Withering (гибель) soils and crops

There’s little doubt that Europe is getting warmer. During the last century, average temperatures increased by about 0.7degrees Celsius. The 1990s marked the hottest decade since record–keeping began in the mid – 1800s. This decade has already produced the other three hottest years, from 2001 to 2003. For example, the Portuguese Institute of Water recorded the whole of Portugal was enduring “serious” or “extreme” drought. Streams have dried up. Livestock are dying. Crops are withering.

Farmers are not the only ones to suffer. As rivers fall, industries and hydroelectric plants are affected, says scientific coordinator of the Italian environmental association and adds that the situation is alarming. Fierce competition for water is altering southern Europe’s political relationships. France and Spain are in talks about sending huge amounts of French water to Barcelona, or even further down the Spanish coast.

Speaking:

Exercise 6. Make the abstract of two texts, using key vocabulary and tell about:

1. the reasons of droughts;

2. how the countries in the area of Mediterranean suffered for the recent years;

3. what factors are enhancing the risks of desertification;

4. what human factors can exacerbate the break of ecological landscape;

5. the weather getting warmer;

6. the influence of heat the agricultural activity of the people.

Checklist for Section V

1. What is the structure and translation of Nominative Infinitive Construction?

2. What are the suffixes for person nouns?

3. What droughts can result in?

4. Why droughts are dangerous for Europe?

Part II

People’s Hazards

Section I

Grammar: Participle I and Gerund.

Word-formation: suffix –ee.

Speaking: Human factor in accidents.

Learn the pronunciation and meaning of the words:

failure	['feIljə]	авария, повреждение, отказ в работе, остановка
fatigue	[fə'tI:g]	усталость (металла)
rudder	['rʌdə] ав. руль (направления)
flap	ав. закрылок
slat	ав. предкрылок
spoiler	ав. щиток поперечного управления
steering	рулевое управление
to slam	хлопать, ударяться
to erupt	прорываться, возникать
navigator	мор. ав. штурман
to decipher	[dI'saIfə] расшифровывать
bump	(глухой) удар
witnessing	погружение, увязание
landing gear	шасси
mound	насыпь, холм
to miss	пропустить, промахнуться
landing strip	посадочная полоса
to verify	проверять, удостоверять