Unit 2The planet strikes back
The environmental awareness of human kind has become task number one for scientists.
1. Greenhouse effect.
The atmosphere is a blanket of gases around the Earth. But now because pollutant gases accumulate in the atmosphere, they trap the heat from the Earth like the glass of a greenhouse stops the sun’s heat from leaving. So the Earth gets hotter. When the Earth’s temperature rises, the weather will change everywhere. The ice at the North and South poles will start to melt and as a result, the level of the sea will rise. Vast territories of America and Central Russia will become too hot for farming. Other areas may become wetter, but the soil there isn’t as rich.
2. Acid rain.
A lot of dangerous gases enter the atmosphere from tall chimneys of factories and power stations. Then they mix with water in the air and form a cocktail of acidic chemicals. After that the wind carries them for hundreds or even thousands of kilometers away. And finally, this killing mixture falls back on Earth as acid rain. It causes damage or death of forests, lakes, wildlife, humans, buildings, works of art. Medical statistics show more lung and kidney illness in countries with high levels of acid pollution.
Vocabulary list
Drought – засуха
Erosion – эрозия, разрушение, вымывание, выветривание
Hazard – риск, опасность, бедствие
Awareness – осознание
Greenhouse – теплица
Level – уровень
Flood – наводнение
Loss – потеря, утрата
Power station – электростанция
Illness – болезнь
Carbon dioxide –углекислый газ
Threaten – грозить
Trap – ловушка
Accumulate – накапливать(ся)
Mix – смешивать(ся)
Cause – вызывать, служить причиной
Lose – терять, утрачивать
Human-induced – вызванный человеческой деятельностью
Steady – устойчивый, постоянный
Dangerous – опасный
Comprehension task
1. Find in the articles the sentences which show that:
а) Acid rain and the warming of the atmosphere are the effects of human activity.
б) Pollutant gases produce the effect of a greenhouse for the Earth’s climate.
в) The soil is being degraded very quickly because of acid rain.
г) The wildlife in the Earth’s water reserves is endangered with extinction because of acid pollution.
д) The warming of the atmosphere may threaten the world with hunger.
е) The health of people is also in danger.
2. Ask and answer.
1. – Why is the warming of the Earth’s climate called … ?
Because the pollutant gases … .
2. – How does acid rain effect … ?
It damages the roots and …
3. – Why is … … an international hazard?
The wind … .
4. – What will happen to the ice … ?
It will … .
5. - Can we stop … ?
No, we can’t but … .
6. – What is … ?
It’s a mixture … .
7. – How much and how soon may the global … rise?
By the year 2030 … .
3. Complete the sentences.
1. Seven million hectares of European forests are dead or dying because of … .
2. Carbon dioxide, chloro-fluoro-carbons, methane and nitrous oxide are the main … gases that produce … effect.
3. Each molecule of chloro-fluoro-carbons can … 10 times more heat than a molecule of carbon dioxide.
4. Chemical fertilizers are … not only for soil, they also add to the … of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
5. The growing … of the … of the Green Peace Movement.
6. A rise in sea … will mean a lot of other human- … losses for environment.
7. Acid rain … the health of people.
4. Find in the text equivalents to the following phrases.
При температуре; природные бедствия, вызванные деятельностью человека; в результате; живая природа; убийственная смесь; газовая оболочка; не пропускают; понимание важности окружающей среды.
5. Study the causes for acid rain and greenhouse effect and suggest what action should be done to lessen their effects.
Causes:
Power stations using coal and oil;
Automobile traffic;
Burning trees;
Aerosols;
Refrigerators;
Plastic boxes;
Chemical fertilizers;
These facts may help you.
Greenhouse gases are:
CO2 – from burning fossil fuels;
CFCs – in aerosols, refrigerators, plastic boxes;
Methane and nitrous oxide-from fertilizers, rubbish;
Use the following verbs:
Conserve – сохранять;
Ban – запрещать;
Reclaim – утилизировать;