Jeans That Clean The Air

         An innovative blend of fashion and science has resulted in the design of a new technology in jeans that cleans the air. Helen Storey, professor of fashion and science at The London College of Fashion, teamed up with Dr Tony Ryan, pro-vice-chancellor for the Faculty of Science at the University of Sheffield, to create what could be a ground-breaking solution to our environmental problems. They discovered that when denim is coated with tiny particles of the chemical titanium dioxide, it reacts with air and light to absorb and break down harmful emissions in the environment. The emissions become harmless and are washed away when the jeans are cleaned. This means we can help clean the air simply by going for a walk.

           

            Ms Story and Dr Ryan have created a company to showcase their invention, called Catalytic Clothing. Their website says: "Catalytic Clothing seeks to explore how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air, employing existing technology in a new way." The technology is similar to how a catalytic converter in a car helps clean the fuel mix. Ryan makes bold claims about how effective the innovation could be. He maintains that if all of Sheffield's half a million residents wore the jeans to become walking air filters, the dangerous chemical nitrogen oxide in the city would disappear. The improvement in air quality could significantly reduce deaths and respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

(22nd October, 2012) adapted from Breaking News 

QUESTION 1 Indicate whether these sentences are true or false. Justify your answers with evidence from the text.

a. The new technique came from a fashion expert and a scientist.

b. The new jeans could break the ground because of their strength.

c. The technology used has never been seen before.

d. The jeans could improve the lives of people with breathing difficulties.

QUESTION 2 Answer the following questions in your own words

a. How do the new jeans contribute to clean the air?

b. What potential effects could the new jeans have, according to Mr. Ryan?

QUESTION 3 Find a word or phrase in the text that means the same as

a.      1 pioneering (par. 1)   

b.      2 to look into (par. 2)  

c.      3 considerably  (par.2)  

QUESTION 4 Rewrite the following sentences without changing the meaning

a. Ms Story and Dr Ryan have created a company to showcase their invention, called Catalytic Clothing.

            A company …

b. The improvement in air quality could significantly reduce deaths and respiratory illnesses such as asthma.

            If air quality ….

c. "Catalytic Clothing seeks to explore how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air”

            Ms Story and Dr. Ryan said that …….

QUESTION 5 Write a short essay (120-150 words) on the following topic:

            Would life be different without jeans?