I. Reading comprehension
What is the main idea of the article?
a. We face the environmental problems and cannot solve them.
b. We fail to adhere to basic ecological principles of sustainability. с The principles of sustainability may show us the direction we
need take.
First Principle of Sustainability says:
a. We mine elements in one location and dispose of them in another.
73
Ecosystems: How They Work
b. Ecosystems dispose of wastes.
с Ecosystems replenish nutrients by recycling all elements.
3. Phosphate withdrawn from soils by agricultural crops comes to us with
a. effluents of our wastes
b. our food supplies с various waterways
4. There is basically a one-way flow of phosphate from
a. various locations to soils
b. various waterways to soils с mine to waterways
5. We have created a flow of aluminum, mercury, lead, and cadmium
a. from mine to our industry
b. from natural deposits to landfills с through our systems to dumps
6. The one-way flow leads to two problems
a. ecological disturbances
b. depletion of the resources at one end с pollution at the other end
7. Countless waterways around the world are suffering severe ecolog ical disturbances from
a. being oversupplied with nutrients
b. being oversupplied with phosphate с being oversupplied with nitrogen
8. Many rivers and other bodies of water are contaminated with
a. a waste product of gold mining
b. toxic elements from various discharges с toxic materials
9. When toxic materials are put into dumps, they tend to leak out causing pollution of
a. surface water
b. soil
с both ground and surface water Ю. Second Principle of Sustainability is:
a. Ecosystems run on fuels refined from crude oil.
b. Ecosystems use sunlight as their source of energy.
с Ecosystems use energy from coal-fired power plants.
6 - 4938
74
Unit Six
Ecosystems: How They Work
75
11. In
contrast to this principle, we have developed machinery,
engines,
and
heating plants that run on
a. fossil fuels b. natural gas с crude oil
12. Most homes, buildings, and hot water are heated with
a. electricity b. fossil fuels с natural gas
13. Fossil fuels are used in
a. farm machinery, transportation, and refrigeration
b. production of fertilizer and pesticides с processing and canning, cooking
14. The byproducts of burning fossil fuels enter the atmosphere and are directly responsible for
a. urban smog and acid rain
b. the potential of global warming
с most severe air pollution problems
15. Third Principle of Sustainability is connected with
a. changing the overall dynamics of the biosphere
b. using solar energy on a vast scale
с maintaining the size of consumer population without overgrazing
16. In contrast to this principle, the human population
a. is continuing to increase at a rate of 90 mln people per year
b. has increased more than five-fold in the past 200 years с has nearly trippled in just the last 60 years
17. Humans are supported by
a. a technological agricultural system
b. a natural ecosystem с both of them
18. The most serious form of figurative overgrazing maybe
a. displacing and degrading natural ecosystems
b. the ever-expanding human development and exploitation с the extinction of countless species