GLOBAL WARMING AND THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT.
I think everyone has heard about worldwide effects of Global warming caused by an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Scientists predict that it will lead to significant changes in the Earth climate. By 2025 a rise of 10 degrees is possible in polar regions and of 4 degrees in Northern Europe and it may have a very harmful effect. 18 billion tons of CO2 from power stations, cars, factories that enter the atmosphere every year disturb nature balance. And the destruction of forests means that there are fewer trees convert the CO2 into oxygen. CO2 acts like the glass in the greenhouse, allowing sunshine and heat to pass in but not out again.
According to some scientists, the polar icecaps will start to melt and the oceans will expand. This will affect many low lying areas of the world. Many coastal cities like Rio-de-Janeiro will experience severe flooding, coral atolls like the Maldives will disappear completely beneath the waves.
Tropical storms will become more frequent, inflicting greater damage.
Some parts of the world may benefit from extra warmth but many areas may suffer. Hotter summer and less rainfall will lead to worse conditions for agriculture, to drought and famine. Many experts believe that the Greenhouse effect will bring significant changes to the Earth climate, though they don’t all agree how long this will take, or what form it will take. Besides all scientists agree that if we destroy rainforests it will be environmental suicide.
Here is a model answer to the question, ‘What can governments do to help the environment nowadays?’
The state of the environment today is connected with humankind’s efforts to make their lives more comfortable and more satisfying. Technological, social and economic changes (sometimes called “progress”) can have devastating effects on the environment. That’s why governments should pass laws to change policies on agriculture, energy, transportation and trade. Unfortunately, I believe they fail to do this in many ways.
Firstly, although it is often said that each town should feed its population from the surrounding countryside and should rely as much as possible on local industry, a lot of trucks carry food from one end of a country to another. A high proportion of all traffic pollution today is caused by these trucks.
Trees and flowers in public parks make a town more pleasant and also help to counteract the greenhouse effect. Local authorities should carefully plan their towns and find the right balance between industrial and residential areas, between building new roads and the surrounding countryside. They should remember about the science of town planning.
Finally they should encourage alternative forms of transportation and build extensive networks of bicycle paths, which make cycling a safe and enjoyable form of transportation.
In conclusion, I think that governments and local authorities should invest in new technologies and industries that won’t badly damage the environment.
In conclusion, I think that governments and local authorities should invest in new technologies and industries that won’t badly damage the environment.
THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
The greenhouse effect is very important; if it didn’t exist at all, the temperature of the planet would be 40 degrees lower and the oceans would freeze. But an increase in the greenhouse effect may lead to global warming with disastrous consequences.
The higher average temperatures produced by global warming could cause dramatic changes in the weather. Less rain might fall over large land masses. Central Africa, south Asia and some parts of the United States could risk severe drought and famine. More rain might fall in coastal areas and over the oceans, there might be more storms and hurricanes in the Pacific.A rise in the Earth’s average temperature of only one or two degrees would probably melt the polar ice caps and raise sea levels. Sea levels throughout the world are already rising by about two millimetres a year. If the polar ice caps melt, sea levels could rise by more than a meter over a few decades.
CROWDING
CROWDING
Look around you – what do you see? What do you hear? What do you smell? If you live in a city, you probably see many people. You hear the noise of traffic, and you smell the pollution from cars and factories.
We are entering a new time in the history of the world. Before this, most people were farmers. They lived in the country. Now many people are leaving the farms and moving into the cities. They are looking for jobs. The cities are growing very quickly.
Most cities are very crowded. People are driving more cars, burning more fuel, using more water, eating more food, making more garbage, and producing more things in factories than ever before. Life is becoming difficult.
Some governments are trying to plan for the future. They are building new roads, putting up new houses, looking for more water, and limiting growth in certain areas. Still, city planners are getting worried. People are crowding into the cities faster than the cities can take them. The cities are running out of room. What is the answer to this problem?
Unit 3 Traffic signs and their descriptions.
British tickets .
Unit 2
Read the text, paying attention to the words in bold.APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE
Appearances are deceptive. It is a common truth; practically everyone has met at least someone whose character and appearance differ radically.
When one sees a tall, broad-shouldered youth, one expects him to be strong-willed and brave. One thinks: ”A model to follow!” How often a good-looking individual turns out to be pretty, weak-willed or even cowardly. Then one thinks: “A mediocrity !”
At the same time everyone knows that a lot of great people were of a poor build: short and fragile. It did not stop them from displaying intelligence and courage. Ingenuity does not depend on one’s complexion or constitution.
Plump or fat people create an impression of generous and kind personalities. Strangely enough, not rarely they may be thrifty or even greedy. One usually thinks: ”A scrooge !”
On the other hand, thin or slim nervous ladies often tend to be lavish. They like to buy and never think twice when they pay. One thinks: “I would call her open-handed and Mother would call her a spendthrift”. Yes, mothers are always stricter in judgments.
Has it ever happened to you that you come to an important office and see an important boss? You immediately evaluate his looks: “Round-faced, small narrow eyes, dimples on the cheeks and an upturned nose. What a kind-hearted person ! A simpleton!” You tell the boss of your troubles and expect immediate help. But the boss appears to be rude, harsh and willful. You never get your help and think: “A stone heart and an iron fist.”
When someone sees a delicately built pretty blonde with curly hair, blue eyes, a straight nose and a high forehead, one is inclined to think that the beauty is intelligent and nice. It may be disappointing to think later: ”What a stupid, capricious, impolite bore!”
On the contrary, when one sees a skinny brunet with ugly irregular features – a hooked nose, pointed chin, close-set eyes and thin lips, strange thoughts come to one’s head; because it is the image of evil people – cruel and cunning. It may be a relief some time later to find her a clever, gentle and good-mannered lady and think: “What charm! A heart of gold!”
Another general misconception lies in the fact that children are always expected to resemble their parents. And parents like it when children take after them. Relatives like to compare moles, the shape of nose, etc. The greatest compliment is: “They are as like as two peas”. The greatest disappointment is to find nothing in common. We want to deny people their exclusiveness, we don’t want to admit that nature has selected other options from an enormous genetic fund developed over generations. Why do we like our copies ? Who knows !
Nature likes to play tricks on us. But don’t you think it is a present on the part of nature? Life becomes not a boring routine, but a brilliant kaleidoscope of characters and appearances which often clash.
(Topic: Personality; Intermediate level)Reading.
Read the following passage and do the exercise.
Intelligence
What makes one person more intelligent than another? What makes one person a genius, like the brilliant Albert Einstein, and another person a fool? Are people born intelligent or stupid, or is intelligence the result of where and how you live? These are very old questions and the answers to them are still not clear.
We know, however, that just being born with a good mind is not enough . In some ways, the mind is like a leg or an arm muscle. It needs exercise. Mental exercise is particularly important for young children. Many child psychologists think that parents should play with their children more often and give them problems to think about. The children are then more likely to grow up bright and intelligent. If, on the other hand, children are left alone a great deal with nothing to do, they are more likely to become dull and unintelligent.
Parents should also be careful what they say to young children. According to some psychologists, if parents are always telling a child that he or she is a fool or an idiot, then the child is more likely to keep doing silly and foolish things. So it is probably better for parents to say very positive things to their children, such as ‘That was a very clever thing you did’ or ‘You are such a smart child’.
What do you think? Are people born intelligent or do they become intelligent with the help of good parents and teachers?
Exercise: Change the words in italics to make the sentences true , according to the passage.
1) Einstein was very stupid.................................
2) The more you rest your mind, the more intelligent you should become............
3) Parents should never play with their children............
4) Children who are always left alone are more likely to be bright...................
5) It is bad for parents to tell children that they are clever...............................
6) Parents should say very negative things to their children........................
