Meeting 9 Delivering the materials
Meeting 10 Delivering materials + practicing the project
Make groups of 5 students to create the explanantion text. Write them down on your handout , take picture and share at Google Drive
Deadline 22 April 2024
Meeting 11 Quiz + Submitting the project
Explanation texts serve a vital social function by delving into the intricate processes or underlying causes behind both natural phenomena, occurring within the realms of the environment and biology, and sociocultural phenomena, encompassing aspects of human behavior, society, and culture.
The social function
The social function of explanation texts is to explain the processes or causes behind a natural or sociocultural phenomenon.
The text structure
An explanation text is constructed of two stages:
a. General statement
This stage states a phenomenon to be explained, for example by
mentioning the name of the phenomenon and from what aspect it will be explained, either from its processes or its reasons.
b. Sequenced explanation
This stage consists of some sequenced explanation concerning the
processes of how the phenomenon happens or reasons why it happens.
There may be some sequential conjunctions such as firstly, secondly, after that, next, then, finally, and so on. The organization of paragraphs show the sequence of the processes, so they cannot be put alternatively.
The language features
An explanation text often uses:
a. Focus on nouns stating natural or sociocultural phenomena
b. Simple present tense
c. Passive voice
d. Temporal conjunctions to show sequences
e. Causal conjunctions to show the causes of the phenomenon to happen.
Identifying Natural Phenomena
A phenomenon is defined as something that is observed to happen or exist. Phenomena is the plural form of phenomenon. Natural means things exist or occur in nature and are not made or caused by people (https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/naturalphenomenon). So, natural phenomena can be understood as things that are observed to exist in nature and not made or caused by people. Some examples of natural phenomena are weather, fog, thunder, tornadoes, biological processes, decomposition, germination, physical processes, wave propagation, erosion, tidal flow, moonbow, blood moon,some natural disasters such as volcanic erruptions, earthquakes,landslides, and so on.
Identifying Sociocultural Phenomena
Sociocultural phenomena can be defined as the individual, external, social constructions that influence our lives and development, and are constantly evolving as we age (https://study.com/academy/lesson/social-phenomenadefinition-examples-quiz.html). Some examples of socially constructed
phenomena are: marriage rites, rituals, and practices; kinship networks; racism; behavioral norms; language; holidays; clothing styles; etc.(https://www.quora.com/What-is-a-sociocultural-phenomena).
How COVID-19 Affect Human’s Body
COVID-19, the abbreviated term for the disease Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019, is part of a large family of viruses known as coronaviruses, distinguished by their characteristic crown-like spikes, referred to as spike or S-protein. These spikes play a crucial role in the virus’s ability to infect cells within the human body. Once introduced, the virus infiltrates healthy cells, utilizing their machinery to replicate and propagate throughout the body. Specifically, the coronavirus targets cells, particularly those in the lungs, by binding its spiky surface proteins to ACE2 receptors. This interaction allows the virus to gain entry into the cells, where it commandeers their functions, ultimately resulting in the destruction of some healthy cells.
The transmission of COVID-19 typically occurs through respiratory droplets expelled by an infected person through coughing, sneezing, or even normal breathing. These droplets may linger in the air or settle on surfaces, providing a pathway for the virus to enter the body through mucous membranes in the throat. Following exposure, the incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days, during which individuals may exhibit various symptoms indicative of the illness. These symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, loss of taste or smell, gastrointestinal disturbances, among others.
As the virus progresses, it traverses down the respiratory tract, targeting the airways, including the mouth, nose, throat, and lungs. Notably, the virus tends to penetrate deeper into the lower respiratory tract, where ACE2 receptors are more abundant, differentiating it from common cold viruses. The resulting inflammation within the lungs can lead to pneumonia, affecting the tiny air sacs called alveoli, where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange occurs.
While most cases of COVID-19 present with mild symptoms, a subset of individuals may experience severe complications. Typically, around 5 to 8 days after symptom onset, individuals may develop dyspnea, followed by the onset of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is characterized by significant damage to lung tissues and blood vessels, leading to impaired gas exchange and respiratory failure. Many individuals with severe cases of ARDS require mechanical ventilation to assist with breathing.
Complications arising from COVID-19 extend beyond the respiratory system, impacting other vital organs such as the kidneys, liver, and heart. As fluid accumulates in the lungs, oxygen delivery to the bloodstream diminishes, potentially resulting in multi-organ failure. While not all individuals with COVID-19 experience these severe complications, those exhibiting difficulty breathing should seek medical attention promptly to mitigate the risk of adverse outcomes.
Reduced clauses
https://www.englishgrammar.org/reduced-relative-clauses/: Chapter 4 Writing the Explanation Text (Meeting 9, 10 and 11)- English 2 SKSReduced clauses, also known as reduced relative clauses or reduced adjective clauses, originate from clauses that initially contain relative pronouns. They earned the name “reduced” because certain parts of these clauses are either omitted or abbreviated. However, the reduction of clauses isn’t solely about eliminating relative pronouns; it depends on the context of the sentences involved.
Reduced relative clauses primarily arise from:
- Present participle phrases
- Past participle phrases
- Past Participles
- Prepositional Phrases
- Adjectives/Adjective phrases
Present participle phrases can be transformed into reduced clauses by dropping the relative pronoun and “to be.” For example:
- When an infected person is coughing, sneezing, or breathing, he/ she releases droplets containing viruses. → droplets that are containing viruses
- Certain species of animals, like bats, appear to have immune systems thatharbour a lot of organisms living inside of them naturally. -> a lot of organisms that are living inside of them naturally
- Hospitals taking care of covid-19 patients are separated from general hospitals. → Hospitals that are taking care of covid-19 patients.
The second type of reduced clauses are those that are created by the use of past participle phrases which mostly form passive voices. This type of reduced clause is widely used in explanation texts. Study the examples below:
- COVID-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus, starts with droplets from an infected person’s cough, sneeze, or breath.-> the illness which is caused by the coronavirus
- Some COVID-19 patients recover, sometimes with no more support than oxygen breathed in through nasal prongs.-> oxygen which is breathed
- Some people infected with coronavirus never develop symptoms.-> Some people who are infected with coronavirus.
The next type of reduced clauses is formed by using the past participles. This is only slightly different from the caluses created by past participle phrases. What makes the difference is that the reduced clause which are formed from past participle verb come before a noun, while reduced clauses which are formed from
past participle phrases come after a noun. Study the examples below.
- The infected person ➔ the person who is infected
- Inhaled air containing virus ➔ the air containing virus which is inhaled
- peer-reviewed journals ➔ journals that are reviewed by peers
We can also create reduced clauses from prepositional phrases. Similar with the previous examples, to form a reduced clause from prepositional phrase wecan omit the relative pronoun and the “to be”, and then place the prepositional phrase after the modified noun. Look at the following examples.
- The people in the hospital are doing a rapid test for the Covid-19.
➔ The people who are in the hospital are doing a rapid test for the Covid19 - The woman at the meeting explained about the importance of wearing face masks in the pandemic. ➔ The woman who are at the meeting
- A recent review of the survival of human coronaviruses on surfaces found large variability, ranging from 2 hours to 9 days.
➔ coronaviruses which are on surfaces
The last type of reduced clauses is formed from adjectives or adjective phrases. Study the examples below:
- The highly contagious disease is caused by virus. The disease which is highly contagious
- The curious doctors and researchers from all over the world make
experiments to produce vaccines for coronavirus. The doctors and researchers who are curious - In the meantime, the spiky S-protein left on the surface of the infected cells cause it to fuse with the nearby healthy cells.
The S-protein which are spiky (which looks like spikes).
Exercises on Reduced clauses
Instruction: Find the reduced clauses in the following sentences and write down the complete clauses!
- Another recent experimental model suggested high variability between individuals in terms of particle emission rates during speech, with increased rates correlated with increased amplitude of vocalization.
- The new coronavirus is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through droplets generated when an infected person coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose.
- Hand dryers are not effective in killing the COVID-19 virus. To protect yourself, frequently clean your hands with an alcohol-based hand rub or wash them with soap and water.
- Vaccines against pneumonia do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. The virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. However, researchers studying Covid-19 recommend that vaccination against respiratory illnesses is highly recommended to protect your health.
- There is no evidence proving that regularly rinsing the nose with saline has protected people from infection with the new coronavirus.
The Rainbow Mountains of China Are Earth’s Paint Palette
Trevor Nace, Forbes, Mar 2, 2016
The Rainbow Mountains of China within the Zhangye Danxia Landform
Geological Park are a geological wonder of the world. These famous Chinese mountains are known for their otherworldly colors that mimic a rainbow painted over the tops of rolling mountains. What causes the Rainbow Mountains to be colored reds, greens, yellows, and blues?
The Rainbow Mountains are cretaceous sandstones and siltstones that were deposited in China before the Himalayan Mountains were formed. The sand and silt was deposited with iron and trace minerals that provided it with the key ingredient to form the colors we see today. What was once a layered horizontal and flat stratigraphy was disrupted by the Indian Plate colliding into the Eurasian Plate approximately 55 million years ago. Much like when two cars get in a wreck and the bumpers fold and break, a similar process folded what was once flat sandstones into the Rainbow Mountains
we see today. This process uplifted mountains and exposed sedimentary rocks that were otherwise hidden well below the surface of the earth. Weathering and erosion removed the overlying layers of continental siliciclastic rocks and exposed underlying formations with different mineralogy and chemistry. This causes the
striking variation in colors seen across the Rainbow Mountains.
The primary color is a deep red sandstone. The red coloring is due to an iron oxide coating and cementation, also known as hematite (Fe2O3), between the sandstone grains. This is the exact same process that takes place when a piece of metal is left out in the rain and forms a red layer of rust around the outside. Most of the time iron oxides impart a dark red pigment, however, there are instances where oxides form different colors. For example oxidized limonite or
goethite will produce brown or yellow staining of sandstones, magnetite can form black staining of sandstones. If there is iron sulfide present, you will get a metallic yellow color imparted by the sulfur. Meanwhile, green coloring is often due to chlorite or iron silicate clays. These are just some examples of how sandstones
can be altered in coloring during diagenesis.
(https://www.forbes.com/sites/trevornace/2016/03/02/rainbow-mountains-chinaearths-paint-palette/#66dad3e13e5e)
b. Sample questions related to the text
1) Asking the social function of the text
(1) What is the writer’s intention in writing the text? (L1)
(2) What is the topic of the second paragraph? (L3)
(3) What does the writer tell about in the third paragraph? (L3)
(4) Who will likely read the text? (L3)
(5) What benefit can readers get by reading the text? (L3)
2) Asking the text structure
a) What are the compositions that formed the colourful mountain? (L1)
b) How was the form of the mountain millions of years ago? (L1)
c) What process changed the form of the colourful mountain? (L1)
d) What processes causes the striking variation in colors seen across
the colourful mountains? (L1)
Tusyanah 
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