Exercise 3. Complete the sentences using the words given below

Blanket fire, cooling agent, fuel, heat, oxygen

1) Water is the most common....

2) Carbon dioxide can be used to....

3) Often taking away... from a fire is difficult and dangerous.

4) Cooling a fire calls for the application of something which absorbs....

5)... can be taken away by excluding air.

Exercise 4. Find synonyms.

extinguishment, to apply, to ignite, to die, to put out, extinction, to cool, to prevent, to catch fire, to use, to go out, to remove heat, to extinguish, to exclude.

Exercise 5. Read text B The Fundamentals of Fire Extinguishment

Fire

Fire burns because three elements are present - heat, fuel and oxygen. In technical language, fire is a chemical reaction: It happens when a material unites with oxygen so rapidly that it produces flame.

	Think of fire as a triangle. If any one of the three sides - heat, fuel or oxygen - is taken away, the fire goes out. This is the basis for fire extinguishment. Heat can be taken away by cooling, oxygen can be taken away by excluding air, fuel can be removed to a place where there is no flame, and chemical reaction can be stopped by inhibiting the oxidation of the fuel.
Remove Heat Cooling a fire calls for the application of something which absorbs heat. Although there are others, water is the most common cooling agent. Water is commonly applied in the form of a solid stream, finely divided spray or incorporated in foam.
	Remove Fuel Often taking the fuel away from a fire is difficult and dangerous, but there are exceptions. Flammable liquid storage tanks can be arranged so their contents can be pumped to an isolated empty tank in case of fire. When flammable gases catch fire as they are flowing from a pipe, the fire will go out if the flow can be valved off.
Remove Oxygen Oxygen can be taken away from a fire by covering it with a wet blanket, throwing dirt on it or covering it with chemical or mechanical foam. Other gases which are heavier than air, such as carbon dioxide and vaporizing liquid, can be used to blanket the fire, preventing the oxygen from getting to the fire.
	Stop the Reaction Studies made during recent years have indicated that the familiar statement, “Remove heat, remove fuel or remove oxygen, to extinguish a fire” does not apply when dry chemical or halogenated hydrocarbons are used as the extinguishing agents. These agents inactivate intermediate products of the flame reaction resulting in a reduction of the combustion rate and extinguish the fire.

Exercise 6. Say if it’s true or false. Correct the false sentences.

1) Fire burns because three elements are present – heat, fuel, and oxygen.

2) Heat can be taken away by excluding air.

3) Carbon dioxide is lighter than air.

4) Hydrogen is the most common cooling agent.

5) Fire can be put out by throwing dirt on it.