THE WORLD AROUND ME

II.Use the new words in the sentences, read them:

1.In the new method we ... one element with another.

2.Very ... compounds are produced by this method.

3.The synthesis can be done without using special ... .

4.The new method was ... at the Institute of Chemical Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

5.The new alloys do not contain tungsten or cobalt which are ... and ... .

6.The simple production technology is a great ... .

7.The ... for new alloys will be continued.

TEXT 6

SUPER-PURE METALS

Memorize the words: purification – очистка installation – установка novelty – новшество evaporation – испарение solution – pactвop black tin – черное олово furnace – печь

melt – плавка

An installation for purification of metals has been designed at the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences. This is very important for electronics, the power industry and other branches of science and technology. The installation produces a ton of purified metals daily. The new technology has been patented in the USA, Germany and other countries.

The novelty is based on a method of evaporation of salts from solutions.Ataveryhigh temperature which is produced in the furnace, black tin,for example,turnsintoameltfromwhichunnecessarysubstancesgradually evaporate.

COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct answer:

1.What has been designed at the Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences?

a)an atomic station

b)an installation for purification of metals

c)new kinds of mechanisms.

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2.For what branches of science and industry are super-pure metals very important?

a)for electronics and the power industry

b)for building and construction

c)for textile industry.

3.In what countries has the new technology been patented?

a)in France and Canada

b)in Italy and Japan

c)in the USA and Germany.

4.What is the novelty based on?

a)on a method of cooling metals

b)on a method of combination of different metals

c)on a method of evaporation of salts from solutions

5.Into what do metals turn in the furnace?

a)into an alloy

b)into a solid

c)into a melt

TEXT 7

RESOURCES OF ENERGY

Memorize the words: unlimited – неограниченный thorium – торий application – применение ability – способность

chemical properties – химические свойства to possess – обладать

The present-day resources of coal and oil cannot last for more than several hundreds of years, while the atom is the cheapest source of energy and its supplies are practically unlimited. The resources of uranium and thorium from which the nuclear fuel is chiefly obtained can provide for the world's power needs for hundreds of centuries. Nuclear energy may be used to light and heat our homes, drive our machines and operate our factories. In fact, there is hardly any sphere of life where the atom may not find useful application. Using the energy of the atom, we already produce electric energy at atomic power plants.

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Far more important is the ability of the atom to form the so called "radioactive isotopes". These are elements with the same chemical properties as the natural elements but possessing the additional property of radiation. Such radioactive elements can be widely used in medicine, agriculture and other fields of scientific research.

In a number of years some more important uses of nuclear energy will become possible, but it will take much research, developmentand time.

COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct variant:

1.Thepresent-dayresourcesofcoal and oilcannot last formorethan....

a)a hundred of years

b)several hundreds of years

c)several years

2. ... is the cheapest source of energy.

a)the atom

b)coal

c)oil

3.The nuclear fuel is chiefly obtained ... .

a)from coal

b)from uranium and thorium

c)from oil

4.Radio-active isotopes are elements with ... as the natural elements.

a)the same chemical properties

b)different chemical properties

c)the same physical properties

5.The application of nuclear energy is ... .

a)very wide

b)is not possible

c)is not useful

TEXT 8

TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRIC POWER

Memorize the words:

to transmit – передавать undesirable – нежелательный

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to reduce – уменьшать transformer – трансформатор laser – лазер

As soon as electric energy is produced at the power station it must be transmitted over wires to the consumer, however, the longer the wire, the greater are the resistance and the energy losses. We can lower these undesirable losses in two ways, namely, we can reduce either the resistance, or the current. To reduce resistance it is necessary to have better conducting materials, for example such as copper. The reduction of the current may be done by employing transformers.

Theoretical calculations have shown that lasers are very likely to transform the energy of light waves into electrical energy with an efficiency of about 100 per cent. It means that electrical power might be transmitted overconsiderabledistanceswithsmalllossesandwithouttheuseoftransmissionlines.

COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct variant:

1.The energy losses are smaller when the wire is ... .

a)made of copper

b)aluminum

c)steel

2.Resistance may be reduced by using ... .

a)a shorter wire

b)a better conducting material

c)a longer wire.

3.The current can be reduced by employing ... .

a)a better conducting material

b)a transformer

c)a loner wire

4.The efficiency of employing lasers for obtaining electrical energy is likely to be ... .

a)about 100 per cent

b)small

c)insignificant

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TEXT 9

THE STEAM ENGINE

Memorize the words: toy – игрушка device – прибор mine – шахта

drawback – недостаток

continuous-action – непрерывного действия

Long ago people began to think how to make steam work for them. The first steam engine was made in ancient Egypt though it was regarded merely as a toy. The first steam engine to do useful work was patented in England. Its growing coal-mining industry needed a device for raising water from mines. The first steam engines constructed by Thomas Savery and Thomas Newcomen had some serious drawbacks.

A better engine was built in Russia in 1765 by Ivan Polzunov. It could be used for many purposes and not just for pumping water. Polzunov's engine had two cylinders. It was the first continuous-action engine.

The next inventor who helped to make the steam engine what it is today was James Watt, a maker of instruments at the University of Glasgow. By 1785 Watt had developed a greatly improved steam engine, which found many more uses than earlier models had had. This led to the Steam Age. But the story of the steam engine does not end with Watt.

COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct variant:

1.Long ago people began to think how to make ... .

a)steam work for them

b)electricity work for them

c)laser work for them

2.The first steam engine was made in ancient ... .

a)Venice

b)Babylonia

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c)Egypt

3.The first steam engine was patented in ... .

a)the USA

b)England

c)Canada

4.A better steam engine was built in Russia by ... .

a)Polzunov

b)Lobachevsky

c)Lodygi.

5.The inventor who helped to make the steam engine of today is ... .

a)Thomas Alva Edison

b)James Watt

c)Thomas Newcomen

TEXT 10

MAN AND NOISE

Memorize the words: to protect – защищать

harmful effect – вредное воздействие to introduce – ввести

to set a limit – установить предел sound-absorbing – звукопоглощающий

How to protect people from the harmful effect of noise is one of the most important problems of our age. To solve it scientifically, noise levels must be limited.

Already in 1977 our country introduced a standard which sets a limit on the levels of noise at work places and means of transport. These noise levels are obligatory. However, there is still much to be done so that people can live in peace and quiet.

Various methods are needed to reduce the noise level in industry. Among these are the reduction of noise level at factories and plants, insulation of machines against noise and the use of sound-absorbing structural elements in construction.The anti-noise campaign is quite necessary today for large cities all over the world. We need noiseless trams, trolleybuses and airplanes, better highway surfaces and noiseless houses.

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passengers – a sheep, a rooster and a duck. Man himself left the ground for the first time when Pilatre de Rozier journeyed 60 feet aloft in a Montgolfier balloon during a four and a half minute flight in 1783. A German Paul Haenlein was the first to power a balloon-type aircraft with an internal combustion engine.

Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, a retired German army officer, flew his first rigid airship in 1900. It was constructed of aluminum framework, had separate aluminum compartments, used hydrogen gas for lift, and flew at more than 8 miles per hour. During the next three decades the Count developed many dirigibles. In 1929 his Graf Zeppelin began a cruise which took 21 days, 8 hours and 26 minutes to circle the world. A few years later Trans-Atlantic service to New York was begun. The Hindenburg, the largest and fastest dirigible of its type (84 miles per hour) was put into service in 1936. The following year a hydrogen gas explosion and fire which destroyed the Hindenburg closed the era of balloons and dirigibles.

COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct variant:

1.Man's first flying vehicle was ... .

a) as light as the air b) lighter than the air c) heavier than the air

2.The first airborne passengers were ... .

a) a dog, a duck and a rooster b) a sheep, a cat and a duck

c) a sheep, a rooster and a duck.

3.Paul Haenlein powered his aircraft with ... .

a) an internal combustion engine b) steam engine

c) jet engine

4.Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin used ... .

a)hydrogen gas for lift

b)laughing gas for lift

c)tear-gas for lift

5. The Hindenburg was destroyed by ... .

a)hydrogen gas explosion

b)fire

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c) hydrogen gas explosion and fire TEXT 12

SNOWFLAKES

Memorize the words: alike – похожий

a flat figure – плоская фигура inch – дюйм

expression – выражение explanation – объяснение due to – из-за

mixture – смесь

Do you know that there are no two snowflakes which are alike? Millions and millions of snowflakes fall during every snowstorm, but each little snowflake is different from all others. Still, all snowflakes are flat and six-sided figures.

Perhaps the biggest snowflakes fell in Montana, USA. It was during the winter of 1867. These snowflakes were 15 inches wide and 6 inches thick. Usually we say: "As white as snow", but French people laughed repeating this expression on the 6tn of December, 1926 because black snow fell in France.

And on the 31st of January, 1925 grey snow fell in Japan. The Japanese scientists explained the color of the snow. They said it was due to a mixture of snow and ashes from the nearby volcanoes. But the French scientists could not give such an explanation. No volcanic eruption had been observed near France. They simply laughed.

COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Choose the correct variant:

1.Snowflakes are ... .

a)similar

b)different

c)alike

3.During the snowstorm there are ... of snowflakes.

a)millions

b)thousands

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c)hundreds

3.The biggest snowflakes fell in ... .

a)mountains

b)Montana

c)Monaco

4.The biggest snowflakes were ... .

a)50 inches wide

b)5 inches wide

c)15 inches wide

5.Usually we say: ... .

a)"As black as a volcano"

b)"As grey as snow"

c)"As white as snow"

6.The grey snow in Japan was ... .

a)volcanic ashes

b)a mixture of snow and ashes

c)volcanic eruption

7.The French scientists ... .

a)gave an explanation

b)did not explain it

c)did not laugh

II. Read the sentences in full: 1. No two snowflakes are ... .

2. Snowflakes are ... six-sided figures.

3. The biggest snowflakes were 15 ... wide.

4. Usually we say "... white ... snow".

5. "As white as snow" is a popular ....

6. Grey snow ... in Japan.

7. The Japanese scientists ... the color of the snow. 8. ' It was ... a mixture of snow and ashes.

9. No ... eruption had been observed near France.

TEXT 13

OUR NEIGHBOUR – THE MOON

Memorize the words: neighbour – сосед

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