9.2
GOLD
READING
1
a
Discuss these questions with a partner.
1
What things do people have that are gold (e.g. jewellery)?
2
Which do you prefer, gold or silver?
1
b
Making informed guesses
Look at the items in this box. Which
items often have gold in them? Discuss with a partner, then read
the webpage below to check.
cars spacecraft teeth pens perfume bottles
washing machines bathrooms computers
1
c
Read the webpage again and match the sentence beginnings
(1–4) with the endings (a–g). (You can use them more than once.)
1
Pure gold
a
is an alloy.
2
Gold wire
b
is in many electrical products.
3
Gold in teeth
c
is not very thick.
4
Gold leaf
d
is not very hard.
e
contains 62–78% gold.
f
lasts longer than some other materials.
g
is not difficult to use.
1
d
Find words in the webpage that mean:
1
when something allows heat or electricity to travel along or
through it: verb (paragraph 2)
2
the places where two things join: two words (paragraphs 2
and 3)
3
you can trust someone or something to do what you want
(paragraph 2)
4
when you mix two or more metals together so that they combine
and become a single metal (paragraph 4)
5
pretty or attractive, but not always necessary or useful (paragraph 5)
VOCABULARY
COMPOUND NOUNS
2
a
Two nouns can be joined together
to make a compound noun. They are
sometimes found as one word (e.g.
bathroom
), sometimes as two words (e.g.
credit card
). Find examples of compound
nouns in the text.
2
b
Make compound nouns using a word
from each box. Then use the compound
nouns to complete the sentences below.
chair coal family head
job office work
job quarters force mine
security business person
1
Is it better to work in a factory, or to do
a(n)
?
2
What is the best way for a company to
keep its
happy?
3
What do you think it’s like to work in
a
?
4
Is
a thing of the past?
5
What is the best location for a large
company to have its
?
6
In a meeting, is it a problem if the
is younger than all the other people there?
2
c
Discuss the questions with a partner.
Where is gold used in industry?
Gold is used almost everywhere, from our homes to
outer space.
Why is it used?
Gold has a number of advantages over other metals. It is soft,
so it is easy to use. It conducts heat well. It lasts a long time
and it is not damaged by the environment. Gold connections
are very reliable, so they are used where safety is important.
In addition, gold is a popular material in industry because of
its special appearance, colour and beauty.
How is it used?
It is used in a wide variety of ways. The main use is in
electronics – computers, pocket calculators, washing
machines, televisions, recordable CDs, cars, credit cards
and spacecraft. The Columbia space shuttle, for example,
used nearly 41 kilograms of gold. Gold is the perfect
material for contacts. An ordinary telephone contains 33
gold contacts. In some electronic equipment, very fine
gold wires are used to connect different parts of the
equipment. Each piece of wire is made of very pure gold
(99.99%) and thinner than a human hair.
Uses of gold in industry
H
I
72
1
2
3
4
5
The second most important use of gold is in
teeth. However, pure gold is not used, as it is
very soft to use on its own. It is mixed with
other metals to make an ‘alloy’. A typical alloy
contains 62–78% gold.
Decorative uses of gold include jewellery,
pens and pencils, watches and glasses – even
in cooking! It is found in bathrooms, on plates
and especially on perfume bottles. The most
impressive use of gold is gold leaf. This is an
extremely thin sheet of gold. Generally, it is
produced by hand and is used by builders,
glass makers, artists and chefs. It can be
applied to the roofs and ceilings of public
buildings, and lasts much longer than paint.
