9. Read and dramatize the following dialogues:

A'. Is the Mediterranean actually dying from pollution?

B: Yes, it is, I would say. If pollution continues at its present pace I think that the northern half will be almost dead in 10 years. It would take only 15 years for the whole Mediterranean to become dead as far as marine life is concerned.

A: Under the best conditions, how long would it take the Mediterranean waters to be renewed?

B: If you stop all pollution of the Mediterranean now, it would still take about 100 years for the sea to become clean.

A: Is the Mediterranean polluted everywhere?

B: Not exactly, because there are several kinds of pollu­tion. Surface pollution, mainly from petroleum product, you find everywhere. Then there is the vast human and industrial pollution generated by the densely populated coasts.

A: Is anything being done about water pollution?

B: There is not much that can be done.

• * *

B: I’ve seen that your chimneys don’t throw much dust into the air.

A: Well, we do use electric filters extensively to remove most of the dust.

B: Is there much sulphur dioxide in the smoke?

A: The trouble is that some of our coal contains a lot of sulphur, and there is no effective and economic technolo­gy for removing S0₂ anywhere in the world yet. We tried several wet and dry cleaning techniques, but still too much S0₂ left.

B: So you could only make your chimneys higher.

A: Yes, that’s the only thing to do at present. Then the toxic gases are at least di spersed over a wider area.

• * *

B: What do you do to keep the water in your rivers clean? You know that many rivers are now natural sewers rather than water sources. The companies do not care too much about keeping them clean. It costs them too much money.

A: Well, our government passed an environmental protec­tion law, and there is even a minister for this field. It takes a long time to fight pollution effectively in the face of growing industrialization, but we have been successful in some fields. Of course, it costs a lot of money.

10. Make up a dialogue:

A: Say that the traffic on our roads has increased consider­ably during the past ten years.

B: Answer that a lot of people have private cars now and move about more easily. Add that at the same time air pollution especially in the older cities and towns with their narrow streets has increased.

A: Reply that he visited several cities in Western countries and that air pollution is much worse there.

B: Answer that this is certainly true but a lot of people in Ukraine do criticize increasing air pollution. Add that it is a big problem and that it can only be solved step by step because it is very complex and costs a lot of money.

A: Ask what is at present being done to solve the problem.

B: Tell him that there are regular checks on air pollution in the big towns, that manufacturers try to make bet­ter engines for cars, lorries, buses.

A: Suggest that improving the car engines is important, but that there are also other ways for solving the pollution problem. Add that modern city plann­ing and building wider roads could also be a great help.

B: Tell him that he is right and that more trams in the cities might be helpful and that fewer cars should be permitted to enter cities and park there.

A: Say that trams and electric trains do not emit any ex­haust gases and that in the future possibly electric pri­vate cars with batteries might be used for city transport.

B: Say you’ve read that such projects are under way in a few countries and that you think electric private cars might be very useful in keeping the air clean in cities.