IX. Какие из утверждений являются верными?

1.Cholera and typhoid were brought to London by newcomers from other countries.

2.Londoners never took water from the Thames.

3.Water supplies of the city of London became increasingly contaminated by sewage.

4.It wasn’t until 1870 that waterborne diseases in London came under control.

5.The great expansion of urban communities during the Industrial Revolution put an end to waterborne diseases.

X. К какой теме относятся все три предложения?

1.Much of our waste, waste from factories, the chemical industry, heavy industry are very dangerous.

2.Each of us must do everything possible to keep the land, air, water clean.

3.It should be noted that people themselves think very little of social ecology.

a.water quality control

b.sanitary construction

c.nature protection

PRESSING PROBLEMS

Atmosphere pollution raises problems of several types. First, there are local problems due to the production of smoke and offensive gases by factories. Secondly, there are regional problems created by industrial agglomerations which may spread the same harmful

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effects over whole areas. Thirdly, there are some types of pollution, such as those arising from nuclear explosives, which cover a considerable portion of the globe. And lastly, there appeared one more type of pollution which is threatening the globe as a whole.

Recent scientific research suggests that the protective layer of ozone around our planet is under severe attack. Alarm bells were sounded in 1982 when researchers in the Antarctic first identified a yawning hole over the Antarctic where the ozone layer is thinnest.

This was the first sign of a hole. Five years later it was reported that the hole had grown to an area the size of the United States.

The major cause of this weakening of the ozone layer is believed to be the increasing amount of harmful chemicals that are being released into the atmosphere by humankind.

Environmentalists and scientists point out that a further one per cent drop in the overall ozone layer can cause an increase of skin cancer.

The fundamental importance of the ozone layer is that it acts as a filter intercepting most of the sun’s radiation including potentially harmful Ultra Violet B-rays which can cause melanoma – skin cancer.

The appearance of the Antarctic hole has intensified the search for a cause. Strong evidence now suggests that it is the growing industrial use of chlorine compounds called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which is responsible.

CFC is a propellent gas commonly used in aerosol sprays, air cooling systems in fridges and air-conditioning. Once released CFC can hang around in the atmosphere for 100 years. Some eventually reaches the upper atmosphere to be broken down by the sunlight. In the process chlorine is released which combines with oxygen atoms thus reducing the amount available for ozone production.

According to measurements recorded by the US Environmental Protection Agency one chlorine atom has enough kinetic energy to destroy 100 000 molecules of ozone. US space agency NASA has predicted that a rise of 2,5 per cent in CFC emissions would cause an extra one million cancers over the lifetime of the present US population.

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Researchers suggest that the level of CFCs in the atmosphere is actually increasing by 5 per cent each year. Since 1969 the ozone level has fallen by 3 per cent over densely populated cities of the US, Canada and Europe and by 4 per cent over Australia and New Zealand.

In its “worst prediction scenario” NASA claims that an everthinning ozone layer could eventually allow a more harmful form of radiation, known as Ultra Violet C, to hit the earth. Laboratory experiments have shown that Ultra Violet C can penetrate the nucleic acids and proteins which are the building blocks of life.

There is the need for an international agreement that would completely stop CFC production.

TEST TO THE TEXT “PRESSING PROBLEMS”

I. Соотнесите следующие слова с их объяснением:

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II. Подберите по смыслу слова к следующим предложениям:

1.The protective layer of ozone around our ... is under severe attack.

2.Harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere by humankind are the major cause of the ... of the ozone layer.

3.The ozone layer acts as a ... intercepting most of the sun’s radiation.

4.The nucleic acids and proteins are the building ... of life.

5.Harmful Ultra-Violet B-rays can cause skin ...

a.weakening

b.cancer

c.blocks

d.filter

e.planet

III. Соотнесите глагол с нужным существительным:

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IV. Соотнесите английский вариант с русским:

1.There are local problems due to the production of smoke and offensive gases by factories.

a. Местные проблемы возникают из-за выделения дыма и вредных газов заводами.

b. Существуют местные проблемы, возникающие из-за выделения дыма и вредных газов заводами.

2.There are regional problems created by industrial agglomerations. a. Существуют проблемы регионов, создаваемые промышленными комплексами.

b. Промышленные комплексы создают региональные проблемы.

3.There are some types of pollution such as those arising from nuclear explosives, which cover a considerable portion of the globe.

a. Существуют некоторые типы загрязнений, такие как загрязнения, возникающие от ядерных взрывчатых веществ, которые охватывают значительную часть земного шара.

b. Такие загрязнения, как, например, возникающие от ядерных взрывчатых веществ, охватывают значительную часть земного шара.

V. Укажите предложение, в котором глагол to be является вспомогательным глаголом для образования страдательного залога:

1.This was the first sign of a hole.

2.The increasing amount of harmful chemicals are being released into the atmosphere by humankind.

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3.The fundamental importance of the ozone layer is that it acts as a filter intercepting most of the sun’s radiation.

4.CFC is a propellent gas commonly used in aerosol sprays.

5.The level of CFCs in the atmosphere is actually increasing by

5per cent each year.

VI. Определите, чем является подчѐркнутое слово:

1. Researchers identified a yawning hole over the Antarctic where

2. The major cause of this weakening of the ozone layer is believed to be the increasing amount of harmful chemicals.

a. Gerund b. Verbal Noun c. Participle I

3. Some gases eventually reach the upper atmosphere to be broken

4. The process of combining with oxygen atoms reduces the amount

5. According to measurements recorded by the US Environmental Protection Agency one chlorine atom has enough kinetic energy to

VII. Завершите предложения:

1. Local problems arise due to ...

a.industrial agglomerations

b.the production of smoke and offensive gases by factories

c.some types of pollution

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2.The major cause of the weakening of the ozone layer is believed to be ...

a. the increasing amount of harmful chemicals released into the atmosphere

b. the increasing amount of smokers c. the acid rains

3.Researchers suggest that the level of CFCs in the atmosphere is eventually increasing ...

a. very rapidly b. very slowly

c. by 5 per cent each year

4.In fact the science of the phenomenon of “greenhouse” effect is more interesting than ...

a. boring

b. frightening c. fascinating

5.Continued use of ... is expected to double the concentration of CO2 by the year 2050.

a. metals

b. biological substances

c. coal and other fossil fuels

VIII. Выберите правильный ответ на следующие вопросы:

1. What creates regional problems on the planet?

a. the production of smoke and offensive gases by factories. b. big changes in climatic conditions

c. industrial agglomerations spreading the same harmful effects over whole areas

2. Where did the researchers identify a yawning hole? a. in Australia

b. in Asia

c. in the Antarctic

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3.What can cause an increase of skin cancer on the planet? a. a further one per cent drop in the overall ozone layer

b. people’s lying in the sun too long c. the greenhouse effect

4.What can one expect from the ever-thinning ozone layer? a. lack of fresh air on the Earth

b. a more harmful form of radiation c. greater rainfall

5.The fundamental importance of the ozone layer is that it acts as a ...

a. screen for the sun’s radiation

b. filter intercepting the sun’s radiation c. absorber of the sun’s radiation

IX. Какое из утверждений является верным?

1.Recent scientific research suggests that the protective layer of ozone remains stable.

2.The industrial use of chlorine compounds called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) have nothing to do with the appearance of the Antarctic hole.

3.CFC is a solid used in industry.

4.One chlorine atom has enough kinetic energy to destroy one hundred thousand molecules of ozone.

5.An ever-thinning ozone layer could eventually allow a moderate form of radiation to hit the earth.

X. Какое утверждение не соответствует тематике текста?

1.Water quality control is of prime importance nowadays.

2.The poisoning of the world’s land, air and water is the fastest – spreading disease of civilization.

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