- •1 Divide the words and expressions given below into two lists: “protectors of the environment” and “threats to the environment”.
- •2 Match word combinations with their translations
- •3 Put in an appropriate word or word combination.
- •4 Translate into English.
- •5 Correct the following statements.
- •6 Give definitions to the words.
- •7 Read the text and be ready to speak about transport activities and the environment.
- •1 Complete the sentences.
- •2 Answer the questions.
- •3 Speak about:
- •1 Say if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
- •2 Fill in the correct word derived from the word in brackets.
- •3 Multiple choice.
- •1Read the text and be ready to discuss cars as the main cause of air pollution.
- •1 Translate from Russian into English.
- •2 Match English words and word combinations with their Russian equivalents.
- •3 Fill in the correct word derived from the words at the end of the sentence.
- •4 Answer the questions on the text.
- •1 Translate the text from Russian into English.
- •1 Work in pairs or groups.
- •1 Points for discussion.
- •1 Match the words from a with those from b to make word combinations.
- •3 Give definitions to the words.
- •4 Read the following text. Use the information given in it while speaking about air pollution.
- •1 Answer the questions.
- •2 Read the text again. Find a paragraph which:
- •1 Say if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.
- •2 Fill in the table. Find information in the text.
- •3 Complete these sentences with suitable words from the box.
- •1 Read the text and be ready to discuss ecological situation in big cities.
- •1 Find English equivalents for Russian words.
- •2 Complete the collocates below by adding an appropriate noun. Some can combine with more than one noun.
- •3 Open the brackets and use the verb in the required tense-form; fill in the blanks using a word from the following list:
- •4 Translate into English.
- •5 What environmental problems do these passages refer to?
- •1 Translate the text from Russian into English
- •1 “ Friends of the Earth” have organized a summer camp for everybody interested in the environmental protection. The hot issue of the day is air pollution.
- •1 The consequences of air pollution may be fatal that is why we must take measures before it is too late. Can anything be done? What exactly? Read this information and do the task below.
- •In groups analyze the condition of air in your city/country. Is it satisfactory? Work out several Clean Air Laws for improving the situation. Report on the problem and offer your suggesting.
- •1. Read and memorize the following words and word-combinations:
- •2. Read and translate the following chemical element and compounds:
- •3. Translate the following word combinations into Russian.
- •4. Match the words from the part a with those from the part b.
- •7. Read the following article and make a chart:
- •Air Pollution Fallouts
- •Marine Vessels Discharges and Spills
- •2. Infrastructure Impacts
- •De-Icing of Infrastructure and Runoffs
- •Construction and Maintenance of Infrastructure
- •1. Answer the following questions:
- •1. Answer the following questions:
- •1. Read the following paragraph. Fill in each blank with a suitable word given below:
- •1. Read and memorize the following words and word-combinations:
- •1. Using the text give derivatives from the following words and translate them into Russian:
- •1. Into how many paragraphs is the article divided?
- •1. Analyze the given information and group it in two parts: ‘facts’ and ‘opinion’.
- •2. Make up a summary of the text.
- •1. Translate the following word combinations into Russian.
- •3. Read the following article and write down the questions that occur to you while reading.
- •4. Read the following article and make a chart:
- •1. Answer the following questions:
- •3. Choose from part II the appropriate continuation of the sentences.
1. Answer the following questions:
What are the main sources of water pollution?
What are the consequences of nitrogen fallouts in water?
How do air pollution fallouts influence aquatic ecosystem?
Why are petroleum products harmful for aquatic environment?
How does de-icing of transportation infrastructure affect the environment?
What are the main sources of runoffs?
How do different kinds of transportation and their set of infrastructure interfere with hydric systems and influence them?
2. What do you think the main idea, message of the article is?
3. Into how many paragraphs is the article divided?
4. Find key sentences (main points).
5. What is the topic of each paragraph?
In a brainstorming activity try to anticipate some of the main points and offer your own ideas on the subject before reading the text.
2. Read the article and present the information in the form of a diagram, table, etc.
Text 2
Noise Pollution Emitted by Transportation Systems
Road Transportation Noise
Road accounts for approximately 70% of total noise emissions by transportation. It must be noted that different road transportation modes have different scales of noise emissions.
Main sources of noise come from the engine and the friction of the wheels over the road surface. Further, travel speed and the intensity of traffic are directly linked with its intensity of noise. For instance, one truck moving at 90 km/hr makes as much noise as 28 cars moving at the same speed.
Ambient noise is a frequent result of road transportation in urban areas. The addition of all the noise generated by cars, trucks and buses creates a permanent ambient noise (ranging from 45 to 65 db) that impairs the quality of life in urban areas and thus the property values of residences. Nearby road arterials, ambient noise is replaced by direct noise and vibrations. The acoustics created by the surrounding environment (hills, buildings, trees, open space, etc.) alleviate or worsen local conditions.
Noise level grows arithmetically with speed. For instance a car traveling at 20 km/hr emits 55 db of rolling noise, at 40 km/hr 65 db, at 80 km/hr 75 db and at 100 km/hr 80 db. Available evidence underlines that around 45% of the population in developed countries live in high levels of noise intensity (over 55 db) generated by road transportation. Along major highway arterials in inter-urban areas, noise emissions are likely to alter the living environment of wildlife species.
Rail Transportation Noise
Rail accounts for 10% of total noise emissions by transportation. Noise comes from the engine (mostly diesel), the friction of wheels over the rails, and whistle blowing. Furthermore, when trains are moving at high speed, areoacoustic noise becomes more important than other sources. Depending of the train aerodynamics, noise emissions are from 50 to 80 times the logarithm of train speed and become significant at speeds higher than 200 km/hr.
When rail / truck transshipment is involved, the convergence of trucks towards railyards provides an additional source of noise related to rail transportation activities.
Around 3% of the population may be exposed to high noise levels from rail transportation in OECD countries. The level of exposure is obviously related to the importance and location of rail transportation infrastructure. The most important noise impacts of rail operations are in urban areas where the majority transshipment functions are performed. Furthermore, rail terminals are often located in the central and high density areas of cities.
Air Transportation Noise
Air transportation accounts for 20% of total noise emissions by transportation. As air transportation took a growing importance in inter-city transportation and that jet engines were predominantly used, noise emissions have increased significantly to the point of becoming a major concern near airports.
Noise comes from the jet engine, the aerodynamic friction and ground craft operations. Even if the turbofan is the least noisy jet propulsion technology available, aircrafts are an acute source of noise in several urban areas. Noise from aircraft operation is known to have direct impact on property values around airports. This effect is distributed along major approach and takeoff lanes.
The establishment of heavily used flight paths between major cities creates noise corridors where ambient noise is almost prevalent. This is particularly noted when those corridors are over densely populated areas.
(Author : Dr. Jean-Paul Rodrigue)