Болсуновская Л.М., Абрамова Р.Н., Матвеенко И.А. (ред.) Petroleum engineering. Teachers book. Нефтегазовое дело. Книга для учителя

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4. Elevated concentration of mercury is reported to be present in some

types of oil.

5. Radioactivity has been found to influence negatively the human health.

Exercise 12. Complete the sentences according to the text.

1. Though the specialists have predicted the running out of natural

resources, their reserves are increasing both overall and per capita.

2. Burning of fossil fuels has achieved notoriety because of the large

volumes of carbon dioxide produced, the consequent buildup of

this gas in the atmosphere, and its possible contribution to the

greenhouse effect on the Earth.

3. An additional environmental effect of fossil fuel combustion is

concentration of variable amounts of inorganic constituents

retained in the ash left after the combustion process with some

emitted in fine combustion products into the atmosphere.

4. Radionuclides released from nuclear power stations pose a great

problem because radioactive elements such as americium and

plutonium released from nuclear power station may be retained in

nearby areas.

5. The Chernobyl accident seriously affected the environment with

radioactivity spreading over much of Europe and many other

parts of the world.

6. Radioactive iodine is of particular concern because it moves through

the food chain rapidly.

7. Although geothermal energy is assumed to be ecologically friendly, it is

associated with volcanic activity and many of the hot springs

actively precipitate arsenic, antimony, mercury, and thallium,

whereas some geothermal waters contain very high concentrations

of boron.

8. Generation of hydroelectric power is associated with the problem of

flooding areas where it has been found that fish contain elevated

concentrations of mercury.

Exercise 13. Answer the questions.

1. What is the problem with energy generation? – The intensive

utilization of oil, gas and coal, and the pessimistic forecasts that fossil

fuel will soon run out.

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2. What energy source is the most popular nowadays? Why? – Fossil fuel

(coal, oil, peat) combustion provides most of the power generated for

industrial and domestic use because they are abundant and efficient.

3. Why has the fossil fuel combustion achieved notoriety? – Burning of

these fuels has achieved notoriety due to the large volumes of carbon

dioxide (CO

) produced, the consequent buildup of this gas in the

atmosphere, and its possible contribution to the greenhouse effect on

the Earth.

4. What trace elements are detected in fossil fuels? – Variable amounts of

inorganic constituents were detected in the ash left after the

combustion process with some emitted in fine combustion products

into the atmosphere.

5. Why are they considered to be harmful elements? – Because they can

impact the soil, water, and biosphere in the vicinity of the power plant

and influence people’s health.

6. What is the impact of nuclear power generation on the environment? –

Accidental leakages and permitted effluent released from nuclear

power plants have impacted the environment. For example, radioactive

iodine moves through the food chain rapidly and causes thyroid cancer.

7. Is geothermal energy really “clean” form of power generation? Prove

it. – No, it isn’t. Many geothermal areas are associated with volcanic

activity and many of the hot springs actively precipitate arsenic,

antimony, mercury, and thallium, whereas some geothermal waters

contain very high concentrations of boron.

8. What ecological problems has hydroelectric power generation led to? –

It has led to problems resulting from flooding of areas where soils have

been inundated; it has been found that fish contain elevated

concentrations of mercury.

Exercise 14. Read the text, suggest the title to it.

Possible titles:

- Perspectives of using (utilizing) oil as a source of energy.

- Problems of Oil utilization today and tomorrow. Etc.

Exercise 15. Answer the questions to the text.

1. What is the difference between the terms “resource” and “reserves”? –

A mineral resource is the entire amount on Earth – sometimes called

the total resource. A reserve is what we can get at now economically,

the portion of the resource that we can extract now at a profit.

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2. Why is it so important to know when we will reach oil peak

production? – Because after we reach peak production, less oil will be

available, leading to shortages and price shocks.

3. Why do economists argue that we will never entirely run out of crude

oil? – Because we will reach a point where finding it and extracting it

will cost much more than it can sell for, and when that happens it will

no longer be used as a fuel, but as a mineral to be made into

comparatively expensive products.

4. Why does oil available reserve grow? – The increase is due primarily

to discoveries in the Middle East, Venezuela, and Kazakhstan.

5. What problems did the discovery of oil cause in the Middle East? –

Because so much of the world’s oil is in the Middle East, oil revenues

have flowed into that area, causing huge trade imbalances and many

political consequences.

6. What are the other sources of oil? – Two other sources of oil play a

minor role: oil shale and oil sands. Both are sediments that contain low

concentrations of oil, but because they are massive, in total they

contain a lot of energy.

Exercise 16. Explain the meaning of the following terms in your own

words.

Resource is the entire amount on Earth – sometimes called the total

resource.

Reserve is what we can get at now economically, the portion of the

resource that we can extract now at a profit.

Proven reserve is what we can get at now economically, the portion of the

resource that we can extract now at a profit.

Peak production is the maximum in oil production after which less oil will

be available, leading to shortages and price shocks.

Oil revenue is an income from oil production.

Oil shale is a fine-grained shale containing oil.

Oil sand is sandstone impregnated with hydrocarbons.

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Exercise 19. Working in pairs, discuss one of the energy source, its

advantages and disadvantages, its perspectives:

- fossil fuels. Main advantages: abundant and efficient. Disadvantages:

cause environmental problems, they are running out (nonrenewable).

- nuclear power. Main advantages: produces large amount of energy,

renewable. Disadvantages: environmental problems in case of

accident, radioactive wastes, radioactive pollution.

- geothermal energy. Main advantages: renewable. Disadvantages:

produces thermal pollution, emissions of gas;

- hydroelectric power. Main advantages: renewable, environmentally

friendly (no greenhouse gases, radioactive waste, sulphur oxides).

Disadvantages: displacing people and their farms and town,

threatening habitats of fish and other wildlife, flooding areas.

Exercise 20. Organize a students’ conference “The modern problems of

energy generation.

Make a report on one of the source of energy (4–5 min).

Consider some alternative sources of energy.

Discuss their perspectives for the future.

T helps to organise a Students’ conference, to choose the topics for

reports, to find the information for the reports. Then T distributes the roles

among the students including a speaker, a participant, an interpreter, and a

chair.

Preparation:

- Give to students a list of the possible topics for their reports, but

encourage them to think of their own ones.

- Give the task to carry out research and prepare a written report.

- Help Ss to make a list of terms.

- Look through the papers prepared by the Ss in advance.

- Hand out the role cards according to Ss’ desires and abilities.

Student scientific conference

Do you know how to take part in a conference? If you don’t, here are

some bits of advice. The only way of participating in an international

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congress is to do so whole-heartedly and intelligently. It is the behavior

and active participation of the congress-goers which above all ensures the

success of a congress. Don’t be the type of participant who cannot adapt

himself.

Think about what you hope from the meeting. Remember that its duration

is limited to a few days. Remember that the other participants expect you

to contribute something. Be active, ready to listen to the ideas of others.

Don’t be self-centred or quick-tempered. Familiarize yourself with the

rules of the congress, but with a view of respecting them, not to causing

difficulties.

Do not stay in an ivory tower, but do not take part in discussions just for

the pleasure of hearing your own voice or of having your name written

down in the minutes.

Make sure that by your own behavior you are helping the chairperson and

other organizers in their difficult task of guiding the proceedings

successfully to concrete conclusions, in an atmosphere of cooperation and

friendship among the participants of each country. Contact with other

participants.

If you wish to draw the greatest benefit from an international congress,

make contact with persons who you already know but also make a point

of meetings as large number of unfamiliar faces as possible.

Take advantage of meals, receptions and excursion, change to another

group instead of staying with your countrymen, or at the same table, or in

the same coach.

Discretion is all very well, but timidity is useless and annoying.

Remember that others are in the same position as you, and many may be

even more isolated. Introduce yourself to other people and make as many

introductions as possible among other participants. Take part in a

discussion, be clear and brief. Don’t overstep your allotted time. This may

annoy the chairperson and other participants. Make use of your notes but

don’t simply read them out. A well-prepared impromptu speech will

interest listeners far more than one read from notes.

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Speak in the working congress language you know best and don’t try to

display your multilingual talents. It should never be necessary for you to

be translated into your mother tongue.

Don’t change your mind without good reason.

1) Make up your own communication on a scientific problem that you are

interested in and speak in front of your fellow students bearing in mind

the information you’ve got from the above text (see Appendix 3 for topics

and information)

2) Make up a discussion on some problem using the following as phrase-

openings:

Chairman

Participant

1. I would like to propose this

subject for discussion.

2. Who would care to comment

on it?

3. Would anybody like to

comment on it?

4. Are there any further

comments?

5. Could I have an opinion

from…?

6. I welcome all the comments.

7. So much for the discussion.

1. I’d like to ask a question.

2. Let me say a few words.

3. I wish to make some remarks

concerning…

4. I’d like to emphasize…

5. As far as I can understand…

6. In conclusion I would like to say…

Sometimes you will need to write a letter to inquire about anything you

need in your work as well as to reply to information inquiry. Two letters

below will help you to write letters of these kinds:

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Letter 1 (Information Inquiry)

Dear Dr. Reading,

I should be grateful if you would send me information about the regu-

lations for admission to the University of Bradford Chemistry Centre. I

would like to work for you making research in organic chemistry and

teaching students. Could you inform of the arrangements I should make?

Could you also tell me whether the Centre arranges accommodation for

overseas academics

Yours faithfully,

Dr. Igor Ivanov

Letter 2 (Reply to Information Inquiry)

Dear Dr. Ivanov,

Thank you for your letter inquiring about the possibility of doing re-

search in the Department of Chemistry at our University.

I am most interested in your research and would be happy to help

you in any way I can. I have spoken to my colleague, Professor David

Miller who specializes in your field and is, therefore, very familiar with

the sort of arrangements that can be made. We would suggest you to apply

to the British Council in Moscow for financial support. However, in doing

so you should send them a full resume, and, of course, a well-defined

research proposal. It would also be probably worth writing to the FCO in

London to ask whether any help might be available from the Know-How-

Fund, which has been specifically set up to assist academics and

practitioners in the countries such as your own.

In the meantime I would find it most helpful if you could send me a

copy of your resume, so that if I am approached by the ВС or the FCQ

then I will be in a good position to support your application.

I hope it will be possible to arrange something and therefore hope

you will keep in touch.

Yours sincerely,

Dr. Edward Reading

Academics = Scientists

FCO = Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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ASSIGNMENTS

Write similar letters. The following words and expressions will help you:

Information inquiry

1. May I; would you kindly; will you be so kind as.

2. Ask you (for); request you (for); make a request about; (to approach)

you with a request about.

3. Advice; help; information (to) give me; send me; supply me with; help

me with; inform me about.

Reply to information inquiry

1. In reply (according to your letter of…) to your request; in accordance

with your request; as requested by you; thank you for your letter of

(date).

2. I am sending you; I have the pleasure of sending to you; I shall send

you; I am very glad to supply you with (inform me about); I apologize

for the lengthy delay in responding to your letter of…(date).

3. Clearly; it would be useful; contact me.

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UNIT 4

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT

Lead-in. Discussing the quotations, T. draws Ss. attention to the fact that the

problem of greenhouse effect is closely connected with human

(anthropogenic) activity mentioned in the quotations.

Exercise 3. Complete the table with the appropriate word-formations.

Verb

Noun

Adjective

Reduce

reduction

reductive

Distribute

distribution

distributable

Radiate

radiation

radioactive

Compress

compression

compressible

Exercise 4. Give Russian equivalents to the words and set expressions.

1. compared to – по сравнению с

2. to hold in check – сдерживать, контролировать

3. to move in a cyclic manner – двигаться циклично, цикличным

образом

4. to be a matter of controversy – быть предметом разногласий

5. to be of particular interest – представлять особый интерес

6. to be known for sure – быть известным наверняка

7. to escape into space – улетучиваться в космос

Exercise 5. Translate from Russian into English.

Incident radiation, absorb, to trap, runaway process, to be responsible

for, to scatter radiation, to influence=to affect, to be of particular

interest, fertilization, sewage disposal, significant depletion, to increase=

to raise the temperature, combustion, to escape into space, deleterious

effect, as well as, to estimate, emission of greenhouse gasses,

anthropogenic origin, fossil fuel, large perturbation.

Exercise 6. Fill in each gap with only one word.

Gases pollute the atmosphere because they are produced 1). too

quickly to be cleared away naturally 2). by rain, winds or plant life.

These poisonous gases 3). are from several sources such as oil

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producers, industries which burn fuel, and motor vehicle. When the

gases are released, they have two deleterious effects. 4). Firstly, some

of the gases are caught by rain clouds and fall as acid rain, 5). hence

damages the environment. Secondly, if the amount of carbon dioxide

increases, a larger fraction of the incident solar radiation is trapped,

keeping the heat of the sun close 6). to the Earth’s surface just 7). as a

greenhouse keeps heat in. The increase of carbon dioxide is 8). getting

worse by the cutting down 9). rain forests. Trees use carbon dioxide,

and the fewer trees 10). are, the more of this gas remains 11). in the

air. The USA is now leading an international effort to limit

deforestation. In 1996, Washington set goals for industry, and several

international agreements 12). have already been effective in reducing

the production 13). of harmful gases. Only international cooperation

can 14). solve this problem which, if 15). not controlled, may threaten

all life on earth.

Exercise 7. Match the definitions.

1. B, 2. C, 3. D, 4. A, 5. F, 6. E.

Exercise 10. Answer the questions.

1. What are the functions of atmosphere?

2. What gases absorb the radiation?

3. What happened to the energy absorbed by the atmospheric gases?

4. Why does the temperature rise on the Earth?

5. What can it result in?

6. What are the reasons of increasing the concentration of CO

7. What other gases that can affect the heat balance of the earth can you

name?

8. How do they appear in the environment?

9. What is the result of reaction N

O with ozone?

10. What are the forecasts for the further increase in the atmospheric

warming?

Exercise 11. Put the sections of the article from the New Scientist into the

correct order. The first section is “ a” and the last is “g”.

Keys: A, E, F, B, D, C, G.