Read the texts 3, 4 and 5 and express the main idea of each text in 2-3 sentences.

Text 3

Dioxides launch а new attack on our nature

Dioxides are especially dangerous when they enter the environment together with metallurgical wastes, while chlorine is added to drinking water, while sewage is cleaned using biological methods; when herbicides and defoliants are used. Dioxides act in the same way as AIDS virus destroying the immune system of various organisms and causing genetic faults and deviations of embryos. High concentration of chlorine organic pesticides in the surrounding environment and addition of chlorine into the drinking water (especially high dozes of chlorine in water pipes during the periods-of floods) raise the issue of strict control over the concentration of dioxides in raw materials, food and industrial products. Ву this time, developed countries of the West gradually re equipped dangerous dioxide-using production lines and were able to dramatically decrease the injection of dioxides into the environment, however it has not been possible to to neutralize the consequences of their influence on the immune system.

Oxidized water absorbs poisonous metals from the upper layer of soil and dissolves them in the tubes polluting the drinking water. The problem is made more difficult by ozone pollution - reaction of nitrogen oxides and organic pollutants results in the appearance of the specific "smog". Ozone is а form of molecular oxygen, presence of which in the stratosphere (upper layer of the atmosphere) is important because it blocks dangerous ultra-violet sun rays. The danger is that the same molecules in the troposphere {lower layer of the atmosphere) represent dangerous elements destroying living tissues including human lungs. Destruction of forests is а result of the combined influence of the acid rains and ozone pollution. Ten thousand lakes in Sweden, Norway, Canada, Great Britain and the United States can not support water types of life as а result of acid precipitation. Fish was extinguished in thousands of these lakes. More than 1/5 of all forests in Europe are sick including half of the forests in West Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Note:

tissues -ткани

Text 4

Ecology of the Caspian Sea region - the last line of defense before the beginning of the " big" oil

The main center of oil development in Kazakhstan is concentrated in the western part of the country. More than 70% of the oil fields containing industrial oil resources are located on the territory of Atyrau and Mangistau regions. Atyrau region is characterized by the highest supply of perspective oil resources and their volume is more than 700 milliontons. And this is without the estimates for the Caspian Sea shelf. Kazakhstan is waiting for the "big" oil. And the ecology of the Caspian Sea region is holding the last line of defense. This is because the current situation is already considered to be close to а crisis. Atyrau region is justly considered to be among the most ecologically disadvantaged territories ап4 environmental pollution at the oil extraction sites is considered among eight priority ecological problems of the country. When oil was drilled on the ground the ecology of the Caspian Sea and surrounding territories was already sending SOS signals. Kazakhstani experts have identified five main problems related to the radioactive environmental pollution. The first place on the list is taken by radioactive pollution of the territory in Western Kazakhstan. At the 22 oil fields the experts located 267 sites of radioactive pollution thrown on the soil by the underground waters. The power of radium and torium radiation is 100-17000 microroentgen/hour. Total population affected is around 100 thousand.

Serious danger of oil pollution of Caspian Sea is.represented by the oil fields Western and East- Central Prorva, Teren-Uzek, Tazhigaly, Kokarna, Eastern Kokarna, Kara-Arna, Morskoe, Pustynnoe and other regions.

Text 5

Water crisis - poor health

Deficit of fresh clean water is а cause of many diseases and even of people' s deaths. As а result of illnesses caused by dirty water а child dies every eight seconds. In the developing countries 80 %of all diseases are spread because of consumption of dirty water. Disease-causing microorganisms living in the water and pollution annually kill 25 million people. The highest rate of deaths from lethal illnesses related to dirty water, such as dysentery, cholera, typhus is registered in tropical countries. However, developed countries also suffer from water pollution. In 1993, in the city of Milouwakee, Wisconsin, 400000 people became sick because of drinking water filled with chlorine-resistant micro organisms. After that people started to boil water. Industry uses much less water, but consequences of the use can be much more dangerous because of the following reasons. First of all, the use of water for industrial needs is not regulated by the governments and this may result in abuses. Second, industrial wastes thrown into the water can make on-the-ground and underground waters dangerous for people' s health.

The consequences of the irrational use of water resources are especially harmful if we consider the fact that it is not always ассоmpanied by increase in agricultural productivity. The unwillingness to create appropriate draining systems at the crop lands (immediate saving of funds) results in expansion of swamps and increase in the level of salt on the crop lands, which in turn leads to loosing productivity of the lands.

Text 6

Translate into English:

В нашей стране большое внимание уделяется вопросам охране вод. В 15 крупных городах, расположенных в бассейнах рек Волги и Камы, вводятся в эксплуатацию городские сооружения по очистке воды (treatment plants). Предусмотрено, что сброс сточных вод во всех городах, расположенных в бассейнах рек Волги и Урала, будет полностью прекращён.

Проводятся крупные мероприятия по охране водных ресурсов и животного мира в Каспийском море, озере Байкал и др.

Самое крупное озеро в нашей стране – Байкал. Оно содержит 20% всей пресной воды планеты. В прибрежных районах сосредоточены большие массивы леса, минеральные ископаемые. На предприятиях, сбрасывающих промышленные воды в реки, были построены очистительные сооружения.

Учёные за последние годы создали эффективные сооружения для очистки промышленных водных стоков. Через них сбрасываются в реки и озёра воды, пригодные для нормального развития природных процессов в водоёмах.

UNIT IV.