Page 20 - English for Construction 2

Focus on a project: Light tubes n Potsdamer
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Platz, Berlin

Reading 1 Look at he photo. What are he tubes? What do hey do?
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2 Read the text about the light tubes n Potsdamer Platz. What is a heliostat?
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Visitors to Potsdamer Platz n Berlin are often
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interested to see three glass tubes, up to ten metres
high, near the entrance to the underground railway
station. The tubes, made of glass and steel, transfer
sunlight down into the station.
There are three light tubes, 14 metres, 17 metres and
21 metres n length in total, each with an external
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diameter of 1 metre. At the top is a heliostat which
follows the sun and uses mirrors to reflect the sun's
light into the tube, which is lined with a highly
reflective material. Inside each tube is a steel pipe,
also covered with a reflective material. The light
travels down the tube until t reaches a glass cover
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which allows the light to spread into the station. At
night artificial light travels up the tubes and helps to
light up Potsdamer Platz.

Are these statements true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false statements.
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1 Each ube is over en metres above ground. (T / F)
2 The tubes are made of glass and steel. (T / F)
3 A heliostat contains mirrors. (T / F)
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4 Each light ube contains a plastic pipe. (T / F)
5 Light can only ravel down the tubes. (T / F)
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Look at his sketch of a light tube. What do the letters stand for?
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Speaking 5 Work n small groups. Do you hink light tubes will be common in the future?
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W h y (not)?

18 2 Design