TEST
Presentation about refrigeration
ANNIE:
OK, Jack. Before we plan our presentation about refrigeration, let’s discuss what we’ve
discovered so far.
JACK:
Fine, Annie. Though I have to admit I haven’t done much research yet.
ANNIE:
Nor me. But I found an interesting article about icehouses. I’d been some 18th- and 19th-
century ones here in the UK, so I knew they were often built
in a shady area or underground,
close to lakes that might freeze in the winter. Then blocks of ice could be cut and stored
in the icehouse. But
I didn’t realise that insulating the blocks with straw or sawdust
meant they didn’t melt for months
Q21
. The ancient Romans had refrigeration, too.
JACK:
I didn’t know that.
ANNIE:
Yes,
pits were dug in the ground, and snow was imported from the mountains – even though
they were at quite a distance. The snow was stored in the pits. Ice formed
at the bottom of
it.
Both the ice and the snow were then sold
Q22
. The ice
cost more than the snow and
my guess is that only the wealthy members of society could afford it.
JACK:
I wouldn’t be surprised. I also came across an article about modern domestic fridges. Several
different technologies are used, but they were too complex for me to understand.
ANNIE:
You have to wonder what happens when people get rid of old ones.
JACK:
You mean because the gases in them are harmful for the environment?
ANNIE:
Exactly. At least these are now plenty of organisations that will recycle
most of the components
safety, but of course
