Get ready!

1 Before you read the passage, talk about these questions.

1 What do grounding systems protect households from?

2 How can electricity from lighting strikes enter the home?

Reading
2 Read the trade magazine article on electrical build up. Then, mark the following statements
as true (T) or false (F).

1 _ Voltage spikes can enter a home through utility lines.

2 _ Utility transformers and poles are used to keep the neutral grounded.
3 _ A ground resistance reading of 0 ohms means there is no electrical pulse

Direct Strike Damage A low-resistance grounding system is a vital household component.

Although rare, it is important to consider the danger of a direct strike from lightning. Direct
strikes can cause serious damage to your property. Additionally, voltage build up can occur on
household appliances and wires, causing serious damage. These voltage spikes can endanger
objects and devices within the home. Surges are another threat to household appliances. They
can enter through a utility line such as a telephone line. They have also been known to enter
through power and coaxial cables. Also, a surge can occur when power utility providers work on
their lines. Surges through these utility lines can cause massive amounts of damage. However, it
is possible to limit surges from these lines. Clipping surges at their peaks and sending them to
earth is effective. The neutral is grounded at different locations. The utility transformer and
various poles serve to ground the neutral. However, this does not mean no pulse enters the
home. It also does not mean there is no pulse at all. Many believe the pulse is zero because the
ground resistance is 0 ohms. This assumption is incorrect. Despite what some think, there is no
such thing as a perfect ground.

Vocabulary
3. Write a word that is similar in meaning to the underlined part.

1 The electrical cable with an inner conductor needs to be replaced for the Internet to work
again. _ _ a _ _ _ I c _ b __
2 The electric company installed a device used to transfer electricity from one circuit to
another. __ i __ t_ t __ _ _ f ___ e _
3 Home electronics can be put at risk by power surges. __ d _ _ g ___ _
4 Many homeowners make ideas that something is true with no proof about how electricity
works. ___ u __ t __ n_
5 The storm caused a very large power outage in the city. m ___ i __
6 The wire that is provided by a utility company was damaged when the homeowner dug in the
wrong spot. _ t _ _ i _ _ I __ e
7 The business installed a device that protects equipment from fault currents to protect their
expensive electronics. __ w __ s __ t ___ _ _ r ___ d __ _ s __ t _ _

4. Read the sentence pair. Choose where the words best fit the blanks.

1 build up I gr/und resistance

A of voltage can result in electrical shocks.
B The electrician used a tester to measure the _ _ _ ___ _

2 peak / voltage spike A The lighting caused

a ______ _ to occur.
B The voltage reached its ______ _ of 169 volts.

3 strike / pulse
A. The lightning _______ hit very close to the house.
B. A strong electrical ______ _ caused a voltage spike.

5 Listen and read the trade magazine

article on electrical build up again. What
can voltage build up do?

Listening
6 Listen to a conversation between an electrician and a homeowner. Choose the
correct answers.

1 What is the conversation mostly about?

A the different types of surge protection
B the effect direct strikes have on homes
C the ways to prevent damage from direct
strikes
D the costs of a low resistance grounding
system
2 What will the man likely do next?
A install a low resistance grounding system
B inspect the utility lines for proper grounding
C fix the electrical damage to the appliances
D talk about ways to prevent electrical damage

7 Listen again and complete the

conversation.

Homeowner: I'm concerned about another ~

1 _______,_______affecting
my home.
Electrician: Well, the first step is to properly
protect it.
Homeowner: How can I make sure my home isn't
2_________,________ the next time?
Electrician: There are a few options. First, it is
important that everything is
connected to a 3 __ _
Homeowner: What does that do?
Electrician: Basically, it takes a current away
from your home and puts it
4 ________ _
Homeowner: So my appliances won't get
5 like they just did?
Electrician: That's right.
Homeowner: What else can be done?
Electrician: We could try to stop the surges from
coming through the 6 __ _

Speaking
8 With a partner, act out the roles below
based on Task 7. Then switch roles.
USE LANGUAGE SUCH AS:
I'm concerned about .. .
How can I make sure .. .
First, it is important that ...

Student A: You are a homeowner. Talk to

Student B about:
• how to prevent damage from direct strikes
• how grounding systems work
• other options for protecting your home
from electrical surges
Student 8: You are an electrician. Talk to
Student A about what he or she can do to
protect his or her home.

Writing
9 Use the conversation from Task 8 to write
the electrician's notes. Write about:
• what problem the customer has
• why you recommend a grounding system
• other possible solutions