Introspection
Nuclear critics are relentlessly vociferous on the possible risks of nuclear reactor accidents, the vexing problems of disposing nuclear waste, and the imminent dangers of nuclear fuel transportation. These are facts which cannot be taken lightly.
The trend in the increase of nuclear plants is growing in the world. Add to that the ever increasing number of dangerous nuclear weapons. The world has not considered natural calamities like volcanoes, massive destructive floods, and earth quakes. In such situations destruction of a nuclear plant is practically unavoidable. World debate on nuclear issues must ponder inevitable dangerous catastrophes.
Considering all these facts, it is definitely sensible to use harmless solar energy, wind power, geothermal energy, rice husk fuel, ocean energy, and hydraulic power. These are economical, free, and natural renewable resources.
Japan - a Wake Up Call?
In March 2011, Japan experienced one of the greatest earthquakes in the history of humankind. Japan, a country known for pioneering nuclear technology and setting up numerous nuclear power plants could not handle the pressure of earthquake tremors that shook its nuclear energy program badly. Two major nuclear power plants were destroyed by the earthquake aftershocks and the surrounding area was instantaneously vacated. Japan is a great country and it is known for fighting back. The country will definitely fight back and rebuild itself but this is certainly a wakeup call for those developing countries which are amassing nuclear weapons and building nuclear power plants without having any sound disaster-control technology.
It is high time that lessons are learned and sound disaster control technologies are put into place because if right steps are not taken in the right time, things will definitely get worse than Japan.
Read the text carefully and answer these questions according to the information in the text.
1. What are the main radioactive elements?
2. How many isotopes does the nucleus of Uranium have?
3. Are the isotopes of Uranium stable?
4. Where can Uranium 238 be found?
5. What is its byproduct? And how is it used?
6. Can Uranium be dissolved?
7. How long is the decay process?
8. What can cause problems in nuclear reactors?
9. When does a reactor become overheated beyond its safety limits?
10. What is the main reason for a nuclear explosion?
11. What are the three issues raised by nuclear critics?
12. In what situations is the destruction of a nuclear plant inevitable?
13. Why is the earthquake in Japan considered to be a wake up call?
ǃ Articles (a/an/the) precede nouns and some other words in a noun phrase, e.g. few, little, adjectives. The article is usually the first word in a noun phrase
Look at this sentence from the text: Radioactive elements are used to generate nuclear power in a scientifically controlled atmosphere.
1. We use the indefinite article (a/an) with singular countable nouns: a nuclear explosion, an alpha particle.
2. We use the definite article (the) with singular countable nouns (the reactor), with plural nouns (the earthquake aftershocks) and uncountable nouns (the radioactivity).
3. We use a/an when the topic is not known to our listener or reader; we use the when it is known.
Look at these sentences from the text: Nuclear meltdown is an informal designation.
Nuclear meltdown causes severe nuclear reactor problems due to overheating of the reactor.
We usually use a/an for the first reference to a topic in a text, but then we use the for subsequent references.
Look at these sentences from the text: Japan, a country known for pioneering nuclear technology and setting up numerous nuclear power plants…
The country will definitely fight back and rebuild itself…
We do not always have to mention something for it to be known tom the listener. We consider that it is known in the following situations:
Something is unique, e.g. the Earth
Superlatives, e.g. …Japan experienced one of the greatest earthquakes…
The context makes it ‘known’, e.g. Maintaining and enforcing the stringent safety norms costs lots of money.
With plural nouns we use either the or no article. We don’t use article when we want to refer to a group or class on general.
Compare: Nuclear critics are relentlessly vociferous on the possible risks of nuclear reactor accidents, the vexing problems of disposing nuclear waste, and the imminent dangers of nuclear fuel transportation. The critics mention the facts which cannot be taken lightly.
The is used before only, last, first (used as adjectives), e.g. the only major nuclear accident
No article is normally used before the words each, every, other, another. e.g. every person on Earth
For more information about articles and their correct use, consult ENGLISH GRAMMAR IN USE by R. Murphy Units 71 - 77