Reading skill: Active reading (1)


Focus attention on the key fact in the example sentence: The WHO reports that in the UK, mercury used by dentists is responsible for 53% of total mercury emissions. (Remind students that the WHO is the World Health Organization.)


Then ask: Are you surprised at that number? Is that a big number? Are you worried/upset/shocked? Why/Why not?


It is good to react to numbers and other facts in a text, because that is part of active reading. Point out that whenever you read a statistic or a fact, you should ask: Is that a big number? Is that a true fact? You need to look at the number or fact compared with another relevant number/fact.


If we take the example, if students did some thorough research, they would find out that the fact is not correct. The WHO had, in fact, reported that in the UK, mercury from amalgam and laboratory devices accounts for 53% of total mercury emissions. (Source: www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/…/ mercurypolpaper.pdf)


C


Set the activity for individual work; then let students compare their ideas in groups. Check with the whole class.


Answers Students’ own answers.


D Set the activity for individual work; then let students compare their ideas in pairs. Check with the whole class.


Answers


1. practice (n): the office of a medical professional 2. bark (n): the outside of a tree 3. treat (v): prepare and finish 4. furniture (n): tables, chairs, cupboards, etc. 5. sterilize (v): make something free from bacteria 6. harm (v): hurt, be bad for 7. dispose of (v): get rid of 8. wrap (v): put something around it 9. covers (n): material you put on top of another item to protect it (e.g., book cover, bed cover)


10. on-site (adj): in the building, not sent away, not off-site


E


Set the activity for pairwork; then check with the whole class.


Answers 1. Dr Pockrass and his wife, Ina Pockrass. 2.


It’s a green, environmentally friendly practice.


3. They use natural materials. 4. They use steam. 5. They only have digital patient files. 6. They are made of cotton and they are cleaned on-site.


F


Set the activity for pairwork; then check with the whole class. Drill the words and students listen and repeat and copy the correct stress.


Answers 1.


treat


2. sterilize 3. harm


4. dispose


treatment sterilization harm


disposal


Grammar for reading: Understanding passive sentences


Work through the examples. Check the information in the notes. Ask: Why is the person or thing doing the action not important? It is because it is obvious that somebody washes the headrest covers, but it is more important that they are washed on-site, rather than by whom.


Set the task for pairwork. Feed back, ideally with a visual medium of the text. There are a further eleven passive sentences in the text. Students need to identify five.


Possible answers


Our wallpapers are made of recycled paper … Our floors are treated with water-based materials … Much of our furniture is made of recycled woods. Chairs are covered using natural materials. Instruments are sterilized with steam. Mercury fillings are disposed of safely … All of the paper in the office is recycled … Our instruments are not wrapped in plastic … The cover of your headrest is made of pure cotton. They are washed on-site. Our office is cleaned with environmentally safe cleaning methods.


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