Planet earth — our common home

Ecology is a science which is concerned with the interrelations of organisms and their environment, that is with everything that surrounds them.

The ecologists are faced with a lot of problems in the modern world – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat, the soil we stand on, the great projects we construct...

There are about 6 billion people in the world at present. The population is growing very fast and scientists believe that in a few decades it will be too big for the earth to support.

The Earth is being constantly damaged in different ways. Speaking about the growth of population we have to admit the increase of industries and their harmful effects on the environment – the pollution of air from choking factory chimneys and the pollution of water because of industrial wastes.

Among the other serious problems which our planet is facing are: the increasing consumption of energy and water, the pollution of air by car exhausts, the increasing hole in the atmospheric ozone layer, the rivers that are poisoned with industrial and agricultural chemicals, the forests that are felled and vast forest territories that are devastated by fire and acid rains.

Besides, armed conflicts and local wars add to the critical situation on the planet.

The Earth is just a huge spaceship and mankind is its crew. Can quarrels and killing among the crew be permitted? What will then happen to the spaceship? What will happen to mankind?

If we realize the coming danger, we’ll see that we should find solutions to all the problems to survive.

What should be done to change the situation for the better?

· We must change people’s attitude towards the environment.

· We should stop the pollution of the air and water.

· We must save more energy and water and try to use other sources of energy (solar and tidal energy of the wind, subterranean hot waters, etc).

· We must protect the ozone layer from harmful industrial products.

· We should prevent animals from extinction.

These and many other steps should be taken already now to make our planet a safer and better place to live in. We, human beings, must act.

II. Выберите правильный вариант ответа на вопросы по тексту.

1. What problems are the ecologists faced with?

a) The ecologists are faced with many problems.

b) The ecologists are faced with some problems.

c) The ecologists are faced with a lot of problems – the air, we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat…

2. How is the population growing?

a) The population is growing slowly.

b) The population is growing very fast.

c) The population is not growing.

3. What shall we see if we realize the coming danger?

a) We should find solutions to all the problems to survive.

b) Nothing can be changed.

c) We shall not change people’s attitude towards the environment.

III. Закончите предложения по содержанию прочитанного текста.

4. Ecology is a science which is concerned with…

a) organisms

b) the environment

c) the interrelations of organisms and their environment

5. The ecologists are faced with a lot of problems…

a) always

b) seldom

c) in the modern world

6. The earth is being constantly damaged…

a) in some ways

b) in different ways

c) in many ways

7. Speaking about the growth of population we have to admit…

a) effects on the environment

b) harmful effects on the environment

c) useful effects on the environment

8. Our planet is facing…

a) the decreasing consumption of energy and water

b) the consumption of energy and water

c) the increasing consumption of energy and water

IV. Подберите эквиваленты к данному русскому слову.

9. наука

a) scientific

b) science

c) scientist

10. окружать

a) to concern

b) to surround

c) to relate

11. расти

a) to grow

b) to construct

c) to believe

12. поддерживать

a) to face

b) to damage

c) to support

13. окружающая среда

a) ecology

b) environment

c) interrelation

14. загрязнение

a) pollution

b) damage

c) chimney

15. из-за

a) because

b) because of

c) as

V. Выберите русское предложение, наиболее точно передающее содержание предъявленного предложения.

16. The rivers are poisoned with industrial and agricultural chemicals.

a) Реки загрязняются химикатами

b) Реки загрязняются разными химикатами

c) Реки загрязняются промышленными и сельскохозяйственными химикатами.

17. What should be done to change the situation for the better?

a) Что нужно сделать, чтобы изменить положение к лучшему?

b) Что делается для изменения положения к лучшему?

c) Что можно сделать для изменения положения к лучшему?

18. We must change people’s attitude towards the environment.

a) Мы можем изменить отношение людей к окружающей среде.

b) Нам следовало бы изменить отношение людей к окружающей среде.

c) Мы должны изменить отношение людей к окружающей среде.

VI. Выберите английское предложение, наиболее точно передающее содержание предъявленного предложения.

19. We should prevent animals from extinction.

a) People should protect animals from dying out.

b) We should prevent animals from existence.

c) Animals shouldn't be on the brink of extinction.

20. If we realize the coming danger, we'll see that we should find solutions to all the problems to survive.

a) We could find the solutions to all the ecological problems only if we understand the coming danger.

b) Whether we understand the coming danger, we'll see that we should find solutions to all the problems to survive.

c) If we had realized the coming danger, we would have seen that we should find solutions to all the problems to survive.

21. We must protect the ozone layer from harmful industrial products.

a) We have to protect the ozone layer from harmful effects of industrial emissions.

b) We are to prevent the ozone layer from destroying harmful industrial products.

c) We might protect the ozone layer from harmful industrial products.

VII. Выберите правильную видовременную форму глагола.

22. Ecology is a science which … with the interrelations of organisms and their environment.

a) was concerned

b) will be concerned

c) is concerned

23. There … about 6 billion people in the world at present.

a) is

b) was

c) are

24. The population …. very fast.

a) grow

b) is growing

c) were growing

25. Scientists believe that in a few decades the population … too big for the earth to support.

a) is

b) was

c)will be

26. The Earth … constantly in different ways.

a) is being damaged

b) were damaged

c) damage

VIII. Заполните пропуски правильными модальными глаголами или их эквивалентами

27. We… to admit the increase of industries.

a) was

b) may

c) have

28. … quarrels and killing among the crew be permitted?

a) can

b) are

c) ought

29. We … find solutions to all the problems to survive.

a) should

b) have

c) are allowed

30. We … save more energy and water.

a) have

b) must

c) are

31. We … prevent animals from extinction.

a) are able

b) have

c) should

IX. Заполните пропуски прилагательными в нужной форме.

32. The Earth is being constantly damaged in … ways.

a) more different

b) less different

c) different

33. We should make our plant a … place.

a) safer

b) safest

c) best

34. We should find the … solution to all the problems to survive.

a) good

b) best

c) better

X. Переведите текст (письменно).

There are several cities in Russia which have got the metro at present. The first 11.6 km-long line of the Moscow underground, the oldest in our country, went into operation in 1935. Today the total length of the Moscow metro lines is more than 300 km. According to the General Plan for the capital’s development another 120 km will be added in the next few years.

If you look at the poster-map of the Moscow metro, you’ll see a lot of train lines which run in all directions through the city. You’ll also see a ring-road around the centre which connects the most important squares and railway terminals.

In 1955 underground trains started running in St. Petersburg. The first line ran from the north to the south of the city and crossed the Neva under the bottom of the deep river waters. Unlike the Moscow metro trains which go not only under ground but also over ground, St. Petersburg trains all run in the deep tunnels. Today the length of the four main lines is more than 100 km. Over two million passengers are carried by this fast transport daily.

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