Translate from Russian into English using your active vocabulary.

A: вредное воздействие; природный баланс; промышленная революция; большое количество топлива; (химический) состав воздуха, воды, земли; двуокись углерода; атмосфера Земли; глобальное потепление; ‘парниковый эффект”; экстремальные изменения климата; сокращаться в количестве; опасность исчезновения; в новом тысячелетии; влияние человека; плотно-населенный; тропические леса; основные источники энергии; радиоактивные вещества; резко-континентальный морской, умеренный климат; крупное землетрясение; токсические отходы; выхлопные газы; солнечная энергия; плодородные почвы; природные ресурсы; органические удобрения.

B: Рыба в загрязненной воде умирает или становится ядовитой. 2. Кислотные дожди нарушают баланс в природе, отравляя все живые организмы. 3. Экологи утверждают, что мировые запасы природных ресурсов стремительно сокращаются. 4. Озоновая дыра была обнаружена над Антарктидой. Ученые считают, что ультрафиолетовые лучи наносят вред микроорганизмам, которые являются основным продуктом питания для многих обитателей моря. 5. Больший вред озоновому слою наносят химические вещества, широко применяемые в аэрозолях и холодильниках. 6. Выхлопные газы служат основным источником загрязнения воздуха во многих странах. 7. В этом году в Англии состоялось открытие крупнейшего в стране природного заповедника, на территории которого будут созданы новые среды обитания: луга, болота и лесистые участки. 8. Установка очистительного оборудования на всех промышленных предприятиях уменьшит ущерб, наносимый окружающей среде. 9. Интенсивная вырубка леса приведет к исчезновению многих видов животных, так как уничтожается их естественная среда обитания. 10. Виды растений, которые находятся на гране исчезновения, заносятся в так называемую “Зеленую Книгу”.

THE SEA ON OUR LEFT

(from “The Sea on Our Left” by M. Bough)

(Abridged)

“I’d like to walk all of it, ” Richard said.

“All of what? ” I asked, curious.

“The whole coastal path, from Poole to Minehead. We’re so familiar with this stretch, I'd like to see the rest.”

I reflected on this suggestion, hypnotized by the deeply scored granite cliffs. I heard my voice say:

“Why stop there? Why don't we walk all the way round.”

“Round what? ”

“Round Britain, ” the voice said quietly. “What a challenge that would be! ”

It was May 1993. Richard and I were walking a familiar stretch of the coastal path in Cornwall. Richard was silent. He is often silent, while I vocalise my thoughts almost before they are thoughts at all. Just as there is 'a time to speak and a time to be silent', so there is 'a time to live and a time to die'. What better way to 'live' than to do something totally different, something challenging that would mean lifting ourselves out of our mainstream ordinary lives, with a chance to get to know our own kingdom by the sea better!

Richard had worked in the same dental practice in Tunbridge Wells for thirty years, and I had been a Chartered Physiotherapist in the same hospital for nearly as long. We were both in our early fifties still fit enough to contemplate such a project. Our two daughters were 26 and 24, both financially independent, last year we finished paying the mortgage. My hospital might give me a career break, Richard could get a locum, and we could walk off into the sunset. These thoughts flew through my head as we walked along those awesome cliffs.

Why walk? Walking carrying everything with you is tough but rewarding. The foot-slogger can 'reach the parts' that no other transport system can. In the fresh air, close to nature, dormant senses are gradually reawakened and the walker becomes lessof a clumsy intruder. Walking is environmentally friendly and economical. Parking a pair of feet is certainly no problem! Carrying a large rucksack is something of a curiosity. Total strangers chat and enthuse; doors open; things happen. People are ableto confide in the foot traveller because he is accessible and transient, while the walker can be an objective observer who gets a good flavor of the places seen and people visited. Regional changes are gradual, therefore more easily absorbed. Long-distance walking gives a chance to compare and contrast the environment with time to ruminate. All these things are luxuries inour high-speed, high-tech world. Walking round our coastline would give us a unique opportunity to see how nature was coping with the human onslaught.

During the walk, we left ourreal world behind. We rested along the way, we either saton the ground, or in shelter which variedfrom a churchporch to a golfer’s hut. This experience of squatting, often reliant on the kindness of others to give us food, and shelter, was a salutary one. We were never'moved on ' but I think this was only becausewe never sat anywherelong enough.

Travelling light is the very best.In spite of our few possessions we didn’t want for anything, which just goes to show what you cando without. Richard’smosttreasured possessions weremaps anditinerary. His “luxuries” were an occasional newspaper, sketchpad and a few cigars. For me it was my camera, tape recorder and exercise books in whichI wrote my diary.

Why the coast? This was a question asked us by Frank Boughin a radio interview before we left. The sea washes all Man’s ills away was said by the ancient Greek Euripides. It is ironic that this 'cleansing' water includes vast quantities of effluent, detritus and toxic waste. Economic fortunes rise and fall as Manexploits his natural resources. Yet the sea is still man’s last wilderness and Britain’s coastline is varied and beautiful. Richard andI cravespace inourover-crowded little island. The sea'sspace is hypnotic and powerful; a paradox and an enigma; friendly and hostile. The rhythmical sound of thesea became a pulse which we missed when inland. Up on thecliffs we felt an empathy with the ancient rocks, a feeling of continuity, a humbling ability to appreciate that we are just a tiny part of an immense ecosystem. It was a secular pilgrimage. Travelling onfoot, we saw the results of Man’s disproportionate impact on this fragile environment; we also saw how rapidly nature heals scarsand redressesthe balance. Spiritual amphibians threading our way along the margins, on cliffs, beaches, sea-walls and promenades, we felt an integral part of our 'Kingdom by the sea.'

Notes

1. stretch n – straight sight of a track.

2. Cornwall n – a county in South-West England (a popular place for tourists).

3. chartered adj – certified. E.g. He is a Chartered Physiotherapist in the hospital.

4. mortgage n – a transfer of rights to a piece of property as security for the payment of a loan or debt that becomes void when the debt is paid. E.g. They finished paying the mortgage a couple of years ago.

5. itinerary n – 1. the route of a journey or the proposed outline of one; 2. travel diary. E.g. On the way home they lost all the maps and the itinerary.

 

Proper Names

Richard /'rItSqd/ Cornwall /'kO: nwO: l/

Poole / pu: l/ Tunbridge Wells / 'tAnbrIG 'welz/

Minehead /'maInhqd/ Euripides /ju: 'rIpIdi: z/

 

 

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