OUR FRIEND – THE ATOM

The atom has taught a host of peaceful trades¹. The power derived from atomic reactions has been applied to all fields of man’s civil activity. The application of atomic power to the generation of electricity is becoming increasingly broader. This is the only known resource capable of meeting mankind’s growing requirements² in electric power, natural fuels like coal, gas and oil being drained with appalling rapidity.

The first atomic power plant was put into operation in Obninsk near Moscow in 1954. Several dozens of similar power plants are now operating in the world, atomic power generation making impressive progress.

Chemistry is also taking advantage of diversified potentialities of atomic power. The chemical industry is making much use of isotope instruments to supervise a number of chemical processes which formerly had been difficult to check properly.

Metallurgists use atomic instruments to supervise the operation and the state of some processes in blast-furnaces. Isotope instruments measure the thickness of hot rolled sheet metals, ³ detect faults in metal and do many other jobs. The atom has greatly increased the efficiency of geologists, it has accelerated the testing of minerals and the study of the earth’s surface structure. At present geologists use nuclear instruments as routine equipment in prospecting.

It is to a nuclear instrument that we owe⁴ our knowledge of the composition of the moon’s surface. Nuclear-physical instruments warn space pilots against the hazards of cosmic rays. Flights to distant planets are hardly possible without using atomic power as a means of propulsion⁵ and as a power source for the space vehicle. Direct transformation of atomic power into electricity is a very promising field for outer space energy generation.

Notes on the Text

¹ a host of peaceful trades – велика кількість мирних спеціальностей.

² capable of meeting mankind’s growing requirements – здатний задовольнити зростаючи потреби людей.

³ hot rolled sheet metal – лист прокатного металу в розжарюваному стані.

⁴ It is to a nuclear instrument that we owe – Завдяки ядерному інструменту ми зобов’язані.

⁵ as a means of propulsion – в якості рухомої сили.

Завдання 1. Дайте відповіді на запитання.

1. What has the atom been taught?

2. When and where was the first atomic power plant put into operation?

3. What purpose do metallurgists use atomic instruments for?

4. Where do geologists use nuclear instruments?

5. What is a very promising field for outer space energy generation?

Завдання 2. Доповніть речення згідно зі змістом тексту.

1. Several dozens of atomic power plants are _______.

2. Geologists use nuclear instruments as _____.

3. Nuclear-physical instruments warn space pilots against _____.

4. The atom has been taught _____.

5. The application of atomic power to the generation of electricity _____.

Завдання 3. Знайдіть синоніми/антоніми до наступних слів у тексті.

А. синоніми

1. mistake

2. complex

3. work

4. tools

5. to control

В. антоніми

1. hostile

2. regress

3. artificial

4. cold

5. to decrease

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