Unit 3. New sources of energy

· Focus: New sources of energy

· Grammar focus: The Complex Subject

· Skills focus: Reading for specific information, discussing advantages and disadvantages of different sources of energy.

TEXT A

Vocabulary

source of energy          – источник энергии

to generate power         – вырабатывать энергию

fossil fuel                     – ископаемое топливо

nuclear power station   – атомная электростанция

renewable                    – восстановимый, возобновляемый

to emit                          – излучать, испускать, выделять

to contribute (to)          – содействовать, способствовать; вносить
                 вклад

to damage the environment – наносить вред окружающей среде

to be reliable                – быть надёжным

gadget                          – приспособление, устройство

warehouse                    – склад, хранилище       

available                      – доступный, имеющийся в наличии

to capture                     – захватывать, улавливать

windmill                       – 1. ветряная мельница; 2. ветряк, ветродви-
                              гатель; ветроэнергетическая установка

blade                            – зд. лопатка, лопасть, крыло

hydropower                 – гидроэнергетика

solar power                  – солнечная энергия, гелиоэнергетика

wind power                  – энергия ветра

grain mill                      – зерновая мельница

saw mill                       – лесопильный завод

to flood                        – заливать, затоплять

 

Before you start

1. Look at the list of where we get our energy from today. Which of these are mostly used in your country? Which of these are renewable and which non-renewable?

· wood · coal · water

· оil · wind

· gas · sun

2. Match the words with their definitions.

1. source   2. power   3. damage   4. environment 5. to create     6. to store

a. harm caused to smth, making it less attractive, useful or valuable b. to cause smth to exist; to make smth new or original c. a place from which smth comes or is obtained d. to collect and keep smth for future use e. the natural conditions, e.g. land, air and water, in which people, animals and plants live f. energy that can be gathered and used for operating smth

 

Reading

3. Read the text and write S (for solar energy), W (for wind power) and H (for hydropower)next to each use. Then, make up sentences as in the example.

· run small gadgets … S ….

· create electricity for whole cities …….

· power grain mills and sawmills …….

· heat water …….

· run homes and communities …….

· heat and cool factories …….

· power batteries …….

· pump water …….

e.g. We can use solar energy to run small gadgets.

NEW SOURCES OF ENERGY

Our planet faces serious energy crisis! We are desperately in need of a new form of energy which will be capable of generating enough power to see our homes, businesses and industries into the twenty-first century.

At the moment, the main part of world’s energy needs are met by burning fossil fuels or generated in nuclear power stations. Unfortunately, these are not renewable sources of energy, and once they have run out. Moreover they emit harmful greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming and climate change.

How can we produce enough energy to power the entire world without damaging the environment? We can use alternative reliable forms of energy, which will generate as much power as fossil fuels and nuclear energy: solar power, wind power and hydropower.

Solar power is safe and clean. It does not pollute the environment and it is a very powerful, cheap renewable resource. Solar power has always given us light and heat but now, thanks to solar technology, we are finding ways to store this power and use it as an alternative source of energy. Solar energy can be turned into electricity and used to run small gadgets like calculators. It is also used to heat water and to heat and cool factories, warehouses and other large buildings. Solar power batteries are also available. They capture and store the sun’s energy so that it can be used when needed.

Wind mills have been used for hundreds of years to pump water so this form of energy is nothing new. However, today we are using wind turbines to turn this energy into electricity. The wind turbines have large blades which catch the wind. These blades are connected to a generator which produces electricity. Wind factories or farms are used to create enough electricity to run homes and communities. Unfortunately, areas which don’t get enough wind have to use other sources of power as well.

Hydropower is another natural source of energy. Fast moving streams or rivers have been used for hundreds of years to power grain and saw mills. Now they are used to create electricity. They can even create electricity for whole cities.By building dams across bodies of water we can redirect the flow through hydroelectric power plants and can even store the power to be used later. Hydropower is safe and natural way to produce electricity as long as care is taken not to flood the surrounding areas or interfere too much with the natural flow of the water.

So, these three kinds of power offer a solution to all our energy problems by being renewable, clean and safe sources of energy which are easy to live and work with. 

 

4. Explain underlined words and give synonyms for the words in bald.

 

Speaking

5. Read the text again and underline the advantages of solar, wind and hydropower. Think about the disadvantages and name them. Discuss the usage of these three sources of energy in your country.

Writing

6. Find the information about some unusual sources of energy in the Internet and write the essay about its usage.

 

Grammar focus: the Complex Subject.

The Complex Subject consists of a noun/pronoun (in the nominative case) and the Infinitive. It is considered to be the subject of the sentence, its Russian equivalent is in most cases a subordinate clause.

Laser is known to be widely used in medicine.

Известно, что лазер широко используется и медицине.

 

The Complex Subject is used with:

1. the following groups of verbs in the Passive: · denoting sense perception: to see, to hear, to notice, etc. · denoting mental activity: to think, to consider, to believe, to expect, to suppose, to know, etc. · the verbs: to say, to report( сообщать ), to order, to ask, to allow, to state( заявлять), to announce( объявлять). 2. word groups: to be likely ( вероятно), to be unlikely (маловероятно), to be certain/to be sure (несомненно, обязательно, бесспорно). 3. pairs of synonyms: to seem/to appear (казаться, по-видимому), to prove/to turn out (оказывать-ся), to happen/chance (случать-ся) in the Active.

· The car was seen to disappear in the distance. Видели, как машина скрылась вдали. · He is considered to have been one of the most prominent scientists of his time. Считается, что он был одним из самых выдающихся учёных своего времени. · She is said to be working at this university. Говорят, что она сейчас работает в этом университете.   · He is sure to be asked about it. Его наверняка об этом спросят.   · The first experiment proved to be a success. Первый опыт оказался удачным.

 

7. Use the Passive Voice for the verbs in brackets. Translate the sentences paying attention to the Complex Subject.

1. These students (to consider) to conduct research rather well.

2. One of the students (to say) to be conducting a research work now.

3. That student (to suppose) to have conducted research last year.

4. This research (to suppose) to have been conducted by our best students.

5. These students (to believe) to have been conducting this research since last year.

6. All bodies (to know) to possess weight.

 

8. Paraphrase the following sentences using the Complex Subject.

Model: It seemed that he knew the subject well.

He seemed to know the subject well.

1. It appears that his knowledge of English is improving.

2. It proved that this discovery was of special value for the development of electronics.

3. It seemed that the students answer satisfied the examiner.

4. It appears that this planet possesses tremendous humidity.

5. It happened that she met some of our students in the laboratory.

6. It proved that these students are very capable researchers.

 

9. Translate the sentences paying attention to the Infinitive Constructions.

1. To develop a new method of cutting metals was necessary. To develop a new method of cutting metals the engineers made some interesting experiments.

2. To discover the stress occurring requires careful figuring. To discover the stress occurring, we require careful figuring.

3. To design new machine-tools is the task of a mechanical engineer. To design new machine-tools a mechanical engineer must study a lot.

4. To be a good engineer means to have knowledge, to improve one’s ability to analyze, synthesize and develop insight into one’s field. To be an ideal engineer one is to have knowledge, to improve one’s ability to analyze, synthesize and develop insight into one’s field.

 

10. Read and translate the following sentences. Compare the two constructions – the Complex Object and the Complex Subject:

1. We suppose all energy people use to come from the Sun. 2. All energy people use is supposed to come from the Sun. 3. Today we know
atoms to be neither unchangeable nor indivisible. 4. Today atoms are known to be neither unchangeable nor indivisible. 5. We expect thermocouples to be used instead of semiconductors in the solar battery. 6. Thermocouples are expected to be used instead of semiconductors in the solar battery.

 

11. Translate the following sentences into English using the substitution table below:

1. Мы хотим, чтобы вы рассказали нам о солнечной энергии.

2. Я хочу рассказать вам о солнечной энергии.

3. Он пришёл сюда, чтобы рассказать о солнечной энергии.

4. Она показала мне эти проекты.

5. Мы знаем, что солнечные лучи приносят огромное количество энергии.

6. Я полагал, что этот учёный уже провёл такой опыт.

7. Мы видели, что она проводила опыт.

 

We I He She

showed know watched came saw believed want

you her me the sun’s rays here this scientist

these designs. to tell us to tell you to bring a tremendous amount of energy. to have made such an experiment. making an experi-ment

about the solar energy.

12. Make presentations on the topics:

– bioengineering

– nanotechnology

13. Read the following Russian sentences and find their English equivalents in the right column:

1. По-видимому, эти данные были уже давно исследо-ваны. 2. Чтобы исследовать эти данные, надо применить новые методы. 3. Мы хотим исследовать эти данные. 4. Сообщают, что эти данные будут исследованы в кратчайшие сроки. 5. Исследование эти данных не сложно. 6. Эти данные вряд ли будут исследованы скоро.   7. Мы должны исследовать эти данные. 8. Эти данные, несомненно, будут исследованы в кратчайшее время. 9. Эти данные оказались надежными. 10. Мы ожидаем, что эти новые данные будут исследованы очень скоро.

a. To investigate these data is not difficult.   b. To investigate these data one has to apply new techniques. c. We expect these new data to be investigated very soon. d. We want to investigate these data. e. We have to investigate these data. f. These data are reported to be investigated in the shortest time possible. g. These data are unlikely to be investigated soon. h. These data proved to be reliable.   i. These data appear to have been investigated long ago. j. These data are certain to be investigated in the shortest time possible.

UNIT 4. MATERIALS