40 Questions
What is the main reason why technical texts with high term density are difficult to understand?
Because they have a higher number of information-carrying nouns and specialized terms
What is the purpose of technobabble in the provided example?
To illustrate the concept of term density
What is a characteristic of specialized texts?
They prioritize content and clarity over style
What is the term for the phenomenon of using only one word to describe a concept in scientific language?
Mono-referentiality
Why do specialized texts often repeat certain terms?
To avoid ambiguity
What is a characteristic of the language used in technical texts?
It uses a high number of information-carrying nouns
What is the term for the concept of using technical terms to sound plausible but meaningless?
Technobabble
What is the relationship between term density and understanding in a text?
The more terms, the harder the text is to understand
What is the term for taking a word from general vocabulary and giving it a new, specific meaning in a specific domain?
Semantic redetermination
What is the process of changing a word from one part of speech to another?
Conversion
What is the term for a morpheme that cannot stand alone?
Bound morpheme
What is a key characteristic of a term in a specific domain?
Non-ambiguity
What is the term for attaching a prefix to a base word to form a new word?
Affixation
What is an example of a word that has undergone conversion?
Access (noun) and access (verb)
Can a word be a term in multiple domains?
Yes, a word can be a term in multiple domains
What is the primary objective of treating water that contains high levels of naturally occurring inorganic ions?
To reduce or remove the substances from the water
What is a characteristic of technical and scientific lexis?
Conciseness
What is the term for the process of giving a word a new meaning in a specific domain?
Semantic redetermination
What is an example of a bound morpheme?
Player
What type of contaminants can be present in surface water sources and some groundwater sources?
Pathogenic viruses, bacteria, and parasites, as well as chemical contaminants from human activities
What is NOT a characteristic of a term?
Emotion
What does the term 'hirsutism' imply?
Excessive hair growth
What is the term for a morpheme that can stand alone?
Free morpheme
What is the term for presenting an action as a noun?
Nomen actionis
Which of the following is NOT a term?
Fluff
What is the term for the water used for desalination?
Source water
What kind of substances can cause concern if present in high concentrations after treatment?
Naturally occurring inorganic ions
What does the term 'free-range' imply?
Relating to farm animals not in cages
What is a key benefit of using technical language?
To convey unambiguous meanings
What is the purpose of desalination?
To reduce the concentration of naturally occurring inorganic ions
What type of nomination is the most frequent?
Nominalization
What kind of substances can be present in water used for desalination?
Naturally occurring inorganic ions and substances that do not occur naturally
According to the context, what is the primary concern regarding the amount of space debris in Earth's orbit?
The potential for catastrophic collisions and ecological damage
What is the primary function of the 'automated collision avoidance' technologies developed by ESA?
To predict and prevent in-space collisions
What is implied by the phrase 'microbial transfer is likely to occur' in the context of hand hygiene?
That hand cleaning is a necessary but insufficient measure
What is the epistemic modality expressed by the modal 'can'?
Possibility and prediction
What is the estimated cost of protecting satellites from space debris in geostationary orbit?
5-10% of total mission costs
What is the potential consequence of not addressing the issue of space debris?
The Kessler syndrome, leading to unusable orbits
What is the purpose of the ESA's Space Safety Programme?
To create automated collision avoidance technologies
What is the primary function of the 'manual' methods for avoiding in-space collisions?
To predict and prevent in-space collisions
Study Notes
Understanding Technical Language
- Technical language has rules and characteristics that can be imitated to create meaningless but plausible-sounding text.
- Term density refers to the number of specialized terms used in a text, which can affect its readability.
- Technical language often lacks emotional tone and has a focus on clarity and precision.
Characteristics of Technical Terms
- Terms are highly specialized and have precise meanings.
- Terms can have negative or positive connotations, but are generally purely referential.
- Terms can be created through semantic redetermination (giving a word a new meaning in a specific domain) or conversion (changing a word's part of speech).
- Terms can also be created through affixation (adding prefixes or suffixes to a base word).
Nominalization
- Nominalization is the process of converting a verb or adjective into a noun.
- Nomen actionis is a type of nominalization where an action is presented as a noun.
Modality
- Epistemic modality expresses possibility and prediction, often using verbs like "can" or "may".
- Modality can be used to emphasize possibility or uncertainty.
Scientific Language
- Scientific language often uses nouns to convey information, rather than verbs or adjectives.
- Repetition of terms is common in scientific language to ensure clarity and avoid ambiguity.
- Scientific language aims to be concise, transparent, and unambiguous.
This quiz explores the concept of technical language and its relationship to everyday language, discussing how specialized terms can affect comprehension.
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