Match the words with their translations.
| 1. pollution 2. environment 3. the ozone layer 4. global warming 5. acid rain 6. car exhaust fumes 7. dumping industrial waste in seas and rivers 8. aerosol can 9. CFCs 10. to recycle 11. natural resources 12. human resources | a. глобальное потепление b. автомобильные выхлопные газы c. загрязнение окружающей среды d. озоновый слой e. перерабатывать f. аэрозольный баллончик g. кислотные дожди h. химикат, содержащийся в аэрозольных баллончиках, способный разрушать озоновый слой i. человеческие ресурсы j. cброс промышленных отходов в моря и реки k. природные ресурсы l. окружающая среда |
Read and translate the text Ecological problems.
Ecological problems are causing great damage to our environment. Among the most urgent ones are the ozone layer, acid rains, global warming, toxic pollution of atmosphere, disappearance of forests, contamination of underground waters by chemical elements, destruction of soil in some areas, and threat to some flora and fauna representatives.
The Earth is the home to millions of different kinds of living things, which make up the complex world of nature. Nowadays people try to change their habitats to suit their own needs – to create farmlands or build cities. They create pollution and destroy wildlife habitats by digging the ground up for mining, or by building roads through them. A quarter of all the plants in the world are known to be in a danger or threatened with extinction. There are different types of pollution: water pollution, air pollution, ground pollution and nuclear pollution.
Acid rain falls when poisonous gases from power stations and vehicle exhausts mix with oxygen and moisture in the air. These gases become the part of the water cycle and may be carried a long way by the wind before they fall as acid rain, which kills wildlife in lakes, rivers, and forests, and damages the surrounding plant life.
World temperatures are currently rising every year. This so called global warming is caused by the building of gases and water vapour in the atmosphere. As the planet warms up, the polar ice caps will start to melt. This could cause sea levels to rise and many habitats will disappear under water.
Ecological problems have no borders. However, environment disasters can be avoided if people broaden ecological education and every person understands that the beauty of nature is extremely fragile. Governments must take serious actions against pollution.
3. Choose true or false:
1. The Earth has never been the home to millions of different kinds of living things.
2. A half of all the plants in the world are known to be in a danger or threatened with extinction.
3. Acid rain falls when harmful gases from power stations mix with oxygen and moisture in the air.
4. Among the most urgent Ecological problems are the ozone layer, global warming, aerosol can and toxic pollution of atmosphere.
5. Global warming kills wildlife in lakes, rivers, and forests.
6. Global warming is caused by the building of gases and water vapour in the atmosphere.
Read and translate the text Environmental problems.
Since ancient times Nature has served Man, being the source of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited. But with the development of civilization man's interference in nature began to increase. Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises appear all over the world today. The products of their activity pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables on.
Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result, some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up. The pollution of air and the world's ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of man's careless interaction with nature, a sign of the ecological crises. The most horrible ecological disaster befell Ukraine and its people after the Chernobyl tragedy in April 1986. About 18 per cent of the territory of Belarus were also polluted with radioactive substances. A great damage has been done to the agriculture, forests and people's health. The consequences of this explosion at the atomic power station are tragic for the Ukrainian, Belarusians and other nations.
Environmental protection is of a universal concern. That is why serious measures to create a system of ecological security should be taken. Some progress has been already made in this direction. As many as 159 countries - members of the UNO - have set up environmental protection agencies. Numerous conferences have been held by these agencies to discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions including the Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass, Semipalatinsk and Chernobyl. An international environmental research centre has been set up on Lake Baikal. The international organisation Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment. But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried to protect nature, to save life on the planet, not only for the sake of the present, but also for the future generations.
5. Choose true or false:
1. Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises appear all over the world today.
2. Many cities suffer from smog.
3. The most horrible ecological disaster befell Spain and its people in April 1986.
4. Environmental protection is of a local concern.
5. For thousands of years it seemed to people that natural riches were unlimited.
6. 159 countries are members of the UNO.