Text 3. Atomic energy

A man trying to see a single atom is like a man trying to see a single drop of water in the sea while he is flying high above it. He will see the sea made up of a great many drops of water but he certainly will not be able to see a single drop. By the way, there are so many atoms in the drop of water that if one could count one atom a second, day and night, it would take one hundred milliard years! But that is certainly impossible.

Man has, however, learned the secret of the atom. He has learned to split atoms in order to get great quantities of energy. At present, coal is our most important fuel and our basic source of energy. It is quite possible that coal and other fuel may be replaced by atomic energy in the future. Atomic energy replacing the present sources of energy, we shall get more energy than we produce today. As for coal, it is not only a fuel and it will therefore never lose its importance. We cannot do without it and it may find some other important applications. For example, coal will be used to get various necessary products.

The nuclear reactor will possibly be one of the reliable “furnaces” producing atomic energy. Being used to produce energy, the reactor produces it in the form of heat. In other words, heat is developed by the splitting of atoms in the reactor. Gas, water, melted metals, and some other liquids circulating through the reactor carry that heat away. The heat may be carried to pipes of the steam-generator containing water. The resulting steam drives a turbine, the turbine in its turn driving an electric generator. So, we see that a nuclear power station is like any other power station but the familiar coal-burning furnace is replaced by a nuclear one. However, a ton of uranium (nuclear fuel) can give us as much energy as 2 1/2 to 3 million tons of coal.

The first industrial nuclear power station in the world was constructed in the USSR in 1954. It has already been working for many years. One may mention here that the station in question was put into operation two years earlier than the British one and three and a half years earlier than the American nuclear power stations.

The Beloyarskaya nuclear power station in the Urals may serve as another example of the peaceful use of atomic energy in the USSR. Soviet scientists and engineers having achieved a nuclear super-heating of steam directly in the reactor itself, it is certainly a new important contribution to nuclear engineering. By the way, such a nuclear super-heating of steam directly in the reactor before it is carried into the turbine was achieved for the first time in the world.

We may mention here another important achievement. It is the first nuclear installation where thermal energy gener­ated in the reactor is transformed directly into electric energy.

Speaking of the peaceful uses of atomic energy in our country, it is also necessary to mention the icebreaker Lenin. It is the world's first icebreaker with a nuclear installation and at the same time the largest and the most powerful one. The machine installation of our icebreaker is of a steam-tur­bine type, the steam being produced by three reactors and six steam-generators.

In Russia great attention is paid to the peaceful use of atomic energy, its importance growing from year to year.

Notes to the text:

1) to make up – составлять, собирать

2) great many – множество

3) by the way – кстати

4) in order to – чтобы

5) at present – в данное время

6) in the form – в виде

7) in other words – другими словами

8) to carry away – уносить; удалять

9) so – так, таким образом

10) in question – о которой идет речь

11) to put into operation – вводить в действие

12) for the first time – впервые

13) at the same time – в то же самое время

14) to pay attention to – обратить внимание на

Assignment 5. Translate the following sentences and define the function of the Participle:

1) Working at his new device the inventor made numerous experiments.

2) We have been speaking about the peaceful use of atomic energy.

3) In future the nuclear reactor must be one of the most reliable furnaces producing atomic energy.

4) Atomic energy being developed in a reactor in the form of heat, we can get both heat and electrical energy.

5) The construction of power-stations operating on atomic fuel and generating electric current is quite necessary.

6) Being a source of heat and electrical energy, atomic energy can also serve us in medicine.

7) The energy sources of the world decreasing, it is necessary to turn to atomic energy.

8) Water falling from its raised position changes potential energy into kinetic energy.

Assignment 6. Form one sentence of each pair using the Absolute Participle Construction.

1) Atoms split in the reactor. Heat is developed.

2) There are many different sources of energy. Coal is the most important of them.

3) Atomic energy replaces the present sources of energy. We shall get more energy in the future.

4) The reactor produces energy in the form of heat. Heat is developed owing to the splitting of atoms in the reactor.

5) A nuclear power-station is like any other power station. The coal burning furnace is replaced by a nuclear reactor.

Assignment 7. Fill in the gaps with the words and expressions from the text.

1) By the way, there are so many atoms in the drop of water that if one could … one atom a second, day and night, it would take one hundred milliard years.

2) Man has learned to … atoms in order to get great … of energy.

3) It is quite possible that … and other … may be … by atomic energy.

4) The … … will possibly be one of the … “furnaces” producing atomic energy.

5) So, we see that a … … … is like any other power station but the familiar coal-burning furnace is replaced by a nuclear one.

6) One may mention that the station in question was … … … two years earlier than the British one.

7) We may mention another important achievement, the first nuclear … where … energy is transformed directly into electric energy.

8) Speaking of the peaceful uses of atomic energy in our country, it is also necessary to mention the … Lenin.