In search of new sources of energy

Generation of electricity by conventional processes (burning of fossil fuels or water turbines) is highly uneconomic. Therefore much effort and thought is given to other means of generating electricity.

Two concrete blocks on the bottom of the sea off the north coast of Scotland are all that is left of the world's first attempt to build a com­mercial wave-power plant.

When the large yellow 2-megawatt generator was wrecked by waves that were meant to power it, hope died. But the dream of using wave power to generate endless "clean" electricity hasn't faded.

Wave power is not easily obtained. Researchers had a number of other devices ready to be tested in the water. They learnt lessons from the power plant mentioned above which was wrecked, just as they had from other disappointments. They revised their designs and created new ones. Today, the prospects for wave power have never looked better. For the first time, independent analysts think that the electricity which could be produced from wave power will cost less than that produced from new nuclear and coal-fired stations.

At least 15 wave-power generators are planned across the globe: nine in Europe, four in the Far East, one in the US and one in India, eight of them should be producing energy by 2000. All are robust, real­istic designs, shaped by years of trial and error.

Some international experts on wave power think it could supply more than 10 per cent of the world's electricity and help to solve shortages of drinking water by desolinating sea water. Inspired by this prospect, re­searchers in Britain have been in the vanguard of wave power research.

Вариант 5

I. Перепишите предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них глагол-сказуемое, определите его время и залог: предложения переведите:

Fusion took place at the extremely high temperature.

Atomic fuel has great possibilities.

The atomic reactor was fed with uranium 235.

Radioactivity is measured in curies.

Infra-red waves will be detected due to their heat effect.

II. Перепишите следующие предложения. Подчеркните Participle I или Participle II и установите функции каждого из них (укажите, является ли оно определением, обстоятельством или частью глагола-сказуемого); предложения переведите.

Adding heat, we can change the state of a substance.

The increasing pressure was measured precisely.

The scheme offered was adopted two days ago.

III. Перепишите предложения, подчеркните в каждом из них модальный глагол или его эквивалент, предложения переведите.

Mobile nuclear installations can be carried by rail.

The mineral must contain some new element.

They had to solve a number of scientific problems.

Here one can see a diagram of temperature changes.

IV. Перепишите и письменно переведите на русский язык текст.

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