C1

← Lesson Library

Lesson

Battery Breakthrough in the Silesian Cold

science
Take a quiz Print / save as PDF Download vocabulary (CSV) Teacher view

Word Bank

These words appear in the reading and the exercises below. Hover or click a word to see its definition.

evolutionary biology n.The branch of biology that studies how species change over time.She is doing a PhD in evolutionary biology. compound n.a chemical that combines two or more elementsWater is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen. sulfur n.a yellow chemical element used in industry and found in rocksThe rocks also contain sulfur. clathrate n.a chemical structure where gas is trapped inside a solid, such as iceThe crystals, called clathrates, melt in the summer. carbon-based adj.made mainly of carbon, especially used about living thingsThe planet once contained carbon-based compounds. organic molecule n.a molecule that contains carbon and is found in living thingsThe rocks contained organic molecules. discover v.to find something for the first time, or find out something newWe may discover the answer very soon. revelation n.a surprising fact that has been made knownThis discovery could lead to future revelations about life on Mars. clone v.to create an exact copy of a plant or animalUnited Fruit cloned shoots from the stems of plants instead of growing them from seeds. resistant adj.not affected or harmed by somethingThe TR-1 strain was resistant to crop sprays. monoculture n.the practice of growing only one type of crop in an areaUnited Fruit copied the same monoculture growing conditions. genetically modify verb phraseto change the genes of a plant or animal using scientific methodsScientists are genetically modifying the Cavendish with genes from resistant species. gene n.a unit of heredity that determines characteristics of living thingsResearchers modified the Cavendish with genes from TR-4-resistant banana species.
Study as flashcards
Full vocabulary notes (examples, collocations, related words)
evolutionary biology noun — The branch of biology that studies how species change over time. She is doing a PhD in evolutionary biology.Collocations: evolutionary biology research, evolutionary biology lab, field of evolutionary biology, evolutionary biology theoryRelated: evolutionary scienceNotes: Useful for science topics; often paired with genetics.
compound noun · in the reading — a chemical that combines two or more elements Water is a compound of hydrogen and oxygen.Collocations: chemical compound, organic compound, carbon-based compoundRelated: substance, chemicalNotes: Countable in chemistry; often with “chemical/organic”.
sulfur noun · in the reading — a yellow chemical element used in industry and found in rocks The rocks also contain sulfur.Collocations: sulfur dioxide, sulfur compounds, sulfur in rocksContrasts: oxygen, nitrogen (as contrasting elements)Notes: Spelling note: “sulfur” (US) vs “sulphur” (older/BrE).
clathrate noun · in the reading — a chemical structure where gas is trapped inside a solid, such as ice The crystals, called clathrates, melt in the summer.Collocations: gas clathrates, icy clathratesContrasts: simple crystalNotes: Specialised; mainly for advanced science texts.
carbon-based adjective — made mainly of carbon, especially used about living things The planet once contained carbon-based compounds.Collocations: carbon-based compounds, carbon-based life, carbon-based fuelsContrasts: non‑carbon-basedNotes: Common in biology and chemistry; often with life or organisms.
organic molecule noun · in the reading — a molecule that contains carbon and is found in living things The rocks contained organic molecules.Collocations: organic molecules in rocks, complex organic moleculesContrasts: inorganic moleculeNotes: Often used in contrast with inorganic molecules.
discover verb · in the reading — to find something for the first time, or find out something new We may discover the answer very soon.Collocations: discover evidence, discover a fact, discover new planetsContrasts: lose, ignoreNotes: Very frequent at many levels.
revelation noun · in the reading — a surprising fact that has been made known This discovery could lead to future revelations about life on Mars.Collocations: shocking revelation, surprising revelation, lead to revelationsRelated: discovery, insightContrasts: secret, mysteryNotes: Often used in newspapers and formal writing.
clone verb — to create an exact copy of a plant or animal United Fruit cloned shoots from the stems of plants instead of growing them from seeds.Collocations: clone plants, clone shoots, clone cells, clone organismsRelated: reproduce, copyNotes: In agriculture, cloning is used for asexual reproduction; in general science, it refers to creating genetic copies.
resistant adjective · in the reading — not affected or harmed by something The TR-1 strain was resistant to crop sprays.Collocations: resistant to fungus, resistant to disease, resistant strain, fungus-resistantRelated: immune, unaffected byContrasts: susceptible, vulnerableNotes: Can describe immunity to disease, chemicals, or change; opposite is susceptible.
monoculture noun — the practice of growing only one type of crop in an area United Fruit copied the same monoculture growing conditions.Collocations: monoculture growing, monoculture conditions, monoculture crops, practice monocultureRelated: single-crop farmingNotes: Contrasts with crop diversity; can increase disease risk but improve efficiency.
genetically modify verb phrase — to change the genes of a plant or animal using scientific methods Scientists are genetically modifying the Cavendish with genes from resistant species.Collocations: genetically modify plants, genetically modify crops, genetically modified bananaRelated: alter genes of, engineer geneticallyNotes: Often controversial; abbreviated as GM or GMO (genetically modified organism).
gene noun — a unit of heredity that determines characteristics of living things Researchers modified the Cavendish with genes from TR-4-resistant banana species.Collocations: modify with genes, resistant genes, genes from speciesRelated: genetic material, DNANotes: Genes contain DNA; passed from parents to offspring; determine traits.

Reading

Read the text, then try the exercises below.

Luis Ortega, a Spanish R&D engineer at Volta Drive in Gliwice, Poland, was huddled over a notebook in his flat in Zabrze, scrawling notes in both Spanish and Polish. His current project was testing a new battery pack designed to perform efficiently in the harsh winters of Upper Silesia, where temperatures often drop below -10°C. The battery’s core was a sulfur-based compound, a material that had shown promise in recent studies due to its potential for high energy density and resistance to extreme conditions. Luis was particularly interested in how the compound interacted with clathrate structures within the battery’s casing, which could trap gases and affect long-term stability. His elderly neighbour, Henryk, had just corrected him for the third time that day on the correct preposition for 'battery pack' in Polish, prompting Luis to mutter, 'Wait, wait, explain me that.'

Across town in Gliwice, Zofia Nowicka was deep in her master's thesis, analysing the carbon footprint of e-bike batteries and their eventual recycling. Her research had led to a surprising revelation: she had discovered that a small but significant portion of the organic molecules in lithium-ion batteries were resistant to standard recycling methods. This finding could challenge the way the whole industry recycles batteries. Zofia had scheduled a meeting with Luis at Volta Drive to discuss potential collaborations, though she was hesitant to mention her traineeship offer in Katowice. She preferred to focus on the data first. 'Let's look at the numbers first,' she told herself as she typed, knowing that her father’s company, Volta Drive, was a major player in the e-bike motor market and that their German partner in Stuttgart had a vested interest in sustainable technologies. She had no doubt that Luis would be interested in the implications of her findings, and she hoped that working together might help him feel less like 'the foreigner' at Volta Drive.

Fill in the Blank

Pick the word that best completes each sentence. The sentence may use a different form of the word (a plural, or -ed / -ing).

Matching

Click a word, then click its definition — or drag from one to the other. Use the undo button if you change your mind.