Английский язык. Практикум по чтению научно-технических текстов

лать попытку; машины в больших и малых городах создают большое количество экологических проблем; таким образом, то, что мы меньше ездим на машине, не является положительным фактором.

3. Conversation Practice

Ex. 6. Agree or disagree with the statements given below, using the phrases in the table.

1.Less and less ordinary people are becoming very worried about the state of the environment.

2.Loss of tropical rainforest in South America or a hole in the ozone layer really does not seem remote.

3.There are some levels of recycling that are much easier than you might think.

4.Some people get lots of letters through the post and buy new envelopes.

5.When you have got tired of the toys actually handing them on to someone else is a good way of recycling and re-use.

6.There is obviously no sense in reusing and recycling glass bottles.

7.Re-using the plastic bags that people give you at supermarkets is one very simple way of making the plastic last longer.

8.We can’t cut down on the use of chemicals quite easily.

9.You shouldn’t stop using pesticides and weed-killers in your garden.

10.The use of cars is not an obvious kind of target for environmental improvement.

Ex. 7. Read the plan and rearrange it in the order the problems appear in the text.

1.The pollution is caused by our everyday lives.

2.Many people being worried about the state of the environment on a local scale can make a real change to the state of the world.

3.A very good way of recycling and re-use of clothes and toys.

4.The use of cars in towns and cities.

5.Recycling glass bottles, plastics and other things.

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Ex. 8. Retell text A using the rearranged plan given above and the word combinations given below:

–on a local scale as well as a world scale;

–loss of tropical forests in South Africa or a hole in the ozone layer;

–the impact is going to make a real change to the state of the world;

–some people do not buy new envelopes;

–to write on both sides of paper;

–actually handing your clothes to someone else in a good way of re-use;

–re-using the plastic bags that people give you at supermarkets;

–we can cut down on the use of chemicals quite easily;

–in the house too there are a lot of chemicals used now;

–the fumes that come out of the exhaust pipes are aggravating problems.

4.Grammar. The Passive Constructions

E.g. The professor was asked a lot of questions. (Профессору задали

множество вопросов.)

We have been offered a new book by a modern writer. (Нам предложили

новую книгу модного писателя.)

Prepositional verbs in the Passive Construction

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E.g. This person can’t be dealt with. (С этим человеком нельзя иметь дело.) Many questions were touched upon at the conference. (Многие проблемы были затронуты на конференции.)

E.g. His lectures are always attended by many students. (На его лек-

циях всегда присутствует много студентов.) The report was followed by a long debate. (За докладом последовали долгие прения.)

Ex. 9. Identify the Passive Constructions in text A.

Do grammar exercises 1–7 from Chapter 2.

Ex. 10. Do the pre-reading tasks:

a)name some levels of recycling that are easy;

b)read text B and name some stages in the development of environmental problems.

Text B

Environmental Problems

The species Homo sapiens – that is, humans – appeared late in the earth’s history, but was ultimately able to modify the earth’s environment by its activities. Although humans apparently first appeared in Africa, they quickly spread throughout the world. Because of their unique mental

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and physical capabilities, humans were able to escape the environmental constraints that limited other species and to change the environment to meet their needs.

Although early humans undoubtedly lived in some harmony with the environment, as did other animals, their retreat from the wilderness began with the first, prehistoric agricultural revolution. The ability to control and use fire allowed them to modify or eliminate natural vegetation, and the domestication and herding of grazing animals resulted in overgrazing and soil erosion. The domestication of plants also led to the destruction of natural vegetation to make room for crops and the demand for wood for fuel-denuded mountains and depleted forests. Wild animals were slaughtered for food and destroyed as pests and predators.

While human populations remained small and human technology modest, their impact on the environment was localized. As population increased and technology improved and expanded, however, more significant and widespread problems arose. Rapid technological advances after the Middle Ages culminated in the Industrial Revolution, which involved the discovery, use and exploitation of fossil fuels, as well as the extensive exploitation of the earth’s mineral resources. With the Industrial Revolution, humans began in earnest to change the face of the earth, the nature of its atmosphere and the quality of its water. Today, unprecedented demands on the environment from a rapidly expanding human population and from advancing technology are causing a continuing and accelerating decline in the quality of the environment and its ability to sustain life.

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Ex. 11. Complete the following statements by choosing the answer, which you think the best. Explain your choice.

1.Although humans apparently first appeared in Africa: a) they very soon disappeared;

b) they could not spread throughout the world quickly; c) this fact is not proved scientifically;

d) they quickly spread throughout the world.

2.Because of their unique mental and physical capabilities: a) humans were able to survive;

b) humans were able to change the environment to meet their needs; c) humans quickly spread to the other planets;

d) humans could not live in harmony with the environment.

3.The ability to control and use fire allowed them:

a)to change the life on our planet completely;

b)to modify or eliminate natural vegetation;

c)to domesticate the plants;

d)to destruct the natural vegetation.

4. As population increased and technology improved and expanded:

a)humans quickly spread to the other planets of the galaxy;

b)more significant and widespread problems arose;

c)the life of the Earth became easier;

d)wild animals could not be slaughtered for food and destroyed.

Ex. 12. Here are some answers to some questions about the text. Work out the questions:

1. Humans appeared late in the earth’s history. 2. Because of their unique mental and physical capabilities, humans were able to escape the environmental constraints. 3. The retreat of humans from the wilderness with the prehistoric agricultural revolution. 4. The ability to control and use the fire allowed them to modify or eliminate natural vegetation. 5. The domestication of plants also led to the destruction of natural vegetation. 6. As population increased and technology improved, more significant and widespread problems arose. 7. Rapid technological advances after the Middle Ages culminated in the Industrial Revolution. 8. Humans began to change the face of the earth.

Ex. 13. Answer the questions, then render the text.

1.Where did humans quickly spread?

2.What did the domestication and herding of grazing animals result in?

3.What happened to wild animals?

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4.What was their impact on the environment, while human populations remained small?

5.What did the Industrial Revolution involve?

6.What is causing a continuing and accelerating decline in the quality of the environment?

Ex. 14. Translate the following texts in writing using a dictionary.

Text С

Warriors of the Rainbow

When the Earth is sick and the animals have disappeared, there will come a tribe of people from all beliefs, colours and cultures who believe in actions, not words, and who will restore the Earth to its former beauty. This tribe will be called “The Warriors of the Rainbow” (Ancient American Legend).

Planet Earth is 4 600 000 000 years old. If we condense this time span, we can compare it to a person 46 years old. Only at the age of 42 did the Earth begin to flower. Dinosaurs and the great reptiles did not appear until one year ago, when the planet was 45. Mammals arrived only eight months ago and in the middle of last week human like apes developed into ape-like humans, and last weekend the last ice age covered the Earth.

Modern man has been around for 4 hours. During the last hour, agriculture was discovered. The Industrial Revolution began a minute ago. Since then, people have made a rubbish tip of Paradise. We have multiplied our numbers to plague proportions, caused the extinction of 500 species of animals, turned the planet upside down in the search for fuels, and now we stand like brutish infants, arrogant with power, on the edge of a war to end all wars and close to effectively destroying this oasis of life in the solar system.

Text D

What Is “Acid Rain”?

Acid rain occurs when pollutants in the atmosphere such as sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (Nox) react together. Polluted air can also contain gases, which do direct damage or which react with other substances.

Norway’s national bird is the dipper. It is found throughout the country and pays little attention to the ice and snow. The bird enjoys the freezing waterfalls and rapids of the country’s rivers and indeed that is where it finds its food.

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Up until now there has been little threat to its existence, but recent research suggests that it may well be at risk from acid rain. Similar situations have been found in Great Britain and other countries too.

One of the effects of acid rain is the release of metals such as aluminium from the soil and riverbeds. Toxic substances are absorbed by the creatures that form the diet of the dipper, and therefore the bird builds up increasing amounts of toxic material in its body. As a result, the shell of its eggs becomes extremely thin and because of that, the eggs break. If it cannot reproduce, how long can this national bird survive?

One can determine some more striking effects of acid rain. They are as follows:

–water becomes acid and the concentration of toxic materials in rivers and lakes increases;

–fish are poisoned and killed. Birds and animals, which eat fish, have no food and this makes them leave their natural areas;

–acid groundwater removes vital minerals essential for plant growth;

–toxic substances become concentrated in land animals;

–people are directly affected by local pollution and by acid drinking water;

–air pollution causes direct damage to forests. Trees weakened by acid rain could easily be damaged by strong winds, disease and cold water;

–buildings, statues and monuments are damaged due to gases and acid rain.

Unit II. AIR POLLUTION AND ITS ECOLOGICAL

CONSEQUENCES

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Ex. 1. Learn to pronounce the words given below:

scientific [/saiən/tifik], atmosphere [/ætməsfiə], fluttering [/flΛtəriŋ], draught [dra:ft], installing [in/sto:liŋ], humidity [hju:/miditi], unobtrusively [/Λnəb/tru:sivli], automatically [/o:tə/mætikəli], odours [/oudəz], liable [/laiəbl], crowded [/kraudid], heat-generating lights [hi:t /dʒenə/reitiŋ laits], appliance [ə/plaiəns], installation [/instə/lei∫ən], adjust [ə/dʒΛst], supervision [/sju:pə/viʒən], moisture [/moist∫ə], packaged [/pækidʒd], alternation

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[/o:ltə:/nei∫ən], afford [ə/fo:d], humidifier [hju:/midifaiə], flexible [/fleksəbl], versatile [/və:sətail], conduction [kən/dΛk∫ən], convection [kən/vek∫ən], surface [/sə:fis], radiate [/reidieit], ceiling [/si:liŋ], affect [ə/fekt], evaporation [i/væpə/rei∫ən], perspiration [/pə:spə/rei∫ən], absorb [əb/so:b], beads [bi:dz], shed [∫ed], surrounding [sə/raundiŋ], engine [/endʒin]

2. Text Study

Ex. 2. Read text A and find out:

a)three properties of air which air conditioning is designed to control;

b)the advantages of packaged air conditioning.

Text А

Possible Methods of Pollution Control

There are a number of non-scientific ways of improving the atmosphere, which do indeed have a certain limited effect. By flattering a handheld fan or switching on an electric one and create an illusion of freshness. By opening a door or a window, you will admit fresh air, even if you also admit noise and smells and create draughts. By installing a ventilation system, you can extract stale air as well as let in fresh; but you cannot control temperature and humidity – the air you let in will only be as good or as bad as the air outside.

Only air conditioning will do the complete job – heating or cooling as required, keeping humidity levels down, purifying the air continually, without manual attention, quietly and unobtrusively, creating no draughts or irritating air movements. Only air conditioning allows you to live and work under controlled atmospheric conditions.

Air conditioning is a method of controlling the atmosphere in buildings where people live and work. It is a scientific operation which automatically maintains temperature and humidity within limits appropriate to the activities being carried out – whether eating or shopping, office work or study, medical treatment or watching a show. At the same time, it keeps the air clean and fresh, removing airborne dust and, if required, odours.

Air conditioning has to be scientific, because it has to cope with a number of factors, which threaten to upset the ideal balance – factors which are liable to vary from one part of the day to the next as well as from one season to another. The outside temperature rises and falls. The building is crowded at one time of the day, empty at another. Heat-

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generating lights and appliances are active during some periods, not at others. Only a scientifically planned installation can continually adjust itself, without supervision, to meet and handle this continually varying situation. Quite obviously, air conditioning adds greatly to the welfare of staff, workers and customers. However, it also has another important use. It can control the conditions necessary for certain industrial processes – for instance in chemical factories, computer rooms and certain printing processes. However, in every case three factors have always to be scientifically controlled and balanced: firstly, it is air movement, secondly – air temperature, and thirdly – moisture content.

For many years air conditioning systems had to be individually designed for the building in which they were to be installed. This, of course, was extremely expensive – sometimes requiring major structural alternations. This meant that only big companies could afford it.

Packaged air conditioning, on the other hand, is a system of standard premanufactured units or “packages” which can be adapted to many uses and can be as simple as complex as the user wishes. It brings air conditioning to a far wider range of people because it is less expensive, looks far smarter, and is ideal for the small user, like the doctor or dentist, as well as offices, department stores, restaurants and workshops. In general, packaged air conditioning is normally used for “comfort” purposes only. Therefore, it doesn’t need to be quite so complicated as big industrial air conditioning. Expensive humidifiers, so important for controlling industrial processes, are often unnecessary.

It is easy to see why packaged air conditioning is so flexible and versatile in comparison with conventional systems. But why do we need air conditioning at all? The human body itself is an explanation. Normally, it uses four methods of getting rid of heat.

1.By conduction. That is, by direct heat transfer when touching surfaces.

2.By convection. The body warms the air close to it. The air then rises to be placed by cooler air, setting up a continuous cycle.

3.By radiation. The body radiates heat directly to any cooler surface – even if it is not in close contact. It radiates to a wall, a ceiling or nearby objects not affecting or being affected by air temperatures.

4.By evaporation. Moisture is given off in the form of perspiration through the pores of the skin. As it evaporates, it absorbs heat from the body and so cools it. When you can see beads of perspiration, the body is producing more heat that it can shed at the normal rate.

The body normally uses all of these methods at the same time. But sur-

rounding conditions can force it to use one method more than the others

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