Comprehension check questions

1. Why do we have to develop alternative sources of energy?

2. What is the solar energy used for?

3. What are disadvantages of wind power?

4. What requirements should hydroelectric power stations meet?

6. Vocabulary. Match two verbs from a) and b) that are synonyms:

a) to conserve, to use, to generate, to rotate, to trap, to take place, to damage, to emit;

b) to capture, to preserve, to produce, to harm, to occur, to spin, to release, to apply.

 

7. Vocabulary. Match adjectives that are synonyms: continuous, current, hazardous, non-renewable, contaminated, at present, consistent, exhaustible, dangerous, polluted.

 

8. Vocabulary. Match words in a) with their opposites in b):

a) abundant, high tide, to increase, harm, strong, dead, to preserve, dangerous, to pollute, drawback, to help, intermittent;

b) living, to destroy, safe, to purify, weak, advantage, to decrease, to prevent, scarce, consistent, benefit, ebb.

 

9. Word formation. Make the following words negative:

efficient, renewable, sufficient, natural, dangerous, correct, useful, significant, available, living.

10. Vocabulary. Translate noun combinations into Russian:

greenhouse gas emissions, potential alternative energy source, air pollution control, surface waters, waves height difference, solar power station, solar power generation, moving water energy, alternative energy use, sun power generator prototype, electric car charging station, solar power plant construction project.

11. Vocabulary. Match verbs and nouns to make word combinations.                   

 

verb	noun
To take	pollutants
To harness	advantages
To run out of	sun rays
To release	turbines
To drive	electricity
To trap	consequences
To have	power of water

 

12. Vocabulary. Put the missing words from the list given bellow the text into gaps.

 a) How Does a Hydroelectric Power Plant Work?

For power to be generated, three things must be present: flowing water, a …., and a generator. Flowing water from the …. or upstream river strikes the turbine and causes it ….. The turbine is connected to the generator, so, when the turbine is spinning, it causes the …. to start running, eventually, producing …..

The principle of …. power is similar to that of …. energy which rotates the wheels of the turbine by its energy. Hydroelectric power uses the natural flow of water to give mechanical energy to turbines …. electricity. The water flows …. to provide energy. Gravitational energy gives water kinetic …. required for the flow.

Words to insert: energy, power, turbine, dam, to produce, continuously, to rotate, generator, hydroelectric, wind.

 

b) How does solar system work?

   The purpose of any …. system is to collect solar …. and convert it into useful thermal ….. It consists of a number of absorbers or ….. These are made of plates of fiber with …. tubes inside. The tubes are connected to a metal …... This surface is black in order to …. more energy. The system works as follows: the sun …. pass through the glass and heat water flowing through the copper ….. When the water is heated it …. steam and the steam is used to move a ….. which turns a generator. This device then transforms heat into …...  

Words to insert: electricity, tubes, solar, produces, radiation, energy, collectors, copper, surface, absorb, rays, turbine.

 

c) Tidal Energy

Tidal energy comes from the …. of ocean tides. One way to use the power of …. is to seal off a bay with a dam. When water moves into and out of the …. it turns a turbine, which produces …...There are some coastal areas around the world where the ….. between high and low tide is up to 10 metres and more. Great Britain, the Netherlands, Germany or France have coastal regions where such power can be …..

Words to insert: electricity, movement, created, waves, bay, electricity,

d) Geothermal Energy

  Geothermal …. can be produced in places where water comes into contact with hot rock below the earth’s ….. The water that reaches these hot areas turns into ….., which then produces electricity. In places where no natural …… water supplies exist, engineers pump it into the hot rock layers.

Geothermal heat is an important …. of energy in countries that lie in volcanic areas, such as Iceland, Italy, New Zealand, California or the Philippines. Geysers are …. of hot water that come to the surface. Such naturally …. water is used to heat homes and greenhouses.

Words to insert: eruptions, source, surface, steam, heated, underground, power.

E) Biomass

  Biomass is material that …. plants and animals. It …. energy that the sun has produced and when burned produces heat. Wood, plants and crops are the most important sources of …. today.

Biomass can also be …. other forms of energy, like gas, ethanol or ….. In Brazil, for example, about 20 % of all cars are driven by ….  produced from sugar cane. Biomass is also a …. source of energy because crops and trees can always grow.

Words to insert: renewable, ethanol, comes from, changed into, contains,

biodiesel, biomass.

Grammar revision.

 a) Find ing-forms in the text in Ex.5 above. What parts of speech are they. Translate them into Russian.

b) Find ed-forms in the text in Ex.5 above. Translate them into Russian and explain your translation.

Grammar revision.

Find conditional sentences in parts b-d of the text in Ex.5 above. Which types do they belong to? Transform these sentences into other types and translate them into Russian.

 

15. Skills development. Translate the text into English.

 

                                   Энергия из мусора

Специалисты из Тайланда разработали экологически чистый и даже прибыльный способ утилизации бытовых отходов. Там введена в эксплуатацию первая электростанция, работающая на газе, который выделяется при гниении отбросов на мусорных свалках. Этот проект поможет густонаселенному острову решить одним махом две проблемы: ликвидировать дефицит электроэнергии и избавиться от избытка мусора. Эта уникальная электростанция сможет работать на отведенном ей мусорном котловане около 10 лет, снабжая электроэнергией 7000 домов.

 

16. Skills development. Make a report on the alternative energy you are especially interested in. Tell about advantages and disadvantages of this type of energy. Give examples of its use in your locality. Is it possible to use alternative energy in everyday life?