The environment and the people.

The Earth is the only planet in the solar system where there is life. For centuries man had lived in harmony with nature until industrialization brought human society into conflict with the natural environment. Today, the conflict between man and nature has acquired a dramatic character. With the development of civilization man’s interference in nature has increased. Every year the world industry pollutes the atmosphere with millions of tons of dust and other harmful substances. The seas and rivers are poisoned with industrial waste, chemical and sewage discharge. People who live in big cities are badly affected by harmful discharge from plants and city transport. The increased noise level is as bad for human health as lack of fresh air and clean water.

Among the most urgent problems are the depletion of the ozone layer, acid rains and global warming that lead to unfavorable changes in the world climate. Another serious problem is disappearance of forests. Some of them die from acid rains, others are cut down. Rain forests disappear at an alarming rate. If man continues to cut down rain forests, more than one million species of plants and animals will become extinct by the year 2030.

Water is often looked upon as a dumping place where sewage and industrial wastes can be washed away and hopefully disappear. As a result some rivers and lakes are so badly polluted that their water is unfit for bathing.

There are a lot of places on our planet that need immediate help. Our country is no exception. The nuclear accident at Chernobyl power plant has seriously aggravated the ecological situation in Belarus. The Chernobyl disaster in neighboring Ukraine in 1986 was the world’s worst nuclear accident. More than 60% of the fallout from the plant affected Belarusian territory.

Today people are aware that our life depends on the state of the environment. Pollution kills everything that is alive. So nature protection should become everybody’s concern.

II. Read/listen to the Dialogues. Learn underlined useful phrases. You can use them to discuss what businesses can do to protect the environment:

(Everyday Technical English)

Recycling. - Recycling is big business these days, isn’t it?

- Yes, it is definitely is a growing business.

- What do you recycle in your plant?

- Many plastics. Plastics aren’t bio-degradable – they do not break down easily in the environment - s o they shouldn’t be thrown away.

- How is plastic recycled then?

- Well, there are basically two methods. One is to break down the chemicals in the plastic into smaller chemical particles. These can then be used in the production of new chemicals.

- Is that the method you use here?

- No, we don’t do that here. We recycle polyethylene and we make it into other products.

- How do you do that?

- By melting it down and then reforming it. Our main products are bin liners for kitchen bins and carrier bags for supermarkets.

- Environmentally-friendly products. – You say products are aimed at the green

- consumer. In what ways are they environmentally-friendly?

- We produce household cleaning products – detergents and so on. They are all phosphate-free, which minimizes damage to the environment.

- What about the packaging?

- We try to use as little packaging as possible. Also, all our bottles are made of recyclable plastic and we use recycled fibre in our boxes. That is what our customers want.

Energy. – We’ve managed to reduce our energy consumption in our factory by

about 15 per cent in the last two years.

- That is excellent. How have you managed that?

- Mainly because we’ve invested in a heat recovery system.

- What does that mean exactly?

- Well, we use the exhaust gases from our printing presses to provide energy to heat our dryers.

- What other sources of energy do you use?

- We don’t use any fossil fuels. Most of our power comes from hydro-electric plants. We are hoping to use even more energy from alternative sources in the future – perhaps even wind power.

LEARNING.

I. Read/listen to the following interview about Martina’s education:

Interviewer: So, Martina, first of all, tell me something about your education.

Martina: Well, of course I went to primary school and secondary school. I really loved primary school. The teachers were fantastic and we all played a lot but at the same time we learnt a lot. When I went to secondary school it was completely different. My secondary school was very traditional. We had to wear a uniform, a blue skirt and jacket, and there were lots of rules. I didn't like it at all.

Int.: What were your favorite subjects at school?

M: Well, I always liked science, so I suppose my favorite subjects were Biology and Chemistry.

Int.: When you left school, what did you do?

M: I went to Manchester University to study Chemistry but I didn't enjoy it. Luckily I had a very nice lecturer called David and he helped me a lot. He suggested a different course, so after the end of the first year I started to study Information Technology. That was basically all about computers. And I enjoyed that a lot more.

I: Have you studied any courses since university?

M: Yes, well a couple of years ago I did a part-time course in new technologies. That was for work really. And I love languages so in the last few years I have studied Italian, German and I've just started a distance-learning course in Russian. It's difficult because you don't have normal classes. It's all on the Internet and it's hard to practise speaking. I don't really enjoy it but there are no places to study Russian in my town.

II. Answer these questions about learning English in your country:

1. When do children start learning English? 2. Is English the first or second foreign language? 3. Is it a compulsory or optional subject? 4. How many years do they learn English at school? 5. Which parts of the language are most important at school (grammar, reading, speaking…)? 6. Can people study English when they leave school? Where? 7. Why do people usually study English after they finish school?

III. Jackie Snow is talking about her Student’s life in London:

I came to London two months ago because I want to be a professional dancer, and the best schools of dance are here in London. I'm doing a course at the National Dance School, which is very hard work, but I'm really enjoying it. The course is expensive, but I work with a theatre group at the weekend. We teach dance to groups of children. I'm living with another girl in a flat in north London. It's small, but it's comfortable. My boyfriend, Tony, lives in the same street with his parents. They're very kind, and often cook meals for me.

I know my parents are worried about me living in London, but it isn't dangerous at all if you're careful. It's so exciting here, there's so much to do and see. It was difficult in the beginning, especially getting to know the Underground, and I didn't know many people, but it's fine now. I have a lot of good friends. I love my Mum and Dad very much, but I don't want to live at home for the rest of my life. I phone home every Sunday, and when I go to a museum or art gallery, I always send them a postcard. Mum reads them, but I don't know if Dad does. (Headway Intermediate, 2 b)

STUDYING TECHNOLOGY.

I. A Carrier in Engineering.

Who makes a good engineer? Well, if you're innovative and like a challenge, then engineering may just be the right career field for you. The best engineers really like to solve complex problems. They are also typically true inventors. Math and science is an engineer's playground. So if you struggled through your algebra, this career may not be the right fit for you.

Most engineers work as a team, therefore you should be a team player and possess great skills communicating with others. This will be highly important when planning and creating new projects. Engineers are also practical, innovative, creative and curious about how things work. So many innovative technologies created by engineers help make the world safer and healthier. They help people and improve the environment.

The Belarusian-Russian University may be the ideal University for those young people who want to follow a carrier in Engineering.

II. My University.

“Which University to enter?” is one of the biggest decisions you have to make after leaving school. It determines your entire future life.

This year I entered the Belarusian-Russian University in Mogilev. And now I am a first year student of this University and I am going to become an engineer. It is a dynamic modern university with a long history of providing higher education to meet the needs of society and industry. The University is subordinate to the Ministries of Education of the Republic of Belarus and of the Russian Federation.

The Belarusian-Russian University was founded in 1961 as the Mogilev Mechanical-Engineering Institute and later was reorganized into a university. It is located in the centre of Mogilev. Now it comprises a system of a continuous educational process: Lyceum - College of Architecture and Construction – University – Professional Development and Retraining Institute. The number of undergraduates at the University is 7500. The University has 8 faculties. It trains engineers and economists in compliance with the Belarusian and Russian educational standards.

Entrance to the University is by centralised testing. Those who pass tests successfully are enrolled in the first course. The basic subjects of this year are Higher Mathematics, Physics, History of Belarus, Belarusian, Russian and a Foreign Language, PT classes, etc. These subjects lay the foundation for specialized subsequent years. The University has a good computer network and our library exemplifies a real investment in supporting our students’ learning.

The duration of the University course is five years full-time, starting in September. On successful completion of the course, one may progress to a number of degree-level courses - Master and Post- Graduate (PhD) courses. The University has a specialized Board for defending theses and awarding the Candidates of Engineering Sciences degrees. Students from foreign countries are an important part of the Belarusian-Russian University. The University highly values its many international contacts.

According to the master plan of the BRU, the university is to receive another building which is under construction now. The University has three Halls of Residence situated within a walking distance from it. There are several sports clubs, providing a wide range of sporting opportunities.