The Environmental crisis – number one international problem

What does the environmental crisis mean? To understand this we must begin at the source of life itself: the earth’s thin skin of air, water and soil, bathed by the radiant solar fire. Life appeared here several billion years ago and was nourished by the earth’s matter. Living things formed a global network of various habitants, where everything is directly or indirectly dependent on everything. This is the exosphere (biosphere), the home that life has built for itself on the planet.

In nature all processes are in constant balanced interaction. There is no waste in nature. Nothing is created, nothing is lost. Everything is recycled endlessly. The environmental crisis means that this perfect and delicate balance has begun to break down, and the relationship between life and earthly surroundings have begun to collapse.

The environmental degradation continues to accelerate. The ozone layer, vital for survival, is thinning. Acid rain is destroying huge areas of forest and tens of thousands of lakes. We pollute our rivers, lakes and oceans, and the sky, forgetting that we need water and air to live and breathe. We destroy rainforests, picturesques landscapes, and slaughter the world’s most beautiful animals.

As a result of our new technologies of land use we lose soil, which is the basic of civilization. And, worst of all, the earth is steadily warming with potentially dangerous effects.

That is why the environmentalists of the world call for fundamental changes NOW!

Vocabulary list

Environment – окружающая среда

Source - источник

Soil- почва

Habitat– 1) родина, место распространения; 2) естественная среда

Interaction- взаимодействие

Relationship- взаимоотношения

Acid– кислота, кислый, кислотный

Rainforests– тропические леса

Waste– 1) растрачивание, потери, ущерб; 2) отходы, отбросы

Deterioration– ухудшение, порча

Destroy– разрушать, уничтожать

Destruction– разрушение, уничтожение

Nourish– питать, кормить, вскармливать

Nourishing– питательный, сытный

Nourishment– питание, еда, пища

Create– создавать, творить

Mean– означать, значить

Pollute- загрязнять

Pollution- загрязнение

Survive- выживать

Survival- выживание

Restore– возвращать, отдавать обратно, восстанавливать

Borrow– брать взаймы

Conserve– сохранять, охранять

Preserve– поддерживать, оберегать

Comprehension tasks

1. Ask and answer.

1. How long ago did life … ?

… billion years ago.

2. What is … of life?

… solar warmth.

3. How do … of nature work?

… interaction.

4. What does … mean?

… the environment.

5. Why do we … soil?

… technologies.

6. Who are the people who … fundamental changes?

…

2. Translate into Russian:

Everything is dependent on everything; the earth’s thin skin; nourished by the earth’s matter; perfect and delicate balance; the relationship between life and its earthly surroundings; vital for survival; as a result of new technologies; dangerous effects; fundamental changes; circle of life.

3. Find in the text the words which means:

1. Place from which something comes or is got;

2. Natural home (soil type or climate) of animal or plant;

3. Upper layer of earth in which plants grow;

4. The envelope surrounding the planet from the subsoil to the stratosphere, occupied by living organisms;

5. Gradual loss or decrease as a result of use;

6. Physical breakdown;

7. Result or consequences of action;

8. Physical substance in general as distinct from mind and spirit.

4. Complete the sentences:

1. To survive on the earth, human be 4 ings require …

2. The modern technology of agricultural and industrial production accelerates

3. Through the use of chemical fertilizers in order to grow food we …

4. People who call for conservation of land resources are called …

5. To slow down the environment deterioration … in human technologies are necessary now.

6. To make the environment better we must learn to use our natural resources without producing so much…

5. Match the actions and results:

1. Replacement of many synthetic a. There will be much less

materials by natural ones. waste.

2. Replacement of chemical ferti- b. Dangerous gases will

lizers by biological ones. not pollute the air.

3. Complete reclamation of wastes c. A lot of fuel will be saved.

from combustion processes and

chemical operations.

4. Development of effective railroad d. Biological fertilizers do not system for transporting passengers pollute rivers and lakes.

and freight.

5. Recycling of reusable metal, glass e. Natural materials are

and paper products. degradable and will not

pollute land with rubbish.

6. Answer the following questions:

1. Why is the environmental crisis the international problem?

2. Can people slow down the environmental degradation?

3. Is the energy crisis one of the effects of the environmental crisis?

4. Why is the present situation threatening the survival of life itself?

7. Translate into English:

1. Без воды, воздуха и почвы жизнь не может продолжаться на Земле.

2. В естественной среде обитания все процессы находятся в сбалансированном взаимодействии.

3. Взаимоотношения между живыми организмами и окружающими земными условиями образуют круговорот жизни.

4. Природа бесконечно перерабатывает свои ресурсы.

5. Современное производство нарушает хрупкое равновесие природных циклов.

6. Загрязнение окружающей среды ведёт к уничтожению самих источников жизни.

7. Для того чтобы выжить на Земле, человек должен изменить технологии производства коренным образом.

8. Мы не должны превращать богатство Земли в опасные для самой жизни отходы.

8. Write about the situation with the nature around you.