, asphyxiation, choking, drowning,
drug reactions or overdoses, and electric shock.
There is no substitute for learning CPR, but emergencies don't wait for training.
These instructions are for conventional adult CPR. If you've never been trained in
CPR and the victim collapsed in front of you, use only your hands. Here's How:
1. Attempt to wake victim. If the victim is not breathing, call 911 immediately and
go to step 2.
2. Begin chest compressions by placing the heel of your hand in the middle of
his chest. Put your other hand on top of the first with your fingers interlaced.
3. Compress the chest at least 2 inches (4-5 cm). Allow the chest to completely
recoil before the next compression. Compress the chest at a rate of at least
100 pushes per minute.
4. Perform 30 compressions at this rate (should take you about 18 seconds).
If you are not trained in CPR, continue to do chest compressions until help
arrives or the victim wakes up. It's normal to feel pops and snaps when you
first begin chest compressions - DON'T STOP! You're not going to make the
victim worse.
5. If you have been trained in CPR, begin rescue breathing after 30
compressions by opening the victim's airway using the head-tilt, chin-lift
method. Pinch the victim's nose and make a seal over the victim's mouth with
yours. Give the victim a breath big enough to make the chest rise. Let the
chest fall, and then repeat the rescue breath once more. If the chest doesn't
rise on the first breath, reposition the head and try again.
6. Keep going. Repeat steps 4 and 5 (about 5 cycles of 30 compressions and 2
rescue breaths) until help arrives.
Taken from: Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia

Answer the following questions in Spanish.

1. What are these instructions for?

42

2. How many instructions are there? How do you recognize them?

3. What does CPR stand for?

4. Find the referents:

a. who in line 2, refers to: ________________________
b. his in instruction 2, refers to: ________________________

4. What is the very first step of CPR process?

5. Do you call 911 for emergency in your country? If not, what number can you call?

6. Respiratory and cardiac arrest can be a consequence of

7. True (T) or False (F)

a) CPR is performed to restore and maintain breathing and circulation.

b) You need special equipment to perform CPR.

c) Cardiac arrest can be caused by flu.

d) Only well trained people can perform CPR in an emergency.

43

Text of Description

A description gives information about situations, qualities, functions, and

characteristics of objects, equipment, substances, etc.

Types of Descriptions:

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION

FUNCTION DESCRIPTION

PROCESS DESCRIPTION

gives information about

physical characteristics of
objects, equipment, systems
and the spatial relations.

gives information about

the use or purpose of a
device and the functioning
of each main part.

gives information about

a series of steps or stages
that are interrelated. All
steps lead to a goal.

Characteristics:

Characteristics:

Characteristics:

Most frequently described

characteristics are: shape
dimension, weight, volume,
color, and texture.
Verbal forms used: Simple
Present, Present Perfect.

Common expressions used

Having sequence
to describe a function: it is
connectors: first, second,
used for, it works as, it
next, then, now, after,
functions as , the purpose
before, finally, etc.
is , the objective is.
Causality and
Verbal forms used: Simple
result connectors: thus, so,
Present, Present Perfect.
therefore, so that, as a
result, since, etc.
Verb form used: Simple
Present and Passive Voice.

44

IDENTIFYING THE TYPES OF DESCRIPTIONS

TEXT 1
Type of
Description:
____________

1. One of the basic instruments for measuring temperature is the

2. thermometer. Most common for measuring air temperature is the liquid3. in-glass thermometer. Its basic design is familiar. It consists of a tube,
4. usually glass, enlarged at the bottom into a bulb that is partially filled
5. with mercury. The tube's bore is extremely small--less than 0.02 inch
6. (0.5 millimeter) in diameter. Thus, a small amount of expansion or
7. contraction of the mercury in the bulb, caused by heating or cooling,
8. produces a noticeable rise or fall in its level in the tube which indicate
9. the temperature. The tube's thick, curved face acts as a magnifier that
10. makes the thin thread of mercury clearly visible.
Taken from: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

TEXT 2
Type of
Description:
____________

1. Refrigeration uses the same fundamental technique of evaporative

2. cooling. The fluid that is vaporized is called the refrigerant, and it is
3. recirculated through a so-called closed cycle. In commonly used
4. mechanical refrigeration systems, there are four basic components: a
5. compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, and an evaporator. In
6. home refrigerators the evaporator section is the food compartment and
7. its surrounding coils, which contain the refrigerant. The vapor leaving
8. the evaporator section is compressed. Then, the compressed gas is
9. condensed into a liquid by the condenser, which transfers heat to the
10. external surroundings through coils at the back or bottom of the
11. refrigerator. Later, the liquid is passed through an expansion valve and
12. fed back into the cold-chamber evaporator, where it absorbs heat as it
13. is vaporized.
Taken from: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

TEXT 3
Type of
Description:
____________

1. A word-processor lets you manipulate text: you write texts into the
2. memory of the computer, not onto paper, and so you do not have the
3. constraints of pens or typewriters. You can play with the text (make
4. changes, add or subtract words or paragraphs) and then, when you are
5. completely satisfied with the text, you can ask the computer to print the
6. text out on paper, using a printer. Word-processors are used to write
7. letters, reports, memos, even books nowadays. You can keep your
8. work stored on a floppy or hard disk, so you have a record of everything
9. you write. A word-processor will find all occurrences of a particular word
10. and, if you ask it, will replace that word with another. This search and
11. replace facility is used by companies to send personalized letters to
12. people.
Taken from: Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia
Taken from Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

45

Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.

Text 1
1. What is being described in the text?

2. What happens to the liquid inside the tube when the temperature changes?

3. Give two characteristics of the instrument.

4. What kind of liquid is used to fill the tube?

5. What is the use of the thick and curved face of the tube?

6. Find the referents:

a) It in line 3, refers to: __________ b) its in line 8, refers to: __________

7. Extract an antonym for the word: empty: ________________________

Text 2
1. What is the process described in the text about?

2. How many steps are there in this process? How do you identify each of them?

3. Extract from the text the sequence connectors.

46

4. Name the basic parts of a mechanical refrigeration system.

5. Give a definition of refrigerant.

6. Find the referents:

a) It in line 2, refers to:

________________________

b) which in line 9, refers to:

________________________

c) It in line 12, refers to:

________________________

7. In line 12, fed back means:

a) returned

or

b) discharged

8. Extract from the text an antonym for the word: opened: _________________

Text 3
1. What does a word-processor let you do?

2. What can you do with the text?

3. Where can you keep your work stored?

4. How is the search and replace facility used?
5. Extract from the text a synonym for the word limitations: _______________

47

Text 4
Match the information from the text with the pictures.

A citizen of a foreign country who seeks to

enter the United States (U.S.) generally
must first obtain a U.S. visa, which is an
authorization placed in the travelers
passport. Following is the visa process for
applying for an U.S. nonimmigrant visa:
First, CADIVI dollars for Internet purchases
should be active in order to buy to the bank
a code, named PIN, which is needed to
access the appointment service.

a)

Secondly, a phone call is made to the bank

to pay U.S. $23 for 15 minutes for your PIN
using a Visa or MasterCard approved by
CADIVI for internet. Application fees are
non-refundable and must be paid before the
appointment.

b)

Then, the appointment for non-immigrant

visa interview is made by calling to the U.S.
consulate. Operators speak both Spanish
and English. During the calling, it would be
asked for: name, identification number,
passport number, the type of visa you are
applying for, among others. The U.S.
embassy would send the scheduled
appointment confirmation by e-mail.

As soon as the appointment date

approaches, a digital
passport-sized
photograph is required to be loaded in the
U.S. visa application form. The digital photo
must be 2X2 inches in size (5cmX5cm) with
a white background.

c)

d)

48

Next, U.S. visa application form DS-160

must be completed online. The information
that is needed to have in hand is from: new
and old passports, proposed travel itinerary,
parents and siblings, work and studies,
contacts in the U.S. etc.

After successfully filled out and submitted

the DS-160 form, a confirmation page with a
10-digit barcode is received and It must be
printed out since it is requested for paying
the visa application fee in the bank.

Later, the U.S. visa application fee must be

paid at any branch of Banco Provincial. For
a B1/B2 (Business/Pleasure) visa type, it
should be paid 602.00 Bsf. A proof of
payment on the DS-160 confirmation page
is stamped by the bank.

Once the day and time of the appointment

have arrived, the applicant should go to the
U.S. consulate in Caracas. Remember to
carry all mandatory documents:
DS-160 confirmation sheet with
Banco Provincials proof of deposit
printed
Valid passport (and the old passport
if any)
Two photos
Supporting documents: bank account
movements, property deeds, proof of
current employment or studies, birth,
marriage, divorce certificates.

Finally, if the visa application is approved, it

should be paid the passport delivering at the
DHL stand outside of the embassy.

)
e)

)
f)

)
g)

)
h)

i)

Type of Description: ______________________________________

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Text 5
Read the text and answer the questions in Spanish.

The Microscope
Parts and Specifications

12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.

20.

21.
22.
23.
24.

1. Historians credit the invention of the

2. compound microscope to the Dutch
3. spectacle maker, Zacharias Janssen,
4. around the year 1590. The compound
5. microscope uses lenses and light to
6. enlarge the image and so it is also
7. called an optical or light microscope.
8. The simplest optical microscope is the
9. magnifying glass and it is good to about
10. ten times (10X) magnification. The
11. compound microscope has two systems
of lenses for greater magnification: -the ocular, or eyepiece lens that one looks into and
- the objective lens, or the lens closest to the object. Before purchasing or using a
microscope, it is important to know the functions of each part.
Eyepiece Lens: the lens at the top that you look through. They are usually 10X power.
Tube: Connects the eyepiece to the objective lenses.
Arm: Supports the tube and connects it to the base.
Base: The bottom of the microscope, used for support.
Illuminator: A steady light source (110 volts) used in place of a mirror. If your microscope
has a mirror, it is used to reflect light from an external light source up through the bottom of
the stage.
Stage: The flat platform where you place your slides. Stage clips hold the slides in place.
If your microscope has a mechanical stage, you will be able to move the slide around by
turning two knobs. One moves it left and right, the other moves it up and down.
Revolving Nosepiece or Turret: This is the part that holds two or more objective lenses
and can be rotated to easily change power.
Objective Lenses: Usually you will find 3 or 4 objective lenses on a microscope. They
almost always consist of 4X, 10X, 40X and 100X powers.
Rack Stop: This is an adjustment that determines how close the objective lens can get to
the slide.
Condenser Lens: The purpose of the condenser lens is to focus the light onto the
specimen. Condenser lenses are most useful at the highest powers (400X and above).

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25. Diaphragm or Iris: Many microscopes have a rotating disk under the stage. This
diaphragm has different sized holes and is used to vary the intensity and size of the cone
of light that is projected upward into the slide.

1. What is being described in the text?

2. What type of description is it?

3. How many parts does the microscope have? Name some of them.

4. Who invented the compound microscope?

5. What does the compound microscope use to enlarge images?

6. Is the compound microscope also known as the light microscope?

7. How many lenses systems does the compound microscope have? Name them.

8. What should we know before buying a microscope?

9. Does the tube connect the eyepiece to the arm?

10. What is the function of the microscope arm?

11. How many volts does the illuminator use?

12. Which part of the microscope is used to vary the intensity and size of the light?

13. Find the referents:

a) it in line 6, refers to:
________________________
b) They in line 15, refers to: ________________________
c) It in line 17, refers to:
________________________
d) where in line 20, refers to: ________________________

14. In line 6, enlarge means:

a) constrain

or

b) magnify

15. Extract from the text an antonym for the word: nearest: ______________
51

16. Extract from the text an antonym for the word: top: _________________

Text 6
Read the text.

1. Laser is an acronym for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Lasers are

2. devices that amplify light and produce coherent light beams, ranging from infrared to ultraviolet.
3. They can be made extremely intense, highly directional, and very pure in color. The use of lasers
4. is restricted only by imagination since they have become valuable tools in industry, scientific
5. research, communication, medicine and the military.
6. In Industry, powerful laser beams can be focused on a small spot with enormous power density.
7. Consequently, the focused beams can readily heat, melt, or vaporize material in a precise
8. manner. Lasers have been used, for example, to drill holes in diamonds, to shape machine tools,
9. to trim microelectronics, to heat-treat semiconductor chips, to cut fashion patterns and to induce
10. controlled nuclear fusion.
11. In scientific Research, because laser light is highly directional and monochromatic, extremely
12. small amounts of light scattering caused by matter can easily be detected. By measuring such
13. changes, scientists have then successfully studied molecular structures of matter. With the
14. laser, they have also determined the speed of light, induced chemical reactions and detected
15. the existence of trace substances in samples.
16. In Communication, laser light can travel a large distance in outer space with little reduction in
17. signal strength Because of its high frequency, laser light can carry, for example, 1000 times the
18. television channels today carried by microwaves. Lasers are therefore ideal for space
19. communications. Low-loss optical fibers have been developed to transmit laser light for
20. earthbound communication in telephone and computer systems.
21. In Medicine, intense, narrow beams of laser light can cut and cauterize certain tissues in a
22. small fraction of a second without damaging the surrounding healthy tissues. The laser light is
23. very important in medicine due to the fact that it can be used to "weld" the retina, bore holes in
24. the skull, vaporize lesions, and cauterize blood vessels
25. In Military, laser guidance systems for missiles, aircraft, and satellites are being studied and
26. constructed. The use of laser beams has been proposed against hostile ballistic missiles
From Comptons Interactive Encyclopedia

Answer the following questions in Spanish.

1. What is being described in the text?

52

2. What type of description is it?

3. What does Laser stand for?

4. In line 2, devices means:

5. In line 2, beams means:

a) invents

a) rays

or

or

b) tools

b) structures

6. What is the range of the laser?

7. Mention some usages of the laser in the industry.

8. Why can some amounts of light scattering be detected?

9. What is used to transmit laser light for earthbound communication?

10. Extract from the text a synonym for the following words:
Way : ________________________________
For instance: __________________________
11. Find the referents of the following words:
They" in line 3 refers to:________________________________
"They" in line 14 refers to: ______________________________
"Its" in line 17 refers to: __________________________________________
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