Task 2. Make pairs out of the following words from the text.

1. remote	a. cycles
2. core	b. fuels
3. biological	c. properties
4. living	d. of heat
5. biogeochemical	e. warming
6. nitrogen	f. sensing
7. physical	g. of biomass
8. fossil	h. surface
9. circulation	i. fixation
10. global	j. concept
11. earth	k. organization
12. combustion	l. organisms

 

Task 3. Match the words and word combinations with their equivalents in Russian.

1. matter

2. core

3. to interact

4. cycling

5.  respiration

6. decomposition

7. temperate

8. boreal

9. condition

10. to resemble

11. to deposit

12. sediment

13. to define

14. current

15. albedo

a. круговорот

b. разложение

c. северный

d. профильный

e. напоминать

f. осадок, отложение

g. материя

h. текущий, поток

i. умеренный

j. взаимодействовать

k. условие

l. дыхание

m. определять

n. помещать

o. отражающая способ-ть

 

 

Task 4. Translate the sentences from Russian into English.

1. Биосфера — оболочка Земли, населенная живыми организмами.

2. Биосфера включает нижнюю часть атмосферы, гидросферу и верхнюю часть литосферы.

3. Основоположником учения о биосфере является В.И. Вернадский.

4. Он подчеркивал, что биосфера — результат сложнейшего механизма геологического и биологического развития и взаимодействия косного и биогенного вещества.

5. Живое вещество биосферы — совокупность всех ее живых организмов.

6. Высшую стадию развития биосферы Вернадский назвал ноосферой, когда разумная деятельность человека является определяющим фактором развития жизни.

7. Основа стабильности биосферы -биологическое разнообразие всего живого на Земле — от генов до экосистем.

 

Task 5. Insert prepositions where necessary.

1. The term Biosphere was first used a century ago ___ the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess as a sphere ___ living organism or biological process lying ___the interface between ____the atmosphere, ____ lithosphere and ____ hydrosphere.

2. Replacement __ the communities ____ nature ___ man made communities have to be observed if these man-made communities are to thrive.

3. To safeguard life ___ earth, people must learn to control and adjust the balances ___ nature that are altered ___ their activities.

4. It is estimated that the biosphere contains more than 350,000 species ___ plants including algae, fungi, mosses and higher forms ___ plants, ___ eleven million animal species ranging ____ uni-cellular protozoa ___ man.

5. The organic continuity ___ the system rests ___ a delicate network ___ interdependent relationship.

6. The process ___ which solar energy is transferred ___ molecules is called photochemical process.

7. It is oxidants and reluctant that assist plants ___ producing carbohydrates and oxygen, ___ molecules ___ carbon dioxide and water.

 

Comprehension and discussion

Task 6. Answer the questions.

8. Biosphere is the biological component of earth systems, isn’t it?

9. Which disciplines use the term “biosphere”?

10. Where do the seasonal cycles occur?

11. When did the first single-celled organism emerge?

12. What idea does the Gaia hypotheses state?

13. What do you know about the history of the term “biosphere”?

14. What chemical elements do you know?

15. What are the ways of studing the Earth’s biosphere?

Task 7. Are these statements true or false? Explain your opinion according to the text.

9. The term Biosphere was first used a century ago by the Austrian geologist Eduard Suess as a sphere of living organism or biological process lying at the interface between the atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.

10. People must think less about conquering nature and more about learning to work with nature.

11. In addition, each person must realize his independence with the rest of nature, including his fellow human beings.

12. To safeguard life on earth, people must learn to control and adjust the balances in nature that are altered by their activities.

13. It is estimated that the biosphere contains only 350 species of plants including algae, fungi, mosses and higher forms of plants, from eleven million animal species ranging from uni-cellular protozoa to man.

14. The biosphere supplies the essential species, namely light, heat, water, food and living space or habitats.

15. The air, the water, man and the animals, plants and planktons, the soil and bacteria are not interlinked in a life-sustaining system, we call the environment.

16. The most important photochemical activity in the biosphere is photosynthesis in plants.