By the end of this unit, students will be able to
• use noun-preposition combinations accurately in texts of materials technology;
• use the present perfect properly in scientific texts;
• use parentheses effectively in scientific texts;
• comprehend spoken and written texts about nanofabrication;
• discuss the advances of material technology;
• produce texts that explain the impacts of new technology on life.
Preliminary
Read the text and examine the expressions in bold typeface.
MICRO- AND NANO-FABRICATION BETTER MEDICAL PRACTICES
The terms micro- and nano-fabrication refer to the processes of fabricating miniature structures of micro- and nano-meter scales. They have many advantages over their macroscale counterparts. It allows for the manufacture of portable, hand-held, implantable, or even injectable devices. In addition, as a result of their minute size, these devices need fewer samples or reagents for analysis or operation, saving money and
time. Moreover, where materials and processes are inhibited by lengthy diffusion times, miniaturization provides a mechanism for abbreviating these. A notable example where these micro-devices allow for significant advantages over traditional technologies is in medical care. For example, point-of-care diagnostic testing, which is testing performed at the patient’s bedside, permits physicians to diagnose a patient’s conditions more rapidly than conventional lab- based testing. By using these devices to reduce the time to diagnoses, the physician is able to make better patient management decisions leading to improved patient outcomes and reduce the overall cost of care. Advances in microelectronics and biosensor tools have been instrumental in facilitating the development of these point-of-care diagnostic devices.
Both micro - and nanofabrication have offered a number of possibilities for the study of chemical, biological, and physical processes at the cellular and molecular scale, and for the design of synthetic devices capable of interacting with biological systems at these levels.
Some of the advantages of micro- and nano-fabricated devices include the ability to control the features to the nanometer scale for reproducible mass production of structures and devices, the ability to miniaturize already-existing systems for the study of cellular or molecular processes, the capacity of including electronics within structural devices through the use of the well-developed semiconductor techniques, and the high throughput possible with some of the micro- and nanofabrication methods.
The integration of the knowledge gained from micro- and nano- fabrication can lead to design principles for nano-devices that can detect substances, analyze their environment, and perform tasks such as the release of a specific molecule. These vehicles will combine responsive polymers, nanoparticles, nucleotides, and micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) elements.
(Adapted from Betancourt & Brannon-Peppas, 2006)
Language Focus Vocabulary
NOUN–PREPOSITION COMBINATION
The Preposition is a special kind of words in English in terms of its versatile combinations. Grammar books discuss most of the combinations between adjectives and prepositions, and verbs and prepositions. Yet, English has many examples of prepositions coming after nouns. In these cases, the formula is often
Noun phrase + preposition (+ noun phrase/V-ing phrase) For example,
[9.1] Scientists think they are close to finding a solution to the problem.
Here are a few more nouns and prepositions which are used together:
Nouns Prepositions Examples
information,
concern about - Can you give us some information about bus tours, please?
- There is a lot of public concern about dangerous toxins recently found in food.
need, reason, responsibility, possibility
for - We understand the need for change but we should move slowly.
- What’s the reason for your unhappiness?
- Nobody seems to have responsibility for the budget.
changes, differences,
difficulty, increase, decrease, belief
in - Changes in society have meant that young people leave home earlier.
- There’s been a steady increase in the value of the euro.
inquiry, investigation, research
into - The police inquiry into the theft continues.
- She did some research into the causes of back pain.
influence,
decision, debate on - Media pressure has a considerable influence on policymakers.
- Over the year we have had several debates on transport policy.
cause, cost, use, danger, risk, way, example, evidence, possibility
of - This is an example of international collaboration.
- We need to find another way of doing things.
authority,
advantage over - He has no authority over his students.
- His height and reach give him a big advantage over other boxers.
approach, reaction,
response, solution to - My reaction to it all was to try to forget it.
- Her response to the criticism was very strong.
connection, difficulty, relationship
with - We have established long-lasting business relationships with a wide range of clients.
- We have run into difficulties with the new project.
Activity 1. Decide which preposition we need to use in each of the following sentences.
1. I really need a break ………… drinking alcohol!
A. of B. from C. at
2. Her skin has a really bad reaction ………… the sun.
A. with B. to C. at
3. There has been a huge rise ………… food prices recently.
A. at B. in C. with
4. I think I have an addiction ………… chocolate.
A. with B. to C. about
5. I have huge respect ………… my teachers at school, now I know how hard it can be!
A. in B. for C. with
6. I went on a date on Tuesday and I felt a real connection
………...… him.
A. about B. at C. with
7. I had no control ………… the England team losing that game!
A. for B. over C. about
8. There was a huge search ………… my missing camera, but nobody found it.
A. at B. for C. with
9. She caused huge damage ...………… his car when she crashed into it.
A. to B. about C. for
10. I didn’t think there was any reason ………… him to shout at me.
A. between B. to C. for
Grammar
THE PRESENT PERFECT
Present perfect is among the three most-used tenses in scientific texts. In the previous unit, we looked at present simple and past simple. In this unit, we will have a look at the present perfect.
Present perfect is formed from the present tense of the verb ‘have’
and the past participle of a verb.
Verb Present Perfect
Be
I/We/You/They have (not) been He/She/It has (not) been
Have I/we/you/they been …?
Has he/she/it been …?
Work
I /We/You/They have worked He/She/It has worked
I/We/You/They haven’t worked He/She/It hasn’t worked
Have I/we/you/they worked?
Has he/she/it worked?
The present perfect is used
• to talk about an action that occurred at a nonspecific time in the past (but this action has relevance in the present).
[9.2] They have visited Paris three times.
• to talk about unfinished actions or states or habits that started in the past and continue to the present (Usually, we use it with stative verbs to say ‘how long’ and we need ‘since’ or ‘for’ to indicate the time).
[9.3] I have worked for this company for ten years.
I have worked for this company since 2012.
Note that ‘since’ is used with a fixed time in the past and ‘for’ with a period of time. The unfinished action may be indicated by the use of unfinished time expressions like this month, this week, today (the period of time is still continuing).
In scientific texts, the present perfect is often used to introduce background information in a paragraph (after the first sentence, the tense shifts to the simple past).
Activity 2. Use the prompts to write sentences with the verbs in the correct form of the present perfect.
1. lesson / not / start / yet
………..
2. teacher / already / write / on the board ………..
3. Joe and Tim /just / come / into the classroom ………..
4. Tony / not / finished / getting / books ready ………..
5. Christine / already / open / book
………..
6. he / not / pick it up / yet
………..
(Synthesized from different sources) Punctuation
PARENTHESES
Parentheses are used to supplement information or comments. The information or comment in the parentheses is used to clarify or illustrate.
Sometimes, it is used to add an afterthought. Parentheses are also used with numbers or letters in an outline within the text or in a list. The information within the parentheses can be a single word, a phrase, or even many complete sentences.
Parentheses are used
• to enclose information that clarifies or is used as an aside.
[9.4] In a business letter the salutation and body of the letter are flush left (against the left margin).
• to offer a digression or afterthought.
[9.5] Your use of citations in the last paper (which was beautifully written, by the way) offered a good example of how to avoid plagiarism.
• to enclose numbers or letters introducing items in a list or outline.
[9.6] Please submit the following four items with your application:
(1) a cover letter, (2) a resume, (3) a college transcript, and (4) a list of professional references.
Note that there are rules for grammar and uses of other punctuations when used with parentheses.
• The information in the parentheses is not part of the subject.
[9.7] Joe (and his trusty mutt) was always welcome.
(It is wrong to say “Joe (and his trusty mutt) were always welcome.”)
• If material in parentheses ends a sentence, the period goes after the parentheses, as in example [4].
• When a complete sentence occurs in parentheses in the middle of a larger sentence, it should neither be capitalized nor end with a period, though a question mark or exclamation point is acceptable.
[9.8] We verified his law degree (none of us thought he was lying about that) but not his billion-dollar verdict against Exxon (how gullible did he think we were?).
(Adapted from The Punctuation Guide) Activity 3. Use parentheses where needed in these sentences.
1. I’ll get back to you tomorrow Friday.
2. Which country countries do you want to visit?
3. You put fifty-four 54 books on that shelf.
4. If you want to be healthy, you must 1 eat good food, 2 get sufficient exercise, and 3 get adequate sleep.
5. We are going to visit Brazil I don’t know where this spring.
6. That movie reminded me I remember it well about the adventure we had.
Skills Focus Listening
Activity 4. Listen to the news and fill in the numbered gaps with the words you hear.
It’s a big day for scientists who work for (1)………… technology.
University of Alberta and other Western Canadian (2)………… can now
access $1.5 million in new laser-based microfabrication (3)………….
It’s the only machine of its kind in Western Canada. The (4)…………
microfabrication suite allows inventors to design and test prototypes in a fraction of time it takes to use other methods. It will be used to create tiny technology, including medical (5)………….
“[It’s] much more than a human hair … that could be placed inside the spinal cord and (6)………… the spinal cord in such a way that would be able to restore (7)………… and walking for persons with paralysis. Just to give you an example of what medical devices we (8)………… here.”
Funding for the equipment comes from Western economic diversification Canada, a federal program looking to diversify the western economy.
(Adapted from Dion, 2021) Speaking
Activity 5. Work in groups of three to five. List at least three advances in material technology and talk about them. Use the past simple to describe what was done at a specific time, and the present perfect to describe what has been done without a specific time or to mention the relevance of the advances to the present.
Reading
Activity 6. Read the following passage and do the tasks that follow.
PHOTOLITHOGRAPHY
Photolithography is one of the most readily employed microfabrication techniques and is used to create patterns into a material. The photolithographic technique has been reviewed thoroughly previously. The photolithographic process consists of a number of steps in which a desired pattern is generated on the surface of a substrate through the exposure of regions of a light-sensitive material to ultraviolet (UV) light.
In the first step, a substrate material, such as silicone or glass, is coated with a layer of a photoresist, or light-sensitive polymer. A photomask, made by patterning with an opaque material the desired shape on a glass dish or other transparent material, is placed on top of the substrate and photoresist.
This assembly is then irradiated with UV light, thus exposing the sections
of the photoresist not covered by the opaque regions of the photomask.
Depending on the type of photoresist utilized, the photoresist polymer will undergo one of two possible transformations upon exposure to light.
When light illuminates a positive photoresist, the exposed regions break down and become more soluble in a developing solution. As a result, the exposed photoresist can be removed when in contact with the developing solution. A negative photoresist, on the other hand, becomes cross-linked upon exposure to light, thus becoming insoluble in the developing solution.
Consequently, upon contact with the developing solution, only the parts not exposed to light will be removed.
The resulting photoresist patterns are then used to protect the covered substrate from etching, or from the deposition of compounds or biomolecules on its surface. After the desired process is completed, the photoresist can be removed, leaving the pattern design on the substrate.
The technique used for photoresist removal usually consists of sonication in an organic solvent, and may consequently be undesirable for a number of systems, especially those containing biological molecules. As an alternative, water-soluble photoresists have been developed; however, concerns about the efficiency of water-soluble photoresist removal have been reported (Li et al. 2003).
One of the most commonly used photoresists is SU-8 (originally developed by IBM, and currently marketed by MicroChem Corporation, Newton, MA, USA, and SOTEC Microsystems, Renens, Switzerland).
This negative photoresist is cross-linked upon exposure to near UV energy in the range of 350 to 400 nm, and can be developed with a number of substances including propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate, ethyl acetate and diacetone alcohol. One of the main advantages of SU-8 is that it permits generation of tall structures, of more than 1000 μm in height (Becker & Gọrtner, 2000).
Photolithography has reached wide acceptance in the field of microfabrication because of the high resolution and variety of pattern attributes that are possible to obtain, both of which depend on the characteristics of the photomask. Nonetheless, this technique has the limitation of requiring clean room processing.
(Adapted from Betancourt & Brannon-Peppas, 2006)
1. The following diagram shows the main steps in photolithography.
Complete the numbered blanks with a word or phrase from the reading passage.
2. Read the passage again and mark the sentences with T if it is true, F if false and NA if the information is not available.
___ 1. Photolithography is used to create repeated decorative designs in a material.
___ 2. The efficiency of water-soluble photoresist removal has been uncertain.
___ 3. The requirement of a clean-room processing makes photolithography widely accepted in microfabrication.
___ 4. SU-8 has no longer been developed by IBM.
___ 5. SU-8 permits the generation of a structure of maximum height of 1000 μm.
Writing
Activity 7. Writing multi-paragraph passage
You have completed the course English for Materials Technology.
Now it is time for reflection. Write a multi-paragraph passage discussing the benefits that the course has brought to your studies. Include in the writing:
• An introductory paragraph that provides an overview of your main points;
• One or two paragraphs about the benefits of the course;
• A conclusion wrapping the ideas as discussed.
VOCABULARY LIST
The purpose of this vocabulary list is to help students with quick access to the words that were used across the book. The words are alphabetically arranged, accompanied by IPA pronunciation and Vietnamese equivalents.
English Vietnamese
A
abbreviate /əˈbriːvieɪt/ (v) (động từ) rút ngắn, cắt ngắn, viết tắt acceleration /əkˌseləˈreɪʃn/ (n) (danh từ) gia tốc, sự tăng tốc
acrylic /əˈkrɪlɪk/ (n) (danh từ) một loại vật liệu nhựa có tên khoa học PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate), nhựa thủy tinh
advance /ədˈvổns/ (n) (danh từ) sự tiến bộ
advanced /ədˈvổnst/ (adj) (tớnh từ) cao, cao cấp, cấp tiến aerobic bacteria /eˈrəʊbɪk
bổkˈtɪriə / (n) (danh từ) (số nhiều) những vi khuẩn hiếu khí
aerogel /ˌerəʊdʒel/ (n) (danh từ) vật liệu siêu nhẹ và xốp, được tổng hợp bằng cách thay thế chất lỏng trong gel bằng chất khí.
aerospace /ˈerəʊspeɪs/ (n),
(adj) (danh từ) hàng không vũ trụ
(tính từ) thuộc về hàng không vũ trụ afterwards /ˈổftərwərdz/
(adv) (trạng từ) sau đó
alloy /ˈổlɔɪ/ (n) (danh từ) hợp kim ancient /ˈeɪnʃənt/ (adj) (tính từ) cổ, xưa
appearance /əˈpɪrəns/ (n) (danh từ) hình thức, sự xuất hiện, vẻ bề ngoài
appliance /əˈplaɪəns/ (n) (danh từ) thiết bị điện (dân dụng) application /ˌổplɪˈkeɪʃn/ (n) (danh từ) sự ỏp dụng, sự ứng dụng atmospheric
/ˌổtməsˈferɪk/ (adj) (tớnh từ) thuộc khụng khớ, thuộc khớ quyển
atom /ˈổtəm/ (n) (danh từ) nguyờn tử
atomic /əˈtɑːmɪk/ (adj) (tính từ) thuộc về nguyên tử automaker /ˈɔːtəʊmeɪkər/ (n) (danh từ) nhà sản xuất xe hơi
B bind /baɪnd/ - bound -
bound /baʊnd/ (v) (động từ) buộc, thắt, cột, trói biological /ˌbaɪəˈlɑːdʒɪkl/ (adj) (tính từ) thuộc về sinh học biopolymer
/ˌbaɪəʊˈpɑːlɪmər/ (n) (danh từ) polymer sinh học biosensor
/ˈbaɪəˌsensər/ (n) (danh từ) cảm biến sinh học blister packaging /ˈblɪstər
ˈpổk.ɪ.dʒɪŋ/ (n) (danh từ) bao bỡ dạng vỉ (như vỉ thuốc) brand /brổnd/ (n) (danh từ) thương hiệu
brick/brɪk/ (n) (danh từ) gạch
brittle /ˈbrɪtl/ (adj) (tính từ) giòn, dễ vỡ, dễ gãy
bubble wrap /ˈbʌbl rổp/ (n) (danh từ) bao nhựa cú bong búng khớ dùng gói hàng dễ vỡ
bulk /bʌlk/ (n) (danh từ) dạng khối C
capable /ˈkeɪpəbl/ (adj) (tính từ) có khả năng cellular /ˈseljələr/ (adj) (tính từ) thuộc về tế bào cement /sɪˈment/ (n) (danh từ) xi-măng ceramic /səˈrổmɪk/
(n), (adj) (danh từ) gốm
(tính từ) thuộc về gốm, nghề làm gốm characteristic /
ˌkổrəktəˈrɪstɪk/
(n), (adj)
(danh từ) đặc trưng, đặc điểm (tính từ) cấu thành bộ phận của tính cách một người/vật; tiêu biểu chemically reactive
/ˈkemɪkli riˈổktɪv/ (adj.
phrase)
(cụm tính từ) có phản ứng hóa học
chop /tʃɑːp/ (v) (động từ) cắt nhỏ, băm
circuitry/ˈsɜːrkɪtrɪ/ (n) (danh từ) hệ thống các mạch điện hoặc thành phần của hệ thống này
coat /kəʊt/ (v) (động từ) phủ (lên bề mặt) collapse /kəˈlổps/ (v) (động từ) sập, đổ, loại bỏ collide /kəˈlaɪd/ (v) (động từ) va chạm compelling /kəmˈpelɪŋ/
(adj) (tính từ) thuyết phục
composite /kəmˈpɑːzət/ (n)/
(adj) (danh từ) phức hợp; hỗn hợp
(tính từ) hợp lại, ghép lại compound /ˈkɑːmpaʊnd/
(n), (adj) (danh từ) hợp chất
(tính từ) ghép, kép concept /ˈkɑːnsept/ (n) (danh từ) khái niệm conductive /kənˈdʌktɪv/
(adj) (tính từ) có tính dẫn (điện, nhiệt) conductivity
/ˌkɑːndʌkˈtɪvəti/ (n) (danh từ) tính dẫn; suất dẫn (điện, nhiệt) conductor /kənˈdʌktər/ (n) (danh từ) chất dẫn (điện, nhiệt)
consumer electronics /kənˌsuːmər ɪˌlekˈtrɑːnɪks/
(n)
(danh từ) thiết bị điện, điện tử gia dụng
consistency /kənˈsɪstənsi/
(n) (danh từ) sự ổn định
constituent
/kənˈstɪtʃuənt/ (n) (danh từ) thành phần contamination
/kənˌtổmɪˈneɪʃn/ (n) (danh từ) sự nhiễm bẩn core /kɔːr/ (n) (danh từ) lõi
counterpart /ˈkaʊntərpɑːrt/
(n) (danh từ) đối thủ
covalent bond /ˌkəʊˈveɪlənt bɑːnd/
(n. phrase)
(cụm danh từ) liên kết hóa trị
cross-linked /ˈkrɔːs lɪŋkt/
(adj) (tính từ) thuộc về liên kết giữa các chuỗi khác nhau trong một hợp chất cao phân tử
crystal /ˈkrɪstl/ (n) (danh từ) tinh thể current /ˈkɜːrənt/
(adj), (n) (tính từ) hiện hành, hiện nay, thịnh hành (danh từ) dòng (điện), luồng
cutting-edge /ˌkʌtɪŋ ˈedʒ/
(adj) (tính từ) mới nhất, vượt trội, độc đáo cutting tool /ˈkʌtɪŋ tuːl/
(n. phrase) (danh từ) dụng cụ cắt gọt cylindrical /səˈlɪndrɪkl/
(adj) (tính từ) có dạng hình trụ
D
dampen /ˈdổmpən/ (v) (động từ) 1. làm giảm, làm nản chớ, làm cụt hứng;
2. làm ẩm, làm ướt delocalized /diːˈləʊkəlaɪzd/
(p.p), (adj) (tính từ) có tính tự do, có tính bất định xứ, không cục bộ
deposition /ˌdepəˈzɪʃn/ (n) (danh từ) sự lắng đọng desorption /dɪˈzɔːrpʃn/ (n) (danh từ) sự giải hấp diagnostic /ˌdaɪəɡˈnɑːstɪk/
(adj) (tính từ) liên quan đến việc chẩn đoán diamond /ˈdaɪmənd/ (n) (danh từ) kim cương, hình thoi diffuse /dɪˈfjuːs/
(v), (adj) (động từ) khuếch tán
(tính từ) tính phân tán digital /ˈdɪdʒɪtl/ (adj) (tính từ) kỹ thuật số dissolve /dɪˈzɑːlv/ (v) (động từ) hòa tan discipline /ˈdɪsəplɪn/ (n) (danh từ) ngành học