Advanced English
Lesson 8 - Clothes
Reading
On This Page
- Read an article about clothing of the future.
- Identify clothing described in the article.
- Write about what you think clothes will be like in the future on our blog.
English Reading Exercise
| Review of Key Words | |
| glimpse fashion fabric garment lightweight sewn claim fungi |
odor flow swelling moisture trend scarf speakers |
High-Tech Fashion
Visitors to the "International Forum and Symposium for High-tech Apparel Textiles" earlier this year were treated to a glimpse into the future of high-tech fashion. The symposium, which is organized by the Avantex company, was held in Frankfurt Germany this year. New fabrics were featured as well as garments with high-tech features.
Detect is a new sensory fabric that can detect touch and pressure applied by the wearer. It is soft and lightweight like a regular fabric but it can be used to create fabric keyboards for computers sewn into clothing.
A number of fabrics have been created to keep the body cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather or to keep the body drier. One fabric featured at the symposium even provides cushion for new skiers or snowboarders if they fall. A couple of fabrics claim to protect the wearer against electromagnetic radiation.
X-Static is a new fiber that can do many things. It eliminates bacteria and fungi that cause odor, it dissipates static charges, it can move electrical currents generated by the body (which is believed to increase blood flow and reduce swelling), it transfers heat and cold (keeping the body warmer or colder as needed), and it can be used to transfer moisture.
The biggest new trend seems to be wearable computers and other electronic devices such as cellular phones and MP3 Players. The FTR&D company has created a scarf that can be used as a mobile office. It contains two speakers on the collar and a microphone on the right part of the scarf (the part that goes over your mouth). The left part of the scarf contains a touchscreen and webcam while the batteries and computer are hidden in the lining of the scarf. You can do videoconferencing, surf the internet, send and receive e-mails, listen to music, or even watch a movie using your scarf!
Which of the following were items described in the article?
Compound words are formed by combining two separate words into one. For example, the word "schoolbell" is formed by combining the words "school" and "bell." Find compound words in the article that have the meanings described below. Write the compound word in the space.
WritingWrite about what you think clothes will be like in the future. Write on a paper or on our blog. |
Recommend Passport to English to your friends!
Click on NEXT to go to the next page in the lesson.