2. Look at the diagram below. Fill in the missing letters.

3. Brainstorming. All the questions can be answered by reference to the terms on Water and Energy.

1. What are the two main parts in a generator?

2. What kind of a dam is curved?

3. What percentage of France's electricity is produced by the energy of water?

4. How much water is used in making a bag of cement?

5. What substance in plants uses sunlight to make food?

6. Name four ways in which we use electrical energy.

7. A portion of baked beans gives us enough energy to play for how long?

Dams are used to control the energy of rivers

Hydro electricity is usually made by building a dam across a river. The dam needs to be very strong to hold the water behind it. Breakwaters in the sea can also be used to produce hydro electricity.

Water turns turbines

The water comes through pipes from the reservoir behind the dam. The water is used to turn blades of huge turbines. The turbines then turn generators which produce the electricity.

4. Look at the diagram. Use the words in the list to fill in the labels in the diagram.

5. Complete the passage by filling in the blanks.

Electricity from water

The passage explains how we use water to make electricity. But some of the words are missing.

More than 70% of the earth's surface is covered by _____ . The _____ of the sun evaporates the water, which rises as water _____ to form _____ When the _____ vapour cools, it falls back to _____ as rain, hail and _____.

Water flowing _____ from high places can be used to _____ energy.

Waterwheels driven by _____ water were used in cornmills to _____ corn through a system of cogs, belts _____ spindles.

Nowadays, large dams are used to _____ the energy of rivers, which can be _____ to produce electricity when it is _____ .

Waterwheels have been replaced by _____ and the turbines turn _____ to produce _____ . Electricity _____ in this way is called _____ .

Unlike fossil fuel sources such as _____ oil and _____ which can be used only once, the _____ we get from rivers will last as long as the earth receives heat from the _____ . For this reason, we call _____ renewable energy source.

Text 2. Uranium

1 . Look through the following texts below and give the main idea.

Nuclear power is one of our most recent sources of energy

The fuel used in nuclear power stations is uranium. When atoms of uranium are split, a great deal of heat is given off. In a controlled process at a nuclear power station this heat is used to heat water to make steam. The steam is used to drive turbines which turn generators to produce electricity. Though nuclear power stations cost large amounts of money to build they are cheap to run.

Uranium ore is mined

Uranium ore is mined underground or by opencast mining in much the same way as coal. When it has been dug from the ground, uranium ore is treated to make yellowcake.

Yellowcake is made into fuel

The yellowcake is taken to a fuel manufacturing plant. At the plant fuel pellets are made. The pellets are then packed into fuel pins which are put together in bundles known as assemblies.

Nuclear fuel at the power station

At the nuclear power station the assemblies are put in the nuclear reactor. Other rods, called control rods, control the amount of heat produced. The centre of the nuclear reactor is called the core.

Making electricity

The heat from the core of the reactor is used to boil water to make steam. The steam turns turbines to work a generator which produces electricity.

Nuclear fuel can be used again

Unlike coal, oil and gas, nuclear fuel can be used again. The fuel rods are taken to a fuel reprocessing plant to be made useful again.

Great care is needed

Nuclear waste can be dangerous and great care must be taken when it is stored.