Podcast
Questions and Answers
What is the main reason why technical texts with high term density are difficult to understand?
What is the main reason why technical texts with high term density are difficult to understand?
- Because they use too many synonyms
- Because they have a higher number of information-carrying nouns and specialized terms (correct)
- Because they use complex words
- Because they contain too many nouns
What is the purpose of technobabble in the provided example?
What is the purpose of technobabble in the provided example?
- To demonstrate the effectiveness of poetic language
- To show the importance of synonyms
- To confuse the reader with complicated words
- To illustrate the concept of term density (correct)
What is a characteristic of specialized texts?
What is a characteristic of specialized texts?
- They prioritize poetic language over clarity
- They prioritize content and clarity over style (correct)
- They avoid using technical terms altogether
- They use a variety of synonyms to avoid repetition
What is the term for the phenomenon of using only one word to describe a concept in scientific language?
What is the term for the phenomenon of using only one word to describe a concept in scientific language?
Why do specialized texts often repeat certain terms?
Why do specialized texts often repeat certain terms?
What is a characteristic of the language used in technical texts?
What is a characteristic of the language used in technical texts?
What is the term for the concept of using technical terms to sound plausible but meaningless?
What is the term for the concept of using technical terms to sound plausible but meaningless?
What is the relationship between term density and understanding in a text?
What is the relationship between term density and understanding in a text?
What is the term for taking a word from general vocabulary and giving it a new, specific meaning in a specific domain?
What is the term for taking a word from general vocabulary and giving it a new, specific meaning in a specific domain?
What is the process of changing a word from one part of speech to another?
What is the process of changing a word from one part of speech to another?
What is the term for a morpheme that cannot stand alone?
What is the term for a morpheme that cannot stand alone?
What is a key characteristic of a term in a specific domain?
What is a key characteristic of a term in a specific domain?
What is the term for attaching a prefix to a base word to form a new word?
What is the term for attaching a prefix to a base word to form a new word?
What is an example of a word that has undergone conversion?
What is an example of a word that has undergone conversion?
Can a word be a term in multiple domains?
Can a word be a term in multiple domains?
What is the primary objective of treating water that contains high levels of naturally occurring inorganic ions?
What is the primary objective of treating water that contains high levels of naturally occurring inorganic ions?
What is a characteristic of technical and scientific lexis?
What is a characteristic of technical and scientific lexis?
What is the term for the process of giving a word a new meaning in a specific domain?
What is the term for the process of giving a word a new meaning in a specific domain?
What is an example of a bound morpheme?
What is an example of a bound morpheme?
What type of contaminants can be present in surface water sources and some groundwater sources?
What type of contaminants can be present in surface water sources and some groundwater sources?
What is NOT a characteristic of a term?
What is NOT a characteristic of a term?
What does the term 'hirsutism' imply?
What does the term 'hirsutism' imply?
What is the term for a morpheme that can stand alone?
What is the term for a morpheme that can stand alone?
What is the term for presenting an action as a noun?
What is the term for presenting an action as a noun?
Which of the following is NOT a term?
Which of the following is NOT a term?
What is the term for the water used for desalination?
What is the term for the water used for desalination?
What kind of substances can cause concern if present in high concentrations after treatment?
What kind of substances can cause concern if present in high concentrations after treatment?
What does the term 'free-range' imply?
What does the term 'free-range' imply?
What is a key benefit of using technical language?
What is a key benefit of using technical language?
What is the purpose of desalination?
What is the purpose of desalination?
What type of nomination is the most frequent?
What type of nomination is the most frequent?
What kind of substances can be present in water used for desalination?
What kind of substances can be present in water used for desalination?
According to the context, what is the primary concern regarding the amount of space debris in Earth's orbit?
According to the context, what is the primary concern regarding the amount of space debris in Earth's orbit?
What is the primary function of the 'automated collision avoidance' technologies developed by ESA?
What is the primary function of the 'automated collision avoidance' technologies developed by ESA?
What is implied by the phrase 'microbial transfer is likely to occur' in the context of hand hygiene?
What is implied by the phrase 'microbial transfer is likely to occur' in the context of hand hygiene?
What is the epistemic modality expressed by the modal 'can'?
What is the epistemic modality expressed by the modal 'can'?
What is the estimated cost of protecting satellites from space debris in geostationary orbit?
What is the estimated cost of protecting satellites from space debris in geostationary orbit?
What is the potential consequence of not addressing the issue of space debris?
What is the potential consequence of not addressing the issue of space debris?
What is the purpose of the ESA's Space Safety Programme?
What is the purpose of the ESA's Space Safety Programme?
What is the primary function of the 'manual' methods for avoiding in-space collisions?
What is the primary function of the 'manual' methods for avoiding 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.
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Description
This quiz explores the concept of technical language and its relationship to everyday language, discussing how specialized terms can affect comprehension.
