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Chapter 1: ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES

Lesson 1: Vt liu mi -Mt cng ngh mi nhn

Khoa hc v cng ngh vt liu trn th gii ngy nay pht trin

rt nhanh v mnh, lin tip tung ra th trng hng lot vtliu mi vi tnh nng u vit cha tng thy, tc ng ngay nthay i din mo v tng hiu qu kinh t cng sc cnh tranh,nht l trn cc lnh vc xy dng kt cu h tng, cng nghipVt liu lun l mt trong nhng sn phm ch cht quyt nh scmnh kinh t, quc phng, an ninh ca mi quc gia.

Cng ngh vt liu mi nc ta hin nay l mt trong nhng khuvc cng ngh c coi l mi nhn, c vai tr gp phn to rabc nng cao r rt v hiu qu v sc cnh tranh ca nn kinht cng nh tng cng sc mnh an ninh, quc phng. Ngnh khoa

hc v cng ngh vt liu nc ta c th trng rng ln anhanh cc sng ch mi, sn phm mi ca mnh vo thc tin snxut v xut khu.

Vi i ng cn b khoa hc, k thut ngy cng trng thnh,Phng tin nghin cu, th nghim c Nh nc u t trang btng bc hin i, chng ta nghin cu, ch to thnh cngnhiu loi vt liu mi c cc ngnh kinh t, an ninh, qucphng n nhn, gp phn tng sc cnh tranh ca hng ho VitNam. Mt s vt liu mi c xut khu.

Ti nguyn nc ta di do, a dng, c o, to ra th mnh chocng ngh vt liu mi, lm ra sn phm mi cht lng cao, githnh h, cung cp cho ngnh then cht ca kinh t quc dn nhnng lng, xy dng kt cu h tng, cc cng nghip in t, ckh, vt liu dn dng v xut khu hiu qu kinh t cao.Khc phc nhanh tnh trng cn lc hu, phn tn, thiu ng bca h thng c s nghin cu khoa hc v cng ngh vt liu.Gii khoa hc bm st thc tin sn xut bt nhy nhu cu thTrng v cc nh sn xut g ca c quan khoa hc t hng.Nh nc c c ch, chnh sch thch hp i mi thit b nghincu, nng cao i ng khoa hc vt liu, cng nh chnh sch cnthit rt ngn thi gian t pht minh, sng ch n sn xuttrc tip. Trin vng khoa hc v cng ngh vt liu mi nc tart sng sa.Notes:- cng ngh vt liu : material technology- tung ra th trng : bring into the market- tnh nng u vit : perfect feature

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- din mo : face- hiu qu kinh t : economic effect/ efficiency- kt cu h tng : infrastructure- mi nhn : key factor- c vai tr : play an important role

- sc cnh tranh : competition- c o : unique- cng nghip in t : electronic industry- bm st thc tin : have a hold of reality- Khc phc : overcomeSuggested Translation :NEW MATERIALS -A KEY TECHNOLOGY

Nowadays, material technology and science in the world have strongly and rapidlydeveloped,bringing into the market a variety of new materials with perfect features thathave immediate effects on changing the countenance and promoting the economic

effectiveness as well as competition especially in the infrastructure building, industry andso on. Materials are always one of the major products, which decide the power ofeconomy, national defense, security of each country.Now, new material technology inour country is one of the fields, which is considered essential and makes contributions tothe remarkable enhancement of effectiveness and the competing ability of the economy tothe reinforcement of security and national defense. Material technology and sciencesector in our country has a large market to apply new inventions, new products intoproduction and export.With a staff of science and technology which is more and moredeveloping, researching and testing facilities which are more and more modernlyequipped, we have studied and successfully made a variety of new materials used ineconomic sector, security, national defense, partly increasing the competing ability of

Vietnamese goods. Some of our new materials have been exported. Out resources areabundant, diversified our unique, which facilitates our material technology tomanufacture new products with high quality, low price, providing for the essentialsectors of the national economy such as power, infrastructure building, electronicindustry, mechanics, high economical domestic and export materials. To overcome thestate of backwardness, divergence, lack unification of the basic system of research andmaterial technology and science, the circle of science have hold of production reality tocatch of with the market demand and manufactures have knocked on the door ofscientific organizations to order. The State has had suitable mechanisms and policies,renewed he research equipment and improved the quality of the staff as well as thenecessary policy to shorten the time from invention to direst production. The prospect of

our new material technology and science of our country is very bright.Lesson 2:1. Chemicals enter our food in various ways and for various reasons. Farmers useherbicides to kill weeds, pesticides to kill insects, fungicides to kill mold and fertilizers topromote growth. All of them are very harmful to health and also to the environment.Afterharvesting, most crops are subjected to further "post-harvest" chemical treatment in orderto protect them from fungus.Japanese rice, for example, is sprayed with methyl bromide,

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which can cause mental disorders and speech impediments. Fresh fruits and vegetablesare sprayed with sulfites, to which many people are allergic. Bananas, mangoes and othertropical fruit are sprayed with even morepoisonous chemicals.Notes

- Reason : l do-for various reasons : v nhiu l do- Herbicide : thuc dit c- Fungicide : thuc dit nm mc- Fertilizer : phn bn- To be harmful to : c hi- To be subjected to : chu phi- Post-harvest treatment : x l sau thu hoch- Fungus : nm mc- To spray : phun- Mental disorder : ri lon thn kinh

- Speech impediment : ri lon ngn ng- To be allergic : b d ng

2. Although fertility rates in poor countries have declined in recent years, the UN hasestimated that the worlds population should stabilize at approximately 10.2 billionpeople by the year 2100, when the number dying will match the number being born. Thisfigure is two and a quarter times the present world population. A long-held and popularbelief is that population growth in poor countries is the major cause of poverty. Thepopulation explosion, it is argued, is wiping out any economic development which thepoor countries may achieve. The remedy to poverty is seen, therefore, to be increasedbirth control. This view has come under severe criticism by poor countries and their

supporters in wealthy nations. They argue that large families and rapid population growthare consequences of poverty rather than its cause. Many of the poor consider a largefamily to be essential for survival in poor countries. In a society lacking social welfarepayments, children are seen as a source of security in old age and when illness orunemployment strike. Children are also regarded as a means of bringing in additionalincome at an early age. In addition, because child mortality rates are high, a large familyis considered necessary to ensure that at least one son survives to adulthood. Anotherargument is that employment opportunities and adequate social security schemes are thekey to falling birth rates.Notes:- Fertility rate: t l sinh

- To decline: gim xung- To estimate: c tnh- It is estimated that..: Ngi ta c tnh rng- To stabilize: lm n nh 6- It is important to stabilize our population growth rates.- To match: snh bng- Worldly pleasures cannot match those joys.Nhng th vui trn tc khng th snh bng nhng nim vui ny.

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hin nay. Lu nay nhiu 7 ngi cho rng pht trin dn s cc nc ngho l nguynnhn chnh gy ra nn i ngho.S bng n dn s ang hu hoi mi thnh qu kinh tm cc nc ny t c. Do vy,cn phi y mnh cng tc sinh c k hoch thot khi cnh i ngho. Tuy nhin, quan im ny b cc nc ngho v mt s ngi cc nc giu ph phn gay gt. H cho rng gia nh ng con v dn s tng nhanh l

hu qu hn l nguyn nhn ca s i ngho. Nhiu ngi ngho xem gia nh ng conl cn thit cho s sng cn ca cc nc ngho. Con ci l c s m bo cho tui gicng nh lc m au hay b tht nghip nhng nc khng c tr cp phc li x hi.Con ci cng l ngun nhn lc gp phn vo vic tng thu nhp cho gia nh ngay lcchng cn nh. Hn na, do t l tr em t vong cao nn gia nh ng con tht scn thit m bo chc chn t nht c mt a con trai sng st cho n tui trngthnh. Mt quan im khc cho rng c hi tm c vic lm v m bo bo phc lix hi thc s ng c xem l gii php c bn hn ch sinh hu hiu nht.

3. Th gii t nhin ang b tn cng d di. Bin v sng ang b nhim nng do chtthi ht nhn, cht thi ha hc v rc thi c hi cha x l. Khng kh chng ta th

cng b nhim do khi v kh thi ca nh my v xe c. Cng chng phi ngc nhinkhi rng v h cng ang b tn ph v cuc sng hoang d khp mi ni ang bin mt.Vic bin mt m khng cu vn ni ca a dng sinh hc tc ng rt ln n khnng duy tr s sng cn ca cc loi bao gm c con ngi v con ngi ph thuc voa loi v mi trng sinh thi lnh mnh. Cho d gii khoa hc cnh bo v hng triungi dn thng by t mi quan tm su sc nhng s tn ph vn c tip din. Ccchnh ph v ngnh cng nghip trn khp th gii ang n lc khai thc ngun khongsn phong ph v ngun sinh vt di do. Rng rm nhit i cng nh cc lc a ngbng ang b e do nghim trng. Tuy nhin chng ta cng c th xy dng nn cngnghip thn thin vi mi trng, khai thc nng lng t mt tri, gi v sng bin phc v cho nhu cu nng lng ca chng ta v qun l ngun nng lng hn hutrn tri t ny.

Lesson 3:Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction. However, it is a myth to assumethat the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor. Themajority of deforestation in Latin America, South-East Asia and the Pacific is caused byclearing land to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, andnot by shifting cultivators or landless peasants. Each year commercial loggingeliminates 45000 square kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to theUnited States and Japan. No clearer connection between deforestation and the demandsof affluent societies can be found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical

forest has been converted to grazing land because cattle raising offers export earningsthat help with external debt payments. These heavy payments, which affect the poor themost, have arisen largely from external loans taken out to finance the purchase of luxuryitems and arms by military and governing elite. The establishment of large ranch-stylecattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the elimination of 20000 squarekilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America. The cleared land ismainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North America,Europe and Japan- the aptly named hamburger connection.

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Suggested Translation :

S gia tng dn s l mt nhn t gy ra nn ph rng nhit i.Tuy nhin, nu cho rng vic m rng mt nn nng nghip t cungt cp nui sng nhiu ming n hn l nguyn nhn chnh, th

y l mt gii thch v cn c. i b phn rng Chu M LaTinh, N v Thi Bnh Dng b tn ph l do vic khai hoang trng cc loi nng sn xut khu v do cc hot ng bun bn g, ch khng phi do nn du canh, du c v t in gy nn. Hngnm hot ng bun bn g ph hu 4500 km2 rng, phn ln gc xut khu sang M v Nht.Mi lin h gia nn ph rng v nhu cu thnh lp x hi phnvinh c thy r nt nht Trung M v Brazin ni nhng cnhrng nhit i b bin thnh ng c chn th v vic nui giasc mang li cc khon li nhun xut khu gip tr n n-cngoi. Khon n nc ngoi khng l ang nng ln vai dn

ngho ch yu c dng trang tri cho cc khon mua sm xa xca chnh ph v qun i. Vic xy dng cc in trang chn thrng ln l nguyn nhn chnh dn n vic ph hu 2000 km2 rngnhit i hng nm Trung v Nam M. t khai hoang ch yu dngcho vic nui b xut khu phc v cho ngnh cng nghip thc nnhanh Bc M, Chu u v Nht- vng xng vi tn gi l vnggiao lu hamburger

Lesson 4: RIVER POLLUTION: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

At its source, the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier in Switzerland, the Rhein River is crystal clear.

But, by the time it reaches the North Sea near Rotterdam after a 1,320-kilometer journey,it has become a poisonous cocktail of chemicals and sewage. Germany, like otherindustrial nations, shows little respect for her rivers even though the health and prosperityof her people depend on the availability of clean water.The most obvious cause of riverpollution is industry. German rivers contain thousands of different chemicals dischargedby factories and mines. In 1990, a million fish in the Mosel and Saar Rivers died whencyanide was carelessly released from a factory. Germany has laws to prevent this sort ofthing, but, as in most other industrial nations, penalties are too light to act as a deterrent.Surprisingly, however, factories account for less than 10% of the pollutants found inNorth American rivers, thanks to the Clean Water Act passed in 1972. The major sourceresponsible for 65% of all river pollution - is agriculture. Farmers use large amounts of

toxic chemicals on their crops in order to kill weeds and insects, and the residues arewashed into nearby rivers by rain. As long as the use of these chemicals is permitted,there is no way to prevent run off pollution.Sewage from nearby towns and villages is another major cause of river pollution. Manylarge cities lack sewage treatment facilities and the funds with which to build them. It istrue that traditional waste water treatment plants are very expensive to build and operate,but cheap alternatives are now available. Sanitation engineers in New York havedeveloped a system that uses microbes and marsh plants to transform raw sewage into

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clean water. The bacteria produce methane gas, which can be sold to power companiesand burned to generate electricity.The Clean Water Act has led to a steady improvementin the U.S.A. Fish can now be seenswimming in rivers that were once full of deadly chemicals, and ducks have returned toformerly polluted lakes. The improvement is largely due to careful monitoring of waste

water from factories and strict enforcement of the law. Now, most companies are eager topresent an environmentally- friendly image and are willing to pay for it. But furtherimprovement will require changes in current farming practices. Hopefully, the growingpopularity of organically grown produce will eventually lead to the necessarytransformation.Notes:- source : ngun (sng)* The source of the Red River : ngun sng Hng* Where does the Perfume River have its source?Sng Hng bt ngun t u?- to be crystal clear : trong nh pha l

* a necklace of crystal : vng c lm bng pha l- to show respect to sb : tn trng ai- poisonous : c, c c* poisonous chemicals : ho cht c hi* poisonous snakes : rn c* poisonous tongue : ming li c a- cocktail : hn hp- sewage : cht thi* sewage treatment : (s) x l cht thi- prosperity : s thnh vng, s giu c, ca ci* to live in prosperity : sng trong giu sang

* a life of happiness and prosperity- prosperous : thnh vng* a prosperous year : mt nm thnh vng* a prosperous business : mt doanh nghip n ra lm nn- to discharge sth : thi ci g 10- cyanide : cht xi a nua- penalty : x pht* the penalty for (not) doing sth : vic x pht v (khng) lm g* death penalty : hnh pht t hnh- deterrent : bin php ngn nga

- to account for : chim- pollutant : cht gy nhim- Clean Water Act : o lut nc sch- to be passed : -c thng qua- toxic chemical : ho cht c hi- weed : c di- insect : cn trng- residue : phn cn d, phn cha dng ht

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- to be washed : b tri dt- sewage treatment facilities : nhng c s x l cht thi- microbe : vi khun- to generate electricity : pht in- to monitor : gim st

* to monitor a project : gim st mt d n- strict enforcement of law : nghim chnh chp hnh lut php

Lesson 5: WETLANDS IN DANGER

What do the Okavango Swamp in Botswana, the Pantanal Marsh in Brazil and theMekong Delta in Vietnam have in common? All are wetlands, and all are threatened bydevelopment. Wetlands-bogs, marshes, swamps and estuaries - exist in every region ofthe earth and shelter a wide variety of animals, birds, fish, insects and plants. Theirunique ecosystems help to purify water and to prevent flooding, and fish come to them tospawn.Why are they threatened? Many are being drained in order to provide land for

farming. Their rich alluvial soil is very fertile, but without a constant supply of water, itsoon becomes barren. The World Bank and other international development agencieshave encouraged the draining of wetlands in the Third World with grants and loans, buthave failed to allow for the environmental cost of their well-meant projects. In Thailand,old canals were filled in order to eliminate malaria; but this has resulted in disastrousfloods. In Iraq, the Tigris Delta has been drained to facilitate a military campaign againstShiite rebels. The vast area thus reclaimed may help to feed Iraq's cities, but at great costto the indigenous wildlife and to the traditional lifestyle of local villagers.Another threatto wetlands is the construction of dams for hydroelectric projects. Although these providenecessary electricity without causing air pollution, they also interrupt the flow of wateron which the wetland ecology depends. Swamps and marshes are also very vulnerable to

acid rain, chemical runoff from farms and sewage from villages. The Danube Delta, a500,000hectare wilderness visited by over 300 species of bird, has been badly polluted bypesticides as a result of projects carried out from 1983 to 1990 to cultivate the area.The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, which came into forcein 1975, identifies 450 major wetland areas in need of protection. With an annual budgetof less than $600,000, it is hard to see how the Convention can save the world's wetlandsfrom projects paid for by the World Bank, the European Union and other powerfulagencies currently more concerned with feeding people today than with protecting theirenvironment for the future.Notes:- to be in danger : b nguy him

- the Mekong Delta : ng bng sng Cu Long- to have sth in common: c iu g chun, ging nhau- wetland ; vng m ly- estuary : ca sng- unique : c o, c nht- ecosystem: h sinh thi- to purify: lm tinh khit* purify water : lm cho nc tinh khit

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- to spawn : sinh sn, trng- alluvial soil : t ph sa- fertile : ph nhiu* fertile land : vng t ph nhiu- barren : bc mu, hoang ho

- grants and loans : khon vin tr v cho vay- canal : knh o- to be filled : san lp- malaria : bnh st rt- to eliminate : xo b- to result in : gy ra- to be drained : x nc, thot nc- indigenous : bn a- traditional lifestyle : li sng truyn thng 12- dam : p- hydroelectric project : d n thu in

- to interrupt : can thip- flow of water : dng chy- to be vulnerable to : c th b, d b* people who are vulnerable to criticism : ng-i d b phbnh- pesticide : thuc tr su- to cultivate : canh tc, trng trt- to come into force/effect : c hiu lc- annual budget : ngn sch hng nm- convention : cng c- to be paid for : c chi tr, c ti tr

* The projects are paid for by the World Bank : nhng d n c Ngn Hng Th Gii ti tr.- to be corncerned with : quan tm n

Lesson 6: POISONED SEAS

The Mediterranean Sea is closed except for a small gap between Spain and Morocco.Because of this, it is extremely vulnerable to pollution. Rivers flowing into the sea fromsurrounding countries bring massive amounts of industrial, agricultural and human wastefrom factories, farms and cities. Oil spilled by tankers and from port terminals adds to thepollution. Still morepollutants fall from the sky as acid rain.From ancient times, the sea

has been regarded as a convenient disposal site for the waste products of humancivilization. But by the 1970s, the ecological ruin of the Mediterranean was beginningto alarm not only environmental activists concerned with dying dolphins and seals, butalso fishermen and local residents. It also disturbed people involved in the tourist industrywhen complaints by visitors of raw sewage on beaches and foul-smelling water began tohit the headlines.Finally, representatives of surrounding nations adopted a plan known asthe Nicosia Charter designed to protect the sea from further damage. The plan called for

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the construction of proper sewage treatment facilities for 25 major cities and 75 smallercommunities, and the setting up of 25 centers for the disposal of dangerous wastes.The Mediterranean is not the only sea with problems. Studies have shown that the Balticis suffocating. Large quantities of nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates from farms inScandinavia, Russia and Poland are washed into the sea, where they stimulate the growth

of algae that consume the oxygen needed by fish. The seven adjacent nations have agreedon the need to cut the flow of nutrients and pollutants, but not on how to finance thenecessary measures.The North Sea is more open than the Baltic, and is constantly rinsed; but it too issuffering a major crisis. In 1988, about 70% of the native seal population died of amysterious illness thought to be caused by toxic chemicals in the fish they ate. The twobiggest sources of pollution are sewage from Britain and toxic chemicals from Germanfactories. Britain has recently agreed to ban the discharge of sewage into coastal watersand the dumping of sludge at sea by 1998; but by privatizing its waste treatment industry,the British Government has reduced the likelihood that its commitments will be met.Germany, whose rivers deliver millions of tons of zinc and thousands of tons of other

metals into the North Sea, has also made promises that the costs of unification betweenWest and East have rendered impossible to fulfill. If the necessary steps are not takenwithin the next 20 years, the North Sea fishing industry will probably be wiped out,along with many species of mammal.Notes:- the Mediterranean Sea : a Trung Hi- except for : ngoi t* The essay is good except for some minor grammaticalmistakes.- acid rain : m-a a-xt- massive # great : ln,v i

- oil spill : vng du- to be spilled : b loang, b trn, to thnh vng- to be regarded as : c xem l* The immense network of rivers and canals is regarded asthe great boon second to none in this area : h thng knh rchmnh mng -c xem l ci duyn c mt khng hai ca vng ny.- disposal site : bi rc thi- human civilization : vn minh nhn loi- ruin : s tn li- to be ruined : b li tn, b sp - to alarm : bo ng

* Everybody was alarmed that war might break out.Mi ngi c bo ng rng chin tranh c th xy ra.- environmental activist : nh bo v mi trng, nh hot ngmi tr-ng- dolphin : c heo- seal : hi cu- local ressident/inhabitant : c dn a phng- to be/get involved in : c dnh lu ti, c lin quan ti

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* The prominent scientists have been involved in thescientific research.Cc nh khoa hc tm c/c ting/ni ting tham gia vocng trnh nghin cu khoa hc ny.- foul-smelling water : nc c mi thi

- representative : ngi i din- to adopt: chp nhn* The Congress adopted new measures.i hi chp nhn cc bin php mi.- to be designed : c thit k/vit ra- Charter : Bn hin chng- to call for : ku gi* The Government called for foreign investment.Chnh ph ku gi u t nc ngoi.- community : cng ng* The Vietnamese Community :

Cng ng ngi Vit* a speech community : cng ng ngn ng- to suffocate : ngt th- nutrient : cht nui dng, phn bn- to stimulate : kch thch* They have used a special substance to stimulate the growthof these plants.H dng mt loi cht c bit kch thch s tngtr-ng ca nhng cy ny.- the growth of algae: s pht trin ca to bin- to consume # to use : s dng

- to rinse : x/ty* to rinse soap out of clothes : x x phng khi qun o- mysterious illness : cn bnh khng r nguyn nhn- to ban # to prohibit : cm* to ban firecrackers : cm t pho 15- commitment : s cam kt, s rng buc* Marriage should be a five-year renewable contract not alife-long commitment.Hn nhn nn l mt bn hp ng 5 nm c gia hn hn lmt s rng buc trn i.- to take necessary steps/measure : thc thi cc bin php cn

thit- to be wiped out : b xo sch

Lesson 7: SAVING THE RAINFORESTS

The tropical rainforests are being destroyed primarily by greedy businessmen for a quickprofit. What they don't realize is that they could make a lot more money in the long runby preserving the forests. A study by the New York Institute of Economic Botany found

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that one hectare of South American rainforest could produce $400-worth of fruit everyyear. If rubber, drugs, rattan, nuts and other products of the forest are also sold, the valueof a hectare of rainforest over a 10-year period could exceed $10,000. If, on the otherhand, all the trees were cut down for sale and cattle raised on the exposed land, a mere$4,000 could be earned before the soil became totally barren. So over the long term,

conservation and sustainable use of the forest turns out to be far more profitable.If the destruction of rainforests continues at the present rate, they will disappearcompletely by the year 2040. This will have serious consequences - economic, politicaland environmental - for the nations concerned. Yet most Third World governmentsmaintain short-sighted policies encouraging the export of timber. Such policies will onlybe changed if the politicians can be convinced of the long-term benefits of conservation.Several European countries now prohibit the import of all tropical hardwood fromcountries lacking strict conservation and forest-management regulations. If thegovernment of Japan, which buys over half of the tropical hardwood sold on the worldmarket, were to adopt similar import restrictions, the situation might improve greatly.

Rich countries could also help by offering financial assistance to countries such as Belizeand Costa Rica which protect their rainforests and denying it to nations lacking effect iveconservation policies. Several large conservation groups have bought entire forests, andare now helping the indigenous people to earn a living through sustainable use of theforest. Major drug manufacturers ought to do likewise, in view of the enormous profitsthey could make by discovering and marketing cures for serious diseases. Merck, anAmerican drug company, paid a million dollars to Costa Rica's National BiodiversityInstitute in exchange for the supply of botanical samples. This sum represents less than0.1% of Merck's 1993 research budget. The company could easily afford to make a muchlarger investment in order to preserve the forests in which its future - and ours - lies.Notes:

- tropical rainforest : rng rm nhit i- to be destroyed : b tn ph- profit : li nhun* to sell sth at a profit- in the long run : rt cuc l- to preserve : bo tn* to preserve the worlds cultural heritage : bo tn di snvn ho th gii* to preserve the national identity : gi gn bn sc dntc- exceed : v-t qu

* to exceed the speed limit : v-t qu tc gii hn- nut : ht cha du* cashewnut: ht iu- to cut down for sale : n bn- cattle raising : chn nui gia sc- exposed land : vng t trng- sustainable use : s dng bn vng/lu di- to turn out to be : rt cuc l

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- short-sighted policy : chnh sch thin cn- to be convinced : b thuyt phc- long-term benefit : li ch lu di- short-term benefit : li ch tr-c mt- to prohibit: cm

* to prohibit the production of : cm sn xut- forest-management regulation : iu l qun l rng- restriction : s hn nh- financial assistance : gip v mt ti chnh- to lack : thiu* to lack capital : thiu vn- to earn a living : kim sng 17- in view of : nhm - in exchange for : nhm trao i ci g

Lesson 8: DESERTS CAN BE FARMED

With daytime temperatures reaching 50C and less than 10 centimeters of rain per year,the Negev Desert in Israel has a hostile climate. Yet recently, it has become a major food-producing region, thanks to the introduction of new farming techniques. Vegetables andfruit are grown using trickle irrigation, a system in which each plant receives a small butsufficient amount of water and fertilizers through perforated plastic pipes. Most of thewater is pumped up from underground. Since this is too salty for normal plants,agricultural scientists had to develop special varieties of salt-resistant plants. Now theregion produces fruit, vegetables, cereals, peanuts and cotton, and is home to half amillion people.Nearby Egypt is confronted with a double curse: rapid population growthand encroaching deserts. The only way for the country to feed its people is by reversing

the process of desertification. Researchers are now experimenting with a resin which canabsorb an amount of water equal to several hundred times its own weight. When mixedwith soil, it helps the earth to retain moisture. The resin, which was originally developedin Japan for use in paper diapers, could enable Egyptian farmers to grow crops on aridland and eventually restore the forests which once covered North Africa.In Iran, largesand dunes are sprayed with oil. When this dries, it keeps the sand in one place andretains moisture. Grass seed is then planted, followed soon by saplings. Farmers are laterable to grow vegetables on the land reclaimed from the desert. The new forests areprotected from goats and sheep by guards riding motorcycles. This is very important,because overgrazing is one of the main causes of desertification. Camels, incidentally,present no problems; their flat feet do not disturb the soil and their sharp teeth cut the

grass instead of tearing it out as goats and sheep do.Agriculture and reforestation needwater. This can be drawn from underground, using solar-powered pumps, but eventuallythe source must dry up. Seawater could be used, but removing the salt requires a veryexpensive and time-consuming process. The only alternative is to bring fresh water fromareas in which it is plentiful. In Libya, Kirgistan and India, great waterways havebeen built to bring water from mountain streams to arid regions targeted for cultivation.

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With enough money and effort, the battle against the desert can be won. But unlesspopulation growth is controlled, our victory over the desert will turn out to be only amirage.Notes:- temprature : nhit

- reach : t c, ln n 18* the growth rates reach 12%* the mountains reach the sea.( ni v-n ra bin.)- hostile climate : kh hu khc nghit- food-producing region : vng sn xut lng thc- the introduction of : vic p dng, vic a (ci g)vo....- farming technique : k thut canh tc- irrigation system : h thng ti, h thng thu li- sufficient : * sufficient amount : mt lng y

- perforated plastic pipe : ng nha c l xung quanh- to be pumped up from the ground : bm t mch nc ngm ln- salt-resistant plant : cy chng c mn, cy thch nghi vit mn- cereal : ng cc- to be confronted with : ng u vi- to reverse: lm o ngc, chng li- process of desertification : qu trnh sa mc ho- to absorb : thm thu, ht nc- moisture : m- arid land : t kh cn

- solar-powered pump : bm chy bng nng lng mt tri- time-consuming : mt thi gian* time consuming work : cng vic chim nhiu thi gian- alternative : mt gii php thay th- waterway : -ng dn nc- to be targeted for : nhm , c nhm n lm gLesson 9: ANIMALS FACING EXTINCTIONOver a thousand species of animals are threatened with extinction, and humans aredirectly or indirectly to blame.Most of the big cats - lions, tigers, panthers, leopards andcheetahs - have 5 been hunted for thousands of years, sometimes to protect livestock,but more often for sport or for their skins. The Asiatic Lion once inhabited a vast area

from Israel to India; now only a few hundred remain, under strict protection, in the GirForest of India. The Barbary Leopard, once found throughout North Africa, is even rarer:no more than 50 exist. The Bengal Tiger has been much luckier; thanks to strictmeasures taken in 1972 by the Indian Government, it is now thriving. Hunters - or ratherpoachers, since their victims are under legal protection -also threaten elephants, killed fortheir ivory tusks, and rhinoceroses, whose horns are used to make traditional Chinesemedicine and handles for Yemeni daggers. The situation regarding rhinos is particularlydesperate:fewer than 8,000 remain in Africa, just over 1,000 in North India and even

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fewer in Indonesia.Many of the primates are also suffering from human aggression, butthe main cause of their decline in numbers is environmental. Deforestation has severelyreduced the natural habitat of the Orang-Utan in Sumatra, the Golden Lion Tamarin inBrazil, the Lion-tailed Macaque in India and the Red Lemur in Madagascar, to name justa few of the worst cases.The panda's greatest enemy is its own natural vulnerability. Not

only is it dependent on a single source of food - a special kind of bamboo which sud-denly flowers and then dies once every 60 years - but it also has great difficultybreeding, especially in captivity. Even if it could be completely protected from poachers,who face the death penalty if caught, and from encroachment by loggers and farmers, itmay become extinct, as fewer than a thousand now remain.Marine animals face threemain dangers, all resulting from human activity. Some types of whale have been huntedalmost to extinction for their meat, oil and bone. The blue whale, the largest mammal inthe world, has become one of the rarest, owing to the use of radar by modern whalingships. Dolphins often swim with tuna and tend to get caught in the large nets used bymany tuna fishermen. The largest of these nets, known as drift nets, catch all seacreatures indiscriminately, resulting in serious depletion of fish stocks as well as the loss

of dolphins and other marine animals.For the inhabitants of shallow coastal waters,pollution is a major hazard. The disappearance of the Monk Seal from the Caribean Seamay be attributed both to pollution and drift-net fishing.Notes:- to be threatened by/with extinction : b e do dit chng- to blame : li* to blame sb for sth : li cho ai v ci g* He blamed the teacher for his failure.( Hn li l thy gio lm hn tht bi.)- livestock : gia cm- to inhabit : sng

- strict protection : bo v nghim ngt- ivory tusk : ng voi- rhinoceros: t gic- to suffer from : chu phi- aggression : s xm lc- decline : gim* decline in number : gim v s lng- natural habitat : vng c tr t nhin- panda : gu trc- in captivity : (nui) trong chung- logger : ngi khai thc g

- to encroach upon : xm phm- encroachment : s xm phm- to face the danger: ng u vi nguy him, i mt vi nguyc- whale : c voi- marine animal : ng vt bin- to be attributed to : do, nh

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Lesson 10: SAVING THE REMAINING FEW

After a long and desperate struggle to save endangered species from extinction,conservationists are finally winning victories over individual greed and official lethargy.The establishment of the World Wildlife Fund in 1961 began a new era of aggressive

campaigning which culminated in the 1973 Convention on International Trade inEndangered Species. The CITES bans or restricts trade in over 2,000 different species ofanimal, bird and plant. Unfortunately, it depends for enforcement on its 103 membernations, and many of them are very lax. Britain, for example, had only four customsofficers in charge of CITES enforcement as of 1990. Some member nations failed toratify the agreement, while others retained special exemptions. Japan, for example,which ratified the Convention in 1980 and was at one time responsible for one half of theworld's trade in endangered species, insisted on importing products made from 11 of themost endangered species in order to protect the livelihoods of a few thousand artisans andthe profits of large corporations.The WWF was so concerned about loopholes and laxenforcement of the CITES that it set up a special monitoring organization named

TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) which frequentlyuncovers illegal trade ignored or even encouraged by theauthorities of member nations. The most visible success of the wildlife conservationmovement has been the complete ban on the ivory trade, imposed in January 1990 at atime when fewer than 600,000 African elephants remained. There is, however, a muchearlier precedent. In 1907, the American Bison Society reported that only a few hundredbison remained and demanded action; Congress responded with legislation establishingreserves in Oklahoma and Montana, and the native buffalo survived.Recently, farmershave started raising bison instead of cows (buffalo meat is lower in calories andcholesterol than beef) and the population has increased to over 60,000.Crocodiles,alligators and caiman are also benefiting from the commercial farming approach. Intheory, so could all endangered species which can be raised in captivity and which havecommercial value. This could free up precious conservation funds for use elsewhere.Ironically,the elephant population increased in countries which paid for conservationefforts through the official sale of ivory, and will probably decrease now that such fundsare no longer available.Another factor which may help endangered species if carefullymanaged is the rapid growth of ecotourism. East Africans replaced guns with cameras intheir safari parks long ago when they realized the tourist potential of their vast wildlifereserves. More recently, West Africans have discovered that their gorillas are worth morealive than dead and have started protecting these vulnerable assets from poachers. Thechallenge is to expand tourism without damaging the animals' habitats.Notes:- desperate : khng khoan nhng* desperate struggle : u tranh khng khoan nhng- endangered species : loi c nguy c dit chng- The World Wildlife Fund : Qu ng Vt Hoang D Th Gii- era : k nguyn- culminate : t n nh im- customs officer : hi quan- to be in charge of : chu trch nhim v

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- ratify : ph chun, k (hip nh)* to ratify the agreement : ph chun hip nh- artisan : ngh nhn- wildlife conservation movement : phong tro bo v ng vthoang d

- illegal trade : bun bn bt hp php- bison : b rng- potential : tim nng* tourist potential : tim nng du lch- challenge : thch thc- gorilla : i i- vulnerable : d b lm hi* Young birds are vulnerable to predators.Chim non rt d b th n tht lm hi.

Lesson 11: A DIET OF CHEMICALS

Chemicals enter our food in various ways and for various reasons. Farmers use herbicidesto kill weeds, pesticides to kill insects, fungicides to kill mold and fertilizers to promotegrowth. All of them are harmful to health and also to the environment, as Rachel Carsonobserved over 30 years ago in her provocative book, Silent Spring. Air pollution andacid rain also contribute to the chemical cocktail in which our food is grown. Afterharvesting, most crops are subjected to further "post-harvest" chemical treatment in orderto protect them from fungus and keep them looking fresh. Japanese rice, for example, issprayed once a year with methyl bromide, which can cause mental disorders and speechimpediments. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sprayed with sulfites, to which many peopleare allergic. Bananas,mangoes and other tropical fruit are sprayed with even more

dangerous chemicals.Meat eaters are exposed to even greater risks. For one thing, theyare ten times more likely to die from a heart attack than vegetarians. For another, meataccounts for more than half of all pesticides consumed by Americans. Moreover, meatcontains antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline, used to prevent disease in farmanimals, and also hormones used to promote growth.Excessive consumption of theformer leads to a breakdown of the human immune system, while the latter leads tohormone imbalance and diseases such as thyrotoxicosis.Finally, there are the additives used by food manufacturers - thousands of them,including preservatives, colors, flavors, aromas and emulsifiers. The use of preservativesis often justified by the need to prevent food poisoning. Nitrates used in ham, forexample, prevent contamination by salmonella germs. In most cases, however, additives

are used simply to make food look, taste or smell better and thus increase profits. Ifconsumers could be certain that all additives used were completely safe, there would beno problem. In fact, however, most of the additives used in Britain have never been testedfor safety, and of those that have been tested, many have been shown to cause healthproblems ranging from allergies to cancer. Excessive consumption of foodadditives has also been linked to low academic achievement and mental instability.Notes:- reason : l do

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* for various reasons : v nhiu l do- herbicide : thuc dit c- fungicide : thuc dit nm mc- fertilizer : phn bn- to be harmful to : c hi

- to contribute to : ng gp* He has greatly contributed to the development of thecompany.ng ta ng gp nhiu cho s pht trin ca cng ty.- to be subjected to : chu phi- post-harvest treatment : x l sau thu hoch- fungus : nm mc- to spray : phun- mental disorder : ri lon thn kinh- speech impediment : ri lon ngn ng- to be allergic : b d ng

- antibiotics : khng sinh- immune system : h min dch- imbalance : s mt cn i- additive : cht ph gia- preservative : cht bo qun- flavour : mi- aroma : h-ng- contamination : s nhim khun- to be tested for safety : kim tra an ton- excessive : qu nhiu* excessive consumption : dng qu nhiu

- mental instability : bt n tinh thn

Lesson 12: FARMING WITHOUT CHEMICALS

In an average year, 11,000 tons of herbicides and 2,000 tons of insecticides are sprayedon British farms. A large proportion of this is washed into the soil or nearby rivers, butmuch is absorbed by the crops themselves, and thus eventually consumed by humans.That these chemicals are harmful to human health is no longer in doubt. Until recently,however, it was assumed that farmers could not survive without using them. Not anymore.Organic farming, which shuns the use of agricultural chemicals, is not a newphenomenon; on the contrary, all farming was organic until the introduction of DDT

early this century. It is now,however, enjoying new popularity as more and more health-conscious consumers demand organically grown food and as the long-term costs ofdependence on agricultural chemicals become clearer. Traditionally, farmers rotated theircrops each year. Modern farmers, on the contrary, cultivate a single crop on the same soilfor many years. This leads to declining fertility of the soil, compensated for by the use ofmore and more chemical fertilizers. It also results in the proliferation of insects, whichhave to be killed by powerful chemicals that also wipe out natural predators such asladybugs and frogs.Ordinary farmers are starting to rebel against lower crop yields and

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higher bills for agricultural chemicals and are turning to organic farming instead. Manynow rotate crops, allowing the soil to recover its fertility and starving insects which feedonly on a certain grain and cannot survive when their only source of food is replaced by adifferent crop. Others interplant several crops together, each protecting the other frompest attacks and soil depletion. Farmers prevent the growth of weeds by planting on

narrow ridges, a practice known as ridge tillage. Organic farming has also benefitedfrom the development of biological pest control, the use of one type of insect to get rid ofanother.This was first used with success in the 1880s, when Australian beetles saved theCalifornian citrus industry. Now that many insects have developed resistance to allknown types of pesticide,biological pest control may turn out to be the only effectiveapproach.Organic farming tends to be somewhat labor-intensive. Instead of sprayingcrops from helicopters and planting and harvesting with huge machines, the farmer has toget his hands dirty. This may be one reason why the only organic farmers until now wereidealists. But recently a new breed of organic farmer has appeared on the scene, onewhose hands never become dirty because his or her only tool is a computer. The newfarm is a fully automated factory in which temperature, humidity, light, carbon dioxide

density and the supply of nutrients are controlled by a computer. Vegetables are grownall year round and supplied fresh on demand; and no chemicals are needed.So far, only lettuce and spinach are grown this way, but the new factory farms will soonbe producing tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries and other high-value products.Notes:- average : trung bnh, bnh qun* average temperature : nhit trung bnh* average height : chiu cao trung bnh* The age of boys in this clas is 15.Tui trung bnh ca cc cu b trong lp l 15.* on average : tnh bnh qun

- herbicide : thuc dit c- insecticide : thuc tr su- proportion : t l. phn* The proportion of imports is worrying the government.(T l nhp khu lm chnh ph lo lng.)* in proportion to : t-ng xng vi* payment in proportion to the work done : tr cng t-ngxng vi cng vic -cthc hin- to compensate : bi th-ng* Nothing can compensate for the loss of our health.

* compensation : s bi th-ng* He received $ 5000 in compesation/by way ofcompensation/as copensation for the loss.- proliferation : s sn sinh- to rebel against : chng li- yield : nng sut- high bill for : chi ph cao cho- to be replaced by : -c thay th bi

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- fertility : ph nhiu- to interplant : xen canh- to interplant several crops- pest attack : s ph hoi ca cn trng- to benefit from : h-ng li t

- to get rid of : xo b- to develop resistance to : khng liLesson 13: GOODBYE TO GARBAGE

Every year, the average British family throws away more than half a ton of rubbish. Whathappensto it? Nearly all of it ends up on a rubbish dump, where it is left to decay. This isunpleasant to seeand smell. It can also be dangerous, since decaying organic waste gives off methane gaswhich canexplode suddenly. Other types of garbage discharge toxic liquids which seep into

undergroundwater resources. Moreover, space for new landfills is becoming increasingly hard to find.Garbage can also be burned. Twenty-five percent of all British rubbish is paper. This, likethemethane gas emitted by rotting waste, can be used as fuel to burn some of the othercomponents ofgarbage. But incineration results in the emission of dangerous pollutants such as dioxinandchlorine from paper, mercury from old batteries and lead from paint, and the resulting ashis usuallyhighly toxic. Furthermore, glass and metals can only be melted, not burned.

Recycling thus makes a lot of sense. Not only does it reduce the volume of garbage, italso savesscarce resources. Waste paper can be processed into pulp and made into new paper. InJapan, over59% of all waste paper is dealt with in this way, saving thousands of trees. Glass bottlescan bemelted down to make Other glass products. Most European cities have "bottle banks"where emptybottles can be left for collection and recycling. Metal waste is very profitable. It can besorted,

using magnets, into low-value ferrous metals and high-value nonferrous metals such assilver,aluminum and chrome, for sale to scrap metal dealers and eventual recycling. Whenorganic waste,such as leftover food, is kept in bins and allowed to rot, it can be used as compost ongardens andfields. Home compost kits which emit no unpleasant smells and do not attract flies arenow

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available; and large-scale municipal composting plants are now being built to producecheaporganic fertilizer.

Plastic waste is the most awkward type to recycle, since there are so many different

varieties, eachmelting at a different temperature and each giving off toxic gas. A German companynamed VEBAOel AG has recently developed a technique for processing plastics into the oil fromwhich theywere originally made.

Recycling is seldom profitable. One reason is the cost of sorting the garbage 5 intodifferent types.This cost could be eliminated, however, by requiring householders to sort their ownwaste.

Different types of garbage would be collected on different days and delivered to theappropriateprocessing center. A second problem is that recycled paper, plastic and glass cost morethannewly manufactured materials. If the fees for dumping waste were raised, however, andused tosubsidize the sale of recycled materials, then these materials could be sold at competitiveprices.

Volkswagen, the German auto manufacturer, has recently set a new recycling standard.Startingwith the 1992 Golf, all of its new cars will be recyclable. The company guarantees to takebackwithout charge every car it produces whenever the current owner decides to get rid of it.Ifautomobiles can be completely recycled, why not other products? 28Notes:- garbage : rc- rubbish : rc* rubbish dump : ng rc- to decay : thi ra* decaying organic waste : rc thi hu c ang thi ra

- methane gas: kh m tan- to explode : n tung* When the boiler exploded many people were injured.Khi ni hi n nhiu ng-i b th-ng.* to explode a bomb : lm cho bom n* At last his anger exploded.Cui cng cn gin d ca anh ta bng n.- liquid : cht lng

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* If you add too much liquid the mixture wil not be thickenough.Nu bn thm qu nhiu cht lng, th hn hp khng c.- to seep : r, thm* water seeping through the roof of the tunnel

n-c r ra qua mi tng hm- to emit : thi ra* The volcano emits smoke, lava and ashes.Ni la phun ra khi, nham thch v tro bi.- component : thnh phn- incineration : s thiu hu, l thiu- imission : s thi ra- mercury : thu ngn- to melt : chy lng* The ice melted when the sun shone on it.Bng tan ra khi mt tri chiu ln n.

- to recycle : ti sinh, ti ch* recycled plastic : nha ti sinh- volume : khi l-ng- to process : x l 29- to be dealt with : -c gii quyt- collection : s thu gom- municipal : thuc thnh ph* municipal transport system : h thng giao thng thnhph- magnet : nam chm- ferrous : thuc v st

* ferrous and non-ferrous metals : kim loi en v kim loimu- to scrap : loi b- compost : phn hu c- composting plant : nh my phn hu c- awkward : bt tin, kh s dng,gy kh khn* awkward shape/door* You put me in an awkward position : bn t ti vo mttnh trng kh x.- to process sth into sth : ch bin ci g thnh ci g.- to sort sth into sth : phn loi ci g thnh ci g.

- to deliver : giao, phn phi- to subsidize : bao cp, tr cp* subsidized industries : cc ngnh cng nghip -c bao cpLesson 14: GETTING RID OF LITTER

April 22nd being Earth Day, my wife and I decided to clean up the valley behind ourvillage. With

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the help of a couple of neighbors, we pulled out all of the litter from the bushes and piledit upbeside the road. There were dozens of used tires, proving my theory that most of the litterwas leftby drivers. Other items of note included several bicycles, a toaster and eight fashionable

shoes,none matching. The most numerous category, however, was empty drink cans, of whichthere wereenough to build a jumbo jet.

I personally feel that litterbugs should be thrown into prison and made to chew old cartires andempty cans for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, however, they are very hard to catch,as mostof them sneak out under cover of darkness to do their evil deeds. A more practicalsolution would

be to put the burden of collection on dealers. If, for example, tire retailers were obligedby law tocollect one used tire for every new one they sold, very few would be dumped. The usedtires couldeither be recycled or used as fuel to generate electricity. In Britain, there is a powerstation which isfueled solely by used tires. Alternatively, the government could introduce a penalty taxon dispos- 30able items such as tires and drink containers, which would be refunded to whoeverreturned theitems for recycling.

Most of the discarded cans littering the countryside were bought from vending machines.The mosteffective solution, therefore, is to ban such machines. This would also help reducedemand forenergy, since the average vending machine consumes 600 watts of electricity 24 hours aday, 365days every year, and it would cut consumption of antisocial products such as cigarettes,beer andbubble gum.Recycling enthusiasts often propose that drinks be sold in glass bottles instead of cans,since bottlescan be washed and used again. Having injured myself several times on broken bottleswhen hiking,I am inclined to disagree. Glass, unlike plastic or metal, does not decay. If you leave aglass bottle,a plastic bottle, an aluminum can and a paper container outside in the sunshine and rain,the paper

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container will decompose within three months, the aluminum can and plastic bottle willlast 500years, but the glass bottle will remain forever.

Recycling is an excellent idea, but it is not a solution to the problem of litter. The answer,

in fact, isto use biodegradable materials for all disposable products. One such material, made fromcornstarch, is as tough as plastic but decomposes and disappears within a year ofexposure to theelements, with no jagged edges to harm the unwary hiker and no toxins to pollute theriver.Moreover, it is nutritious, and could be used to feed imprisoned litterbugs, thus savingtaxpayersa lot of money.Notes:- used tire : v lp xe dng ri

- to prove : chng minh, chng t* They prove that they are right.H chng minh l mnh ng.* He proves hmelf to be an expert on English.ng ta chng t mnh rt lo luyn ting Anh.- fashionable : hp thi trang* fashionable clothes : o qun hp thi trang- litterbug : ng-i x rc- to be thrown into prison : b t- to sneak out to do sth : ln lt lm ci g, trn chui trn lilm ci g.

- retailer : ng-i bn l- to be obliged to do sth: b bt buc lm ci g- practical solution : gii php thc t- vending machine : my bn hng t ng 31- to be inclined to do sth : c chiu h-ng lm ci g- to decompose : phn hu- biodegradable material : cht c th phn hu bng sinh hc- cornstarch : bt ng- jagged edge : c cnh lm chm* a piece of glass with jagged edgesmt mnh thu tinh c cnh lm chm

- unwary: khng thn trng, khng cnh gic- nutritious : b d-ngLesson 15: DON'T FORGET YOUR SMOG MASK

Situated on a basin surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Mexico City might be one oftheworld's most beautiful capitals. Instead, it is the most polluted. Toxic smoke from 35,000

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factories and exhaust gas from three million motor vehicles frequently get trapped overthe cityby a natural phenomenon known as thermal inversion, forcing 16 million residents tobreathe acocktail of toxic gases. In 1986 it was so bad that dead birds dropped out of the sky.

Mexico City may be the worst, but cities throughout the world suffer similar problems. In1953, adeadly smog killed more than 4,000 Londoners and led to the world's first legislationaimed atreducing air pollution. The situation improved greatly with the construction of higherfactorychimneys and a ban on domestic coal fires.

Urban air pollution consists of five main ingredients: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides,carbon

monoxide, ozone and suspended particulate matter. These are accompanied by variousother toxicgases, depending on what local factories are producing. Approximately 1.3 million tonsof toxicchemicals are released into American skies every year. Only seven of the 320 chemicalsareregulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. In some areas, air pollution is sosevere thatone in 10 residents is likely to suffer from cancer sooner or later. Elsewhere, over a 100millionAmericans breathe air which is certain to harm them over the long term.

Sulfur dioxide is emitted mainly by coal-fired power stations, oil refineries, factories andfoundries. In the 1960s it was a serious problem in Japanese cit5 ies. Since theintroduction ofstrict controls in 1972, however, sulfur dioxide has become less of a problem. On theother hand,there has been a drastic increase in the emission of nitrogen oxides. These are also givenoffwhen coal, oil and gas are burned, but the main source is motor vehicles. The relentlessincreasein the number of cars and trucks on the roads has cancelled out any benefits from thedecrease insulfur emissions.32Auto exhaust gas also contains carbon monoxide - another poison - and reacts withsunlight toform ozone, another harmful gas. The fifth member of the evil toxic quintet is suspendedparticulate matter, small particles of a tarlike substance containing over 400 differentharmful

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ingredients. The biggest 5 cause of SPM is exhaust gas from diesel engines, and trucks inparticular.

These five gases, alone or together, cause lung cancer, asthma, chronic bronchitis, eyediseases

and many other ailments familiar to city dwellers.Notes:- smog = smoke + fog : m hng- mask : mt n* gas mask : mt n phng hi c- to be situated # to be located : nm, to lc, chim c- snow-capped mountain : ni c tuyt ph- exhaust gas : kh thi t t- phenomenon : hin tng- similar : tng t* to be similar to : tng t vi- thermal : thuc v nhit

* thermal spring : sui nc nng- to lead to : dn n, gy ra* The road leads to my school.Con ng dn n trng ti.- legislation : lut, o lut- to be aimed at : nhm lm g* My project is aimed at helping poor people.D n ca ti nhm gip dn ngho.- chimney : ng khi- domestic : thuc v trong nh* domestic animals : vt nui

* Horses, cows and sheep are domestic animals.Nga, b, v cu l nhng vt nui.- to consist of # to be made up of : gm c, bao gm* The committee consists of 10 members.U ban gm 10 ngi.- suspended : treo l lng 33* to be suspended in air : l lng trong khng kh- to be accompanied by : cng vi- to be released : thi ra* Toxic chemicals are released into the sky.Ho cht c hi b thi ra trong kh quyn.

* to release a man from prison : th mt ngi ra khi t- severe : nghim trng, d di, nghim ngh* a severe pain : cn au d di* a severe look : ci nhn nghim ngh- a drastic increase : mt s gia tng ng k- a relentless increase : mt s gia tng nhy vt- chronic bronchitis : bnh vim phi mn tnh.Lesson 16: REDUCING HARMFUL EMISSIONS

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When a cloud of toxic gas escaped from a U.S. factory in Bhopal, India, in 1984, killingthousands of people, Americans said it couldn't happen at home. They are wrong. Thesame gas,methyl isocyanate, is emitted every day from chemical plants in the U.S.A., along with

more than300 other kinds of chemical, many of which are known to cause cancer. A study by theEnvironmental Protection Agency in 1989 revealed that 205 factories were emittingdangerousquantities of harmful chemicals into the air, threatening the health of nearby residents.

Factories are by no means the only source of air pollution. Power stations, oil refineriesand metalfoundries also emit large quantities of pollutants. Citizens have no right to complainabout airpollution, however, if they drive an automobile: cars and trucks are the biggest source of

toxiccarbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and suspended particulate matter.In 1990, U.S. legislators made a brave attempt to reduce harmful emissions byintroducing strictnew controls. In order to comply with the new Clean Air Act, power stations, factories,smelters,oil refineries and large bakeries had to install expensive new antipollution equipment andautomobile manufacturers had to design cleaner engines or fit efficient catalyticconverters totailpipes. The new law was expected to cost Americans about $25 billion a year, but wasnevertheless widely supported by both manufacturers and consumers.

Air pollution authorities in California have had to go far beyond the limits of federal lawin orderto tackle the haze in Los Angeles, North America's most polluted city. Regulations onautoemissions - already the world's strictest - will become even stricter in the year 2003,when 10% ofall new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles. Emission limits havebeenimposed not only on the major sources of pollution but also on bakeries, lawn mowers,chainsaws, gas water heaters and even floor polish. 34

Clean air has begun to take priority over corporate profits in the West, thanks to thegrowingpower of the environmental lobby. Elsewhere, however, economic development stilltakesprecedence over the environment. In Benxi, China, the smog is so thick that for sixmonths a

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year, maximum visibility is only 50 meters. Factories in Cracow, Poland, pump anestimated10,000 tons of toxic gases into the air every day. India's most famous monument, the TajMahal,is cracked and yellow after years of exposure to pollutants from nearby iron foundries in

andaround Agra. These cities, and thousands like them, can afford neither to clean up theirfactoriesand foundries nor to close them down. Unless they receive technological and financialhelp fromrich industrialized nations, their residents may never breathe pure air.Notes:- Environmental Protection Agency : C Quan Bo V Mi tr-ng- to threaten : e do* to threaten to do sth : e do lm ci g- to make an attempt : c gng

- strict : nghim tc, nghim ngt- to go far beyond the limit : v-t qu gii hn- to be imposed on : gy tc ng cho, gy nh h-ng cho- monument : di tchLesson 17: DEADLY SECRETS

The production of plastics, drugs and farm chemicals results in a number of dangerousby-products:poisonous gases which cause air pollution, acid rain and global warming, deadly liquidswhichpollute nearby rivers and underground water resources, and toxic solid waste which hasto beburned or dumped at great risk to the environment. Mines and oil refineries also producehazardouswaste, but the chemical industry is the worst culprit.

Some years ago, a huge quantity of toxic waste was found in Love Canal, a residentialarea nearNiagara Falls. This discovery was followed by an investigation which revealed over35,000 toxicwaste dumps all over the U.S.A. Many people were found to be suffering from seriousillnessesrelated to the poisonous chemicals in their neighborhoods and even beneath their homes,but no-body was prepared to accept responsibility until public opinion and a series of lawsuitsforced thefederal government to take action. A "Superfund" was set up to pay for the cleaning upof toxicwaste sites. The huge costs were to be born by the companies which produced anddumped the

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waste, and by taxes on newly produced waste.

Toxic waste dumps contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), cadmium, chromium,arsenic, lead,dioxin and many other dangerous substances. PCBs 20 cause cancer and reproductive

disorders.The Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation illegally dumped them in 89 differentlocations near 35their gas pipelines, contaminating local drinking water. The penalty? A $15-million fine,in a yearwhen the company earned $1,300 million in profits. "Itai Itai" Disease was caused bycadmiumdumped in the Jinzu River in Japan. When people ate rice grown in nearby paddy fields,their bonesbecame brittle and they suffered extreme pain. More than a hundred people died.Problems like these occur because of inadequate control by the authorities. Factory

managers offerwaste disposal contracts to the lowest bidder, with no concern as to where the waste isdumped.Truck drivers merely follow orders, collecting their deadly cargoes and dumping them asinstructed, often late at night. Waste disposal companies make huge profits withouthaving to pro-vide any details to the authorities.

The situation will not improve until governments introduce strict controls on the disposalofhazardous waste. Both producers and disposers must be required to inform localauthorities andresidents about every kilogram of toxic waste: where it was produced, who transported itand whereit ended up. Operators who do not disclose such information, make false reports or dumpwasteillegally must be severely punished.Notes:- deadly secret : b mt cht ngi- by-product : ph phm- oil-refinery : nh my lc du- hazardous : nguy him- culprit : ti phm- residential area : vng dn c- investigation : cuc iu tra- to be related to : c lin quan n- to be prepared to # to be ready to : sn sng- responsibility : trch nhim* to take full responsibility for : chu hon ton trchnhim v

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- public opinion : d lun, kin cng chng- to make huge profit : kim c nhiu tn li, thu c khonli khng l- bidder : ngi u thu, nh thu- to be punished : b pht

Lesson 18: GETTING RID OF TOXIC WASTE36The disposal of toxic waste used to be easy. It was put in big steel drums, transported bytruck toisolated places and then dumped. When this method was finally banned, companiesbegan to buyup old mines and other convenient sites in which to dump their waste. When there wereno morecheap sites and local residents began to sue them for polluting their water resources,companies

began to load their waste on ships and dump it in the sea. Soon, this practice was banned,and thewaste was instead burned in special incinerator ships. The highly toxic ash whichremained wasthen illegally dumped in the sea or taken to the Third World, where government officialsagreedto accept the waste in exchange for desperately needed foreign money and large bribes.

In 1987 and 1988, toxic waste from Italy was illegally dumped in Koko, Nigeria. It wasfalselyclassified as harmless, but when the drums leaked and many people became ill, the

Nigeriangovernment demanded that it be removed. It was eventually returned to Italy on a shipnamed theKarin B. As a result of this incident - just one of many - the United NationsEnvironmentProgram drafted an international agreement on waste disposal which was adopted at theBaselConvention in 1989. The agreement lists 47 dangerous chemicals which cannot beexported orimported by any of the 60-plus nations which have so far accepted it. The EuropeanUnionratified the agreement in 1992. The U.S.A. and Japan have accepted it on principle butnot yetratified it.

As the possibilities for waste disposal in local and foreign landfills decrease, chemicalcompanies are having to consider more creative alternatives. The obvious solution wouldbe to

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eliminate the waste at source, with new production techniques. This might be possible formany,but not all of the millions of chemicals produced by modern industry; it would, however,be verycostly. Another possibility is to treat the waste with chemicals or bacteria in order to

make itharmless. Scientists at Stanford University have already succeeded in using bacteria tobreakdown two dangerous chemicals, trichloroethylene and w vinyl chloride, and are hopefulthatmany more can be treated in this way.

The suggestion that toxic waste might be recycled was not taken seriously until 1993,when asmall American company named Molten Metal Technology began testing its CatalyticExtraction

Processing technology for commercial use. Toxic waste is injected into a pool of molteniron andbreaks down into the elements of which it is composed. These can be recovered and usedagain.Notes:- steel drum : thng cha bng thp- isolated : c lp* an isolated place : ni bit lp, ni hoang vng, ni bhoang- mine : hm m* a coal mine : m than

- site : bi- to sue : tha kin- to dump : (rc...)- in exchange for : trao i, giao lu- bribe : khon tin hi l* to receive a bribe : nhn tin hi l- to be classified : c phn loi- to leak : r r- to draft : son tho- international agreement : hip nh quc t- to eliminate : hu b

- landfill : t p- to treat waste by bacteria : x l rc thi bng vi khun- to be recycled : c ti ch, c ti sinh- Molten Metal Technology : cng ngh nng chy kim loiLesson 19: THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACID RAIN

Many of Europe's power stations and factories burn coal or oil. This results in theemission of

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large quantities of sulfur dioxide and smaller amounts of nitrogen oxides. These gasesarereleased through tall chimneys into the sky, where they mix with water vapor in clouds toformsulfuric and nitric acid. After being blown great distances by prevailing winds, these

cloudscondense into acid rain and fall on land and sea, causing considerable harm.

Many of Scandinavia's beautiful lakes have become too acidic to support life. TreesthroughoutGermany are dying because of the acidity of the soil. Church bells in Belgium and theNetherlands have lost their purity of sound and the magnificent stained glass windows ofChartres Cathedral have lost their luster, owing to corrosion from acid rain. It alsocorrodesbridges, statues, rails, almost anything made of metal, including, ironically, the motorvehicles

which are partly responsible for it through their emissions of nitrogen oxides. It dissolvesstone,bricks and mortar too. Many of Europe's finest historical buildings have been irreparablydamaged by acid rain and smog. Acid rain is a problem not only for Europe. In Quebec,100,000square kilometers of valuable maple forests have been damaged, resulting in seriouslosses for themaple syrup industry. Acid rain does not respect international frontiers. Much of thesulfurwhich killed thousands of lakes in Canada came from power plants in the U.S.A.; andforestdamage in Japan has been blamed to some extent on Chinese factories and powerstations.

Acid rain is also dangerous to humans. People who exercise outdoors when there is acidvapor inthe air they breathe may suffer lung and kidney disease, 5 sore eyes and skin irritation.Fivemillion Britons are exposed to lead poisoning from their tap water because lead in theirwaterpipes is being dissolved by acid in the water supply. Moreover, alpine regions in whichforestshave been decimated by acid rain are prone to suffer sudden floods and avalanchescapable ofdestroying entire villages.

Over 150 years ago, the world's first air pollution official wrote the following commentsin hisbook Air and Rain: "when the air has so much acid... there is no hope for vegetation...galvanized

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iron is useless... stone and bricks of buildings crumble." Scientists have learned a lotabout acidrain since Robert Angus Smith's far-sighted comments on air pollution in Britain werefirst pub-lished; but governments have been very slow to take remedial action.

Notes:- consequence : hu qu* environmental consequence: hu qu mi tr-ng- to mix : trn ln, ho trn* to mix with : trn vi- water vapor : hi n-c- to form : to ra 39- to be blown : b thi i, b cun i- to condense into : nn li, c li- acidity : tnh a xt- purity : s thun khit, s tinh khit

- corrosion : s bo mn, s xi mn- to dissolve : lm tan r, lm phn hu- to be damaged : b h- hi- to some extent : mt mc no - to exercise outdoors : tp th dc ngoi tri- kidney disease : bnh thn- to be prone to : thin v, d* He is prone to lose his temper.Hn d ni gin.

Lesson 20: ACID RAIN AND FALSE ECONOMIES

What do withered trees, dead fish and retarded babies have in common? They are allvictims ofacid rain. It kills trees by attacking their roots. It cripples fish by destroying their gills. Itdissolves the lead in old water pipes, poisoning the water supply and indirectly causingthe birthof retarded babies.

The annual costs of acid rain for farmers, fisheries, public authorities and privatecompanies areenormous. Any computation would have to include losses of farm and fishery products,

repairs todamaged buildings and bridges, health care for people whose lungs were harmed by acidfog andmeasures taken to combat the effects of acid rain, such as pouring lime into rivers toreduce theiracidity.

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It is thus hard to accept the claim by government representatives that effective measurestoeliminate or reduce acid rain would be too costly. They would certainly requireconsiderableexpense initially; but they would give rise to vast savings in the long run.

The biggest source of the gases responsible for acid rain is coal-fired power stations.Three ofthese monsters in Britain together account for one third of all nationwide emissions ofsulfurdioxide. There are various ways in which such emissions could be cut. One approachwouldinvolve burning low-sulfur coal imported from Canada, or replacing coal altogether withNorthSea oil or natural gas, both of which are low-sulfur fuels. Better still, non-pollutingsources suchas wind and sunshine could be exploited.

40Another approach involves the use of fluidized-bed combustion technology to removesulfur ascoal is burned. This process has only recently been developed and remains veryexpensive. Mucholder technology would suffice for a third approach, flue-gas desulfurization, whichfilters thesmoke as it goes up the chimney. This process was invented in Britain in 1880 butneglectedthere for more than a century. In Germany, it has been installed in nearly all powerstations.

A Japanese company has recently developed a process for converting waste gas intofertilizer.The smoke is mixed with ammonia and then treated with electronic rays. The resultingproductcan be sold to farmers, thereby subsidizing the cost of eliminating the waste gas.Likewise, apower plant at Kalundborg in Denmark removes sulfur from its flue gases and sells someof it toa local sulfuric acid manufacturer. The rest is converted to gypsum and sold to aplasterboardmanufacturer.

It has been estimated that a 50% cut in sulfur dioxide emissions could be paid for by amere0.5% increase in electricity charges. So far, 21 nations have become members of the"30%Club" by committing themselves to a 30% reduction of sulfur emissions over 1980 levels,

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including some with more ambitious targets. But sulfur emissions can and should beeliminatedentirely.Notes:- withered : kh, ho, khinh mit

* a withered tree : mt cy kh* a withered flower : mt hoa ho* a withered glance : mt ci nhn khinh mit- retarded ; pht trin chm ( v th cht)* a retarded child : mt a tr pht trin th cht chm- to have sth in common : c chung ci g, ging nhau- victim : nn nhn- root : r cy* trees with long roots : cy c r di* to have roots in : c ngun gc t- to cripple : lm cho tn ph, gy tn th-ng

- gill : mang- lead : ch- water pipe : ng dn n-c- enormous : ln, khng l* an enormous breakfast : mt ba n sng thnh son- to be harmed by : b gy hi bi 41- to combat the effect : chng li nhng tc hi/hu qu- to pour : - lime : vi- costly # expensive : t , tn nhiu tin- considerable expense : khon chi ph ng k

- to give rise to vast savings : tit kim -c mt khon tinln- coal-fired power station : nh my nng l-ng chy bng than- monster : qui vt- approach : ph-ng php, -ng h-ng- to replace sth with sth : thay ci g bng ci g- non-polluting source : ngun ( nng l-ng...) khng gy nhim/sch- to be exploited : -c khai thc, b bc lt- ammonia : kh a m ni c- combusion : t

- to suffice : , p ng nhu cu ca* Will $10 suffice for the trip?Liu 10 la c cho chuyn i khng?- gypsum : thch cao- to be estimated : -c tnh* It is estimated that.....: Ng-i ta -c tnh rng

Lesson 21: GLOBAL WARMING

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The global climate is controlled by very complex factors, such as thermal currents in theair andsea, cloud movements and volcanic eruptions. The most powerful factor is the sun,without

which the earth would be a frozen wilderness. Sunshine warms the earth, but most of theheatreaching the earth's surface would be radiated back into space were it not for the presenceofcertain gases in the atmosphere. These gases, the most important of which is carbondioxide,act as a blanket around the earth, allowing the heat of the sun to enter but preventingsome of itfrom leaving.

Since the Industrial Revolution, the density of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been

steadily increasing. In 1850, it was about 280 parts per million. By 1990, it had risen to375ppm. If this trend continues at the present rate, the figure will have risen to 560 ppm bythe year 422030. This, together with the steady accumulation of methane, nitrous oxide and CFCs(chlorofluorocarbons), will have a major impact on the world's climate. Researchers withtheIntergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 1990 that within 30 years, meanglobaltemperatures would rise by 1.8C and within 80 years by 3.5C if present trendscontinued.

This increase in global temperatures resulting from what is commonly known as theGreenhouse Effect might seem attractive to residents of Scandinavia, Canada and Siberia,where winters are long and harsh. However, it will have a number of very unpleasantconsequences for people living elsewhere. There will be severe droughts in India, Africa,Australia and Brazil. The vast U.S. grain belt may turn into a dust bowl. Hurricanes,whichonly develop when temperatures exceed 26C, will become more common and moresevere.Along with other diseases, malaria, a disease carried by mosquitoes which are unable tobreedat temperatures below 22C, will spread throughout the Mediterranean region, MexicoandChina.

If global temperatures rise as predicted, with greater increases in the polar regions, muchof theice covering Greenland and Antarctica will melt, resulting in a rise in sea levels. This willlead

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to severe flooding of coastal areas, particularly in Bangladesh, the Nile Delta and theNetherlands, and will ruin as much as a third of the world's cropland. Some island nations-Kiribati, Maldives and Tuvalu - may disappear entirely, and the damage to cities such asAmsterdam, Venice and Miami will be enormous. It is estimated that 45 million people

willlose their homes as a result of flooding, and many more will have to leave areas hit bydrought.Mass migration on such a scale could easily lead to war between neighboring countries.Moreover, many species of animal, bird and plant may become extinct.Notes:- global : thuc v ton cu* global economy : kinh t ton cu* global temperature : nhit ton cu* globalization : ton cu ho- complex : phc tp

* a complex system, network : mt h thng, mng l-i phctp- thermal : thuc v nhit* thermal current : dng nhit* thermal insulation : s cch nhit* thermal power station : nh my nhit in- volcanic eruption : s phun tro ca ni la- surface : b mt* the surface of the earth : b mt tri t- to radiate : bc x- blanket : ci chn, lp bao ph

* a blanket of fog : lp sng m- to prevent sth from : ngn nga, bo v ci g khi...- to allow sb to do sth : cho php ai lm ci g- density : mt * population density : mt dn s- steady : u n* a steady increase : mt s gia tng u n- trend : xu hng,chiu hng* The trend of prices is still upwards.Chiu h-ng gi c cn gia tng.- figure : con s

- to accumulate : tch lu- to have an impact on sth : tc ng ln ci g- to be known as : -c bit n nh-* To Huu is known as great poet.T Hu -c bit n nh- mt nh th v i.- Greenhouse Effect : hiu ng nh knh- to be attractive : quyn r- harsh : khc nghit

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- drought : hn hn- grain belt : vnh ai la m- dust bowl : vng y bi, vng kh cn- hurricance : bo, gi ln- to spread : lan truyn

* Fear spread through the village.Ni s lan khp lng.- to be predicted : c d bo* as predicted : nh c d bo- sea level : mc nc bin- coastal area : vng duyn hi- cropland : vng t trng, vng t canh tc- neighbouring country : nc lng gingChapter 2: TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES

Lesson 22: TRANSLATING COMPUTER

For several years, language experts have used computers to help people change somedocumentsfrom one language to another. Now there is new interest in using computers to translatemoreinformation. Scientists once believed this could be done easily. They thought computerscouldchange words from one language to another . They thought computers could makesentencesfrom words by using the rules of the language. However, many words have more thanone

meaning. The English word bank can mean the land along a river, lake or ocean, or itcan meanan organization that keeps or lends money. Sentences also can have more than onemeaning. Thestatement I can fish can mean I am able to catch fish, or it can mean I work in a factoryputtingfish into cans. Computers are not able to understand differences in meaning. So scientistshavedeveloped a new method of computer translation to solve this problem. They developed asystemusing a special common language. The New York Times newspaper recently explained

thesystem. First, the computer translates information from one language into the commonlanguage.In the common language, each word has only one meaning. Then, the computer translatestheinformation into another language. Powerful computers are not the only machines beingused to

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translate languages. Now people can buy small devices they can hold in their hand.Thesedevices can translate thousands of English words into several languages. Experts saythere ismore pressure for international trade. And they say Americans are becoming more

concernedabout relations with other countries. The European Economic Community is pushinglanguagetranslation. It has said that by next year companies dealing with the European EconomicCommunity must translate information about products into the ten languages of membercountries. Some experts say it may be 25 years before a computer translates as well aspeoplecan. They say they do not believe any machine could translate special information suchasdiplomatic letters or legal document.Notes:

1. translating computer: my vi tnh dch2. language expert: chuyn gia v ngn ng3. information (n): thng tin4. to make sentence: t cu5. to solve: gii quyt, x l5. evice (n): thit b7. to be concerned: quan tm, lo ngi8. diplomatic letter: th- ngoi giao


MY VI TNH DCH

Trong nhiu nm, cc chuyn gia v ngn ng s dng cc my vitnh gip cho con ng-i chuyn i mt s ti liu t ngn ngny sang ngn ng khc. Hin nay, ng-i ta quan tm hn trongvic s dng cc my vi tnh dch thm thng tin. Cc nh khoahc tng tin rng cng vic ny c th -c thc hin mt cch ddng. H ngh rng cc my vi tnh c th chuyn i cc t tngn ng ny sang ngn ng khc v c th t nhng cu vi cct bng cch s dng lut ngn ng. Tuy nhin, nhiu t c hnmt ngha. T bank trong ting Anh c th ngha l mt khongt dc theo mt dng sng, h hay bin hoc ngha l mt t chcgi v cho m-n tin. Cu cng c th c hn mt ngha. Cu ni

I can fish c th ngha l ti c th bt c hoc ngha lti lm vic trong nh my ng c hp. My vi tnh khng thhiu -c s khc nhau v ngha. V th, cc nh khoa hc phttrin mt ph-ng php mi v dch vi tnh gii quyt vn ny. H pht trin mt h thng m s dng mt ngn ng chungcbit. T bo New York Times gn y gii thch h thngny nh- sau. Tr-c tin, my vi tnh dch thng tin t mt ngn

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ng sang ngn ng chung. Trong ngn ng chung, mi t ch c mtngha. Sau , my vi tnh dch thng tin sang ngn ng khc.Khng ch nhng my vi tnh a nng mi -c s dng dch mng-i ta cn c th mua nhng thit b nh cm tay. Nhng thitb ny c th dch hng ngn t ting Anh sang mt vi ngn ng.

Cc chuyn gia ni rng c nhiu l do ct ngha vic quan tmmi ny ca M trong vic dch ngn ng. H cho bit c thm mtp lc i vi nn kinh t ton cu v ng-i M ngy cng quantm n mi quan h vi cc quc gia khc. Cng ng kinh tChu u ang y mnh vic dch ngn ng. N ni rng nm ncccng ty m c quan h lm n vi Cng ng kinh t Chu u phidch thng tin v sn phm sang 10 ngn ng ca cc quc giathnh vin. Mt s chuyn gia cho rng cng mt khong 25 nm nath my vi tnh mi c th dch tt nh- con ng-i. H cng chobit h khng tin bt c my no c th dch -c nhng thng tin

c bit nh- th- ngoi giao hay ti liu php lut.

Lesson 23:American researchers say they have developed a medicine that has prevented strokes1in rats.They said the vaccine also prevented stroke-like effects of a brain condition calledepilepsy2.Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported the

results oftheir experiments in the publication Science.The researchers gave the vaccine to 100 laboratory rats. One month later, the researchersgave therats a nerve poison 3. The medicine protected 70% percent of rats from brain damage that wouldnormally result from the poison.

The researchers also gave the vaccine to the second group of rats. The scientists causedstroke inthe rats five months later. The vaccine reduced the resulting brain damage 70%

The researchers say the vaccine causes the bodys defense system to protect the brainfrom strokeand injury damage, just as it protects other parts of the body from disease. Vaccinesprotectagainst disease because they create proteins in the blood called antibodies4. These antibodies

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fight infections caused by bacteria and viruses. The experimental vaccine createsantibodies thatblock5a brain chemical involved in the destruction of the brain cells after strokes or injuries.

The Jefferson Medical College researchers are now planning to test the experimentalvaccine onpeople who are at risk of6suffering a stroke. If the vaccine proves safe and effective, it could beused in the future to protect older people against brain damage from strokes and evenAlzheimers disease.

The vaccine would work the same way other vaccines do now. Doctors would give it topeople

thought to be at risk for stroke or other brain diseases. The antibodies develop in theblood. Whena stroke or injury occurs, the antibodies cross into the brain where they are needed andpreventdamage. The antibodies cannot cross into the brain until a stroke or injury happens.

The researchers say much more research is needed before the vaccine could be used bymostpeople. But they say their work could be the start of a whole new way to treat braindiseases.Notes:

1. stroke (n): cn t qu2. epilepsy (n) : chng ng kinh3. poison (n): cht c4. antibody (n): khng th5. block (n): ngn cn6. to be at risk of: c kh nng, c nguy c


Cc nh nghin cu ngi M cho rng h va pht trin mt loithuc nga bnh t qu chut. H cho bit loi vaccine nycng c th nga cc nh h-ng ging nh cn t qu no gi l

chng ng kinh. Cc nh nghin cu ti Trng i hc Y KhoaJeferson Philadelphia, Pennylvania cng b kt qu thnghim ca h trn t bo Science (Khoa hc).

Cc nh nghin cu tim vaccine vo 100 con chut th nghim.Mt thng sau, h tim thuc c vo no ca chng. Thuc gipcho 70% s chut khi b tn th-ng no th-ng do hu qu cacht c gy ra.

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Cc nh nghin cu cng tim vaccine vo nhm chut th hai. Nmthng sau, cc nh khoa hc gy cn t qu nhng con chutny. Thuc lm gim i s tn ti no n 70%.

Theo cc nh nghin cu th vaccine lm cho h min nhim bov no khi cn t qu v tn th-ng, ging nh- n bo v cc bphn khc ca c th khi bnh tt. Vaccine nga -c bnh l dochng to ra mt dng Protin trong mu gi l khng th. Cckhng th ny chng li s nhim trng gy ra bi vi khun v virt. Vaccine th nghim to ra khng th ngn chn cc ho cht no lm hu hoi t bo thn kinh sau cc cn t qu hay tnth-ng.

Cc nh nghin cu thuc Tr-ng i hc Jefferson d nh tinhnh th nghim loi vaccine ny trn nhng ng-i c nguy c b

t qu. Nu vaccine t ra an ton v hu hiu th n c th -cs dng trong tng lai bo v ng-i gi khi b tn hi vno v cc cn t qu v ngay c bnh Alzheimer (bnh mt trnh).

Hin nay, loi vaccine ny cng hot ng nh- cc loi vaccinekhc. Bc s s tim cho nhng ai -c chn on c nguy c tqu v cc bnh khc v no. Cc cht khng th pht trin trongmu. Khi cn t qu hay chn th-ng xy ra, cc khng th i vono ni m cn chng ngn nga tn th-ng. Cc khng thkhng

i vo no tr phi cn t qu hay tn th-ng xy ra.48Cc nh nghin cu ni rng cn phI thc hin thm nhiu cucnghin cu v loi vaccine ny hn na tr-c khi em ra s dngrng ri. Nh-ng cng vic y c th l b-c u cho mt ph-ngphp hon ton mi m tr cc bnh v no.

Lesson 24:Trong lch s loi ng-i khoa hc -c xem nh- c s mnh giiphng con ng-i khi s ngu dt, s m tn, gim i ngho vtng tm hiu bit ca con ng-i v th gii.

T N. A ca ngi cc nh khoa hc ca thi i l cc nhtruyn b nh sng, nhng ng-i s xua tan bng m v m ra con-ng cho con ng-i chinh phc thin nhin. Trong thi k ,nhng pht minh khng t-ng nh- my bay, tu ngm v in thoi -c d bo tr-c.

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Nhng ai quan tm n ngnh cng ngh my tnh tin rng chngtaang tri qua mt cuc cch mng v my tnh. Ti sao cuc cchmng ny xy ra ? iu ny c mang li hu qu g cho x hi? tr li nhng cu hi ny, cn pha s l-c v lch s my tnh.

My tnh u tin -bn tnh , do ng-i Trung Quc pht minh cchy 5000 nm l tin thn ca my tnh hin i sau ny. Cho nth k th 17, Chu u ch-a c g c th snh bng bn tnh vtc cng nh- chnh xc trong tnh ton.

My tnh -c pht trin ng thi c, Anh v M tng thmtc cng nh- chnh xc trong tnh ton cn cho vic gii mthng ip ca k th.

Ngy nay , nhiu cng vic trong cc khu sn xut v dch v do

con ng-i m trch c th -c thc hin nhanh hn v t tn kmhn nh s tr gip ca cng ngh my tnh v cc thit b -cmy tnh kim sot.

Ng-i my ang dn thay th cng nh

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