Mineral Resources and Energy Today and Tomorrow

 

A deposit of any minerals is known as an ore, if the mineral is present in such concentration and quantity that it can be extracted profitably under the technological or economic conditions which exist or can be foreseen for the short-term future. It follows that certain mineral deposits which are not ores today will be the ones tomorrow if prices go up, technology changes or demand rises.

It is impossible, therefore, to speak with accuracy about the supplies, demands or future prospects for any nonliving materials used in technological civilization. First, we don’t know the location of all available supplies. Each year brings new discoveries, and often they are of great quantities. Second, we don’t know what demands can be expected in future. If we shift from automobiles as they now exist – and obviously we must – to other vehicles or means of transportation, then demands for some metals (e.g. batteries for electric cars) may go up, while demands for the heat-resistant metals used in “high-temperature” internal combustion engines will go down.

Attempts to forecast the future is to run into the conflict between technological optimists and pessimists. Some believe that new discoveries, the development of new synthetics and composites, more efficiency in production, and substitution of plentiful for scarce materials will keep supplies of essential materials available into the indefinite future. However, a great number of more pessimistic viewpoints deserve some attention. They take into account not only present demand, but also the steady increase in demand that has now gone on for several decades. They also pay attention to the change in the demand picture if all nations are brought to a high standard of living and there are requirements equivalent to the modern industrialized world. From these point of view there is no doubt that all known supplies of many minerals will be exhausted before the end of the century.

Answer the questions on the text.

1. What is known as an ore?

2. Why is it impossible to speak with accuracy about the supplies, demands or future prospects for any of the non-living materials?

3. What conflict is there between optimists and pessimists?

4. What is the pessimistic viewpoint on mineral resources use in future?

5. What is your opinion on the problem and what side do you take?

 

5. Vocabulary. Give Russian equivalents for the following word combinations:

mineral deposits, means of transportation, heat-resistant metals, high-temperature internal combustion engine, demand and supply, scarce materials, concentration and quantity, under economic conditions, technological civilization, available supplies, synthetics and composites.

6. Vocabulary. Give the definition of the English terms:

mineral deposit, potential reserves, means of transportation, natural resources, nonliving materials, composites.

 

7. Vocabulary. Find as many derivatives as you can to each of the words: concentration, probability, economic, profit, increase, recycle, efficiency.        

 

8. Vocabulary. Cross out an odd word in each line. Number each line according to the headings given below.

coal        oil               natural gas   wind

sun         wind           fossil            geothermal

iron ore  copper        sun energy   fossil fuel

abundant scarce          exhaustible  fragile

overloading overharvesting  overheated       overexploiting

 

Headings: 1) Overuse of something; 2) Non-renewable natural resources; 3) Renewable resources; 4) Resources that can be depleted; 5) Kinds of energy.

 

9. Vocabulary. Match the words from A with the words from B to form word combinations.

1) A: decayed, electric, economic, hazardous, resource, fossil, mineral, natural

B: deposit, gas, waste, fuel, plant, factor, depletion, power;

2) A: to gain, to meet, to manufacture, to raise, to prevent, to generate, to preserve, to forecast

B: value, natural habitat, future, oil resources, electricity, goods, erosion, basic needs

 

10. Vocabulary. Complete the sentences with suitable words given below.

1. Materials people use to meet basic needs are called …..

2. A … can be replaced naturally and used over and over again.

3. A … is an inorganic substance in the earth’s crust, such as gold and iron ore.

4. … is the soil layer that consists of decayed plants and animals.

5. … makes it possible to reuse products that have been used discarded.

6. A person who works to protect natural resources is …..

7. … are oil-based materials.

8. An energy source that has been formed from the remains of plants and animals died millions of years ago is known as a ….

 

Words to insert: plastics, resources, mineral deposit, ecologist, non-renewable resource, renewable resource, fossil fuel, recycling.

 

11. Vocabulary. Try to explain in English the following expressions: to run into conflict, to run somebody into conflict, to extract profitably, to foresee the future, to keep something available, to take something into account, to pay attention, to bring something to high standards.

 

12. Fill in the gaps with suitable propositions.

1.It is impossible to speak … accuracy … the supplies, demands or future prospects … any … the nonliving materials used … technological civilization.

2.The mineral resources … the ocean floor are going to receive great attention … future as the technology …. mining them becomes available.

3.They take … account not only the needs … the industrialized nations today, but also the change … demand picture if all nation are brought … a high standard … living.

4. … the same time most developing countries … rapid population growth face the urgent need to improve their standards … living.

5. We live … the period … greatest extinction … plant and animal species. Two …. every three species are estimated to be … decline.

6. … contrast … the previous extinctions which were due … the change … climate and sea level, the last one has begun because … humanity’s gross misuse … the earth’s resources.

                                         

GRAMMAR: MODALS

Put suitable modals into gaps (can, could, may, must, to be to, to have to).

1. Mineral reserves constitute those ores that are known to exist or … be expected to exist at a high probability.

2. If we change automobile for other means of transportation because we obviously …, the demand for some metals … rise.

3. New discoveries and improvements in technology …. affect both demand and supply.

4. The attempt to forecast the future … run into the conflict between technological optimists and pessimists.

5. The wire may also be made of any metal though soft metals ….  to be avoided.

 

14. GRAMMAR. Translate the sentences paying attention to the words in bold. Put them into negative and interrogative forms if possible.

1. They were able to seek the profit without too much concern for its future effects.

2. To make shale oil (сланцевая нефть) available, great amounts of water have to be provided to operate the processing plants, if oil shale occurs where water is scarce.

3. Greenpeace estimates that no more than 225 billion tons of carbon can be burned if global warming is to be limited to the increase of 1 degree Centigrade.

4. Some environmentalists argue that governments should ban all production of CFC immediately to prevent an irreversible environmental crisis.

5. It should be clear that sustainability of human society as well as sustainability of other species will depend on maintaining the integrity of the biosphere.

6. To support the integrity of the biosphere we need to know how the biosphere functions to support all life.

7. One should remember that environmental health is of great importance for all people in the world, that’s why whole mankind must be responsible for the ecology.

8. It is supposedly going to be a costly affair to finally be able to develop a method to produce energy from tides.

9. Hydroelectricity can be easily produced; all we have to do is construct a reservoir, store water in it and manipulate its movement and flow.

10. Not having to pay for resources does not make it free, it simply reduces the price of producing energy.

11. If you want to commit yourself to a renewable energy source, you may have to learn more about that. Also, you have to know that there are several types of renewable energies and before you decide to use one (or multiple) energy source, you must first dig a bit deeper into this sphere.

 12. Whatever bit of maintenance is required, it is required for maintaining the equipment with which the alternative energy is to be harnessed.

13. If you want to commit yourself to a renewable energy source you may have to learn more about that.

 

15. GRAMMAR. Read the instructions and translate them. Explain use of the modals.

Batteries to store your energy. You must use a special type called deep cycle batteries. These are capable to discharge a smaller amount of energy and still keep a long life. They need special maintenance and they won’t last you a lifetime – you must replace them every few years.

Backup (резервный) generators. These are to be used when your energy income is low. This means that you will actually have to acquire the generator and the necessary fuel and make sure that it can support your entire household for at least a few days.

 Only the idea of living completely off the grid and not be dependent of a national system that charges you every month with overpriced energy should be a pretty strong motivation.

 

16. GRAMMAR. Choose the proper modal verb:

1. можно найти (must, may, can) be found

2. нужно использовать (may, must, can) be used

3. нельзя поймать (may not, cannot, can) be caught

4. нужно сохранить (can, may not, must) be preserved

5. можно доказать (can, may, must) be proved

6. нельзя сгруппировать (must not, can, cannot) be grouped

17. GRAMMAR: MODALS PLUS PRESENT PERFECT. Translate the sentences into Russian and explain the use of Present Perfect after modal verbs.

 

1. Increased volcanic activity in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries produced dust wells in the upper atmosphere which may have prolonged the cold spell. 

2. The broken and contorted chromosomes that appeared under researchers’ microscopes might have been exposed to radiation.

3. Windmills must have been used for centuries to grind grainand pump water.

4. There could have been several alternative energy projects running in various countries to reduce our dependence on traditional fossil fuels.

5. Newton couldn’t use present day technologies. He had to rely on observation. He must have been influenced by the data available at his time. He might have been mistaken.

 

18. GRAMMAR:   MODALS PLUS PRESENT PERFECT. Fill in the spaces of the text with phrases (modals plus Present Perfect) given below. Translate the text.

                                              

EASTER ISLAND

Easter Island, 3,000 km off the coast of Chile in the Pacific Ocean, is very far from land. Today, it is a small island with few people or trees, but at one time a lot of people lived there. Scientists believe that the original inhabitants …. the island by accident. Around 100 people ….  on the western coast of the island. But then the number of inhabitants increased too quickly. Scientists agree that the inhabitants ….  all the food on the island and finally all died. The Easter Island statues are famous, but nobody knows why they are there or why there are so many. The statues … gods, or Easter Island … part of a much bigger island. The statues are very large and heavy, so they …  easy to move. Scientists still do not know how the inhabitants …  this.

Phrases to put into spaces:

may have landed

might have done this

must have used up all the food

can’t have been easy

may have discovered the island

could have been part

might have been gods