Основы устного перевода (английский язык). Учебное пособие

SLEEPLESS IN AMERICA: REPORT SAYS MILLIONS HAVE TROUBLE AT BEDTIME

A new report says an estimated ffty million to seventy million Americans have sleep problems. It says many more are su¥ering from lack of sleep.

A group of sleep research organizations asked the Institute of Medicine to study the problem. The institute is part of America’s National Academy of Sciences. The study examined why we need sleep, the e¥ects of sleep loss and other sleep disorders. A fourteen-member committee carried out the study. The Institute of Medicine reported their fndings earlier this month.

Harvey Colten of Columbia University in New York City led the study. He says sleep disorders are not recognized enough by the general public and the medical community.

The report says too few researchers are studying sleep disorders. It also says too few health care workers are trained to identify and treat the problem.

The report says American businesses lose more than one hundred thousand million dollars a year because of tired workers. Some employees are too tired to report for work. They have accidents or are less productive at work. Other costs included increased visits to doctors.

The study found that twenty percent of injuries caused by serious car accidents are linked to sleepy drivers. Alcoholic drinks were not linked to the accidents. Other studies have linked poor sleep to an increased risk of health problems like heart disease, depression and unhealthy amounts of body fat. Researchers say the reason for this link is unclear. Many experts say a good amount of sleep is as important to health as diet and exercise. They say most people need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Less than that can interfere with mental and physical abilities. It can lead to more serious problems, including severe sleeplessness. It also can lead to sleep apnea. People with this condition temporarily stop breathing while they sleep.

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Researchers involved in the study are suggesting a number of steps to help prevent sleep disorders. They suggest a campaign to inform the public about the problem. They want increased education and training among health care workers. And they are calling for new technology to identify and cure sleep problems.

Sleepless in America: Report Says Millions Have Trouble at Bedtime. URL: https:// learningenglish.voanews.com/a/a-23-2006-04-25-voa1-83127832/125449.html (дата о•ра-ения: 20.01.2021)

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HEALTH REPORT: ALLERGIES

Many di¥erent substances and organisms in the environment a¥ect our health. An allergy is an unusually strong reaction to a substance. The substance may not be harmful under normal conditions. However, the way some people react to a common substance may not be normal. People may feel as though they are very sick from an infection.

Many di¥erent things can cause allergies. The most common cause is pollen. Trees and many other kinds of plants release huge amounts of pollen into the air to reproduce successfully. To make things worse, di¥erent kinds of plants produce pollen at di¥erent times of the year. For example, trees usually produce pollen in the spring. Grasses pollinate in the summer. Weeds produce pollen in the autumn.

Many other things can cause allergies. They include chemicals, plants, medicines and some common foods. Insect bites also can cause allergic reactions.

Doctors say there are several ways to treat allergies. They say people should try to avoid the substances that cause allergic reactions. Medicines called antihistamines are used to treat allergies. These are some of the most widely used medicines in the United States.

Another treatment is called immunotherapy. This involves injecting a patient with small amounts of the allergy-causing substance. Larger and larger amounts are given. Over time, the patient develops a resistance to the allergy-causing substance. This treatment is usually

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e¥ective against allergies to small particles in the air, like pollen or dust, and insect bites. However, this treatment is generally not used for allergies to foods.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases says more than ffty-million Americans su¥er from allergies. The organization also says that treatments for allergies cost Americans eighteen-thousand- million dollars each year.

HEALTH REPORT: Allergies. URL:https://learningenglish.voanews.com /a/a-23-a-2002-04-30-1-1-83110762/119982.html (дата о•ра-ения: 20.01.2020)

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ON WORLD NO TOBACCO DAY, SPECIAL ATTENTION GOES TO WOMEN, GIRLS

World No Tobacco Day is celebrated each thirty-frst of May. The observance is meant to bring attention to the growing use of tobacco and its deadly e¥ects.The World Health Assembly established the event in nineteen eighty-seven. This year, special attention is being given to the harmful e¥ects of tobacco marketing to women and girls.

The World Health Organization says tobacco kills nearly fve and a half million people a year – another victim every six seconds. Tobacco use is a top cause of death worldwide.

One billion people smoke. More than eighty percent of tobacco users live in low and middle income countries.

The W.H.O. says the tobacco industry has increasingly directed its marketing campaigns at women and girls. Women currently represent about twenty percent of smokers. But tobacco use among girls is increasing.

Data collected from one hundred ffty-one countries show that about seven percent of young girls now smoke. That compares with twelve percent of boys. In some countries, however, the rates are almost equal.

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Almost one hundred seventy countries have signed a treaty called the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. The W.H.O. is calling on those governments to ban tobacco advertising to the fullest extent possible and to do more to protect women.

The agreement seeks to reduce the demand and supply of tobacco products. This year marks the ffth anniversary since the treaty went into e¥ect.

Eighty percent of the signers have banned the sale of tobacco products to young people. Seventy percent have required health warnings on tobacco products.

The W.H.O. estimates that tobacco use caused one hundred million deaths in the twentieth century. If current rates continue, that number could reach one billion in this century.

Events are planned in a number of countries to mark World No Tobacco Day. Many of the events are aimed at persuading people, especially the young, not to start smoking. Others aim to educate people about the many health benefts of quitting.

On World No Tobacco Day, Special Attention Goes to Women, Girls. URL: https:// learningenglish.voanews.com/a/on-world-no-tobacco-day-special-attention-goes- to-women-girls-95221889/114913.html (дата о•ра-ения: 20.01.2021)

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ASIA

Asia is the largest continent on the Earth. It is bounded by the Arctic, Pacifc, and Indian oceans. The western boundary, with Europe, runs roughly north-south along the eastern Ural Mountains; the Caspian, Black, Aegean, and Mediterranean seas; the Suez Canal; and the Red Sea. The islands of Sri Lanka and Taiwan and the archipelagoes of Indonesia (excluding New Guinea), the Philippines, and Japan also form part of Asia. Area: 17,226,000 sq miles (44,614,000 sq km). Population (2004 est.): 3,879,659,000. Mountains and plateaus predominate on

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the continent, with the highest mountains located in Central Asia and north of the Indian subcontinent. Terrain features include Earth’s highest peak, Mount Everest, at 29,035 ft (8,850 m), and the lowest natural point, the Dead Sea, at 1,312 ft (400 m) below sea level. The largest of Asia’s many arid regions is the Gobi deserts. It has some of the longest rivers in the world, including the Euphrates, Indus, Ganges (Ganga), Yangtze (Chang; the longest river in Asia), Huang He (Yellow), Ob, Yenisey, and Lena. The Caspian, Aral, and Dead seas are major saltwater lakes. Lake Baykal and Lake Balkash are among the world’s largest lakes.

Asia can be divided into six regions, each possessing distinctive physical, cultural, economic, and political characteristics. Southwest Asia (Iran; Turkey, in Asia Minor; and the nations of the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula or Arabia) is characterized by an arid climate, great petroleum reserves, and the predominance of Islam. South Asia (Afghanistan and the nations of the Indian subcontinent) is isolated from the rest of Asia by great mountain barriers. Southeast Asia (the nations of the southeastern peninsula and the Malay Archipelago) is characterized by monsoon climate, maritime orientation, the fusion of Indian and Chinese cultures, and a great diversity of ethnic groups, languages, religions, and politics. East Asia (China, Mongolia, Korea, and the islands of Taiwan and Japan) is characterized by cultures strongly in¤uenced by civilizations of the Huang He and Chang (Yangtze) river systems. It forms the most industrialized region of Asia. Russian Asia (in the northern third of the continent) consists of the vast region of Siberia and the Russian Far East. In the center of the continent is Central Asia, formed of a set of independent former republics of the Soviet Union. This region is characterized by desert conditions and irrigated agriculture.

The Suez Canal, located in Egypt, is a 101 mile (163 km) long canal that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, a northern branch of the Red Sea. It o¨cially opened in November 1869. The Suez Canal, a ship canal in Egypt and a major navigational route for world trade. Most of the Suez Canal is not wide enough for two ships to pass side by side. To accommodate this, there is one shipping lane and several passing bays where ships can wait for others to pass. The Suez

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Canal has no locks because Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea’s Gulf of Suez have approximately the same water level. It takes around 11 to 16 hours to pass through the canal and ships must travel at a low speed to prevent erosion of the canal’s banks by the ships’ waves.

Asia. URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asia (дата о•ра-ения: 20.01.2021)

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AFRICA

Just north of the border between Egypt and Sudan lies the Aswan High Dam, a huge dam which captures the world’s longest river, the Nile River. The dam, known as Saad el Aali in Arabic, was completed in 1970 after ten years of work. The Aswan Dam benefts Egypt by controlling the annual ¤oods on the Nile River and prevents the damage which used to occur along the area ¤ooded by it. The Aswan High Dam provides about a half of Egypt’s power supply and has improved navigation along the river by keeping the water ¤ow consistent.

Crossing the Nile to the West of the city of Luxor is the necropolis of ancient Thebes. Because there is so much to see and so much ground to cover, guided tours usually enter three tombs at the major archaeological sites.

Tanzania is a popular East African destination for visitors, it has many natural attractions including Zanzibar, Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania is a large country and its infrastructure isn’t great so it takes time to get around. Tanzanians have a very friendly reputation and other than petty theft, violent crime is quite rare.

Location: Tanzania is located in East Africa bordering the Indian Ocean, between Kenya and Mozambique.

Area: 945,087 sq km, a little more than twice the size of California. Capital City: Dodoma (but the commercial capital and largest city is Dar es Salaam).

Population: Around 39 million people live in Tanzania. Climate: Tanzania lies just south of the equator and on the whole enjoys a tropical climate.

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Tanzania’s Main Attractions:

•Mount Kilimanjaro – Africa’s highest mountain draws hikers from all over the world. It takes about a week to climb and no technical expertise is necessary to summit Uhuru Peak.

•Zanzibar – Gorgeous beaches, romantic islands as well as a fascinating capital built by Arab slave-traders and spice merchants called Stonetown, make Zanzibar a unique destination.

Next to the Pyramids of Giza, Abu Simbel is perhaps the most recognized monument of ancient Egypt. The two temples built for the pharaoh Ramesses II have been attracting visitors since Victorian times. Almost as impressive as the monument itself is the story of its restoration in the 1960’s. The temples had to be dismantled and physically moved 60 meters up a cli¥ where they were reassembled in the exact same relation to each other and the sun.

Djenne (Mali), founded in 800 AD, is one of sub-Saharan Africa’s oldest cities. Situated on an island in the Niger River delta, Djenne was a natural hub for traders who shuttled their goods between the Sahara desert and the forests of Guinea.Through the years Djenne also became a center of Islamic learning and its market square is still dominated by the beautiful Grand Mosque. Djenne is located a few hundred miles downstream from Timbuktu.

Goree Island (Ile de Goree) is a small island just o¥ the coast of Dakar, Senegal’s capital city. Goree Island is a big tourist attraction because of its history as a major slave-trading center. It’s an important destination for African-Americans in particular who come to pay their respects and re¤ect upon their ancestors’ past. In fact the Maison des Esclaves (House of Slaves) on the island has become a place of pilgrimage for everyone to re¤ect upon the horrors of the slave-trade and remember the millions of souls who died because of it.

Goree Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has been visited by dignitaries such as the Pope, President Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and recently President George Bush.

Africa. URL: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswan Dan (дата о•ра-ения: 21.08.2020)

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NORTH AMERICA

North America is the third-largest continent on earth, it lies mostly betweentheArcticCircleandtheTropicofCancer.Itisalmostcompletely surrounded by bodies of water, including the Pacifc Ocean, the Bering Strait, the Arctic Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. Area: 9,361,791 sq mi (24,247,039 sq km). Population (2001 est.): 454,225,000. Shaped like an inverted triangle, North America was apparently the frst continent to achieve its current approximate size and shape. To the southeast are the Appalachian Mountains and to the west are the younger and much taller Cordilleras. These mountains occupy about one-third of the total land area. The Rocky Mountains constitute the eastern Cordillera. The highest point is Mount McKinley. The Mississippi River basin, including its major tributaries, the Missouri and Ohio, occupies more than one-eighth of the continent’s total area.

The Missouri-Mississippi river system (c.3,740 mi/6,020 km long) is the longest of North America. Other major rivers include the Colorado, Columbia, Delaware, Mackenzie, Nelson, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence, and Yukon. Lake Superior (31,820 sq mi/82,414 sq km), the westernmost of the Great Lakes, is the continent’s largest lake. The Saint Lawrence Seaway, which utilizes the St. Lawrence River and the Great Lakes, enables oceangoing vessels to penetrate into the heart of North America.

There are numerous islands o¥ the continent’s coasts: principally, the Arctic Archipelago, the Bahamas, the Greater and Lesser Antilles, the Aleutian Islands (some of which are in the eastern hemisphere proper), the Alexander Archipelago, the many thousand islands of the British Columbia Coast, and Newfoundland. Greenland, a self-governing Danish island.

Northern America is used to refer to the northern countries and territories of North America: Canada, the United States, Greenland, Bermuda. The term Middle America is sometimes used to collectively refer to Mexico, the nations of Central America, and the Caribbean.

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The Great Lakes

Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario, form the Great Lakes, straddling the United States and Canada to make up the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world. Collectively they contain 5,439 cubic miles of water (22,670 cubic km), or about 20% of all the earth’s fresh water, and cover an area of 94,250 square miles (244,106 square km).

Several other minor lakes and rivers are also included in the Great Lakes region including the Niagara River, Detroit River, St. Lawrence River. There are 35,000 islands estimated to be located on the Great Lakes, created by years of glacial activity.

Interestingly, Lake Michigan and Lake Huron are connected by the Straits of Mackinac, and can be technically considered a single lake.

The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in the United States in the state of Arizona. It is largely contained within the Grand Canyon National Park, one of the frst national parks in the United States. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of preservation of the Grand Canyon area, and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.

North America. URL: britannica.com/place/North-America (дата о•ра-ения: 21.08.2020)

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