"High-Tech Fashion"
Reading Lesson

Key Words

Below you will find a list of key vocabulary you need to know to understand the lesson. Click on each word to hear it and practice its pronunciation.

glimpse: a quick look at something
fashion: popular styles of clothing
fabric: material used to make clothes
garment: a piece of clothing
lightweight: not heavy
sewn: participle of "sew" (joined together with thread)
claim: to say that something is true
fungi: living things like mold or mushrooms
odor: a smell
flow: the movement of something, like liquid or air
swelling: an area that becomes bigger because of injury or illness
moisture: small amounts of water in the air or on a surface
trend: something that is popular at a certain time
scarf: a long piece of cloth worn around the neck
speakers: devices that produce sound

Exercise - Key Words

Read the definition and select the word that was defined.

Reading

High-Tech Fashion

Visitors to the "International Forum and Symposium for High-tech Apparel Textiles" earlier this year were treated to a glimpse into the future of high-tech fashion. The symposium, which is organized by the Avantex company, was held in Frankfurt Germany this year. New fabrics were featured as well as garments with high-tech features.

Detect is a new sensory fabric that can detect touch and pressure applied by the wearer. It is soft and lightweight like a regular fabric but it can be used to create fabric keyboards for computers sewn into clothing.

A number of fabrics have been created to keep the body cool in hot weather and warm in cold weather or to keep the body drier. One fabric featured at the symposium even provides cushion for new skiers or snowboarders if they fall. A couple of fabrics claim to protect the wearer against electromagnetic radiation.

X-Static is a new fiber that can do many things. It eliminates bacteria and fungi that cause odor, it dissipates static charges, it can move electrical currents generated by the body (which is believed to increase blood flow and reduce swelling), it transfers heat and cold (keeping the body warmer or colder as needed), and it can be used to transfer moisture.

The biggest new trend seems to be wearable computers and other electronic devices such as cellular phones and MP3 Players. The FTR&D company has created a scarf that can be used as a mobile office. It contains two speakers on the collar and a microphone on the right part of the scarf (the part that goes over your mouth). The left part of the scarf contains a touchscreen and webcam while the batteries and computer are hidden in the lining of the scarf. You can do videoconferencing, surf the internet, send and receive e-mails, listen to music, or even watch a movie using your scarf!

► Listen to the reading

Which of the following were items described in the article?

Compound words

Compound words are formed by combining two separate words into one. For example, the word "schoolbell" is formed by combining "school" and "bell." Find compound words in the article that have the following meanings. Write the compound word in the space.

Writing

Describe what you think fashion will be like in the future.

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