Chapter 2

Steel

Vocabulary Preview
Write the letter of the adjective next to its opposite

_______ 1. hard a. tiny

_______ 2. mild b. thin
_______ 3. huge c. soft
_______ 4. simple d. cold
_______ 5. high e. old
_______ 6. short f. complex
_______ 7. new g. long
_______ 8. heavy h. low
_______ 9. thick i. strong
_______10. hot j. light
Pre-reading
Before you read, answer the following questions with a partner or
your classmates?

• What is an alloy?
• Is it possible to mix a metal with a non-metallic material?
• What happens to iron when it is exposed to air or water?

Reading
Steel is the most widely used engineering material. Technically though, this well-known
alloy of iron (Fe) and carbon (C) is not as simple as one might think. Steel comes in a
huge range of grades, each with different characteristics.

The first grade of steels is what is known as carbon steel. This consists of iron and
carbon but contains no significant quantities of other metals. Carbon steels can be
divided into three main grades. Mild steel, which is the most widely used grade, is a
low-carbon steel that contains up to approximately 0.3% carbon. Medium-carbon steel,
on the other hand, contains between approximately 0.3% and 0.6% carbon. Finally, high-
carbon steel contains between approximately 0.6% and 1.4% carbon.

The second main category of steels is alloy-steels, which consist of iron, carbon, and
one or more alloying metals. Alloy steels, in their turn, are divided into more specific
grades. First, low-alloy steels are one grade that contains 90% or more iron and up to
10% of alloying metals such as chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), manganese (Mn), molybdenum
(Mo), and vanadium (V). High-strength low alloy steels (HSLA), on the other hand, are
another grade of alloy steels that contain smaller quantities, typically less than 2%, of
the above metals. Yet another popular grade of steels is that known as stainless steels,
which contain chromium as well as other metals, such as nickel, and which do not rust.
Finally, tool steels, which are extremely hard, are used in cutting tools. These contain
tungsten (W) and sometimes cobalt (Co) as well. A widely used grade of tool steels is
known as high-speed steel, which is used in cutting tools that operate at high
temperatures such as drill bits.

One weakness of mild steel is that it corrodes. Its surface progressively deteriorates
due to a chemical reaction that takes place between the iron in the steel and the
oxygen (O2) in the air to form iron oxide. When iron corrodes, or goes rusty as we usually
say, the rust on its surface comes off continuously and a new layer of rust forms
progressively eating into the metal. In some other metals, on the other hand, the
presence of corrosion is not a problem. In aluminum (Al), for example, the layer of
oxide around the metal remains hard and prevents it from oxidizing any further unlike
mild steel.

Comprehension Check

Are these statements True (T) or False (F)? Write T or F next to each
statement then correct the false statements.

_______ 1. Carbon steel is an alloy of iron and carbon.

_____________________________________________________________
_______ 2. Mild steel is high-carbon steel.
_____________________________________________________________
_______ 3. Stainless steel gets corroded easily.
_____________________________________________________________
_______ 4. Low alloy steels contain more chromium than iron.
_____________________________________________________________
_______ 5. Tungsten is added to steel to make it softer.
_____________________________________________________________

Word Study
1. Complete the chart with the right word form.

Verb Noun Adjective

corrosion
deteriorate
rusty
oxidization
specify
resistant
protection
prevent
2. Fill in each blank with a word from the chart above.

1. Steel __________________________ when it is exposed to air and water.

2. __________________________ is a red/brown material that forms on the surface of
steel.
3. The strength of steel is reduced if it is __________________________.
4. Anti-corrosive paints are used to __________________________ metal structures
against rust.
Grammar
1. Study these examples.

Allen is not at home. He is in the school bus.

He is driving the school bus.
He is taking children to school.

We use the present continuous tense when we talk about something that is happening
at the time of speaking.

2. Write the correct form of the verb between parentheses.

Examples: Please don’t make so much noise. I am studying.
Let’s go out now. It isn’t raining anymore.
Bill! Where are you? What are you doing?

1. Please be quiet. I ________________________ (try) to concentrate.

2. Look! It ________________________ (rain).
3. Why ________________________ (you/look) at me like that? Did I say something
wrong?
4. You ________________________ (make) a lot of noise. Can you be a little bit
quieter?
5. Excuse me, I ________________________ (look) for a gas station. Is there one near
here?
6. It's a good movie, isn't it? ________________________ (you/enjoy) it?
7. Listen! Can you hear those people next door? They ________________________
(yell) at each other again.
8. Why ________________________ (you/wear) your coat today? It's very warm.
9. I ________________________ (not/work) this week. I'm on vacation.
10. I want to lose weight. I ________________________ (not/eat) anything today.
3. Put the verb into the correct form. Use the simple present (I do) or
the present continuous (I am doing).
Examples: Please don’t make so much noise. I am studying.
How many languages does Tom speak?
Bill! Where are you? What are you doing?

1. Hurry! The bus ________________________ (come). I ________________________

(not/want) to miss it.
2. The Nile River ________________________ (flow) into the Mediterranean.
3. ________________________ (it/ever/snow) in India?
4. We usually ________________________ (grow) vegetables in our garden, but this
year we ________________________ (not/grow) any.
5. A: Can you drive?
B: No, but l ________________________ (learn).
6. You can borrow my umbrella. I ________________________ (not/need) it right
now.
7. I ________________________ (get) hungry. Let's go get something to eat.
8. George is a vegetarian. He ________________________ (not/eat) meat.
9. George says he's 80 years old, but I ________________________ (not/believe) him.
10. Ron is in San Francisco now. He ________________________ (stay) at the Hilton
Hotel. He usually ________________________ (stay) at the Hilton Hotel when he's
in San Francisco.
11. My parents ________________________ (live) in Winnipeg. They were born there
and have never lived anywhere else. Where ________________________ (your
parents / live)?
12. Sarah ________________________ (stay) with her sister until she finds somewhere
else to live.
13. A: What ________________________ (your father / do)?
B: He's a teacher, but he ________________________ (not/work) right now.
4. Study these examples.

Allen is a driver. He drives a school bus.

But now he is asleep. He is not driving a bus
because he is in bed.

We use the simple present to talk about things in general. We use the simple
present to say that something happens all the time or repeatedly, or that
something is true generally.
Examples: The earth goes around the sun.
Doctors treat patients in hospitals.
Allen drives a school bus.

5. These sentences are correct, but they are not true. Re-write them in
the negative, then write the true information.
Example: The sun goes around the earth.
The sun doesn’t go around the earth.
The earth goes around the sun.

1. The sun rises in the west.

_______________________________________________________________ .
_______________________________________________________________ .
2. Water freezes at 4° degrees Celsius.
_______________________________________________________________ .
_______________________________________________________________ .

3. Mechanics repair computers.

_______________________________________________________________ .
_______________________________________________________________ .
4. The Amazon River flows into the Pacific Ocean.
_______________________________________________________________ .
_______________________________________________________________ .
5. The Atlas Mountains are in Europe
_______________________________________________________________ .
_______________________________________________________________ .

6. Read these sentences and write a question about each beginning with
the word(s) in parentheses.
Examples: I usually go jogging. (What time?)
What time do you usually go jogging?
Tom plays tennis. (How often?)
How often does Tom play tennis?

1. I go to the movies. (How often?)

_______________________________________________________________ .
2. Tom works. (Where?)
_______________________________________________________________ .
3. Ann watches television. (How often?)
_______________________________________________________________ .
4. I usually have dinner in the evening. (What time?)
_______________________________________________________________ .
5. She writes to her parents. (How often?)
_______________________________________________________________ .
6. People like to travel in the summer. (Why?)
_______________________________________________________________ .

7. Write the correct form of the verb between parentheses.

Examples: Water ______boils______ (boil) at 100 degrees Celsius.
 George ______doesn’t go ______ (not/go) to the movies very often.
How many languages ______do you speak ______ (you/speak)?

1. The swimming pool __________________________ (open) at 9:00 and

__________________________ (close) at 6:30 every day.
2. What time __________________________ (the pharmacies/close) here?
3. I have a car, but I __________________________ (not/use) it very often.
4. How many cups of coffee __________________________ (you/drink) every day?
5. A: "What __________________________ (you/do)?"
B: "I ________________________ (be) an electrical engineer."
6. A: "Where __________________________ (your father/come) from?"
B: "He __________________________ (come) from Mexico."
7. It __________________________ (take) me an hour to get to work. How long
__________________________ (it/take) you?
8. I __________________________ (play) the piano, but I ________________________
(not/play) very well.
9. I don't understand the word "believe." What __________________________
("believe"/mean)?