Lesson 3

1.Прочитайте и переведите текст. The hydrologic cycle.

The unending circulation of the earth’s moisture and water is called the water or hydrologic cycle. It is a gigantic system operating in and on the land and oceans of the earth and in the atmosphere that surrounds the earth. The cycle has no beginning or ending.

Water from the surface of the oceans is evaporated into the atmosphere. That moisture in turn is lifted and then condenced and falls back to the earth’s surface as precipitation.

The part of the precipitation that falls as rain, hail, dew, snow or sleet on the land is of particular concern to man and agriculture.

About 80,000 cubic miles of water are evaporated each year from the ocean. About 15,000 cubic miles are evaporated from the lakes and land surfaces of the continent. Total evaporation is equaled by total precipitation, of which about 24,000 cubic miles fall on the land surfaces.

Circulation of the earth’s atmosphere and moisture can be thought of as starting in the belt around the Equator. Because more of the sun’s energy is received near the Equator than farther north or south, greater heating occurs there and the result is greater evaporation and a tendency for the air to rise. The warm, moist air flows outward from the Equator at high altitudes and because of the earth’s rotation moves in a generally northeasterly direction.

Water that infiltrates into the soil is known as subsurface water. It may be evaporated from the soil, it may be absorbed by the plant roots, or it may be percolate downward to ground water reservoir that feeds springs, streams, and wells.

In the hydrologic cycle the principal functions of the ground water zones are as follows:

1. Zone of aeration – receives and holds water for plants use in the belt of soil water and allows the downward movement of excess water.

2. Zone of saturation – receives and stores, and provides a nature regulated discharge of water to wells, springs, streams.

2.Прочитайте диалог в парах. Подберите подходящее название для диалога.

Dialogue

A.: Water is more essential to a man’s life then food, isn’t it?

B.: That’s very true. There’s no life without water.

A.: The great importance of water was realized by our remote ancestors, right?

B.: Right! That’s why there settlements were nearly always situated on the banks of rivers and lakes.

A.: The location of human settlements and the well - being of the people depended on the source of water.

B.: I fully agree with you! The earlier settlers realized this need.

A.: They surely did! I suppose they.

Составьте аналогичный диалог, используя активную лексику занятия.

Lesson 4.

1.Прочитайте и переведите текст. The water of the Earth

How much moisture is involved in the giant cyclical process of ocean – atmosphere land ocean?

What is the mechanism of this conveyor thanks which moisture gets from the ocean to the land and back?

It has been estimated that a total of 577000 cu km of water annually evaporates on our planet, chiefly from the surface of the ocean.

Hydrologists made several interesting discoveries: For instance, they established for the first time that there is another important link in the external rotation of moisture - the flow of moisture from the mainland's to the ocean through the atmosphere. It rums out that the sky is literally furrowed by powerful and deep rivers. Every year, for example, 4,000 cu km of water "flows" above the Volga area - this is tantamount to twenty rivers such as me Volga.

The data on the transfer of steam in the atmosphere can be used for calculating the water balance of the mainland's large river basins and for analyzing how water conditions are shaped over large territories.

Here are some calculations. According to the new calculations, the reserves of water on the planet total 1,386 million cu km; of which only 2,5 per cent is freshwater. The most sizable part of it is conserved in the ice covers of the Antarctic and the Arctic. Only 0,25 per cent of the reserves are to be found in lakes and only 0,006 per cent in rivers.

The bulk of water resources replenish their reserves at an extremely slow rate and cannot therefore be used without running the risk of upsetting the balance of nature.

Until recently water reserves on the planet were considered to be unlimited. Water seemed to be an inexhaustible gift of nature water has become a factor limiting the development of vast areas of the globe, it is not nature but man is to blame, Indeed, mankind now uses about 2,600 cu km - roughly 6 per cent of the annually renewable reserves of freshwater. It would seem that the reserves of water supply are great. Unfortunately, this is not so. The threat of a water crisis is becoming obvious. One of the main reasons is the growing pollution of surface waters.

The most realistic way to the solution of the water problem is through rationalizing the use of nature. The water of the planet can and must remain pure.

2. Выпишите термины из текста, переведите. Выучите термины.

Пример:

moisture - влага

to evaporate – испаряться

3. Задайте все возможные вопросы по тексту.

4. Составьте план текста и перескажите текст в соответствии с планом.