Ex.2 Find the compound (складносурядні) sentences in the text “Radio electronics in space».

Radio electronics in space

The formula “radio + electronics = radio electronics “ provides us with a good example of fruitful cooperation. To work successfully in any field of science now means to know the fundamentals of radio electronics. A physician has to know the properties of high frequency currents, a mathematician – the properties of fast-acting computers, an astronomer – the properties of radio telescopes, a physicist – the properties of charged particles. Without radio electronics it is impossible to develop cybernetics, astronautics and nuclear physics. Much attention is now given to the frequency stability of generators – the heat of all radio transmitting systems. To establish reliable contact with Mars, the frequency control must be within billionths of a per cent. The role of “ electrical pendulum “ which sets the frequency of oscillations in highly stable generators is performed by a plate of crystalline, quartz. Like the string of a musical instrument, this plate can be tuned to a definite frequency. The thinner the plate, the higher the frequency is. The thinnest plates give a frequency of scores of mcps (millions of oscillations per second). The super high frequencies used in cosmic communication are of hundreds and thousands of mcps. To use special multipliers means to active such frequencies. Ordinarily it is a chain of valve or transistor stages, each containing a score of parts. This increases the size of equipment, requires more power and results in reduced reliability. To solve the problem of high frequencies another way out has been found. The oscillations of quartz may be induced not on the main frequency, but on its harmonic overtones. One of the biggest problems is to “ tame” overtones in transistor generators, that is where they are most necessary. The frequency “ ceiling” for them is usually 100 mcps. The generator used, for instance, in the instrumentation of the US artificial Earth satellites “ Vanguard “ and “ Explorer “, had a frequency of 108 mcps (millions of cycles –мегагерц = 10 гц – per second).

 

Ex.3 Read, translate the text, write out unknown words, memorize them, give the main idea of the text in writing:

Sources and composition of atmospheric pollutants

Scientists distinguish between natural and artificial sources of atmospheric pollution.

Natural pollution of the atmosphere occur when volcanoes erupt, rock is weathered, dust storms take place, forest fires occur as a result of lightning, and sea salt is washed ashore. The atmosphere always contains aeroplankton (bacteria, including those causing disease), fungi spores, plant pollen, etc.

Artificial pollution of the atmosphere is characteristic mostly of cities and industrial districts. Cities and suburbs contain numerous industrial enterprises, automobiles and heating system which pollute the atmosphere and negatively influence the local climate.
It has been established that air pollution in urban areas grows in proportion to the population.

For a long time the problem of air pollution in the cities was chiefly connected with coal-burning in heating system which emitted smoke, ashes and sulphurous gas (SO). Today industrial enterprises and automobiles are the primary sources of atmospheric pollution.

Industry pollutes the atmosphere by emissions of harmful gases and industrial dust. Thermal electric plants, metallurgical and chemical factories, oil refineries, cement and other works are sources of air pollution.

The chemical composition of emissions the atmosphere is different depending onthe kind of fuel, of raw materials, technology, etc. For example, blast furnace gas contains poisonous carbon monoxide, while the smoke of aluminum factories pollutes the atmosphere with fluoride compounds. Paper manufacturing enterprises emit soot, sulphurous anhydride, hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan into the air. The making of synthetic fibers (nylon, for example) is accompanied by the emmition of toxic carbon disulfide (CS) and hydrogen sulfide.

Large amounts of dust are emitted into the atmosphere by thermal electric plants using low-grade coals that yield large quantities of soot and a high percentage of sulfer-containing compounds. Most electric power plants which burn 2,000 tons of low-grade coal a day emit about 400 tons of sulphurous gas every day.

The number of automobiles is rapidly increasing in all industrial countries. There are more than 300 million motor vehicles in the world today. The automobile is a convenient means of transport, but it has a negative influence on the environment. It is estimated that one car burns up the amount of fresh air needed for 100 adults to breathe. At the same time, it emits the same amount of fumes into the atmosphere.

Research carried out in the country has shown that automobile exhaust gases are a complicated mixture of many components. But their diversity may be broken down into several groups.

The first group includes non-toxic substances: nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen and water vapour. Carbon dioxide (CO) may also be included in this group as it is not a threat to man.

The second group includes carbon monoxide (CO), a very toxic gas and present inlarge quantities (up to 12 per cent).

The third group consists of the nitrogen monoxide (NO) and dioxide (NO), also very toxic.

The fourth, most numerous group of substances consists of the carbohydrates, including: ethylene, acetylene, methane, propane, toluene, and others.

The fifth group is made up of the aldehydes, mostly the very toxic formaldehyde (formalin).

Finely, the sixth group is soot emitted by Diesel engines. It has the capacity to adsorb the carcinogenic substances contained in exhaust fumes.

City air is polluted not only by exhaust fumes but also by the products of their oxidization, often more toxic than the initial substance. One of them is ozone which useful in small quantities, but is deadly poisonous in large concentrations.

The problem of radioactive pollution of the atmosphere arose in 1945 after the atomic bombs were dropped on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Since then atomic weapons have become much more powerful and have been stockpiled in large quantities.

When an atom bomb explodes, an extremely high level of radiation covers an enormous area for a long period of time as the radioactive particles are dispersed. From the atmosphere, the radioactive products fall on the earth, polluting the soil, water bodies and living organisms. Finely dispersed dust is carried many thousand of kilometres away and cause global radioactive pollution of the atmosphere.

Radioactive elements (isotopes) formed during the explosion are taken in the human body in different ways and have different effect.

 

Самостійна робота № 13

Текст. Antarctica.

Лексико-граматичні основи перекладу та вправи: Переклад газетної статті. Складання плану та написання анотації

 

 

Ex.1 Read the text, write down the unknown words, remember the theory about the annotation and make it to this text.

 

 

ANTARCTICA

The riches of the cold continent

Antarctica is the continent surrounding the South Pole. It has an area of over 15 mln sq. km, about the size of the USA and Mex­ico put together. With an average temper­ature at the South Pole of - 50 °C, it is the coldest continent; it is so cold that a thick sheet of ice always lies over the land. Pack ice surrounds the shore of Antarctica and cliffs of ice form the coast; the mountain ranges which lie along the shore and is­land are always covered with snow. In fact, Antarctica contains 90% of all the snow and ice in the world.

However, Antarctica is not just a large, cold desert. It is rich in mineral deposits. Coal and minerals such as copper, iron, uranium, gold and platinum have been found there. Many oil companies have carried out surveys in the area for oil but it is not clear whether they have found any there, or, if they have, whether it could be successfully exploited in the conditions in and around that continent. Cold as it is, Antarctica is also rich in animal life but because of the temperature, the animals and birds found there are aquatic e.g. seals and penguins. The sea is also particularly rich in krill, which are small shrimp — like creatures that whales, seals and penguins feed on.

Captain James Cook on a voyage of ex­ploration from England was the first per­son to cross the Antarctic Circle. This was in 1773. In 1837, a Frenchman, Dumont D'Urville, sailed in Antarctic waters, as did Charles Wilkes from the USA in the fol­lowing year. But the first to set foot on the continent was an Englishman, James Clark Ross, who landed on Victoria Land in 1841. The Ross Sea is named after him.

At the end of the 19th century, interest in Antarctica grew, so that an increasing number of expeditions set out to explore the continent. The explorers came from many countries, including Sweden, Belgium, Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand. In December 1911 the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen became the first person to reach South Pole. His team crossed from the coast on skies with their supplies on sledges, pulled by dogs.

By the beginning of the Second World War in 1939, many countries had made claims of ownership on parts of Antarctica. These were based on either geographical nearness or on rights resulting from discovery. Among the countries claiming territory were Ar­gentina, Australia, Chile, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway. In addition to disputes over territory, there was also some discussion over fishing and whaling rights in the area, which involved other countries as well.

The scientific experiments and expeditions in Antarctica of the International Geo­graphical Year of 1957 aroused a lot of interest in the area and also a great deal of concern over its future. In 1961 the Antarctic Treaty was signed by 12 nations and the number of signatories had risen to 3 1 by I 984. The clauses of the treaty state that Antarctica should be used for peaceful purposes only. Scientific work carried out in Antarctica had to be done in accord­ance with United Nations scientific agreements, and scientific observations and results were to be exchanged and made public.

Over the past few years, there has been increased concern over the effect of all types of human activity on Antarctica. Shipping accidents cause oil spillages, while scientists and tourists leave their rubbish.

Environmental groups say that some governments have been building airstrips too close to areas where penguins nest, thus disturb­ing their habitat and threatening their breeding. The regulations state that all rubbish should be removed from Antarctica when scientific research has been completed, but plastics, rubber and batteries have been found, all of which are dangerous to the wildlife and to the land.

The future of Antarctica is still in doubt. Will it be preserved as an unspoilt wilderness for future genera­tions or will it be changed for ever through mining and other human activity?

 

Самостійна робота № 14