3. Make up a plan of the text.

4. Translate the paragraph in italics in a written form.

5. Questions for discussion:

1. What can increase strength and abrasion resistance of woven materials?

2. What materials can be used as the base cloth?

3. What fabrics are ideal for slippers?

4. What is а disadvantage of PVCCFs?

5. What is an alternative to PVC?

6. What are the two ways of applying PU coating?

7. What effect does coating give to the fabric?

8. What exceptions make coated fabrics different from leather?

9. What are the characteristics of coated fabrics?

10. What are PUCFs rarely good for?

6. Render the text in brief in a written form. Text c

1. Mind the following words and word-combinations:

   1. to disturb – порушувати

   2. resistance – стійкість

   3. abrasive wear – зношування від стирання

   4. penetration – проникнення

   5. adaptability – пристосування

   6. suitability – відповідність

   7. circumstance – обставина

   8. stout dense leather – міцна тісна шкіра

2. Listen to the text ‘soling materials’ and decide if the statements are true or false:

1. The life of a shoe doesn’t depend on the life of the sole.

2. Lightness in weight is not considered the essential quality for a good soling material.

3. Thin leather possesses all of the qualities necessary for a good outsole in full measure.

4. The suitability of a particular material depends on the purpose of wearing.

5. Soling materials for slippers and miners’ boots are of almost opposite qualities.

3. Listen to the text again and be ready to answer the questions:

   1. What are the essential qualities required for a good soling material?

   2. What does the suitability of a particular material depend on?

Unit 6 leather and its preparation text a

1. Read and remember the words and their translation:

1. a skin – шкура (маленьких тварин)

2. tanning – дублення

3. a hide – шкура (великих тварин)

4. a putrescence – гниття

5. by-product – один з продуктів

6. a fur – хутро

7. taxidermy – набивання чучела

8. fibrous – волокнистий

9. perspiration - потовиділення

10. gauge – вимір

II. Read and remember the following phrases:

1. to have a life of its own – бути живого походження

2. to retain a shape – зберігати форму

3. to improve with age – з часом ставати краще

4. to preserve a skin – зберігати шкуру

5. to have higher value – мати більшу цінність

6. a shoe trade – виробництво взуття

7. pin-wheel – цевочне колесо

8. an unit of measurement – одиниця виміру

9. to state the thickness in … – визначення товщини у …

10. to be carried out – виконуватись

III. Read and translate the following text: leather

Leather is a natural product. Like real wood and wool it has a life of its own with a distinctive quality look. Leather is both protective and uniquely comfortable. Leather shoes retain their shape and grow old gracefully. Properly maintained, like good wine, they improve with age.

Leather is made from the skins of any animal or bird by a process called tanning. This process preserves the skin or hide, which would otherwise decay. The tanning process converts the skin able to putrefy into a durable, long-lasting and versatile natural material for various uses.

Leather is an important material with many uses. Together with wood, leather formed the basis of much ancient technology. The leather industry and the fur industry are distinct industries that are differentiated by the importance of their raw materials. In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product. Taxidermy also makes use of the skin of animals, but generally the head and part of the back are used. Hides and skins are also used in the manufacture of glue and gelatin.

The most important characteristic of leather as far as the shoe trade is concerned is that it has fibrous structure, which allows it to transmit water vapour (i. e. perspiration). Leather breathes and controls the foot's temperature, permeating out the foot's moisture.

The leather industry normally refers to a hide as coming from a large animal (such as a cow, elephant, buffalo) and it is necessary to cut and divide a hide in order to assist subsequent processing. A skin can come from four sources:

• Small or young animals (e. g. calf, sheep, goat, pig)

• Reptiles (e. g. snake, crocodile, lizard)

• Animals or mammals, where the hair is left on as a feature, such as calf, pony reindeer, or antelope.

• Birds (such as ostrich)

The vast majority of leather is sold according to its area. The leather is placed through pin-wheel or electronic measuring machines and its surface area is determined. The unit of measurement is square metre, square decimetre or square foot. The thickness is also important, and this is measured using a thickness gauge (the unit of measurement is millimetres, e.g., 1.8 mm is a standard thickness for a school shoe).

In some parts of the world top-grain thicknesses are described using weight units of ounces. Although the statement is in ounces only, it is an abbreviation of ounces persquare foot. The thickness value can be obtained by the conversion:

1 oz/ft² = 1/64 inch (0.4 mm)

Hence, leather described as 7 to 8 oz is 7/64 to 8/64 inches (2.8 to 3.2 mm) thick. The weight is usually given as a range because the inherent variability of the material makes ensuring a precise thickness very difficult. Other leather manufacturers state the thickness directly in millimetres.

Leather manufacture is carried out in two stages:

• The preparation and tanning of the hides and skins.

• The process of leather finishing.