Pill in the correct preposition for each blank space

1 ■ Let's look_____ our human system_____ the point_____ view

_____ each_____ the principles_____ ecosystem sustainability.

6'

Unit Six

Ecosystems: How They Work

 

2. For sustainability ecosystems dispose____ wastes and replenish

nutrients_____ recycling all elements.

3. We mine elements_____ one location and dispose_____ them

_____ another.

4. For example, phosphate withdrawn____ soils______ agricultur­
al crops comes_____ us______ our food supplies, but then efflu­
ents _____ our wastes containing the phosphate are discharged

_____ various waterways rather than back____ the soil.

5. Likewise, many rivers and other bodies________ water are contami­nated toxic elements various discharges.

6. For example, thousands_______ kilometers______ tributaries_____

the Amazon are badly contaminated___ mercury, a waste prod­
uct ____ gold mining.

7. Seventy percent_____ the electricity______ our country comes

_____ coal-fired power plants, and most homes, buildings, and

hot water are heated____ natural gas.

8._____ all, more than 10 calories_____ fossil fuels are consumed

_____ every calorie_______ food that is served____ the U.S.

9. Most_____ the rest is converted directly_____ heat as it is ab­
sorbed ___ water or land.

10. Therefore, even using solar energy_____ a vast scale would not

change the overall dynamics____ the biosphere.

11. It has nearly tripled____ just the last 60 years and is continuing

to increase_____ a rate_____ over 90 mln people per year.

12. Then, there are any number_____ examples______ overgrazing

_____ figurative sense.

IV. DEFINITE/INDEFINITE ARTICLES

Use a/an or the where needed. If no article is needed, write an AT in the blank space.

Thus,_ danger in_________ continuing to ignore_____ ecosys­
tem ____ principle regarding__ solar energy seems clear. In ad­
dition to being nonpolluting and nondepletable,___ solar energy is

also extremely abundant. Green plants, including___ crops utilize

_____ very small fraction of____ solar energy that hits____ earth.

Most of____ rest is converted directly to___ heat as it is absorbed

by_____ water or_____ land. In turn, this heated_____ water and

____ land heats_____ air and causes_____ evaporation of_____

water. Thus,______ solar energy is_____ major driving force behind

_____ ocean currents,______ wind, and______ rain, - i.e._______

weather. There is_____ ample opportunity to harness some of this

energy and put it to work. According to___ Laws of Ther­
modynamics, ____ final heat at_____ end of_____ line is_

same whether_____ energy is harnessed to perform_______ useful work

along _____ way or not. Therefore, even using___ solar energy on

_____ vast scale would not change____ overall dynamics of_____

biosphere.

V. VALUES DISCUSSION Answer the following questions, then discuss your answers with your classmates.

1. What may basic ecological principles of sustainability show us?

a. The environmental problems we face.

b. Our failure to adhere to these principles,
с The direction we need to take.

d. other

2. What do we do in contrast to First Principle of Sustainability?

a. We mine elements in one location.

b. We dispose of elements in another location.

с We have based our human system on one-directional flow of

elements, d. other

3. Where are effluents of our wastes containing the phosphate dis­
charging?

a. back into soil с into bays and estuaries

b. into various waterways d. other

4. What is done to make up for the removal of phosphate from soil?

a. Phosphate is discharged into various waterways.

b. Phosphate rock is mined at various locations.

с Phosphate rock is added to soil as a constituent of fertilizer, d. other

5. What problems does the one-way flow from mine to waterways lead to?

a. ecological disturbances

b. depletion of the resources at one end

Unit Six

c. pollution at the other end

d. other

6. What has proved to be the more severe problem?

a. phosphate withdrawn с depletion of resources

b. pollution d. other

7. What problem is known as eutrophication?

a. severe ecological disturbances

b. oversupplying with nutrients such as phosphate
с contaminating with toxic elements

d. other

8. What fact aggravates the problem of pollution?

a. We produce thousands of products, such as plastics.

b. We use synthetic organic compounds.

с We produce and use nonbiodegradable compounds, d. other

9. What is an encouraging sign that we are beginning to recognize
and implement the first principle of sustainability?

a. the rapid development of recycling problems

b. solving the problems of finding dump sites
с finding space for dumps and landfills

d. other

10. What do ecosystems use as their source of energy, according to the
second principle of sustainability?

a. fossil fuels b. crude oil с sunlight d. other

11. What have we developed in contrast to this principle?

a. vehicles с machinery and engines

b. heating plants d. other

12. Where does 70 percent of electricity in the USA come from?

a. crude oil с coal-fired power plants

b. natural gas d. other

13. What are most homes, buildings, and hot water heated with?

a. electricity b. natural gas с fossil fuels d. other

14. What are the byproducts of burning fossil fuels responsible for?

a. urban smog and acid rain

b. the potential of global warming

с most severe air pollution problems ;y

^ d. other . .4w, '

Ecosystems: How They Work 79

15. What is the major driving force behind weather?

a. natural gas b. crude oil с solar energy d. other

16. What is the third principle of sustainability connected with?

a. the human population с ever-accelerating growth rate

b. overgrazing d. other

17. What examples of literal overgrazing may be given?

a. depletion of fishing area

b. degradation of productive grasslands
с picking hillsides bare

d. other

18. What examples of overgrazing in figurative sense are there in the
article?

a. deterioration of soils

b. destruction of tropical and Other forests
с depletion of groundwater supplies

d. other

19. What is the most serious form of figurative overgrazing?

a. ever-expanding human development and exploitation

b. displacing and degrading of natural ecosystems
с the extinction of countless species

d. other

VI. ROLE-PLAY

Choose one of the following situations to act out.

1. Two scientists are arguing about our failure to adhere to basic eco­logical principles of sustainability.

2. A scientist is explaining to a group of the United States govern­ment representatives (which can be the whole class) the problems the one-way flow of phosphate lead. The representatives will then ask questions.

3. A scientist who cares about environmental protection is speaking to a group of local authority representatives about the Amazon con­tamination with mercury, a waste product of gold mining. The rep­resentatives will then ask questions.

4. A scientist who doesn't care about environmental protection is advising to a group of small business representatives (which can be

Unit Six

Ecosystems: How They Work

 

the whole class) to develop production of plastics. The representa­tives will then ask questions.

5. A scientist from the United States is talking with a scientist from Russia about using sunlight as the source of energy for ecosystems and industry.

6. A person from Great Britain is talking with a person from Russia about whose air pollution problems are more severe.

7. Two soil scientists are discussing farming practices that are leading to deterioration of soil and hence loss of productivity.

8. A teacher is explaining to a group of adult students (which can be the whole class) the third principle of ecosystem sustainability. He (or she) is giving a number of examples of overgrazing in figurative and literal sense. The students will then ask questions.

9. Two environmental scientists are discussing two problems the one­way flow of phosphate from mine to waterways lead.

 

10. You are speaking at a scientific conference about the ever-acceler­ating growth rate of the human population. The participants (which can be the whole class) will then ask questions.

11. A group of post-graduates (which can be the whole class) are dis­cussing our fantastic technological and material progress of the past 200 years, what they like and dislike about it.

VII. FOR DISCUSSION AND COMPOSITION