3.

GLASS CERAMIC
As with rubber, it is difficult to imagine a world without glass. Without windows
made of glass, our homes and automobiles and trains would be strange and
uncomfortable places. Without glass, we would have no lights as we know them, no
radio tubes, no electric signs, no glass articles to drink or eat from. Then there are
clothlike materials such as glass wool and fiber glass that have been made into
everything from rugs to clothes.
It is interesting to remember that glass was introduced into America in 1608 in
Jamestown, Virginia. By 1621, glassmakers were brought from Italy to make artificial
jewels for the Indians. Every year in the United States, more than 16,000,000,000
pounds of glass are produced. Four times as much glass is made as aluminium; only iron
and steel among the metals, are produced in larger quantities.
We seldom consider exactly what makes it possible for light to pass through
solid glass. Although man has used glass for several thousands of years, he is only new
beginning to learn scientific facts about it. For all the time men have made glass, they
have got most of their knowledge by experiment. Not surprisingly, some developments
have occurred by accident, including the great discovery we shall talk about in this
chapter.
Considering the strange fats about, among them the fact that, in its simplest
form, it is sand and oxygen, we should not be surprised that man learned of it indirectly
and probably by accident. Scientists believe that glass have been made for perhaps
5,000 years. It is difficult to imagine that people living 5,000 years ago had learned
through scientific research how to melt sand to produce glass. Probability the discovery
of the clear stuff accured serendipitously.
Pliny, a Roma write who lived almost 2,000 years ago, told a story of the
discovery of glass. Pliny wrote that, many centuries before his time, Phoenician military
men sailing to Syria from Egypt had to land at Palestine. Part of their ships supply was
soda, a substance containing the chemical element sodium. It was in the form of blocks.
The man used some of these blocks on the sandy beach in place of stones to make a
fireplace in which to cook a meal. After the fire had cooled, the men were surprised to
find pieces of a strange material that was actually glass.
The story is interesting, and may perhaps be true. In recent years, curious
scientists have created the conditions under which ancient people probably made
artificial glass for the first time. The hottest fire that scientists think the ancient had approximately ten times the heat required to boil water - will not melt sand. However,
at the temperature, if some soda is mixed with the sand, some melting of sand soda
does occur.

Such serendipitous discovery of one of our most important materials could have
happened. What modern writers of history doubt is that the discovery was made by the
Phoenician sailors of Plinys story. It is probably that glass making existed in Egypt itself
long before the Phoenician people from between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago.

COMPREHENSION
1. When did people in America first know glass?
2. How much glass is made in America every year?
3. What is strange about glass?
4. How do we know about the discovery of glass?
5. What did the Phoenicians use instead of stones to make a fireplace in which to
cook a metal?
6. Why were they surprised after the fire had cooled?
7. When does sand melt?
8. What are modern writers not sure about?

WORD STUDY
WORD BUILDING
The use of without + noun can be substituted by the suffix less added to the noun, e.g.,
without windows window-less; without glass glassless; etc.
EXERCISE
A. Form adjectives from the following nouns by adding less: colour; effort; job;
limit; motion; power; purpose root; water; weight.
B. Form the adjectives formed in A choose appropriate ones to fill in the blanks in
the following :
1. Water is a . . . liquid.
2. A body moving in space is . . . and therefore floats.
3. A desert is almost entirely . . . .
4. At absolute temperature (A0) the molecules of a body are . . . .
5. People who are unemployed are said to be . . . ; because of this they have no
daily objectives to attain and their lives become . . . ; this in turn give raise to
social problem, since they tend to lose their feeling of stability, and become
....

STRUCTURE STUDY
A. TO PLUS INFINITIVE
The main structure in the passage the use of some common impersonal
expressions with to plus infinitive, e.g.:
It is difficult to imagine . . .
It is interesting to remember . . .

Other similar expressions (which may be negative also) are: it is (not) advisable .
. .; it is (not) sufficient usual, possible, useless, etc.
In this construction the infinitive may be part of an accusative and infinitive
construction (preceded by for), e.g.: It is possible for light to pass through solid
glass.
B. THE ING FORM
a. The passage also contains the structure ing form which is used to shorten a
longer phrase.
b. Verbal noun in ing.
c. Present participle used as an adjective;
d. Present continuous tense;
e. See previous passage; some verbs that make the ing form are: finish, stop,
risk, practice, enjoy, succeed in, get used to, become accustomed to.
EXERCISE
A. Put the Verbs in brackets into either the infinitive or the ing form as necessary.
1. The extension of international co-operation nowadays enables the emerging
countries (overcome) many obstacles to their development, and helps them
(avoid) (make) serious mistakes.
2. Any country, however, is likely (progress) more rapidly if it gets used to
(make) the best use of its available resources and knows how (carry out)
small-scale projects efficiently before it risks (begin) large-scale
development.
B. Put the Verbs in brackets into either the infinitive or the ing form as required.
1. It is usual for scientists (use) mathematics in their work.
2. We have now finished (programme) the computer for the experiment.
3. It is difficult for many underdeveloped countries (achieve) higher standard
of living because of the sensitivity or their economy.
4. We decided (conduct) trials with the equipment and eventually succeeded
in (obtain) the result expected.
5. The researchers failed (locate) the failure in the control mechanism.
6. A scientist risks (make) serious mistakes if he is not careful (reason)
correctly.
7. The investigator decided (repeat) the experiment before (publish) the final
report on his work.
C. Change the Verbs in the following sentences from passive into active voice.
1. The bridge was blown up by someone.
2. The meeting cannot be held on Tuesday.
3. It will have to be put off to next week.

4. A very strange account of the fate of the unfortunate ship was given to us by
the survivor.
5. By whom was the church built?
6. A special suit was made for the visitor by the well-known tailor.
7. There were many parts of the story which were concluded undesirable to be
read by children.
8. Everyone who has been notified by the government should be registered
without delay.