Ecological problems

For thousands of years people lived in harmony¹ with environment² and it seemed to them that natural riches³ were unlimited⁴. But with the development of civilization man’s interference⁵ in nature began to increase⁶.

Large cities with thousands of smoky⁷ industrial enterprises⁸ appear all over the world today. The by-products⁹ of their activity pollute¹⁰ the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables on.

Every year world industries pollute the atmosphere with about 1000 millions tons of dust and other harmful substances¹¹. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen¹² balance. As the result some rare¹³ species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers dry up.

The pollution of air and world’s ocean, destruction¹⁴ of ozone layer¹⁵ is the result of the man’s careless interaction¹⁶with the nature, a sign of the ecological crises.

The most horrible¹⁷ ecological disaster¹⁸ befell¹⁹ Ukraine and its people after the Chernobyl tragedy in April 1986. About 18 percent of the territory of Byelarus were also polluted with radioactive substances. A great damage²⁰ has been done to the agriculture, forests and people’s health. The consequences²¹ of this explosion at the atomic power station are tragic for the Ukrainian, Byelarussian and other nations.

Environmental protection is of a universal concern²². That’s why serious measures to create a system of ecological security should be taken.

Some progresses have been already made in this direction. As many as 159 countries – members of the UNO – have set up environmental 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 and Chernobyl. An international environmental research center has been set up on Lake Baikal. The international organization Green peace is also doing much to preserve the environment.

But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried onward to protect nature, to save life on the planet not only for the sake of the present but also for the future generations.

Vocabulary

harmony – гармонія

environment – навколишнє середовище

riches – багатства

unlimited – безкрайній

o interfere – вмішуватись

to increase – збільшувати

smoky – димний

enterprise – підприємство

by-product – побічний продукт

to pollute – забруднювати

substance – речовина

oxygen – кисень

rare – рідкісний

destruction – зруйнування

ozone layer – озоновий прошарок

interaction – взаємодія

horrible – жахливий

disaster – катастрофа

to befall – пасти (на щось)

amage – збиток

consequence – наслідки

universal concern – загальне піклування

Питання для самоконтролю:

1 How did people live for thousands of years?

2 What cities appear all over the world today?

3 What pollutes the air we breathe?

4 What is the result of the pollution the atmosphere?

5 What was the ecological disaster that befell Ukraine?

6 What were the consequences of this explosion?

7 Why is environmental protection of universal concern?

8 What are the initial steps in this direction?

Контрольні завдання до самостійної роботи № 30

І рівень

І. Знайдіть еквівалентні слова:

1. harmony а) прошарок

2. rare б) кисень

3. to befell в) гармонія

4. destruction г) катастрофа

5. environment д) припадати

6. layer е) взаємодія

7. interaction є) побічний продукт

8. disaster ж) навколишнє середовище

9. by-product з) руйнування

10. oxygen і) рідкісний

ІІ. Поставте знак “+”, якщо ви згодні та знак “-”, якщо не згодні з наступними твердженнями:

1. Earlier people considered the natural riches to be unlimited.

2. The pollution of the environment began with the appearance of first schools.

3. All natural riches: air, water and land are polluted.

4. The tragedy in Chernobyl happened in May 1986.

5. Environmental protection is of universal concern.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-11