title: Bakelite
subtitle: The birth of modern plastics
time: 20

## PASSAGE
A. In 1907, Leo Hendrick Baekeland, a Belgian scientist working in New York, discovered and patented a revolutionary new synthetic material. His invention, which he named 'Bakelite', was of enormous technological importance.
B. The term 'plastic' comes from the Greek plassein, meaning 'to mould'. Some plastics are 'thermoplastic', which means that, like candle wax, they melt when heated and can then be reshaped. Bakelite was the first totally synthetic thermosetting plastic.

## QUESTIONS

### Questions 1-2
type: summary-select
instruction: Complete the summary. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage for each answer.
Some plastics behave in a similar way to {1} in that they melt when heated and can be reshaped. Bakelite was the first totally {2} thermosetting plastic.

### Questions 3-4
type: flowchart
instruction: Complete the flow-chart. Choose ONE WORD ONLY from the passage.
flowTitle: The Production of Bakelite
phenol + formaldehyde -> combine under vacuum
{3}
+-- cotton-wool + {4}

## ANSWERS
1: candle wax
2: synthetic
3: Novalak
4: fillers