На марсе по ночам идет невидимый снег

Данные, полученные автоматическим зондом Phoenix на Марсе, позволили учеными обнаружить, что каждую ночь на поверхности планеты оседают кристаллики льда, а затем испаряются утром, говорится в статье, опубликованной в журнале Science.

Аппарат, стартовавший с Земли 4 августа 2007 года, был предназначен для поисков воды на Марсе, поэтому зонд был направлен в приполярный регион, где орбитальный аппарат "Одиссей" нашел подземные залежи льда. Посадка аппарата на поверхность произошла 25 мая 2008 года. В ходе своей миссии аппарат выполнил все возложенные на него задачи и смог проработать почти на два месяца дольше, чем было запланировано изначально. Последние сеанс связи с аппаратом прошел 2 ноября 2008 года, и 10 ноября этого же года было объявлено об окончании миссии.

Благодаря устройству LIDAR, испускающему лазерные импульсы в атмосферу и детектирующему отраженный свет, ученые смогли обнаружить формирование кристалликов льда в высоких слоях атмосферы, которые оседают на поверхность грунта в течение ночи, а затем, не переходя в жидкое состояние, в течение дня снова превращаются в пары воды. Эти пары воды поднимаются на высоту около четырех километров, где цикл формирования марсианских облаков и выпадения осадков повторяется вновь.

Коллектив ученых под руководством Питера Смита из Аризонского университета, ведущего исследователя всей научной программы миссии, описал результаты поисков воды. Оказалось, что водяной лед в этом районе залегает всего в 5-18 сантиметрах от поверхности, причем таяние его в прошлом оказывало влияние на рельеф поверхности. В ходе анализа грунта с помощью двухметрового манипулятора, оборудованного специализированным прибором для отбора мерзлой почвы, ученые установили, что полярный марсианский грунт имеет щелочную среду, благодаря чему в значительной степени адсорбирует пары воды в темное время марсианских суток.

Сам грунт состоит главным образом из солей и минералов, содержащих молекулы воды в структуре, потому их формирование в прошлом практически наверняка происходило под воздействием жидкой воды, необходимой для формирования живых систем, похожих на те, что существуют на Земле.

Как информирует РИА "Новости", ученые полагают, что обнаруженные ими климатические закономерности современного Марса, а так же свидетельства, говорящие о теплом и влажном прошлом планеты, существенно сближают его с Землей. Авторы статей полагают, что в те времена, когда Марс был существенно более влажной планетой, на нем могла зародиться жизнь, которая в виде микроорганизмов может существовать до сих пор. "Эволюция - это очень мощная движущая сила природы. Если жизнь когда-то на Марсе и зародилась, она до сих пор может существовать в некоторых экологических нишах", - сказал Смит, слова которого приводит пресс-служба Аризонского университета

 

VOCABULARY WORK

EXERCISES

 

I. Put each of the following words or phrases in its correct place below.

sewage enlightened pesticides sustainable

organic acid rain ecological deforestation

disposal herbicides extinction animal rights

When industrialisation began, little thought was given to its (a)______effects. Raw, untreated (b)______was allowed to pollute our seas and rivers. Animals were killed for profit to the point of (c)______. The loss of trees through uncontrolled (d)______caused erosion and unstable climate. (e)______was caused by the poisonous gases man sent into the atmosphere. Chemicals in (f)______killed animal life. (g)______destroyed plants. The balance of nature was disturbed. It is only now that we are waking up to the problem. More natural, (h)______ farming is advocated. Legislation controls the (i)______of waste products into our air and water. Wildlife organisations are becoming more militant in their fight for (j)______. Replanting policies in some parts of the world mean that our forests should in future be (k)______. We can only hope that growing public awareness and (I)______legislation will produce a world which is safe for us and will provide a good quality of life for future generations.

 

II. Complete the passage by using the words and phrases in the list below. Use each item once only.

Alternative sources, cut down on, dramatic increase, exhaust fumes, food chain, nuclear waste, pesticides, polluting, public transport, quality of life, research, rush hour, subsidised fares, switch to, traffic jams.

Our environment is being destroyed but we still have time to do something bout it.

Every day during the 1. … you can see cars stuck in 2. … sending their 3 … up into the atmosphere, 4. … our environment. If we had an integrated 5. … system with 6. …, commuters would be encouraged to leave their cars at home and 7. … a more efficient form of transport. It is only in towns that 8. … is being threatened. Although farmers say they have to spray 9. … on their crops, some experts believe that these chemicals could get into the 10. …, which will result in a 11. … in the number of people affected by cancer and various allergies. More 12. … needs to be carried out so that we can 13. … the use of harmful chemicals but still produce the food we need. Potentially the most dangerous threat to the environment is 14. … from power stations. Can it really be stored safely? By developing 15. … of energy, such as wind and wave power, we can make our world much safer to live in.

 

 

III. Complete this crossword with words connected with weather and the environment.

ACROSS

1_______________________________________ A period of unusually hot weather, especially one that continues for a long time (8)

4 A very small amount of rain [hat falls in a round shape: a rain (4)

6 ___ bank. A container in the street for collecting glass so that it can be used again (6)

8 __ layer. A layer of gases in the sky that prevents harmful radiation from the sun from reaching the Earth

9_______ Weather A metal object fixed to the top of a building that blows around to show the direction the wind is coming from (4)

11 Able to continue without causing damage to the environment (11)

13 Hail A small ball of frozen rain (5)

14 A measure of how hot or cold a place or thing is (11)

17 Waste paper, cans etc. that people have thrown away and left on the ground in a public place (6)

18 The regular rising and falling of the level of the sea (4)

DOWN

1 The natural home of a plant or animal (7)

2 Someone who works hard doing practical things to achieve social or political change (8)

3 A scientist who studies the way in which plants, animals and people are related to each other and to their environment (9)

5 _______ energy. Energy that replaces itself naturally or is easily replaced because there is a large supply of it (9)

7 An area of countryside or land of a particular type, used especially when talking about its appearance (9)

10 _______ gas. A gas, especially carbon dioxide or methane, that is thought to trap heat above the Earth (10)

12 A liquid used to supply power to the engine of a car or other vehicles (6)

13 Cold A period of unusually cold weather (4)

 

15 A light cloud low over the ground that makes it difficult for you to see very far (4)

16 The part of a plant or tree that grows under the ground and gets water from the soil (4)

 

IV. THE ENVIRONMENT

Task 1: Match the first part of each sentence with its second part. Use the words in bold to help you. Check that each sentence you put together is grammatically correct.

1. Some modern agricultural methods have been heavily criticized,...

2. If you wear a fur coat in public,...

3. It is illegal to kill pandas, tigers...

4. If we don't do more to protect pandas,...

5. A lot of British people are interested in unusual animals,...

6. National parks in Kenya are currently recruiting experts...

7. In an attempt to preserve forests around the country...

8. We would like to carry out more scientific study into rainforests...

9. I don't like zoos because I think...

10. I saw a fascinating documentary about the way animals live in Venezuela and thought...

11. In order to increase the birth rate, the Chinese government has spent a lot of money...

12. Hunters have killed so many animals that...

(A)...in many countries poaching is considered more serious than drug smuggling.

B...and rare breeds parks are very popular with many.

C ...in wildlife management

D...the government's conservation programme has been very successful.

E...they'll soon be extinct.

F...with battery farming in particular receiving a lot of condemnation,

G...it was fascinating to observe their natural behaviour.

H...on a successful panda breeding programme.

I...keeping animals in captivity is cruel.

J...or any other endangered species.

K...but it is often difficult to get people to fund the research.

L...you risk coming under attack from animal rights activists.

Task 2: Replace the expressions in bold with a word or expression from the box which has the same meaning.

unleaded petrol • fossil fuels • recycle (things) • organic genetically modified • greenhouse • rain forest • global warming erosion • contaminated • environmentalists • emissions biodegradable packaging • acid rain • Green Belt • ecosystem

1. In Britain, building is restricted or completely banned in the area of farming land or woods and parks which surrounds a town.

2. Many companies are developing boxes, cartons and cans which can easily be decomposed by organisms such as bacteria, or by sunlight, sea, water, etc.

3. The burning of some fuels creates carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, methane and other gases which rise into the atmosphere.

4. Farmers have cleared hectares of thick wooded land in tropical regions where the precipitation is very high.

5. Planting trees provides some protection from the gradual wearing away of soil.

6. We should all try to process waste material so that it can be used again.

7. These potatoes are cultivated naturally, without using any chemical fertilisers and pesticides.

8. This bread is made from wheat which has been altered at a molecular level so as to change certain characteristics which can be inherited.

9. More and more cars are built to use fuel which has been made without lead additives.

10. Polluted precipitation which kills trees falls a long distance away from the source of the pollution.

11. Human beings have had a devastating effect on the living things, both large and small, in many parts of the world.

12. The gases and other substances which come from factories using oil, coal and other fuels which are the remains of plants and animals can cause serious damage to the environment.

13. Don't drink that water! It's been made dirty by something being added to it.

14. Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and other people concerned with protecting the environment are holding a forum in London next month.

15. The heating up of the earth's atmosphere by pollution is threatening life as we know it

Task 3: Now look at this essay and complete the gaps with one of the words or expressions from Tasks 1 and 2. In some cases, more than one answer may be possible. You may need to change the form of some of the words.

'Environmental degradation is a major world problem. What causes this problem, and what can we do to prevent it?'

There is no doubt that the environment is in trouble. Factories burn … which produce …, and this kills trees. At the same time, … gases rise into the air and contribute to …, which threatens to melt the polar ice cap. Meanwhile farmers clear huge areas of … in places such as the Amazon to produce feeding land for cattle or produce wood for building. Rivers and oceans are so heavily … by industrial waste that it is no longer safe to go swimming. Cars pump out poisonous … which we all have to breathe in. … and overfishing are killing off millions of animals, including whales, elephants and other …. In fact, all around us, all Irving things large and small which comprise our finely balanced … are being systematically destroyed by human greed and thoughtlessness.

There is a lot we can all do, however, to help prevent this. The easiest thing, of course, is to … waste material such as paper and glass so that we can use it again. We should also check that the things we buy from supermarkets are packaged in … packaging which decomposes easily. At the same time, we should make a conscious effort to avoid foods which are … (at least until someone proves that they are safe both for us and for the environment). If you are truly committed to protecting the environment, of course, you should only buy … - jit and vegetables, safe in the knowledge that they have been naturally cultivated. Finally, of course, he should buy a small car that uses … which is less harmful to the environment or, even better, make more use of public transport.

The serious …, however, do much more. They are aware of the global issues involved and will actively involve themselves in … by making sure our forests are kept safe for future generations. They will oppose activities which are harmful to animals, such as …. And they will campaign to keep the … around our towns and cities free from new building.

We cannot all be as committed as them, but we can at least do our own little bit at grass roots level.

We, as humans, have inherited the earth, but that doesn't mean we can do whatever we like with it.

 

MINI-TEXTS FOR TRANSLATION

 

1. President Bush Participates in Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change

"Energy security and climate change are two of the great challenges of our time. The United States takes these challenges seriously. The world's response will help shape the future of the global economy and the condition of our environment for future generations. The nations in this room have special responsibilities. We represent the world's major economies, we are major users of energy, and we have the resources and knowledge base to develop clean energy technologies. Our guiding principle is clear: We must lead the world to produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions, and we must do it in a way that does not undermine economic growth or prevent nations from delivering greater prosperity for their people. We know this can be done. Last year America grew our economy while also reducing greenhouse gases."

2. By next summer, heads of state should convene to finalize a long-term goal for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions and to establish strong and transparent systems for measuring progress. Only by doing the necessary work in the coming year will it be possible to reach a global consensus at the UN in 2009.

3. Each nation should design its own separate strategies for making progress toward achieving this long-term goal. These strategies must be environmentally effective and measurable and reflect each country's different energy resources, different stages of development, and different economic needs. Like other countries, the United States relies on a mix of mandatory, voluntary, and market-based policy tools. No country has all the answers. We need to think creatively and learn from one another's experiences.

4. By developing new, low-emission technologies, the world's major economies can meet the growing demand for energy while reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. For many years, those who worried about climate change and those who worried about energy security were on opposite ends of the debate. But these challenges share a common solution: technology.

5. Achieving the vision of an age of clean energy will require significant investments from all major economies. Today, the United States and Japan fund most research and development of clean energy technologies.