WORDBUILDER 4 Vat Chat Vat Lieu

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<b>Wordbuilder</b>

<b>Guy Wellman</b>

HEINEMANN

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<b>Substances, materials</b>

<b>and textures</b>

<b>Quiz</b>

[1] Even if chemistry lessons are a thing of the (distant) past for you, try this exercise on
elements, metals and gases. Cover the column on the right and see if you can say
which elements, metals and gases these symbols stand for. Each one has a simple
clue beside it to help you.

Ag
Zn
Al
U
Au
Sn

Ca

S
CO
Pu
Fe
Pt
H
P

Hg
Ni
О
N
Cu
NaCl

a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary
a bluish-white metal

light to carry and silvery to look at
named after a planet

an Olympic winner
a can is made of it
think of your teeth
think of matches
breathe out

nuclear power can come from this
the most widely used metal of all

describes a particular type of blonde hair
think of the bomb

gives out light in the dark
used in thermometers
and an American coin
life-supporting
80% of the air

maybe the first metal used by man
commonly known as salt

<b>silver</b>
<b>zinc</b>
<b>aluminium</b>
<b>uranium</b>
<b>gold</b>

<b>tin</b>

<b>calcium</b>
<b>sulphur</b>
<b>carbon dioxide</b>
<b>plutonium</b>
<b>iron</b>
<b>platinum</b>
<b>hydrogen</b>
<b>phosphorus</b>
<b>mercury</b>
<b>nickel</b>
<b>oxygen</b>
<b>nitrogen</b>
<b>copper</b>

<b>sodium chloride</b>
Does that bring back memories of acids, alkalis and smelly experiments? If you're in
good form, try these. What alloys or other substances will you get if you mix the
following? (Keep the right-hand column covered.)

<b>copper and tin</b>
<b>copper and zinc</b>
<b>iron and carbon</b>

<b>lime, clay, sand and water</b>
the above plus<b> gravel</b>

3rd place medal
a band

knives
brick walls
for a path

<b>bronze</b>
<b>brass</b>
<b>steel</b>
<b>cement</b>
<b>concrete</b>

<b>Practice</b>

In a recent nightmare, my grandson was saying to his girlfriend: Tour hands are like
<b>vinyl,</b> the skin on your face is like purest<b> acrylic</b> and your hair is like real

<b>polystyrene'.</b>

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<b>Substances, materials and textures</b>
<i>The old</i>

<b>lace handkerchiefs</b>
<b>satin bed-linen</b>
<b>cotton pyjamas</b>
<b>tweed jackets</b>
<b>woollen cardigans</b>
<b>flannel trousers</b>
<b>leather shoes</b>

<b>feather (preferably down) beds</b>
<b>velvet curtains</b>

<b>marble floors</b>
<b>solid wood funiture</b>

<b>(of teak, pine, mahogany, oak)</b>
<b>cast iron pots and pans</b>

<b>china tea-service</b>
<b>porcelain dinner plates</b>
<b>steel cutlery</b>
<b>brown paper</b>
<b>wooden boats</b>
<i>The new</i>
<b>paper tissues</b>
<b>nylon sheets</b>
<b>polyester shirts</b>
<b>denim tops</b>
<b>acrylic sweaters</b>
<b>cord(uroy) slacks</b>

<b>suede uppers, man-made soles</b>
<b>polyurethane-foam pillows</b>
<b>vinyl upholstery</b>

<b>formica worktop, polystyrene tiles</b>
<b>chipboard units</b>

<b>hardboard shelves</b>
<b>stainless steel saucepans</b>
<b>smoked-glass cups</b>
<b>enamel mugs</b>
<b>plastic spoons</b>
<b>polythene bags</b>
<b>fibreglass yachts</b>
[2] Most materials are happy to act as adjectives as well as nouns.

<b>Sheffield produces a lot of steel. It has quite a large steel industry. I need a steel</b>
bar to put across this cage-door.

Most materials, however, can also add a letter or two to make another adjective
with a different, more figurative meaning.

<b>He gave me a steely look, (a bit like steel)</b>

Cover the second and fourth columns below. Choose nouns to go with the two lists of
adjectives, then see how many of yours are the same as the ones the book suggests.

1 a leather
2 rubber
3 a glass

4 a silk
5 a grass
6 a mud
7 a stone
8 a skin
9 a tin
10 an ice
11 a wire
12 an oil
13 a silver
14 a meat
15 a gold
16 a metal
17 a milk
18 a smoke
19 a wooden
20 a grease
21 a soap
22 a woollen

jacket
gloves
eye
scarf
skirt
hut
wall
disease
drum
cube

coat-hanger
well
chain
pie
tooth
container
bottle
signal
leg
gun
bubble
jumper
a leathery
rubbery
a glassy
silky
a grassy
muddy
a stony
a skinny
a tinny
an icy
a wiry
an oily
silvery
a meaty
a golden
a metallic
a milky
a smoky

a wooden
a greasy
soapy
a woolly
steak
lips
look
hair
slope
boots
silence
person

sound from a cheap radio
stare
marathon runner
rag
hair
discussion
opportunity
voice
complexion
room
actor
rag
water
argument

<i><b>Note the two exceptions: a wooden leg, a wooden actor (unnatural); a woollen jumper, a</b></i>

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Substances, materials and textures

<b>Practice</b>

Discuss or write the answers to these questions.

<b>1 Are precious metals and stones — diamonds, emeralds, rubies, sapphires, etc.</b>

— as beautiful as their prices suggest?

2 How have materials for clothes, household goods, furniture etc. changed during
your lifetime? In what ways are these changes for the better and in what ways are
they changes for the worse?

3 What is being done in your country to counter the dangers of certain materials in
<b>use today: asbestos, lead, DDT, nuclear waste, nicotine?</b>

2 Write a paragraph from your latest short story in which the hero, blindfolded,
<b>stumbles through a cardboard box factory in an attempt to escape from his</b>
pursuers. Describe his feelings as he comes into contact with various substances
and surfaces during the chase.

Add here any more words about substances as you meet them.

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