Pre-reading tasks

11. Translate the following international words:

film, actor, documentaries and television programmes, natural, formation, campaign, official, interests, organisation, conservation programmes, public projects, active, professionalism, lobbying and publicity methodes, fact, international pressure group.

12. Translate the names of the following animals:

lion, lioness, dolphin, elephant, wolf,primate,big cat.

13. Read and translate the text:

TEXT 2

Born Free Helps Animals To Live Free

After Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna starred in the 1964 film “Born Free”, their lives were changed forever. The successful film, telling the true story of George and Joy Adamson as they returned Elsa the lioness[5] to the wild, did far more than turn the two actors into household names.

In three years after the impact of the film the couple starred in several more films about animals and they also produced wildlife documentaries and television programmes that promoted natural, rather than zoo-bound, lives for animals.

This led to the formation in 1984 of Zoo Check, a pressure group campaining against the abuse of animals in the name of entertainment and highlighting their plight and deprived lives in captivity.

Further species-specific campaigns were launched in the late 1980-s. Elefriends was formed to prevent the slaughter of elephants for the ivory trade. Operation Wolf helped save the endangered Iberian wolf. And Into The Blue returned three captive dolphins to the wild.

As the scope of concern expanded, 1991 saw the official launch of the Born Free Foundation (BFF) as the embodiment of Bill and Virginia’s commitment to looking after the interests of such animals.

The United Kingdom organisation has grown to become one of the world’ leading animal welfare organisations spearheading conservation programmes, public awareness projects and high-profile active measures to return wild animals to their natural environment.

Today, BFF incorporates seven major campaigns: Zoo Check, Elefriends and the Wolf project continue, and the Into The Blue programme has evolved to become the Orca project acting on behalf of marine life. These have been joined by the Primate project, the Big Cat project and the UK Wildlife project.

Each of these projects undertakes a variety of conservation, education, campaigning and active involvement in rescuing animals from appalling lives in captivity.

While the dedicated teams at the foundations are primarily motivated by the desire to improve the lot of wild animals, they also have a developed professionalism in their handling of and research into animal welfare and are more than happy to use the sophisticated lobbying and publicity methodes necessary for the success of a modern-day international pressure group.

Although Bill Travers died in 1994, just three years after seeing the birth of the Born Free Foundation, co-founder and trustee Virginia McKenna continues her active involvement in the organisation, as does the couple’s son, Will Travers.

And while the fact that the scope of the foundation’s work has expanded since Bill and Virginia’s first encounter with the lions of Africa 36 years ago, the power of its campaigning and determination is also an indictment of mankind’s continuing insistence on abusing his fellow creatures.

London Press Service (2500)

Notes

captivity заточение

embodiment [im′bodimənt] воплощение

encounter встреча

improve, v the lot улучшить судьбу

ivory [′aivəri] слоновая кость

indictment [in′daitmənt] обвинительный приговор

plight [plait] положение, состояние (обыч. плохое)

publicity [pΛb′lisiti] реклама

scope размах, масштаб

sophisticated [sə′fistikeitid] сложный, искушенный

star, v играть главную роль

welfare благосостояние

zoo-bound life жизнь в зоопарке

14. Translate the following word combinations. Pay attention to the prepositions:

in three years, films about animals, the abuse of animals, for the ivory trade, returned dolphins to the wild, scope of concern, at the foundations, motivated by the desire to improve the lot of wild animals, the scope of the foundation’s work, active involvement in the organisation, encounter with the lions of Africa.

15. Give all possible English word combinations with the underlined words and translate them:

to launch

to save programme, project, lions, mankind, children,

to look after cat, campaign, animals, life, fellow creatures,

wild, active

to improve nature, lot, work, dolphins, environment

16. Translate into English:

дикие животные, вернули львицу в дикую природу, плохое обращение с животными, предотвратить массовое убийство слонов, спасти иберийского волка, находящегося под угрозой исчезновения, вернули трех дельфинов, вернуть животных в их естественную природнуюсреду, улучшить судьбу диких животных, спасение животных, неожиданная встреча со львами, братья наши меньшие.

17. Agree or disagree with the following statements:

1. In 1967 Bill and Virginia starred in several more films about animals and they also produced wildlife documentaries and television programmes that promoted natural, rather than zoo-bound, lives for animals.

2. Zoo Check, a pressure group campaining against the abuse of animals was founded in 1987.

3. Operation Wolf helped save the endangered lions.

4. And Into The Blue operation returned ten captive dolphins to the wild.

5. The Born Free Foundation looking after the interests of such animals was launched in 1990.

6. Will Travers is not involved in the Born Free Foundation.

18. Answer the questions:

1. What are Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna? 2. What films did the couple produce? 3. What was formed in 1984? 4. What other species-specific campaigns were launched in the late 1980-s? 5. When was Born Free Foundation founded? 6. How many campaigns does BFF incorporate? 7. What are the BFF’s main activities? 8. Who is Will Travers?

19. Read and translate the text:

TEXT 3

Hidden Oasis:
Water Conservation and Efficiency in Las Vegas

Two of the West’s preeminent water organizations report Las Vegas Valley is sitting on an oasis of water and money savings. In their new report, the Pacific Institute and Western Resource Advocates find up to 40% of water could be saved in some sectors through improvements to indoor and outdoor water efficiency. They also found that through improving indoor water efficiency in particular, Las Vegas residents and businesses can cut water-related energy use and greenhouse gases. These findings are contained in Hidden Oasis: Water Conservation and Efficiency in Las Vegas, available for download below.

Ninety percent of Las Vegas water efficiency money is spent on one program turf removal. This program is important, but participation has waned and it is far from the only tool at their disposal, said Heather Cooley, report co-author and Pacific Institute Senior Associate. Las Vegas should capitalize on strategies that other Western cities have proven to be effective.

Hidden Oasis reveals that the Southern Nevada Water Authority, which provides water to Las Vegas and surrounding communities, can tap a number of tested, cost-effective efficiency measures to cut current water waste by up to 86,000 acre-feet. Single-family homes in Las Vegas use 100 gallons of water outside, per person, per day, almost entirely for landscaping. This use is substantially higher than in Los Angeles, or Albuquerque. Reducing Las Vegas outdoor water use to more reasonable levels could cut Nevada’s total Colorado River withdrawals by 10 percent.

Researchers found that by improving and expanding existing programs, and adding programs proven elsewhere in the West, the SNWA can cut Las Vegas homeowners’ indoor water waste by 40% and hotel and casino water waste by 30%. These indoor efficiency gains come from upgrading fixtures and appliances, not changing behavior. Improving total water efficiency not only saves significant water and energy expenses, it also better insulates the region from drought.

Improving indoor and outdoor water efficiency makes Las Vegas less vulnerable to current and future droughts, said Taryn Hutchins-Cabibi, report coauthor and Water Policy Analyst at WRA. Given the scarcity of fresh water, rising energy prices, and the looming threat of climate change, Las Vegas water customers need the SNWA’s help to curb unnecessary water waste and save money.

Hidden Oasis notes an imbalance in the regions budget priorities. For every fourteen dollars it spends on developing new sources of water, it spends only one dollar on helping its customers use water wisely, and less than a dime of that goes to indoor efficiency efforts. As a result, researchers find that more balanced funding, better implementation, and incorporation of proven strategies would greatly improve the Valley’s indoor and outdoor efficiency efforts. In all, Las Vegas is sitting on a tremendous opportunity to help the Valley’s current and future water users save water, energy, and money, said Cooley.

(2600)

Notes

dime монета в 10 центов

implementation [/implimen′tei∫ən] осуществление, выполнение

insulate, v изолировать, зд. избавлять

loom, v неясно вырисовываться, маячить

preeminent [pri′eminənt] выдающийся

reasonable levels [′ri:znəbl] разумные пределы

reveal, v открывать, показывать

scarcity [′ska: siti] дефицит

tap, v measures зд. принять меры

improve, v улучшить

expand, v расширять

curb, v обуздывать, сдерживать

tremendous [tri′mendəs] огромный, потрясающий

turf дёрн

upgrading fixtures усовершенствованные приборы

wane, v уменьшаться, идти на убыль

withdrawals [wið′droəl] изъятие

20. Translate the following nouns. Pay attention to the prefixes:

in door, out door, co -author, up grading, im balance, un necessary.

21. Translate the following word combinations. Pay attention to the “–ing” forms:

money savings, improving indoor water efficiency, these findings, surrounding communities, landscaping, reducing outdoor water use, looming threat of climate change, more balanced funding.

22. Translate the following word combinations. Pay attention to the prepositions:

two of the West’s preeminent water organizations,the scarcity of fresh water, per person, per day, for landscaping, gains come from upgrading fixtures.

23. Give all possible English word combinations with the underlined word and translate them:

water - outdoor, to save, user, waste, efficiency, to provide, conservation, fresh, to spend, energy

24. Explain in Russian the meaning of:

a) these word combinations:

water-related energy, greenhouse gases, cost-effective efficiency, Single-family homes, homeowners’ water waste;

b) these abbreviations:

WRA, SNWA

25. Give the main idea of text 3.

26. Read and translate the text:

TEXT 4

An environmental concern focus attention on efforts to protect earth’s resources, inventions that help reduce waste and pollution are highly valued and commanded.

Heather Davies – the double winner of this year’s award for British Female Innovator of the Year and British Invention of the Year – has created great interest in the packaging industry with Reuzip, the recyclable bag she developed to help cut packaging cost and waste.

The new patented design made of a resealable and reusable polyethylene over to protect products in transit, has undergone 5,000 trials by companies involved in the retail food, chemical and manufacturing industries in the UK.

Martin Glass of Slick Fasteners, the company that has the exclusive licence to make the zips used in Reuzip products, said: “The product has really taken off because it lends itself easily to recycling. Companies have been trying to find a way to be more environmentally aware with their packaging and now this gives them the option”.

London Press Service, 2001 (755)

Notes

award [ə′wo:d] присуждение (наград)

trial [traiəl] суд, судебное разбирательство

involve, v вовлекать

lend, v годиться

27. Find international words in the text.

28. What is the meaning of the following adjectives?:

recyclable, resealable, reusable.

29. Translate the following word combinations:

охранять природные ресурсы; изобретения, помогающие снизить загрязнение; получившая премию дважды: новый запатентованный дизайн; стараются найти способ.

30. What is the main idea of text 4?

31. Read and translate the text. Look at the title. What is this text about?:

TEXT 5