Think Small
Read Think Small, an IELTS Reading practice passage. The new US headquarters of Izon are situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the most important global centres of scientific research and technology. Half the other offices in the building Izon shares have scientific names like Stemgent, or t…
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The new US headquarters of Izon are situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, one of the most important global centres of scientific research and technology. Half the other offices in the building Izon shares have scientific names like Stemgent, or the word 'pharmaceutical' in the name. In the past three years, Izon has expanded to 17 times its previous size. It's done so selling only one product that it's been developing since 2004, the qNano. This is an adjustable tool for the measurement and analysis of tiny particles in scientific research, which comes with a $27,000 price tag. Izon's success results from the fact that the qNano machine provides precise measurements, while similar machines of the same price only offer averaging techniques. In effect, researchers using the qNano are able to gather information about very small things, and it has many possible applications from drug delivery analysis through to environmental research.
Vocabulary from this passage
9 words worth learning before you sit the test, each with the sentence it appears in.
- compliance noun
The state of conforming to official guidelines, statutory regulations, or established legal requirements
Multi-national entities dedicate massive resources to ensure absolute compliance with changing international data laws.
- comprehend verb
To grasp mentally or understand fully the nature, meaning, or significance of something complex
Experienced executives must thoroughly comprehend technological mechanisms before allocating substantial capital to new ventures.
- concede verb
To admit that something is true, valid, or unavoidable after first denying or resisting it
The lead researcher had to concede that the initial methodology contained a few design flaws.
- diagnose verb
To identify the nature of an illness, problem, or phenomenon by examining its symptoms
Advanced artificial intelligence algorithms can diagnose rare physiological conditions from medical imagery with extreme accuracy.
- liaise verb
To establish a working relationship or cooperate closely with another person, group, or department
Regional marketing directors regularly liaise with overseas technical teams to synchronize global product updates.
- nanoscience noun
The branch of science that studies and manipulates matter at an atomic, molecular, or macromolecular scale
Advancements in nanoscience have allowed engineers to create lighter and significantly stronger composite materials.
- private sector noun
The part of the national economy that is run by individuals and companies rather than government
Many academic researchers transition to the private sector due to superior corporate funding opportunities.
- prototype noun
A preliminary, functional model of something from which other forms are developed or copied
Engineers rigorously evaluated the mechanical prototype to identify structural flaws before entering mass production.
- thrombosis noun
The local coagulation or clotting of the blood in a part of the circulatory system
Prolonged physical immobility during transcontinental flights can elevate the underlying medical risk of deep vein thrombosis.