Test “climate, soils and vegetation”

I. Translate the following words and pronounce them:

Climate

Soils

Vegetation

Atmosphere

Air

Wind

Particles

Weather

Altitude

Latitude

Proximity

Water cycle

Precipitation

Moisture

Variable conditions

Atmospheric pressure

Insolation

Absolute humidity

Relative humidity

Topsoil

Fertile

Weathering effects

Leaching

Vegetation cover

To saturate

To weigh

To survive

To misuse

To decay

To soak

To modify

II. Put the right words into the following sentences:

1. Climate helps to keep __________ working.

2. The condition of the atmosphere for a short period of time in a specific area is called _____________.

3. Four variable conditions affect the area’s weather: ________, ___________, ______ and ________.

4. The amount of _________ in the air is called humidity.

5. If the productive topsoil is ________ it can be destroyed within a very short period of time.

6. The organic materials can _________ forming the fertile soil.

III. Translate the text.

Атмосфера земли имеет огромное значение для жизни людей. Атмосфера формирует климат, погоду и растительный покров. Атмосферу можно назвать воздухом, который состоит из множества газов, в том числе из водорода и кислорода.

Погода – это состояние атмосферы на короткий период времени на определенной территории. На погоду влияют четыре переменные: температура, влажность, атмосферное давление и ветер. Средне суточные погодные явления в течение длительного времени известны как климат. Климат заставляет функционировать водный цикл, а также влияет на распределение животных и растительности.

Климат тесно связан не только с растительность, но и с видом почвы. Почва – это смесь минеральных веществ, образованный за счет разрушения пород; разложившихся органических веществ; вода, которая впитывается в землю в результате выпадения осадков; воздух; живых организмов, таких как черви и другие.

Разные почвенные типы образуются при разных климатических условиях. Климат влияет на почву непосредственно через выветривание и опосредованно в результате влияния на жизнь живых существ. Кроме этого, люди играют значительную роль, изменяя почву посредством земледелия.

Unit 5. The earth’s resources

Warming-up activity

1. What resources do you know? Name them.

2. Read the text on pp66-68 “The use of resources” and find the English equivalents for the following Russian ones:

1. Встречающийся в природе материал,

2. Жить, используя природные ресурсы,

3. Использовать для удовлетворения основных нужд и потребностей,

4. Ускорить передвижение ценных ресурсов,

5. Высоко значимый ресурс,

6. Приобрести значимость,

7. Искать дешевые заменители дорогим ресурсам,

8. Неравномерно распределять,

9. Очень важный фактор.

III. Put the following sentences in the correct logical order according to the text:

• Natural resources occur as a part of the environment and are an important part of an area’s characteristics.

• Scarcity and rising prices have always led people to seek cheaper substitutes for costly resources.

• People in the world use natural resources differently because of the following factors – cultural differences, technological change, economic factors, and geopolitics.

• Depending on the circumstances, a price increased or interruption in supply could result in great changes in the country importing the mineral.

• The international trade of scarce minerals provides an example of the importance of geopolitics in today’s world.

To make the text sound more logically, insert in the right places the connectors:

However, nowadays, to a large extent, I must say that, It is important to point out that, Let’s illustrate this point, firstly, secondly, thirdly and so on.

IV. The paragraph “Natural resources” is for the test-reading.

5. Answer the questions after the text on p68.

6. Do the exercise “Oral Practice” on pp74-76.

VII. Read the text on pp68-69 “Renewable and nonrenewable resources” and fill in the chart writing down the main characteristics of the resources.

RENEWABLE RESOURCES	NONRENEWABLE RESOURCES
1	1
2	2
3	3

VII. Do the exercise “Development” on pp76-78.

VIII. Here are presented some possible ways of getting energy. Think of pluses for every variant (The sentences below will help you).

fossil fuels

water wind

sun nuclear materials

Fossil Fuels	Nuclear Energy	Alternative Technology
1 2 3	1 2 3	1 2 3

• If we don’t start conserving fossil fuels now, it will be too late.

• If we invest in further nuclear research now, we will be ready to face the future.

• If we spent money on nuclear research now, we could develop stations, which create their own fuel and burn their own wastes.

• What the world would be like if we didn’t have electricity!

• If there were a serious nuclear accident, huge areas would be evacuated, and they could remain contaminated with radioactivity for years.

• Terrorists could hold the nation to ransom if they captured a reactor.

• If we didn’t waste so much energy, our resources would last longer.

• Unless we do research on solar energy, wind power, wave power, tidal power, hydroelectric schemes, etc., our fossil fuels will run out, and we’ll all freeze or starve to dearth.

• We really won’t survive unless we start working on cleaner, safer sources of energy.

Read the text on pp69-71 “Energy resources support industrialization” and the text on p74 “Nuclear wastes” and complete the table.

IX. Do the exercises on pp 71-73