Read and translate the text:
The poisoning of the world's land, air and water is the fastest spreading disease of civilization. It probably produces fewer headlines than wars, earthquakes and floods, but it is potentially one of history's greatest dangers to human life on the earth. If present trends continue for the next several decades, our planet will become uninhabitable.
Overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption have created such planet-wide problems as massive deformation, ozone depletion, acid rains and global warming that is believed to be caused by the greenhouse effect.
The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead, the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas.
Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out for ever. If nothing is done about it, million species which are alive today will have become extinct twenty years from now.
Air pollution is a very serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is life threatening - equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for Mexico City and 600 cities of the former Soviet Union.
Industrial enterprises emit tons of harmful substances. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.
An even greater environmental problem are not somebody else's. They join and support various international organizations and green parties. If governments wake up what is happening - perhaps we'll be able to avoid the disaster that threatens the world and all of us with it.
Answer the questions:
1. What is the fastest-spreading disease of civilization?
2. What planet-wide problems have overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption created?
3. What will happen to our planet if present trends continue?
4. What is happening to the seas and rivers?
5. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. Do you think it's possible to save it?
6. Is air pollution a serious problem? Why?
7. What were the tragic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?
8. Are nuclear power stations dangerous?
9. What is the main cause of the greenhouse effect and acid rains?
10. What do people of different countries do to save our planet?
Vocabulary:
environment окружающая среда
headline заголовок
earthquake землетрясение
flood наводнение
potentially потенциально
decade декада
uninhabitable непригодный для жилья
overpopulation перенаселение
consumption потребление
deforestation обезлесение
ozone depletion истощение озонового слоя
greenhouse effect парниковый эффект
industrial and nuclear waste промышленные и ядерные отходы
fertilizer удобрение
to poison отравлять
to spread (spread, spread) распространяться
disease болезнь
species вид, род
to die out вымирать
to become extinct угасать, вымирать
enterprise предприятие
to emit выбрасывать
emission выброс
harmful substances вредные вещества
disastrous чудовищный
disaster несчастье, беда
consequence последствие
threat угроза
nuclear power stations атомные электростанции
tragic трагический
to support поддерживать
to threaten угрожать
the Mediterranean Средиземное море
the North Sea Северное море
the Aral Sea Аральское море
trend тенденция
acid rains кислотные дожди
global warming глобальное потепление
Mexico City Мехико
Chernobyl Чернобыль
pesticide пестицид
on the brink of extinction на грани исчезновения
environmental protection защита окружающей среды
rubbish мусор
kitchen leftovers кухонные отходы
to pollute загрязнять
to be concerned about smth. беспокоиться о чем-то
to put trash into smth. сбрасывать мусор(во что-то)
the polluted water загрязненная вода
to get contaminated быть отравленным
air pollution загрязнение воздуха
to destroy the ozone layer разрушать озоновый слой
to die from acid rain погибать из-за кислотных дождей
to affect the balance of nature оказывать влияние на гармонию в природе
to protect from pollution защищать от загрязнения
Read the dialogue and act it out:
- And we have a scientist with us today to discuss various predictions about our weather in the future. Professor Stein, what do you think about the latest report about our climate?
- I think the predictions are, in general, very accurate.
- So you think temperature will rise in the future?
- Yes, in the next twenty-five years, they'll rise by two six degrees.
- And what will the consequences of that be?
- Well, the ice at the North and South poles will melt and the sea level will rise.
- Do you think whole countries will disappear?
- No, I don't. That won't happen for another hundred or more years.
- And will there be enough fresh water for everyone?
- Yes, there will. But it won't come from rainfall, which will decrease in general, but from the sea with the salt taken out.
- Will fresh water cost more?
- Yes, certainly. And this will mean that factory goods will cost more to produce.
- What effect will this have on the economy? Will it get worse?
- No, I don't think so. But we'll have to change our lifestyles in the future.
Список рекомендуемой литературы
Основная учебная литература
1. Полякова Т.Ю., Синявская Е.В., Тынкова О.И., Улановская Э.С. Английский язык для инженеров. М., 1998.
2. Пумпянский А.Л. Упражнения по переводу научной и технической литературы. М., 1998.
Дополнительная литература
3. Дроздова Е.В. Everyday English. “Химера”, 2000.
4. Murphy R. English Grammar in Use, Cambridge, 2000.
5. Англо-русский, русско-английский словарь, Oxford, New York, 1997.
Список рекомендуемой литературы
Основная учебная литература
1. Полякова Т.Ю., Синявская Е.В., Тынкова О.И., Улановская Э.С. Английский язык для инженеров. М., 1998.
2. Учебное пособие «Английский язык для факультета нефти и газа». М., 1998.
Дополнительная литература
3. Коваленко Е.Г. Новый англо-русский словарь по нефти и газу. В двух томах. М., 1998.
4. Murphy R. English Grammar in Use, Cambridge, 2000.
5. Англо-русский, русско-английский словарь, Oxford, New York, 1997.