a. saltwater intrusion?
b. problems caused by lowered water table?
c. types of aquifers?
d. problems caused by spreading of pollutants?
e. place where ground water can be stored?
Match the beginning of a sentence with an ending to produce a statement which is true according to the text.
| 1. Groundwater 2. Aquifers, the pore spaces of rocks, unconsolidated sediments 3. In the water table 4. Movement of polluted water within the aquifer 5. Artesian wells | c. flow freely without the need of a pump. d. are the places where groundwater is stored. e. makes the groundwater unusable. f. is any water found below the land surface. h. water pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure. |
Say whether the following statements are true or false.
1. The top of the upper unconfined aquifer is called the water table.
2. Groundwater renews itself quickly.
3. Unconsolidated sediments are known as permafrost and as soil moisture.
4. Groundwater may be tapped by the digging of wells.
5. Groundwater is a short-term reservoir of the water cycle.
6. Groundwater is a scarce resource.
7. Groundwater can form springs, oases or swamps.
8. All groundwater problems are caused by overextraction.
Complete the following table, using information from the text.
| Groundwater problem | Caused by |
| 1. Lowering of the water table. 2. 3. 4. 5. | 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. |
Find words and expressions in the text with the opposite meaning.
| Word or expression | Word or expression meaning the opposite |
| bottom not very much artificially upward temporarily slowly rare, scarce rising |
7. Listen to a conversation between two farmers. Mark the following statements as true (T) or false (F). Track 14
1 _ The man's vegetable crop died.
2 _ The woman might expand her irrigation
system.
3 _ The woman does not have drought -resistant
crops.
8.Listen again and complete the conversation. Track 14
Farmer 1: I'm worried. My vegetables won't 1 _______________if this drought continues.
Farmer 2: I feel the same way. My lettuce and cucumbers aren't doing well.
Farmer 1: What are you going to 2 ______________ it?
Farmer 2: I might 3_______________ my irrigation system.
Farmer: That 4_____________ very expensive.
Farmer 2: I agree. But I don't know what else to do.
Farmer 1: You could always plant 5 ______________ vegetables next year.
Farmer 2: That's a good idea. It will cost less. But it 6________________ this year.
WATER POLLUTION
SPEAKING
1. Discuss the following question in group:
What do you know about water pollution in your region? Is it a serious problem? What is the water quality in the reservoir?
READING
2. Which of the following words and word combinations would you expect to find in a text “Water pollution: natural and manmade”. Why?
| health people made reservoirs fish facilities | water supplies nature law construction sewage | quality to cause wild animals safe earthquake | colour problems river toxic pesticides |
WATER POLLUTION: NATURAL AND MANMADE
(I) “Clean water”, “pure water”, “clear water” are some of the terms we use in describing water of good quality. But what do they mean? Pure water, two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen, is great in laboratory but not for plants and animals. Scientists have found out that water from most streams in their natural state contains the proportions of dissolved minerals necessary for human.
(III) Differences in mineral contents of water accounts for the way it looks, tastes and smells. Sulphur compounds are a problem in the Bear Creek area of northern Alabama, giving water a bad colour at certain time of the year. It both Normandy, in middle Tennessee, and Bear Creek, the water naturally contains troublesome amounts of iron and manganese. This pollution, if not removed by the water treatment plant, causes colour problems in household water supplies. Natural occurrences, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and landslides, can cause severe pollution of lakes and streams. Large population of wild animals can also contribute to high levels of bacteria in a stream, under certain conditions.
(IV) The activity of people can be a source of pollution also. Just about everything people do causes some pollution. When fuels are burned, they produce smoke and gases of various kinds. These gases and smoke eventually come back to earth and find their way into the water somewhere. There are also ashes or order residues from the burning process that become waste and can contaminate water supplies. Even the facilities designed to deal with wastes can become sources of pollution. Municipal wastewater treatment plants, industrial treatment facilities, septic tanks, landfills, and incinerators often are sources of water pollution. Accidental spills of toxic or hazardous material are another source of sometimes severe water pollution. Other sources of people-made pollution include pesticides and fertilizers used in agriculture, surface mining, forestry practices and construction activities. The operation of dams and reservoirs can also cause problems when the water released from dams is low in oxygen content. This causes problems for fish and other aquatic life downstream.
(V) Many millions of dollars have been spent on facilities that reduce the pollution caused by human activity. Plants have been built to make the water we drink safe, to cut down on wastewater pollution, and to clean up industrial wastes. Laws and regulations have been established to force cities and industries to clean up their wastewater before it is returned to a stream or lake. Still more millions have been spent to clean up polluted waterways in the nation.
