Английский язык (стр. 6 )

Ex. 3. Answer the following questions.

1.  In what way moving water can be used as a source of energy?

2.  Where are hydroelectric power stations usually built?

3.  Could you explain the principle of producing tidal power from tides?

4.  In what ways do people use wind power?

5.  What is the aero generator?

6.  Could you name the advantages and disadvantages of natural sources of power?

7.  What type of power is the most convenient, to your mind?

8.  Can you give a few examples to prove the statement that energy from the sun has always been important to people?

9.  When was the first steam engine working on solar power introduced?

10. What is the source of electricity for satellites in space?

Ex. 4. Find the English equivalents for:

Квадратный участок (земли); вырабатывать электрический ток; электрический камин; источник энергии; солнечный горн (очаг); оборудование; сила ветра; паровой двигатель; солнечный элемент; поток воды; пластина чистого кремния; удалённое место; не загрязнять атмосферу; плавить металл.

Ex. 5. Fill in the blanks with the suitable words from the following list: wind, energy, size, movement, panels, efficient, mouth, high.

1.  ______ from the sun has always been important to people.

2.  A dam is built across the ______ of a river in a place where the height between low and ______ tide is great.

3.  A dam is often needed to increase the ______ of a natural lake.

4.  This ______ of water can be used as a source of energy.

5.  Satellites in space use huge ______ of solar cells to supply their electricity.

6.  Sailing ships and yachts have sailed round the world on ______ power alone.

7.  Turbines are more ______ versions of earlier water wheels.

Ex. 6. Translate the following sentences from Russian into English.

1.  В отличие от других источников энергии, вода неисчерпаема, и на земле всегда будет постоянный дешёвый запас движущегося потока.

2.  Когда поток воды вращает турбину, которая соединена с генератором, вырабатывается электрический ток.

3.  Поперёк устья реки, в том месте, где образуется большой перепад воды во время отлива и прилива, строится плотина.

4.  К сожалению, время приливов неустойчиво, и поэтому достаточно сложно получать электроэнергию в нужное время.

5.  В отличие от теплоэлектростанций, аэрогенераторы не загрязняют атмосферу, однако трудно предугадать силу ветра, и к тому же на земле не так много подходящих мест.

6.  На самом деле, солнце могло бы полностью обеспечить нас необходимой энергией, если бы мы умели её собирать и эффективно использовать.

7.  Солнечные элементы превращают энергию солнца непосредственно в электрическую энергию. Их изготавливают из тонких пластин чистого кремния, который может быть получен из песка.

8.  В одном солнечном элементе возникает небольшой ток, однако солнечная батарея может произвести электрический ток, пригодный для практического использования.

Ex. 7. Look through the following words before reading the text.

Nucleus – ядро

to split – расщеплять

nuclear fission – ядерное деление

explosion – взрыв

uranium fuel – урановое топливо

core of a nuclear reactor – активная зона ядерного реактора

control rods – управляющие стержни

to absorb neutrons – поглощать нейтроны

radioactive substance – радиоактивное вещество

to get rid (of) – избавиться (от)

waste – отходы

disastrous effect – гибельное воздействие

to suffer – страдать

to adopt – зд.: выбирать

Ex. 8. Read the text and do the exercises that follow it.

Text B

IS NUCLEAR POWER A GOOD CHOICE?

Nuclear power provides us with electricity. It uses the energy stored in the nucleus in the center of atoms. In some very heavy atoms the nucleus can be split into two smaller parts. This process of nuclear fission releases an enormous amount of heat, which is used in nuclear power engineering.

The process of nuclear fission is very dangerous. So much energy is produced that there can be an explosion, and this is what happens in an atom bomb. In nuclear power station, fission is controlled so that energy is produced without explosions. The uranium fuel forms the core of a nuclear reactor. Special control rods can be raised or lowered into the uranium. These rods, made of cadmium or boron, absorb neutrons. This slows the reaction.

The fuel in a nuclear reactor is very radioactive. It produces a lot of dangerous radiation which is extremely harmful to all living things. Some of the radioactive substances produced by the reactor remain dangerous for thousands of years. Getting rid of this dangerous nuclear waste safely is a serious problem.

A nuclear reactor cannot explode like an atom bomb but an accident at a nuclear power station can have disastrous effects over a large area. In 1986 a major accident at Chernobyl nuclear power station in the then USSR released radioactive substances into the atmosphere. Winds carried them across Europe, and rains washed them down to earth. There was an increase in the amount of radiation, grass and crops became radioactive. People living near Chernobyl have suffered very much, and some have died.

Nuclear power could provide electricity for hundreds of thousands of years, but is it safe? Should we build more nuclear power stations and increase the chance of terrible accidents? The problem is that, without nuclear power, it will be difficult to provide enough electricity for all future needs. Some people say that we have to accept the risks. Others say that the risks are too great: we should find other ways of generating electricity or adopt a simpler lifestyle that requires less electricity.

Ex. 9. Answer the following questions.

1.  What do people use nuclear power for?

2.  Why can the process of nuclear fission be dangerous?

3.  What is the function of special control rods in a nuclear reactor?

4.  How harmful was the accident at Chernobyl nuclear power station in 1986?

5.  Do you think we should accept the risks to provide enough electricity for the future needs?

6.  Is nuclear power a good choice?

7.  Do you know any other sources of energy?

Ex. 10. Find the English equivalents for:

Ядерная энергия; серьёзная проблема; способы производства электроэнергии; радиация; разрушительный эффект; ядерный реактор; живые существа; радиоактивные вещества; атомная бомба; процесс ядерного деления; опасные ядерные отходы.

Ex. 11. Match the words with their definitions.

1) nucleus	a) the power which is produced by various means (by a battery or generator), which is carried usually by wires, and which provides heat and light, drives machines
2) atom	b) something unpleasant or damaging, that happens unexpectedly or by chance
3) radiation	c) the central part of an atom, made up of neutrons, protons, and other elementary particles
4) electricity	d) the quality, harmful to living things, that some simple substances (elements) have of giving out force (energy) by the breaking up of atoms
5) accident	e) sudden serious misfortune causing great suffering and damage
6) disaster	f) the smallest piece of a simple substance (element) that can exist alone or combine with other substances

Ex. plete the following table with the appropriate noun or adjective form.

Noun	Adjective
harm	-
radiation	-
-	nuclear
-	disastrous
danger	-
explosion	-
power	-

Ex. 13. Read and translate the following sentences, paying attention to the passive voice.

1.  The nucleus can be split into two smaller parts in some very heavy atoms.

2.  So much energy is produced that there can be an explosion, and this is what happens in an atom bomb.

3.  In nuclear power station, fission is controlled so that energy is produced without explosions.

4.  Special control rods can be raised or lowered into the uranium.

5.  An enormous amount of radioactive substances was released into the atmosphere in 1986.

Ex. 14. Fill in the table with the degrees of comparison of the following adjectives.

harmful	-	-
-	smaller	-
good	-	-
-	more disastrous	-
-	-	the most difficult
heavy	-	-
-	more terrible	-
-	-	the simplest
great	-	-
-	-	the most dangerous

Ex. 15. Read and translate the following sentences, paying attention to the modal verbs.

1.  A nuclear reactor cannot explode like an atom bomb.

2.  Should we build more nuclear power stations and increase the chance of terrible accidents?

3.  Nuclear power could provide electricity for hundreds of thousands of years.

4.  An accident at a nuclear power station can have disastrous effects over a large area.

5.  Some people say that we have to accept the risks.