– муки, агония
reverse – изменять
rectify – исправлять
appeal – взывать, обращаться
proposal – предложение
caution – осторожность, предупреждение
disrupt – сорвать
cause – причинять, вызывать, заставлять
collapse – падение, крах, провал
Read the international words and give their Russian equivalents:
scale, negative, human, massive, planner, engineer, radical, result, experience, hydrological, period, process, correct, complex, management, collapse.
The Aral Sea and surrounding region has suffered large scale negative environmental change accompanied by major economic losses and human suffering over the past 4 decades owing to development of massive irrigation works. Soviet planners and engineers in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s underestimated both the range and severity of these consequences. They were confident that the socio-economic benefits of irrigation development outweigh any harm that might result.
What lesson can be learnt from the Aral Sea experience?
1) Once a large hydrological system such as the Aral Sea basin is in the throes of radical change, it is very difficult, costly and requires a lengthy period to reverse the process (i. e. it is much easier to create such problems than to rectify them).
2) Simplistic and, at first glance, appealing proposals to correct complex water management problems in the Aral Sea basin quickly (e. g. through rapid and massive cuts in irrigation to free water for the Aral Sea) should be approached with caution as they may so disrupt the economy as to cause its collapse.
EXERCISES:
1. Find in the text the English equivalents for the following words and word-combinations:
большие экономические потери, за последние 4 десятилетия, переоценить, быть уверенным, социально-экономическая выгода, перевесить, с осторожностью.
2. Form verbs from the following nouns and translate them into
Russian:
change, loss, suffering, development, irrigation, work, planner, weight, result, creation, appeal, proposal, correction, management, cut, freedom, approach, cause.
3. Translate this text in written form.
4. Make up 10 questions connected with the Aral Sea problem.
5. Use the following suggested topics for discussion:
1. Environmental consequences of the Aral Sea recession.
2. Economic consequences of the Aral Sea recession.
3. Future of the Aral Sea.
4. My specialty – applied ecology.
6. Read the texts again and make a report about the Aral Sea problem.
UNIT VIII
New words and expressions:
effect – следствие, действие, эффект
blast – взрывная волна, струя
leak – утечка, течь, просачиваться
allowable – допустимый
facility – оборудование, приспособление
topsoil – верхний слой почвы
scrap – остатки
strew (strewed, strewn) – разбрасывать
disintegrate – разлагаться
deformity – уродство
rim – край
disability – неспособность, бессилие
Read the international words and give their Russian equivalents:
nuclear, test, resident, radioactive, radiation, radionuclides, atmosphere, cubic, region, portion, territory, toxic, specialist, dose, material, nitrates, identify, locate, local, substance, atomic, import, crater, airplane, infection, national, incident, psychiatric, chemical, medical, medicines, socially, global, civilian, military, active, control, utilize, operate, official, period, polygon, metal.
Many global environmentalists have heard of the effects on the civilian population of the nuclear testing that took place over several decades in Semipalatinsk. Few, however, are aware of the other five military testing sites in Kazakhstan. The conditions in the Kapustin Jar region are described here.
The environment of Western Kazakhstan has been devastated by the Azgir polygon (nuclear testing range), which was active from 1966 to 1979. Two other military testing programs remain active on this territory. Previously under the control of the Soviet Union, they are now utilized for weapons testing by Russia and have been operating for more than 45 years.
According to official data, 29 explosions occurred over this time period. 24000 missiles and 180 battlefield weapons have been tested, hundreds of long and medium-range missiles have been destroyed and the CC-20 missile has been fired 619 times, releasing over 30 tons of highly toxic chemicals into the atmosphere with each blast. Consequently, a significant part of the territory of the polygons and adjacent territories are polluted with radionuclides, highly toxic missile fuel and heavy metals.
The first underground nuclear test on Azgir was conducted 160 meters underground, only 1,5 km from residents who live in the village of Azgir. For over 20 days following the explosion radioactive gas from the underground cavities leaked into the atmosphere. During the subsequent blasts the release of poisonous gases continued for two to eleven months discharging 10 million curies of radiation into the atmosphere. Additionally, radioactivity in the underground cavities of the Azgir nuclear polygon which total 1,2 million cubic meters in volume is extremely high. Radionuclides from these cavities can be observed throughout the region's food chain.
Moreover, a significant portion of the territory has been contaminated
