Nunavut ('nʊnəvʊt)
Текст 8
The Amazon River, stretching 6,400 kilometers through Brazil (brə’zɪl), Peru, and Colombia (kə’lʌmbiə), sustains the world’s largest tropical rainforest. Its biodiversity (baɪoʊdaɪ’vɜ: rsəti) is unparalleled: one hectare houses over 400 tree species, 1,300 butterfly species, and 3,000 fish species, including the piranha (pɪ’rɑ: nə).
Deforestation for soy plantations and cattle ranching has reduced the rainforest by 20% since 2000. Illegal logging in Pará (pɑ:’rɑ:) and Rondônia (ron’doʊniə) releases 500 million tons of CO₂ annually. Indigenous tribes like the Yanomami (jɑ: nə’mɑ: mi) resist invaders, but face violence from land grabbers.
Hydropower dams, such as Belo Monte ('bɛloʊ 'mɒnteɪ), disrupt fish migration and sediment flow, threatening aquatic life. Dr. Ana Silva, an ecologist, warns: «The Amazon is nearing a tipping point – if 25% is destroyed, it could transform into a savanna.» Global initiatives like REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) fund conservation, but corruption hampers progress.
Ключевые ловушки:
Biodiversity (baɪoʊdaɪ’vɜ: rsəti)
Piranha (pɪ'rɑ:nə)
Hydropower (’haɪdrəʊpaʊər)
Sediment ('sɛdɪmənt)
Savanna (sə'vænə)
Текст 9
In Japan (dʒə'pæn), where aging farmers outnumber the youth, agribots ('æɡrɪbɒts) are revolutionizing agriculture. These AI-powered robots plant rice, pick strawberries, and even prune grapevines with millimeter precision. The Tomato Harvesting Robot in Shizuoka (ʃi:zu:'oʊkɑ:) uses computer vision to detect ripeness, reducing labor costs by 70%.
Vertical farms in Singapore grow leafy greens under LED lights, using 95% less water than traditional methods. However, critics highlight energy consumption and e-waste from discarded robots. Dr. Kenji Nakamura, a roboticist, argues: «Agribots can’t replace traditional knowledge. A machine can’t sense soil health like a seasoned farmer.»
In California, autonomous tractors map fields via GPS, optimizing fertilizer use. Yet, rural communities fear job losses. «We need upskilling programs, not just machines,» says Maria Gomez, a farmworkers’ union leader.
Ключевые ловушки:
Agribots ('æɡrɪbɒts)
Computer vision (kəm'pju:tər 'vɪʒən)
Fertilizer ('fɜ:rtəlaɪzər)
Upskilling (ʌp'skɪlɪŋ)
Autonomous (ɔ:'tɒnəməs)
Текст 10
The Māori ('maʊri), Indigenous people of New Zealand, are revitalizing their language and traditions after centuries of colonial suppression. Haka ('hɑ:kə), a ceremonial dance popularized by the All Blacks rugby team, is now taught in schools to preserve cultural identity.
Landmark treaties, like the Waitangi Tribunal (waɪ'tæŋi traɪ'bju:nəl), have returned sacred lands such as Mount Taranaki (tɑ:rɑ:'nɑ:ki) to Māori control. Eco-tourism projects led by iwi ('i:wi: tribes) showcase traditional weavingand wood carving, attracting global visitors.
Challenges persist: Māori youth face higher unemployment and health disparities. Dr. Rangi Matamua, an astrophysicist, blends ancestral astronomy with modern science: «Our ancestors navigated by stars like Matariki (mɑ:tɑ:'ri:ki). This knowledge isn’t outdated – it’s timeless.»
Ключевые ловушки:
Māori ('maʊri)
Haka ('hɑ:kə)
Waitangi (waɪ'tæŋi)
Iwi ('i:wi:)
Matariki (mɑ:tɑ:'ri:ki)
Текст 11
The history of space exploration is marked by milestones like Sputnik 1 (1957), the Apollo 11 mission (1969), and the ISS (International Space Station) launch in 1998. By 2025, private companies like SpaceX have reduced launch costs by 90%, enabling missions like Artemis III (2026), which aims to land humans on the Moon for the first time since 1972.
China’s Chang’e-6 (2024) collected 44 pounds of lunar soil, while NASA’s Perseverance rover (2021) found organic molecules on Mars. The James Webb Space Telescope (2021), costing $10 billion, captured images of galaxies 13.5 billion years old. Critics argue that $500 billion spent on space could solve Earth’s poverty, but proponents cite spin-off technologies like GPS and fire-resistant materials.
Ключевые ловушки:
Sputnik ('spʊtnɪk)
ISS (aɪ ɛs «ɛs)
Organic (ɔ:'ɡænɪk)
Текст 12
The Spanish Flu (1918—1920) killed 50 million people, while HIV/AIDS (first identified in 1981) has claimed 36 million lives. The COVID-19 pandemic (2019—2023) led to 6.9 million deaths and accelerated mRNA vaccine development. By 2025, 75% of countries have universal health coverage, up from 40% in 2015.
However, antibiotic resistance kills 1.27 million annually, projected to rise to 10 million by 2050. The WHO (World Health Organization) aims to vaccinate 90% of children against measles by 2030, but vaccine hesitancy persists. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director, warns: «We’re not ready for the next zoonotic spillover – 75% of new diseases come from animals.»
Ключевые ловушки:
Antibiotic (æntɪ'baɪɒtɪk)
Zoonotic (zu:'nɒtɪk)
Measles ('mi:zəlz)
Hesitancy ('hɛsɪtənsi)
Текст 13
Renewable energy now accounts for 37% of global electricity, up from 27% in 2015. Solar power costs dropped by 89% since 2010, while wind turbines generate 15% of Europe’s energy. Tesla’s Gigafactory in Nevada (2016) produces 1 million batteries annually.
Yet, fossil fuels still dominate: coal provides 30% of energy, with China burning 50% of the world’s coal. The Paris Agreement (2015) aims to limit warming to 1.5° C, requiring $4 trillion in annual green investments. EV sales reached 14 million in 2024, but lithium mining in Chile ('tʃɪli) causes water scarcity.
Ключевые ловушки:
Renewable (rɪ'nju:əbl)
Fossil ('fɒsəl)
Lithium ('lɪθiəm)
Scarcity ('skɛəsəti)
Текст 14
The Amazon River discharges 209,000 cubic meters of water per second – more than the next 7 largest rivers combined. It supports 40% of the world’s rainforests and 3,000 fish species, including the electric eel. However, deforestation has reduced its flow by 15% since 2000, and gold mining in Peru (pə'ru:) contaminates water with mercury ('mɜ:rkjʊri).
The Nile, stretching 6,650 km, provides water for 11 countries and 250 million people. The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (2011) aims to generate 6,450 MW of electricity but threatens Egypt’s water supply. Meanwhile, the Yangtze ('jæŋtsi:) in China hosts the Three Gorges Dam (2003), the world’s largest power station, producing 22,500 MW – enough for 60 million homes.
Ключевые ловушки:
Mercury ('mɜ:rkjʊri)
Nile (naɪl)
Yangtze ('jæŋtsi:)
Deforestation (di: fɒr’steɪʃən)
Текст 15
Antarctica holds 90% of Earth’s ice and 70% of its freshwater. If melted, global sea levels would rise by 58 meters. The Arctic, warming 3 times faster than the rest of the planet, has lost 13% of its sea ice per decade since 1980.
In 2023, Russia extracted 45 million tons of oil from the Arctic shelf, while Norway discovered 4.2 billion barrels of oil in the Barents Sea ('bærənts si:). These activities threaten polar bears ('poʊlər bɛərz), whose population dropped by 30% since 1980. The Antarctic Treaty (1959) bans military activity and mining, but China and India plan research stations to study krill (krɪl) populations critical to the marine food chain.
