Ecology is a priority

Text B

1. Match the English words and word combinations in A with their Russian equivalents in B.

A B

a pressing problem	разрушение
course-and-effect relations	приводить к чему-либо
destruction	загрязнение
species of plants	разрушение, уничтожение
consequences	природные ресурсы
to result in smth.	парниковый эффект
application	применение, использование
by comparison with smth.	виды растений
greenhouse effect	влиять на что-либо
fertile regions	отходы
raw materials	плодородные земли
to threaten	по сравнению с чем-либо
to influence smth.	последствия
waste products	острая проблема
pollution	причинно-следственные отношения

2. Read the text trying to understand its main idea.

The ecological problem, which is also very social one, is one of the pressing problems of our days. It is closely linked, through course-and-effect relations, to the problems of economic growth, progress in science and technology, natural resources, energy and food supplies. In many cases the environmental problem has become a dominant one in relation to many others. The pollution of the environment, the destruction of ecosystems, the destruction of many species of plants and animals have now reached dangerous proportions. An increasing influence on nature and the application of new technological processes (whose consequences are increasingly dangerous for the environment) may cause catastrophic results. Negative anthropogenic influences threaten to disrupt nature′s basic cycles. This is illustrated by the following data. By comparison with the twentieth century the accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased dozens of times in many cities, and has increased globally by 20 per cent. As a result a layer of carbon dioxide is formed around the Earth. It may result in changes in unfavourable climate and transform our blue planet into a greenhouse with catastrophic effects. Those include changes in its energy balance and a gradual increase in temperature that will transform fertile regions into arid ones, raise the level of water in the oceans (through the melting of polar and drifting ice) and produce a flooding of great numbers of coastal lands and cities. Pollution of the ocean has increased at a rate that threatens to make it global. The pollution of the environment through chemical, physical and biological agents produces an increase in the mutagenic influence on individuals. It is no longer possible to escape from the effect of our own destruction of the environment. Greater demands are being made on mineral resources, which in some cases have been largely exhausted. More complicated chemical processing of nature′s raw materials has attacked the environment in number of new ways. It has given us pesticides and herbicides that destroy the flora and fauna on a massive scale. As a result new types of waste products pollute air, water and soil. Plastics and many pesticides and detergents remain undercomposed. All this means that at present there has arisen a pressing necessity to change the character of the interaction between man and nature.

3. Divide the text into some logical parts and entitle them.

4. Translate the following sentences into English using lexical material of the text:

1. Экологическая проблема – одна из острых проблем современности.

2. Уничтожение многих видов растений и животных достигло опасных показателей.

3. Экологическая проблема тесно связана с проблемами экономического роста, прогрессом в науке и технологии.

4. В результате новые виды отходов загрязняют воздух, воду и почву.

5. Более сложные химические процессы переработки природного сырья влияют на окружающую среду.

6. По сравнению с XX веком накопление углекислого газа в атмосфере увеличилось в сто раз.

7. Парниковый эффект приведет к повышению температуры, что повысит уровень воды в океанах.

5. Decide if the following statements are true or false.

1. The ecological problem is closely linked to many problems of our days.

2. The only thing that has now reached dangerous proportions is the pollution of the environment

3. The application of new technological processes is not very dangerous for the environment

4. The accumulation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased globally by 30 per cent.

5. An increase in the greenhouse effect may give a rise to disastrous consequences.

6. Human activity may lead to global warming.

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