A Reading Popular academic texts Descriptions of processes are an essential element in all academic texts, Including so-called popular academic texts intended for a wider readership. Recognizing and navigating your way ‘round such descriptions involves working out the steps in the processes and how they are related, A process may be straightforward and linear (step 1 + step 2 + step 3), or it may consist of two oF more different stages which take place atthe same time. The ability to recognize obvious signposting within a text can help, but you also need to be able to deal with texts that use more complex expressions, This module will also give you practice in reading notes and Using them to produce a short written summary of a process, This module covers: «© Predicting the content ofa text from visual information ‘© Understanding a description of a process in a text ‘¢ Identifying and using signposting language for describing a process TASK 1 Predicting the content of a text 1 Look at the title ofthe text in Task 2 and the diagram on age 009. Predict which four factors below you would ‘expect the text to include, and give reasons. 1 grains of sand on the desert floor resisting the wind 2 the blowing of the wind 3. small grains of sand floating in the air 4 the erosion of the fertile land 5 grains of sand creeping along the desert floor 6 grains of sand jumpinginto the alr 2. Match the four ideas (expressed as noun phrases) in 1 toa-d inthe diagram. 3. Work with a partner and describe the process illustrated by the diagram. TASK 2 Understanding the general meaning of a text 1 Read the text quickly and check your predictions in Task 1.1. 2 Match each heading below to a paragraph in the text, and give reasons. ‘The saltation of sand grains b Theeffect of the wind © A description of the movement of the sand How sand moves 11 hen the wind blows over the desert floor ts flaw i influenced by the nature ofthat surface. its roughness on al scales. Such surface roughness interferes with the smacth flow of air, causing sturbances in the alr and currents. These in turn Interact withthe sand grains on the surface. which may be maved along or temporally kicked up by the wind, which modifies its movement = 2 constant interaction between the wind and the grains. The act of moving sand grains removes ‘energy fom the wind and transfers it to the grains, which, crashing into their colleagues, transfer ‘that energy in turn to them. The result Is that close to the ground surface, where most of the actions going on, the wind speed is reduced, There @ speed gradient whereby the wind speed Increases with the height. Speed gradients couse pressure graients, and pressure gradients mean planes and grains -can fly, What happens on2 very smallscale very close tothe surface ot ‘the ground inthe desert is critical to the grand-scale results. 088 UNITSA READING| 2 Awind moving st 8 very high speed - perhaps 300 kilometzes per hour (190 mp) can pick up and tansport pebbles, bt typical winds deal with sand and smaller grains. Clearly the wind speed needed to start sand grains moving depends on the size ofthe grains, but the minimum wind speed necessary to move the fine sand ofthe desert is around 16 Klometres per hour (10 mph), Look closely at the sand dunes next time you are at the beac: i's remarkable how even a light wind can nudge sand grains along the surface. This rudging is referred to as surface creep, but if the wind picks up a bit, it wil lift grains very brie off the surface. Thay fall back quickly, but when they do, they bang into other grains and kick them int thea. ery quickly, the whole process gathers energy andin moderate wind there willbea cloud close tothe surface, comprised of sand grains traveling by jumping and kicking of other aains as they land. 3. This isthe process that we saw taking place in rivers in a less dramatic way, the impacts between grains being cushioned by water. In ait there i virtually nothing to lessen the impacts, {and satation- movement by jumping -is@ violent business. thas been observee that a single high-speed saltating gain con move a surface grain more than sixtimes its awn diame and two hundred times its own weight - saltation of sand can maintain movement of grains too large to bbe moved by the wind alone. This is fundamental. n a moving claud of sand grains, the majority, perhaps 75 per cent, are moving by sltation oe SEER a bb the suspension of snallgrshsof sand inthe _~& thesoatonof sondgrains 7®@ 4 thecrepingmormertatsand ., Sunce Welland, (2008) pp.148-50. Sand A Journey through scence andthe imagination. Oxford: Oxford University ress, TASK 3 Understanding the stages of a process in a text 1 Read paragraph 1 of the text again. How many process stages are described? What arethey? 2 Dothe stages happen one ata time in sequence, or at the same time? Find evidence in the text to support your answer. 3. Using the information in paragraph 1, complete the stages in the process of sand GLOSSARY dunes () hills of sand made by the wind ‘radiont fn) the degree to which something increases ordecreases nudge (v) to push gently pebbles (n) small stones movement in the diagram below. For each blank space you need to identify the verb in the text and convert itto the appropriate noun. Example: the wind blows > the blowing of the wind ‘auido hei tee, nthe wind the. of smoot Blowing ofthe wins |-——) fy afte deseo [aren ugh suraces thet between the ind and hana thet ofsend along the desert oor 27 inthewing thes ofeeay seeddototiemand = ‘rom wind to and thesatavonotthesandgrens J! UNITS READING 089eel 4 Read paragraphs 2 and 3 again. Decide whether statements 1-5 are true or false. 1 Winds of around 300 kilometres per hour have difficulty lifting and carrying pebbles. 2 Even a very low wind speed can cause fine desert sand to move. 3 Amoderate wind can create a cloud of sand just above the desert floor. 4 Asingle grain of sand jumping at high speed can move a grain on the surface of the desert considerably more than Its own weight. 5 Only a small percentage of grains in a moving cloud of sand are moving as aresult of saltation. 5 Isthe purpose of paragraphs 2 and 3 to provide more information about: fa thewind and its impact? ’b the types of sand grains? cc the nature of sand dunes? Transitive and intransitive verbs ‘Verbs are classified as transitive, intransitive, or both, Descriptions of processes typically use @ mixture of both transitive and intransitive verbs, with verbs in both active and passive forms. «Transitive verbs take an object, and can be used in both the active and passive forms: ‘The act of moving sand grains remaves energy from the wind and transfers it ro the ‘grains... by the wind, which modifies its movement: (active; objects) hen the wind blows over the desert floor, its flow is influenced by the nature of that surface. (passive) « Intransitive verbs do not take an object, and can only be used in the active form: where most of the action is going on .. They fall back quickly « « Some verbs can be used both transitively and intransitively: The wind blows the groins of sond along the desert floor. (transitive) when the wind blows aver the desert floor, ..intransitve) TASK 4 Using transitive and intransitive verbs 1 Lookat the verbs below from the first paragraph of the text. Decide whether they are ‘transitive or intransitive, as used in the text. blow increase interfere with modify reduce transfer happen influence kickup move remove 2. Select verbs from 1 to complete the sentences below. Put the verbs in the correct form, active or passive. 1 Once the patients wound heals, the dr ‘ 2 Thewind.,........ and the turbines turn, generating energy. 3 Theitemsthen along a conveyer belt with metal, plastic, paper, and glass being taken out at various stages. 4 ‘The application process after the system was reviewed. 5 Money electronically between bank accounts nationally and internationally. 8 The speed of road traffic ___.with the introduction of traffic calming in residential areas. 7 Thespeed of the internet connection to allow faster transfer of data. 8 What then is that the goods are loaded into ships for export. 3 Suggest which processes the sentences in 2 are describing. Example: I the treatment ofan injury (090 UNITSA READING‘Slenposting language (3) Different grammatical forms to link text Unit 4 showed now signposting language was used to link parts of a spoken text. Texts describing a process also use sequencing words ke frst second, next, finaly; however, itis advisable not to overuse them in academic English. You can also use other words / phrases to show relationships such as sequence, result, time, place, and manner Adverbials: These In turn interact with the sand grains on the surface. Nouns / noun phrases: The result is that close to the ground surface... the wind speed is reduced. Subordinators: When the wind blows over the desert floor its flaw is influenced by the nature of that surface, ..€lase to the ground surface, where most of the action Is going on. There isa speed gradient whereby the wind speed increases with the height. TASKS Identifying and using signposting language 1 Look at paragraph 1 of the text and locate the following words / phrases. whereby (the) result (Is that) (these) im turn where when 2. Use the items above to replace the words / phrases in italics in the text below. Youcan | INDEPENDENT use any tem more than once. sTuoy ‘he water eyceis a natural process in which the sun heats up the waterin the oceans, | feupareril eer 2Assoon asthe heated water evaporates, condensation takes placeonce the evaporated | Plu) Pontcarng water is cold airinthe atmosphere. The next stage inthe process precipitation, ‘by | et) tutyoucone oes. tuhich the condensed waterfalls as rin or snow. Thisraimwate rons ofinto vers and. wht angege Jakes; water is also stored in snow in the mountains, until it melts. The melted snow *then information, e.g. word ‘runs off the mountains into lakes and rivers or underground rivers. °As a result the water om srmere with each example? eventually finds its way to the oceans, and the cycle repeats itself. TASK6 Writing a short description of a process 1 Work with a partner and write a short description of ‘approximately 100 words on the production af timber, based on the notes below. You will need to identify the nouns in the notes and convert them to verbsin your description, Try to include some language from Task 5. || Planting - planting of seeds in a controlled environment 2. Cultivation - careful cultivation leads to rapid growth, 3. Growth - development into small plant (seedling) after, fourweeks 4. Replanting - replanting of seedlings in the forest 5 Pruning - regular cutting of lower branches to strengthen. 6 Maturing - continued growth of trees to maturity 7 Felling - felling / cutting down of mature trees for timber 8. Transportation - transportation of trees to timber yard 9 Uses - building, paper industry, furniture 2 Compare your description with other students. wir 6A READING 088