книги / The World Around Me

TEXT 31

PURE WATER FOR MOSCOW AND FOR THE CITY OF TOMSK

Memorize the words: to face – столкнуться

аt his disposal – в его распоряжении per capita – на 1 человека man-made – искусственный

figure – цифра subterranean – подземный mighty – мощный

to contaminate – загрязнять

The problem of water supply faces all the world's cities as the total population of the world is growing. And the demands for water are growing as wall. Moscow, however, does not experience particular difficulties with its water supply. Each of the capital's inhabitants has about 700 liters of water per day at his disposal, while, for example, London brought its per capita water supply up to 314 liters per day only 9 years ago, i.e.in the year 2000

More than 10 man-made lakes supply Moscow with water.Today the city is supplied with about 10 million cubic meters of water daily. Authorities are trying to increase the resources of water for the population of the capital.

The city of Tomsk is supplied with 200 million cubic meters of purest subterranean water from its unique water supply system.This water supply system was put into operation about thirty years ago. Its source is a mighty underground river. There is no problem of contaminated water as well as dirty and unsafe water supplies. Sand is a natural filter, cleaning the river water not only of chemical, but also of biological admixtures.

Deep wells of the Tom River daily pump water from out of the ground while the pumping station supplies this huge amount of pure water through one meter diameter pipes to the old Siberian city.

COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct variant:

1.The problem of ... faces all the world's cities.

a)energy

b)water supply

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c)fuel supply

2.Moscow, however, does not experience ... with its water supply.

a)particular difficulties

b)a shortage

c)any problems

3.Each of the capital's inhabitants has about 700 liters of water ... at his disposal.

a)annually

b)per day

c)per month

4.Authorities are trying ... .

a)to increase the resources of water

b)to harness the rivers

c)to collect the water

5.The city of Tomsk issuppliedwith200millioncubicmetersofpurest....

a)sea water

b)water from rivers

c)subterranean water

6.This water supply system was put into operation ... .

a)last year

b)about thirty years ago

c)not long ago

7.Its source is ... .

a)a pumping station

b)a man-made lake

c)a mighty underground river

8. ... is a natural filter.

a)gravel

b)clay

c)sand

9.Deep wells of the Tom River daily pump water from ... .

a)out of the ground

b)a natural lake

c)a man-made reservoir

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TEXT 32

HOW A UNIQUE BUILDING WAS SAVED

Memorize the words: to settle – оседать unevenly – неровно shaft – ствол, колонна

liquid glass – жидкое стекло to pump – качать

In 1887 a fine opera house was built in Odessa, in the Baroque style of the Renaissance period. The work was carried out by Russian architects and builders according to the design of two Vienna architects. It became the pride of the city's inhabitants. The public liked everything about the new opera house: its exterior, its beautifully designed auditorium, the paintings on the walls, the white marble and the crimson of the seats.The auditorium of the opera house seats 1,500. Its architectural and acoustical qualities place the Odessa Opera House among the best in the world.

But not many years passed and the builders became seriously concerned for the fate of the building. It began to settle unevenly. By 1900 the eastside of the building was 16 cm lower than the west side. A support wall was erected but the foundation continued to settle because the soil under the building was being washed away by subsoil waters. The huge opera house was in danger.

In order tо save this unique building experts decided to strengthen the foundation soil. Round and under the building 2,300 shafts were made to a total length of 20 km. Through these shafts six million litres of liquid glass were pumped into the foundation soil. The glass cooled and formed a solid mass as hard as rock. It made the foundation many times stronger than before.

So the building of the Odessa Opera and Ballet House was saved from destruction.

COMPREHENSION TEST

I. Answer the following questions:

1.When was the Odessa Opera House built?

2.Why did builders become concerned for the fate of the building?

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3. How was the building saved?

II. Reproduce the parts of the text in which the following phrases are used:

1.the pride of the city's inhabitants

2.its beautifully designed auditorium

3.architectural and acoustical qualities

4.the foundation continued to settle

5.liquid glass was pumped into the foundation soil

III. Enumerate the main facts given in the text.

TEXT 33

COMPUTERS – TRANSLATORS

Memorize the words: to print – печатать

tape-recorded – записанный на магнитную ленту complete – полный

error – ошибка spirit – дух spirits – спирт

willing – готовый (делать что-л.) flesh – тело; мясо

rotten – слабый; испорченный

Some computers can be built to understand the spoken word and to read printed material. Of course, there are already computers which serve as translators, but they are not efficient. The computer has to be given programs and data. The words of the language to be translated must be put into the computer – every single word and every single meaning of every word. Even then, because there are so many different ways in which words are used, it is almost impossible to give a computer a really complete program. Errors in translation are still likely to occur.

A classic example of a translation error by a computer is as follows. "The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak" was fed into a computer for translation into Russian. Then the computer operators made a check of the translation by translating it back into English. It came out like this "The vodka is strong, but the meat is rotten." It used words that are somewhat

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similar but far from meaning the same thing. COMPREHENSION TEST

Choose the correct variant:

1.The computer-translator has to be given ... .

a) some words b) tasks

c) programs for translation.

2.Errors in translation ... .

a)may occur

b)are unlikely to occur

c)are impossible

3.The check up of the translated sentence showed ... .

a) that the translation was correct

b) that the translation was erroneous (ошибочный) c) that the translation had not been completed

4.The machine had used ... words.

a)difficult

b)interesting

c)similar

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Содержание
TEXT 1..........................................................................................................................	3
A FAMOUS INVENTOR.............................................................................................	3
COMPREHENSION TEST..........................................................................................	4
TEXT 2..........................................................................................................................	4
ISAAC NEWTON.........................................................................................................	4
COMPREHENSION TEST..........................................................................................	5
TEXT 2A.......................................................................................................................	6
ISAAC NEWTON.........................................................................................................	6
COMPREHENSION TEST..........................................................................................	6
TEXT 3..........................................................................................................................	7
RONTGEN....................................................................................................................	7
COMPREHENSION TEST..........................................................................................	8
TEXT 4..........................................................................................................................	8
RADIOACTIVITY .......................................................................................................	8
COMPREHENSION TEST..........................................................................................	9
TEXT 5..........................................................................................................................	9
NEW АLLОYS.............................................................................................................	9
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	10
TEXT 6........................................................................................................................	11
SUPER-PURE METALS............................................................................................	11
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	11
TEXT 7........................................................................................................................	12
RESOURCES OF ENERGY ......................................................................................	12
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	13
TEXT 8........................................................................................................................	13
TRANSMISSION OF ELECTRIC POWER..............................................................	13
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	14
TEXT 9........................................................................................................................	15
THE STEAM ENGINE...............................................................................................	15
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	15
TEXT 10......................................................................................................................	16
MAN AND NOISE.....................................................................................................	16
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	17
TEXT 11......................................................................................................................	17
A SIMPLE MYSTERY: HOW TO GET OFF THE GROUND................................	17
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	18
TEXT 12......................................................................................................................	19
SNOWFLAKES..........................................................................................................	19
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	19

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TEXT 13......................................................................................................................	20
OUR NEIGHBOUR – THE MOON...........................................................................	20
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	21
TEXT 14......................................................................................................................	22
SEA TREASURES......................................................................................................	22
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	22
TEXT 15......................................................................................................................	23
LIFE ON AN OIL RIG................................................................................................	23
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	24
TEXT 16......................................................................................................................	25
NATURAL RESOURCES OF BRITAIN..................................................................	25
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	25
TEXT 17......................................................................................................................	26
SOME PLACES OF INTEREST IN LONDON.........................................................	26
TEXT 18......................................................................................................................	28
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE..................................................................................	28
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	29
TEXT 19......................................................................................................................	30
ТНE ROYAL SOCIETY IN LONDON.....................................................................	30
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	31
TEXT 20......................................................................................................................	32
AUSTRALIA ..............................................................................................................	32
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	33
TEXT 21......................................................................................................................	33
TOP TOURIST SPOTS OF THE USA.......................................................................	33
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	34
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	35
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	36
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	36
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	37
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	37
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	39
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	39
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	40
TEXT 22......................................................................................................................	40
MOUNT ETNA...........................................................................................................	40
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	41
TEXT 23......................................................................................................................	42
START WITH THE YOUNG.....................................................................................	42
COMPREHENSION TEST ........................................................................................	43

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TEXT 24......................................................................................................................	43
MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY (1755–2009).......................................................	43
COMPREHENTION TEST........................................................................................	44
TEXT 25......................................................................................................................	44
THE SPACE OBELISK AND THE TV TOWER......................................................	44
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	45
TEXT 26......................................................................................................................	45
THE PANORAMA MUSEUM OF THE BATTLE OF BORODINO.......................	45
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	46
TEXT 27......................................................................................................................	46
THE OCTOBER CINEMA.........................................................................................	46
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	47
TEXT 28......................................................................................................................	47
THE LUZHNIKI STADIUM......................................................................................	47
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	48
TEXT 29......................................................................................................................	49
THE MOSCOW METROW.......................................................................................	49
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	49
TEXT 30......................................................................................................................	49
CLOCKS OF MOSCOW............................................................................................	49
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	50
TEXT 31......................................................................................................................	51
PURE WATER FOR MOSCOW AND FOR THE CITY OF TOMSK.....................	51
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	51
TEXT 32......................................................................................................................	53
HOW A UNIQUE BUILDING WAS SAVED..........................................................	53
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	53
TEXT 33......................................................................................................................	54
COMPUTERS – TRANSLATORS............................................................................	54
COMPREHENSION TEST........................................................................................	55

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Учебное издание

Скуридина Ирина Владимировна

THE WORLD AROUND ME

Учебное пособие

Корректор И.Н. Жеганина

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Подписано в печать 30.04.2009. Формат 60×90/16. Усл. печ. л. 3,75. Тираж 20 экз. Заказ № 80/2009.

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Издательство Пермского государственного технического университета.

Адрес: 614990, г. Пермь, Комсомольский пр., 29, к. 113.

Тел. [phone].

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