Writing Skills

Read the paragraph from Text 1. Write notes for the paragraph using the Cornell System.

Biomimicry or biomimetics is a special type of biotechnology that observes and studies living organisms in order to mimic or copy their structures or processes. These copies are used to produce objects useful to human beings. One of the scientific instruments used to understand the mechanical structure of organisms is the light microscope. It has been used to help create objects that depend on the observation of the details of living organisms. One example of this is Velcro which depended on the observation of a Swiss inventor, George de Mestral in the 1940s, who one day noticed his dog’s fur covered with seeds of the cocklebur plant after a run in the countryside. This made him think whether a similar hook-and-loop fastener could be made. His resulting invention in 1951 was made from nylon, a synthetic material that had been invented in 1937. (151 words)

Biomimicry or biomimetics is a special type of biotechnology that observes and studies living organisms in order to mimic or copy their structures or processes. These copies are used to produce objects useful to human beings. One of the scientific instruments used to understand the mechanical structure of organisms is the light microscope. It has been used to help create objects that depend on the observation of the details of living organisms. One example of this is Velcro which depended on the observation of a Swiss inventor, George de Mestral in the 1940s, who one day noticed his dog’s fur covered with seeds of the cocklebur plant after a run in the countryside. This made him think whether a similar hook-and-loop fastener could be made. His resulting invention in 1951 was made from nylon, a synthetic material that had been invented in 1937. (151 Words)

Japan has always been on the leading edge in regard to high-speed trains. The 500 Series Shinkansen bullet train holds the world speed record reaching up to 200 mph. To reduce noise, designers of the train looked at owls, one of the world’s quietest birds, to enable the train to run quietly. This was done by creating small serrations onto the train similar to the owl’s feathers, which made possible the reduction of noise emitted by the train. Another biomimetic design element is the train’s nose cone, modelled after a kingfisher’s beak. This natural design allows the bird to dive into the water and fly again with little resistance. Designers of the train have included this element in their aerodynamic design to enable the train to reduce sonic boom when passing from tunnels to open air. (136 words)