2. Study the vocabulary:

1. renowned известный, знаменитый

2. cradle колыбель, истоки

3. heritage наследие

4. habitat среда обитания, естественная среда

5. provide снабжать, обеспечивать

6. alterations изменения, перемены

7. human generated произведенные человеком

8. affect действовать, влиять

9. evidence свидетельство

10. ruins развалины, руины

11. historical records исторические записи, документы

12. remains руины, развалины

13. embankment дамба, насыпь, набережная

14. water supply водоснабжение, запас воды

15. divert отводить, отклонять

3. Learn to recognize the following international words:

basin, civilization, cultural, modern, community, commerce, functions, history, natural, engineering, ruin, canal, dam, irrigation, project, aqueduct, hydropower generation.

4. Read the text and answer the question:

• Where is the earliest dam found?

Text 1. FROM THE HISTORY OF DAMS

River basins are renowned as the cradles of civilization and cultural heritage. Ancient and modern communities alike have depended on rivers for livelihood, commerce, habitat and the sustaining ecological functions they provide. Throughout history alternations to rivers - natural or human generated – have affected riverine communities in one way or another.

The earliest evidence of river engineering is the ruins of irrigation canals over eight thousand years old in Mesopotamia. Remains of water storage dams found in Jordan, Egypt and other parts of the Middle East date back to at least 3000 BC.

Historical records suggest that the use of dams for irrigation and water supply became more widespread about a thousand years later. At that time, dams were built in the Mediterranian region, China and Meso America. Remains of earth embankment dams built for diverting water to large community reservoirs can still be found in Sri Lanka and Israel. The Dujiang irrigation project, which supplied 800 000 hectares in China, is 2 200 years old. Dams and aqueducts built by the Romans to supply drinking water and sewer systems for towns still exist today.

The first use of dams for hydropower generation was around 1890. By 1900, several hundred large dams had been built in different parts of the world, mostly for water supply and irrigation.

5. Answer the questions:

1. Why are rivers renowned as the cradles of civilizations?

2. How old are the ruins of irrigation canals in the Middle East?

3. When did the use of dams become more widespread?

4. How old is the Dujiang irrigation project?

5. When were dams for hydropower generation used for the first time?

6. How many large dams had been built in different parts of the world by 1900?

6. Tell your partner about the first alterations to rivers.

7. Look in the text and find the adjectives that describe the following words.

1. dam …………………………………………….

2. community …………………………………………….

3. heritage …………………………………………….

4. evidence …………………………………………….

5. records …………………………………………….

6. reservoirs ……………………………………………..

7. parts ……………………………………………..

8. Read the sentences below. Think of synonyms for the underlined words.

1. River basins are renowned as the cradles of civilization.

2. Dams were constructed in the Mediterranean region, China and Meso America.

3. Remains of water storage dams are found in Jordan, Egypt.

4. Remains of old dams built for diverting water to large reservoirs can be found in Sri Lanka.

LESSON 2

1. Learn to recognize the following international words:

construct, dam, industrialized, period, phenomenal, peak, decade, dramatic, technically, nations, focus.