On Forests and Wood

Throughout the whole history of mankind wood has been one of man’s most valuable natural resources. Being an easily available material wood has been used in a wide variety of applications.

Even in the rapidly changing world of today, wood and wood products continue to serve mankind in thousands of ways. Of all our natural resources wood is the only one which is capable of reproducing itself in a relatively short time period – a condition which makes wood one of our most valuable materials. All of those who deal with wood must have a good knowledge of this material and the ways in which it can serve the man.

If forests, trees and wood disappeared suddenly, life would change greatly. Having a great number of artificial materials at our disposal we still depend on forests and forest products. How would our houses be furnished without lumber and veneer? If there were no forests, millions of people would never enjoy a good rest in the shadow of trees. If wood suddenly disappeared, we should not receive newspapers, our most important source of political, cultural and scientific information.

But for the forests the economy would be changed considerably. The forests and forest industry provide jobs directly or indirectly to millions of people. Many of the products we produce today cannot be duplicated by any other material and those which can be duplicated often lack the best qualities of wood.

Why is wood such an important material? The answer lies in the structure and composition of wood. The cellular structure gives wood high strength and makes wood very adaptable for cutting and shaping.

There are hundreds of species among softwoods and hardwoods. The wood of different species possesses numerous valuable properties such as high durability, attractive colour and pleasant odour. With proper management and utilization our forests can provide us with wood for a very long period of time. Wood will

always hold an important position in the life of people of all the countries.

General understanding

Read the text attentively and answer the following questions:

1. Why has wood been used in a wide variety of applications?

2. What makes wood one of the most valuable materials?

3. Why is it necessary to know well this material?

4. What might happen if wood disappeared suddenly?

5. Why do we still depend on wood?

6. What do forests and forest industry provide to millions of people?

7. Can all wood products be duplicated by other materials?

8. What makes wood such an important material?

9. Is wood easily worked?

10. What properties does wood of different species posses?

Vocabulary

Exercise 1. Match the English words in A with their Russian equivalents in B.

Exercise 2. Find the English equivalents in the text to the following Russian.

легкодоступный; применение; путь (способ); сравнительно; условие; ценный; исчезать; значительно; целый ряд; искусственный; шпон; обеспечивать; прямо; косвенно; состав; прочность (2); использование.

Exercise 3. Choose the words from the text which have the similar meaning.

for the space of; accessible; usage; quickly; go on with serving; expertise; man-made; get; news; give; manufacture; grade; durability; supply; place.

Exercise 4. Fill in the blanks with the words from the box.

1. The transition zone from sapwood to heartwood contains living _______. 2. Strength ________ wood ________ and thickness of boards. 3. The most important property for timber in fencing is ________. 4. Furniture designs have re-flected fashion of every era and a _______ of old and new styles. 5. For gluing

________ we use resins containing minimum harmful agents. 6. Density is ________ related to the mechanical properties of wood. 7.The basis for safeguarding nature and wood lands in particular should be through good ________. 8. Fullsized ________ are often dried in a steam drier at the temperature to 320˚F and pressure to 35 psi. 9. ________ is the resultant of physical and chemical characteristics possessed by a tree. 10. Wood remains the nation’s most important renewable ________ for construction and furniture production.

Grammar

Exercise 1. Identify the type of the conditional sentences and translate them into Russian.

1. Wood burns well unless it is wet. 2. If the timber were dried carefully, it wouldn’t check and spit. 3. Had the conditions been unfavourable for wood-destroying fungi, the wood wouldn’t have decayed. 4. If dry wood is placed in a humid atmosphere, it absorbs water and swells. 5. The logs wouldn’t have been attacked by fungi and insects, if they had been taken from the woods and sawed into lumber at once. 6. But for the preservatives, the appearance of wood would be spoiled by different fungi. 7. Wood will serve for a long time, provided it is kept dry.

Exercise 2. Complete the conversation using the second conditional.

A: What (you / do) would you do if you (have) had a lot of money?

B: You mean, what (I / do)... if I (win)... the lottery or something?

A: Yes, how (you / spend)... it?

B: If I (win)... more than 10 000, I (save)... it.

A: But if you (not / win)... very much, say, if it (be)... only 1 000?

B: I (go)... on holiday or buy a music system. What (you / do)...?

A: I (not / waste)... money on a holiday.

I (buy)... the latest computer.

B: (you / give)... any of it to charity?

A: Yes, I... some of it.

Exercise 3. Fill in the correct form of the verb in the conditional sentences.

1. The trees would be attacked by many insects unless they (to protect) by bark. 2. If the temperature in the kiln had not been so high, the boards (to split). 3. There are special rules of drying lumber in piles. If these rules are followed, the attack of fungi and insects (to be) less probable. 4. If wood (to use) without preliminary drying, shrinkage would occur. 5. But for the sun, the trees (not grow). 6. If our sawn goods didn’t have such high quality, they (not be) in such a great demand abroad. 7. Providing no seeds (to fall) to the ground, not a single seedling would have appeared in spring. 8. Were they experienced loggers, they (to know) how to assess the quality of the logs.

Exercise 4. Finish the sentences.

1. If I have money, I shall buy...

2. If I had a library at home, I should collect...

3. Provided I went to London, I might see...

4. If I heard of his marriage, I should...

5. Provided the weather is bad, we shall...

6. If I were the Minister of Finance, I’d reduce...

7. If you had told me about your difficulties, I should have...

8. Unless I had taken a doctor’s advice, I could have...

Exercise 5. Study the interview given below and then try to answer the questions in the interview yourselves.

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