Текст № 4 «Air pollution damages intelligence, says study»

Scientists have revealed that air pollution may be responsible for a significant reduction in intelligence. Research conducted for the World Health Organization (WHO) in China showed that air pollution was responsible for notable falls in student test scores for languages and arithmetic. The Chinese study is called, "The impact of exposure to air pollution on cognitive performance". It was published in a journal called, "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences". The study took place over a period of four years. Researchers analyzed verbal and arithmetic tests taken by 20,000 people of all ages. They said: "Polluted air may impede cognitive ability as people become older."Researchers say their study is a warning to the rest of the world, especially to those who live in cities. The WHO says over 91 per cent of the world population live in areas with toxic air. Air pollution is currently the fourth highest cause of deaths worldwide. The researchers discovered that the longer people were exposed to polluted air, the greater was the damage to their intelligence. They equated the impact of air pollution to losing a year's worth of education. For those aged over 60, this could be the equivalent of several years of lost education. Researcher Dr Xi Chen warned: "There is no shortcut to solve this issue. Governments really need to take concrete measures to reduce air pollution."

Mark the following statements as true or false (T/F):

1. Scientists say air pollution leads to big reductions in intelligence. T / F
2. Scientists said pollution reduced language and arithmetic test scores. T / F
3. Scientists conducted the research over a four-year period. T / F
4. Around 20,000 teenagers took a test in the research. T / F
5. About 91% of people live in areas with very polluted air. T / F
6. Air pollution is the biggest cause of death worldwide. T / F
7. Scientists said air pollution caused a loss of 10 years' education. T / F
8. A researcher said there were plenty of shortcuts to solve this problem. T / F

Provide the appropriate answers to the following questions based on the content of the text:

1. In which country was the research conducted?
2. In what two subjects did the scientists say test scores fell in?
3. Where was the study published?
4. How long was the study?
5. How old were the people who took part in the research?
6. What percentage of people in the world lives in areas with toxic air?
7. What is currently the fourth highest cause of death worldwide?
8. What was the equivalent loss of education caused by air pollution?
9. Who might lose several years of education because of air pollution?

Translate the following sentences from Russian into English using vocabulary of the text: 

1. Ученые выяснили, что загрязнение воздуха может быть причиной значительного снижения интеллекта.
2. По данным ВОЗ, более 91 процента населения мира живет в районах с токсичным воздухом
3. Исследования, проведенные в Китае для Всемирной организации здравоохранения (ВОЗ), показали, что загрязнение воздуха стало причиной заметного снижения результатов тестов в школах.
4. Исследователи проанализировали устные и арифметические тесты, которые прошли 20000 человек всех возрастов
5. Исследователи утверждают, что их исследование о снижении когнитивной функции, вызванное загрязнением воздуха, является предупреждением для остального мира, особенно для тех, кто живет в городах

Read the text and mark the following statements as true or false:

Текст № 5 «Flying 'car' could be on sale next year»

 Humanity is set to enter a new era of transport as a flying car could go on sale next year. The BlackFly airborne vehicle was unveiled by maker Opener in California on Thursday. It is the brainchild of Google co-founder Larry Page. BlackFly's designers say it can travel for up to 40km at a speed of 100kph. It will eventually cost the same as a typical sports-utility car. The vehicle has been tested in Canada, which has authorized its use. Even though it will take to the skies, drivers (or pilots) will not need a pilot's license to get behind the controls. However, BlackFly operators will have to successfully complete a pilot's written examination and receive training in how to use the vehicle. Critics say the term "car" is somewhat of a misnomer as it has no wheels and cannot be driven on roads. A more accurate description would be a person-carrying drone. The vehicle can only carry one person and is powered by eight propellers - four at the front of the car and four at the back. Company CEO Marcus Leng said: "Opener is re-energizing the art of flight with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from the everyday restrictions of ground transportation." A former vice-president of knowledge at Google said the age of personal flight could be arriving with BlackFly. He said: "I've noticed in my career that things go from impossible to inevitable in a very short period of time."

Mark the following statements as true or false (T/F):

1. The article said a new era of transport will start in June 2019. T / F
2. A founder of Google initiated the idea for this flying car. T / F
3. The new flying car will travel at a speed of 100kph. T / F
4. People won't need to get a pilot's license to fly the car. T / F
5. Critics of the car say it isn't really a car. T / F
6. The new car can carry two people. T / F
7. The company CEO said the car will encourage people to like art. T / F
8. An ex-Google executive said the idea of a flying car is impossible. T / F

 Provide the appropriate answers to the following questions based on the content of the text:

1. What is the name of the company that made the flying car?
2. How fast can the new car fly?
3. What will people have to get in order to fly the car?
4. How many people can the car carry?
5. How many propellers does the car have?
6. What did a CEO say the car re-energized?
7. How long did a CEO say things went from impossible to inevitable?