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Part 1 Text 1 Geology (4500)

1. Learn the words and word combinations before reading:

solid matter ['sOlId'mxtq] - твёрдое вещество

encompass - [in'kAmpqs] - охватывать

breakdown - ['breikdaun] - распад

constituent - [kqn'stitjuqnt] - составная часть, компонент

to be in excess of– быть больше чем…

aqueous - ['eikwiqs] - водный, водяной

vapour - ['veipq] - пар, испарения

tripoli ['trIpqlI] – трепел

suffuse [sq'fjHz] –наполнять, заполнять

gemstone – полудрагоценный, фианит

nitrogen - ['naitrqdZqn] - азот

exogenous processes – экзогенные процессы - рельефообразующие процессы, происходящие на поверхности

trough - [trOf] - синклиналь, впадина

diverse transformations -[dai'vWs] - различные трансформации

2. Mind the the prononciation of the following words:

Geology - [dZi'OlqdZi]; Geologist - [dZi'OlqdZist]; Geological -[dZiq'lOdZikql];

Earth - [WT]; biosphere ['baIq"sfIq] ; lithosphere ['lITq"sfIq]; hydrosphere ['haIdrq"sfIq]; atmosphere ['xtmqs"fIq].

3. Read and translate the text:

Geology (from Greek: geo, "earth"; and λόγος, logos, "speech" lit. to talk about the earth) is the science and study of the solid matter that constitutes the Earth. Encompassing such things as rocks, soil, and gemstones, geology studies the composition, structure, physical properties, history, and the processes that shape Earth's components. It is one of the Earth sciences. The age of the Earth, determined on the basis of the known rate of breakdown of radioactive elements entering the crust, is calculated to be in excess of 4,000 Ma^*. Geologists help to locate and manage the Earth's natural resources, such as petroleum and coal, as well as metalssuch asiron, copper, and uranium. Additional economic interests include gemstones and many minerals such as asbestos, perlite, mica, phosphates,zeolites,clay, pumice, quartz, and silica, as well as elements such assulfur, chlorine, and helium.

The atmosphere (from the Greek atmo- air and sphaere - sphere) is the layer of the air which envelops the earth. Essentially it consists of nitrogen and oxygen with a small quantity of water vapours, carbon dioxide and certain rare noble gases, notably argon.

The hydrosphere (Greek – hydro-water) is the aqueous shell which includes all the natural waters – the waters of oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, which cover more than 70 of the earth’s surface, and also the underground waters, suffusing the rocks of the earth.

The lithosphere (Greek – lithos- stone) is the outer solid shell of the earth. That’s the very thing interesting for geologists.

The lithosphere comprises several shells. The outer cover (shell) of the Earth, known as the Earth's crust, is the shell on which we live and the one accessible for our investigation. We obtain most of information concerning the Earth from our studies of the composition and structure of the Earth's crust. Throughout this vast span of time the Earth's crust has been undergoing continual changes.

Forces within the Earth, the so-called endogenous (internal) forces, have caused parts of the crust to be uplifted or lowered as well as folded and buckled into high mountains and deep troughs. Always, the exogenous (external) forces of the Earth such as the wind, water, and extreme variances of temperature have been at work wearing away all land areas above the sea. While high mountains in one region were being worn away to flat plains, the lowlands in other areas were being elevated into highlands. Thus, portions of the Earth's crust have repeatedly been raised to great heights and then worn away.

The lithosphere is composed of rocks, such as granite, basalt, sandstone, limestone. Rocks are complex natural bodies, composed of chemically and physically simpler bodies called minerals. Examples of minerals are quartz, feldspar and mica which form granite or calcite which is a basic constituent of such rocks as limestone and marble. Minerals in turn are a combination of separate chemical elements. Minerals are “natural bodies”, individualized physically or chemically, arising in the earth’s crust as a result of physico- chemical processes, without any particular interference into these processes by man.

The biosphere (Greek bios- life) is the envelope of the earth which is the site of organic life. This sphere of life as it were^*, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and upper part of lithosphere is a material factor in the diverse transformations and changes occurring in the parts of the earth near the surface. Living organisms destroy and alter rocks and minerals that had formed earlier, which gives rise to^* new compounds and new minerals; furthermore, they themselves furnish^* the material for the accumulation of organic rocks, such as limestones, tripoli, chalk, coal, etc.

Notes:

* Ma – mega anna (lat.) – 10⁶ years, i.e. one million years

* as it were – так сказать

* to give rise to – вызывать, давать повод

* furnish – снабжать, предоставлять

4. Revise the grammatical value of the underlined words. (Clue: they are participles), name their functions in the sentence.

5. After reading the text answer the following questions:

1. What is geology as a science? 2. How many shells does the Earth have? What are they? 3. What does the atmosphere consist of? 4. What is hydrosphere? What waters does it include? 5. What is the outer solid shell of the Earth? What is it composed of? 6. What parts of the Earth does the biosphere occupy?

6. Shortly describe each shelf enveloping the Earth.