- •Part I. The Rainforests Project
- •I. Comment on the statements about the environment.
- •II. Explain the following concepts in English. Consult the dictionary. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of the words.
- •III. Provide brief information on the following points.
- •V. Practise pronouncing the words from the text and define them in English. Consult the dictionary.
- •VI. Match the words and expressions in the left column with their definitions in the right column.
- •VII. Match the words in the left column with their antonyms in the right column.
- •VIII. Replace the underlined phrases with the words and expressions from the list and translate the sentences into Russian.
- •IX. Find equivalents for the underlined Russian phrases from active vocabulary below and translate the sentences into English.
- •X. Study the following linking phrases from the text and use them in the sentences of your own.
- •XI. Translate the sentences into English using the above linking phrases.
- •XII. Make up your own text on any topic following the style and logical structure of Prince Charles’s speech. Use the phrases below.
- •Part II. The ipcc Report on Climate Change
- •Provide brief information on the following points.
- •Explain the following concepts in English. Consult the dictionary. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of the words.
- •Read the ipcc report on climate change (http://ccclab.Info/2014/01/07/climate-change-2014/) and translate it into Russian.
- •Practise pronouncing the words from the text and define them in English. Consult the dictionary.
- •V. Find English equivalents in the text for the following Russian expressions.
- •VI. Replace the underlined phrases with the words and expressions from the list and translate the sentences into Russian.
- •VII. Read an excerpt from “Background on the unfccc”: The international response to climate change” and find equivalents for the Russian expressions below.*
- •VIII. Give synonyms for the following collocations. Consult the dictionary.*
- •IX. Render the texts into English. Use active vocabulary below.
- •Part III. Catastrophic Climate Change
- •I. Watch the video by National Geographic (https://vimeo.Com/9582731) and answer the questions.*
- •II. Explain the following concepts in English. Consult the dictionary. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of the words.
- •III. Translate the sentences into Russian. Pay special attention to the underlined collocations.
- •IV. Replace the underlined phrases with the words and expressions from the list and translate the sentences into Russian.
- •V. Discuss the video by National Geographic using active vocabulary below.*
- •VI. Render the texts into English. Use active vocabulary below.
- •VII. Choose any country and write a brief report (200-250 words) on the state of its environment. Use active vocabulary of the unit. Part IV. Climate Change: an Alternative Point of View
- •I. Explain the following concepts in English. Consult the dictionary. Pay special attention to the pronunciation of the words.
- •II. Read the text and translate it into Russian.
- •III. Answer the questions using the information from the text and additional sources if necessary.
- •IV. Practise pronouncing the words from the text and define them in English. Consult the dictionary.
- •V. Match the words and expressions in the left column with their definitions in the right column.
- •VI. Match the words in the left column with their antonyms in the right column.
- •VII. Replace the underlined phrases with the words and expressions from the list and translate the sentences into Russian.
- •VIII. Do you agree with the statement “If we were gone tomorrow, the Earth would not miss us”? Give your arguments and counterarguments. Use the expressions below.
- •IX. Make a 7-minute presentation on one of the following topics. Use active vocabulary of the unit.
- •X. Debate the issue of climate change by splitting up into two teams of “scientists” and “sceptics”. Rely on the arguments and counterarguments below. Use active vocabulary of the unit.
VIII. Give synonyms for the following collocations. Consult the dictionary.*
to launch negotiations
to strengthen the global response to climate change
to build on the work
to undertake the work
to chart a new course
to combat climate change
to seek to accelerate and intensify
to pursue efforts
to reach ambitious goals
be put in place
in line with national objectives
IX. Render the texts into English. Use active vocabulary below.
to be the basis for sth.
to take urgent measures to do sth.
to pass / to negotiate / to adopt a convention
to come / to enter into force
the objective / the goal / the aim of the treaty is to do sth.
to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that
undeniable/indisputable advantage
close partnership
parties to the Convention / the Protocol
to commit oneself to do / to doing sth.
to implement national programmes
to adapt to sth.
intensive negotiations
to extend the convention
to reduce emissions
to suggest innovative mechanisms
to contribute to achieving the aims
to set specific aims
with the aim of doing sth.
to give a comprehensive estimate of sth.
consequences of climate change
former vice-president
to be awarded / to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
1) Рамочная конвенция ООН об изменении климата (РКИК) (the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)) и Киотский протокол (the Kyoto Protocol) являются основой принятия необходимых мер в борьбе с изменением климата со стороны международного сообщества. Конвенция была принята на «Саммите Земли» (the Earth Summit) в Рио-де-Жанейро 9 мая 1992 года и вступила в силу 21 марта 1994 года. Основной целью, изложенной в Конвенции, является стабилизация уровня концентрации парниковых газов в атмосфере до показателя, предотвращающего вредное влияние на климатическую систему. Неоспоримым преимуществом Конвенции является близкое партнерство 191 страны, ратифицировавшей данную Конвенцию к июню 2007 года. Эти страны являются Сторонами Конвенции. Все стороны обязуются выполнять национальные программы, содержащие меры по контролю уровня выбросов парникового газа и адаптации к изменению климата.
2) Киотский протокол. После двух с половиной лет интенсивных переговоров в декабре 1997 года в городе Киото, Япония, было принято решение о значительном расширении Конвенции. В Киотском протоколе определены цели по ограничению выбросов в атмосферу для промышленно развитых стран и предложены инновационные механизмы, способствующие достижению этих целей данными странами. Киотский протокол вступил в силу 18 ноября 2004 года после его ратификации 55 сторонами Конвенции, включая страны с достаточно развитой промышленностью, для которых установлены конкретные цели — вернуться к уровню 55 процентов выбросов углекислого газа, наблюдаемого в 1990 году.
3) Межправительственная группа экспертов по изменению климата (МГЭИК) (the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)) была создана в 1988 г. с целью предоставления всеобъемлющей оценки состояния научно-технических и социально-экономических знаний об изменении климата, его причинах, потенциальных последствиях и стратегиях реагирования. МГЭИК и бывший вице-президент США Альберт Гор (Albert Gore) были награждены Нобелевской премией мира в 2007 г. за их работу в области изменения климата.