CELPIP Reading Part 3Reading for Information Practice

A. Felt is a dense textile made by interlocking loose fibres rather than weaving separate threads over and under each other. Wool felts readily because each fibre has microscopic surface scales and a natural tendency to curl. When fibres move against one another, the scales resist sliding backward and help tangles remain in place. Other animal fibres may felt differently, while smooth plant or synthetic fibres often need blending or special treatment. Viewed together, details about the structure of fibres suitable for felting connect visible characteristics with processes that are less immediately obvious to an ordinary observer at first.

B. Wet felting begins by arranging thin layers of cleaned fibre in directions that cross one another. Warm water and a small amount of soap help fibres move while reducing surface resistance during the early stages. Rubbing, rolling, or pressing then makes the fibres migrate through the layers and lock progressively tighter. As the sheet contracts, the maker adjusts pressure to keep thickness and edges reasonably even. Within principles and methods of wool felting, the result is a system in which structure, timing, and local conditions remain closely connected throughout continuing development.

C. Needle felting uses barbed needles that carry fibres inward whenever they pierce a dry bundle. Repeated puncturing can form a flat fabric, attach decoration, or build a three-dimensional object without water. Industrial machines operate many needles rapidly to produce broad, consistent sheets from suitable fibres. The needles are sharp and brittle, so guards and careful handling are important in both workshops and factories. Observations of needle felting and shaped construction show why the same process may appear somewhat different from one site to another as surrounding conditions continue to change.

D. Felting usually shrinks the original arrangement as spaces between fibres become smaller. The resulting material has no woven grain, can be cut without immediately unravelling, and offers useful insulation. Hats, footwear, filters, padding, and craft objects use different densities and fibre blends for their purposes. Accurate samples help producers predict shrinkage because fibre type, moisture, temperature, and agitation all affect the final size. Understanding principles and methods of wool felting therefore requires attention to both immediate effects and slower forms of change within the whole connected system.

E. Not given in any of the above paragraphs.