Electricity can transform people's lives, not just economically but also socially.

Module 3

Electricity

Electricity can transform people's lives, not just economically but also socially.

Piyush Goyal

Topic: Electricity; Alternative Power Sources

Essential vocabulary: inventions, discoveries, conversion, electrical devices, equipment, supply, charge, energy-efficient, renewable energy, to convert, power plants, to group into arrays, solar cells, maintenance, turbines, blades, tidal flow, photo-voltaic, kinetic energy, generator, to derive from, to require skills, to be extracted, to pipe, to be available, the advantage of, to outweigh, to emit.

Grammar: Perfect Tenses

Lesson 1

Ex. 1 Answer the questions.

1. Can you imagine our life without electricity?

2. What do you know about electricity?

3. Where does electricity come from?

4. Do you know any scientists who made a great contribution to discovery of electricity?

5. What effects can electricity produce?

6. What sources of energy do you know?

7. What are the main benefits of using electricity?

8. Does it have any disadvantages?

9. What electrical appliances do you use at home?

10. What device or machine would you miss if you had to work without electricity for a day or week?

11. Why should people be extremely careful while working with electrical devices?

Learn the new words to Text 3A.

1. discover v. –открывать

2. invent v.– изобретать

3. charge n. - заряд

4. entity n. –существо, организм

5. renewable adj. – возобновляемый

6. decipher v. – расшифровывать, разбирать

7. alternating current n. –переменный ток

8. amber n. - янтарь

9. curiosity n. - любознательность

10. available (adj,) - доступный

11. defined adj. - определённый

12. notable accomplishments n. - значительные достижения

13. incandescent bulb n.- лампа накаливания

14. arc light bulb n. - дуговая лампа

15. supply n. – подача

16. conversion n. – преобразование

17. energy-efficient adj. – энергосберегающий

18. take for granted v. - принимать как должное

Ex. 2 Read Text 3A and answer the questions.

Text 3A

Electricity

Over the hundreds of years in our world’s history, there have been many great inventions and discoveries. The discovery of electricity is one of the greatest. But what is “electricity”? It is the form of energy that can be produced in several ways and that provides power to devices that create light, heat, etc. The term “electricity” came from Greek “elektron” which means amber. Electricity is the flow of electrical power or charge. It is both a basic part of nature and one of the most widely used forms of energy.

The customers get electricity from the conversion of other sources of energy, such as coal, natural gas, nuclear, solar, or wind energy. The energy sources used to make electricity can be renewable or nonrenewable, but electricity itself is not renewable or nonrenewable.

One of the greatest advantages of electricity is that it is clean, easily-regulated and generates no by-products. Applications of electricity now cover all fields of human activity from house wash­ing machines to the latest laser devices and computers. Electricity is the efficient [ɪ'fɪʃnt] source of some of the most recent technological advances such as the laser and electron beams.

But before electricity became available more than 100 years ago, houses were lit with candles and kerosene lamps, food was cooled in iceboxes, and rooms were warmed by wood -burning or coal-burning stoves.

Scientists and inventors have worked to decipher the principles of electricity since the 1600s. Such great minds as Nikola Tesla, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, George Westinghouse and Lord Kelvin transformed electricity from a mere intellectual curiosity into the defined scientific principle that it is today. Some notable accomplishments were made by Benjamin Franklin who demonstrated that lightning is electricity. Thomas Edison invented the first long-lasting incandescent light bulb.

Before 1879, direct current (DC) electricity had been used in arc lights for outdoor lighting. In the late 1800s, Nikola Tesla pioneered the generation, transmission, and use of alternating current (AC) electricity, which reduced the cost of transmitting electricity over long distances.        Tesla's inventions used electricity to bring indoor lighting to homes and used electricity to power industrial machines.

Despite its great importance in daily life, few people probably stop to think what life would be like without electricity. Like air and water, people tend to take electricity for granted.

Individuals have become accustomed to use electricity in everyday life for electricity illuminates houses, switches on our televisions and computers, energies our laptops, cooks our food, powers vacuum cleaners, refrigerators, washing machines and other electrically operated devices, which enables us to live more comfortably. Every little single factor on the planet involves electricity. We may not be able to touch electricity, but it touches our lives every day. Now, are you able to imagine existence without electricity?

But it’s also important that we use electricity wisely. Wise electricity use helps us to become more energy-efficient as a nation, reduces our environmental impact, saves us money on our electricity bill, and keeps our nation’s electricity supply more reliable. Actually electricity provides mankind with the energy of the future.

Electricity

Electricity is one of the most important 1.______ever. It is the thing that powers the Earth. If there was no electricity, we’d be back in the dark ages. Few people stop and think just how amazing electricity is. With the flick of a switch, you can 2.____ almost anything. Think about what would happen if there was no electricity. We’d have no TV, no 3.____, no traffic signals. It would be like going back to living in caves. There are a few negative points about 4.______, of course. Number one, it’s dangerous. Thousands of people die each year from electrocuting themselves or in electrical fires. And number two, it isn’t good for the 5.______. Most electricity comes from burning coal and that creates greenhouse gases.

Grammar

Lesson 2

The Future of Electricity

Text 3B

Wireless Power

Notes to Text 3B

1. gain ground v. - продвигаться вперёд, набирать силу

2. charge v. – заряжать

3. outlet n. - разъём

4. strides n. зд.- успехи

5. prominent adj) – выдающийся

6. dependence n. – зависимость

7. derive from v. - проистекать из...

8. fluctuations n.– колебания

9. environmentally compatible adj. - экологически безопасный

10. synchronise v. – синхронизировать

11. pool n. – число

12. renewables n.- возобновляемые энергоносители

13. grid n.- энергетическая система

14. peaks in demand n. – максимум спроса

15. generation and consumption n. -  выработка и потребление электрической энергии

16. sufficient capacity n. -  достаточная мощность

17. cost-efficient adj. - выгодный

Grammar

Ex. 20 Topical Questions

1. Why cannot people live without electricity?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of electricity?

3. Why should engineers follow the instructions while working with electrical equipment?

4. What new advances can we expect to see in the field of electricity in the future?

5. Will electricity be used to power anything and everything?

6. What are the discoveries in the field of electricity made by famous scientists?

7. Who is developing "WiTricity."?

8. Electricity is one of the greatest discoveries of the 17^th century, isn’t it?

9.       What do you know about Tesla's inventions in the field of electricity?

10. Will electricity be wireless in the future?

Lesson 3

Alternative Power Sources

 

Text 3C

Alternative Power Sources

Humanity uses many kinds of energy: renewable and non-renewable. Environmental problems such as the greenhouse effect and air pollution have led scientists to find alternative power sources which are renewable and less polluting. These renewable energy sources have been available to us for years. However, it was not until recently that the public started to notice them. Most common examples of renewable resources are as follows.

Solar Energy

Sunlight can be directly converted into electricity by solar cells made of silicon. Solar cells are usually combined into panels and grouped into arrays. Even if the initial costs can be high, the PV system provides an independent, reliable electrical power source. It can produce energy for more than 15 years and its routine maintenance is simple and cheap. There is one more advantage of solar power: not only it is unlimited, but also its use does not pollute the environment.

 Wind Energy

We have been harnessing the wind's energy for hundreds of years. Wind energy is one of the cheapest renewable technologies available today. The wind turns the blades of giant turbines, producing in this way kinetic energy which is then converted into mechanical power and electricity by a generator. The main disadvantage of wind energy is that there are few suitable wind sites where it is possible to have a constant production of electricity.

Biomass Energy

Biomass is a renewable energy source deriving from plant material and animal waste. When it is burnt, it releases its chemical energy as heat. Biomass energy is a natural process, it is carbon neutral and has low initial costs. It used to be the main source of heating at home in the past and it continues to be highly exploited in the developing world. The use of bio energy has the potential to greatly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. The main disadvantage of biomass is that it has a smaller potential than other energy sources and requires excellent maintenance skills.

Geothermal Energy

In the past, people used hot springs for bathing, cooking and heating. Geothermal energy is based on the fact that the Earth is hotter below the surface. The hot water which is stored in the Earth can be brought to the surface and used to drive turbines to produce electricity or it can be piped through houses as heat. This energy is cheap and has a low impact on the environment, but there are few sites where it can be extracted at low cost.

Hydropower Energy

Water or hydroelectric is a renewable resource that produces the most energy. It is clean and produces zero greenhouse gas emissions. Flowing water creates energy that can be captured and turned into electricity. This is called hydropower. The most common type of hydropower plant uses a dam on a river to store water in a reservoir ['rezəvwɑ:]. Water released from the reservoir flows through a turbine, spinning it, which in turn activates a generator to produce electricity. Drawbacks are: costly to build, can cause flooding of surrounding communities, dams have major ecological impacts on local waters.

Tidal Energy

This alternative power source, which is typically used in coastal areas, turns the potential energy of tides into electricity. Large underwater turbines are placed in areas with high tidal movements and are designed to capture the kinetic energy of rising and falling tides. Tidal power generators use rising and falling tides in much the same manner as hydroelectric power plants. The turbines are driven by the power of the sea both when the tide comes in and when it goes out. The problem with tidal power is that only massive increases in tides can produce energy and there are very few places where this occurs. Moreover, the aquatic ecosystem and the shoreline can be damaged by the changes in the tidal flow.

In conclusion

As energy production accounts for two-thirds of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, reduction of carbon emissions in the energy sector is of paramount importance. The United Nations meeting drew the world’s attention to the importance of the global climate change challenge and the option of a decarbonized future. Renewables is an obvious way to reach the target; electrification is another important way to produce clean and reliable energy.

Renewable resources, though have their disadvantages when compared to fossil fuels, supply the Earth with a clean solution to our pollution problems. The advantages of the use of these resources far outweigh the drawbacks. The more applications available for renewable resources, the less we will have to rely on fossil fuels. The biggest problem with these energy sources is most commonly the price. But technology will continue to be developed and advances are always being made. This is making renewable resources and green energy the energy of tomorrow and today.

One of you might be another Albert Einstein and find a new source of energy. The future is ours but we need energy to get there.

 

Notes to Text 3C

1. harness v. - укрощать

2. to group into arrays v. –собирать в ряды  

3. tidal power n. - приливная энергия

4. require skills v. –требовать умения

5. paramount adj. – первостепенный

6. routine maintenance n. - регулярное обслуживание

7. derive from v. – извлекать из

8. decarbonized adj. – обезуглероженный

9.       reservoir n. – водохранилище

10.       dam n. - плотина

 

 

Type of energy	Advantages	Disadvantages
Geothermal energy
Tidal energy	it is a natural process because it exploits the potential energy of tides
Solar energy		high initial costs
Biomass energy
Wind energy
Water or hydroelectric	produces the most energy

 

Grammar

Lesson 4

Smart Flower

 

Text 3D

Smart Flower

Smart Flower– this fairly new tech is the latest in solar panel technology. The Smart Flower looks like a big sunflower, and with the power of a GPS tracker, it mimics the functions of a real flower. Throughout the day, this flower will turn towards the direction the sun is shining. This insures that it will absorb the most amount of sunlight. Smart Flower is an ideal energy solution for locations where there is a lack of space for using conventional solar panels. It actually captures 40% more solar energy than a traditional solar panel. People owing electric cars can also use Smart Flower for recharging battery packs during daylight hours. An advanced model, Smart Flower Plus has special storage batteries to store energy for after daylight or in case of emergency. Another cool thing about the Smart Flower is that it can clean and is self-cooling. The flower automatically unfolds in the morning when the sun rises and folds back down when it sets. It also folds closed during inclement (суровый) weather.

Nuclear power plants

Nuclear power will help provide the electricity that our growing economy needs without increasing emissions. This is truly an environmentally responsible source of energy.

This type of energy is produced by the splitting of atoms of uranium, which releases heat. This process - called fission (термоядерная реакция) - produces large amounts of steam, which is used to turn the blades of turbines thus creating energy.

About 10% of the world's electric power is produced by nuclear power plants. Nuclear power requires little fuel and causes much less air pollution than other power plants, but it can cause severe health and environmental problems when accidents occur, with a consequent release of radioactive material. The main problems with nuclear power are linked to the location of the power plants, as people are not willing to have these plants near their homes, and the disposal of waste material, which stays radioactive for centuries.

Grammar

Module 3

Electricity

Electricity can transform people's lives, not just economically but also socially.

Piyush Goyal

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