2. Answer the questions:

1. What is the fastest-spreading disease of civilization?

2. What planet-wide problems have overpopulation, pollution and energy consumption created?

3. What will happen to our planet if present trends continue?

4. What is happening to the seas and rivers?

5. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. Do you think it's possible to save it?

6. Are you for or against hunting?

7. Is air pollution a serious problem? Why?

8. What were the tragic consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?

9. Are nuclear power stations dangerous?

10. What is the main cause of the greenhouse effect and acid rains?

11. What do people of different countries do to save our planet?

12. Have you heard of Greenpeace?

3. Learn the following words by heart:

acid rains — кислотные дожди

atmospheric — атмосферный

consequence — последствие

consumption — потребление

decade ['dekeid] — декада

defence — оборона, защита

deforestaton — обезлесение

disaster — несчастье, беда

disastrous — чудовищный

disease— болезнь

diet — диета; быть на диете

earthquake— землетрясение

emission— выброс

enterprise — предприятие

environment — окружение, окружающая среда

environmental protection — защита окружающей среды

food— наводнение

fortilizer — удобрение

fibre — волокно, клетчатка

global warning — глобальное потеплеие

greenhouse effec— парниковый эффект

Good health is above wealth — Доброе здоровье дороже богатства

have influence on — влиять на

4. Translate into Russian.

Is the earth’s climate changing?

18000 years ago, much of Europe lay buried beneath vast sheets of ice, hundreds of meters thick. Ever since this astonishing fact was discovered in the last century, scientists have speculated on the nature of the Ice Age climate, and the circumstances that brought it to an end.

More recently, people have wondered if climate changes could be taking place in our time.

Even small changes in climate that occur from time to time can have a highly damaging effect on agriculture. It is therefore vitally important for us to understand how climatic changes take place.

Equally important is the need to understand why such changes occur. Until recently we have assumed that variations in regional and global climate observed over centuries resulted from natural phenomena. But there is now some tentative evidence suggesting that man's activities are already affecting local climates and ma affect regional and even climatic patterns in the future.

There are several ways in which man could be altering regional and global climate. First, the carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere is increasing, as a result of burning fossil fuels. Second, the atmospheric transparency is decreasing, because of particular matt (dust, sulfates, liquid droplets, etc.) that is injected into the atmosphere sphere from such activities as industry, cars and agriculture. Next - deforestation, irrigation, urbanization and agriculture are changing the albedo of the Earth's surface. Fourth the atmosphere is being directly heated by the burning of fossil nuclear fuels. And finally, oil films from spills and blowouts altering the rate of thermal energy transfer between the oceans the atmosphere.

(Abridged from "Panorama" by Ray Williams)