Unit 4.The Environmental Preservation

I. Прочитайте новые слова и их перевод:

Tiny – очень маленький, крошечный Universe – Вселенная, мироздание Human beings – люди Polluted – загрязнённый Surroundings – окрестности; среда Uncrowded – непереполненный Rural – деревенский Acid – кислотный (о химическом составе) Threaten – грозить, угрожать (чем-л.) Trend – курс, направление Nuclear wastes – ядерные отходы Fertilizer – удобрение

Pesticide – пестицид, средство для борьбы с вредителями Fate – судьба Insect – насекомое Species – вид Extinct – вымерший Trace – след, отпечаток Abundant – обильный, богатый Greenhouse effect – экол. парниковый эффект Disaster – бедствие Recycle – повторно использовать; возвращать в оборот (отходы производства) Litter – мусор

1. Работая в группах, выберите 5 слов и дайте их определения. Запишите только определения и обменяйтесь списком с другими группами. По определениям догадайтесь, какие слова выбрала другая группа. Пример: Trend – a general direction in which something is developing or changing

2. Перед прочтением текста обсудите следующие вопросы:

Can you see ecological problems in the world around you? What are they?

Name the main ecological problems in your region.

3. Прочитайте текст и составьте его план.

The Ecological Crisis: a Myth or Reality

The planet Earth is only a tiny part of the universe, but it’s the only place where human beings can live. People always polluted their surroundings. But until now pollution was not such a serious problem. People lived in uncrowded rural areas and did not have pollution caused by machines. With the development of crowded industrial cities, which created huge amounts of pollutants, the problem has become more important. Today our planet is in serious danger. Acid rains, global warming, air and water pollution, and overpopulation are the problems that threaten human life on Earth. Our forests are disappearing because they are cut down or burnt. If this trend continues, one day we won’t have enough oxygen to breathe.

The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear wastes, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following its fate. The Aral Sea is about to disappear. Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out forever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today may soon become extinct. Air pollution is another serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is dangerous – equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for many Russian cities.

Factories emit tons of harmful chemicals. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.

And even greater threat are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.

Fortunately, it’s not too late to solve these problems. We have the time, the money and even the technology to make our planet a better, cleaner and safer place. We can plant trees and create parks for endangered species. We can recycle litter. Individuals and groups of people can work together to persuade enterprises to stop polluting activities.

People are beginning to realize that environmental problems are not somebody else’s. They join and support various international organizations and green parties. If governments wake up to what is happening – perhaps we’ll be able to avoid the disaster that threatens the natural world and all of us with it.

4.* Работа в группах по три человека. Обсудите каждую из перечисленных проблем по данным вопросам. Сделайте краткие записи. Обменяйтесь мнениями с другими группами.

1. Whatproblemsareconnectedwiththesematters?

2. What would be the best way to solve these problems?

1) cities; 2) forests and seas; 3) nuclear power stations.

Используйте фразы: Firstly/first of all; secondly, thirdly; For instance/for example; In short; In conclusion/To sum up; In my opinion/view…; To my mind…; It seems to me that…; I think that…