Дата сдачи: Ноябрь 2012

Тексты для устного перевода
OUR PLANET EARTH
In 1972 the Earthmen sent a coded message into cosmos: "We live on a little planet near the Sun. We call our planet the Earth. We are intelligent beings...". Sometimes, scientists and writers call the Earth itself a little living and intelligent being of cosmos.
What is our planet like? If we look at the map of the world, we see that the Earth's surface is covered with deep waters of seas and oceans. The names of the four oceans are: the Atlantic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian and the Arctic Oceans. These four salt water oceans and the seas as well as fresh water rivers and lakes make about 70 per cent of the Earth's surface.
The six continents of the Earth with big and little islands make only 30 per cent of the Earth's surface. The names of the six continents are: Eurasia (Europe and Asia), Africa, North and South Americas, Australia and the Antarctic. On a cosmic scale our planet is certainly a very-very little place.
How is our little planet living nowadays? What problems is it facing and what problems are the Earthmen facing? As a result of the technological progress and great needs of the peoples in minerals and water, the face of the Earth is changing day by day and not to the good.
The ecological problems we are facing are really great and difficult to solve. There is an English song which sounds like this:
"What are they doing to our land, my friend?
What are they doing to the deep seas and oceans?
What are they doing to the fresh water lakes and rivers, my friend»?
The answer to these questions may, really, be very sad.
Our generation must not be so egoistic. We must think of our children, grandchildren and grand grandchildren as well. We really haven't got much fresh water on the Earth, as well as minerals. We must protect nature from people's egoism.
What problems are the peoples of the five continents discussing now? The principal problem is the classical one-War and Peace problem. The discussions on this problem are taking place on all levels here and everywhere on our planet. State political leaders and scientists as well as common people of the five continents are flunking day and night about one and the same- "peace or war?" They are thinking over this problem inside their states and out, north and south, east and west from every point of view. This problem is exactly what we think about it - next world war may well be the end of our planet.
If we want to be intelligent beings, as we say about it in our message to cosmos, we must protect and save this, perhaps, the only Oasis [ou'eisiz] of Life in our Universe.

5. Ответьте на вопросы:
1. What is the text about?
2. What do you know about the Earth?
3. What can you say about the waters covering the surface of the Earth?
4. What are the names of the continents / oceans?
5. What per cent of the Earth's surface is covered with water / land?
6. What problems are we facing now?
7. Why are these problems so serious?
8. What must people do to solve them?