READING ACADEMIC TEXTS 2

RHETORIC FUNCTIONS

La retórica “se ocupa de los principios fundamentales que tienen que ver con la composición
y enunciación del discurso oratorio“ (Microsoft® Encarta® 2007. © 1993-2006). Las
funciones retóricas son formas de organizar la información. Entre las funciones retóricas se
pueden mencionar: definiciones, descripciones, generalizaciones,clasificaciones,
causa-efecto, argumentación, comparación y contraste-analogía-metáfora,instrucciones,
ejemplificaciones, etc.

Una tipología textual es una forma de organizar la diversidad textual y de clasificar los
distintos textos; son métodos y propuestas cuyo fin es agrupar o clasificar los textos de
acuerdo con características comunes.

Este criterio permite distinguir, por ejemplo, entre un informe de investigación, una
instrucción para llevar a cabo un experimento, un manual, etc. De acuerdo con este criterio,
una clasificación convencional de los textos es la siguiente:

Textos administrativos Textos publicitarios Textos científicos

Textos periodísticos Textos digitales Textos jurídicos

WHAT IS A PARAGRAPH?

Un párrafo es una unidad de discurso en texto escrito que expresa una idea o un
argumento. Está integrado por un conjunto de oraciones que se encuentran relacionadas
entre sí por el tema que trata y por su organización lógica y significado.

A. DESCRIPTIONS. The purpose of a description is to present the characteristics of a person,

place, event, or action so that the reader may picture that which is being described.

Descriptions are used in science texts,

basically for representing or giving an
explanation of living things, objects, and
substances. Each type includes specific
characteristics. A description of a
mechanism is used in scientific literature
to describe a machine, a process, a living
organism, or a system through analysis of
its parts.
Physical description gives the physical
characteristics of an object and the spatial
relations of the parts of the object to one
another and to the whole, and of the whole to other objects concerned, if any. The physical
characteristics most frequently described are dimensions, shape, weight, material, volume,
color, and texture.
EXAMPLES OF DESCRIPTIVE PARAGRAPHS TEXT 1
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USEFUL VOCABULARY

1. Airbags _____________________
2. Fabric _____________________
3. Neoprene _____________________
4. Is folded up _____________________
5. Inside/within _____________________
6. Under _____________________
7. The steering wheel cover _____________________
8. Dashboard _____________________
9. Deployment _____________________
10. Crash sensors _____________________
11. Sudden _____________________
12. Slowing down _____________________
13. Crash _____________________
14. Assembly _____________________
15. Ignite/s _____________________
16. Pellets _____________________
17. Signaled _____________________
18. Heat _____________________
19. Wire _____________________
20. Rush/es _____________________
21. Burst _____________________
22. Outward _____________________
23. Speeds of up to _____________________
24. To block _____________________
25. Forward _____________________
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Exercise 1 Read the text TEXT 1 carefully, taking into account the vocabulary, to say in
Spanish its purpose
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Exercise 2 While you read, look for the answer to these questions, in Spanish
● What are airbags made up of?
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● Where is the airbag usually located?
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___________________________________________________________________
● What is the function of the crash sensors?
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___________________________________________________________________
● Based on both the illustration and the text, describe in your own words, in Spanish,
how an airbag works
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________

B. DEFINITIONS

The purpose of a definition is to define, explain, or clarify the meaning of something.

It is often necessary in scientific writing to explain what certain words mean. It may involve
analysis, comparison or contrast, description, or perhaps even an analogy. Definitions
generally have the following patterns.

CONCEPT MARKER CLASS (Group) CHARACTERISTICS

(verb)

A thermometer is an instrument that measures temperature

A vitamin is a complex organic that a plant or animal must obtain

substance from its environment

A social worker is a person that help, intervenir,

cellphones are electronic devices, tools that call, communicate,

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CLASS (Group) CHARACTERISTICS MARKER CONCEPT

(verb)

An instrument that measures temperature is called a thermometer

A complex organic that a plant or animal must obtain from is a vitamin

substance its environment

a social worker

Entre las palabras o expresiones que indican definiciones se pueden mencionar: is/are
called, is/are termed, is/are defined as, is/are known as, etc.

Exercise Read the following definitions to a) underline the concept, b) circle the class, and c)
write the Spanish version of the definition

● Chemistry is a branch of science dealing with the structure, composition, properties,

and reactive characteristics of substances, especially at the atomic and molecular
levels.
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● A red blood cell is flattened, a disc-shaped cell that circulates in vertebrate blood.
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● Irrigation is a process that supplies water to the soil in dry areas

_________________________________________________________________________
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● A device that amplifies sound water is a microphone.

_________________________________________________________________________
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● The clear colorless liquid, odorless and tasteless when pure, that occurs as rain,
snow, and ice, forms rivers, lakes, and seas, and is essential for life is called water.
_________________________________________________________________________
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_________________________________________________________________________
● Nanotechnology is the art of manipulating material on a very small scale in order to
build microscope machinery.
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TEXT 2

CONCEPTO MARCADOR / CLASE GRUPO Y CARACTERÍSTICAS

VERBO

La materia

Los átomos

Un elemento

Un compuesto

Una molécula

Una fórmula química

READING ACADEMIC TEXTS 2

C. COMPARISON AND CONTRAST

Los párrafos de comparación y contraste tienen como propósito decir semejanzas o

establecer diferencias entre dos o más objetos, situaciones, ideas, o personas,
comparándolos según ciertos factores.

Un contraste es una manera de mostrar una diferencia o distinción entre dos o más
factores. Por ejemplo, un autor puede contrastar la naturaleza de los sólidos y los fluidos.

The molecules of a solid are in fixed positions in relation to each other. In contrast, the
molecules of liquid flow over one another.

Entre las palabras que señalan contraste se encuentran: however, but, yet, in contrast, on
the contrary, on the other hand, conversely, although, despite, etc.

TEXT 3

In day- to- day usage, the Word “work” refers to a physical or mental effort designed to
achieve a result. In mechanics, however, work is defined as the effect accomplished when
a force is exerted upon an object to move it a certain distance.

Exercise after reading the previous test, write out the two ideas in each contrast, in Spanish.

● ___________________________________________________________________
● ___________________________________________________________________

D. CAUSE AND EFFECT

Se llama causa a un hecho o fenómeno que se produce siempre relacionado

inmediatamente con otro hecho posterior al que se denomina efecto. La relación de
causa efecto es básica para las ciencias en muchos campos como la química, la física y
otras tantas áreas del conocimiento.

Entre las palabras que señala la relación de causa y efecto se encuentran: the
consequence, consequently, as a result, therefore, thereby, for this season, thus,
because, hence, the cause, the effect, the result, that is why, etc.

Ejemplo: The energy of water tumbling (moving) over the waterfall turns the water wheel.

CAUSA: energy of water tumbling over the waterfall. EFECTO: The waterwheel turns.

Exercise 1 Mix and Match Column A and B

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COLUMN A COLUMN B

1. The vaccination program was set up because ( ) there are ocean tides.

2. The smoking ban was introduced because ( )a liquid takes on the shape of its container.

3. Hosepipes bans were introduced because ( ) smallpox kills children.

4. Because of the moon’s gravitational pull, ( ) smoking causes serious health problems.

5. Because the molecules of liquid flow over each other ( ) levels of water in reservoirs were low.