Open-Cast Deposits Mining

Open-cast deposits mining

Teacher’s Guide

Open-cast deposits mining Teacher’s Guide

Contents Introductory notes 3 Course goals 3 Dealing with receptive skills 3 The role of lexis 4 Teaching functional language 5 Dealing with pronunciation 6 The role of grammar 7 Recycling and revision 7 Teaching Suggestions: Activating schemata and listening for gist 8 Teaching Suggestions: Listening for detail 10 Teaching Suggestions: Lexis 11 Teaching Suggestions: Revision of Lexis 12 Teaching Suggestions: Reading 13 Lesson notes 14 MG.10.1. Accessing and extracting the deposit 15 MG.10.2. Operation of transport machinery and equipment 29 MG.10.3. Spoil tipping, storage and reclamation of post-mining sites 41 MG.41.1. Organisation and carrying out mining works in open-cast mines 57 TRANSCRIPTS 73 MG.41.2. Identification and prevention of natural hazards in open-cast mines 73 COURSE TEST 76 COURSE TEST - KEY 83

Introductory notes Course goals

The material provided has specific and limited goals. The main focus is lexis related to specific technical areas and fields of professional competence. The lexis is presented in a range of communicative contexts. These are mainly transactional dialogues to provide listening practice of real-world language use, but also include reading texts from technical manuals and the like. These texts - both aural and written - contain many highly valuable examples of functional language. For anyone undertaking a career in these fields familiarity with a range of technical lexis is necessary but not by itself sufficient: as well as understanding the technical terms a worker must interact and cooperate with other workers, managers and clients. Therefore the notes provided for each lesson will include ideas on how to exploit the texts and examples for communicative as well as linguistic purposes. Dealing with receptive skills

Pre-text work: activating schemata

Outside the classroom it is very rare for us to listen to or read a text without any kind of preparation. Generally, we know quite a lot about what we are going to hear or read: we know where it comes from, why it was written, what style to expect and how much information will be included, for example. We also have a purpose for our listening or reading. Perhaps we are looking for some particular information or perhaps we want to check if something we believe is actually correct. All of this helps us to read efficiently. Therefore it is important to set texts up in a similar way in class, using visual or other stimuli and allowing students time to build expectations and reflect on what answers they expect. The better we can generate interest in the topic and encourage the students to form expectations with regard to the text, the more effective our receptive skills work is likely to be.

Work on the text: task-types and sequencing

Tasks move from the very global or very specific to the more detailed. Initial comprehension tasks do not require the students to understand everything in the text, but rather serve to introduce the students to it. They do, however, still represent real- world practice, as the tasks reflect the way that we approach texts outside the classroom: getting a general impression, for example, or searching for a particular piece of information.

Post-text work: follow-ups and extensions

This can be linguistic (grammar or vocabulary) or skills (especially productive skills - speaking or writing). Not all texts offer potential for fluency, of course, but those that do can be usefully exploited through performance (acting out dialogues with a partner, for example). The role of lexis Lexis forms the main focus of the material. Each lesson introduces a range of technical terms, from individual items of vocabulary to fixed phrases of varying length and complexity. It is important to consider how these items will be used by the learners. Some items may be intended only for passive knowledge, which is to say the learners will need only to recognise and understand them when encountered in technical instruction manuals or parts catalogues, or when given instructions referencing them. Other items may be worth teaching for active use - i.e. the learners will need not only to recognise and understand them, but also to use them in communicative interactions and, therefore, to some degree manipulate them. Our awareness of this will determine how we teach the items and how much detail the learners should include in their notes. Items of vocabulary and lexical phrases do not exist in isolation. Where there are common collocational patterns these should be highlighted to the learners, especially in the case of items for active use. In the learner’s material these patterns are not explicitly identified but they will be listed in this guide. Very often this will not require the learning of any additional language items by the learner, as many collocating verbs and adjective are very simple (‘do’, ‘make’, ‘have’, ‘big’, ‘major’ etc). Highlighting the existence of these patterns, including them in the practice activities in the lessons and encouraging learners to record them in their notes are very

valuable habits and this guide will include reminders and suggestions as to when and how to incorporate such work. When teaching lexis it is also important to distinguish between specific and general terms. Learners need to be aware of how widely a given term is used. A term may have a limited technical meaning and be used only in a narrow range of contexts, such as in conversations between specialists, or it may be a term which can be used in communication with non-specialists in more everyday situations. Some terms, of course, may have multiple meanings so that they have one meaning in a technical conversation and another meaning outside of this. An example would be the term ‘aggregate’ which to a specialist may have one meaning (a tractor connected to another piece of agricultural equipment) but which to a layman may mean something entirely different (the total score of a player or team in a fixture comprising more than one game or round). Ensuring that learners are aware of these differences in usage is important to avoid potential problems outside the classroom later on. One way to highlight collocations in a student-centred and engaging way, while still maintaining a clear focus on the items you wish to deal with, is to write up part of the collocation on the board and ask the students to find the collocating parts. For example, if the phrase is ‘it was pouring with rain’ then you might write up ‘rain’ on the board and ask the students to find the phrase with ‘rain’ in the text. Once they have done this you can establish if the phrase is a fixed expression or allows for some manipulation. Teaching functional language Functional language by its nature derives much of its meaning from the context in which it is used and therefore it is crucial to exploit the context when introducing such language, and to ensure that the intentions of the speakers are clearly identified. While some functional expressions can usefully be analysed in terms of generative grammatical structures, most are best considered fixed or semi-fixed expressions and dealt with and recorded accordingly. This guide will list the most useful functional exponents occurring in each lesson, allowing the teacher to select according to the particular needs of the particular group. When dealing with functional language the bare meaning is important but not always sufficient. Appropriacy is also an important aspect. Remember to establish whether a particular exponent is formal, informal or neutral, and in what contexts it may be

used. As with collocations, make sure the students recognise which parts of the item are fixed or semi-fixed and which can be manipulated or changed. For example:

‘How do you do?’ is a fixed expression which is rarely changed. ‘How are you doing?’ is an expression which can be manipulated to a degree. For example, we can say ‘How are we/they doing?’, ‘How is he/she doing?’, ‘How are you coping?’ and ‘How are you managing?’ and so on. Dealing with pronunciation

Broadly speaking, we can identify three aspects of pronunciation teaching:

during language introduction and clarification prior

to speaking tasks to facilitate production during feedback for remedial or corrective purposes

These will, obviously, affect the way we go about pronunciation work. During language introduction we may highlight aspects of the target language which we predict will be challenging, but we provide a model of the whole item or structure, with an emphasis on accuracy. Fluency is much more the focus when dealing with pronunciation before speaking tasks. For this reason it is important to model and drill the language in context - putting the phrase in a short sentence, for example, rather than dealing with it in isolation. With remedial pronunciation work the aim is to raise awareness of the error and demonstrate the correct form so it is helpful to isolate and highlight the specific problem, exaggerating it for clarity’s sake.

Drilling is quite a mechanical activity, having its roots in behaviourist habit formation. To avoid losing the students’ focus it is important to keep the energy level and the pace high, and having a clear drilling routine at your fingertips, so to speak, is the simplest way to achieve this. Here is one such pattern:

1. THE TEACHER MODELS THE TARGET LANGUAGE THREE TIMES

2. THE STUDENTS REPEAT CHORALLY

3. THE STUDENTS REPEAT CHORALLY AGAIN

4. THE TEACHER HIGHLIGHTS KEY ASPECTS OF THE TARGET LANGUAGE

5. THE STUDENTS REPEAT CHORALLY

6. THE TEACHER NOMINATES INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS TO REPEAT INDIVIDUALLY WITH

CORRECTION AS APPROPRIATE

7. THE STUDENTS REPEAT CHORALLY TO FINISH

The entire drill should be conducted at pace without allowing the energy levels to fall, which means that we move from stage to stage without hesitation. Effectively it can become something akin to a rap with the only pauses when correction is required. The students may repeat the target language five or six times in total in the space of less that two minutes, giving them intense practice without boredom and loss of motivation. Within the drill the teacher may use various techniques - highlighting with gestures, showing contractions with fingers, asking students to identify particular words in the phrase and so on - and after the drill the teacher may choose to follow up with some repetition in pairs to allow monitoring. It is important to remember that no drill can guarantee perfect pronunciation; it is a process which takes time and which tends towards gradual incremental improvement rather than leaps forward. The role of grammar Grammatical structures are not the main focus of the material. That is not to say that they have no place, but rather that they should be introduced where a focus on the structure is likely to be of communicative value to the learner. Though, as said above, functional exponents are generally most usefully taught as expressions, it can sometimes be beneficial to highlight generative grammar patterns and this guide will highlight where this is the case. Recycling and revision The material includes recycling and revision tasks at the end of each module and this guide contains quizzes after each second module and an end-of-course test. Of course, more recycling can be incorporated, particularly of vocabulary, collocations and functional language. One way to do this is with a revision activity at the start of each lesson. Some possibilities requiring little preparation:

Back to the board - The students work in pairs or groups. One person sits so that they cannot see the board. The teacher writes a word or phrase on the board and each group tries to make their colleague say the word by defining it or providing examples. This can be done as a competitive game.

Pairs word race - Put the students into two groups. Each group chooses five words from the last lesson(s). The students pair up with a partner from the other group and take turns trying to make their partner say each word on their list using definitions or examples. Again, this can be a competitive task.

Hangman - This can be played with the group as a whole. If the students guess the word then they win; if they do not then the teacher wins.

Wordsearch - A wordsearch is easy to make and can be a useful way to revise items taught previously.

Spoken gapped texts - You can use a text from the previous lesson or use one from the beginning of the lesson at the end of it. Simply read the text out replacing certain words with ‘something’ and ask the students to provide the missing word each time you do.

Anagram - Write items of vocabulary from the previous lesson on the board with the letters jumbled up and ask the students to write them out correctly.

Teaching Suggestions: Activating schemata and listening for gist

Before the students listen it is important to set the context clearly and to encourage the students to begin to formulate expectations about the text (see the section on activating schemata in the introduction to this guide). To do this, you could:

1. Activate current knowledge. Introduce the two characters from the listening material and elicit their relationship (e.g. junior employee and drilling site manager). Set the context (e.g. tell students that the junior employee and his manager are talking about constructing a drilling tower). Write on the board some questions to elicit predictions from learners (e.g. What parts of the drilling device need to be checked before constructing the drilling tower?). Students discuss and brainstorm ideas for several minutes. Elicit ideas from the students and write them on the board. Tell students that they should listen and note down how many of their ideas were mentioned. After listening, elicit and tick off how many of the students’ ideas were mentioned.

2. Help students in acquiring knowledge Students may have limited general knowledge about some of the technical topics contained within these modules. Providing knowledge input will build their confidence for dealing with a listening task. This could be done by giving a related text to read (look at the reading texts for inspiration), or, a little more fun, a quiz about the topic.

3. Play bingo. Pair students and ask them a question which will elicit the vocabulary related to the listening text (e.g. to decide what kind of equipment is needed in the assembly of a drilling rig). Provide with a grid (as below) and ask them to write one word in each box. Play the recording, and ask students to watch and tick off each word they hear. If a group hears all six of words, they have ‘bingo’ and are the winners. After listening, elicit from students how many of their words they ticked.

This task enables learners to activate their prior knowledge of a particular topic area prior to listening and encourages active listening.

Teaching Suggestions: Listening for detail

1) Listening for specific detail (True/False)

In these tasks, students have to listen for specific information which confirms/rejects the four statements. Give them a moment to read the statements and encourage them to predict what they think they answers may be based on a) what they remember during the gist listening task; b) their background knowledge of the subject. Then, during the listening, they can verify their predictions and make any necessary changes. Give students a minute to check their answers in pairs after listening, and elicit the answers from nominated students during whole-class feedback.

2) Listening for specific detail (Multiple choice)

Again, give students time to read the questions before listening and encourage them to predict the answers. Allow time after listening for students to compare and discuss their answers in pairs.

3) Using Transcripts

Transcripts are provided within this teachers book and can be exploited in a number of ways, for example:

• Fill in the blanks while listening – This is a fun, different way to use transcripts and vary the listening exercises given to students. First, make one

copy of the transcript and white out a word or phrase from each speaker’s utterance, or from every two sentences or so. The amount of blanks will depend on the level of your students. Just make sure not to have too many back to back, as students may get frustrated if they can’t keep up. Play the recording and let students try to fill in the blanks as they listen. This method ensures engagement during the listening and really makes them aware of each word. Play the recording a second time so that students can fill in any blanks they missed during the first go. Play the recording a second time so that students can fill in any blanks they missed during the first go. Check the answers together. Make sure you have students check their spelling. Now that the blanks are filled in, play the recording a third time and have students concentrate on the overall meaning of the passage. Now that the blanks are filled in, play the recording a third time and have students concentrate on the overall meaning of the passage. Afterwards, move on to the comprehension activities provided in the modules.

• Jigsaw listening – Cut up the transcript into speakers’ sections. Play the recording first, then give the cut-up transcript pieces and have students put them in order prior to listening once again and verifying.

Teaching Suggestions: Lexis

The modules contain several tasks focussed on practicing specific lexical items from listening and reading tasks. These typically take of form of matching tasks (e.g. students match words to pictures), or gap fills (e.g. students complete sentences with words from a source list). It is recommended that you give students time to work through these tasks individually at first, prior to checking in pairs and whole-class feedback during which you elicit the answers from nominated students.

It is important to ensure that learners understand the meaning of each lexical item. One way you can do this is by scripting concept checking questions. For example, if the lexical item you are teaching is vent hole, you could ask:

• Where is a vent hole located? (between the pump and check valve) • What does a vent hole avoid? (airlocking)

Tips for structuring concept checking questions: • Make sure the questions are simple and that no difficult language is required to answer the question. Yes/no questions, either/or questions and simple 'wh' questions are particularly effective • Don't use the new lexis in your questions • Don't use unfamiliar vocabulary

Due to the highly technical nature of a lot of the target lexis within these modules, you could also make use of translation (instead of just giving the translation to students, perhaps you could start with some concept checking questions in English and elicit the Polish translation from the students themselves). Students can also make use of the glossary function to obtain accurate translations by themselves.

Don’t forget to model and drill the pronunciation of new lexical items. Ensure that you highlight word stress (you could use your fingers to elicit the number of syllables as well as stress placement) and problematic sounds (e.g. silent letters or syllables, tricky diphthongs etc.).

Teaching Suggestions: Revision of Lexis

Task: Students complete missing letters to form words Example:

The focus here is on spelling but the aim is to recycle items from the lesson. The task could be done in open class as a game of hangman between you and the students.

Task: Crossword Example:

This task recycles lexical items from previous activities. They may be used as a homework activity or as a brief filler. To make it more challenging, you could prepare two sets of crosswords, without the definitions, but with words 1, 3, 5, 7 or 2, 4, 6, 8 etc. filled in. Pair students, and give a completed crossword with even words to one student and another with odd words filled in. Students should keep their crosswords hidden from the partner and should ask their partner for the missing words that they need. Their partner should them give them definitions of the word as well as prompts (e.g. the first letter) to help them recall the lexical item.

Teaching Suggestions: Reading

1) Pre-teaching lexis

Given the large number of technical terms contained within the reading texts of these modules, it is recommended that you identify words that may be new to the students or which have only recently been introduced and check the meaning/provide

translations ahead of dealing with the text itself. This will ensure that students’ understanding of the text is not blocked.

2) Gist reading task: Jigsaw reading

Cut the text in half. Divide the students into two groups A and B so that As sit together and Bs sit together. Distribute slips of paper with the text. They will need to tell another person what they read about. Allow a few minutes to read, prepare and consult within the group. Now pair As with Bs and monitor closely. Note down some good examples of the language they use, and sample sentences to correct or upgrade in the language feedback stage.

3) Reading for specific detail

It is best to set a gist reading activity before proceeding to the detailed reading tasks contained within these modules. When you proceed to the tasks, make sure you give students time to read the questions first and encourage them to predict what they think the answers might be based upon what they remember from the first reading or their prior background knowledge.

For an added level of challenge, encourage students to underline/highlight the part of the text which validates their chosen answer and ask them to justify their answers during pair-checking and whole-class feedback.

Lesson notes

MG.10.1. Accessing and extracting the deposit

SCREEN 1

Lead-in Ask students write down in pairs any keywords that are connected with open-cast mining. Elicit the words and make sure that all the students understand them. Practice the pronunciation.

SCREEN 2

Video: Deposit mining process

Explain that you are going to hear a dialogue between two people about the process for open-cast mining. Elicit some ideas on what will be spoken in the video. Watch the video and check if students guessed.

TRANSCRIPT:

(1) Good morning! (2) Good morning, Anita. I'm the deputy manager of our mine. It is good that you are already here today. Today, we are starting to mine a new section of the deposit. You will see the entire process for open-cast mining. (1) Can I still ask you a few more questions?

(2) Of course, I’m happy to explain everything about the operation of our mine. You should ask about anything when you’re just starting here. (1) Thank you, Bartholomew, so... (2) Just call me Bartek. Let's go and talk about it over coffee, we have a lot of work ahead of us. (2) Here, have some coffe. So, what are your questions? (1) What are the methods used to work in rocks here?

(2) In fact, all the available methods, depending on the needs: manual, mechanical, hydraulic, with the use of explosives and other special methods that you will learn about. (1) What are the mechanical methods of working in rocks? (2) We use excavators. (1) Are these special types of excavators? (2) Usually single-bucket or bucket-wheel excavators. This is a single-bucket excavator. (pause) There are also many types of excavators, e.g. power shovel, dragline, push shovel and backhoe. (1) And do you use any machines other than excavators? (2) Yes, of course. Among others, bulldozers and dredgers. (1) In the case of excavators, what are the most important parameters for their operation? (2) The main parameter determining the operation of an excavator is, of course, its efficiency. (1) What is this efficiency about? (2) In an area with a lot of clay, large excavators can dig 3.5–4 hours to a depth of 120 cm and a length of about 50 m. (1) I think I’ll learn best in practice. (2) That is exactly right! (smiles) Let's go, it's time to start working. Let me just have a look at the documentation.

Exercise 1

Let students go through the statements and ask students to decide which statements are true and which are false. Watch the video again. Elicit the answers.

Answer key:

1. At an open-cast mine, the mine manager talks with a new employee. (T) 2. Initially, the conversation takes place in a staff room, then the miners leave the mine area. (F)

3. A deputy manager of the mine was also present in the staff room. (T) 4. The manager instructs the new employee on how to operate a single-bucket excavator. (F) 5. The mine manager lists five methods of working in rocks: manual, mechanical, hydraulic, with the use of explosives and the so-called special methods. (T) 6. Single-bucket and bucket-wheel excavators are used for manual excavation. (F) 7. The main parameter determining the operation of an excavator is its efficiency. (T) 8. Various types of dredgers or bulldozers are not used in the mine. (F)

Exercise 2

Ask students to put the sentences into the correct order. Check the answers. As an extension, you can ask some follow-up comprehension questions to the video.

Answer key:

1. Methods of rock excavation in the mine. 2. The way rocks are excavated. 3. Types of excavators. 4. Other machines used for excavation purposes. 5. Parameters related to the operation of the excavator. 6. An example of excavator efficiency.

SCREEN 3

Instructional video: Deposit mining Pre-teach keywords from the video recording. Elicit some ideas what the video can be about. Play the instructional video and check if the guesses were correct.

TRANSCRIPT:

The open-cast mining system is a set of principles of mining technology, the implementation of which leads to rational exploitation of the mineral deposit. There are five criteria: the general mining direction, number of benches, number of mining directions, method of deposit extraction and mining fronts movement. The general mining direction is the direction of development of the open-cast working in relation to the horizontal plane. We distinguish two mining directions. Horizontal – to extract bedded, lenticular or nodule deposits, where exploitation is conducted in the direction consistent with the horizontal plane. Vertical (downwards) with the direction of exploitation perpendicular to the horizontal plane, used for vein or intrusive deposits.

The depth of deposition and the thickness of the deposit determine the division of the rock mass into benches. For deposits deposited on the surface or shallowly below it, a single-bench system is sufficient. Otherwise, a multi-bench system is required. The mining direction is the direction of advancement of the mining fronts. A one-wing system with one mining direction is distinguished. If it is necessary to mine several parts of the deposit at the same time, a multi-wing system with many mining directions is used.

The deposit extraction system is a method of reducing the deposit, determined by the direction in which the working faces move in relation to the mining direction. The following systems can be distinguished: shortwall, longwall and open-end. In the case of the shortwall system, the deposit is extracted with parallel strips (shortwalls) along the entire length of the mining front. In the longwall system, the direction of advancement of the production face is in accordance with the mining direction along the entire length of the mining front. The open-end system joins the elements of the shortwall and longwall systems – the deposit is extracted with open-ends, from which regular blocks are obtained for further rock processing.

The method of moving the mining fronts determines how the subsequent positions of the mining fronts change. The following methods can be distinguished: parallel, fanshaped, combined and ring-shaped. In the parallel method, the fronts move by a

similar distance along their entire length. The fan-shaped method involves moving the fronts around a fixed pivot point, which is one of the ends of the front. The combined method is a combination of the above mentioned methods. The ringshaped method involves moving the fronts with variable distance along their entire length and in many directions.

Exercise 3

Make sure that students understand the expressions from the exercise. You can divide students into pairs for this exercise. Check the answers together.

Answer key:

1. Open-cast mining systems + a set of principles of mining technology, the implementation of which is to lead to rational extraction of the mineral deposit. f: Distinguished by the five criteria for deposit extraction

2. Vertical mining direction + Used for vein or intrusive deposits (in the case of metallic minerals). f: It is also called downwards.

3. Horizontal mining direction + To extract bedded, lenticular or nodule deposits. f: This is how lignite and rock minerals are mined.

4. Single-bench mining system + For deposits on the surface or shallowly below it. f: For sand and gravel extraction

5. Multi-bench mining system + For deposits requiring division into more than one bench. f: Used, for example, in the largest mine in Poland, the Bełchatów Mine.

6. Longwall mining system + The direction of advancement of the production face is in accordance with the mining direction along the entire length of the mining front. f: Used where, for safety reasons, the excavator should work near only one edge of the above-water slope.

7. Shortwall mining system + The deposit is extracted with parallel strips (blocks) called shortwalls along the entire length of the mining front.

f: This system is used as the basic extraction system for single-bucket and bucketwheel excavators.

8. Open-end mining system + The deposit is extracted with open-ends, from which regular blocks are obtained for further rock processing. f: It combines the elements of the shortwall and longwall systems.

Exercise 4

Ask students to label the pictures.

Answer key:

multi-wing mining system

one-wing mining system

parallel front movement

fan-shaped front movement

combined front movement

ring-shaped front movement

SCREEN 4

Listening comprehension

Write keywords from the listening on the board and ask students to try to explain their meaning. Make sure that students understand the words in their native language.

Play the recording. Ask students to work in pairs exchange the information that they remember from the listening. Listen to the recording again. This time elicit information from the students. Try to engage as many students as you can by asking them to give one piece of information at a time.

TRANSCRIPT:

Accessing the deposit is providing a connection between the deposit and the surface of the area. In the case of deposits on the surface of the area where there is direct access, it is obviously not necessary to provide connections. In order to reach the deposit, excavating a pit is required. The extension of this pit will be related to the extraction of the mineral from the deposit.

Factors determining the selection of deposit access methods: - local topography and the geological conditions of the deposit, - final outline and boundary depth of the working, - deposition conditions, - qualitative characteristics of the mineral, - physical and mechanical properties of the mineral and gangue rock, - mineral resources.

The location of the deposit access point should provide: 1. Lowest possible costs of deposit access, 2. Shortest possible period for providing the access, 3. Quickest possible development to the target size.

Low costs are achieved when the pit is located: - at the point where the overburden is at its thinnest, - in the field without infrastructure (transport routes, factories, etc.), - in a place facilitating water drainage.

A short period of works is also achieved if the conditions for objective 1 are met and, in addition, if the pit is located:

- in rocks ensuring the stability of slopes, - in places without tectonic disturbances, - in land without solid rock contributions.

Quick access to the deposit is achieved when the pit is located in the part of the deposit with the best overburden index and, at the same time, with the lowest thickness of the overburden.

Exercise 6

Let students to read the sentences carefully and complete the exercise basing on what they remember from the video. Then, play the material again and check the answers.

Answer key:

1. Deposit access: a) requires a connection between the deposit and the ground surface. f: b) is also required for surface deposits. c) no pits are required to reach the deposit.

2. The factor determining the manner in which the deposit is accessed: a) local topography and the geological conditions of the deposit. f: b) adaptation to complex or selective mining. c) quick development to the target size.

3. The location of the place of access should be: a) economical. (f: Requiring little effort and resources.) b) enterprising. c) ergonomic.

4. Low deposit access costs depend on: a) lack of infrastructure in the area around the deposit. (f: E.g. there should be no main roads with a lot of traffic in the area.) b) high overburden thickness. c) a place that is hard to drain.

5. The short period of access provision depends on: a) excavation in stable rocks. (f: No mass movements: glides and slides). b) frequency of tectonic disturbances.

c) presence of solid rock. 6. An access pit is: a) a working constructed to open access to the deposit. (f: It consists, among other things, of the removal of the rock overburden.) b) a working constructed to close the access to the deposit. c) a working constructed to expand the access to the deposit.

7. Thickness means: a) the thickness of the rock layer. (f: Large cross-section.) b) length of the rock layer. c) permeability of the rock layer.

8. A deposit can be accessed quickly when: a) the pit is located in the part with the most favourable overburden index and at the same time the lowest thickness. (f: The rock layer should be thick.) b) the pit is located in the part with the most favourable overburden index and at the same time the highest thickness. (f: c) the pit is located in the part with the most favourable overburden index and at the same time medium thickness. (f:

SCREEN 5

Game You can play the game on board or ask students to play it individually.

Answer key:

Shovel construction - bucket, - dragline, - clamshell, - general purpose

Working methods - push shovel, - backhoe, Transmission of power to accessories - hydraulic Chassis type - wheel, - rail, - crawler, - walking, - on floating pontoons.

SCREEN 6

Exercise 7

Ask students to scan the dialogue first and tell what is the subject of the conversation. Then, give them enough time to complete the gaps. Read the dialogue out loud.

Answer key:

A: Good morning!

B: Good morning, Anita. [It’s good that] you’re already here today. Today, we are starting to mine a new section of the deposit. You [will see the entire process] of open-cast mining. A: Can I still ask you [a few more questions]? B: Of course, [I’m happy to explain] everything about the operation of our mine. You should [ask about anything] when you’re just starting here. A: Thank you, Bartholomew, so... B: [Just call me] Bartek. Let's go [talk about it over] coffee, we have a lot of work [ahead of us].

Exercise 8

Ask students to complete the task individually.

Answer key:

1. mine + industrial enterprise established for the purpose of extracting

minerals subject to mining regulations from natural deposits or from spoil

tips, (f: miners work there)

2. mining + ... company – an entity holding a licence to carry out operations

regulated by the Geological and Mining Law (f: business)

3. mining + ... licence – authorises the mining of a mineral (f: state authority act)

4. mining + ... plant – technically and organisationally separate group of

means used by the company for direct extraction of the mineral from the

deposit (f: including mining workings, civil structures, equipment)

5. mining + ... area – legal and administrative unit intended to conduct

operations by a specific mining plant (f: mine’s rock mass chunk)

6. Mineral material + mineral or rock extracted from the ground (f: useful to

humans)

7. Mineral + element or chemical compound (f: part of the earth's crust.)

8. Rock + mineral mixture (f: e.g. granite is a mixture of three minerals: quartz,

feldspar and mica)

SCREEN 7

Reading comprehension: Methods of mining solid mineral deposits

Ask students to scan the text. Divide them into pairs and ask them to note down ten keywords. Give them a moment to compare their lists. Encourage them to look up the bolded words in the glossary.

TEXT:

deposit, is called a surface (open-cast) mine. The draft technical regulations for open- cast mines, the open-cast mine term is defined as follows: “An open-cast mine is a mining plant engaged in the extraction of useful minerals under the open sky and their processing into grades and commercial products.” Depending on the type of extracted mineral, we distinguish the following types of open-cast mines: coal, stone (quarries), clay (claypits), sand (sand-pits), gravel (gravel-pits), ore, peat, etc.

SCREEN 8

Exercise 9 Make sure that the students are familiar with the vocabulary from the exercise. Answer key:

1. An open working has closed transverse contours in its cross-section. 2. An open-cast working is not surrounded by rocks. 3. Open-cast mining is an underground mining method. 4. An open-cast mine is a complex of open workings, equipment, machines and buildings established in order to mine a deposit. 5. An open-cast mine is a mining plant engaged in the extraction of useful minerals underground. 6. The mine processes the extracted minerals. 7. Mines do not produce commercial products. 8. Depending on the type of extracted mineral, different types of opencast mines are distinguished.

Exercise 10 Ask students to match the expressions with the correct descriptions. Remember to practice the pronunciation with the group.

Answer key: 1. Sand-pit: sand f: A place for open-cast mining and processing of sand or aggregate. 2. Gravel-pit: gravel f: A place for open-cast mining of gravel and sand.

3. Quarry: granite, basalt, limestone, sandstone f: Extracts compact rocks with high hardness (the so-called utility rocks). 4. Mining plant: lignite, refractory clay f: Extracts compact rocks with relatively low hardness.

SCREEN 9

Exercise 11 As an extension, as students to form sentences using the expressions form the exercise.

Answer key:

1. Slope – above-level mine. 2. Depressed – below-level mine. 3. Open-cast – in other words, surface mining. 4. Mineral – mineral material extracted from a mine. 5. Mining – ... front – sum of operation fronts in one moving slope. 6. Mining – ... direction – line of movement of the mining fronts in the open cast in relation to the access pit. 7. Mining – extraction of natural resources. 8. Lignite – coal from younger geological eras.

Exercise 12 Ask students to create pairs of sentences of opposite meanings. Elicit a few sentences with the words.

Answer key:

1. low - high 2. artificial - natural 3. global - local 4. downwards - upwards

5. parallel - perpendicular 6. multilingual - monolingual 7. access - exit 8. connected - detached

SCREEN 10 Exercise 13 Complete the sentences with the correct question words from the list.

1. [When] are we going to start mining a new section? 2. [Do] you have any more questions? 3. [What] are the most important parameters for the operation of this excavator? 4. [Have] Pete and John arrived yet? 5. I wonder [why] we can’t mine this deposit in a multi-bench system? 6. [Which] method of mining are we going to apply for this deposit? 7. [Who] is responsible for conducting works on the site? 8. [Is] the machine ready for operation?

MG.10.2. Operation of transport machinery and equipment

SCREEN 1

Lead-in Cross the river – revision game Draw a picture of three stepping stones across the river. Divide the class into two teams and tell them that for their team to score a point, they must ‘cross’ the river by successfully answering one vocabulary question, one grammar question and one pronunciation question, all based on the previous lesson. Ask students to describe in English the meaning of a word of your choice for the first stone. For the grammar stone, ask students to translate the sentence given by you using the correct tense. Finally, write a word and ask the team to pronounce it correctly to cross the river. Teams take it in turns to attempt to cross the river as many times as possible.

Video: Belt conveyor Explain that you are going to play a video with the conversation between two people. Ask students to note down what is the topic of the conversation. Play the video and then elicit the answer.

TRANSCRIPT: (2): Good morning, how can I help you? (1): Good morning, I was told to come see you. (2): Ah, yes, I was told something about it. Let’s just go to a quieter place. (2) Maybe let's start from the beginning... You probably noticed what was there on the way here? (1): It's about transport equipment? (2) Exactly. We mainly use belt conveyors. The belt is moved through two drive drums, each drum is driven by a separate electric motor. (1) Using a hydraulic coupling? (2) That’s right. More specifically – a hydraulic coupling, a toothed gear and a toothed coupling. (1) And do these conveyors frequently break down? Are these devices prone to failures? (2) You know, a conveyor like any other machine can sometimes fail. (1) I understand. And what are the most common causes of their defects? (2) Sometimes it is difficult to start the conveyor, and sometimes the belt breaks off or wears out, or slips on the drums. You also have to make sure that the gears and drums do not overheat and that you listen for rasps. (1) I understand that everyone is trained for these situations? (2) That’s right. Safety rules play a key role in the mine. It’s not possible for someone not to know how to behave in an accident. However, before each use, a number of steps must be taken to ensure that everything is working properly. (1) Can you give me some examples? (2) There really are a lot of them. First of all, check the belt tension, remove any coal deposits, check the oil level of the gear unit and that the pulleys are running well... (1) That’s quite a lot. (2) I told you so. But you'll see, you'll learn everything anyway at work.

Exercise 1 Let students go through the statements. Play the recording again and ask students to decide which statements are true and which are false. Elicit the answers.

Answer key:

1. The woman is a new employee of a mine. (T) 2. They saw transport machine along the way. (T) 3. No belt conveyors are used in this mine for transport. (F) 4. Each drive drum is driven by a separate motor. (T) 5. Belt conveyors never break down. (F) 6. Rasps in the gear may indicate a failure of the machine. (T) 7. All miners need to know what to do in the event of a breakdown. (T) 8. Conveyor belt tension must be checked once every six months. (F)

Exercise 2 Make sure that students understand the meaning of words from the list. Ask them to complete the sentences with the expressions.

Answer key:

1. A conveyor is a device for transporting the output material. f: Popular types are belt and scraper conveyors, used to distribute coal across the mine.

2. One of the failures may be that the belt slips on the drive drum. f: A component that rotates and moves the belt.

3. Each drum is driven by a separate electric motor. f: It converts electrical energy into mechanical energy.

4. The conveyor belt wears out and can break. f: A moving element of the conveyor, on which the output is placed.

5. A hydraulic coupling is used in the belt conveyors. f: In other words – turning station.

6. The belt tension, among other things, must be checked before the conveyor can be started. f: Other term – belt tightness.

7. The oil level in the gear unit must also be checked. If necessary, oil must be replenished. f: A liquid substance that is necessary for the operation of the gear unit.

8. Rasps indicate that the gear unit is faulty. f: It is a mechanism that allows the gear wheels to rotate.

SCREEN 2

Instructional video: Installation rules for the conveyor Different types of conveyors, such as scraper conveyors, allow the output material to be transported in the mine.

In contrast to a belt conveyor, a scraper conveyor does not use a belt, but a trough and a scraper chain.

Correct installation, operation and maintenance of the conveyors is very important for the operation of the mine, as it helps to prevent failure of the equipment, which prevents further mining of coal.

During installation, the drive body is first mounted on the substructure. The attachment trough is screwed on and the gear unit is mounted to the drive body.

Next, the following components are installed: chain sprocket, ejectors, couplings with housing and electric motors.

After these components have been installed, the gear units must be filled with oil.

Then a series of troughs is mounted, through which the scraper chain is pulled. For proper operation, the troughs should be arranged in a straight line.

When everything is ready, the drive can be started.

In order to ensure the proper operation of the conveyor as well as its safety, a number of steps must be taken before the conveyor can be started up.

Check the tension of the scraper chain as well as the condition of the scrapers. Check that the screws and nuts are properly tightened and that the gearboxes and hydraulic couplings are properly filled with oil.

It is also necessary to check that the drives and turning stations are properly anchored.

It is also necessary to assess the condition of the electrical and signalling and control installations.

If the conveyor may be exposed to being buried with blasted material, remember to cover this part of the conveyor with protective plates. When operating the conveyor, make sure that the scraper chain runs correctly. The conveyor troughs should be positioned straight, it is not allowed to allow the troughs to turn. It is also necessary to check the state of wear of the troughs; the conveyor should be moved slowly without unnecessary jerks and to maintain the proper temperature of the bearings and prevent them from overheating.

Exercise 3 Make sure that students understand the meaning of words from exercise. Encourage peer-check.

Answer key:

1. The main components of a scraper conveyor are: scraper chain / belt / troughs. f: It is a metal concave element and a part to which the scrapers are mounted. 2. The final stage of the installation is to start the drive / install the scraper chain / install the drive body. f: When the unit is installed correctly, you can connect the current to the motors. 3. The function check is performed once, after the installation of the conveyor / before each change / when the device is faulty. f: These operations must be carried out before each use of the machine. 4. One of the control activities is to check the tension of the chain / bolt / channel. f: This applies to an element to which the scrapers are connected. 5. Hydraulic gearboxes and couplings are filled with oil / connected to the power supply / screwed together. f: The correct operation of these elements is ensured by an adequate amount of semi-liquid substance. 6. The Groto-Skat type conveyor is particularly exposed to being buried by output / overheating of bearings / chain breakage. f: Protective housings are used for this type of conveyor. 7. The troughs should be positioned in a straight line / separately / at a curve. f: The troughs are closely matched to each other and arranged in a shape that ensures the most efficient transport. 8. The conveyor must be moved as quickly as possible / slowly / with frequent stops. f: Jumps and jerks must be eliminated.

Exercise 4 Ask students to put the steps in the correct order.

Answer key:

1. fixing of the drive body to the substructure 2. screwing on the attachment trough 3. installation of gear units to the drive body 4. installation of chain sprockets, ejectors, clutch, clutch housings and electric motors. 5. filling the gear unit with oil 6. installation of the trough line 7. installation of the scraper chain 8. starting the drive

SCREEN 3

Listening comprehension Pre-teach keywords that are important to understand the text. Play the recording. Ask what the topic of the listening is. Play the recording again and ask some basic comprehension questions to make sure students understand the main points of the listening.

TRANSCRIPT:

A haul truck is widely used in open-cast mines. They use vehicles with a payload of 8 to 60 megagrams. These haul trucks can be divided into two groups: articulated and rigid-frame. Each haul truck consists of a body and a chassis. The components of the body are the power transmission system and the driver's cab with the load-carrying box and the mechanism for lifting and unloading the box. The chassis, on the other hand, is selected according to the type of surface on which the hauler is to run and the permissible pressure on it. Haul trucks are classified according to their payload capacity. Haul trucks with a payload of less than 30 megagrams are classified as small. Two subgroups of medium haul trucks are next: I with a payload of 30 to 50

megagrams and II with a payload of 50 to 80 megagrams. Among the large haul trucks, there are also two groups: I with a payload of 80 to 110 megagrams and II with a payload of 110 to 170 megagrams. The next group are very large haul trucks.

Their payload is 170 to 230 megagrams. The largest haul trucks, with a capacity of more than 230 megagrams, are called giants.

Exercise 5 Ask students to complete the exercise individually. Play the listening again.

Answer key:

1. Small - up to 30 Mg 2. Medium I - 30 - 50 Mg 3. Medium II - 50 - 80 Mg 4. Large I - 80 - 110 Mg 5. Large II - 110-170 Mg 6. Very large - 170 - 230 Mg 7. Giants - from 230 Mg

Exercise 6 Allow students to look through the exercise. Ask students choose the correct parts.

Correct: operator's cab, load-carrying box, self-aligning torsional joint, actuator Incorrect: smartphone, handbook, dog, binder

SCREEN 4

Game: catch You can play the game on board or ask students to play it on their own devices.

Answer key:

Correct: haul truck, conveyor, railways, transport, rails, drum, belt, trough chain, failure, safety, assembly, payload, chain output

Incorrect: glue, railways, rails handbook, pen, glass window, heater, box, house, doors

Screen 5

Exercise 7

Ask students to match the words to create expressions. Elicit the meaning of the expressions.

Answer key:

1. conveyor - belt-type 2. belt - load-bearing 3. drive - drum 4. truck - haul 5. load capacity - nominal 6. coupling - hydraulic 7. chain - scraper 8. mine - open-cast

SCREEN 6

Reading comprehension Preview some of the vocabulary introduced in the text. Allow to students to read the text for the gist and elicit the main points mentioned by the author. Ask them to check

up the bolded words in the glossary. Elicit some information mentioned in the text from the student.

TEXT:

Conveyors are devices with a limited range and continuous motion, whose basic function is the transport of raw materials along a well-defined route. Among the conveyors used in opencast mining, three types can be distinguished with regard to the part moving the transported material: band conveyors, beltless conveyors and those equipped with an intermediate medium to convey the material. Band conveyors are devices that transport materials thanks to a looping band, which is the basic carrying element. This is most often a rope, belt or chain, which transfers forces between the elements of the device. Therefore, among the conveyors of this type, further subtypes are distinguished, such as: belt, bucket, collection and slat. The second type - beltless conveyors, are devices that employ a different conveying element instead of a band, which can be a screw shaft. Conveyors of this type consist of a trough in which there is a shaft with a screw surface, the rotation of which causes the transported material to move. Other beltless conveyors are vibrating, gravity and flow conveyors. They use pushing pulses, shocks, gravity and the phenomenon of friction on a smooth surface to convey the material. The third type of conveyors are those equipped with an intermediate conveying medium. They are further divided into two subgroups: pneumatic and hydraulic conveyors. The pneumatic ones transport bulk materials in a continuous stream of gas - usually air. The second type - hydraulic conveyors, use a stream of liquid, usually water, for transport and employ the phenomenon of of gravity or pressure to operate. SCREEN 7

Exercise 7 Make sure that students understand the meaning of the expressions from the exercise.

Answer key:

Belt function - top bearing belt, bottom bearing belt

Belt shape - flat belt, trough belt

Pulling element - belt only, belt and chain, belt and rope

SCREEN 8

Exercise 9 As an extension, ask students to prepare a short dialogue in pairs using as many expressions from the exercise as possible. Read out the dialogues.

Answer key:

1. How may I help you? – Is there something I can do for you? 2. I was told to come see you. – I’ve been sent here to meet you. 3. Let's start from the beginning. – First things first. 4. That’s right. – You are correct. 5. Are they prone to failures? – Do they break easily? 6. Can you give me some examples? – What could it be, for instance? 7. I told you so. – You shouldn’t be surprised. 8. I understand. – It’s clear to me.

SCREEN 9

Exercise 10 You can use the exercise as homework.

belt conveyor bolter bucket-wheel excavator

haul truck load-bearing belt gratings

SCREEN 10

Exercise 11 Set the exercise as homework.

Answer key:

1. Belt 2. Trough 3. Conveyor 4. Haul truck 5. Payload 6. Chain 7. Output 8. Drum

SCREEN 11

Exercise 12 Clarify any problematic points when you check the exercise. You can go through the first example together.

Answer key:

1. [Should / Have / Could] you need any recommendations, I know all the best mining specialists in town. 2. I [suggest / offer / afford] using this belt conveyor. It has never let me down. 3. This is my client, [whose / that / which] order our company is working on. 4. Every open-cast mine should be equipped [ with / of / in] decent transport equipment. 5. I’m afraid [I won’t be able / can’t / couldn’t] to make it to my shift on time. I got stuck in a traffic jam. 6. You [had better / should better / are better] not get so distracted or you might make a serious mistake. 7. If he [had known / knew / knows] about your problem, I’m sure he would’ve offered his help. 8. I’m afraid I’ll have to give [up / in / away] my career as a miner after the injury I’ve suffered.

SCREEN 11 Exercise 12 Complete the sentences with the correct number word. The numbers are provided in brackets.

1. We usually have a coffee break at [ten thirty // half past ten] a.m. (10.30).

2. It’s the [second] (2) time I’m telling you about this.

3. Our office is on the [fifteenth] (15) floor, so you might want to take a lift.

4. If you do an inspection 2 x month, it means you do it [twice] (2) a month.

5. The tank is only filled up to the [three quarters] ( ¾) of its volume.

6. [Two thirds] ( ⅔) of the deposit have already been extracted.

7. In English, you read the number 0.6 as [o point six // oh point six] (0.6).

8. We have already spent [thirty thousand] (30 000) on the new equipment and we can’t afford to spend any more this month.

SCREEN 12 Exercise 13 Complete the sentences with the correct number word. The numbers are provided in brackets. 1. We usually have a coffee break at [ten thirty // half past ten] (10.30) a.m. 2. It’s the [second] (2) time I’m telling you about this. 3. Our office is on the [fifteenth] (15) floor, so you might want to take a lift. 4. If you do an inspection 2 x month, it means you do it [twice] (2) a month. 5. The tank is only filled up to the [three quarters] ( ¾) of its volume. 6. [Two thirds] ( ⅔) of the deposit have already been extracted. 7. In English you read the number 0.6 as [o point six // oh point six] (0.6). 8. We have already spent [thirty thousand] (30 000) on the new equipment and we can’t afford to spend any more this month.

MG.10.3. Spoil tipping, storage and reclamation of post-mining sites

SCREEN 1

Lead-in

Divide students into pairs and ask them to write letters from A to Z in the form of a column. The task is to write at least one keyword to each letter connected to upholstering in the shortest amount of time. Elicit the words from groups.

SCREEN 2

Video

Ask students to listen carefully to the conversation and note down what issues do the people discuss. Play the video twice before eliciting the answers.

TRANSCRIPT:

(1): Hi! Listen, I have a favour to ask. I’ve just started working in a mine and I’d like to know one thing. Do you think you could help?

(2): Sure, ask away.

(1): What will happen to the heap of sand left over from the extraction of minerals?

(2): Do you mean this heap?

(1): Exactly!

(2): Do you know what land reclamation is?

(1): Well, I heard something about it. Land reclamation is bread and butter for any mine. Each area after and open pit is cleaned up.

(2): Very well. Land reclamation is aimed at restoring the properties of post-mining areas, which will enable their further development and use.

(1): And how is land reclamation carried out here in the mine?

(2): Our mine conducts reclamation towards agricultural, forestry, recreational and sports uses, and for special purposes. The course of reclamation is always agreed with the residents of the town in which our mine is located.

(1): I don't really understand why they need to be agreed upon.

(2): Mines have a negative impact on the environment. As you can see, the area of the mine is not particularly attractive, there are excavations everywhere, heaps of sand.

(1): True.

(2): This is why the director of our mine discusses the directions of land reclamation with the town residents as well. We want the residents to engage in active forms of leisure. We intend to help them with it.

(1) What is the point of forest reclamation?

(2) By reclaiming the forest, the mine protects the surface of the spoil tips against erosion and at the same time creates a new fertile layer of soil.

(1): How do we do it?

(2): By planting trees and shrubs as well as sewing plants.

(1): So in a dozen or so years' time, the place where we stand will be beautiful and green.

(2) Yes, that’s the idea.

(1) Thank you so much.

(2) No problem.

Exercise 1

Give students enough time to go through the statements and to decide which of them are true and which are false. With less confident students you can ask to provide a suitable quotation from the video for each statement. Play the video once or twice depending on students’ needs.

Answer key:

1. The woman wants information on storage (F)

2. The woman is interested in the sand heap (T)

3. The experienced employee answers that the reclamation is a drainage operation (F)

4. Land reclamation is aimed at restoring the properties of post-mining areas, which will enable their further development and use (T)

5. The woman asks the experienced miner about the methods of reclamation (T)

6. The experienced employee informs the woman about the storage methods (F)

7. The woman is interested in forest reclamation (T)

8. The sand heap will be subject to reclamation process (T).

SCREEN 3

Exercise 2

Ask students to fill in the gaps with the correct form of the verb. Check together.

Answer key:

1. I have just started working in the mine. (Start) 2. The experienced worker shows the woman a heap of sand. (Show) 3. Do you know what reclamation is? (Know) 4. Reclamation is aimed at restoring the properties of post-mining areas (restore) 5. Reclamation makes it possible to develop and use a mining area? (develop) 6. I can see that you get it quickly. (get) 7. The direction of reclamation is always agreed with the town residents? (agree) 8. Thanks to forest reclamation, the mine protects the surface of spoil tips against erosion? (protect)

SCREEN 4

Instructional video: Nature and types of tipping

Pre-teach keywords from the video recording. Elicit some ideas what the video can be about. Play the instructional video and check if the guesses were correct.

TRANSCRIPT:

One of the key activities in open-cast mining is spoil tipping. This term is used to describe everything that happens in connection with the storage of the overburden in objects called spoil tips.

In order to better understand what a spoil tip is, we need to learn the difference between natural and artificially made heaps. Heaps are nothing more than hills made of some material. A spoil tip is a heap which was created in a planned manner, in such a shape as to enable handling of the material stacked on it.

There are several classifications of spoil tips. The most frequently used classifications, both in the literature and in mining practice, are those relating to location, which are important for the selection of tipping methods:

- division by location in relation to the working (internal and external tip), and positioning of machines working on the spoil tip in relation to the stacked working level (sub-level and over-level tipping).

In addition, we can divide tipping according to whether or not water is used in the process. We are then talking about wet and dry tipping.

The shape of the tipping front is also important. Depending on the type of material to be stacked, used equipment and the space available, wall, curved, fan and block stacking can be followed.

A machine with the help of which the material is moved within a spoil tip is called a stacker. The most common type is a belt stacker. This device rarely operates on its own. Much more often it is an element of the entire operation system together with a belt conveyor and a bucket-wheel excavator.

Exercise 3

Give students enough time to go through the sentences. Play the video once or twice depending on students’ needs.

Answer key:

1. The operations related to the stacking of overburden in spoil tips are called storing. feedback: Storing is about keeping something under a roof.

2. Spoil tipping consists in keeping overburden on spoil tips 3. An artificial sand heap is called a tip 4. A sub-level spoil tip is made above the working stacking level. feedback: In the sub-level tip, the machines operate below the working level.

5. A stacker is used for stacking 6.In open-pit mines spoil tipping is an essential activity.

7.Below the stacked working level an over-level tip is piled. feedback: In the over-level tip, the machines are placed belowe the working level. .

8.An internal tip is located inside a borrow pit

SCREEN 5

Exercise 4

As an extension, elicit English definitions of each word.

Answer key:

1. spoil tip 2. stacker 3. level 4. overburden 5. working 6. tipping 7. borrow pit 8. front

SCREEN 6

Listening comprehension

TRANSCRIPT:

One of the biggest drawbacks of open-cast mining is environmental devastation, which is inevitable in large projects.

In order to mitigate the effects of working operations, spoil tips and other mining objects that are no longer in use are subject to reclamation.

This term covers activities aimed at restoring the natural and utilitarian value of post- mining areas to the possible extent.

The reclamation of post-mining lands is usually divided into three phases: preparatory, basic (otherwise known as technical) and biological (detailed).

In the first phase (preparatory) it is necessary to check what factors may influence the reclamation process and its effectiveness.

In the basic phase, land transformation work is already underway, for example roads are being built and water conditions are being regulated.

In the detailed phase, specific actions are taken to improve the quality of soil and water.

It is possible to reclaim the land in the following directions: water, agriculture, forest, municipal or special.

The choice of direction depends, among other things, on the nature of the reclaimed object and the needs of the society, especially of the local residents.

Exercise 5

Conduct the exercise and individual or pair work according to students’ level.

Answer key: Agricultural reclamation – establishing an orchard, establishing a garden, feedback: It involves creating green areas.

Forest reclamation – planting protective forests, planting production forests, feedback: It consists mainly of planting trees.

Municipal reclamation – building a sports facility, establishing a park, feedback: It consists in creating municipal facilities

Water reclamation – creating a pond, building a storage reservoir, feedback: It consists in creating various types of water reservoirs.

Exercise 6

Ask students to provide you sentences using the words form the exercise.

Answer key:

1. Spoil tip 2. Land reclamation 3. Storage 4. Phase 5. Overburden 6. Heap 7. Stacker 8. Open pit

SCREEN 7

Game: Memo

You can set the exercise as homework. Answer key:

1. agricultural reclamation 2. storage 3. overburden 4. water reclamation 5. sub-level tip 6. external tip 7. municipal reclamation 8. forest reclamation

SCREEN 8

Exercise 7 Ask students to put the stages into correct order.

Answer key:

1. Observation of the area, 2. Road construction 3. Soil fertilisation 4. Selection of the direction of reclamation 5. Project development 6. Selection of the contractor 7. Preparatory works 8. Actual reclamation

SCREEN 9

Exercise 8 Use the exercise as homework.

Answer key:

1. Activities related to the storage of output on spoil tips – tipping 2. ___ tip; planned artificial heap – tip 3. Used to create a spoil tip – stacker 4. Tip located inside the working in which the overburden was placed – internal 5. Tip outside the working – external 6. ___ - level; Tip in which the machines are above the working stacking level – over 7. ___ - level; Tip in which the machines are below the working stacking level – sub 8. The space in the ground property created as a result of mining works – working

SCREEN 10

Reading comprehension

Ask students to scan the text. Divide them into pairs and ask them to note down ten keywords. Give them a moment to compare their lists. Encourage them to look up the bolded words in the glossary.

TEXT:

Forest reclamation If the land to be reclaimed is subject to regulated water conditions, proximity to pollution emitting facilities and significant land drops, then forest reclamation is the most common option. Forests planted in reclaimed areas are not only to provide the reconstruction of the natural values of the area, but are also perfectly suited as a buffer between industrial and residence areas.

Water reclamation

Hydrogeological conditions are also important when we decide to reclaim in the water direction. This type of land reclamation usually involves the creation of a recreational, ecological or breeding water reservoir. In order for the working to be successfully reclaimed in the water direction, its slopes and bottom should not leak (e.g. they can be composed of solid rock). If the water table was above this level before the mining use of the working, it should definitely facilitate and accelerate the process.

SCREEN 11

Exercise 9

Ask students to match the phrases with the correct pictures. Students should already be familiar with the vocabulary. Remember to practice the pronunciation with the group.

Answer key:

water reclamation

agricultural

reclamation forest reclamation

municipal reclamation

stacker

belt conveyor

SCREEN 12

Exercise 10

Ask students to read the sentences carefully and to choose the correct word. Explain any unfamiliar vocabulary.

Answer key:

1. The decision on the water course of reclamation is made on the basis of, among others, the analysis of {morphology / spectrum}. feedback: Also known as terrain topography.

2. Forests, which were established in reclaimed areas, perform the {protective / hunting} function. feedback: For example, they provide a buffer between inhabited and polluted areas.

3. The workings flooded during {mining operations / mountain formation processes} are good candidates for water reclamation. feedback: In other words, the extraction of mineral from the deposit.

4. The choice of the {forest / agricultural} reclamation direction is determined, among others, by such criteria as: large land drops, the vicinity of sources of pollution emissions, regulated water relations. feedback: This method of reclamation consists mainly in planting trees and shrubs.

5. In the initial stage of reclamation in the direction of {agriculture / water} special outlays are needed in order to prepare fully productive soil. feedback: This method of reclamation consists mainly in establishing green areas.

6. Water reclamation is often carried out in workings where the {floor / plateau} and slopes are built of low-permeability material. feedback: Lower surface of the working.

7. Forest reclamation consists in preparing the {area / floor} for forest use. feedback: Forest reclamation concerns various types of workings.

8. A water reservoir, created as a result of reclamation, may be of recreational, breeding or {ecological / national} nature. feedback: Related to environment protection.

SCREEN 13

Exercise 11

Set the exercise as homework.

Answer key:

1. Forests created as a result of reclamation often constitute: a) buffer areas around industrial sites - t b) military training areas c) hunting grounds feedback: For example, they separate residential and polluted areas.

2. In order for the area to be reclaimed in the agricultural direction, it is necessary to a) prepare productive soil - t b) burn all previous vegetation c) disinfect the area feedback: E.g. fertilisation, manuring.

3. The morphology of the area is also known as a) its topography – t b) degree of irrigation c) degree of contamination feedback: The morphology of the mountain area is different from that of the plains.

4. The choice of the water direction of reclamation is determined by: a) hydrological and hydrogeological conditions - t b) local authorities c) pollution

feedback: The main issue is how the water will behave in the working.

5. Floors and slopes made of a poorly permeable material favour a) water reclamation - t b) forest reclamation c) agricultural reclamation feedback: A poorly permeable material retains water.

6. The creation of a park at the site of a former working would be considered a reclamation type: a) municipal - t b) agricultural c) forest feedback: A reclamation of this type, during which public utility objects are created.

7. What equipment is used for creating the spoil tips: a) stacker - t b) bottom discharge container c) OSO sieves feedback: One of the primary machines used in open-cast mining.

8. Spoil tipping is defined as the storage of a) overburden – t b) material c) soil

feedback: It is stored in spoil tips.

SCREEN 14

Exercise 12 Explain any new vocabulary from the source list before asking your students to complete the sentences.

Answer key: 1. Land reclamation is aimed at restoring the properties of post-mining areas, which will enable their further development and use. feedback: Areas where minerals had been extracted before.

2. The course of reclamation is always agreed with the residents of the town in which the mine is located. feedback: Residents must agree to a specific course of reclamation.

3. Thanks to forest reclamation, the mine protects the surface of spoil tips against erosion. feedback: Otherwise, destruction.

4. A spoil tip is a deliberately created artificial heap of overburden masses. feedback: Gangue rocks covering a deposit of useful mineral.

5. The stacker is used for creating spoil tips. feedback: Planned heaping site for extracted material

6. The preparatory phase of reclamation consists in the identification of the factors that determine the proper performance of reclamation. feedback: Activity preceding any specific action.

7. The choice between agricultural, forest, municipal, special or water reclamation is the choice of the direction of reclamation. feedback: Also: methods used in the process and expected effects.

8. Forest reclamation transforms workings into wooded areas. feedback: The space in the ground property created as a result of mining works. SCREEN 15

Exercise 13 Choose the correct option.

1. A stacker is a machine with the help of [that / which / whose] material is moved within a spoil tip. [ It / Those / He] is one of the most useful pieces of equipment here. 2. This is the place [which / where / that] a new forest will be planted to reclaim the land. 3. The bottom of the working and [ its / her / his] slopes need to be composed of solid rock. 4. You’ll find the material [ whose / which / which it ] properties need to be examined in the lab. 5. Meet your new colleagues - Jason and Greg, with [ that / which / whom] you'll be working from now on. Remember you can always ask [ them / they / these] for help. 6. I was really impressed by the way [ how / which / in which] Anna prepared [ his / her / their] presentation. 7. The only thing [ that / who / when] matters now is to protect this area from a massive landslide. Otherwise the residents will sue our company or even [ us / we / I] personally and the consequences can be severe. The best course of action to take now is to consult the local authorities and see what is [ his / their / they’re] opinion.

MG.41.1. Organisation and carrying out mining works in open-cast mines

SCREEN 1

Lead-in Ask students to write down two comprehension questions to the videos from the previous lesson. Each student chooses the person to answer the question. Correct any grammar or pronunciation mistakes.

SCREEN 2

Video: Personal protective equipment Ask students to listen carefully to the conversation and note down what issues do the people discuss. Play the video twice before eliciting the answers.

TRANSCRIPT:

(1): Hi! I’m new here. I was told I had to report to you if I had any questions.

(2) Hey. Sure, I’ll try to help as well I can. But, wait a minute, where is your hard hat?

(1) Do I always have to use a hard hat, mask and protective gloves when I am in the mine?

(2): Always. The foreman will stop you from working without personal protective equipment.

(1): I understand. Sorry, I’ll put it on immediately.

(2) Regardless of whether they work in an underground mine or in an open-cast mine, every miner must use the appropriate safety measures. Do you have the right shoes?

(1) Yes. They have steel toes.

(2): Great. The hard hat protects the head against falling objects, the mask protects against dust, of which we have a lot. There are accidents in the mines and some of them are, unfortunately, fatal. You can see for yourself how important this is.

(1): I understand, this is for my safety. Are there any other measures that I need to bear in mind?

(2): Of course there are.

(1): Erm, let me guess. Earmuffs?

(2): Exactly. They protect your hearing from the harmful effects of noise.

(1): Do I have to wear them for all works?

(2): Wear them when you are close to a conveyor, excavator or other equipment that works very loudly.

(1): I will remember. And how often do accidents happen in the mine?

(2): Rarely, but there is always a risk. So, be sure to always follow the safety regulations.

(1) Thanks. Now I think I know everything.

(2) No problem. Get back to work. Just watch out for yourself!

Exercise 1

Answer key:

1. The film deals with the methods of rock cutting. (F) 2. The apprentice has suitable safety shoes. (T) 3. The hard hat protects against noise. (F) 4. The miner explained the purpose of the hard hat and mask. (T) 5. Personal protective equipment includes only a hard hat, goggles and a mask. (F) 6. The miner mentioned all the used personal protective equipment used to the apprentice. (T) 7. The apprentice asked about the frequency of accidents in a particular mine. (F) 8. Do not always follow the safety instructions. (F)

SCREEN 3

Exercise 2

Go through the words from the source list first and make sure that students are familiar with their meaning.

Answer key:

1. Molly: ‘I’m new here.’ Molly announced she was new there.

2. Derek: ‘I will try to help as well I can.’ Derek promised that he would try to help Molly as well as he could.

3. Derek: ‘Where is your hard hat?’ Derek demanded to know where Molly’s hard hat was?

4. Molly: ‘Do I always have to use a hard hat in the mine?’ Molly asked whether she always had to use a hard hat in the mine.

5. Derek: ‘The foreman will stop you from working without personal protective equipment.’ Derek warned Molly that the foreman would stop her from working without personal protective equipment.

6. Molly: ‘I guess, this is for my safety?’ Molly supposed that was for her safety.

7. Derek: ‘The hard hat protects the head against falling objects.’ Derek explained that the hard hat protected the head against falling objects.

8. Derek: ‘You can see for yourself how important PPE is.’ Derek encouraged Molly to see for herself how important PPE was.

SCREEN 4

Instructional video: Blasting works Pre-teach keywords from the video recording. Elicit some ideas what the video can be about. Play the instructional video and check if the guesses were correct.

TRANSCRIPT:

Blasting is one of the basic methods of cutting rocks in underground mining. This method enables obtaining a large quantity of properly fragmented output. Two basic blasting systems are distinguished. The first is the internal system, the second is the external system.

The internal system is characterised by performing drilling and blasting works by the company's staff. The plant uses its own resources and equipment. When drilling and blasting works are outsourced, the method of carrying out the works becomes a contracted system, that is an external one.

Blasting works require appropriate documentation. These are mainly the blasting record and the blasting documentation.

The blasting record is a document prepared by the blasting staff. Every new document must be approved by the head of the mining department. The blasting record should include, but not be limited to, the name of the face and its location, the safety conditions of the seam, the names of the blasting agents and equipment used, the size of the maximum explosive charge (MW) and the number of holes fired in the series, as well as the anticipated number of blast holes and the number of blast holes required to cut the production unit in the working. The blasting record should also contain a diagram of the pattern of blast holes. As this document is defined and adapted to a specific case, it may contain additional restrictions set by the mining authorities or the mine management.

Exercise 3

Give students enough time to go through the sentences. Play the video once or twice depending on students’ needs.

Answer key:

1. A document defined and adapted to the specific case, in which additional

restrictions may be imposed by the mining authorities or the management of

the mine.

2. The blasting record is the official source of universally binding law in Poland.

3. The blasting record contains, among other things, the size of the

maximum explosive charge and the number of holes fired in the series.

4. The blasting record also contains diagrams of the pattern of blast holes.

5. It is a document prepared by the blasting staff.

6. The blasting record can be used to provide information on the maximum

charge of an explosive.

7. This document is approved by the head of the mining department.

8. The information contained in the document is adjusted to the specific

case.

SCREEN 5

Exercise 4 With less confident groups allow students to check their answers in pairs.

Answer key:

Elements of the blasting record: location of the face, name of the face, safety conditions, blasting equipment, type of explosives, number of blast holes

Elements of the blasting log: type of blasting agents, the amount of blasting agents

SCREEN 6

Listening comprehension Play the recording. Ask students to work in pairs exchange the information that they remember from the listening. Listen to the recording again. This time elicit information from the students. Try to engage as many students as you can by asking them to give one piece of information at a time.

TRANSCRIPT:

Mineral mining processes applied in open-cast mining are divided into various systems. The first to be described is the system: single-bucket excavator – haul truck – bulldozer. These three basic elements are used for overburden removal and lignite mining.

Another system is the one that includes a dragline excavator. This is an example of cyclical operation technology. The job of the dragline excavator is to remove the overburden from over the deposit.

The third system is the system: cutting shearer – haul truck. It is categorised as a mixed system. It is used for lignite mining. The haul truck, or tipper for transporting large volumes of bulk materials, can be of the rigid-frame or articulated type.

In addition to these three systems, there are a number of other, but no less popular, systems. All of them are customized to specific cases in order to ensure smooth and efficient coal mining. Other examples of technological systems used in open-cast mines include the bucket-wheel excavator – belt conveyor flight – belt stacker and the bucket-wheel excavator(s) – conveyor bridge system.

Exercise 5 Make sure to go through any unfamiliar vocabulary.

Answer key:

1. The task of the dragline excavator is to remove the overburden that lies above the deposit / underwater / in the borehole. F: A place where large amounts of raw minerals, such as coal or iron ore, can be accumulated.

2. The use of a suitable system allows for smooth and efficient mining / condensation / adsorption of coal. F: Extraction of natural resources.

3. Cutting shearer/ Haul truck / Bulldozer is designed to transport large amounts of bulk materials. F: Used in difficult terrain, e.g. in places inaccessible to traditional lorries.

4. Due to their design, the haul trucks are divided into soft / rigid-frame / rope and articulated types. F: The used chassis have either a two-part articulated frame or a one-part rigid frame.

5. The system: bulldozer / belt conveyor flight / cutting shearer – haul truck is an example of mixed systems. F: A cutting device based on the principle of cutting the mineral body.

6. One of the examples of technological systems used in underground / opencast / borehole mines is the system: bucket-wheel excavator – conveyor bridge. F: Type of mine where all mining activities are carried out on the surface.

7. The system: cutting shearer – haul truck is used for mining anthracite / hard coal / lignite. F: Mined in the Bełchatów Basin.

8. In open-cast mining, various technological systems are used for extraction of raw mineral / equipment / machines.

F: Natural material of animal, plant or mineral origin which is used, for example, for energy production.

Exercise 6 Ask students to work on the exercise together in pairs. Then, play the recording one more time and elicit the correct answers.

Answer key:

1. The system: single-bucket excavator – haul truck – bulldozer is used for overburden removal and lignite mining. (1)

2. An example of cyclical technology is a system that includes a dragline excavator. (2)

3. The job of the dragline excavator is to remove the overburden from over the deposit. (3)

4. The system: cutting shearer – haul truck is classified as a mixed system. (4)

5. The haul truck is a tipper designed for transporting large quantities of bulk materials. (5)

6. The mining system must be adapted to the specific case.(6)

7. Coal mining should be efficient. (7)

8. One of the less popular systems is the system: bucket-wheel excavator(s) – conveyor bridge. (8)

SCREEN 7

Game Set the game as homework.

Answer key:

1. single-bucket excavator bucket-wheel excavator, haul truck

2. haul truck carrier, deposit

3. bulldozer loader, technology

4. dragline excavator levelling excavator, reloading

5. belt stacker bucket-wheel excavator, transporter

6. belt conveyor flight pipeline, train

7. conveyor bridge drawbridge, deposit

8. blasting works output, borehole

SCREEN 8

Exercise 7 You can encourage students to use online dictionaries during this exercise.

Answer key:

1. single-bucket excavator, dragline excavator, bucket-wheel excavator, belt conveyor flight F: A system of belt conveyors for long-distance transport of loads. 2. hard hat, safety goggles, dust mask, bulldozer F: Tractor for levelling the ground and making shallow excavations.

3. lignite, open-cast mining, output, drilling fluid F: Its task is, among other things, to cool down and clean the drill of the drillings.

4. personal protective equipment, safety, health and safety regulations, cutting shearer F: A machine used in opencast mining, which can be shaped like a cylindrical or worm drum.

5. rigid-frame haul truck, tipper, articulated haul truck, pipeline F: Pipe conduit for long-distance transport of liquids or gases.

6. raw mineral, coal, mining, safety shoes F: One of the personal protective equipment items.

7. blasting works, blasting record, blasting log, water F: Its chemical formula is H2O.

8. deposit, lignite, ore, breakdown F: Damage to machinery or other technical equipment.

SCREEN 9

Exercise 8

Ask students to match the phrases with the correct pictures. Students should already be familiar with the vocabulary. Remember to practice the pronunciation with the group.

Answer key:

SCREEN 10

Reading comprehension: Overlay stacking

Ask students to scan the text. Divide them into pairs and ask them to note down ten keywords. Give them a moment to compare their lists. Encourage them to look up the bolded words in the glossary.

TEXT:

Overlay stacking is a set of activities carried out in open-cast mines. Both technically and organisationally, they are connected with the movement and storage of earth masses and rock masses removed from over the deposit in order to extract useful minerals.

With regard to the stacking front layout, a distinction can be made between block, curved, parallel, wall and fan stacking. There is also a breakdown by use of the equipment. In this case, the stacking is also divided into transport and non-transport stacking. Due to the use of water, the works can be divided into wet (hydraulic and hydromechanical) and dry. On the other hand, selective and non-selective dumping can be distinguished due to the sorting of the stacked material. Stacking is also classified on the basis of the position of the stacking machines in relation to the spoil tip (over- and sub-level) and the type of tip compaction (stacked and conical).

SCREEN 11

Exercise 9 Ask students to complete the crossword individually. As a speaking extension you can elicit definitions of the words from the exercise after completion of the task.

Answer key:

1. System in which blasting is carried out by an employee of the mining company - internal 2. System in which blasting works are carried out by an external company - external 3. Document of blasting works in which the amount of blasting material is recorded - log 4. Document of blasting works containing, for example, the name of the face - record 5. Stacking machine - stacker 6. Excavator with one vessel - single-bucket

7. Rock bed undisturbed by mining works - body 8. Set of activities carried out in open-cast mines - overlay stacking

SCREEN 12

Exercise 10 Ask students to create a short dialogue in pairs using as many expressions from the exercise as possible. Act out the dialogue.

Answer key:

1. Advising others to stay safe: a) Adhere to the safety regulations at all times. b) Always follow the safety regulations. c) Stick to the safety regulations no matter what.

2. Asking others not to forget: a) Remember. b) Don’t let it slip your mind. c) Bear this in mind.

3. Confirming that you follow what others are saying: a) I do understand. b) I get it. c) I see.

4. Giving a positive answer: a) Yes. b) Indeed. c) Yep.

5. Requesting further explanation: a) Could you please continue? b) Go on, will you?

c) Carry on, now.

6. Expressing regret: a) Sorry. b) My sincere apologies. c) Pardon me.

7. Expressing gratitude: a) Thank you. b) Ta. c) Thanks.

8. Expressing consent: a) I agree. b) You have my approval. c) You can do it.

SCREEN 13

Exercise 11 Set the exercise as homework.

Answer key:

1. Stacking (spoil tipping) A. all operations related to the storage of overburden on spoil tips

2. mineral deposit B. natural accumulation of minerals, rocks and other substances, the extraction of which may bring economic benefits

3. explosive

C. chemical substance exploding by impact or spark, used, for example, in the production of ammunition and crushing of rocks

4. mining D. extraction of natural resources.

5. hard hat E. helmet-shaped headgear

6. output F. mineral extracted by miners

7. organisation G. planned course of performing an action

8. dust mask H. one of the personal protective equipment for the protection of the upper respiratory tract

SCREEN 14

Exercise 12 Use the exercise as homework.

Answer key:

1. Minerals 2. Excavator 3. Transport 4. Bulldozer 5. Mining 6. Deposit 7. Stacker

8. equipment

SCREEN 15

Exercise 13 Select the expressions which are more polite. 1. Put on your hard hat immediately. // Can you put your hard hat on, please? 2. Is it necessary for me to wear earmuffs? // Do I really have to wear these? 3. Do you mind telling me what this machine is for? // And now tell me about this machine. 4. You must approve the blasting record or we won’t be able to continue with the blasting. // We would really appreciate it if you approved the blasting record so that we can continue with the blasting. 5. Never enter the area of this mine if you aren’t authorised. // I’m afraid you can only enter the area of the mine if you are authorised. 6. Here, these are your safety goggles, wear them. // Here are your safety goggles. Please wear them at all times. 7. Could you please put your cigarette down? // You mustn’t smoke in here. 8. I’d rather you didn’t tell the boss about this. // Don’t tell the boss about it.

TRANSCRIPTS

MG.41.2. Identification and prevention of natural hazards in open-cast mines

Video: Geotechnical threats in a brown coal mine

2: Today’s mining minerals at the eastern extremity of the deposit was extremely difficult. It’s good the day is coming to an end. 1: The terrain has low density but I must admit things went smoother in the previous mine. 2: You’ve just begun working here, Robert but we have a good team, so it’ll all be fine 1: Speaking of which, I’d like to ask you about something. 2: Ask away. [the woman smiles]

1: I wonder how you’ve, so far, managed to recognise and prevent threats, especially geological ones. In a deep brown coal mine like this, they’re certainly the most important issue while mining. 2: For instance, on the slopes of our permanent mining excavations, the geological service of the mine, with the participation of external companies supporting geotechnical service, has separated areas of geological and engineering threats. 1: Right, it all depends on the location of the geotechnical threats as they can have a different meaning. 2: The implementation of our overriding task, that is limiting the anticipated threats, is possible thanks to a detailed analysis of the geological structure in the regions of threats, monitoring of surface displacements of slopes and deformations in the depth of the rock mass. 1: And could you tell me about some specific actions you’ve taken in recent years? 2: Let me think… Within six last years we have performed, with the use of simple machines, safety works in several areas of danger on solid slopes, i.e. north, south and west. 1: OK. 2: I think there were safety works performed, securing the northern solid slope from November 2012 to September 2013. They consisted in the stepwise mining coal on the northern slope, destruction of the slip surface created in the plastic inter-carbon loams and gradual support of the slope with the internal dumping. For that purpose, it was necessary to build a bunker conveyor and bring a stacking machine to the area of the northern slope. A safety support, from a height of several to 50 m, was built at a length of 1150 m. 1: Wow, good job! 2: You said it. All these works required complicated preparations, like purchase of additional plots for works carried out on the surface, rebuilding of power lines, construction of new conveyors, reconstruction of pipelines, a system surface drainage... 1: I don’t doubt that. But you’re nailing it. I’m really happy I joined your team. 2: Just remember you have to prove yourself! Haha

Instructional video: Landslide hazards

There are many types of hazards that can occur in mines. Their types depend, among other things, on the type of mines and the minerals extracted there. One of the most common natural hazards that occur in open-cast mines is the landslide hazard. It is defined as the possibility of sliding down of the slopes of workings or spoil tips. The causes of landslides are defined as the activity of geological processes or geological-engineering processes. Such activities cause result in changing the stresses in the rock mass, and the resulting disturbances in the balance within such an area may then lead to the formation of a landslide.

There are a number of factors that influence the formation and development of landslides. These include, among others, the hydrogeological conditions in the area and the excessive static and dynamic load, as well as the parameters of the mining workings, the geological and structural structure of the deposit and the overburden, in particular its tectonics, as well as the geomechanical properties of the rocks and the arrangement of the rock layers in the area.

A landslide hazard is a hazard that occurs mainly in specific types of mines. These include, in particular, mines exploiting clay-based minerals and lignite mines.

Among the natural hazards that can occur in mines are also the hazards associated with rocks ripping off the production longwalls. This type of danger is mainly faced by open-cast mines of rock materials, because it is associated with the formation of cracks, crevices or rock overhangs, which occur through the use of the so-called blasting techniques to mine the deposit. Also the geological structure has an influence on the risk of rock ripping. In this case, the tectonics of these rocks, karst phenomena, deposition of the deposit, as well as the mining directions adopted in mining plants are of particular importance.

Listening comprehension

One of the natural hazards in open-cast mines is the water hazard, i.e. the possibility of uncontrolled inflow or inrush of water into the working, which results in a threat for the operation of the mine.

In order to protect open-cast mines against water hazards, a mine drainage system must be created, the purpose of which is to capture water at the inflow and taking it out. Such a system consists of face drainage and section drainage, a system of gutters, water reservoirs and pump chambers with a network of pipelines.

The purpose of section drainage is to remove water from section fields, from which water does not flow down automatically to the main drainage tanks. Face drainage, on the other hand, consists in removing water from working faces into gutters or other waterways, thanks to which water flows into section tanks.

There are two levels of water hazard. The first applies to workings which are exposed to partial flooding as a result of heavy rainfall or where watercourses and reservoirs are situated in such a way that open-cast workings cannot be fully flooded, however water penetrates into the workings. The second level of water hazard includes the workings which are endangered by direct overflow of water from watercourses and water reservoirs.

COURSE TEST

Exercise 1 Name four types of reclamations.

Exercise 2 Name 3 hazards that can occur in mines.

Exercise 3 Complete the expressions.

Clay-based ______Drainage ______network Geological ______Water ______

Exercise 4 Write the words with the opposite meaning.

Detached – Artificial – Perpendicular – Monolingual – Access –

Exercise 5 Label the pictures.

Exercise 6 Explain in English.

Hard hat –

Dust mask –

Mineral deposit –

Explosive –

Output –

Exercise 7 What is overlay stacking? (30 words)

Exercise 8 Write 5 questions to the text below.

The primary feature of an open mine working is the lack of closed contours in its crosssection, in other words the open working (open-cast working) is not surrounded by rocks from all sides. The extraction of a deposit by means of open (open-cast) workings is called surface (open-cast) mining, and the complex of such workings, in connection with equipment, machines and buildings established in order to mine a deposit, is called a surface (open-cast) mine. The draft technical regulations for open- cast mines, the open-cast mine term is defined as follows: “An open-cast mine is a mining plant engaged in the extraction of useful minerals under the open sky and their processing into grades and commercial products.” Depending on the type of extracted mineral, we distinguish the following types of open-cast mines: coal, stone (quarries), clay (claypits), sand (sand-pits), gravel (gravel-pits), ore, peat, etc.

Exercise 9 What is a conveyor? (50 words)

Exercise

10 Summarize one dialogue from the interactive material. (50 words)

Exercise 11 Write down 5 keywords connected to tipping.

Exercise 12 Choose the correct word.

Every open-cast mine should be equipped [ with / of / in] decent transport equipment. I [suggest / offer / afford] using this belt conveyor. It has never let me down. I’m afraid [I won’t be able / can’t / couldn’t] to make it to my shift on time. I got stuck in a traffic jam. If he [had known / knew / knows] about your problem, I’m sure he would’ve offered his help. Exercise This is my client, [whose / that / which] order our company is working on. You [had better / should better / are better] not get so distracted or you might make a serious mistake.

13 What are the steps that have to be taken before the conveyor can be started up? (50 words)

Exercise 14 Name 4 extinguishing agents.

Exercise 15 What is a blasting record? (50 words).

Exercise

COURSE TEST - KEY

Exercise 1 Water, agricultural, forest, municipal

Exercise 2

Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 3 Examples: Minerals System Pipeline Process reservoir

Exercise 4 Connected Natural Parallel Multilingual exit

Exercise 5 One-wing mining system Ring-shaped front movement Combined front movement

Exercise 6

Student’s own ideas. Exercise 7

Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 8

Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 9

Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 10

Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 11 Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 12 With Suggest I won’t be able Had known Whose Had better

Exercise 13

Student’s own ideas.

Exercise 14 Ex. water, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, firefighting foam, hydraulic fill

Exercise 15

Student’s own ideas.