Lesson 3

Age - век, возраст means - средство

to find (found — found) - находить neighbour - сосед

to apply - применять to dial - набирать (номер по телефону)

purpose - цель to send (sent — sent) - посылать, присылать

branch - отрасль voice - голос

steam - пар country – страна, деревня

power - сила, мощь, власть formerly – ранее, прежде

to heat - нагревать to flow – течь, протекать

source - источник to receive – получать, принимать

vacuum cleaner - пылесос power plant - электростанция

fire - огонь, гореть etc. (and so on; et cetera) – и так далее

smoke - дым, курить thought – мысль

The age of electricity

We live in the age of electricity. We can find its application for very many purposes. With the development of science and engineering we shall be able to apply electricity and electrical devices much more in all the branches of our life.

The last century was the age of steam, because people had to use steam to do work. Electricity is the power that can make possible science progress. We may use electricity in magnets, generators, motors, illuminating devices, heaters and so on.

In modern homes we may use electricity to light, to operate washing machines, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners etc.

Primitive man depended upon fire and smoke or other kinds of signals in order to send his thought to his neighbour; modern man does not depend upon fire and smoke as means of communication.

As you know, modern man has only to lift up the receiver of his tele­phone and to dial the numbers to send his voice to any point of the globe.

Electricity is very important for communication, industry and agriculture, for mechanization and automation of the national economy.

Many operations which man formerly had to do by hand now electricity does. Electricity flows through transmission lines to houses, factories etc. Common sources of electricity are batteries and power plants.

It is known that at present our people build a lot of power plants which produce much electricity that is widely used in our national economy.

EXERCISES

I. Answer the following questions:

1. Do you live in the age of steam? 2. What age do you live in? 3. Shall we be able to use electricity much more in the future? 4. Where do we find the application of electricity? 5. Does electricity make possible science progress? 6. Did primitive man use electricity to do work? 7. Is electricity important in industry and agriculture? 8. What is electricity? 9. Does modern man depend upon fire and smoke? 10. What did primitive man depend upon? 11. What common sources of electricity do you know?

III. Define the meanings of the suffixes in the following words and translate these words into Russian:

development, possible, heater, formerly, transmission, national.

IV. In column В find synonyms to the words in column A:

^{A B}

to apply a set

many field

branch to use

a device a lot of

V. Make nouns of the following verbs and translate them:

to apply, to operate, to receive, to electrify, to produce, to use, to help, to develop, to establish, to depend, to generate, to flow.

VI. Translate into Russian paying attention to the Modal verbs:

1. You had to work much at this problem.

2. He might read the article in that book.

3. They will be able to meet her at the meeting.

4. Everybody must pay attention to this subject. It is of importance.

5. You must not speak Russian at the English lesson.

6. She will not be allowed to take part in their expedition.

7. Did you have to come to the laboratory yesterday? Yes, I did.

8. They don't have to repeat these words after their teacher.

9. Which of you can speak on this article? I can.