Exercises Ex. 1. Translate the following words and remember them.

Ability, to achieve, application, capacity, to decrease, nuclear, to supply, pole.

Ex. 2. Translate the following words given below paying attention to different suffixes and prefixes.

To consume – consumer – consumption

direct – direction – directly – indirect

to resist – resistor – resistant – resistance

to pass – passage – passing

to conduct – conductor – semiconductor – conductivity – superconductivity

advantage – advantageous – disadvantage

to oppose – opposition – opposite

to insulate – insulator – insulation – insulating

wire – wireless

to achieve – achievements

Ex. 3. Translate the following word-combinations.

Nuclear powered submarine fleet

a gas cooled reactor

seven advanced gas cooled reactors

pollution control equipment

oil-cooled device

energy rich area

large industrial region supply

noiselessly operating controllers

Notes on the text:

to use CO₂ gas cooling – использовать CO₂ в качестве теплоносителя

the seven advanced gas cooled reactors – семь усовершенствованных корпусных газо-графитных реакторов

Nuclear power in britain

The USSR was the first to demonstrate the technical feasibility of nuclear power generation with the Obninsk reactor of 1954, its aggregate capacity being 5 megawatts. But Britain led in the commercial production of nuclear power.

This was demonstrated in 1956 when Britain's first reactor was put into operation (the Calder Hall reactor). Its capacity is today around 200 megawatts. This reactor is characterized by the use of natural uranium, graphite moderator and CO₂ gas cooling.

In the early 1950-s the British government, decided to realize a large-scale programme of building nuclear power stations. Neither oil nor natural gas had been discovered by Britain in the North Sea by that time.

The first British reactor became the model for further ten “Magnox” stations, The name “Magnox” refers to the material of which fuel cans were made.

A second generation of stations is the seven advanced gas cooled reactors. They are characterized by their ability to operate at much higher temperatures and pressures. It should be noted that high level of safety have been maintained in nuclear station design.

For several years Britain was generating more nuclear power electricity than the rest of the world put together. However, today she stands only in the middle among other developed countries of the world for the proportion of electricity, which is generated by nuclear power.

According to the United Nations information in 1985 the proportion of electricity generated by nuclear power in France accounted for 64.8 %, Belgium – 59.8 %. It should be noted that countries which use nuclear power for generation of their electricity, for example, France and Belgium, are most badly supplied with sources of natural fuel. They have greatly exhausted their coal reserves and have little natural gas and oil.

On the contrary, Britain possesses sufficient resources of fossil fuels of coal, oil and gas. The possession of a major coal industry and the development of gas and oil from the North Sea were the reasons for considerable decrease of using nuclear power for generation of electricity. Moreover, public opinion protested against further building of atomic power stations.

Being a pioneer in nuclear power Britain has many achievements in this field. In 1987 Britain operated 20 small PWRs (pressurized water reactor) in its nuclear powered submarine fleet.

Britain has been one of the leading nations in development the technology of nuclear preparation. Together with Netherlands and West Germany Britain has developed the high speed centrifuges for the separation of uranium isotopes. For natural uranium saving Britain has been successfully developing ways of reprocessing.