Ровенская М.В. Методическое пособие "Environment"
методическая разработка на тему

МИНИСТЕРСТВО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ И НАУКИ КРАСНОЯРСКОГО КРАЯ

КРАЕВОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВЕННОЕ БЮДЖЕТНОЕ ОБРАЗОВАТЕЛЬНОЕ УЧРЕЖДЕНИЕ СРЕДНЕГО ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНОГО ОБРАЗОВАНИЯ

«КРАСНОЯРСКИЙ ИНДУСТРИАЛЬНО-МЕТАЛЛУРГИЧЕСКИЙ ТЕХНИКУМ»

1. УЧЕБНОЕ ПОСОБИЕ

по дисциплине     Иностранный язык
                        
        для студентов специальности  150402, 270843, 150415
                                                

Красноярск

АННОТАЦИЯ

Методическая разработка предназначена для студентов 2 - 3 курсов очного отделения специальностей 150402, 150415 и 270843. Цель данной разработки – помочь студентам освоить содержание и словарь темы «Окружающая среда». Материал разработки может быть использован для  обсуждения на занятиях по английскому языку, а также для самостоятельного изучения.

Учебно-методическое пособие состоит из 9 текстов. К каждому из текстов прилагается тематический словарь и упражнения для закрепления лексического материала.  

Методическое пособие составлено в соответствии с примерными учебными программами дисциплины «Иностранный язык», разработанными в соответствии с государственными образовательными стандартами.

TEXT №1        PLANET REPORT

Learn these words:

billion - миллиард

to kill - убивать

disaster - бедствие

to happen - случаться

to realize – понимать, осознавать

closely – зд. внимательно, подробно

extinct - вымерший

reason - причина

to hunt - охотиться

to mix – смешивать(ся)

Greenhouse Effect – парниковый эффект

blanket – одеяло, пелена

junk-food – некачественная еда

fossil fuels – ископаемое топливо

nuclear power – ядерная (атомная) энергия

rainforests – тропические леса

PLANET REPORT

The earth is our home, but much of it is dirty or dying. Why? Our planet is 4600 million years old, but imagine for a moment that it's only 46.

•  Life began in the oceans 4 billion years ago.
•  Dinosaurs appeared (and disappeared) last year.
•  Modern man arrived 4 hours ago.
•  One hour ago he learned how to farm.
•  One minute ago machines and industry appeared.
•  In the last 60 seconds man has...

a) polluted the air, sea and land;

b) used most of the Earth's oil, gas and coal;

c) completely killed more than 500 kinds of animals, birds and plants;

d) made and used atomic bombs;

e) grown in numbers from 1 billion (in 1830) to nearly 6 billion today.

It's a disaster and it's still happening. But not all the news is bad. In the last 20 years there has been a green revolution. Today many scientists and world leaders realize that the Earth is in danger.

It's really very simple. Either we stop killing the Earth or we will kill ourselves. We need a cleaner, healthier planet. Millions of ordinary people, both young and old – understand this too. Some of them belong to green organizations in countries all over the world.

Let's look at the problem more closely.

WILDLIFE

By the year 2030, 25% of all animals, birds, fish and insects may be extinct.

Why is this happening? Well, there are three main reasons. The first is pollution.

The second is hunting. Man hunts and kills millions of animals every year.

The third reason is the environment itself. It's becoming smaller. Every year man cuts down more trees, builds more roads, and uses more land for farming.

This leaves fewer jungles, fields and forests for wildlife.

POLLUTION

Cars and factories are very dirty. They can also be very dangerous for people, wildlife and the environment.

Two serious pollution problems are:

Acid Rain – this happens when gases and chemicals mix with water in the air. The mixture travels for hundreds of miles and finally falls back to earth. Because “acid rain” contains a lot of chemicals, it kills fish and trees.

The Greenhouse Effect – gases and chemicals are the reason for this problem, too. Some of them stay in the air like a blanket around the world. Because of this blanket, the Earth's climate is changing and getting hotter.

HEALTH

People don’t just pollute the atmosphere. They pollute themselves, too, for example, with cigarettes, junk-food, alcohol, drugs.

ENERGY

94% of the world’s energy comes from oil, gas and coal. But these “fossil fuels” won’t last for ever. There’s only enough oil and gas for the next 50 years. Coal will last longer, perhaps another 300 years. Then what? Well, there are two possible answers.

Nuclear power. 20 years ago this seemed to be the answer. But today, after Chernobyl, many people think it’s too dangerous.

Natural Energy. This means energy from the sun, sea, wind and under the ground. It’s clean and natural, but it’s very expensive.

LAND

40% of the world’s rainforests have disappeared in the last 80 years.

Today in South America 50 hectares of land disappear every minute. This is happening because people need (a) wood and paper; (b) mineral and medicines; (c) more room for farms and houses.

In Africa, the Sahara desert is growing bigger every year. Here the problem is erosion. That’s what happens when farmers use the soil too much. It becomes poor and thin. Then, in the end, the wind blows it away or “erodes” it.

These are some of the world’s most serious environmental problems but what are the answers?

I     Match these questions and answers:

Questions

1. Why may all animals, birds, fish and insects be extinct?

2. What two serious air pollution problems do you know?

3. What do people pollute themselves with?

4. What are “fossil fuels”?

5. Why is the Sahara growing?

Answers

a. With cigarettes, junk-food, alcohol and drugs .

b. Because of erosion.

c. They are oil, gas and coal.

d. Because of pollution, hunting and the environment itself.

e. Acid rain and the Greenhouse effect.

II   Complete these sentences:

1. In the last 60 seconds man … .

a) has not polluted the air, sea and land.

b) hasn’t made and used atomic bombs.

c) has used most of the Earth’s resources.

2.  The environment becomes smaller because man … .

a) plants more trees every year.

b) doesn’t use land for farming.

c) builds more roads and this leaves fewer wildlife.

3.  “Fossil fuels” like oil and gas will last … .

a) another 300 years.

b) the next 50 years.

c) 350 years yet.

4. In South Africa 50 hectares of land … .

a)  disappear every minute.

b)  appear every minute.

c)  don’t disappear every minute.

TEXT №2          POLLUTION

Learn these words:

to pollute – загрязнять

to put into water – сбрасывать в воду

to be result from – быть результатом чего-либо

to result in – приводить к чему-либо

wastes – отходы

dirty – грязный

to contaminate – загрязнять, заражать

to get sick – заболеть

to destroy – уничтожать, разрушать

ozone layer – озоновый слой

danger – опасность

dangerous – опасный

acid rain – кислотный дождь

to affect – влиять

nature – природа

earth – земля

to be concerned about – беспокоиться о чем-либо

to belong to – принадлежать

to protect – защищать

to realize – понимать, представлять себе

POLLUTION

People have designed and produced up-to-date machines and technologies to make their life easier and more comfortable. But all these activities result in air and water pollution.

One of the most important problems is the oceans. A lot of ships crossing the oceans and seas, especially those that carry oil, put their wastes into water, and the water becomes dirty. As a result many birds and fish die because of polluted water, others are getting contaminated and people may get sick from eating them.  

The second problem is air pollution. Cars and plants pollute the atmosphere with their wastes. They destroy the ozone layer which protects us from the dangerous light of the Sun. They also destroy forests which are dying from acid rains.

Now people begin realize the danger of their activities. People are concerned about the air and the water used by everyone; they are also concerned about the future of the planet because they understand that these activities affect the balance of nature.

In order to make our life not only easier but better and healthier we must learn to protect the water, the air and the earth from pollution. Our planet belongs to our children and if we want our children to live in a healthier world we must do everything to protect them from the catastrophe.

I     Match these questions and answers:

Questions

1. What do people’s activities result in?

2. What happens to birds, animals, fish and people because of polluted water?

3. What do wastes of cars and plants destroy?

4. What must we do if we want our children to live in a healthier world?

Answers

a. Many birds, animals and fish die because of polluted water. Others are getting contaminated and people may get sick from eating them.  

b. We must learn to protect the water, the air and the earth from the pollution.

c. Air and water pollution.

d. The ozone layer which protects us from the Sun.

II   Complete these sentences:

1. People have produced new machines to make their life easier … .

a) but all these activities did not result in air and water pollution.

b) but all these activities result in water and air pollution.

c) but all these activities do not affect the balance of nature.

2.  A lot of ships crossing the oceans, especially those that carry oil, put their wastes into water. As a result … .

a) they destroy the ozone layer.

b) they destroy forests which are dying from acid rains.

c) they pollute water and many birds and fish die.

3.  People are concerned about the air and the water used by everyone because they understand that these activities … .

a) improve and make their life healthier.

b) improve machines and do not affect the balance of nature.

c) result in air and water pollution and affect the balance of nature.

4. The wastes of cars and plants pollute the atmosphere … .

a)  but do not destroy the ozone layer and forests.

b) and destroy the ozone layer and forests which are dying from acid rains.

c) but do not affect the balance of nature.

TEXT №3            ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Learn these words:

unlimited source of resources – неисчерпаемый источник ресурсов

to be capable of – быть способным на что-либо

to absorb – поглощать

to supply – обеспечивать

timber – строевой лес

to lead – вести за собой

damage – вред, ущерб

shortage – недостаток, нехватка

wildlife – дикая природа

to disappear – исчезать

to suffer – страдать

to be under threat – быть под угрозой

carefully – осторожно, бережно

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

People have thought that the environment is an unlimited source of resources, that the atmosphere, forests, rivers and seas are capable of absorbing all wastes. The environment supplies the economy of any country with its resources such as timber, minerals and oil. As a result, natural resources are becoming reduced, air and water are polluted, and the environment is unable to absorb all its wastes.

For example, waste gases cause acid rains; this leads to forest damage and therefore reduces the resources of forests. Another problem is water shortage resulting from unlimited use of it. The third one is destroying the ozone layer of the Earth through pollution from plants and cars. One more problem is damage to wildlife. It is possible that some kinds of animals can disappear due to people’s activities.

Some territories in Russia are also suffering environmental problems. Many of these problems have been caused by economic activities. Many forests in the north of European Russia and the Far East are under threat.

If we want to live in a healthier world we must learn to use the environment carefully and protect it from damage caused by our activities. Otherwise very soon we will have no world to live in.

I     Match these questions and answers:

Questions

1. What leads to forest damage?

2. What destroys the ozone layer of the Earth?

3. Why can many kinds of animals disappear?

4. What environmental problems is Russia suffering?

5. What is it necessary to do in order to live in a healthier world?

Answers

a. Problems caused by economic activities.

b. Acid rains.

c. To use the environment carefully and protect it from damage.

d. As a result of people’s activities.

e. Wastes of plants and cars.

II   Complete these sentences:

1. The environment supplies the economy of the country with its resources but air and water are polluted, and the environment is … .

a) unable to absorb all its wastes.

b) able to absorb all its wastes.

c) able to affect the balance of nature.

2. Waste gases cause acid rains and therefore … .

a) reduce the resources of forests.

b) do not reduce the resources of forests.

c) protect the resources of forests.

3.  Plants and cars wastes pollute the air … .

a) but do not destroy the ozone layer of the Earth.

b) and destroy the ozone layer of the Earth.

c) but do not affect the balance of nature.

4. People must learn to use the environment carefully … .

a)  affect the balance of nature.

b)  make their life easier.

c)  protect it from damages caused by their activities.

TEXT №4         THE PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENT

Learn these words:

to consume goods – потреблять товары

to replenish – восполнять

expensive – дорогой

chemical wastes – химические отходы

traffic – уличное движение

industrial enterprises – промышленные предприятия

substance – вещество

harmful – вредный, опасный

disease – болезнь

to be linked to – быть связанным с чем-либо

preservation – сохранение

unfortunately – к несчастью, к сожалению

THE PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENT

One of the greatest problems of all modern cities is the environment pollution. Every year people consume more goods. Production of goods and services uses energy and natural resources (oil, gas, coal, wood, etc.) All these things are used faster than they can be replenished. Natural resources and energy are getting more expensive, and air and water are becoming seriously polluted. The problem of environmental pollution is well-known to most people. We have heard about it on television and radio, and have read in newspapers and magazines.

The worst environment pollution is caused by the manufacturers who put chemical wastes into rivers and seas. Another problem is air pollution. The air is polluted by traffic and smog from industrial enterprises.

The word smog comes from smoke and fog. Smog is a sort of fog with other substances mixed in it, which can be harmful, even deadly. Such diseases as eczema and asthma are linked to air pollution.

Materials like paper and glass can be reused, but, unfortunately, many materials, especially plastics cannot be reused and cannot be absorbed by the earth again. Some plastics cannot even be destroyed. As a result of this people face the problem of preservation of our environment.

All these things are very serious and people must realize what will happen if they don’t do everything possible to reduce man-made atmospheric pollutants and smog.

I     Match these questions and answers:

Questions

1. Who is the worst environment pollution caused by?

2. What diseases are linked to air pollution?

3. What materials can be reused?

4. What materials cannot be absorbed by the earth?

5. What problem do people face?

Answers

a. Plastics cannot.

b. By manufacturers who put chemical wastes into rivers and seas.

c. The problem of preservation of environment.

d. Paper and glass.

e. Asthma and eczema.

II   Complete these sentences:

1. The worst environment pollution is caused by the manufacturers … .

a) who reuse chemical wastes.

b) who put chemical wastes into rivers and seas.

c) who don’t put chemical wastes into rivers and seas.

2.  Many materials like paper and glass … .

3.  Many materials, especially plastics … .

a) can be reused.

b) cannot be reused.

c) cannot be absorbed by the earth again.

4. People face the problem of preservation of our environment because … .

a)  many materials like paper and glass can be reused.

b)  air and water are becoming seriously polluted.

c)  natural resources and energy are getting more expensive.

Read this text and fill the gaps:

THE PROBLEMS OF ENVIRONMENT

One of the greatest problems of all modern cities is the environment … . Every year people consume more goods. Production of goods and services uses energy and … … (oil, gas, …, wood, etc.) All these things are used faster than they can be replenished. Natural resources and … are getting more expensive, and air and … are becoming seriously polluted. The problem of environmental pollution is well-known to most people. We have heard about it on television and radio, and have read in newspapers and magazines.

The worst environment pollution is caused by the manufacturers who put chemical wastes into rivers and seas. Another problem is air pollution. The air is polluted by … and smog from industrial … .

The word smog comes from … and … . Smog is a sort of fog with other substances mixed in it, which can be … , even deadly. Such diseases as eczema and asthma are linked to air pollution.

Materials like paper and glass can be reused, but, unfortunately, many materials, especially … cannot be reused and cannot be absorbed by the earth again. Some plastics cannot even be destroyed. As a result of this people face the problem of preservation of our … .

All these things are very serious and people must realize what will happen if they don’t do everything possible to … man-made atmospheric pollutants and smog.

Use these words and word combinations:

 enterprises, reduce, harmful, pollution, environment, traffic, natural resources, smoke, coal, plastics, energy, water, fog.

TEXT №5            ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Learn these words:

to rise by – увеличиться на

to predict – предсказывать

to find alarming – беспокоить  

to run out of – истощать запас

exploration – исследование, изучение

to deceive – обманывать

to face a crises – столкнуться с кризисом

sewage – сточные воды

to be in danger – быть в опасности

insect – насекомое

weed – сорняк

this way we kill – таким образом мы убиваем

to spoil – портить

to take control of - контролировать

to cut down – вырубать

to recycle – перерабатывать

to litter – мусорить

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

For the next decade the world's population may rise by 97 million people a year. Scientists predict that by the year 2025 the population will rise 8,5 billion, and by the year 2050 it will double.

Most people find these figures alarming. They are afraid that we will run out of land, energy and minerals.

But optimists are sure that new generations will find a way out. Exploration and new technology open new reserves of minerals like coal and oil. Some scientists think that these reserves will go on for ever.

But such confidence is deceiving. If we go on using our natural resources as quickly as nowadays we will use up all the resources of copper, natural gas and oil by the year 2054.

On the other hand the problem of what we waste is more important. This includes not only all the resources but our attitude to forests and species of animals and plants we destroy carelessly. Thus, we are facing a pollution crisis.

We pollute the air we breathe. Everybody sees smoke coming out of tall factory chimneys. Everybody can smell the gas from the back of a bus.

In big cities thousands of automobiles and factories may add tons of poison to the atmosphere every day.

Another problem is our sewage systems. Do you know where the sewage from many houses of a big city goes? It pollutes rivers and lakes and may even make them die. Fish can't live in them, and people can’t swim in them.

The seas are in danger as they are also polluted. Even the ocean is falling ill. If nothing is done about it, fish and sea animals will disappear.

Do you know where the poison goes when we spray it on our plants to kill insects and weeds? Onto the things people and birds eat. This way we kill ourselves and birds and animals around us.

If we don’t stop spoiling the world around us, our life will not be nice.

But there is much that we can do. Factories can clean their smoke. Cars and planes can be done so that they do not pollute the air. The dirty water from the factories and sewage can be made clean again.

Our beautiful planet must be covered with forests because trees supply us with oxygen, necessary for our life. So we must take control of cutting down forests and trees. We must plant again where we have cut.

It is not necessary to throw away things we do not want or cannot use any more. We can recycle most of them. Old newspapers can become new paper. Old glass and plastic jars and bottles can become new glass and plastic. Old iron can help us to make new cars and refrigerators. We must also learn not to litter.

For a long time people didn’t think of the future of the Earth. Children and grown ups must learn to take care of it.

Find English equivalents in the text:

мировое население; новые поколения; найдут выход; с другой стороны; беспечно уничтожаем; воздух, которым мы дышим; тысячи автомобилей и заводов; система сточных вод; моря в опасности; если ничего не сделать; мир вокруг нас; грязная вода; покрыта лесами; вырубка лесов; большинство из них; научиться не мусорить; будущее планеты; заботиться о ней.

TEXT №6        FASHION AND ENVIRONMENT

Learn these words:

to have nothing to do – не иметь отношения к

to use for – использовать для

to find out – выяснять

irritation – раздражение

to go blind – ослепнуть

rhino – носорог

to be extinct – исчезнуть

fur coat – шуба

ivory – слоновая кость

FASHION AND ENVIRONMENT

Many people think that fashion has nothing to do with the problems of our environment and there is no connection between animals, plants and fashion. People always want to look good, but unfortunately they don’t realize how much animals suffer. The truth is that we use animals or parts of animals for jewellery, clothes, shampoos, soaps and cosmetics. At the moment we are using thousands of animals every year for tests of things like shampoos to find out if they cause any irritation. Some of the animals go blind or even die from these tests. And people don’t realize this when they buy a shampoo. We kill whales for their oil, which we use for cosmetics and soaps.

A lot of expensive jewellery is made from ivory, from the horns of elephants and rhinos. African elephants are disappearing fast. If that continues, they will be extinct by the end of our century.

People continue to kill animals to wear fur coats. We kill lots of animals just for their fur. Some of these animals like fox are in danger of extinction.

Fortunately, things are not all bad. More and more people buy cruelty-free products which have not been tested on animals. Also now fewer people are wearing fur coats and buying objects made with products, like ivory, from endangered animals. But still we have a long way to go.

Read this text and fill the gaps:

FASHION AND ENVIRONMENT

Many people think that fashion has nothing to do with the ... of our environment and there is no connection between animals, plants and fashion. People always want to look good, but unfortunately they don’t realize how much ... suffer. The truth is that we use animals or parts of animals for jewellery, clothes, ... , soaps and cosmetics. At the moment we are using thousands of animals every ... for tests of things like shampoos to find out if they cause any irritation. Some of the animals go blind or even ... from these tests. And … don’t realize this when they buy a shampoo. We … whales for their oil, which we use for cosmetics and soaps.

A lot of … jewellery is made from ivory, from the horns of elephants and rhinos. African ... are disappearing fast. If that continues, they will be extinct by the end of our century.

People … to kill animals to wear fur coats. We kill lots of animals just for their … . Some of these animals like fox are in danger of … .

Fortunately, things are not all bad. More and more people buy cruelty-free products which have not been tested on animals. Also now fewer people are wearing … and buying objects made with products, like ivory, from endangered animals. But still we have a long way to go.

Use these words and word combinations:

Animals, elephants, continue, shampoos, fur coats, year, extinction, die, fur, people,  problems,  kill, expensive.

TEXT №7        NATURE PROTECTION

Learn these words:

to keep up with – быть в курсе

inventions – изобретения

to get to know – узнать

harm – вред

topical – актуальный, «топовый»

emission – выброс

poison – яд; отравлять

It is worth doing smth. – стоит что-л. делать

thermal power plant – теплоэлектростанция

nuclear – ядерный

disaster – катастрофа

research data – исследовательские данные

significant – значительный

to threaten – угрожать

survival – выживание

to call for – призывать

purification equipment – очистительное оборудование

wasteless technologies – безотходные технологии

household – бытовой

fertilizer – удобрения

dead batteries – севшие батарейки

NATURE PROTECTION

We live in a changeable world where it is very difficult to keep up with new ideas and inventions. Our life becomes more comfortable and more interesting. We get to know about the smallest details of a child’s birth and space, computers have become the part of everyday life, we use new devices which make housework much easier. But we seldom think that the majority of inventions, new technologies bring harm to a man.

Today the greatest problem for humanity is pollution. Pollution is the contamination of the environment including air, water and land. This problem is extremely topical for heavily industrialized cities and towns where metallurgical plants, steel mills, mines, chemical plants are situated. Uncontrolled emissions of harmful substances and dust pollute everything around us. Very often they are the reason of acid rains which fall miles away from plants and poison earth and water, destroy forests and even buildings.

It is worth mentioning that one third of all emissions into the atmosphere originates from automobile transport. That means that air pollution is not only the problem of big cities.

Thermal power plants are also a great source of pollution. During some period of time it was considered that nuclear power stations were safe. In 1986 Chernobyl disaster showed that nuclear energy can be extremely dangerous, research data show that significant areas of agricultural and forest lands of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia will remain unsafe for a man for eight thousand years.

Another problem of big cities is wastes. The wastes from plants and factories contaminate water and soil. It has become dangerous to drink unboiled water or eat vegetables and fruit. Household wastes such as all kinds of plastics, dead batteries and so on remain unruined for decades and it is very important to find the way of their recycling. Another reason of soil poisoning is the use of fertilizers which help agricultural products to grow fast and big but very often these products are harmful for a man.

These are only some of the problems of the environment. The list may be endless: greenhouse effect, ozone holes, etc. all of these factors threaten mankind and nature, reduce their life, even kill them. What can be done to protect them? It is very difficult to answer this question because millions of people all over the world fight against pollution for survival of everything alive on earth. There is a special green movement which calls for nature protection. But it is clear that it is necessary to use purification equipment at the plants and factories, look for wasteless technologies, learn to use natural sources of energy, such as wind, sun, etc., use new recycling technologies. It is very important that every person should be responsible for ecologically clean world and act correspondingly.

Answer these questions:

1. What kind of world do we live in?

2. What is the greatest problem for humanity today?

3. What is pollution?

4. Where is the pollution problem extremely topical?

5. What pollutes air, water, soil in industrial cities?

6. What harm do emissions of different substances and dust bring to a man?

7. Where does one third of all emissions originate from?

8. What did Chernobyl disaster show?

9. How long will land of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia remain unsafe?

10. Why are the wastes a big problem for cities?

11. Why are fertilizers harmful?

12. What can be done to protect nature and human life?

13. What does green movement do?

Fill the gaps:

1. We live in a c… world.

2. We seldom think that inventions bring h… to a man.

3. Uncontrolled e… of harmful substances p… everything around us.

4. Green movement calls for nature p… .

5. H… wastes remain u… for decades.

6. In 1986 Chernobyl d… showed that nuclear energy can be extremely d… .

7. Fertilizers which help agricultural products to grow fast and big p… soil.

8. We should find the way of r… wastes.

9. The problem of p… is extremely t… for industrial cities.

10. Pollution is the c… of the environment, including air, water and land.

11. The list of ecological problems may be e… .

12. Every person should be r… for ecologically clean world.

(household, unruined, harm, endless, protection, pollute, topical, responsible, emissions, changeable, disaster, dangerous, contamination, recycling, poison, pollution)

Translate into English:

1. Какая проблема актуальна сегодня?

2. Что является главным источником загрязнения?

3. К чему приводят бесконтрольные выбросы вредных веществ и пыли в атмосферу?

4. Как долго не разрушаются пластмассы?

5. Безопасны ли ядерные электростанции?

6. Как защитить человечество и природу от загрязнения?

7. Что такое «движение зеленых»?

8. Должен ли каждый человек чувствовать себя ответственным за экологически чистый мир?

TEXT №8          PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

Learn these words:

to poison – отравлять

to spread – распространяться

earthquake – землетрясение

flood – наводнение

trend – тенденция

uninhabitable – непригодный для жилья (жизни)

deforestation – обезлесение

ozone depletion – истощение озонного слоя

global warming – глобальное потепление

pesticide – пестицид

on the brink of extinction – на грани исчезновения

to die out – вымирать

to emit – выбрасывать

disastrous – чудовищный

consequence – последствие

PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT

The poisoning of the world's land, air and water is the fastest-spreading disease of civilization. It probably produces fewer headlines than wars, earthquakes and floods, but it is potentially one of history's greatest dangers to human life on earth. If present trends continue for the next several decades, our planet will become uninhabitable.

Overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption have created such planet-wide problems as massive deforestation, ozone depletion, acid rains and the global warming that is believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect.

The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas.

Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out for ever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today will have become extinct twenty years from now.

Air pollution is a very serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is life threatened - equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for Mexico City and 600 cities of the former Soviet Union.

Industrial enterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.

An even greater environmental threat is nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.

People are beginning to realize that environmental problems are not somebody else's. They join and support various international organizations and green parties. If governments wake up to what is happening – perhaps we'll be able to avoid the disaster that threatens the natural world and all of us with it.

Answer these questions:

1. What is the fastest-spreading disease of civilization?

2. What planet-wide problems have overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption created?

3. What will happen to our planet if present trends continue?

4. What is happening to the seas and rivers?

5. Is it possible to save the Aral Sea?

6. Are you for or against hunting?

7. Why is air pollution a serious problem?

8. What were the tragic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?

9. Are nuclear power stations dangerous?

10. What is the main cause of the greenhouse effect and acid rain?

11. What do people of different countries do to save our planet?

12. Do you know about Greenpeace?  

TEXT №9         AIR POLLUTION AND SMOG ARE THE PROBLEMS OF MODERN CITIES

Use these words to understand the text:

ash – пепел, зола

to whip up – вздымать

to decay – гнить, разлагаться

dense – плотный

to tend to – иметь тенденцию, склоняться

to trap – ловить

to blur – делать неясным, затуманивать

vision – зрение

to irritate – раздражать

to cough – кашлять

cardiovascular – сердечнососудистый

cancer – рак

to peel – отшелушивать

evidence – очевидность, доказательство

moisture – влага

lead – свинец

to burn – гореть

extent – протяжение, расстояние

to stir up – смешивать

compound – смесь

vegetation – растительность

to rot – гнить, разлагаться

combustion – горение, сжигание

sulfur – сера

soot – сажа, копоть

to estimate – оценивать

to sweep – мести, подметать

stagnant – неподвижный, застойный

to ban – запрещать

unrestricted – неограниченный

incinerator – мусоросжигательная печь

to be outlawed – быть объявленным вне закона

fuel tank – топливный бак

crankcase – картер двигателя

vapor – пар, испарение

piston ring – поршневое кольцо

AIR POLLUTION AND SMOG ARE THE PROBLEMS OF MODERN CITIES

The word smog comes from smoke and fog. Smog is a sort of fog with other substances mixed in. smog has been here a long time. Billions of years ago, volcanoes sent millions of tons of ash and smoke into the air. Winds whipped up dust clouds. Animal and vegetable matter decayed, adding polluting gases.

When people came along, they began to produce their own kind of air pollution. They discovered fire. In the Middle ages, people in cities such as London used soft coal to heat their homes. The smoke from these fires, combined with moisture in the air, produced dense layers of smog. The smog would blanket the city for days, particularly in winter. The heat generated in large cities tends to circulate air within a dome-like shape. This traps the smog and holds it over the city.

Smog, and the chemicals and other substances in it, can be harmful, even deadly. Smog blurs vision. It irritates the eyes, the throat, and the lungs. Eyes water, throats get sore, people cough. Smog can make people ill. And it can make sick people sicker. Air pollution has been linked to eczema, asthma, emphysema, cardiovascular difficulties, and lung and stomach cancer. It also has a harmful effect on the environment. Food crops and animal suffer. Paint may peel from houses. It is obvious that we must do everything possible to reduce man-made atmospheric pollutants and smog.

Smog, along with smoke, is the most visible evidence of atmospheric pollution. But some atmospheric pollution is not visible and may not become visible until it is mixed with moisture. Lead compounds from leaded gasoline, hydrocarbons (unburned gasoline), carbon monoxide, and other gases may pollute the air without being seen. All air is polluted to some extent. That is, all air carries some polluting substances. Much of it is natural: smoke and ash from volcanoes, dust stirred up by the wind, compounds given off by growing vegetation, gases given off by rotting animal and vegetable matter, salt particles from the ocean, and so on.

Man adds to these pollutants by burning coal, oil, gas, gasoline, and many other things.

Before we get to the automobile, however, let us review what we know about combustion. Most fuels, such as coal, gasoline, and wood, contain hydrogen and carbon in various chemical combinations. During combustion, oxygen unites with the hydrogen and carbon to form water (H2O), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2).

In addition, many fuels contain sulfur; this burns to produce sulfur oxide. Also, in the heat of combustion, some of the nitrogen in the air combines with oxygen to form nitrogen oxides (NOx). Some of the fuel may not burn completely, so that smoke and ash are formed. Smoke is simply particles of unburned fuel and soot, called particulates, mixed with air.

Altogether, it is estimated that 200 million tons of man-made pollutants enter the air every year in the United States alone. This is about a ton for every man, woman, and child in the country!

This man-made pollution is what clean-air laws are aimed at.

Consider Los Angeles, a large city set in a basin, with about 7,000,000 inhabitants. It is surrounded on three sides by mountains and on the fourth by the Pacific Ocean. When the wind blows out over the ocean, it sweeps away pollutants. But at other times, the air is stagnant. Smoke and other pollutants from industry and automobiles do not blow away. They just build up into a thick, smelly, foggy layer of smog. The location of Los Angeles, plus all the people and industry there, make it one of the biggest “smog centers” in the country. And it is Los Angeles which has led in measures to reduce smog.

Los Angeles has banned unrestricted burning, for example, burning trash. Incinerators without pollution controls were outlawed. Industry was forced to change combustion processes and add controls to reduce pollutants coming from their chimneys. Laws were passed that required the addition of emission controls on automobiles. All these measures have significantly reduced atmospheric pollution in the Los Angeles area.

If not controlled, the automobile can give off pollutants from four places. Pollutants can come from the fuel tank, the carburetor, the crankcase, and the tail pipe. Pollutants from the fuel tank and carburetor consist of gasoline vapors. Pollutants from the crankcase consist of partly burned air-fuel mixture that has blown by the piston rings. Pollutants from the tail pipe consist of partly burned gasoline (HC), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and – if there is sulfur in the gasoline – sulfur oxides (SOx).

I  Write the summary of the text in Russian.

II Read three given gists of the text and find one which corresponds to the contents best.

1. In this chapter we consider the atmospheric pollution, the formation of smog and the automobile’s role in air pollution.

2. In this chapter we look at burning coal, oil, gas, gasoline as main pollutants of the atmosphere.

3. In this chapter we look at man-made pollutants as the main factors of atmospheric pollution.