Reading

Task 4. Read and translate the text. Find in the box the synonyms to the italicized words from the text.

contemporary, leading-edge, synthetic, craftsman, nowadays, humanity, inquire, choice, material, isolated, progress

Chemical industry

Chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials (oil, coal, natural gas, salt, water, metals, minerals) into more than 70,000 different products.

Technological advances in chemical industry dramatically altered the world's economy. Chemical processes created pesticides and fertilizers for farmers, pharmaceuticals for health care industry, synthetic dies and fibres for textile industry, soaps and beauty aids for cosmetics industry, synthetic sweeteners and flavours for food industry, plastics for packaging industry, artificial rubber for automobile industry.

World chemical industries are growing at a considerable rate at present. But if we refer back to the origin of chemical industry we will be astonished by the fact that the use of chemicals and chemical processes started in 7000 B.C. In those early days of civilization, some artisans from Middle East refined alkali and limestone for producing glass. Later black powder which was nothing but chemical explosive was invented in China.

Although chemicals were made and used throughout history, the birth of heavy chemical industry (production of chemicals in large quantities for a variety of uses) coincided with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in general. The late 19^th century saw an explosion in both the quantity of production and the variety of chemicals that were manufactured.

The last half of 19^th century experienced tremendous advancement in the field of organic chemistry which gave the World chemical industries massive boost.

In 1850, synthetic dyes were produced. Then came two revolutionary chemical products. The first one was rayon which was made from wood fibre. Rayon is the oldest manufactured fibre, having been in production since the 1880s in France, where it was originally developed as a cheap alternative to silk. Rayon is one of the most peculiar fabrics in commercial use today. It is used in a variety of textile applications.

The second one was synthetic fertilizer which invention led to Green Revolution in agriculture resulting in drastic improvement in agricultural crop yield.

One of the first chemicals to be produced in large amounts through industrial process was sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is a central substance in chemical industry. Principal uses include mineral processing, fertilizer manufacturing, oil refining, wastewater processing, and chemical synthesis. In 1890, production of sulphuric acid, caustic soda and chlorine started at a mass level.

Petroleum industry is usually thought of as separate from chemical industry, for in the 19^th century crude oil was merely subjected to a simple distillation treatment. Modern petroleum industrial processes bring about chemical changes, and some of the products of a modern refinery complex are chemicals by any definition.

In this way world chemical industries developed over the years and continued to contribute immensely to mankind.

Task 5. Answer the following questions to the text.

1. What is chemical industry?

2. What altered the world's economy?

3. What branches of industry are dependent on chemical processes?

4. Why is it said that the use of chemicals and chemical processes started in the early days of civilization?

5. When did heavy chemical industry begin to develop?

6. When did the advancement in the field of organic chemistry begin?

7. Why is rayon considered to be one of the most peculiar fabrics in commercial use?

8. Why is synthetic fertilizer said to be an important invention in chemical industry?

9. What are the main uses of sulphuric acid?

10. Why is petroleum industry usually thought of as separate from chemical industry?

Task 6. Decide which of the following statements are true (T) or false (F). If the statement is false, explain why.

1.	In chemical industry raw materials are converted into more than 70,000 different products.
2.	The world's economy was altered by technological advances in chemical industry.
3.	In the early days of civilization oil and limestone was refined for producing glass by some artisans from Middle East.
4.	Production of chemicals for a variety of uses was in phase with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.
5.	The last half of 19th century met with enormous advancement in the field of inorganic chemistry.
6.	Rayon was initially developed as a cheap alternative to silk.
7.	Synthetic fertilizer was used in a diversity of textile applications.
8.	One of the principal uses of sulphuric acid is oil refining.
9.	Chemical industry is commonly considered as separate from petroleum industry.
10.	In the 19th century crude oil was undergone to a simple distillation treatment.

Task7. Match the columns to make the phrases and translate them into Ukrainian.

1) distillation	a) economy	1)
2) mineral	b) revolution	2)
3) wood	c) industry	3)
4) commercial	d) coil	4)
5) sulphuric	e) treatment	5)
6) world	f) fibre	6)
7) industrial	g) use	7)
8) petroleum	h) acid	8)
9) crude	i) rubber	9)
10) artificial	j) processing	10)

Task 8. Put the following statements in the correct order according to the text.

1. ____The late 19^th century saw an explosion in both the quantity of production and the variety of chemicals that were manufactured.

2. ____One of the first chemicals to be produced in large amounts through industrial process was sulphuric acid.

3. ____World chemical industries are growing at a considerable rate at present.

4. ____Chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals.

5. ____Modern petroleum industrial processes bring about chemical changes.

6. ____We will be astonished by the fact that the use of chemicals and chemical processes started in 7000 B.C.

7. ____Rayon is the oldest manufactured fibre which was originally developed as a cheap alternative to silk.

8. ____The birth of heavy chemical industry coincided with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in general.