5. Why do different
com/
countries have different
electric outlet plugs?
You find yourself in an airport or
hotel room in another country, and
you really need to charge your
phone, camera or game system. But
what is that strange-looking outlet?
It has round holes! And there are
two? Or three? What’s going on
here? Why doesn’t this country use
the same plugs that I use back
home?
kinds of outlet plug
Source:https://www.lifewire.
what-you-need-to-know-about-
international-power-adapters-
4103722
The short answer is that the systems
that deliver electricity to homes
around the world have been built by
thousands of people over the last
140 years.
And they’re not finished yet. Around
the world, about 750 million people
– one out of every 10 – still don’t
have access to electricity. But for the
90% who do, there are 15 different
types of domestic electrical outlet
plugs in use around the globe.
To understand why electric outlets
aren’t all the same, you need to
know how a plug works. In the U.S.,
the slot on the right side of an
electrical outlet is called the “hot”
side and the slot on the left is
“neutral.” When you plug in a lamp
andturn it on, it completes a circuit
that allows electric current to flow
and light the lamp. The current
flows from the “hot” side through
the lamp and back to the “neutral”
side.
The third opening in the middle of
the outlet is called the “ground.” It
helps to keep you safe from electric
shock if something goes wrong with
the plug, or if a wire gets loose in
whatever you’ve plugged in. This
feature is called grounding, because
if electric current escapes from the
wires that normally carry it, a
special set of wires leads it from the
center opening to a rod buried deep
in the ground.
To push current through the wires,
electrical systems create a pressure
called voltage. The higher the
voltage, the higher the pressure. You
can think of it like running water: It
might be a trickle, or a stream, or a
flow so fast it can knock you off
your feet.
Building the power grid
When inventors like Thomas
Edison, George Westinghouse and
Nikola Tesla built the world’s first
modern transmission grid in the U.S.
in the 1880s, the voltage delivered to
homes was established at 110 volts.
Most of the things that ran on
electricity back then – mainly lights
– worked best at 110 volts. This is
still the standard in the U.S., even
though actual voltages on our
system tend to run a bit higher.
But when people started to build
power grids in other countries, they
tried to make improvements.
Companies in Europe realized that
supplying power at 220 volts instead
of 110 volts would be cheaper. At a
higher voltage, electric companies
can deliver the same power with less
current – picture a narrow stream
flowing quickly compared to a wider
stream flowing slowly. And less
current allows for thinner wires.
Since the copper that’s used for
electric wires is expensive, higher
voltage could save money.
Round pins were another early
innovation in plugs. People thought
they made the plug fit more securely
in the socket.
Article Source:
https://www.iqsdirectory.com/
articles/power-cord/electrical-
plugs.html
EXERCISES:
1. Vocabularies
A.Look up the meanings of these
groups in your dictionary:
Verb Noun Adjective
Deliver Delivery Deliverable 9. At a higher voltage, electric
companies can deliver the same
Built Builder Buildable
power with……current
Create Creator Creative
10. there are……different types of
Running Runner Runnable domestic electrical outlet plugs in
Accessing Access Accessible use around the globe.

B.Fill the blanks with correct Use the option below to answer
answer. the aquestion above
1. The short answer is that the
systems that deliver electricity to a. 15
homes around the world have bulid b. Less
by…… over the last 140 c. Fist modern transmission grid
years d. Electric Shock
e. Thousand of people
2. There are 15 different types of f. Electrical outlet plugs
domestic…… in use around the g. Ground
globe. h. Voltage
i. Hot
3. In the U.S., the slot on the right j. Neutral
side of an electrical outlet is called
the…… side
4. The slot on the left side of an C. The words in List A are used in
electrical outlet called is the…… the passage.Pair each of these words
side with the word from the list B which
is opposite in meaning (as it is used
5. The third opening in the middle
in the passage)
of the outlet is called
the…… List A List B
6. The Grounds helps to keep you Built Cheap
safe from ……if something goes
Same Follows
wrong with the plug
List A List B
7. To push current through the
wires, electrical systems create a Narrrow Different
pressure called…… Expensive Wide
8. When inventors like Thomas Leads Destroyed
Edison, George Westinghouse and
Nikola Tesla built the……in the B. Comprehension
1880s
 A. Explain briefly about why the a. They outlet plugs can be a
type of outlet plugs have different
isolaor for the electronic things
type of each country?
b. The outlet plugs is the one
B. Choose the correct answer a,b,c,
or dt to each of the following electronical measuring tools
questions: c. The outlet plugs distribute
1. According to the passage, if we the alternating current through
are goaing to another country, the hot slot to n eutral slot by
why there are different about using an adapter
the outlet plugs? d. The outlet adapter is a part of
a. Because each country have interconnection parts
their own adapter 3. If electric current escapes from
shape
the wires that normally carry it, a
b. Because aeach county have
special set of wires leads it from
the regulation about electric
the center opening to a rod buried
things
deep in the ground. The parts of
c. The electricity of each country
the outlet plugs doing this things
may damaged if there are a
is……
same regulation about outlet
a. The bolts of the outlet plugs
plug shape
b. The positive termnal of outlet
d. The systems that deliver
plugs
electricity to home around the
c. The grounding of the outlet
wold have been build
plugs
by thousand of people
d. Fuse
over last 140 years last
4. ……. Is created by electrical
2. Although many shape of outlet
System to push current through
plugs, they are have the
the wires
same fungsion.The fungsion of
a. Resistance
them is
 b. Impedance b. The higher voltage
may
c. Voltage
descrease the short probability
d. Capacity
c. The the higher voltage is
5. Thomas Edison, George
best way to reduce the
Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla
gas emmision
build the first modern transmission
d. The higher voltage may use
grid in US.Their invention is about
only in industry
…… sector
8. If there is a outlet plug without
a. Electric
a ground, the possibility may
b. Mechanic
be happen is….
c. Agriculture
a. The electrical circuit may be
d. Politic
damaged if the lightning strikes
6. According from the text above,
the house
The different of the US voltages
b. The electronical of the house
And europe voltages is……
cannot damaged if the lightning
a. US voltages has the same
strikes the house
level as European voltage
c. The electrical bill may more
b. The European voltage is
expensive because the electrical
Higher than US voltage
unit is more exist
c. The US voltage is higher than
d. The elctrican may often check
European voltage
Your house
d. There are no different between
9. If a outlet not connected to an
US and European Voltage
Adapter ,the current of the plug
7. The main reason why Europe use
is…….
higher voltage is……
a. Moving from the neutral side
a. The higher voltage make the
the hot side
The current more efficient
 b. Moving from the hot side to C. Language Practice
The neutral side A. Study The Example
c. The current from the hot side (i) The scientist make a world’s
Is not move to the neutral First modern Transmission
because there are no adapter grid
to connect them (ii) A world’s first modern
d. The ground distribute the Transmission Is made by
current from the hot side to The scientist
the neutral side Respond to each part of these
10. The definition of power grid Introductions with a statements
Is….. In the style of (ii) above
a. A non electrical componen (i) The voltage delivered to homes
that Have an impedance (ii) To push current through the
b. A system of high tension wires, electrical systes create
Cables by which electri- a pressure called voltage.
Cal power is distributed (iii) They tried to make
throughout a regional improvements.
c. An electrical unit that can B. Study These sentence
can resist the flowing current : (Revision) it preposition
d. A componen without con-
Ductivity (i) . .” When you plug in a lamp
C. explain what the following andturn it on, it completes a
Refer to circuit that allows electric current
a. “it” in line 5 to flow and light the lamp
b. “they” in line 15 (ii)
c. “it” in line 28 When you plug in a lamp and turn
d. “it in line 35” outlet plugon, outlet plugcompletes
a circuit that allows electric current
Change the following into sentences
In the style of (ii) above
(i) But what is that strange-looking
outlet? It has round holes! And
there are two? Or three? What’s
Change the following into sentences
In style of (ii) above:
(i) The grounding will distribute
the electric current to a rod
buried deep in the ground.
if there are an escaped electric

going on here? Why doesn’t this current

country use the same plugs that (i) The electrical cost will

I use back home? Cheaper if the voltage of the

(ii) The third opening in the middle country is higher

of the outlet is called the “ground.” (ii) The Electric current will

It helps to keep you safe from Will works if there are a

Electric shock if something Voltge in the circuit

goes wrong with the plug, or if a Composition:

wire gets loose in whatever you’ve Write the paragraph by joining
plugged in the gropus of sentences that
(iii) The higher the voltage, follow . Use the joining words
the
suggested in the list below.
Higher the pressure. You can thnk
(The numeber by the joining
of it like running water: It might be
Words indicate the groups of
a trickle, or a stream, or a flow so
fast it can knock yo u off your feet.
sentences where they are to be
used.
C. Study These Sentence
(i) When
(i) The outlet plug will works
(ii) if
If there is an adapter
plugged (iii) So that
(ii) There is an adapter plugged, (iv) Although
So ,the otlet plugs will works (v) As a result
Answer:
(i) When the eletric current
Flows from the electric meter
to the electric components,
the outlet plugs will keep the
current in the hot slot
(ii) If the are an adapter plugged
To the outlet plugs, the current
Will distribute from the hot side
through the lamp and back to
the neutral side
(iii) the current of outlet plugs
Is connected to
adapter
so that the adapter can
distribute the current
(iii) Although the adapter is
Plugged of ,the current of
Outlet plugs is still exist
As a result, outlet plug can
Be a standby electrical
resource to fill the demand