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Technical English for Electrical Engineers

Mehdi Delrobaei

Winter 2020

Unit 1: News & Catalogue

Course Description

This course is exclusively designed for electrical engineering students at K. N. Toosi University of Technology to improve both their academic and technical communication skills.

Course Evaluation

*May include bonus marks.

Course Outline

2

Items Without Project With Project

Class Work 10% 10%

Mid-Term Exam 30% 20%

Final Exam 60% 50%

Project* - 20%

Topics

• Email

• Cover Letter

• Resume / CV

• Formal Letter

• Complaint

• Lab Report

• Progress Report

• Proposal

• News Report

• Catalogue

• Advertisement

• Job Posting

• Product Specification

• User Manual

• Service Manual

• Data Sheet

• Business Plan

• Protocol

• Contract

• Review

• Technical Report

• Research Article

• Patent

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News FEB 7, 2020 11:38PM EST

Shanghai to help Tesla resume production amid coronavirus spread BY Samuel Shen - Reuters

The U.S carmaker, Tesla, has reportedly announced resuming its automobile production, from 10th February 2020. The production was suspended for a week considering the spread of coronavirus across the nation. Speculations have it that Tesla had warned the authorities that the company would witness a week and half of delay in upgradation of Shanghai built Model 3 cars due to the virus outbreak, which has now severely disturbed communications and supply chains across the country. Tesla’s USD 2 billion Shanghai unit is the company’s first outside US facility which was built with support from the local authorities. Furthermore, assistance like this would also apply to other foreign companies in the coming time. Tesla Vice President, Tao Lin recently made declarations that productions would shortly resume and car deliveries from the plant would be temporarily delayed.

Class Discussion

5

Following the practical difficulties, key manufacturing firms including Tesla have faced ……………. Shanghai municipal government will coordinate to make all efforts to help companies resume production as soon as possible.

A) permanent shutdown of their production lines. B) a flu-like virus that has killed more than 1000 people so far. C) an abrupt halt. D) measures to prop up businesses during the epidemic.

News 11:03AM, FEBRUARY 1, 2019

Source: www.sciencenews.org 6

Lasers could send messages right to a listener’s ear BY EMILY CONOVER

Lasers can send sounds straight to a listener’s ear, like whispering a secret from afar.

Using a laser tuned to interact with water vapor in the air, scientists created sounds in a localized spot that were loud enough to be picked up by human hearing if aimed near a listener’s ear. It’s the first time such a technique can be used safely around humans, scientists from MIT Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, Mass., report in the Feb. 1 Optics Letters. At the wavelengths and intensities used, the laser won’t cause burns on eyes or skin. The work relies on a phenomenon called the photoacoustic effect, in which pulses of light are converted into sound when absorbed by a material, in this case, water vapor.

If perfected, such laser messages could be used to communicate in noisy environments or to warn people of danger, for example, in an active shooter scenario. More realistic uses might be listening to a TV headphone-free without disturbing others.

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Class Discussion

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This technique cannot yet send complex messages: It sounds somewhat like a buzzing insect. With future work, the researchers aim to improve this ………… detailed audio messages as well as increase the distance over which it works. So far, the sounds can be sent several meters in the lab.

A) targeted method to send B) human hearing to optimize C) vapor device to disrupt D) whispering secret to decrease

Class Discussion

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Most journalists want to break exclusive news, but most of what science journalists write is based on the latest research findings, already published for all the world! However, it is possible to write a great news story that takes the contents of a research paper.

A) An interesting piece of scientific news is often based on your own research.

B) Journalists – in some cases – alter the news! C) Science journalists try to make their stories absorbing! D) What science journalists write is generally boring!

News Report

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“Sensorized” Skin Helps Soft Robots Find Their Bearings

For the first time, MIT researchers have enabled a soft robotic arm to understand its configuration in 3D space, by leveraging only motion and position data from its own “sensorized” skin.

Soft robots constructed from highly compliant materials, are being championed as safer, and more adaptable, resilient, and bioinspired alternatives to traditional rigid robots. However, that makes it difficult to train planning and control models that drive automation.

In a paper being published in the journal IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, the researchers describe a system of soft sensors that cover a robot’s body to provide “proprioception” — meaning awareness of motion and position of its body. That feedback runs into a novel deep-learning model that sifts through the noise and captures clear signals to estimate the robot’s 3D configuration. The researchers validated their system on a soft robotic arm resembling an elephant trunk, that can predict its own position as it autonomously swings around and extends.

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How to Write a News Report

10 Source: wikihow.com

“Make sure your news report is complete and finished by giving it a good concluding sentence. This is often a restatement of the leading statement or a statement indicating potential future developments relating to the article topic.”

News Report

11 Source: spectrum.ieee.org

Yomee, a smart yogurt maker Yomee yogurt maker is the latest entry in the IoT category. The gadget, at least in the preview pics, doesn’t look bad and doesn’t take up a lot of counter space. Lecker Labs says Yomee can produce the currently popular Greek-style yogurt. And, the company says the pods dispose of themselves by dissolving in the milk, eliminating waste and avoiding a common complaint against the coffee-pod gadgets. I’m guessing the pods contain the yogurt culture, but why would I use a pod instead of just a spoonful from my last batch of yogurt?!

www.kickstarter.com

News Report

12 Source: spectrum.ieee.org

I don’t always put in the minimum 2 minutes that experts say is adequate for teeth brushing, so I understand the thinking that led to this product—if you can brush more teeth at the same time, you can spend less time brushing. According to its press release, Y-Brush takes a tray—like a night guard—and lines it with bristles, and then vibrates the bristles. The company says the gadget takes 10 seconds to remove as much plaque as a normal 2-minute brushing. It might find a niche market among caregivers —brushing another person’s teeth using a standard toothbrush can be a real challenge.

Y-Brush, brushes multiple teeth at once

www.kickstarter.com

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Catalogue

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Catalogue

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Class Discussion

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Which of the following statements is NOT correct?

A) A catalog is a tool used to identify and reinforce brand awareness. Marketing specialists know how much a good catalog can make the difference in terms of sales.

B) A catalog is a list of works of art in an exhibition or collection, with brief comments and explanations.

C) A catalog is a publication containing a list of items for sale, especially for mail-order companies.

D) A catalog is a technical communication document intended to give assistance to people operating a particular system.