Interact, damage, consists of, average, particles, need, suspends, work, primarily

1) The relatively inefficient combustion of fuel in a car engine causes many hydrocarbon fragments to be left unburned.

2) Governments build new roads but this means that they cut down trees and destroy more of the countryside.

3) The problem is especially bad in some cities where on days, when there is not much wind, a brown layer of smog hangs in the air.

4) It is poisonous and at moderate concentrations can cause drowsiness.

5) Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in vehicle exhausts combine with one another in sunlight to produce ozone.

6) This is mainly due to the effects of ozone and other motor vehicle pollutants.

7) Air in large cities contains a great deal of dust – suspended in air minute solid particles.

8) Today more and more cars are made to run on unleaded gasoline.

9) However, the storage batteries currently available have very limited capacity and require frequent charging.

5. Finish the sentences using the text.

1) The car is one …

2) A continuous increase in the number of cars leads to …

3) Exhaust fumes from cars are the main …

4) The incomplete combustion of fuel …

5) It is poisonous and at moderate concentrations …

6) Hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides in vehicle exhausts combine …

7) The ground level ozone is …

8) The photochemical smog is …

9) In some overpopulated cities almost all children suffer …

10) This is mainly due to the effects …

11) Air in large cities contains …

12) Some of them are toxic and …

13) The lead is emitted in tiny particles, which can accumulate in the body and...

14) The toxic emissions from car exhausts can be reduced …

6. Translate.

1) Постоянный рост количества автомобилей приводит к серьёзной загруженности на дорогах.

2) На сегодняшний день автомобиль – один из самых больших загрязнителей.

3) Выхлопные газы от автомобилей являются главной причиной плохого качества воздуха.

4) Ситуация особенно ухудшается в городах, когда в безветренные дни бурый слой смога висит в воздухе.

5) Относительно неэффективное сгорание топлива в двигателе автомобиля приводит к тому, что частицы углеводорода сгорают не полностью.

6) Эти частицы способствуют образованию смога и считаются канцерогенными.

7) Углеводороды и оксиды азота соединяются в выхлопных газах и под действием солнечного света образуют озон, который является главным загрязнителем воздуха.

8) В некоторых перенаселённых странах почти все дети страдают от кашля и некоторых форм аллергии.

9) Воздух в больших городах содержит огромное количество пыли – подвешенные в воздухе мельчайшие частицы.

10) Некоторые из них токсичны и могут содержать свинец.

11) Сегодня всё больше и больше автомобилей работает на бензине, не содержащем свинец.

12) Токсичные выбросы от автомобилей могут быть значительно сокращены путём установки каталитических конверторов.

13) Другим направлением решения проблемы является использование электромобилей, оснащённых аккумуляторными батареями.

7. Summarize the text “Traffic and Air Pollution”. Use the following beginnings:

The text reports on…

The text touches upon…

A careful account is given to…

It is reported that…

Much attention is given to…

The text points out that…

The text deals with the problem of…

The text provides information on…

The text defines the phenomenon of…

The text covers such points as…

The effects of… on … are considered.

8. Work in pairs. Speak and express your opinion on the facts below. Use the following expressions:

I agree (don’t agree) that…

I think that …

In my opinion …

1) A car is a wonder of our life.

2) Smog is a relatively new phenomenon.

3) Toxic emissions from cars can be reduced.

Reading for Understanding

1. Read the text and choose the headline:

a) Air Pollution Is a Problem for All of Us

b) Power Plants Are Major Pollutants

c) What You Can Do to Clean the Air

d) How to Be More Environmentally Friendly

Air pollution is a problem for all of us. The average adult breathes about 3,400 gallons of air a day. Children are at greater risk because they are more active outdoors and their lungs are still developing. The elderly are also more sensitive to air pollution because they often have heart or lung diseases.

Although much of the pollution in our air comes from power plants, industrial sources and motor vehicles, the choices you, as an individual, make every day can increase or decrease air pollution and can protect or threaten your health. You have the power to change your home, transportation, and consumer habits to help reduce air pollution. Find out what you can do.