Владимир Аракин - Практический курс английского языка 3 курс [calibre 2.43.0]

available to remove oil from a damaged tanker.

Considerable progress has been made towards the achievement of cleaner air and a better environment, especially in the last 20

years or so. Total emissions and average concentration of smoke in the air have fallen by 80 per cent. London no longer has the

dense smoke-laden "smogs" of the 1950s and in central London winter sunshine has been increasing since the 1940s when average

hours a day were about 40 per cent less than at Kew in outer London; the levels are now virtually the same.

Transport is one of the main offenders in noise pollution, and control measures are aimed at reducing noise at source, through

requirements limiting the noise that aircraft and motor vehicles may make, and by protecting people from its effects.

In Britain radiation resulting from industrial and other processes represents only a small fraction of that to which the population is

exposed from the natural environment. Nevertheless, that fraction is subject to stringent control because of possible effects on health

or longer-term genetic effects.

Various methods are used to store radioactive wastes, depending primarily upon their physical form and radioactivity. Wastes of

sufficiently low radioactivity are dispersed safely direct to the environment. For those of higher radioactivity a comprehensive, inter-

national research programme is being carried out with government assistance and with the participation of the nuclear industry into

methods of treatment, storage, transport and disposal.

2. Answer the following questions:

1. What are the major environmental problems confronting Britain today? 2. What powers and duties for control authorities are set

out by the Control of Pollution Act 1 9 7 4 ? 3. What measures are taken to fight land pollution? 4. What are the main treatment

methods applied to reduce water pollution? 5. What facts prove that a certain progress has been made towards cleaner air? 6. What

operational measures have been introduced to reduce noise disturbance? 7. What operational measures have been introduced to

store radioactive wastes? 8. What do you think are the responsibilities of nature conservation authorities and voluntary organizations

in Britain? 9. Why do you think people should be concerned about protecting environment from pollution and from destruction of

natural resources?

3. Summarize the text in three paragraphs specifying the necessity of fighting environmental pollution on a wide scale.

4. Use the Topical Vocabulary in answering the following questions:

1. What are the major environmental issues confronting humanity today? 2. What is the global imperative for environment as you

see i t ? 3. Why are many people concerned about ecology today? Why do we say that every man should be environment-conscious

and environment-educated? 4. On what basis should the "man-na- ture" relationship function? 5. What are the steps undertaken by the

governments (authorities) of many countries to protect environment? 6. What do you know about the practical results of the

international cooperation in environmental protection? 7. How does the state control nature conservation and environmental protection

in our country? 8. What role should mass media play in environmental protection?

5. Give a short newspaper review on one of the major issues of environmental protection. Refer to the Topical Vocabulary. Remember that your

review should appeal to the interests and attitudes of the intended reader. It can be neutral, descriptive, emotional. Choose the facts to prove your

viewpoint. Reproduce your story in class.

M o d e l :

Wild Flowers and the Law

All the protection that the law can effectively give to our wild flowers is likely to be provided by the Wild Plants Protection Bill, which

is due for its second reading in the Lords shortly. If the Bill reaches the Statute Book, as is probable, it will become an offence to sell,

offer or expose for sale any wild plant that has been picked or uprooted, and for anyone other than an authorized person wil fully to

uproot any wild plant. Picking of wild flowers will not be prohibited unless they are sold, or are included in the Bill's schedule of rare

species. The Bill has rightly been widely welcomed because so many of Britain' wild plants are already in danger of disappearing, and

it is high time that the law recognized the need for their conservation. It would, however, be self-deception to suppose that the Bill by

itself can provide the protection that is needed. Measures of this kind, which are concerned with the actions of individuals, either

greedy or ignorant, in remote and lonely places, are extremely difficult to enforce. If our rare plants are to be saved, only the greatest

vigilance, in and outside the nature reserves, will save them.

6. You are asked to tell a group of foreign students (schoolchildren) about the nature conservation and environment protection in your country.

You should cover the subject in about fifty words. Use the Topical Vocabulary.

7. Work in pairs. Discuss any of the environmental problems of today. You may speak about nature conservation in regard to nature destruction, environmental protection in regard to pollution. One of the students is supposed to introduce a subject of mutual interest, the other

student disagrees with his partner's viewpoint on the subject under discussion. Use the Topical Vocabulary.

M o d e l :

A: I must admit I'm mostly interested in the nature-man relationship. I think it is the core item of the environmental protection policy.

We should be environment-conscious to foresee the ill-effects of unrestricted industrialization and urbanization. I see these problems

as a global imperative for environmental protection today. I am all for fighting pollution and against destruction of nature by man ...

B: I don't share your fears. You paint the situation black. I can hardly see any unfavourable connection between urbanization, on

the one hand, and pollution, on the other. Could you possibly explain what you mean by "the nature-man" relationship?

8. Speak about the after-effects of environmental pollution and nature destruction. Consider the following:

1. Destruction of wildlife. 2. Land pollution. 3. Water pollution. 4. Air pollution. 5. Noise disturbance. 6. Radioactivity. 7. Unrestricted

industrialization.

9. During the last 20 years environmental protection has become a vital necessity for people. What do you think has stimulated man's interest

in the problems of environment? Consider the following and expand on the points which you think especially significant:

1. The problems of environment include a wide range of burning issues: nature destruction and pollution, extermination of wildlife

on global scale, endangering human health with industrial wastes, etc.

2. There are the by-products of massive industrialization confronting all great industrial countries with the most serious problem of

environment mankind ever faced, that of pollution.

3. The "green belts" not only provide restful relaxation, they are regarded as important allies in the battle against air pollution.

4. Among the simple but far disappearing blessings is the smell of clean fresh air and the good taste of pure water.

5. How the problem of pollution has been and is being tackled has a great deal to do with politics and social initiative.

6. One of the great problems grappled with in the plans for economic and social development is how to harmonize industry and

community, plants and people.

7. Pollution has to do with the giant enterprises which advance industries and abuse natural resources.

10. Read the following dialogue. The expressions in bold type show the WAYS OF CHECKING UNDERSTANDING. Note them down. Be ready

to act out the dialogue in class:

— What I can't make out is why you're s o . . . so keen on our going to the country. Why on earth should we choose to live out

in a

village ... even if it is a popular village?

— Isn't that clear?After all these years in London I would have preferred the smell of clean fresh air and the good taste of pure

water ... and greenery ... and ... .

— Stop talking through your hat. You've never been a lover of fresh air. You said it choked you. Why is that. . . that now you insist

that your love of nature is boundless, you adore the countryside ... when in fact. . . . You know that I'd much prefer to be in the town

and ... .

— But I do like the country ... or to be more exact I ' d like to move to the country ... if o n l y . . . .

— If only what? You sound as ifyou've made it a point to tease me!

— If only ... w e l l . . . if only we lived somewhere that would make it all possible and worthwhile. Never mind. Any place out of town

is good enough, I suppose. There'll be fields and trees and whatnot nearby.

— You are so carried away with the idea. Well, your personal likes and dislikes are making you anything but practical.

— All right, all right. I ' d much prefer to travel back and forth to London every day than b e . . . How does it go?... "Cabin'd,

cribb'd, confin'd" ...

— That's all very well to take that romantic attitude. You know. . . you think you can get out of everything ... Wriggle out of any ar-

gument ... by quoting Shakespeare. What about my preferences? You are being selfish, you know.

— Selfish? Do you really mean it?I admit I ' d like to be sort of free to do as I like. I've wanted to go to the village ever since I

married you. But you've always preferred to live in London and be boxed in by a thousand other houses, surrounded by a thousand

faceless neighbours. No ... l e t ' s g o for the village.

11. Discussing things often involves giving instructions to people. If you give instructions to someone you will probably need to check as you go

along that your listener understands, like this:

Alright so far? Are you with m e ? Is that clear? Do you see what I mean? That's right. Now ... Got that? Good! Now ... Fine! Now ...

Sorry, but I don't quite see why you have t o . . . Sorry, can you say that again, please? Sorry, but I'm not quite clear on ...

Use clichés of checking understanding in making conversations of your own.

12. Work in pairs. Read the statements and expand on them. You may be of the similar or different opinion on the subject. Your comment

should be followed by some appropriate speculation on the suggested point:

1. Everybody's talking about pollution. Pollution is what happens when things we eat, the place we live in and the air around us are

made dirty and unhealthy by machines and factories.

2. Men do not realize that a forest is more than a collection of trees. It is a complex community of plant and animal life. In a living

forest two opposing forces are constantly at work: growth and decay. The growth of new trees balances destruction by insects, plant