1. Specialists suppose that one hectare of coniferous forests sucks annually 30 tons of dust.

One hectare of coniferous forests is supposed to suck annually 30 tons of dust.

2. Everybody knows that wood is a renewable raw material.

Everybody knows wood to be a renewable raw material.

1. It is well known that wood is a very valuable material. 2. It is supposed that wood will be inexhaustible raw material if properly managed. 3. It is expected that the storage of lumber in piles reduces the probability of fungi and insect attack. 4. Investigations showed that freshly sawed lumber splits if exposed to direct sunshine. 5. We expect that forests reduce the level of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere. 6. One study revealed that the production of a ton of timber requires only 435 kw hours of electrical energy. 7. It is a well known fact that burning wood transmits heat not so rapidly.

2. Read one more text on the problem and do the tasks. The Requirements to Hardwood Lumber Drying

A. The fundamental reasons for drying lumber is to enhance the properties of the wood and thereby make the lumber more valuable. In short, the primary objective when drying hardwood is to produce a useful product, minimizing any quality losses, thereby conserving natural resources and at the same time making a profit. Stated another way, hardwood lumber drying is, or should be, a conservation-oriented, profitable process.

B. Some advantages of dried lumber over undried or partially dried lumber are as follows:

• Lumber with less than 20 % maximum moisture content (MC) has no risk of developing stain, decay or mold as a result of fungul activity.

• Dry lumber is typically more than twice as strong and nearly twice as stiff as wet lumber.

• Fasteners driven into dry lumber, including nails and screws, will perform much better than do fasteners in wet lumber, especially if the wet lumber dries after fastening.

• Dry lumber weighs 40% to 50% less than wet, undried lumber. For example, an 18-wheel, flatbed truck can haul about 7,500 board feet of wet lumber, 10,500 board feet of partially dried lumber, and 12,500 board feet of kiln-dried lumber.

• Products made from properly dried lumber will shrink very little or none at all while in service.

• Gluing, machining and finishing are much easier to accomplish with dry wood.

• Wood that will be treated with fire retardants or preservatives after drying must be at least partially dried to allow for quick penetration of the treating chemicals.

C. Proper drying, aimed at achieving the highest possible quality of the wood, seems to have assumed new importance and gained appreciation in the past decade. An increasing number of companies are insisting on high quality standards. Customers have become aware of the factors that influence costs. Because the wood raw material often constitutes 75% of total costs, customers now insist on exceptional quality of dried lumber. Furniture and cabinet industries, for example, have found that a 1% increase in yield through better drying can reduce the cost of parts by more than $ 40 / thousand board feet, based on estimates using 1998 cost and values. Lumber drying has entered a new era, one of high quality drying. In poor drying operation, the costs incurred by loss in quality can easily exceed all other drying costs combined. In a high quality operation, the costs incurred by loss in quality can be considerably lower ($ 15 / thousand board feet), and most of this loss is the result of the inherent quality of the wood and not the drying procedures.

D. When drying lumber the key question is “What level of quality does the customer require?” This question, which determines the quality that must be achieved, must be answered before analyzing the correct drying method.

In addition to knowing the level of quality required, the trained kiln operator needs to have the right equipment; to assure that the equipment is operated and maintained properly; to receive properly stacked, good quality lumber; and to have adequate time to do the job correctly.

Task 1.

Define which of the statements are:

A- true B- false C- not mentioned in the text

1. The primary aim of drying hardwoods is to produce useful high quality profitable products.

2. Wet lumber is twice as strong as dry lumber.

3. The level of quality of lumber the customer will require must be defined before the drying process.

4. Moisture content does not influence the quality of lumber required.

Task 2.

Which paragraphs (A,B,C,D) express the following ideas?

1. The requirements of customers to the quality of drying became more strict.

2. Proper drying contributes to many good qualities of lumber.

Task 3.

Answer the question. Make the right choice.

What does poor drying operation lead to?

It leads to _____.

A. the increase of costs incurred by loss in quality

B. raising the quality of lumber

C. the increase of high quality standards

D. the increase of demand of lumber

Task 4.

Finish the sentence in accordance with the text.

To make the lumber more valuable it is necessary _____.

A. to increase water content

B. to dry it properly

C. to expose it to fungus attack

D. to dry it partially

Task 5.

Answer the question:

Why has proper drying gained new appreciation in the past decade?

1. Customers don’t know about high quality standards.

2. Exceptional quality of dried lumber is of no value.

3. Customers have become aware of the factors affecting the cost.

4. Proper drying does not reduce the cost of parts for furniture and cabinet industries.

Task 6.

What is the main idea of the text?

1. Furniture and cabinet industries are not interested in the reduction of the cost of parts.

2. Customers do not insist on high quality standards.

3. Proper drying does not affect the quality of the end product.

4. Proper drying minimizes quality losses and increases the quality standards of the end products.