Vocabulary notes

due measures — надлежащие, должные меры;

to pollute — загрязнять; pollution — загрязнение, загрязненность;

bу-product — побочный продукт;

to affect — зд. приносить вред, наносить ущерб;

natural cycle of matter — круговорот веществ в природе;

to weaken — ослаблять; слабеть;

to do damage — причинить вред, нанести ущерб;

exhaust gases — выхлопные (отработанные) газы;

intentionally — умышленно, намеренно;

to discharge effluents — сбрасывать, сливать стоки

(загрязненные сточные воды);

leakage — утечка;

waste — отходы, отбросы;

at a rough estimate — по приблизительной оценке;

по грубым подсчетам;

to prevent — мешать, препятствовать; предотвращать;

unfit — непригодный;

to contaminate — загрязнять, отравлять;

domes­tic waste — бытовой мусор;

carbon dioxide — углекислота, углекислый газ;

sulphur dioxide — диоксид (двуокись) серы;

nitrogen oxide — окись азота;

acid rain — кислотный дождь;

to threaten — угрожать;

survival — выживание;

precarious — ненадежный, непрочный; шаткий;

extinction — исчезновение; вымирание.

Vocabulary exercises

I. Translate the words and word combinations into Russian

Environment; great significance; the whole of mankind; signs of ecological imbalance; to cause a crisis; bу-products of man's activities; to be strongly affected; to create new compounds; a pure element; the natural cycle of matter; self-regulation; increasing noise level; unpolluted water; to do physical damage; to weaken the energy; a major source of environmental pollution; exhaust gases; poisonous carbon dioxide; emission of the earth's heat; to spoil the countryside; water pollution; intentionally; unintentionally; to discharge effluents; to cause leakage; toxic waste; oil products; rough estimate; water surface; a fine film; air-water oxygen exchange; unfit for drinking; contamination of water­ways; chemical waste; thermal waste; the volume of domestic waste; industrial air pollution; greenhouse gases; acid rain; balance within an ecosystem; to threaten the survival; precarious balance; populations of microorganisms; to cause major changes; lost species; to protect living species; the ugliest insects; tiny bacteria; genetic resources; the least renewable.

II. Translate the sentences into Russian

1. There are signs of ecological imbalance, which may cause a crisis if due measures are not taken. 2. The air, the earth and its rivers and seas are becoming polluted with bу-products of man's activities. 3. The biosphere is affected by all sorts of human activities. 4. Many of the man-made substances do not belong to the natural cycle of matter. 5. They weaken the capacity of natu­ral processes for self-regulation. 6. We need silence as much as we need fresh air and unpolluted water. 7. Progress can be blamed for the environmental problems. 8. Transport is a major source of environmental pollution. 9. Exhaust gases contain poisonous carbon dioxide, which prevents the emission of the earth's heat into space. 10. The pollution from industry can occur intentionally or unintentionally. 11. Sometimes accidents cause leakage of toxic waste into the water supply. 12. At a rough estimate, no less than five million tons of oil are discharged into seas and oceans each year. 13. One litre of oil makes one million litres of fresh water unfit for drinking. 14. The volume of both industrial and domestic waste has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. 15. Sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides lead to acid rain. 16. The balance of nature within any ecosystem depends on the complex interaction between millions of species. 17. The death of one species could threaten the survival of hundreds of others. 18. Changes in the populations of microorganisms may cause major changes on the earth and its atmosphere. 19. Once the last member of a species has died, that species is lost forever. 20. We must try to protect even the ugliest insects. 21. The genetic resources are the least renewable of all.