Файл: Английский 1 семестр.docx

22 Environment Protection Must Be Global

That the problem of pollution (загрязнение) and ecology has become the most important one (слово-заменитель) for mankind (человечество) is evident (очевидный) to all. The more civilization is developing, the greater (чем …, тем … - сравнит. конструкция) the ecological problems are becoming. Air and water pollution by industry is now reaching (to reach – 1. Достигать; 2. простирать(ся)) tremendous (огромный, гигантский) proportions (зд. примеры). In our era it is changing from a national to an international problem, especially in territories where rivers cross (пересекать, переходить (напр. улицу)) several countries. The seas and oceans are also becoming seriously polluted. A similar situation is developing in the atmosphere. It is known that (известно, что…) many cities throughout the world suffer from (страдать от) air pollution.

However (однако, тем не менее), our scientific knowledge and technological (технический) advancement (прогресс) make it possible (дает возможность, делает возможным) to eliminate (исключать, устранять) it, if people use good will¹ and make considerable (значительный) investment (make investment – производить капиталовложения) to that purpose (цель). The development (разработка) of natural (природный) resources on a global scale (в общемировом (глобальном) масштабе) is already possible from a scientific and technical standpoint². Large-scale (крупномасштабный) experimental work in this area is successfully (успешно) being carried out (to carry out – выполнять, проводить, осуществлять).

At present (в настоящее время) scientists in industrially developed (промышленно развитый) countries are working on the theory of interaction (взаимодействие) of all the atmospheric and oceanic global processes that determine (определять) the climate and weather of the world. Increasing (все возрастающий) growth (рост, увеличение) of pollution, industrialization and the use of resources are slowly but surely (медленно, но верно) changing (to change – менять(ся), изменять(ся)) the global (мировой) climate and weather balance. This can be described as a great experiment, one (слово-заменитель) that my bring about (вызывать, приводить к) changes in the environment more serious than ever before (когда-либо (раньше)).

The essential (существенный) feature (характерная особенность, отличительная черта) in the environment protection (защита окружающей среды) is that many problems can be solved (to solve - решать (задачу, проблему)) only on the level of the world community³. Therefore (поэтому) the planning of protection against pollution by human society (человеческое общество) as a whole⁴ is imperative (настоятельный) today and in the nearest future. It is necessary (необходимо) to develop an international program to study data on land (земля), forest (лес), atmospheric and oceanic resources, both renewable (возобновляемый) and non-renewable. It is the joint efforts (объединенные (совместные) усилия) of many scientists and special public (общественный) organizations that⁵ can deal with (иметь дело с; рассматривать что-то, обсуждать; бороться с) the problem and take necessary measures (принимать меры) to protect the environment.

It is still (все еще) a big job (большой объем работ) and much remains to be done⁶. However (однако) scientists are confident (уверены) that planned actions of all countries can eliminate pollution and achieve (добиваться, достигать) successes (успех) in purifying (to purify – очищать) air, water and soil and in safeguarding natural resources. At the same time (в то же время) one must realize that social and political circumstances (обстоятельства) may stand in the way of future progress in this field.

Notes to the text

Упражнение 1. Найдите среди следующих слов:

а) антонимы

slowly, old, at present, small, quickly, in the past, new, large;

б) синонимы

tremendous, epoch, realize, several, work, progress, great, field, era, understand, make it possible, different, achieve, some, advance, enable, area, various, reach, essential, job, important.

Упражнение 2. Раскройте скобки.

When Peter was a child, he had two drawing books. One of them was (large) than the other. His elder brother bought the (large) one for him. Peter liked it (well) because the drawings in it were (large) and simple.

He drew something every day. Each new day his drawing was (good) than the one he had made the day before. The last page was much (good) than the first one.

New York is the (large) city in the US. Perhaps, with all its suburbs (пригород), it is the (large) city in the world. It is one of the (important) industrial cities in the country. Some of the (old) and historic buildings are there. Some of the buildings in New York City are the (high) buildings in the whole world. New York City is not only the (large) city in the US; it is also the (important) industrial center. Perhaps, the (expensive) office buildings in the world are there. It has the (great) number of factories, the (large) banks and post offices. It sends out many letters and receives the (heavy) mail bags. It is truly the (important) business city.

Упражнение 3. Прочитайте текст и озаглавьте его.

The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest -- 29,002 feet high. The largest ocean is the Pacific having a total area of 63,986,000 square miles. The Atlantic Ocean, the next largest, is only 31,530,000 square miles, the Indian Ocean with 28,350,000 square miles comes third. The longest river is the Nile which is more than 4,000 miles longer or about twice the distance by air from London to Beirut. The biggest island is Greenland which belongs to Denmark and is about 840,000 square miles in extent. The largest lake is the Caspian Sea. Geographers consider it as a lake because it is not connected with any of the great oceans. It has an area of about 170,000 square miles. Which is the deepest sea? So far, as we know at present the greatest depth is in the Pacific Ocean near the Philippines and goes down to 37,000 feet, which is much more than the height of Everest. The biggest volcano is in Ecuador, South America. It is still active and 19,612 feet high. There is another one between Argentina and Chile and it is more than 3,000 feet higher.

Упражнение 4. Прочитайте и переведите текст без словаря.

It is difficult for mankind to predict (предсказать) changes in the environment accurately. It is known that natural changes in weather and climate may have more catastrophic global effects than human activity. But scientists are developing a new concept that can help make such prediction more accurately. It is based on our understanding that the Earth is an integral system. Its parts — oceans, atmosphere, land or life — cannot be understood in isolation to predict changes in the most accurate way. Modern scientific and technological progress made it possible to use new technologies for that purpose. That satellites can control physical, chemical, biological and geological changes on a global scale is well-known now. One must also know that the study of environmental problems with the help of satellites is becoming international. Russia, the US, France, Japan, Canada, India, China and Italy are planning to send their satellites in both polar and geostationary orbits.

Ecological Problems of Big Cities

There are over 150 supercities in the world with population from one to 15 million and more. Tokyo, New York, London, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Moscow are just a few of the cities which have become supercities.

People in the supercities suffer from polluted environment: bad water, bad air and noise. A new term, urban (городской) climate, is used now for such cities. It means high temperature, oppressive atmosphere and intensive smog.

Some experts consider that it is practically impossible to protect the big cities from pollution. The World Health Organization (WHO) studied air pollution around the world for over eight years. It measured two things: the level of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) in the air (атмосфера) and the level of smoke. Sulphur dioxide and smoke pollute water and have serious effect on forest, buildings and health of people.

In the WHO report (отчет) it is shown that the cities with the most considerable level of CO₂ in the air are Milan, Teheran, Prague, Santiago and Sao Paulo. However, some cities with clean air get worse in winter. Helsinki, for example, becomes one of the cities with the largest proportion of it in the air in winter. This must be connected with the heating of houses. One can also mention (упоминать) Glasgow and Warsaw which suffer in the same way.

Solar Light by Night

Most people living in towns consider it a usual thing that streets are lit at night. But street lights need a power supply (источник энергии, источник питания) therefore distant areas with no source (источник) of electricity remain in darkness until the sun comes up again.

With new appliances now offered by several British firms, many distant places could be lit with solar-powered street lights. It may seem strange that the lamps can use the power of the sun which shines (to shine – shone – светить) by day when the lamps are needed at night, but they work by using energy accumulated during the day from a solar panel (солнечная батарея). The solar panel produces electricity which charges (to charge - заряжать) a battery. When the sun goes down, the battery power is then used for lighting. Each lamp has its own panel so the system can be used for one individual light or a number of them.

In the south of Saudi Arabia a motorway tunnel miles from any power supply is lit day and night by solar-powered devices. The solar panels provide power during the day and charge batteries which accumulate enough power to light the tunnel at night. The generation of electricity by batteries is still expensive but the advantage of sun-powered lamps is that they can bring light to areas distant from any other power supply.

There is one more advantage of solar power: not only it is unlimited, but also its use does not pollute the environment. That is why (поэтому) it is very important to develop devices which make it possible to transform solar power into mechanical or electric forms of power.

Non-traditional Renewable (возобновляемый) Sources of Energy

It is known that much is being done in the world today for the development of non-traditional sources of energy. Without them the Earth cannot support its present population of 5 billion people and probably 8 billion people in the 21st century.

Now we are using traditional power sources, that is (то есть), oil, natural gas, coal and water power with the consumption of more than 50 billion barrels per year. It is evident that these sources are not unlimited.

That is why it is so important to use such renewable (возобновляемый) sources of energy as the sun, wind, geothermal energy and others. Research is being carried out in these fields.

One of the most promising (перспективный) research is the development of power stations with direct transformation of solar energy into electricity on the basis of photo-effect. It was Russia that was the first in the world to develop and test a photoelectric battery of 32,000 volts and effective area of only 0.5 sq.m., which made it possible to concentrate solar radiation. This idea is now being intensively developed in many countries.

However, the efficiency of a solar power station is considerably reduced because of (из-за, вследствие; благодаря) the limited time of its work during the year. But it is possible to improve the efficiency of solar power stations by developing different combinations of solar power stations and traditional ones — thermal, atomic and hydraulic. Today some engineers are working at the problem of developing electric power stations with the use of a thermal-chemical cycle. It will operate on products of the transformation of solar energy, whereas (в то время как, тогда как) the «solar» chemical reactor uses CO₂ and water steam of the thermal power station. The result is that we have a closed cycle.

In Kamchatka there are geothermal power stations operating on hot water-steam mixture from the depths of about a kilometre. In some projects water will be heated by the warmth of mountains at a depth of four-five km.

It is planned that plants working on the energy of the solar heat provided by the sun will be built on a larger scale.

That different wind energy plants are being developed is also well-known. These energy plants can be small (of several kilowatts) and large powerful systems.

It is important that all these advances in developing new sources of energy and improving the old ones help to solve the energy problem as a whole and they do not have negative effects on the environment.