Traslation 5

Chapter 1: ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES
Lesson 1: VËt liÖu míi -Mét c«ng nghÖ mòi nhän
Khoa häc vµ c«ng nghÖ vËt liÖu trªn thÕ giíi ngµy nay ph¸t triÓn
rÊt nhanh vµ m¹nh, liªn tiÕp tung ra thÞ trêng hµng lo¹t vËt
liÖu míi víi tÝnh n¨ng u viÖt cha tõng thÊy, t¸c ®éng ngay ®Õn
thay ®æi diÖn m¹o vµ t¨ng hiÖu qu¶ kinh tÕ cïng søc c¹nh tranh,
nhÊt lµ trªn çc lÜnh vùc x©y dùng kÕt cÊu h¹ tÇng, c«ng nghiÖp…
VËt liÖu lu«n lµ mét trong nh÷ng s¶n phÈm chñ chèt quyÕt ®Þnh søc
m¹nh kinh tÕ, quèc phßng, an ninh cña mçi quèc gia.
C«ng nghÖ vËt liÖu míi ë níc ta hiÖn nay lµ mét trong nh÷ng khu
vùc c«ng nghÖ ®îc coi lµ mòi nhän, cã vai trß gãp phÇn t¹o ra
bíc n©ng cao râ rÖt vµ hiÖu qu¶ vµ søc c¹nh tranh cña nÒn kinh
tÕ còng nh t¨ng cêng søc m¹nh an ninh, quèc phßng. Ngµnh khoa
häc vµ c«ng nghÖ vËt liÖu níc ta cã thÞ trêng réng lín ®Ó ®a
nhanh çc s¸ng chÕ míi, s¶n phÈm míi cña m×nh vµo thùc tiÔn s¶n
xuÊt vµ xuÊt khÈu.
Víi ®éi ngò çn bé khoa häc, kü thuËt ngµy cµng trëng thµnh,
Ph¬ng tiÖn nghiªn cøu, thö nghiÖm ®îc Nhµ níc ®Çu t trang bÞ
tõng bíc hiÖn ®¹i, chóng ta ®· nghiªn cøu, chÕ t¹o thµnh c«ng
nhiÒu lo¹i vËt liÖu míi ®îc çc ngµnh kinh tÕ, an ninh, quèc
phßng ®ãn nhËn, gãp phÇn t¨ng søc c¹nh tranh cña hµng ho¸ ViÖt
Nam. Mét sè vËt liÖu míi ®îc xuÊt khÈu.
Tµi nguyªn níc ta dåi dµo, ®a d¹ng, ®éc ®¸o, t¹o ra thÕ m¹nh cho
c«ng nghÖ vËt liÖu míi, lµm ra s¶n phÈm míi chÊt lîng cao, gi¸
thµnh h¹, cung cÊp cho ngµnh then chèt cña kinh tÕ quèc d©n nh
n¨ng lù¬ng, x©y dùng kÕt cÊu h¹ tÇng, çc c«ng nghiÖp ®iÖn tö, c¬
khÝ, vËt liÖu d©n dông vµ xuÊt khÈu hiÖu qu¶ kinh tÕ cao.
Kh¾c phôc nhanh t×nh tr¹ng cßn l¹c hËu, ph©n t¸n, thiÕu ®ång bé
cña hÖ thèng c¬ së nghiªn cøu khoa häc vµ céng nghÖ vËt liÖu.
Giíi khoa häc b¸m s¸t thùc tiÔn s¶n xuÊt ®Ó b¾t nh¹y nhu cÇu thÞ
Trêng vµ çc nhµ s¶n xuÊt gâ cöa c¬ quan khoa häc ®Ó ®Æt hµng.
Nhµ níc cã c¬ chÕ, chÝnh s¸ch thÝch hîp ®æi míi thiÕt bÞ nghiªn
cøu, n©ng cao ®éi ngò khoa häc vËt liÖu, còng nh chÝnh s¸ch cÇn
thiÕt ®Ó rót ng¾n thêi gian tõ ph¸t minh, s¸ng chÕ ®Õn s¶n xuÊt
trùc tiÕp. TriÓn väng khoa häc vµ c«ng nghÖ vËt liÖu míi níc ta
rÊt s¸ng sña.
Notes:
- c«ng nghÖ vËt liÖu : material technology
- tung ra thÞ trêng : bring into the market
- tÝnh n¨ng u viÖt : perfect feature
- diÖn m¹o : face
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- hiÖu qu¶ kinh tÕ : economic effect/ efficiency
- kÕt cÊu h¹ tÇng : infrastructure
- mòi nhän : key factor
- cã vai trß : play an important role
- søc c¹nh tranh : competition
- ®éc ®¸o : unique
- c«ng nghiÖp ®iÖn tö : electronic industry
- b¸m s¸t thùc tiÔn : have a hold of reality
- Kh¾c phôc : overcome
Suggested Translation :
NEW MATERIALS -A KEY TECHNOLOGY
Nowadays, material technology and science in the world have strongly and rapidly
developed,bringing into the market a variety of new materials with perfect features that
have immediate effects on changing the countenance and promoting the economic
effectiveness as well as competition especially in the infrastructure building, industry and
so on. Materials are always one of the major products, which decide the power of
economy, national defense, security of each country.Now, new material technology in
our country is one of the fields, which is considered essential and makes contributions to
the remarkable enhancement of effectiveness and the competing ability of the economy to
the reinforcement of security and national defense. Material technology and science
sector in our country has a large market to apply new inventions, new products into
production and export.With a staff of science and technology which is more and more
developing, researching and testing facilities which are more and more modernly
equipped, we have studied and successfully made a variety of new materials used in
economic sector, security, national defense, partly increasing the competing ability of
Vietnamese goods. Some of our new materials have been exported. Out resources are
abundant, diversified our unique, which facilitates our material technology to
manufacture new products with high quality, low price, providing for the essential
sectors of the national economy such as power, infrastructure building, electronic
industry, mechanics, high economical domestic and export materials. To overcome the
state of backwardness, divergence, lack unification of the basic system of research and
material technology and science, the circle of science have hold of production reality to
catch of with the market demand and manufactures have knocked on the door of
scientific organizations to order. The State has had suitable mechanisms and policies,
renewed he research equipment and improved the quality of the staff as well as the
necessary policy to shorten the time from invention to direst production. The prospect of
our new material technology and science of our country is very bright.
Lesson 2:
1. Chemicals enter our food in various ways and for various reasons. Farmers use
herbicides to kill weeds, pesticides to kill insects, fungicides to kill mold and fertilizers to
promote growth. All of them are very harmful to health and also to the environment.After
harvesting, most crops are subjected to further "post-harvest" chemical treatment in order
to protect them from fungus.Japanese rice, for example, is sprayed with methyl bromide,
which can cause mental disorders and speech impediments. Fresh fruits and vegetables
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are sprayed with sulfites, to which many people are allergic. Bananas, mangoes and other
tropical fruit are sprayed with even more
poisonous chemicals.
Notes
- Reason : lý do
-for various reasons : v× nhiÒu lý do
- Herbicide : thuèc diÖt cá
- Fungicide : thuèc diÖt nÊm mèc
- Fertilizer : ph©n bãn
- To be harmful to : cã h¹i
- To be subjected to : chÞu ph¶i
- Post-harvest treatment : xö lý sau thu ho¹ch
- Fungus : nÊm mèc
- To spray : phun
- Mental disorder : rèi lo¹n thµn kinh
- Speech impediment : rèi lo¹n ng«n ng÷
- To be allergic : bÞ dÞ øng
2. Although fertility rates in poor countries have declined in recent years, the UN has
estimated that the world‟s population should stabilize at approximately 10.2 billion
people by the year 2100, when the number dying will match the number being born. This
figure is two and a quarter times the present world population. A long-held and popular
belief is that population growth in poor countries is the major cause of poverty. The
“population explosion”, it is argued, is wiping out any economic development which the
poor countries may achieve. The remedy to poverty is seen, therefore, to be increased
birth control. This view has come under severe criticism by poor countries and their
supporters in wealthy nations. They argue that large families and rapid population growth
are consequences of poverty rather than its cause. Many of the poor consider a large
family to be essential for survival in poor countries. In a society lacking social welfare
payments, children are seen as a source of security in old age and when illness or
unemployment strike. Children are also regarded as a means of bringing in additional
income at an early age. In addition, because child mortality rates are high, a large family
is considered necessary to ensure that at least one son survives to adulthood. Another
argument is that employment opportunities and adequate social security schemes are the
key to falling birth rates.
Notes:
- Fertility rate: tỷ lệ sinh đẻ
- To decline: giảm xuống
- To estimate: ước tính
- It is estimated that…..: Người ta ước tính rằng……
- To stabilize: làm ổn định 6
- It is important to stabilize our population growth rates.
- To match: sánh bằng
- Worldly pleasures cannot match those joys.
Những thú vui trần tục không thể sánh bằng những niềm vui này.
- Belief : niềm tin
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to have belief in something: tin tưởng cái gì
freedom of belief: tự do tính ngưỡng
The patient comes to the hospital in the belief that he will be cured of his chronic
disease. Bệnh
nhân đến bệnh viện với niềm tin là mình sẽ được chữa khỏi căn bệnh mãn tính
- poverty: sự nghèo khổ
- Hunger eradication and poverty alleviation: xóa đói giảm nghèo
- population explosion/boom: bùng nổ dân số
- To wipe out: xoá sạch
- To achieve: đạt được
- Economic development: Sự phát triển kinh tế
- Consequence: hậu quả
- Social welfare payment: trợ cấp phúc lợi xã hội
- To be regarded as : được xem là
- additional income : khoản thu nhập thêm
- adequate: đủ
3. The natural world is under violent assault. The seas and the rivers are being poisoned
by radioactive wastes, by chemical discharges and by the dumping of dangerous toxins
and raw sewage. The air we breathe is polluted by smoke and fumes from factories and
motor vehicles. It is little wonder forests and lakes are being destroyed and everywhere
wildlife is disappearing. The irreversible loss of biodiversity has a serious impact on the
ability of maintaining species including humans to survive because humans depend on
species diversity and healthy ecosystems. The destruction continues despite the warnings
of the scientific community and the deep concern of millions of ordinary people.
Governments and industries throughout the world are intensifying their efforts to extract
the earth's mineral riches and to plunder its living resources. The great rain forests and the
frozen continents alike are seriously threatened. However, we can create
environmentally-clean industries, harness the power of the sun, wind and waves for our
energy needs and manage the finite resources of the earth.
1. Hoá chất xâm nhập thực phẩm của chúng ta bằng nhiều cách và vì nhiều lý do khác
nhau. Nông dân sử dụng thuốc diệt cỏ để diệt cỏ dại, thuốc trừ sâu để diệt sâu bọ, và
thuốc fiệt nấm để diệt nấm mốc và phân bón để tăng sự phát triển. Tất cả các loại hoá
chất này rất độc hại với sức khoẻ và môi trường của chúng ta. Sau khi thu hoạch, phần
lớn nông sản phải được xử lý hoá chất sau thu hoạch, Chẳng hạn như lúa gạo ở Nhật Bản
được người ta phun thuốc methyl bromide. Loại thuốc này có thể gây ra rối loạn thần
kinh và rối loạn ngôn ngữ. Trái cây và rau tươi được phun thuốc sulfite. Loại thuốc gây
dị ứng cho nhiều người. Chuối, xoài và các loại trái cây nhiệt đới khác được phun những
loại hoá chất thậm chí độc hại hơn.
2. Trong những năm gần đây, mặc dù tỷ lệ sinh đẻ ở các nước nghèo có giảm xuống,
nhưng Liên Hiệp Quốc ước tính rằng đến năm 2100 tỷ lệ sinh tử sẽ bằng nhau và lúc đó
dân số thế giới sẽ ổn định ở mức xấp xỉ 10,2 tỉ người, tăng 2,25 lần so với dân số thế giới
hiện nay. Lâu nay nhiều 7 người cho rằng phát triển dân số ở các nước nghèo là nguyên
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nhân chính gây ra nạn đói nghèo.Sự bùng nổ dân số đang huỷ hoại mọi thành quả kinh tế
mà các nước này đã đạt được. Do vậy,cần phải đẩy mạnh công tác sinh đẻ có kế hoạch để
thoát khỏi cảnh đói nghèo. Tuy nhiên, quan điểm này bị các nước nghèo và một số người
ở các nước giàu phê phán gay gắt. Họ cho rằng gia đình đông con và dân số tăng nhanh là
hậu quả hơn là nguyên nhân của sự đói nghèo. Nhiều người nghèo xem gia đình đông con
là cần thiết cho sự sống còn của các nước nghèo. Con cái là cơ sở đảm bảo cho tuổi già
cũng như lúc ốm đau hay bị thất nghiệp ở những nước không có trợ cấp phúc lợi xã hội.
Con cái cũng là nguồn nhân lực góp phần vào việc tăng thu nhập cho gia đình ngay lúc
chúng còn nhỏ. Hơn nữa, do tỷ lệ trẻ em tử vong cao nên gia đình đông con thật sự
cần thiết để đảm bảo chắc chắn ít nhất có một đứa con trai sống sót cho đến tuổi trưởng
thành. Một quan điểm khác cho rằng cơ hội tìm được việc làm và đảm bảo bảo phúc lợi
xã hội thực sự đáng được xem là giải pháp cơ bản hạn chế sinh đẻ hữu hiệu nhất.
3. Thế giới tự nhiên đang bị tấn công dữ dội. Biển và sông đang bị ô nhiễm nặng do chất
thải hạt nhân, chất thải hóa học và rác thải độc hại chưa xử lý. Không khí chúng ta thở
cũng bị ô nhiễm do khói và khí thải của nhà máy và xe cộ. Cũng chẳng phải ngạc nhiên
khi rừng và hồ cũng đang bị tàn phá và cuộc sống hoang dã khắp mọi nơi đang biến mất.
Việc biến mất mà không cứu vẫn nổi của đa dạng sinh học đã tác động rất lớn đến khả
năng duy trì sự sống còn của các loài bao gồm cả con người vì con người phụ thuộc vào
đa loài và môi trường sinh thái lành mạnh. Cho dù giới khoa học cảnh báo và hàng triệu
người dân thường bày tỏ mối quan tâm sâu sắc nhưng sự tàn phá vẫn cứ tiếp diễn. Các
chính phủ và ngành công nghiệp trên khắp thế giới đang nổ lực khai thác nguồn khoáng
sản phong phú và nguồn sinh vật dồi dào. Rừng rậm nhiệt đới cũng như các lục địa đóng
băng đang bị đe doạ nghiêm trọng. Tuy nhiên chúng ta cũng có thể xây dựng nền công
nghiệp thân thiện với môi trường, khai thác năng lượng từ mặt trời, gió và sóng biển để
phục vụ cho nhu cầu năng lượng của chúng ta và quản lý nguồn năng lượng hạn hữu
trên trái đất này.
Lesson 3:
Population growth is one factor in rainforest destruction. However, it is a myth to assume
that the expansion of subsistence agriculture to feed more mouths is the main factor. The
majority of deforestation in Latin America, South-East Asia and the Pacific is caused by
clearing land to grow cash crops for export and by commercial logging operations, and
not by „shifting‟ cultivators or landless peasants. Each year commercial logging
eliminates 45000 square kilometers of forest, much of the timber being exported to the
United States and Japan. No clearer connection between deforestation and the demands
of affluent societies can be found than in Central America and Brazil, where tropical
forest has been converted to grazing land because cattle raising offers export earnings
that help with external debt payments. These heavy payments, which affect the poor the
most, have arisen largely from external loans taken out to finance the purchase of luxury
items and arms by military and governing elite. The establishment of large ranch-style
cattle grazing properties is the principal reason for the elimination of 20000 square
kilometers of rainforest each year in Central or South America. The cleared land is
mainly devoted to the export of beef for the fast-food industries in North America,
Europe and Japan- the aptly named „hamburger connection‟.
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Sù gia t¨ng d©n sè lµ mét nh©n tè g©y ra n¹n ph¸ rõng nhiÖt ®íi.
Tuy nhiªn, nÕu cho r»ng viÖc më réng mét nÒn n«ng nghiÖp tù cung
tù cÊp ®Ó nu«i sèng nhiÒu miÖng ¨n h¬n lµ nguyªn nh©n chÝnh, th×
®©y lµ mét gi¶i thÝch v« c¨n cø. §¹i bé phËn rõng ë Ch©u Mü La
Tinh, §N¸ vµ Th¸i B×nh D¬ng bÞ tµn ph¸ lµ do viÖc khai hoang ®Ó
trång çc lo¹i n«ng s¶n xuÊt khÈu vµ do çc ho¹t ®éng bu«n b¸n gç
, chø kh«ng ph¶i do n¹n du canh, du c vµ t¸ ®iÒn g©y nªn. Hµng
n¨m ho¹t ®éng bu«n b¸n gç ®· ph¸ huû 4500 km2 rõng, phÇn lín gç
®ưîc xuÊt khÈu sang Mü vµ NhËt.
Mèi liªn hÖ gi÷a n¹n ph¸ rõng vµ nhu cÇu thµnh lËp x· héi phån
vinh ®îc thÊy râ nÐt nhÊt ë Trung Mü vµ Brazin n¬i nh÷ng çnh
rõng nhiÖt ®íi ®· bÞ biÕn thµnh ®ång cá ch¨n th¶ v× viÖc nu«i gia
sóc mang l¹i çc kho¶n lîi nhuËn xuÊt khÈu gióp tr¶ nî n-íc
ngoµi. Kho¶n nî níc ngoµi khæng lå ®ang ®Ì nÆng lªn vai d©n
nghÌo chñ yÕu ®îc dïng ®Ó trang tr¶i cho çc kho¶n mua s¾m xa xØ
cña chÝnh phñ vµ qu©n ®éi. ViÖc x©y dùng çc ®iÒn trang ch¨n th¶
réng lín lµ nguyªn nh©n chÝnh dÉn ®Õn viÖc ph¸ huû 2000 km2 rõng
nhiÖt ®íi hµng n¨m ë Trung vµ Nam Mü. §Êt khai hoang chñ yÕu dïng
cho viÖc nu«i bß xuÊt khÈu phôc vô cho ngµnh c«ng nghiÖp thøc ¨n
nhanh ë B¾c Mü, Ch©u ¢u vµ NhËt- vïng xøng vìi tªn gäi lµ “vïng
giao lu hamburger ”
Lesson 4: RIVER POLLUTION: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS
At its source, the Rheinwaldhorn Glacier in Switzerland, the Rhein River is crystal clear.
But, by the time it reaches the North Sea near Rotterdam after a 1,320-kilometer journey,
it has become a poisonous cocktail of chemicals and sewage. Germany, like other
industrial nations, shows little respect for her rivers even though the health and prosperity
of her people depend on the availability of clean water.The most obvious cause of river
pollution is industry. German rivers contain thousands of different chemicals discharged
by factories and mines. In 1990, a million fish in the Mosel and Saar Rivers died when
cyanide was carelessly released from a factory. Germany has laws to prevent this sort of
thing, but, as in most other industrial nations, penalties are too light to act as a deterrent.
Surprisingly, however, factories account for less than 10% of the pollutants found in
North American rivers, thanks to the Clean Water Act passed in 1972. The major source
responsible for 65% of all river pollution - is agriculture. Farmers use large amounts of
toxic chemicals on their crops in order to kill weeds and insects, and the residues are
washed into nearby rivers by rain. As long as the use of these chemicals is permitted,
there is no way to prevent run off pollution.
Sewage from nearby towns and villages is another major cause of river pollution. Many
large cities lack sewage treatment facilities and the funds with which to build them. It is
true that traditional waste water treatment plants are very expensive to build and operate,
but cheap alternatives are now available. Sanitation engineers in New York have
developed a system that uses microbes and marsh plants to transform raw sewage into
clean water. The bacteria produce methane gas, which can be sold to power companies
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and burned to generate electricity.The Clean Water Act has led to a steady improvement
in the U.S.A. Fish can now be seen
swimming in rivers that were once full of deadly chemicals, and ducks have returned to
formerly polluted lakes. The improvement is largely due to careful monitoring of waste
water from factories and strict enforcement of the law. Now, most companies are eager to
present an environmentally- friendly image and are willing to pay for it. But further
improvement will require changes in current farming practices. Hopefully, the growing
popularity of organically grown produce will eventually lead to the necessary
transformation.
Notes:
- source : nguån (s«ng)
* The source of the Red River : nguån s«ng Hång
* Where does the Perfume River have its source?
S«ng Hư¬ng b¾t nguån tõ ®©u?
- to be crystal clear : trong như pha lª
* a necklace of crystal : vßng cæ lµm b»ng pha lª
- to show respect to sb : t«n träng ai
- poisonous : ®éc, cã ®éc
* poisonous chemicals : ho¸ chÊt ®éc h¹i
* poisonous snakes : r¾n ®éc
* poisonous tongue : miÖng lìi ®éc ®Þa
- cocktail : hçn hîp
- sewage : chÊt th¶i
* sewage treatment : (sù) xö lý chÊt th¶i
- prosperity : sù thÞnh vîng, sù giµu cã, cña c¶i
* to live in prosperity : sèng trong giµu sang
* a life of happiness and prosperity
- prosperous : thÞnh vîng
* a prosperous year : mét n¨m thÞnh vîng
* a prosperous business : mét doanh nghiÖp ¨n ra lµm nªn
- to discharge sth : th¶i çi g× 10
- cyanide : chÊt xi a nua
- penalty : xö ph¹t
* the penalty for (not) doing sth : viÖc xö ph¹t v× (kh«ng)
®· lµm g×
* death penalty : h×nh ph¹t tö h×nh
- deterrent : biÖn ph¸p ng¨n ngõa
- to account for : chiÕm
- pollutant : chÊt g©y « nhiÔm
- Clean Water Act : ®¹o luËt nưíc s¹ch
- to be passed : ®-îc th«ng qua
- toxic chemical : ho¸ chÊt ®éc h¹i
- weed : cá d¹i
- insect : c«n trïng
- residue : phÇn cßn dư, phÇn chưa dïng hÕt
- to be washed : bÞ tr«i d¹t
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- sewage treatment facilities : nh÷ng c¬ së xö lý chÊt th¶i
- microbe : vi khuÈn
- to generate electricity : ph¸t ®iÖn
- to monitor : gi¸m s¸t
* to monitor a project : gi¸m s¸t mét dù ¸n
- strict enforcement of law : nghiªm chØnh chÊp hµnh luËt ph¸p
Lesson 5: WETLANDS IN DANGER
What do the Okavango Swamp in Botswana, the Pantanal Marsh in Brazil and the
Mekong Delta in Vietnam have in common? All are wetlands, and all are threatened by
development. Wetlands-bogs, marshes, swamps and estuaries - exist in every region of
the earth and shelter a wide variety of animals, birds, fish, insects and plants. Their
unique ecosystems help to purify water and to prevent flooding, and fish come to them to
spawn.Why are they threatened? Many are being drained in order to provide land for
farming. Their rich alluvial soil is very fertile, but without a constant supply of water, it
soon becomes barren. The World Bank and other international development agencies
have encouraged the draining of wetlands in the Third World with grants and loans, but
have failed to allow for the environmental cost of their well-meant projects. In Thailand,
old canals were filled in order to eliminate malaria; but this has resulted in disastrous
floods. In Iraq, the Tigris Delta has been drained to facilitate a military campaign against
Shiite rebels. The vast area thus reclaimed may help to feed Iraq's cities, but at great cost
to the indigenous wildlife and to the traditional lifestyle of local villagers.Another threat
to wetlands is the construction of dams for hydroelectric projects. Although these provide
necessary electricity without causing air pollution, they also interrupt the flow of water
on which the wetland ecology depends. Swamps and marshes are also very vulnerable to
acid rain, chemical runoff from farms and sewage from villages. The Danube Delta, a
500,000hectare wilderness visited by over 300 species of bird, has been badly polluted by
pesticides as a result of projects carried out from 1983 to 1990 to cultivate the area.
The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, which came into force
in 1975, identifies 450 major wetland areas in need of protection. With an annual budget
of less than $600,000, it is hard to see how the Convention can save the world's wetlands
from projects paid for by the World Bank, the European Union and other powerful
agencies currently more concerned with feeding people today than with protecting their
environment for the future.
Notes:
- to be in danger : bÞ nguy hiÓm
- the Mekong Delta : §ång b»ng s«ng Cöu Long
- to have sth in common: cã ®iÒu g× chun, gièng nhau
- wetland ; vïng ®Çm lÇy
- estuary : cöa s«ng
- unique : ®éc ®¸o, ®éc nhÊt
- ecosystem: hÖ sinh th¸i
- to purify: lµm tinh khiÕt
* purify water : lµm cho níc tinh khiÕt
- to spawn : sinh s¶n, ®Î trøng
8
- alluvial soil : ®Êt phï sa
- fertile : ph× nhiªu
* fertile land : vïng ®Êt ph× nhiªu
- barren : b¹c mµu, hoang ho¸
- grants and loans : kho¶n viÖn trî vµ cho vay
- canal : kªnh ®µo
- to be filled : san lÊp
- malaria : bÖnh sèt rÐt
- to eliminate : xo¸ bá
- to result in : g©y ra
- to be drained : x¶ níc, tho¸t níc
- indigenous : b¶n ®Þa
- traditional lifestyle : lèi sèng truyÒn thèng 12
- dam : ®Ëp
- hydroelectric project : dù ¸n thuû ®iÖn
- to interrupt : can thiÖp
- flow of water : dßng ch¶y
- to be vulnerable to : cã thÓ bÞ, dÔ bÞ
* people who are vulnerable to criticism : ng-êi dÔ bÞ phª
b×nh
- pesticide : thuèc trõ s©u
- to cultivate : canh t¸c, trång trät
- to come into force/effect : cã hiÖu lùc
- annual budget : ng©n s¸ch hµng n¨m
- convention : c«ng íc
- to be paid for : ®îc chi tr¶, ®îc tµi trî
* The projects are paid for by the World Bank : nh÷ng dù ¸n
®ã ®îc Ng©n Hµng ThÕ Giíi tµi trî.
- to be corncerned with : quan t©m ®Õn
Lesson 6: POISONED SEAS
The Mediterranean Sea is closed except for a small gap between Spain and Morocco.
Because of this, it is extremely vulnerable to pollution. Rivers flowing into the sea from
surrounding countries bring massive amounts of industrial, agricultural and human waste
from factories, farms and cities. Oil spilled by tankers and from port terminals adds to the
pollution. Still morepollutants fall from the sky as acid rain.From ancient times, the sea
has been regarded as a convenient disposal site for the waste products of human
civilization. But by the 1970s, the ecological ruin of the Mediterranean was beginning
to alarm not only environmental activists concerned with dying dolphins and seals, but
also fishermen and local residents. It also disturbed people involved in the tourist industry
when complaints by visitors of raw sewage on beaches and foul-smelling water began to
hit the headlines.Finally, representatives of surrounding nations adopted a plan known as
the Nicosia Charter designed to protect the sea from further damage. The plan called for
the construction of proper sewage treatment facilities for 25 major cities and 75 smaller
communities, and the setting up of 25 centers for the disposal of dangerous wastes.
9
The Mediterranean is not the only sea with problems. Studies have shown that the Baltic
is suffocating. Large quantities of nutrients such as phosphates and nitrates from farms in
Scandinavia, Russia and Poland are washed into the sea, where they stimulate the growth
of algae that consume the oxygen needed by fish. The seven adjacent nations have agreed
on the need to cut the flow of nutrients and pollutants, but not on how to finance the
necessary measures.
The North Sea is more open than the Baltic, and is constantly rinsed; but it too is
suffering a major crisis. In 1988, about 70% of the native seal population died of a
mysterious illness thought to be caused by toxic chemicals in the fish they ate. The two
biggest sources of pollution are sewage from Britain and toxic chemicals from German
factories. Britain has recently agreed to ban the discharge of sewage into coastal waters
and the dumping of sludge at sea by 1998; but by privatizing its waste treatment industry,
the British Government has reduced the likelihood that its commitments will be met.
Germany, whose rivers deliver millions of tons of zinc and thousands of tons of other
metals into the North Sea, has also made promises that the costs of unification between
West and East have rendered impossible to fulfill. If the necessary steps are not taken
within the next 20 years, the North Sea fishing industry will probably be wiped out,
along with many species of mammal.
Notes:
- the Mediterranean Sea : §Þa Trung H¶i
- except for : ngo¹i tõ
* The essay is good except for some minor grammatical
mistakes.
- acid rain : m-a a-xÝt
- massive # great : lín,vÜ ®¹i
- oil spill : v¸ng dÇu
- to be spilled : bÞ loang, bÞ trµn, t¹o thµnh v¸ng
- to be regarded as : ®îc xem lµ
* The immense network of rivers and canals is regarded as
the great boon second to none in this area : hÖ thèng kªnh r¹ch
mªnh m«ng ®-îc xem lµ çi duyªn cã mét kh«ng hai cña vïng nµy.
- disposal site : b·i r¸c th¶i
- human civilization : v¨n minh nh©n lo¹i
- ruin : sù tµn lôi
- to be ruined : bÞ lôi tµn, bÞ sôp ®æ
- to alarm : bo¸ ®éng
* Everybody was alarmed that war might break out.
Mäi ngêi ®îc b¸o ®éng r»ng chiÕn tranh cã thÓ x¶y ra.
- environmental activist : nhµ b¶o vÖ m«i trêng, nhµ ho¹t ®éng
m«i tr-êng
- dolphin : ç heo
- seal : h¶i cÈu
- local ressident/inhabitant : c d©n ®Þa ph¬ng
- to be/get involved in : cã dÝnh lÝu tíi, cã liªn quan tíi
* The prominent scientists have been involved in the
scientific research.
10
Çc nhµ khoa häc tÇm cì/cã tiÕng/næi tiÕng ®· tham gia vµo
c«ng tr×nh nghiªn cøu khoa häc nµy.
- foul-smelling water : níc cã mïi thèi
- representative : ngêi ®¹i diÖn
- to adopt: chÊp nhËn
* The Congress adopted new measures.
§¹i héi ®· chÊp nhËn çc biÖn ph¸p míi.
- to be designed : ®îc thiÕt kÕ/viÕt ra
- Charter : B¶n hiÕn ch¬ng
- to call for : kªu gäi
* The Government called for foreign investment.
ChÝnh phñ ®· kªu gäi ®Çu t níc ngoµi.
- community : céng ®ång
* The Vietnamese Community :
Céng ®ång ngêi ViÖt
* a speech community : céng ®ång ng«n ng÷
- to suffocate : ng¹t thë
- nutrient : chÊt nu«i dìng, ph©n bãn
- to stimulate : kÝch thÝch
* They have used a special substance to stimulate the growth
of these plants.
Hä ®· dïng mét lo¹i chÊt ®Æc biÖt ®Ó kÝch thÝch sù t¨ng
tr-ëng cña nh÷ng c©y nµy.
- the growth of algae: sù ph¸t triÓn cña t¶o biÓn
- to consume # to use : sö dông
- to rinse : x¶/tÈy
* to rinse soap out of clothes : x¶ xµ phßng khái quÇn ¸o
- mysterious illness : c¨n bÖnh kh«ng râ nguyªn nh©n
- to ban # to prohibit : cÊm
* to ban firecrackers : cÊm ®èt ph¸o 15
- commitment : sù cam kÕt, sù rµng buéc
* Marriage should be a five-year renewable contract not a
life-long commitment.
H«n nh©n nªn lµ mét b¶n hîp ®ång 5 n¨m cã gia h¹n h¬n lµ
mét sù rµng buéc trän ®êi.
- to take necessary steps/measure : thùc thi çc biÖn ph¸p cÇn
thiÕt
- to be wiped out : bÞ xo¸ s¹ch
Lesson 7: SAVING THE RAINFORESTS
The tropical rainforests are being destroyed primarily by greedy businessmen for a quick
profit. What they don't realize is that they could make a lot more money in the long run
by preserving the forests. A study by the New York Institute of Economic Botany found
that one hectare of South American rainforest could produce $400-worth of fruit every
year. If rubber, drugs, rattan, nuts and other products of the forest are also sold, the value
11
of a hectare of rainforest over a 10-year period could exceed $10,000. If, on the other
hand, all the trees were cut down for sale and cattle raised on the exposed land, a mere
$4,000 could be earned before the soil became totally barren. So over the long term,
conservation and sustainable use of the forest turns out to be far more profitable.
If the destruction of rainforests continues at the present rate, they will disappear
completely by the year 2040. This will have serious consequences - economic, political
and environmental - for the nations concerned. Yet most Third World governments
maintain short-sighted policies encouraging the export of timber. Such policies will only
be changed if the politicians can be convinced of the long-term benefits of conservation.
Several European countries now prohibit the import of all tropical hardwood from
countries lacking strict conservation and forest-management regulations. If the
government of Japan, which buys over half of the tropical hardwood sold on the world
market, were to adopt similar import restrictions, the situation might improve greatly.
Rich countries could also help by offering financial assistance to countries such as Belize
and Costa Rica which protect their rainforests and denying it to nations lacking effect ive
conservation policies. Several large conservation groups have bought entire forests, and
are now helping the indigenous people to earn a living through sustainable use of the
forest. Major drug manufacturers ought to do likewise, in view of the enormous profits
they could make by discovering and marketing cures for serious diseases. Merck, an
American drug company, paid a million dollars to Costa Rica's National Biodiversity
Institute in exchange for the supply of botanical samples. This sum represents less than
0.1% of Merck's 1993 research budget. The company could easily afford to make a much
larger investment in order to preserve the forests in which its future - and ours - lies.
Notes:
- tropical rainforest : rõng rËm nhiÖt ®íi
- to be destroyed : bÞ tµn ph¸
- profit : lîi nhuËn
* to sell sth at a profit
- in the long run : rèt cuéc lµ
- to preserve : b¶o tån
* to preserve the world‟s cultural heritage : b¶o tån di s¶n
v¨n ho¸ thÕ giíi
* to preserve the national identity : gi÷ g×n b¶n s¾c d©n
téc
- exceed : v-ît qu¸
* to exceed the speed limit : v-ît qu¸ tèc ®é giíi h¹n
- nut : h¹t chøa dÇu
* cashewnut: h¹t ®iÒu
- to cut down for sale : ®èn ®Ó b¸n
- cattle raising : ch¨n nu«i gia sóc
- exposed land : vïng ®Êt trèng
- sustainable use : sö dông bÒn v÷ng/l©u dµi
- to turn out to be : rèt cuéc lµ
- short-sighted policy : chÝnh s¸ch thiÓn cËn
- to be convinced : bÞ thuyÕt phôc
12
- long-term benefit : lîi Ých l©u dµi
- short-term benefit : lîi Ých tr-íc m¾t
- to prohibit: cÊm
* to prohibit the production of : cÊm s¶n xuÊt
- forest-management regulation : ®iÒu lÖ qu¶n lý rõng
- restriction : sù h¹n ®Þnh
- financial assistance : gióp ®ì vÒ mÆt tµi chÝnh
- to lack : thiÕu
* to lack capital : thiÕu vèn
- to earn a living : kiÕm sèng 17
- in view of : nh»m ®Ó
- in exchange for : nh»m trao ®æi çi g×
Lesson 8: DESERTS CAN BE FARMED
With daytime temperatures reaching 50°C and less than 10 centimeters of rain per year,
the Negev Desert in Israel has a hostile climate. Yet recently, it has become a major food-
producing region, thanks to the introduction of new farming techniques. Vegetables and
fruit are grown using trickle irrigation, a system in which each plant receives a small but
sufficient amount of water and fertilizers through perforated plastic pipes. Most of the
water is pumped up from underground. Since this is too salty for normal plants,
agricultural scientists had to develop special varieties of salt-resistant plants. Now the
region produces fruit, vegetables, cereals, peanuts and cotton, and is home to half a
million people.Nearby Egypt is confronted with a double curse: rapid population growth
and encroaching deserts. The only way for the country to feed its people is by reversing
the process of desertification. Researchers are now experimenting with a resin which can
absorb an amount of water equal to several hundred times its own weight. When mixed
with soil, it helps the earth to retain moisture. The resin, which was originally developed
in Japan for use in paper diapers, could enable Egyptian farmers to grow crops on arid
land and eventually restore the forests which once covered North Africa.In Iran, large
sand dunes are sprayed with oil. When this dries, it keeps the sand in one place and
retains moisture. Grass seed is then planted, followed soon by saplings. Farmers are later
able to grow vegetables on the land reclaimed from the desert. The new forests are
protected from goats and sheep by guards riding motorcycles. This is very important,
because overgrazing is one of the main causes of desertification. Camels, incidentally,
present no problems; their flat feet do not disturb the soil and their sharp teeth cut the
grass instead of tearing it out as goats and sheep do.Agriculture and reforestation need
water. This can be drawn from underground, using solar-powered pumps, but eventually
the source must dry up. Seawater could be used, but removing the salt requires a very
expensive and time-consuming process. The only alternative is to bring fresh water from
areas in which it is plentiful. In Libya, Kirgistan and India, great waterways have
been built to bring water from mountain streams to arid regions targeted for cultivation.
With enough money and effort, the battle against the desert can be won. But unless
population growth is controlled, our victory over the desert will turn out to be only a
mirage.
Notes:
13
- temprature : nhiÖt ®é
- reach : ®¹t ®îc, lªn ®Õn 18
* the growth rates reach 12%
* the mountains reach the sea.
( nói v-¬n ra biÓn.)
- hostile climate : khÝ hËu kh¾c nghiÖt
- food-producing region : vïng s¶n xuÊt l¬ng thùc
- the introduction of : viÖc ¸p dông, viÖc ®a (çi g×)vµo....
- farming technique : kü thuËt canh t¸c
- irrigation system : hÖ thèng tíi, hÖ thèng thuû lîi
- sufficient : ®ñ
* sufficient amount : mét lîng ®Çy ®ñ
- perforated plastic pipe : èng nhùa cã læ xung quanh
- to be pumped up from the ground : b¬m tõ m¹ch níc ngÇm lªn
- salt-resistant plant : c©y chèng ®îc mÆn, c©y thÝch nghi víi
®Êt m¨n
- cereal : ngò cèc
- to be confronted with : ®¬ng ®Çu víi
- to reverse: lµm ®¶o ngîc, chèng l¹i
- process of desertification : qu¸ tr×nh sa m¹c ho¸
- to absorb : thÈm thÊu, hót níc
- moisture : ®é Èm
- arid land : ®Êt kh« c»n
- solar-powered pump : b¬m ch¹y b»ng n¨ng lù¬ng mÆt trêi
- time-consuming : mÊt thêi gian
* time consuming work : c«ng viÖc chiÕm nhiÒu thêi gian
- alternative : mét gi¶i ph¸p thay thÕ
- waterway : ®-êng dÉn níc
- to be targeted for : nh»m ®Ó, ®îc nh¾m ®Õn ®Ó lµm g×
Lesson 9: ANIMALS FACING EXTINCTION
Over a thousand species of animals are threatened with extinction, and humans are
directly or indirectly to blame.Most of the big cats - lions, tigers, panthers, leopards and
cheetahs - have 5 been hunted for thousands of years, sometimes to protect livestock,
but more often for sport or for their skins. The Asiatic Lion once inhabited a vast area
from Israel to India; now only a few hundred remain, under strict protection, in the Gir
Forest of India. The Barbary Leopard, once found throughout North Africa, is even rarer:
no more than 50 exist. The Bengal Tiger has been much luckier; thanks to strict
measures taken in 1972 by the Indian Government, it is now thriving. Hunters - or rather
poachers, since their victims are under legal protection -also threaten elephants, killed for
their ivory tusks, and rhinoceroses, whose horns are used to make traditional Chinese
medicine and handles for Yemeni daggers. The situation regarding rhinos is particularly
desperate:fewer than 8,000 remain in Africa, just over 1,000 in North India and even
fewer in Indonesia.Many of the primates are also suffering from human aggression, but
the main cause of their decline in numbers is environmental. Deforestation has severely
reduced the natural habitat of the Orang-Utan in Sumatra, the Golden Lion Tamarin in
Brazil, the Lion-tailed Macaque in India and the Red Lemur in Madagascar, to name just
14
a few of the worst cases.The panda's greatest enemy is its own natural vulnerability. Not
only is it dependent on a single source of food - a special kind of bamboo which sud-
denly flowers and then dies once every 60 years - but it also has great difficulty
breeding, especially in captivity. Even if it could be completely protected from poachers,
who face the death penalty if caught, and from encroachment by loggers and farmers, it
may become extinct, as fewer than a thousand now remain.Marine animals face three
main dangers, all resulting from human activity. Some types of whale have been hunted
almost to extinction for their meat, oil and bone. The blue whale, the largest mammal in
the world, has become one of the rarest, owing to the use of radar by modern whaling
ships. Dolphins often swim with tuna and tend to get caught in the large nets used by
many tuna fishermen. The largest of these nets, known as drift nets, catch all sea
creatures indiscriminately, resulting in serious depletion of fish stocks as well as the loss
of dolphins and other marine animals.For the inhabitants of shallow coastal waters,
pollution is a major hazard. The disappearance of the Monk Seal from the Caribean Sea
may be attributed both to pollution and drift-net fishing.
Notes:
- to be threatened by/with extinction : bÞ ®e do¹ diÖt chñng
- to blame : ®æ lçi
* to blame sb for sth : ®æ lçi cho ai vÒ çi g×
* He blamed the teacher for his failure.
( H¾n ®æ lçi lµ thÇy gi¸o ®· lµm h¾n thÊt b¹i.)
- livestock : gia cÇm
- to inhabit : sèng
- strict protection : b¶o vÖ nghiªm ngÆt
- ivory tusk : ngµ voi
- rhinoceros: tª gi¸c
- to suffer from : chÞu ph¶i
- aggression : sù x©m lîc
- decline : gi¶m
* decline in number : gi¶m vÒ sè lîng
- natural habitat : vïng c tró tù nhiªn
- panda : gÊu tróc
- in captivity : (nu«i) trong chuång
- logger : ngêi khai th¸c gç
- to encroach upon : x©m ph¹m
- encroachment : sù x©m ph¹m
- to face the danger: ®¬ng ®Çu víi nguy hiÓm, ®èi mÆt víi nguy
c¬
- whale : ç voi
- marine animal : ®éng vËt biÓn
- to be attributed to : do, nhê
Lesson 10: SAVING THE REMAINING FEW
After a long and desperate struggle to save endangered species from extinction,
conservationists are finally winning victories over individual greed and official lethargy.
15
The establishment of the World Wildlife Fund in 1961 began a new era of aggressive
campaigning which culminated in the 1973 Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species. The CITES bans or restricts trade in over 2,000 different species of
animal, bird and plant. Unfortunately, it depends for enforcement on its 103 member
nations, and many of them are very lax. Britain, for example, had only four customs
officers in charge of CITES enforcement as of 1990. Some member nations failed to
ratify the agreement, while others retained special exemptions. Japan, for example,
which ratified the Convention in 1980 and was at one time responsible for one half of the
world's trade in endangered species, insisted on importing products made from 11 of the
most endangered species in order to protect the livelihoods of a few thousand artisans and
the profits of large corporations.The WWF was so concerned about loopholes and lax
enforcement of the CITES that it set up a special monitoring organization named
TRAFFIC (Trade Records Analysis of Flora and Fauna in Commerce) which frequently
uncovers illegal trade ignored or even encouraged by the
authorities of member nations. The most visible success of the wildlife conservation
movement has been the complete ban on the ivory trade, imposed in January 1990 at a
time when fewer than 600,000 African elephants remained. There is, however, a much
earlier precedent. In 1907, the American Bison Society reported that only a few hundred
bison remained and demanded action; Congress responded with legislation establishing
reserves in Oklahoma and Montana, and the native buffalo survived.Recently, farmers
have started raising bison instead of cows (buffalo meat is lower in calories and
cholesterol than beef) and the population has increased to over 60,000.Crocodiles,
alligators and caiman are also benefiting from the commercial farming approach. In
theory, so could all endangered species which can be raised in captivity and which have
commercial value. This could free up precious conservation funds for use elsewhere.
Ironically,the elephant population increased in countries which paid for conservation
efforts through the official sale of ivory, and will probably decrease now that such funds
are no longer available.Another factor which may help endangered species if carefully
managed is the rapid growth of ecotourism. East Africans replaced guns with cameras in
their safari parks long ago when they realized the tourist potential of their vast wildlife
reserves. More recently, West Africans have discovered that their gorillas are worth more
alive than dead and have started protecting these vulnerable assets from poachers. The
challenge is to expand tourism without damaging the animals' habitats.
Notes:
- desperate : kh«ng khoan nhîng
* desperate struggle : ®Êu tranh kh«ng khoan nhîng
- endangered species : loµi cã nguy c¬ diÖt chñng
- The World Wildlife Fund : Quü §éng VËt Hoang D· ThÕ Giíi
- era : kû nguyªn
- culminate : ®¹t ®Õn ®Ønh ®iÓm
- customs officer : h¶i quan
- to be in charge of : chÞu tr¸ch nhiÖm vÒ
- ratify : phª chuÈn, ký (hiÖp ®Þnh)
* to ratify the agreement : phª chuÈn hiÖp ®Þnh
- artisan : nghÖ nh©n
- wildlife conservation movement : phong trµo b¶o vÖ ®éng vËt
16
hoang d·
- illegal trade : bu«n b¸n bÊt hîp ph¸p
- bison : bß rõng
- potential : tiÒm n¨ng
* tourist potential : tiÒm n¨ng du lÞch
- challenge : th¸ch thøc
- gorilla : ®êi ¬i
- vulnerable : dÔ bÞ lµm h¹i
* Young birds are vulnerable to predators.
Chim non rÊt dÔ bÞ thó ¨n thÞt lµm h¹i.
Lesson 11: A DIET OF CHEMICALS
Chemicals enter our food in various ways and for various reasons. Farmers use herbicides
to kill weeds, pesticides to kill insects, fungicides to kill mold and fertilizers to promote
growth. All of them are harmful to health and also to the environment, as Rachel Carson
observed over 30 years ago in her provocative book, Silent Spring. Air pollution and
acid rain also contribute to the chemical cocktail in which our food is grown. After
harvesting, most crops are subjected to further "post-harvest" chemical treatment in order
to protect them from fungus and keep them looking fresh. Japanese rice, for example, is
sprayed once a year with methyl bromide, which can cause mental disorders and speech
impediments. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sprayed with sulfites, to which many people
are allergic. Bananas,mangoes and other tropical fruit are sprayed with even more
dangerous chemicals.Meat eaters are exposed to even greater risks. For one thing, they
are ten times more likely to die from a heart attack than vegetarians. For another, meat
accounts for more than half of all pesticides consumed by Americans. Moreover, meat
contains antibiotics such as penicillin and tetracycline, used to prevent disease in farm
animals, and also hormones used to promote growth.Excessive consumption of the
former leads to a breakdown of the human immune system, while the latter leads to
hormone imbalance and diseases such as thyrotoxicosis.
Finally, there are the additives used by food manufacturers - thousands of them,
including preservatives, colors, flavors, aromas and emulsifiers. The use of preservatives
is often justified by the need to prevent food poisoning. Nitrates used in ham, for
example, prevent contamination by salmonella germs. In most cases, however, additives
are used simply to make food look, taste or smell better and thus increase profits. If
consumers could be certain that all additives used were completely safe, there would be
no problem. In fact, however, most of the additives used in Britain have never been tested
for safety, and of those that have been tested, many have been shown to cause health
problems ranging from allergies to cancer. Excessive consumption of food
additives has also been linked to low academic achievement and mental instability.
Notes:
- reason : lý do
* for various reasons : v× nhiÒu lý do
- herbicide : thuèc diÖt cá
- fungicide : thuèc diÖt nÊm mèc
- fertilizer : ph©n bãn
17
- to be harmful to : cã h¹i
- to contribute to : ®ãng gãp
* He has greatly contributed to the development of the
company.
¤ng ta ®· ®ãng gãp nhiÒu cho sù ph¸t triÓn cña c«ng ty.
- to be subjected to : chÞu ph¶i
- post-harvest treatment : xö lý sau thu ho¹ch
- fungus : nÊm mèc
- to spray : phun
- mental disorder : rèi lo¹n thµn kinh
- speech impediment : rèi lo¹n ng«n ng÷
- to be allergic : bÞ dÞ øng
- antibiotics : kh¸ng sinh
- immune system : hÖ miÔn dÞch
- imbalance : sù mÊt c©n ®èi
- additive : chÊt phô gia
- preservative : chÊt b¶o qu¶n
- flavour : mïi
- aroma : h-¬ng
- contamination : sù nhiÔm khuÈn
- to be tested for safety : kiÓm tra an toµn
- excessive : qu¸ nhiÒu
* excessive consumption : dïng qu¸ nhiÒu
- mental instability : bÊt æn tinh thÇn
Lesson 12: FARMING WITHOUT CHEMICALS
In an average year, 11,000 tons of herbicides and 2,000 tons of insecticides are sprayed
on British farms. A large proportion of this is washed into the soil or nearby rivers, but
much is absorbed by the crops themselves, and thus eventually consumed by humans.
That these chemicals are harmful to human health is no longer in doubt. Until recently,
however, it was assumed that farmers could not survive without using them. Not any
more.Organic farming, which shuns the use of agricultural chemicals, is not a new
phenomenon; on the contrary, all farming was organic until the introduction of DDT
early this century. It is now,however, enjoying new popularity as more and more health-
conscious consumers demand organically grown food and as the long-term costs of
dependence on agricultural chemicals become clearer. Traditionally, farmers rotated their
crops each year. Modern farmers, on the contrary, cultivate a single crop on the same soil
for many years. This leads to declining fertility of the soil, compensated for by the use of
more and more chemical fertilizers. It also results in the proliferation of insects, which
have to be killed by powerful chemicals that also wipe out natural predators such as
ladybugs and frogs.Ordinary farmers are starting to rebel against lower crop yields and
higher bills for agricultural chemicals and are turning to organic farming instead. Many
now rotate crops, allowing the soil to recover its fertility and starving insects which feed
only on a certain grain and cannot survive when their only source of food is replaced by a
different crop. Others interplant several crops together, each protecting the other from
18
pest attacks and soil depletion. Farmers prevent the growth of weeds by planting on
narrow ridges, a practice known as ridge tillage. Organic farming has also benefited
from the development of biological pest control, the use of one type of insect to get rid of
another.This was first used with success in the 1880s, when Australian beetles saved the
Californian citrus industry. Now that many insects have developed resistance to all
known types of pesticide,biological pest control may turn out to be the only effective
approach.Organic farming tends to be somewhat labor-intensive. Instead of spraying
crops from helicopters and planting and harvesting with huge machines, the farmer has to
get his hands dirty. This may be one reason why the only organic farmers until now were
idealists. But recently a new breed of organic farmer has appeared on the scene, one
whose hands never become dirty because his or her only tool is a computer. The new
farm is a fully automated factory in which temperature, humidity, light, carbon dioxide
density and the supply of nutrients are controlled by a computer. Vegetables are grown
all year round and supplied fresh on demand; and no chemicals are needed.
So far, only lettuce and spinach are grown this way, but the new factory farms will soon
be producing tomatoes, green peppers, strawberries and other high-value products.
Notes:
- average : trung b×nh, b×nh qu©n
* average temperature : nhiÖt ®é trung b×nh
* average height : chiÒu cao trung b×nh
* The age of boys in this clas is 15.
Tuæi trung b×nh cña çc cËu bÐ trong líp lµ 15.
* on average : tÝnh b×nh qu©n
- herbicide : thuèc diÖt cá
- insecticide : thuèc trï s©u
- proportion : tØ lÖ. phÇn
* The proportion of imports is worrying the government.
(Tû lÖ nhËp khÈu lµm chÝnh phñ lo l¾ng.)
* in proportion to : t-¬ng xøng víi
* payment in proportion to the work done : tr¶ c«ng t-¬ng
xøng víi c«ng viÖc ®-îc
thùc hiÖn
- to compensate : båi th-êng
* Nothing can compensate for the loss of our health.
* compensation : sù båi th-êng
* He received $ 5000 in compesation/by way of
compensation/as copensation for the loss.
- proliferation : sù s¶n sinh
- to rebel against : chèng l¹i
- yield : n¨ng suÊt
- high bill for : chi phÝ cao cho
- to be replaced by : ®-îc thay thÕ bëi
- fertility : ®é ph× nhiªu
- to interplant : xen canh
- to interplant several crops
- pest attack : sù ph¸ ho¹i cña c«n trïng
19
- to benefit from : h-ëng lîi tõ
- to get rid of : xo¸ bá
- to develop resistance to : kh¸ng l¹i
Lesson 13: GOODBYE TO GARBAGE
Every year, the average British family throws away more than half a ton of rubbish. What
happens
to it? Nearly all of it ends up on a rubbish dump, where it is left to decay. This is
unpleasant to see
and smell. It can also be dangerous, since decaying organic waste gives off methane gas
which can
explode suddenly. Other types of garbage discharge toxic liquids which seep into
underground
water resources. Moreover, space for new landfills is becoming increasingly hard to find.
Garbage can also be burned. Twenty-five percent of all British rubbish is paper. This, like
the
methane gas emitted by rotting waste, can be used as fuel to burn some of the other
components of
garbage. But incineration results in the emission of dangerous pollutants such as dioxin
and
chlorine from paper, mercury from old batteries and lead from paint, and the resulting ash
is usually
highly toxic. Furthermore, glass and metals can only be melted, not burned.
Recycling thus makes a lot of sense. Not only does it reduce the volume of garbage, it
also saves
scarce resources. Waste paper can be processed into pulp and made into new paper. In
Japan, over
59% of all waste paper is dealt with in this way, saving thousands of trees. Glass bottles
can be
melted down to make Other glass products. Most European cities have "bottle banks"
where empty
bottles can be left for collection and recycling. Metal waste is very profitable. It can be
sorted,
using magnets, into low-value ferrous metals and high-value nonferrous metals such as
silver,
aluminum and chrome, for sale to scrap metal dealers and eventual recycling. When
organic waste,
such as leftover food, is kept in bins and allowed to rot, it can be used as compost on
gardens and
fields. Home compost kits which emit no unpleasant smells and do not attract flies are
now
available; and large-scale municipal composting plants are now being built to produce
cheap
organic fertilizer.
20
Plastic waste is the most awkward type to recycle, since there are so many different
varieties, each
melting at a different temperature and each giving off toxic gas. A German company
named VEBA
Oel AG has recently developed a technique for processing plastics into the oil from
which they
were originally made.
Recycling is seldom profitable. One reason is the cost of sorting the garbage 5 into
different types.
This cost could be eliminated, however, by requiring householders to sort their own
waste.
Different types of garbage would be collected on different days and delivered to the
appropriate
processing center. A second problem is that recycled paper, plastic and glass cost more
than
newly manufactured materials. If the fees for dumping waste were raised, however, and
used to
subsidize the sale of recycled materials, then these materials could be sold at competitive
prices.
Volkswagen, the German auto manufacturer, has recently set a new recycling standard.
Starting
with the 1992 Golf, all of its new cars will be recyclable. The company guarantees to take
back
without charge every car it produces whenever the current owner decides to get rid of it.
If
automobiles can be completely recycled, why not other products? 28
Notes:
- garbage : r¸c
- rubbish : r¸c
* rubbish dump : ®èng r¸c
- to decay : thèi röa
* decaying organic waste : r¸c th¶i h÷u c¬ ®ang thèi röa
- methane gas: khÝ mª tan
- to explode : næ tung
* When the boiler exploded many people were injured.
Khi nåi h¬i næ nhiÒu ng-êi ®· bÞ th-¬ng.
* to explode a bomb : lµm cho bom næ
* At last his anger exploded.
Cuèi cïng c¬n giËn d÷ cña anh ta ®· bïng næ.
- liquid : chÊt láng
* If you add too much liquid the mixture wil not be thick
enough.
NÕu b¹n thªm qu¸ nhiÒu chÊt láng, th× hçn hîp kh«ng ®ñ ®Æc.
- to seep : rØ, thÊm
21
* water seeping through the roof of the tunnel
n-íc rØ ra qua m¸i tÇng hÇm
- to emit : th¶i ra
* The volcano emits smoke, lava and ashes.
Nói löa phun ra khãi, nham th¹ch vµ tro bôi.
- component : thµnh phÇn
- incineration : sù thiªu huû, lß thiªu
- imission : sù th¶i ra
- mercury : thuû ng©n
- to melt : ch¶y láng
* The ice melted when the sun shone on it.
B¨ng tan ra khi mÆt trêi chiÕu lªn nã.
- to recycle : t¸i sinh, t¸i chÕ
* recycled plastic : nhùa t¸i sinh
- volume : khèi l-îng
- to process : xö lý 29
- to be dealt with : ®-îc gi¶i quyÕt
- collection : sù thu gom
- municipal : thuéc thµnh phè
* municipal transport system : hÖ thèng giao th«ng thµnh
phè
- magnet : nam ch©m
- ferrous : thuéc vÒ s¾t
* ferrous and non-ferrous metals : kim lo¹i ®en vµ kim lo¹i
mµu
- to scrap : lo¹i bá
- compost : ph©n h÷u c¬
- composting plant : nhµ m¸y ph©n h÷u c¬
- awkward : bÊt tiÖn, khã sö dông,g©y khã kh¨n
* awkward shape/door
* You put me in an awkward position : b¹n ®Æt t«i vµo mét
t×nh tr¹ng khã xö.
- to process sth into sth : chÕ biÕn çi g× thµnh çi g×.
- to sort sth into sth : ph©n lo¹i çi g× thµnh çi g×.
- to deliver : giao, ph©n phèi
- to subsidize : bao cÊp, trî cÊp
* subsidized industries : çc ngµnh c«ng nghiÖp ®-îc bao cÊp
Lesson 14: GETTING RID OF LITTER
April 22nd being Earth Day, my wife and I decided to clean up the valley behind our
village. With
the help of a couple of neighbors, we pulled out all of the litter from the bushes and piled
it up
beside the road. There were dozens of used tires, proving my theory that most of the litter
was left
22
by drivers. Other items of note included several bicycles, a toaster and eight fashionable
shoes,
none matching. The most numerous category, however, was empty drink cans, of which
there were
enough to build a jumbo jet.
I personally feel that litterbugs should be thrown into prison and made to chew old car
tires and
empty cans for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately, however, they are very hard to catch,
as most
of them sneak out under cover of darkness to do their evil deeds. A more practical
solution would
be to put the burden of collection on dealers. If, for example, tire retailers were obliged
by law to
collect one used tire for every new one they sold, very few would be dumped. The used
tires could
either be recycled or used as fuel to generate electricity. In Britain, there is a power
station which is
fueled solely by used tires. Alternatively, the government could introduce a penalty tax
on dispos- 30
able items such as tires and drink containers, which would be refunded to whoever
returned the
items for recycling.
Most of the discarded cans littering the countryside were bought from vending machines.
The most
effective solution, therefore, is to ban such machines. This would also help reduce
demand for
energy, since the average vending machine consumes 600 watts of electricity 24 hours a
day, 365
days every year, and it would cut consumption of antisocial products such as cigarettes,
beer and
bubble gum.
Recycling enthusiasts often propose that drinks be sold in glass bottles instead of cans,
since bottles
can be washed and used again. Having injured myself several times on broken bottles
when hiking,
I am inclined to disagree. Glass, unlike plastic or metal, does not decay. If you leave a
glass bottle,
a plastic bottle, an aluminum can and a paper container outside in the sunshine and rain,
the paper
container will decompose within three months, the aluminum can and plastic bottle will
last 500
years, but the glass bottle will remain forever.
23
Recycling is an excellent idea, but it is not a solution to the problem of litter. The answer,
in fact, is
to use biodegradable materials for all disposable products. One such material, made from
cornstarch, is as tough as plastic but decomposes and disappears within a year of
exposure to the
elements, with no jagged edges to harm the unwary hiker and no toxins to pollute the
river.
Moreover, it is nutritious, and could be used to feed imprisoned litterbugs, thus saving
taxpayers
a lot of money.
Notes:
- used tire : vá lèp xe ®· dïng råi
- to prove : chøng minh, chøng tá
* They prove that they are right.
Hä chøng minh lµ m×nh ®óng.
* He proves hÝmelf to be an expert on English.
¤ng ta chøng tá m×nh rÊt l·o luyÖn tiÕng Anh.
- fashionable : hîp thêi trang
* fashionable clothes : ¸o quÇn hîp thêi trang
- litterbug : ng-êi x¶ r¸c
- to be thrown into prison : bá tï
- to sneak out to do sth : lÐn lót lµm çi g×, trèn chui trèn lòi
lµm çi g×.
- retailer : ng-êi b¸n lÎ
- to be obliged to do sth: bÞ b¾t buéc lµm çi g×
- practical solution : gi¶i ph¸p thùc tÕ
- vending machine : m¸y b¸n hµng tù ®éng 31
- to be inclined to do sth : cã chiÒu h-íng lµm çi g×
- to decompose : ph©n huû
- biodegradable material : chÊt cã thÓ ph©n huû b»ng sinh häc
- cornstarch : bét ng«
- jagged edge : cã c¹nh lëm chëm
* a piece of glass with jagged edges
mét m¶nh thuû tinh cã c¹nh lëm chëm
- unwary: kh«ng thËn träng, kh«ng c¶nh gi¸c
- nutritious : bæ d-ìng
Lesson 15: DON'T FORGET YOUR SMOG MASK
Situated on a basin surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Mexico City might be one of

the
world's most beautiful capitals. Instead, it is the most polluted. Toxic smoke from 35,000
factories and exhaust gas from three million motor vehicles frequently get trapped over
the city
by a natural phenomenon known as thermal inversion, forcing 16 million residents to
breathe a
cocktail of toxic gases. In 1986 it was so bad that dead birds dropped out of the sky.
24
Mexico City may be the worst, but cities throughout the world suffer similar problems. In
1953, a
deadly smog killed more than 4,000 Londoners and led to the world's first legislation
aimed at
reducing air pollution. The situation improved greatly with the construction of higher
factory
chimneys and a ban on domestic coal fires.
Urban air pollution consists of five main ingredients: sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides,
carbon
monoxide, ozone and suspended particulate matter. These are accompanied by various
other toxic
gases, depending on what local factories are producing. Approximately 1.3 million tons
of toxic
chemicals are released into American skies every year. Only seven of the 320 chemicals
are
regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. In some areas, air pollution is so
severe that
one in 10 residents is likely to suffer from cancer sooner or later. Elsewhere, over a 100
million
Americans breathe air which is certain to harm them over the long term.
Sulfur dioxide is emitted mainly by coal-fired power stations, oil refineries, factories and
foundries. In the 1960s it was a serious problem in Japanese cit5 ies. Since the
introduction of
strict controls in 1972, however, sulfur dioxide has become less of a problem. On the
other hand,
there has been a drastic increase in the emission of nitrogen oxides. These are also given
off
when coal, oil and gas are burned, but the main source is motor vehicles. The relentless
increase
in the number of cars and trucks on the roads has cancelled out any benefits from the
decrease in
sulfur emissions.
32
Auto exhaust gas also contains carbon monoxide - another poison - and reacts with
sunlight to
form ozone, another harmful gas. The fifth member of the evil toxic quintet is suspended
particulate matter, small particles of a tarlike substance containing over 400 different
harmful
ingredients. The biggest 5 cause of SPM is exhaust gas from diesel engines, and trucks in
particular.
These five gases, alone or together, cause lung cancer, asthma, chronic bronchitis, eye
diseases
25
and many other ailments familiar to city dwellers.
Notes:
- smog = smoke + fog : må hãng
- mask : mÆt n¹
* gas mask : mÆt n¹ phßng h¬i ®éc
- to be situated # to be located : n»m, to¹ l¹c, chiÕm cø
- snow-capped mountain : nói cã tuyÕt phñ
- exhaust gas : khÝ th¶i tõ « t«- phenomenon : hiÖn tîng
- similar : t¬ng tù
* to be similar to : t¬ng tù víi
- thermal : thuéc vÒ nhiÖt
* thermal spring : suèi nÐ¬c nãng
- to lead to : dÉn ®Õn, g©y ra
* The road leads to my school.
Con ®êng dÉn ®Õn trêng t«i.
- legislation : luËt, ®¹o luËt
- to be aimed at : nh»m ®Ó lµm g×
* My project is aimed at helping poor people.
Dù ¸n cña t«i nh»m gióp d©n nghÌo.
- chimney : èng khãi
- domestic : thuéc vÒ trong nhµ
* domestic animals : vËt nu«i
* Horses, cows and sheep are domestic animals.
Ngùa, bß, vµ cõu lµ nh÷ng vËt nu«i.
- to consist of # to be made up of : gåm cã, bao gåm
* The committee consists of 10 members.
Uû ban gåm 10 ngêi.
- suspended : treo l¬ l÷ng 33
* to be suspended in air : l¬ l÷ng trong kh«ng khÝ
- to be accompanied by : cïng víi
- to be released : th¶i ra
* Toxic chemicals are released into the sky.
Ho¸ chÊt ®éc h¹i bÞ th¶i ra trong khÝ quyÓn.
* to release a man from prison : th¶ mét ngêi ra khái tï
- severe : nghiªm träng, d÷ déi, nghiªm nghÞ
* a severe pain : c¬n ®au d÷ déi
* a severe look : çi nh×n nghiªm nghÞ
- a drastic increase : mét sù gia t¨ng ®¸ng kÓ
- a relentless increase : mét sù gia t¨ng nh¶y vät
- chronic bronchitis : bÖnh viªm phæi m·n tÝnh.
Lesson 16: REDUCING HARMFUL EMISSIONS
When a cloud of toxic gas escaped from a U.S. factory in Bhopal, India, in 1984, killing
thousands of people, Americans said it couldn't happen at home. They are wrong. The
same gas,
26
methyl isocyanate, is emitted every day from chemical plants in the U.S.A., along with
more than
300 other kinds of chemical, many of which are known to cause cancer. A study by the
Environmental Protection Agency in 1989 revealed that 205 factories were emitting
dangerous
quantities of harmful chemicals into the air, threatening the health of nearby residents.
Factories are by no means the only source of air pollution. Power stations, oil refineries
and metal
foundries also emit large quantities of pollutants. Citizens have no right to complain
about air
pollution, however, if they drive an automobile: cars and trucks are the biggest source of
toxic
carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and suspended particulate matter.
In 1990, U.S. legislators made a brave attempt to reduce harmful emissions by
introducing strict
new controls. In order to comply with the new Clean Air Act, power stations, factories,
smelters,
oil refineries and large bakeries had to install expensive new antipollution equipment and
automobile manufacturers had to design cleaner engines or fit efficient catalytic
converters to
tailpipes. The new law was expected to cost Americans about $25 billion a year, but was
nevertheless widely supported by both manufacturers and consumers.
Air pollution authorities in California have had to go far beyond the limits of federal law
in order
to tackle the haze in Los Angeles, North America's most polluted city. Regulations on
auto
emissions - already the world's strictest - will become even stricter in the year 2003,
when 10% of
all new vehicles sold in California must be zero-emission vehicles. Emission limits have
been
imposed not only on the major sources of pollution but also on bakeries, lawn mowers,
chain
saws, gas water heaters and even floor polish. 34
Clean air has begun to take priority over corporate profits in the West, thanks to the
growing
power of the environmental lobby. Elsewhere, however, economic development still
takes
precedence over the environment. In Benxi, China, the smog is so thick that for six
months a
year, maximum visibility is only 50 meters. Factories in Cracow, Poland, pump an
estimated
10,000 tons of toxic gases into the air every day. India's most famous monument, the Taj
Mahal,
27
is cracked and yellow after years of exposure to pollutants from nearby iron foundries in
and
around Agra. These cities, and thousands like them, can afford neither to clean up their
factories
and foundries nor to close them down. Unless they receive technological and financial
help from
rich industrialized nations, their residents may never breathe pure air.
Notes:
- Environmental Protection Agency : C¬ Quan B¶o VÖ M«i tr-êng
- to threaten : ®e do¹
* to threaten to do sth : ®e do¹ lµm çi g×
- to make an attempt : cè g¾ng
- strict : nghiªm tóc, nghiªm ngÆt
- to go far beyond the limit : v-ît qu¸ giíi h¹n
- to be imposed on : g©y t¸c ®éng cho, g©y ¶nh h-ëng cho
- monument : di tÝch
Lesson 17: DEADLY SECRETS
The production of plastics, drugs and farm chemicals results in a number of dangerous
by-products:
poisonous gases which cause air pollution, acid rain and global warming, deadly liquids
which
pollute nearby rivers and underground water resources, and toxic solid waste which has
to be
burned or dumped at great risk to the environment. Mines and oil refineries also produce
hazardous
waste, but the chemical industry is the worst culprit.
Some years ago, a huge quantity of toxic waste was found in Love Canal, a residential
area near
Niagara Falls. This discovery was followed by an investigation which revealed over
35,000 toxic
waste dumps all over the U.S.A. Many people were found to be suffering from serious
illnesses
related to the poisonous chemicals in their neighborhoods and even beneath their homes,
but no-
body was prepared to accept responsibility until public opinion and a series of lawsuits
forced the
federal government to take action. A "Superfund" was set up to pay for the cleaning up
of toxic
waste sites. The huge costs were to be born by the companies which produced and
dumped the
waste, and by taxes on newly produced waste.
Toxic waste dumps contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), cadmium, chromium,

arsenic, lead,
28
dioxin and many other dangerous substances. PCBs 20 cause cancer and reproductive
disorders.
The Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation illegally dumped them in 89 different
locations near 35
their gas pipelines, contaminating local drinking water. The penalty? A $15-million fine,
in a year
when the company earned $1,300 million in profits. "Itai Itai" Disease was caused by
cadmium
dumped in the Jinzu River in Japan. When people ate rice grown in nearby paddy fields,
their bones
became brittle and they suffered extreme pain. More than a hundred people died.
Problems like these occur because of inadequate control by the authorities. Factory
managers offer
waste disposal contracts to the lowest bidder, with no concern as to where the waste is
dumped.
Truck drivers merely follow orders, collecting their deadly cargoes and dumping them as
instructed, often late at night. Waste disposal companies make huge profits without
having to pro-
vide any details to the authorities.
The situation will not improve until governments introduce strict controls on the disposal
of
hazardous waste. Both producers and disposers must be required to inform local
authorities and
residents about every kilogram of toxic waste: where it was produced, who transported it
and where
it ended up. Operators who do not disclose such information, make false reports or dump
waste
illegally must be severely punished.
Notes:
- deadly secret : bÝ mËt chÕt ngêi
- by-product : phã phÈm
- oil-refinery : nhµ m¸y läc dÇu
- hazardous : nguy hiÓm
- culprit : téi ph¹m
- residential area : vïng d©n c
- investigation : cuéc ®iÒu tra
- to be related to : cã liªn quan ®Õn
- to be prepared to # to be ready to : s½n sµng
- responsibility : tr¸ch nhiÖm
* to take full responsibility for : chÞu hoµn toµn tr¸ch
nhiÖm vÒ
- public opinion : d luËn, ý kiÕn c«ng chóng
- to make huge profit : kiÕm ®îc nhiÒu tÒn lêi, thu ®îc kho¶n
lîi khæng lå
- bidder : ngêi ®Êu thÇu, nhµ thÇu
29
- to be punished : bÞ ph¹t
Lesson 18: GETTING RID OF TOXIC WASTE

36
The disposal of toxic waste used to be easy. It was put in big steel drums, transported by
truck to
isolated places and then dumped. When this method was finally banned, companies
began to buy
up old mines and other convenient sites in which to dump their waste. When there were
no more
cheap sites and local residents began to sue them for polluting their water resources,
companies
began to load their waste on ships and dump it in the sea. Soon, this practice was banned,
and the
waste was instead burned in special incinerator ships. The highly toxic ash which
remained was
then illegally dumped in the sea or taken to the Third World, where government officials
agreed
to accept the waste in exchange for desperately needed foreign money and large bribes.
In 1987 and 1988, toxic waste from Italy was illegally dumped in Koko, Nigeria. It was
falsely
classified as harmless, but when the drums leaked and many people became ill, the
Nigerian
government demanded that it be removed. It was eventually returned to Italy on a ship
named the
Karin B. As a result of this incident - just one of many - the United Nations
Environment
Program drafted an international agreement on waste disposal which was adopted at the
Basel
Convention in 1989. The agreement lists 47 dangerous chemicals which cannot be
exported or
imported by any of the 60-plus nations which have so far accepted it. The European
Union
ratified the agreement in 1992. The U.S.A. and Japan have accepted it on principle but
not yet
ratified it.
As the possibilities for waste disposal in local and foreign landfills decrease, chemical
companies are having to consider more creative alternatives. The obvious solution would
be to
eliminate the waste at source, with new production techniques. This might be possible for
many,
but not all of the millions of chemicals produced by modern industry; it would, however,
be very
30
costly. Another possibility is to treat the waste with chemicals or bacteria in order to
make it
harmless. Scientists at Stanford University have already succeeded in using bacteria to
break
down two dangerous chemicals, trichloroethylene and w vinyl chloride, and are hopeful
that
many more can be treated in this way.
The suggestion that toxic waste might be recycled was not taken seriously until 1993,
when a
small American company named Molten Metal Technology began testing its Catalytic
Extraction
Processing technology for commercial use. Toxic waste is injected into a pool of molten
iron and
breaks down into the elements of which it is composed. These can be recovered and used
again.
Notes:
- steel drum : thïng chøa b»ng thÐp
- isolated : c« lËp
* an isolated place : n¬i biÖt lËp, n¬i hoang v¾ng, n¬i bá
hoang
- mine : hÇm má
* a coal mine : má than
- site : b·i
- to sue : tha kiÖn
- to dump : ®æ (r¸c...)
- in exchange for : trao ®æi, giao lu
- bribe : kho¶n tiÒn hèi lé
* to receive a bribe : nhËn tiÒn hèi lé
- to be classified : ®îc ph©n lo¹i
- to leak : rß rÜ
- to draft : so¹n th¶o
- international agreement : hiÖp ®Þnh quèc tÕ
- to eliminate : huû bá
- landfill : ®Êt ®¾p
- to treat waste by bacteria : xö lý r¸c th¶i b»ng vi khuÈn
- to be recycled : ®îc t¸i chÕ, ®îc t¸i sinh
- Molten Metal Technology : c«ng nghÖ nãng ch¶y kim lo¹i
Lesson 19: THE CONSEQUENCES OF ACID RAIN
Many of Europe's power stations and factories burn coal or oil. This results in the
emission of
large quantities of sulfur dioxide and smaller amounts of nitrogen oxides. These gases
are
released through tall chimneys into the sky, where they mix with water vapor in clouds to
form
31
sulfuric and nitric acid. After being blown great distances by prevailing winds, these
clouds
condense into acid rain and fall on land and sea, causing considerable harm.
Many of Scandinavia's beautiful lakes have become too acidic to support life. Trees
throughout
Germany are dying because of the acidity of the soil. Church bells in Belgium and the
Netherlands have lost their purity of sound and the magnificent stained glass windows of
Chartres Cathedral have lost their luster, owing to corrosion from acid rain. It also
corrodes
bridges, statues, rails, almost anything made of metal, including, ironically, the motor
vehicles
which are partly responsible for it through their emissions of nitrogen oxides. It dissolves
stone,
bricks and mortar too. Many of Europe's finest historical buildings have been irreparably
damaged by acid rain and smog. Acid rain is a problem not only for Europe. In Quebec,
100,000
square kilometers of valuable maple forests have been damaged, resulting in serious
losses for the
maple syrup industry. Acid rain does not respect international frontiers. Much of the
sulfur
which killed thousands of lakes in Canada came from power plants in the U.S.A.; and
forest
damage in Japan has been blamed to some extent on Chinese factories and power
stations.
Acid rain is also dangerous to humans. People who exercise outdoors when there is acid
vapor in
the air they breathe may suffer lung and kidney disease, 5 sore eyes and skin irritation.
Five
million Britons are exposed to lead poisoning from their tap water because lead in their
water
pipes is being dissolved by acid in the water supply. Moreover, alpine regions in which
forests
have been decimated by acid rain are prone to suffer sudden floods and avalanches
capable of
destroying entire villages.
Over 150 years ago, the world's first air pollution official wrote the following comments
in his
book Air and Rain: "when the air has so much acid... there is no hope for vegetation...
galvanized
iron is useless... stone and bricks of buildings crumble." Scientists have learned a lot
about acid
rain since Robert Angus Smith's far-sighted comments on air pollution in Britain were
first pub-
32
lished; but governments have been very slow to take remedial action.
Notes:
- consequence : hËu qu¶
* environmental consequence: hËu qu¶ m«i tr-êng
- to mix : trén lÉn, hoµ trén
* to mix with : trén víi
- water vapor : h¬i n-íc
- to form : t¹o ra 39
- to be blown : bÞ thæi ®i, bÞ cuèn ®i
- to condense into : nÐn l¹i, c« l¹i
- acidity : tÝnh a xÝt
- purity : sù thuÇn khiÕt, sù tinh khiÕt
- corrosion : sù bµo mßn, sù xãi mßn
- to dissolve : lµm tan r·, lµm ph©n huû
- to be damaged : bÞ h- h¹i
- to some extent : ë mét møc ®é nµo ®ã
- to exercise outdoors : tËp thÓ dôc ngoµi trêi
- kidney disease : bÖnh thËn
- to be prone to : thiªn vÒ, dÔ
* He is prone to lose his temper.
H¾n dÔ næi giËn.
Lesson 20: ACID RAIN AND FALSE ECONOMIES
What do withered trees, dead fish and retarded babies have in common? They are all
victims of
acid rain. It kills trees by attacking their roots. It cripples fish by destroying their gills. It
dissolves the lead in old water pipes, poisoning the water supply and indirectly causing
the birth
of retarded babies.
The annual costs of acid rain for farmers, fisheries, public authorities and private
companies are
enormous. Any computation would have to include losses of farm and fishery products,
repairs to
damaged buildings and bridges, health care for people whose lungs were harmed by acid
fog and
measures taken to combat the effects of acid rain, such as pouring lime into rivers to
reduce their
acidity.
It is thus hard to accept the claim by government representatives that effective measures
to
eliminate or reduce acid rain would be too costly. They would certainly require
considerable
expense initially; but they would give rise to vast savings in the long run.
33
The biggest source of the gases responsible for acid rain is coal-fired power stations.
Three of
these monsters in Britain together account for one third of all nationwide emissions of
sulfur
dioxide. There are various ways in which such emissions could be cut. One approach
would
involve burning low-sulfur coal imported from Canada, or replacing coal altogether with
North
Sea oil or natural gas, both of which are low-sulfur fuels. Better still, non-polluting
sources such
as wind and sunshine could be exploited.
40
Another approach involves the use of fluidized-bed combustion technology to remove
sulfur as
coal is burned. This process has only recently been developed and remains very
expensive. Much
older technology would suffice for a third approach, flue-gas desulfurization, which
filters the
smoke as it goes up the chimney. This process was invented in Britain in 1880 but
neglected
there for more than a century. In Germany, it has been installed in nearly all power
stations.
A Japanese company has recently developed a process for converting waste gas into
fertilizer.
The smoke is mixed with ammonia and then treated with electronic rays. The resulting
product
can be sold to farmers, thereby subsidizing the cost of eliminating the waste gas.
Likewise, a
power plant at Kalundborg in Denmark removes sulfur from its flue gases and sells some
of it to
a local sulfuric acid manufacturer. The rest is converted to gypsum and sold to a
plasterboard
manufacturer.
It has been estimated that a 50% cut in sulfur dioxide emissions could be paid for by a
mere
0.5% increase in electricity charges. So far, 21 nations have become members of the
"30%
Club" by committing themselves to a 30% reduction of sulfur emissions over 1980 levels,
including some with more ambitious targets. But sulfur emissions can and should be
eliminated
entirely.
Notes:
- withered : kh«, hÐo, khinh miÖt
* a withered tree : mät c©y kh«
34
* a withered flower : mét hoa hÐo
* a withered glance : mét çi nh×n khinh miÖt
- retarded ; ph¸t triÓn chËm ( vÒ thÓ chÊt)
* a retarded child : mét ®øa trÎ ph¸t triÓn thÓ chÊt chËm
- to have sth in common : cã chung çi g×, gièng nhau
- victim : n¹n nh©n
- root : rÔ c©y
* trees with long roots : c©y cã rÔ dµi
* to have roots in : cã nguån gèc tõ
- to cripple : lµm cho tµn phÕ, g©y tæn th-¬ng
- gill : mang
- lead : ch×
- water pipe : èng dÉn n-íc
- enormous : lín, khæng lå
* an enormous breakfast : mét b÷a ¨n s¸ng thÞnh so¹n
- to be harmed by : bÞ g©y h¹i bëi 41
- to combat the effect : chèng l¹i nh÷ng t¸c h¹i/hËu qu¶
- to pour : ®æ
- lime : v«i
- costly # expensive : ®¾t ®á, tèn nhiÒu tiÒn
- considerable expense : kho¶n chi phÝ ®¸ng kÓ
- to give rise to vast savings : tiÕt kiÖm ®-îc mét kho¶n tiÒn
lín
- coal-fired power station : nhµ m¸y n¨ng l-îng ch¹y b»ng than
- monster : qu¸i vËt
- approach : ph-¬ng ph¸p, ®-êng h-íng
- to replace sth with sth : thay çi g× b»ng çi g×
- non-polluting source : nguån ( n¨ng l-îng...) kh«ng g©y «
nhiÔm/s¹ch
- to be exploited : ®-îc khai th¸c, bÞ bãc lét
- ammonia : khÝ a m« ni ¾c
- combusion : ®èt
- to suffice : ®ñ ®Ó, ®¸p øng nhu cÇu cña
* Will $10 suffice for the trip?
LiÖu 10 ®« la cã ®ñ cho chuyÕn ®i kh«ng?
- gypsum : th¹ch cao
- to be estimated : -íc tÝnh
* It is estimated that.....: Ng-êi ta -íc tÝnh r»ng
Lesson 21: GLOBAL WARMING
The global climate is controlled by very complex factors, such as thermal currents in the
air and
sea, cloud movements and volcanic eruptions. The most powerful factor is the sun,
without
35
which the earth would be a frozen wilderness. Sunshine warms the earth, but most of the
heat
reaching the earth's surface would be radiated back into space were it not for the presence
of
certain gases in the atmosphere. These gases, the most important of which is carbon
dioxide,
act as a blanket around the earth, allowing the heat of the sun to enter but preventing
some of it
from leaving.
Since the Industrial Revolution, the density of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been
steadily increasing. In 1850, it was about 280 parts per million. By 1990, it had risen to
375
ppm. If this trend continues at the present rate, the figure will have risen to 560 ppm by
the year 42
2030. This, together with the steady accumulation of methane, nitrous oxide and CFCs
(chlorofluorocarbons), will have a major impact on the world's climate. Researchers with
the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported in 1990 that within 30 years, mean
global
temperatures would rise by 1.8°C and within 80 years by 3.5°C if present trends
continued.
This increase in global temperatures resulting from what is commonly known as the
Greenhouse Effect might seem attractive to residents of Scandinavia, Canada and Siberia,
where winters are long and harsh. However, it will have a number of very unpleasant
consequences for people living elsewhere. There will be severe droughts in India, Africa,
Australia and Brazil. The vast U.S. grain belt may turn into a dust bowl. Hurricanes,
which
only develop when temperatures exceed 26°C, will become more common and more
severe.
Along with other diseases, malaria, a disease carried by mosquitoes which are unable to
breed
at temperatures below 22°C, will spread throughout the Mediterranean region, Mexico
and
China.
If global temperatures rise as predicted, with greater increases in the polar regions, much
of the
ice covering Greenland and Antarctica will melt, resulting in a rise in sea levels. This will
lead
to severe flooding of coastal areas, particularly in Bangladesh, the Nile Delta and the
Netherlands, and will ruin as much as a third of the world's cropland. Some island nations
-
Kiribati, Maldives and Tuvalu - may disappear entirely, and the damage to cities such as
36
Amsterdam, Venice and Miami will be enormous. It is estimated that 45 million people
will
lose their homes as a result of flooding, and many more will have to leave areas hit by
drought.
Mass migration on such a scale could easily lead to war between neighboring countries.
Moreover, many species of animal, bird and plant may become extinct.
Notes:
- global : thuéc vÒ toµn cÇu
* global economy : kinh tÕ toµn cÇu
* global temperature : nhiÖt ®é toµn cÇu
* globalization : toµn cÇu ho¸
- complex : phøc t¹p
* a complex system, network : mét hÖ thèng, m¹ng l-íi phøc
t¹p
- thermal : thuéc vÒ nhiÖt
* thermal current : dßng nhiÖt
* thermal insulation : sù çch nhiÖt
* thermal power station : nhµ m¸y nhiÖt ®iÖn
- volcanic eruption : sù phun trµo cña nói löa
- surface : bÒ mÆt
* the surface of the earth : bÒ mÆt tr¸i ®Êt
- to radiate : bøc x¹
- blanket : çi ch¨n, líp bao phñ
* a blanket of fog : líp s¬ng mï
- to prevent sth from : ng¨n ngõa, b¶o vÖ çi g× khái...
- to allow sb to do sth : cho phÐp ai lµm çi g×
- density : mËt ®é
* population density : mËt ®é d©n sè
- steady : ®Òu ®Æn
* a steady increase : mét sù gia t¨ng ®Òu ®Æn
- trend : xu híng,chiÒu híng
* The trend of prices is still upwards.
ChiÒu h-íng gi¸ c¶ cßn gia t¨ng.
- figure : con sè
- to accumulate : tÝch luü
- to have an impact on sth : t¸c ®éng lªn çi g×
- to be known as : ®-îc biÕt ®Õn nh-
* To Huu is known as great poet.
Tè H÷u ®-îc biÕt ®Õn nh- mét nhµ th¬ vÜ ®¹i.
- Greenhouse Effect : hiÖu øng nhµ kÝnh
- to be attractive : quyÕn rñ
- harsh : kh¾c nghiÖt
- drought : h¹n h¸n
- grain belt : vµnh ®ai lóa m×
- dust bowl : vïng ®Çy bôi, vïng kh« c»n
- hurricance : b·o, giã lín
37
- to spread : lan truyÒn
* Fear spread through the village.
Nçi sî lan kh¾p lµng.
- to be predicted : ®îc dù b¸o
* as predicted : nh ®· ®îc dù b¸o
- sea level : mùc níc biÓn
- coastal area : vïng duyªn h¶i
- cropland : vïng ®Êt trång, vïng ®Êt canh t¸c
- neighbouring country : níc l¸ng giÒng
Chapter 2: TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES
Lesson 22: TRANSLATING COMPUTER
For several years, language experts have used computers to help people change some
documents
from one language to another. Now there is new interest in using computers to translate
more
information. Scientists once believed this could be done easily. They thought computers
could
change words from one language to another . They thought computers could make
sentences
from words by using the rules of the language. However, many words have more than
one
meaning. The English word “bank” can mean the land along a river, lake or ocean, or it
can mean
an organization that keeps or lends money. Sentences also can have more than one
meaning. The
statement “I can fish” can mean I am able to catch fish, or it can mean I work in a factory
putting
fish into cans. Computers are not able to understand differences in meaning. So scientists
have
developed a new method of computer translation to solve this problem. They developed a
system
using a special common language. The “New York Times” newspaper recently explained
the
system. First, the computer translates information from one language into the common
language.
In the common language, each word has only one meaning. Then, the computer translates
the
information into another language. Powerful computers are not the only machines being
used to
translate languages. Now people can buy small devices they can hold in their hand.
These
devices can translate thousands of English words into several languages. Experts say
there is
38
more pressure for international trade. And they say Americans are becoming more
concerned
about relations with other countries. The European Economic Community is pushing
language
translation. It has said that by next year companies dealing with the European Economic
Community must translate information about products into the ten languages of member
countries. Some experts say it may be 25 years before a computer translates as well as
people
can. They say they do not believe any machine could translate special information such
as
diplomatic letters or legal document.
Notes:
1. translating computer: m¸y vi tÝnh dÞch
2. language expert: chuyªn gia vÒ ng«n ng÷
3. information (n): th«ng tin
4. to make sentence: ®Æt c©u
5. to solve: gi¶i quyÕt, xö lý
5. evice (n): thiÕt bÞ
7. to be concerned: quan t©m, lo ng¹i
8. diplomatic letter: th- ngo¹i giao
M¸Y VI TÝNH DÞCH
Trong nhiÒu n¨m, çc chuyªn gia vÒ ng«n ng÷ ®· sö dông çc m¸y vi
tÝnh ®Ó gióp cho con ng-êi chuyÓn ®æi mét sè tµi liÖu tõ ng«n ng÷
nµy sang ng«n ng÷ kh¸c. HiÖn nay, ng-êi ta quan t©m h¬n trong
viÖc sö dông çc m¸y vi tÝnh ®Ó dÞch thªm th«ng tin. Çc nhµ khoa
häc tõng tin r»ng c«ng viÖc nµy cã thÓ ®-îc thùc hiÖn mét çch dÔ
dµng. Hä nghÜ r»ng çc m¸y vi tÝnh cã thÓ chuyÓn ®æi çc tõ tõ
ng«n ng÷ nµy sang ng«n ng÷ kh¸c vµ cã thÓ ®Æt nh÷ng c©u víi çc
tõ b»ng çch sö dông luËt ng«n ng÷. Tuy nhiªn, nhiÒu tõ cã h¬n
mét nghÜa. Tõ “bank ” trong tiÕng Anh cã thÓ nghÜa lµ mét kho¶ng
®Êt däc theo mét dßng s«ng, hå hay biÓn hoÆc nghÜa lµ mét tæ chøc
gi÷ vµ cho m-în tiÌn. C©u còng cã thÓ cã h¬n mét nghÜa. C©u nãi
“ I can fish ” cã thÓ nghÜa lµ t«i cã thÓ b¾t ç hoÆc nghÜa lµ
t«i lµm viÖc trong nhµ m¸y ®ãng ç hép. M¸y vi tÝnh kh«ng thÓ
hiÓu ®-îc sù kh¸c nhau vÒ nghÜa. V× thÕ, çc nhµ khoa häc ®· ph¸t
triÓn mét ph-¬ng ph¸p míi vÒ dÞch vi tÝnh ®Ó gi¶i quyÕt vÊn ®Ò
nµy. Hä ph¸t triÓn mét hÖ thèng mµ sö dông mét ng«n ng÷ chung ®Æc
biÖt. Tê b¸o “New York Times ” gÇn ®©y ®· gi¶i thÝch hÖ thèng
nµy nh- sau. Tr-íc tiªn, m¸y vi tÝnh dÞch th«ng tin tõ mét ng«n
ng÷ sang ng«n ng÷ chung. Trong ng«n ng÷ chung, mçi tõ chØ cã mét
nghÜa. Sau ®ã, m¸y vi tÝnh dÞch th«ng tin sang ng«n ng÷ kh¸c.
Kh«ng chØ nh÷ng m¸y vi tÝnh ®a n¨ng míi ®-îc sö dông ®Ó dÞch mµ
ng-êi ta cßn cã thÓ mua nh÷ng thiÕt bÞ nhá cÇm tay. Nh÷ng thiÕt
bÞ nµy cã thÓ dÞch hµng ngµn tõ tiÕng Anh sang mét vµi ng«n ng÷.
39
Çc chuyªn gia nãi r»ng cã nhiÒu lý do ®Ó c¾t nghÜa viÖc quan t©m
míi nµy cña Mü trong viÖc dÞch ng«n ng÷. Hä cho biÕt cã thªm mét
¸p lùc ®èi víi nÒn kinh tÕ toµn cÇu vµ ng-êi Mü ngµy cµng quan
t©m ®Õn mèi quan hÖ víi çc quèc gia kh¸c. Céng ®ång kinh tÕ
Ch©u ¢u ®ang ®Èy m¹nh viÖc dÞch ng«n ng÷. Nã nãi r»ng n¨m ®Õn çc
c«ng ty mµ cã quan hÖ lµm ¨n víi Céng ®ång kinh tÕ Ch©u ¢u ph¶i
dÞch th«ng tin vÒ s¶n phÈm sang 10 ng«n ng÷ cña çc quèc gia
thµnh viªn. Mét sè chuyªn gia cho r»ng còng mÊt kho¶ng 25 n¨m n÷a
th× m¸y vi tÝnh míi cã thÓ dÞch tèt nh- con ng-êi. Hä còng cho
biÕt hä kh«ng tin bÊt cø m¸y nµo cã thÓ dÞch ®-îc nh÷ng th«ng tin
®Æc biÖt nh- th- ngo¹i giao hay tµi liÖu ph¸p luËt.
Lesson 23:
American researchers say they have developed a medicine that has prevented strokes
1
in rats.
They said the vaccine also prevented stroke-like effects of a brain condition called
epilepsy
2
.
Researchers at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania reported the
results of
their experiments in the publication “Science”.
The researchers gave the vaccine to 100 laboratory rats. One month later, the researchers
gave the
rats a nerve poison 3
. The medicine protected 70% percent of rats from brain damage that would
normally result from the poison.
The researchers also gave the vaccine to the second group of rats. The scientists caused
stroke in
the rats five months later. The vaccine reduced the resulting brain damage 70%
The researchers say the vaccine causes the body‟s defense system to protect the brain
from stroke
and injury damage, just as it protects other parts of the body from disease. Vaccines
protect
against disease because they create proteins in the blood called antibodies
4
. These antibodies
fight infections caused by bacteria and viruses. The experimental vaccine creates
antibodies that
block
5
a brain chemical involved in the destruction of the brain cells after strokes or injuries.
40
The Jefferson Medical College researchers are now planning to test the experimental
vaccine on
people who are at risk of
6
suffering a stroke. If the vaccine proves safe and effective, it could be
used in the future to protect older people against brain damage from strokes and even
Alzheimer‟s disease.
The vaccine would work the same way other vaccines do now. Doctors would give it to
people
thought to be at risk for stroke or other brain diseases. The antibodies develop in the
blood. When
a stroke or injury occurs, the antibodies cross into the brain where they are needed and
prevent
damage. The antibodies cannot cross into the brain until a stroke or injury happens.
The researchers say much more research is needed before the vaccine could be used by
most
people. But they say their work could be the start of a whole new way to treat brain
diseases.
Notes:
1. stroke (n): c¬n ®ét quþ
2. epilepsy (n) : chøng ®éng kinh
3. poison (n): chÊt ®éc
4. antibody (n): kh¸ng thÓ
5. block (n): ng¨n c¶n
6. to be at risk of: cã kh¶ n¨ng, cã nguy c¬
Çc nhµ nghiªn cøu ngêi Mü cho r»ng hä võa ph¸t triÓn mét lo¹i
thuèc ngõa bÖnh ®ét quþ ë chuét. Hä cho biÕt lo¹i vaccine nµy
còng cã thÓ ngõa çc ¶nh h-ëng gièng nh c¬n ®ét quþ ë n·o gäi lµ
chøng ®éng kinh. Çc nhµ nghiªn cøu t¹i Trêng §¹i häc Y Khoa
Jeferson ë Philadelphia, Pennylvania ®· c«ng bè kÕt qu¶ thÝ
nghiÖm cña hä trªn tê b¸o “Science ” (Khoa häc).
Çc nhµ nghiªn cøu ®· tiªm vaccine vµo 100 con chuét thÝ nghiÖm.
Mét th¸ng sau, hä tiªm thuèc ®éc vµo n·o cña chóng. Thuèc ®· gióp
cho 70% sè chuét khái bÞ tæn th-¬ng n·o th-êng do hËu qu¶ cña
chÊt ®éc g©y ra.
Çc nhµ nghiªn cøu còng tiªm vaccine vµo nhãm chuét thø hai. N¨m
th¸ng sau, çc nhµ khoa häc g©y c¬n ®ét quþ ë nh÷ng con chuét
nµy. Thuèc lµm gi¶m ®i sù tån t¹i ë n·o ®Õn 70%.
Theo çc nhµ nghiªn cøu th× vaccine ®· lµm cho hÖ miÔn nhiÔm b¶o
41
vÖ n·o khái c¬n ®ét quþ vµ tæn th-¬ng, gièng nh- nã b¶o vÖ çc bé
phËn kh¸c cña c¬ thÓ khái bÖnh tËt. Vaccine ngõa ®-îc bÖnh lµ do
chóng t¹o ra mét d¹ng Protªin trong m¸u gäi lµ kh¸ng thÓ. Çc
kh¸ng thÓ nµy chèng l¹i sù nhiÔm trïng g©y ra bëi vi khuÈn vµ vi
rót. Vaccine thö nghiÖm t¹o ra kh¸ng thÓ ng¨n chÆn çc ho¸ chÊt ë
n·o lµm huû ho¹i tÕ b¹o thÇn kinh sau çc c¬n ®ét quþ hay tæn
th-¬ng.
Çc nhµ nghiªn cøu thuéc Tr-êng §¹i häc Jefferson dù ®Þnh tiÕn
hµnh thö nghiÖm lo¹i vaccine nµy trªn nh÷ng ng-êi cã nguy c¬ bÞ
®ét quþ. NÕu vaccine tá ra an toµn vµ h÷u hiÖu th× nã cã thÓ ®-îc
sö dông trong t¬ng lai ®Ó b¶o vÖ ng-êi giµ khái bÞ tæn h¹i vÒ
n·o v× çc c¬n ®ét quþ vµ ngay c¶ bÖnh Alzheimer (bÖnh mÊt trÝ
nhí).
HiÖn nay, lo¹i vaccine nµy còng ho¹t ®éng nh- çc lo¹i vaccine
kh¸c. B¸c sÜ sÏ tiªm cho nh÷ng ai ®-îc chÈn ®o¸n cã nguy c¬ ®ét
quþ vµ çc bÖnh kh¸c vÒ n·o. Çc chÊt kh¸ng thÓ ph¸t triÓn trong
m¸u. Khi c¬n ®ét quþ hay chÊn th-¬ng x¶y ra, çc kh¸ng thÓ ®i vµo
n·o n¬i mµ cÇn chóng ®Ó ng¨n ngõa tæn th-¬ng. Çc kh¸ng thÓ kh«ng
®i vµo n·o trõ phi c¬n ®ét quþ hay tæn th-¬ng x¶y ra.
48
Çc nhµ nghiªn cøu nãi r»ng cÇn ph¶I thùc hiÖn thªm nhiÒu cuéc
nghiªn cøu vÒ lo¹i vaccine nµy h¬n n÷a tr-íc khi ®em ra sö dông
réng r·i. Nh-ng c«ng viÖc Êy cã thÓ lµ b-íc ®Çu cho mét ph-¬ng
ph¸p hoµn toµn míi mÎ ®Î trÞ çc bÖnh vÒ n·o.
Lesson 24:
Trong lÞch sö loµi ng-êi khoa häc ®-îc xem nh- cã sø mÖnh gi¶i
phãng con ng-êi khái sù ngu dèt, sù mª tÝn, gi¶m ®ãi nghÌo vµ
t¨ng tÇm hiÓu biÕt cña con ng-êi vÒ thÕ giíi.
Tê N. A ®· ca ngîi çc nhµ khoa häc cña thêi ®¹i ®ã lµ çc nhµ
truyÒn b¸ ¸nh s¸ng, nh÷ng ng-êi sÏ xua tan bãng ®ªm vµ më ra con
®-êng cho con ng-êi chinh phôc thiªn nhiªn. Trong thêi kú ®ã,
nh÷ng ph¸t minh kh«ng t-ëng nh- m¸y bay, tµu ngÇm vµ ®iÖn tho¹i
®· ®-îc dù b¸o tr-íc.
Nh÷ng ai quan t©m ®Õn ngµnh c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh tin rµng chóng ta
®ang tr·i qua mét cuéc çch m¹ng vÒ m¸y tÝnh. T¹i sao cuéc çch
m¹ng nµy x¶y ra ? §iÒu nµy cã mang l¹i hËu qu¶ g× cho x· héi? §Ó
tr¶ lêi nh÷ng c©u hái nµy, cÇn phØa s¬ l-îc vÒ lÞch sö m¸y tÝnh.
M¸y tÝnh ®Çu tiªn -bµn tÝnh , do ng-êi Trung Quèc ph¸t minh çch
®©y 5000 n¨m lµ tiÒn th©n cña m¸y tÝnh hiÖn ®¹i sau nµy. Cho ®Õn
thÕ kû thø 17, ë Ch©u ¢u ch-a cã g× cã thÓ s¸nh b»ng bµn tÝnh vÒ
42
tèc ®é còng nh- ®é chÝnh x¸c trong tÝnh to¸n.
M¸y tÝnh ®-îc ph¸t triÓn ®ång thêi ë §øc, Anh vµ Mü ®Ó t¨ng thªm
tèc ®é còng nh- ®é chÝnh x¸c trong tÝnh to¸n cÇn cho viÖc gi¶i m·
th«ng ®iÖp cña kÎ thï.
Ngµy nay , nhiÒu c«ng viÖc trong çc kh©u s¶n xuÊt vµ dÞch vô do
con ng-êi ®¶m tr¸ch cã thÓ ®-îc thùc hiÖn nhanh h¬n vµ Ýt tèn kÐm
h¬n nhê sù trî gióp cña c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh vµ çc thiÕt bÞ ®-îc
m¸y tÝnh kiÓm so¸t.
Ng-êi m¸y ®ang dÇn thay thÕ c«ng nh©n trong d©y chuyÒn s¶n xuÊt
nh- nhµ m¸y chÕ t¹o « t« Fiat cña ý vµ Nissan cña NhËt. Vµo n¨m
1980, 50 robot ®· ®-îc çc c«ng ty cña óc sö dông ch¼ng h¹n nh-
h·ng General Motors Ford, Nissan vµ Simpson Pope
C«ng ty nµo kh«ng sö dông c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh ®Òu kh«ng thÓ c¹nh
tranh ®-îc víi çc ®èi thñ ¸p dông c«ng nghÖ nµy. B»ng chøng lµ
sù thÊt b¹i cña c«ng nghiÖp s¶n xuÊt ®ång hå Thuþ SÜ trong 2 n¨m
võa qua do bÞ ®ång hå ®iÖn tö c¹nh tranh nªn ®· thÊt thu 200
triÖu ®« la mçi n¨m. 49
Cïng víi viÖc c¬ giíi ho¸ ë mét sè qui tr×nh s¶n xuÊt, b-íc ®Çu
®· g©y ra n¹n thÊt nghiÖp víi sè l-îng lín. Nh÷ng nghÖ nh©n lµnh
nghÒ trong ngµnh tiÓu thñ c«ng nghiÖp vèn khan hiÕm tr-íc ®©y,
nay bçng d-ng tù hä c¶m thÊy thõa d- vµ thiÕu kü n¨ng trong nÒn
c«ng nghÖ hiÖn ®¹i.
Nh÷ng ý t-ëng khoa häc vÜ ®¹i nµy ®· ph¸t triÓn vµo thÕ kû 18 vµ
19. Cuéc çch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp Anh vµo cuèi thÕ kû 18 cµng cñng
cè niÒm tin vµo mét x· héi khoa häc kü thuËt mÆc dï lîi nhuËn x·
héi thu vµo kh«ng bï ®-îc chi phÝ x· héi bá ra .
Nh÷ng ng-êi khëi x-íng ra viÖc dïng n¨ng l-îng nguyªn tö nhÊn
m¹nh r»ng thÕ giíi nµy råi ®©y ch¾c c¾n sÏ trë thµnh mét thÕ giíi
cña nguyªn tö. Ng-êi ta còng cho r»ng nh÷ng ng-êi chèng ®èi l¹i
viÖc sö dông nguyªn tö ®ang chèng l¹i trµo l-u cña lÞch sö vµ cã
mèi quan hÖ gÇn gòi víi dßng hä Luddites - vèn lµ nh÷ng ng-êi chñ
tr-¬ng ®Ëp ph¸ m¸y mãc ngay tõ khi cuéc çch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp b¾t
®Çu.
In the human history, science has been seen as having a mission to liberate people from
ignorance and superstition, to lessen human misery, and to increase human understanding
of the
world.
43
The News Atlantic hailed the scientists of the time as merchants of light who would
penetrate the
darkness and open the way to man‟s control over nature. At that time, utopian invetions
such as
aircrafts, submarines, and telephones were foreseen.
People involved in the computer industry believe we are experiencing a computer

revolution.
Why is this revolution occuring? What will be its social consequences? To answer these
questions , it is necessary to consider briefly the history of computers.
The forerunner of modern computer goes back some 5000 years to the first calculating
machine
invented by the Chinese- the abacus. Until the 17th century, Europe had nothing to rival
the
abacus for speed and accuracy of calculation.
Computers were developed simultaneously in Germany, England and the USA to aid the
speedy
and accurate calculations necessary to decode the enemy‟s messages during World War
II.
Many of the jobs now being performed by people in the manufacturing and service
sectors of our
economy can be done faster and more cheaply by modern computers or electronic
devices
controlled by computers.
50
Robot machines are replacing assembly line workers in manufacturing. They have
already done
so in the Fiat car factory in Italy and the Nissan car plant in Japan. By 1980, 50 robots
were in
use in Australia by companies such as General Motors, Ford, Nissan and Simpson Pope.
Firms that do not adopt the new computer technology are enable to compete with their
cheaper
electronic rivals. Such has been the fate of the $200 million a year Swiss watch industry,
which
was wiped out by electronic watches in a couple of years.
With the mechanization of some work processes, the new factories initially resulted in
large-
scale structural unemployment. Previously, much sought-after, skilled, “cottage industry”
artisans
suddenly found themselves redundant and de-skilled by the new technology.
44
The heroic image of science grew through the 18th and 19th centuries. The Industrial
Revolution,
which started in England in the late 18th century, strongly reinforced faith in a
technological
society, although the social costs and benefits were far from equal share.
The nuclear energy proponents also pressed the theme that it was inevitable that the
world would
increasingly go nuclear. It is suggested that the opponents were standing against the tide
of
history and were akin to the Luddites at the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, who
broke
machines.
Lesson 25:
Çc b¸c sÜ cho thÊy lÇn ®Çu tiªn hä cã thÓ t¸i t¹o çc hÖ miÔn
nhiÔm cña nh÷ng ng-êi bÞ nhiÔm vi rót bÖnh AIDS b¨nge çch ®ét
ngét t¨ng sè l-îng tÕ bµo m¸u mµ vi rót HIV huû diÖt.
Trong lÜnh vùc ®µo t¹o y khoa, nh÷ng viÖc ®· lµm ®-îc trong nh÷ng
n¨m qua ®-îc ®¸nh dÊu b»ng sù kiÖn næi bËt lµ viÖc nhiÒu chuyªn
gia vÒ ®µo t¹o y khoa , nhiÒu tr-êng ®¹i häc trªn thÕ giíi ®· dÆt
vÊn ®Ò ph¶i xem xÐt l¹i néi dung ®µo t¹o ®éi ngò çn bé y tÕ .
Ng-êi thÇy thuèc ngµy nay nªn lµ ng-êi cña søc khoÎ . V× vËy
ng-êi thÇy thuèc ®ã cÇn ph¶i biÕt ph¸t hiÖn , gi¶i quyÕt , phôc
håi nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò søc khoÎ cña ç nh©n vµ céng ®ång.
Râ rµng r»ng mét th©n thÓ khoÎ m¹nh gióp cho mét t©m hån lµnh
m¹nh, v× chÝnh nh÷ng t©m hån lµnh m¹nh ®iÒu khiÓn h-íng ®i cña hÖ
thèng gi¸ trÞ. Mét ng-êi khoÎ m¹nh lµ mét ng-êi khoÎ m¹nh vÒ mÆt
thÓ chÊt lÉn tinh thÇn.
Ngµy nay con ng-êi cã khuynh h-íng lo ©u vÒ søc khoÎ thÓ chÊt.
Tuy nhiªn t«i muèn nhÊn m¹nh tíi tÇm quan träng cña søc khoÎ t©m
lý. M¹nh khoÎ vÒ mÆt tinh thÇn lµ rÊt quan träng vµ lµ mét ng-êi 51
thùc sù khoÎ m¹nh lµ ng-êi ®¹t ®-îc sù th¨ng b»ng hîp lý gi÷a thÓ
chÊt vµ tinh thÇn.
Doctors have shown for the first time they can rebuild the immune systems of people
infected
with the AIDS virus, dramatically increasing the blood cells that HIV destroys.
In the field of medicine training, what was done in the past years has been remarked by
45
distinguished fact that many specialists and medical colleges in different countries set
forth the
necessity for reconsidering training subjects for health workers.
Today, the physicians should be considered as men of health. Hence, the responsibility of
the
physicians is to know how to discover, cure, and rehabilitate the health of the individuals
and the
community.
It is obvious that a healthy body helps a sound mind because it is the sound minds that
direct the
orientation of the values systems. A healthy man should be healthy not only physically
but also
mentally.
Nowadays people are inclined to worry too much about their physical health. However, I
would
like to lay stress on the importance of psychological health. Being mentally healthy is
very
important, and a truly healthy man is one who can enjoy the proper equilibrium between
his body
and mind.
Lesson 26:
Passage 1:
§a sè nhiÒu ng-êi cho r»ng n¹n nh©n m·n lµ mét vÊn ®Ò. Ýt ra th×
nã còng lµ mét vÊn ®Ò r¾c rèi cho t-¬ng lai. Tuy nhiªn ch-a cã
cuéc ®iÒu tra lµ cã thÓ vµ nªn lµm çi g×. §iÒu ®ã cã nghÜa lµ
ng-êi ta kh«ng thÓ ®ång ý vÒ viÖc ph¶i lµm g×. NhiÒu ng-êi nghÜ
r»ng mçi cÆp vî chång nªn tù quyÕt ®Þnh lµ cã bao nhiªu con. Hä
nghÜ r»ng chÝnh phñ kh«ng nªn can thiÖp vµo. Tuy nhiªn nhiÒu
ng-êi nghÜ r»ng chÝnh phñ kh«ng nªn can thiÖp vµo. Tuy nhiªn
nhiÒu ng-êi l¹i nghÜ r»ng chÝnh phñ ph¶i quan t©m ®Õn vÊn ®Ò nh©n
m·n.
h·y ®Ó vÊn ®Ò kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh cho tõng ç nh©n lo liÖu
§a sè nh÷ng ng-êi trªn thÕ giíi nghÜ r»ng viÖc kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia
®×nh nªn lµ sù lùa chän cña ç nh©n. Nãi çch kh¸c, hä nghÜ r»ng
ng-êi d©n nªn quyÕt ®Þnh lµ sinh bao nhiªu con mµ kh«ng cÇn ph¶i
lµm theo lêi khuyªn hay lµ sù chØ ®¹o cña chÝnh phñ. NhiÒu ng-êi
ñng hé ®iÒu nµy lµ v× lý do t«n gi¸o.
52
Nh÷ng ng-êi kh¸c th× l¹ ph¶n ®èi viÖc can thiÖp cña chÝnh phñ hay
mét tæ chøc t«n gi¸o nµo vµ hä muèn tù do quyÕt ®Þnh lÊy nh÷ng
viÖc cña m×nh.
46
T¹i sao chÝnh phñ nªn kiÓm so¸t ch-¬ng tr×nh kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia
®×nh? NhiÒu ng-êi cho r»ng kh«ng cã mét gi¶i ph¸p kh¶ thi nµo
kh¸c v× ng-êi d©n sÏ tiÕp tôc muèn cã qu¸ nhiÒu con çi. Hä kh«ng
thÓ h¹n chÕ lµ chØ cã 1 hoÆc 2 con. Trong qu¸ khø hä kh«ng h¹n
chÕ ®-îc th× cí sao hä cã thÓ h¹n chÕ d-îc trong t-¬ng lai? Rñi
thay, hä l¹i cho r»ng viÖc ®Ó cho ç nh©n tù quyÕt ®Þnh viÖc kÕ
ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh th× kh«ng thùc hiÖn ®-îc. Theo nh÷ng ng-êi nµy
th× viÖc lùa chän duy nhÊt lµ ®Ó nhµ n-íc ®ãng mét vai trß tÝch
cùc trong viÖc kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh.
ChÝnh phñ nªn lµm g× trong vÊn ®Ò nµy? §©y lµ vÊn ®Ò ®ang cßn
tranh c¶i. Ng-êi ta kh«ng ®ång ý lµ chÝnh phñ nªn dÝnh lÝu thÕ
nµo.
ChÝnh phñ cã nªn nãi chÝnh x¸c lµ mét gia ®×nh nªn cã mÊy con
kh«ng? ( Th-êng th× 1 hoÆc 2) ChÝnh phñ cã nªn buéc hä ph¶i giíi
h¹n ®Õn con sè nµy kh«ng? Lµm thÕ nµo ®Ó chÝnh phñ thùc hiÖn
chÝnh s¸ch h¹n chÕ sinh ®Î nh- thÕ? Bè mÑ cña çc gia ®×nh ®«ng
con kh«ng thÓ h-ëng lîi vÒ çc kho¶n häc phÝ cho con çi còng nh-
b¶o hiÓm y tÕ cña ChÝnh phñ. HoÆc lµ chÝnh phñ cã thÓ ph¹t nh÷ng
bè mÑ nµy. Nãi çch kh¸c, bã mÑ cña nh÷ng gia ®×nh ®«ng con ph¶i
nép ph¹t mät kho¶n tiÒn nµo ®ã cho chÝnh phñ.
Mét kiÕn hoµn toµn tr¸i ng-îc kh¸c cho r»ng chÝnh phñ chØ nªn ®-a
ra nh÷ng thuËn lîi cña nh÷ng gia ®×nh Ýt con vµ nh÷ng bÊt lîi
cña gia ®×nh ®«ng con.. Hä cho r»ng ng-êi d©n ®ñ th«ng minh ®Ó
lµm ®iÒu tèt nhÊt mµ khong cÇn sù kiÓm so¸t hay can thiÖp nµo cña
chÝnh phñ. Nh-ng ®©y l¹i lµ mät r¾c rèi thùc sù. NhiÒu ng-êi tin
r»ng chØ cã gia ®×nh ®«ng con míi cã thÓ ®¶m b¶o cuéc sèng cña hä
trong t-¬ng lai. Hä kh«ng cßn sù lùa chän nµo kh¸c. Tr-íc hÕt
chÝnh phñ ph¶i chØ cho hä kÕ ho¹ch b¶o ®¶m an sinh cho tuæi giµ.
ChÝnh phñ ph¶i b¶o ®¶m cho hä vÊn ®Ò an sinh x· héi vµ trî cÊp y
tÕ. Tõ ®ã hä cã thÓ chØ sinh Ýt con.
Passage 2 :
Nh©n d©n thÕ giíi d¸nh gi¸ cao nÒn gi¸o dôc bëi lÏ mét nÒn gi¸o
dôc tèt mang l¹i mét cuéc sèng tèt h¬n. Mäi ng-êi ®Òu ®ång ý víi
®iÒu nµy. Tuy nhiªn d©n ë çc n-íc kh¸c nhau muèn tr-êng häc ph¶i
d¹y çc ®iÒu kh¸c nhau. Mçi nÒn v¨n hãa cã nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ riªng
cña nã, vµ ng-êi d©n muèn tr-êng cña hä d¹y nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ v¨n hãa
cña hä.
53
Chóng ta muèn nãi “nh†ng gi¸ trÞ ®ã ” lµ g×? Gi¸ trÞ lµ nh†ng
®iÒu mµ ng-êi d©n nghÜ lµ tèt vµ quan träng trong nÒn v¨n hãa cña
hä. VÝ dô nh- nÒn v¨n hãa cña b¹n ®Ò cao viÖc lµm viÖc ch¨m chØ.
§iÒu ®ã cã nghÜa lµ ë nÒn v¨n hãa cña b¹n lµm viÖc ch¨m chØ lµ
quan träng, vµ ng-êi d©n ®¸nh gi¸ cao sù lµm viÖc ch¨m chØ th×
47
quan träng h¬n çc ®øc tÝnh kh¸c. HoÆc gi¶ nÒn v¨n hãa cña b¹n
®¸nh gi¸ cao nhÊt lµ tÝnh thËt thµ. §iÒu ®ã cã nghÜa lµ nãi thËt
lµ quan träng. Vµ nÕu khi nµo còng nãi thËt th× cã thÓ g©y ra
nh÷ng r¾c rèi. TÊt c¶ chóng ta ®Òu biÕt ®iÒu ®ã.
Mét vµi gi¸ trÞ v¨n hãa gièng nhau lµ quan träng nh- nhau ë nh÷ng
nÒn v¨n hãa kh¸c nhau. Tuy nhiªn cã nhiÒu ®iÓm kh¸c nhau gi÷a
nh÷ng nÒn v¨n hãa kh¸c nhau. Trong mét nÒn v¨n hãa, tr-êng häc
th-êng d¹y nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ cña nÒn v¨n hãa ®ã. Hay nãi çch kh¸c
häc sinh häc nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ v¨n hãa cña ®Êt n-íc chóng t¹i tr-êng.
Mü lµ mét n-íc d©n chñ. Mäi c«ng dan Mü ®Òu cã c¬ héi h-ëng gi¸o
dôc miÔn phÝ. ChÝnh phñ liªn bang, bang vµ chÝnh quyÒn ®Þa ph-¬ng
tr¶ tiÒn cho çc tr-êng c«ng. Mäi c«ng d©n dï giµu hay nghÌo ®Òu
cã thÓ ®i häc. Còng cã çc tr-êng t- thôc. Häc sinh ë tr-êng t-
thôc ph¶i ®ãng häc phÝ. Nhµ n-íc kh«ng tr¶ tiÒn cho çc häc sinh
häc ë çc tr-êng t- thôc.
Mét vµi ng-êi cho r»ng tr-êng häc ë Mü cè g¾ng lµm qu¸ nhiÒu ®iÒu
cho qu¸ nhiÒu ng-êi. Hä nãi r»ng gi¸o dôc tèt cho tÊt c¶ mäi
ng-êi th× kh«ng thÓ ®-îc. Hä nghÜ r»ng nÒn gi¸o dôc Mü nÒn gi¸o
dôc chØ nªn d¹y cho nh÷ng ng-êi th«ng minh nhÊt trong x· héi.
Thay v× ®ã th× nÒn gi¸o dôc Mü l¹i dµnh cho tÊt c¶ mäi ng-êi.
Tuy nhiªn, ®a sè ng-êi Mü muèn mäi ng-êi ph¶i cã c¬ héi ®i häc.
Gi¸o dôc cho mäi ng-êi trong mét n-íc d©n chñ lµ rÊt quan träng.
Trong mét n-íc d©n chñ, ng-êi d©n chän nh÷ng ng-êi l·nh ®¹o chÝnh
phñ cña hä. Hä cÇn cã kh¶ n¨ng lùa chän s¸ng suèt. Hä cÇn ph¶i
®-îc ®µo t¹o kü l-ìng ®Ó trë thµnh nh÷ng c«ng d©n tèt trong n-íc
d©n chñ.
Tr-êng TiÓu häc : §a sè trÎ con ë Mü b¾t ®Çu ®i häc lóc 5 tuæi.
Chóng häc ë líp vë lßng ( mÉu gi¸o) mét n¨m vµ sau ®ã b¾t ®Çu häc
líp 1 lóc 6 tuæi. CÊp häc ®Çu tiªn lµ tr-êng tiÓu häc hay cßn gäi
lµ tr-êng cÊp 1. TrÎ con Mü th-êng b¾t ®Çu häc ®äc khi çc em
häc líp 1 vµ líp 2. Çc em còng b¾t ®Çu häc sè häc, khoa häc
th-êng thøc vµ lÞch sö.
Tr-êng trung häc c¬ së: Sau khi häc xong tiÓu häc çc em lªn häc
ë bËc trung häc c¬ së ( ®«i khi cßn gäi lµ tr-êng cÊp hai). Trong
phÇn lín çc tr-êng trung häc c¬ së bao gåm líp 7, líp 8 vµ líp 54
9. Nh-ng ®«i khi cã tr-êng chØ bao gåm líp 8 vµ líp 9. Häc sinh
phæ th«ng c¬ së th-êng tõ 12 ®Õn 14 tuæi.
Tr-êng Trung häc phæ th«ng: Sau khi häc xong phæ th«ng c¬ së th×
häc sinh häc tiÕp tr-êng phæ th«ng trung häc ( gåm líp 10, 11
vµ12). Häc sinh tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng trung häc ë ®é tuæi 17 hoÆc
18. Cã nhiÒu lo¹i tr-êng phæ th«ng trung häc kh¸c nhau. Mét vµi
tr-êng phæ th«ng trung häc chuÈn bÞ cho häc sinh vµo ®¹i häc. Çc
48
tr-êng phæ th«ng trung häc kh¸c chuÈn bÞ cho häc sinh çc nghÒ
kh¸c nhau ( tr-êng trung häc d¹y nghÒ). NhiÒu tr-êng trung häc
phæ th«ng c¶ d¹y nghÒ lÉn chuÈn bÞ kiÕn thøc cho häc sinh vµo çc
tr-êng ®¹i häc.
Gi¸o dôc ®¹i häc : Sau khi häc sinh tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng trung
häc çc em cã thÓ häc tiÕp ë çc tr-êng cao ®¼ng hoÆc ®¹i häc.
Cã h¬n 3000 tr-êng cao ®¼ng vµ ®¹i häc ë Mü. Tr-êng cao ®¼ng vµ
®¹i häc t- ë Mü cã møc häc phÝ rÊt cao, nh-ng ®a sè tr-êng ®¹i
häc c«ng lËp th× møc häc phÝ rÊt thÊp. ViÖc hæ trî vÒ mÆt tµi
chÝnh (do chÝnh phñ hæ trî ) th-êng nh»m gióp sinh viªn tr¶ mét
phÇn häc phÝ. Çc h×nh thøc gi¸o dôc ®¹i häc lu«n ®¸p øng nguyÖn
väng cho häc sinh tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng trung häc.
Passage 1:
Most people admit that overpopulation is a big problem. At least, it is going to be a big
problem
in the future. But there is no consensus about what can and should be done. This means
that
people cannot agree on what to do. Some people think that each couple should decide
how many
children to have. They think the government should not interfere. Other people, however,
think
that the government must take care of the overpopulation problem.
Most people around the world think family planning should be a personal choice. In other
words,
they think people should decide how many children to have without any advice or control
by the
government. Some people feel this way because of religious reasons.
Others object to having government or religious leaders involved in family planning and
population control. They want the freedom to make their own personal decisions.
Why should the government control population planning? Many people say there is no
other
realistic possibility because people will continue to have too many children. They will not
limit
themselves to just one or two children. They have not limited themselves in the past.
Why should
they limit themselves in the future? Unfortunately, they say, it does not work to leave
family
planning completely up to individuals. The only choice, according to these people, is for
the
49
government to take an active role in population planning. What role should government
play?
This is a very controversial issue. People do not agree on how governments should be
involved. 55
Should governments tell people exactly how many children they can have (usually one or
two)?
Should they force people to limit themselves to this number? How could the government
enforce
such population control policies? The government could not give benefits (free education,
health
care, etc.) to parents of larger families. Or it could fine the parents. In other words,
parents of
larger families would have to pay some money to the government.
At the other extreme, many people think governments should only try to show people the
advantages of small families and the disadvantages of large families. They say, "People
are
intelligent enough to do the best thing with no government control or interference." But
this may
be the real problem. Many people believe a large family is the only way to have good
care in the
future. They may have no other choice. First, governments must offer people other ways
of
planning for security in their old age. They must give them social security and health
benefits.
Then, people may want to have small families.
Passage 2:
People all around the world value education because a good education means a better life.
Everyone agrees with that. However, people in different countries want their schools to
teach
different things. Each culture has its own values, and people want their schools to teach
the
values of their culture.
What do we mean by "values"? "Values" are people's ideas of the good and important
things in
their culture. For example, your culture may value hard work. That means in your culture,
it is
important to work hard, and people value hard work more than many other qualities. Or
perhaps
your culture values honesty above all. That means it is important to tell the truth. And
telling the
truth all the time may cause some difficulties. We all know that!
Some of the same values are important in different cultures. There are, however, many
50
differences between cultural groups. Within each culture, schools usually teach the values
of that
culture. In other words, children learn the cultural values of their country in school.
The United States is a democracy. Everyone in the United States has the opportunity to
have free
education. Local, state, and federal governments pay for the public schools. Everyone,
rich or
poor, can go to school. There are also many private schools. People in private schools
have to pay
tuition. The state does not pay for private education.
Some people say that American schools try to do too much for too many people. It is
impossible,
they say, to give a good education to everyone. The American educational system, they
think,
should educate only the most intelligent people in the society. Instead, it tries to educate
everyone.
56
However, most Americans want everyone to have a chance to go to school. It is
important for a
democratic country to have educated people. In a democracy, people choose their
government's
leaders. They need to be able to think clearly to make these choices. They need a good
education
to be good citizens in a democracy.
Elementary school: Most children in the United States start school when they are five
years old.
They go to kindergarten for a year and then start first grade when they are six. The first
school is
called "elementary school," or "grade school." American children usually start to read
when they
are in the first and second grade. They also begin to learn arithmetic and simple science
and
history.
Junior high school: After elementary school, children go to "junior high school"
(sometimes it is
called "middle school"). In most school systems, junior high school includes seventh,
eighth, and
ninth grades, but sometimes it is only the seventh and eighth grades. Junior high school
students
are usually 12 to 14 years old.
51
High school: High school (grades 10, 11, and 12) comes after junior high school.
Students
usually graduate from high school when they are 17 or 18. There are different kinds of
high
schools. Some high schools prepare students to go to college (college preparatory high
schools).
Other high schools prepare students for various kinds of work (vocational high schools).
Many
high schools have both college preparatory courses and vocational courses.
Higher education: When students graduate from high school, they may go on to college
or a
university. There are more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the United States.
Some private
colleges and universities are very expensive, but most state universities cost very little.
Financial
aid (money from the government) is often available to help students pay at least part of
their
tuition. Some form of higher education is available to every high school graduate.
Lesson 27:
Passage 1: ILLEGAL DRUG ESTASY
Last month, American agents seized

1
more than two million tablets of the illegal drug known as
Ecstasy in a raid
2
in the state of California. Federal officials say it was the biggest seizure of the
drug in the United Sates. The tablets were seized at Los Angeles International Airport
after they
arrived on an airplane a market value of about forty million dollars.
Experts say the number of Americans using Ecstasy has risen sharply in recent years.
Federal
agents have seized about eight million tablets in the past ten months. They say the drug is
produced in European laboratories, mainly in The Netherlands. 57
Ecstasy is not a new drug. A company in Germany fist developed the drug also know as
M-D-M-
A in Nineteen-Twelve. American drug Enforcement Administration officials say a small
number
of American doctors gave the drug to patients with emotional
3
problems in the late Nineteen-
52
Seventies. However, the drug was declared illegal in the United States in Nineteen-Eight-
Five.
Federal officials say the drug has no accepted medical use. Illegal use of the drug
becomes
common about ten years ago. Ecstasy has gained popularity among young people who
attend
nightclubs and all-night dance parties known as raves
4
. The drug causes a chemical reaction in
the brain. Users of the drug say it makes them feel happy and calm. It also increases good
feelings for other people. D-E-A officials say Ecstasy is often taken in combination with
other
drugs.
Ecstasy is said to suppress

5
the need to eat, drink or sleep. As a result, users of the drug may not
get enough to drink or become extremely tired.
D-E-A officials say Ecstasy may cause serious side effects. These include increases in
body
temperature, muscle tension 6
, shaking and weakened eyesight. The drug also may cause increase
in heart rare and blood pressure.
American officials say scientists are just beginning to study the effects of long-term
Ecstasy use.
In one study, scientists found that repeated use of the drug caused brain damage. Another
study
found that people who use Ecstasy had memory problems that last for weeks after they
stopped
talking the drug. Both studies suggest that the amount of damage is direct linked to how
much of
the drug is used.
Notes:
1.seize (v): b¾t gi÷
2. raid (n): cuéc ruång bè
3. emotional (adj): thuéc vÒ c¶m xóc
4. rave (n): cuéc liªn hoan
5. suppress (n): ngÆn chÆn, chÊm døt
6. tension (n): t×nh tr¹ng c¨ng th¼ng, mÖt mái
ECSTASY- LO¹I THUèC KÝCH THÝCH BÞ CÊM L¦U
HµNH
53
Çc chuyªn gia cho biÕt sè ngêi Mü sö dông Ecstasy t¨ng ®¸ng kÓ
trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y. C¶nh s¸t Liªn Bang ®· b¾t gi÷ kho¶ng 8
triÖu viªn thuèc trong 10 th¸ng qua, Hä cho biÕt lo¹i thuèc nµy
®-îc s¶n xuÊt ë çc c«ng ty dîc phÈm Ch©u ¢u, chñ yÕu lµ ë Hµ
Lan.
Ecstasy kh«ng ph¶i lµ lo¹i thuèc t©n dîc. Mét c«ng ty ë §øc lÇn
®Çu tiªn s¶n xuÊt ra lo¹i thuèc nµy díi çi tªn M-D-M-A vµo n¨m
1912. Çc quan chøc côc qu¶n lý dîc Hoa Kú cho biÕt mét sè Ýt
b¸c sü ë ®©y ®· dïng thuèc nµy cho çc bÖnh nh©n cã vÊn ®Ò vÒ t©m
lý vµo cuèi nh÷ng n¨m 1970. Tuy nhiªn, lo¹i thuèc nµy ®· bÞ cÊm
sö dông ë Hoa Kú vµo n¨m 1985.
Çc quan chøc Liªn Bang cho biÕt lo¹i thuèc nµy kh«ng ®îc phÐp
sö dông trong y häc. Tuy nhiªn, sù sö dông tr¸i phÐp lo¹i thuèc
nµy ®· trë nªn phæ biÕn çch ®©y 10 n¨m. Ecstasy ®îc sö dông phæ
biÕn trong giíi trÎ mµ thêng tham gia çc hép ®ªm vµ çc buæi
tiÖc khiªu vò th©u ®ªm nh liªn hoan ch¼ng h¹n. Lo¹i thuèc nµy
g©y ra mét ph¶n øng ho¸ häc trong n·o. Nh÷ng ngêi sö dông thuèc
nãi r»ng thuèc t¹o cho hä c¶m gi¸c sung síng vµ tØnh t¸o. Nã cßn
g©y ra ng÷ng c¶m gi¸c dÔ chÞu cho ngêi kh¸c. Çc quan chøc Côc
qu¶n lý d-îc phÈm DEA cho biÕt lo¹i Ecstasy nµy thêng ®îc sö
dông chung víi çc lo¹i thuèc kh¸c.
Ng-êi ta cho r»ng Ecstasy g©y biÕng ¨n, biÕng uèng vµ biÕng ngñ.
KÕt qu¶ lµ ng-êi sö dông thuèc lu«n c¶m thÊy kh¸c hoÆc trë nªn
mÖt mái kinh khñng.Theo çc quan chøc Côc qu¶n lý d-îc phÈm DEA th× Ecstasy cã
thÓ
g©y nªn nh÷ng t¸c dông phô nguy hiÓm. Nh÷ng t¸c dông phô nµy gåm sèt cao, mái c¬
b¾p, yÕu mê thÞ lùc. Thuèc cßn lµm t¨ng nhÞp tim vµ huyÕt ¸p.Çc quan chøc Hoa Kú
cho biÕt çc nhµ khoa häc võa míi b¾t ®Çu nghiªn cøu nh÷ng t¸c dông phô khi dïng
Ecstasy trong thêi gian dµi. Trong mét nghiªn cøu, çc nhµ khoa häc ph¸t hiÖn r»ng nÕu
dïng thuèc Ecstasy liªn tôc sÏ g©y bÖnh ë n·o. Mét nghiªn cøu kh¸c cho thÊy ngêi sö
dông Ecstasy sÏ bÞ rèi lo¹n trÝ nhí sau khi ®· nghÜ dïng thuèc vµi tuÇn. C¶ hai nghiªn
cøu ®Òu cho r»ng møc ®é nguy h¹i ¶nh hëng trùc tiÕp lªn ng-êi sö dông tuú thuéc
vµo hµm lîng thuèc ®îc sö dông.
Passage 2: SUNSPOTS
Our program is about the Sun and how activity on it called sunspots can affect us. Before
we
continue, however, we must warn you not to look directly at the Sun in an effort to see
what is
happening. Looking directly at the Sun can cause severe damage to the eyes, including
blindness.
Special equipment is needed to safely see sunspots.
54
Our Sun is a ball of gases at the center of our solar system
1
. It is the largest object in the system.
It includes about 98% of all matter in our solar system. The Sun is large enough to hold
inside of
it more than one million planets the side of Earth.
The distance from the Earth to the Sun is one hundred fifty million kilometers. Even at
this great
distance, the Sun‟s heat is felt in all areas of the Earth. Such heat is created by solar
energy. Solar
energy comes from the deep inside the Sun. In the center of the Sun, the temperature and
pressure
are so great that nuclear reactions
2
take place. These nuclear reactions produce great amounts of
energy. The energy is carried to the surface of the Sun where it becomes light and heat.
Energy
produced in the center of the Sun takes a million years to reach its surface. Without the
continuing heat the Sun, all life on the Earth would quickly die. 60
SOLAR STORMS
A number of events take place on and above the surface of the Sun. Violent events are
called
solar storms. Solar storms usually take place above areas called sunspots. The sunspots
appear
black when they are seen though special devices that permits scientists to safely look at
the Sun.
Some solar storms are seen as bright explosions
3
of light that release
4
huge amount of the Sun‟s
energy. Others create huge amount of gas that reach far into space and then return to the
surface
of the Sun. Solar storms also create coronal
5
mass ejections. Huge amount of energy are released
far into space. All of these events are part of solar activity.
Most solar activities take place when an area of the Sun begins to cool. Normal
temperature on
the surface is about six thousand degrees Celsius. The cooler areas are about four
thousand
degrees Celsius.
55
These cool areas fist appear as dark spots near the northern part of the Sun. Some of these
spots
move slowly down. Others are large for a few days, and then break apart into several
smaller
spots. All the spots slowly move toward the center of the Sun‟s equator
6
.
Scientists say sunspots are caused by magnetic

7
activity. They say sunspots can be measured in
periods of time that average eleven years. At the moment, magnetic activity on the Sun is
greatly
increased. Increased sunspot activity is a result. For the next year or so, the Sun is
expected to
produce the most spots of this eleven- year- period.
CAUSING COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRIC POWER INTERFERECE

Several kinds of communication and electric power interference
8
are caused by a solar activity
that is linked to sunspots. This activity is coronal mass ejection. The Sun expels
9
a huge amount
of energy. It causes greatly increased magnetic activity in space that can interference with
short
ware broadcasts or damage satellites. And it can interference with electric power.
NEEDED FOR NORMAL WEATHER CONDITION

Scientists say our solar system needs sun sports to keep our weather normal. They say the
sun
could be the cause of extremely cold winters if there is no sun sport activity. This
program is
called the Maunder Minimum. It is named for British scientists E_W Maunder. Scientists
say the
first recorded Maunder Minimum is believed to have happened between Sixteen-Forty-
Five and
Seventeen-Fifteen in the northern part of the world. Scientists call this time the “Little Ice
Age”.
The northern areas experienced
10
extremely cold winters during this period. At the same time,
few sun sports were observed.
Notes:
1. Solar system: hÖ mÆt trêi
2. nuclear reaction : ph¶n øng h¹y nh©n 61
56
3. explosion (n): sù næ
4. release (v): tho¸t
5. coronal (a): thuéc vÇng quang
6. equator (n): xÝch ®¹o
7. magnetic (n): tõ tr-êng
8. interference (n): sù nhiÔu sãng
9. expel (v): to¶ ra
10 experience (v): tr¶I qua
VÕT §EN MÆT TrêI
Ch¬ng tr×nh cña chóng t«i nãi vÒ mÆt trêi vµ t¸c dông cua nh÷ng
“ vÕt ®en mÆt trêi ”-tøc nh÷ng ho¹t ®éng trªn bÒ mÆt cña nã- ®èi
víi chóng ta. Tr-íc khi tiÕp tôc th× dï sao chóng ta còng c¶nh
b¸o çc b¹n ®õng bao giê nh×n th¼ng vµo mÆt trêi nh»m t×m hiÓu
®iÒu g× ®ang x¶y ra, v× viÖc nµy cã thÓ g©y ra nh÷ng tæn th-¬ng
nghiªm träng cho c¬ quan thÞ gi¸c, kÓ c¶ mï loµ. NÕu cã dông cô
an toµn, b¹n míi cã thÓ xem çc “ vÕt ®en mÆt trêi ”.
MÆt trêi cña chóng ta lµ mét qu¶ cÇu khÝ t¹i trung t©m vµ còng lµ
mét vËt thÓ lín nhÊt, bao gåm kho¶ng 98% toµn bé l-îng vËt chÊt
trong Th¸i D-¬ng hÖ. MÆt trêi ®ñ lín ®Ó chøa trong nã h¬n mét
triÖu hµnh tinh cã kÝch th-íc nh- Tr¸i §Êt.
Kho¶ng çch tõ Tr¸i §Êt ®Õn MÆt Trêi lµ 150 triÖu km. Ngay c¶ víi
kho¶ng çch nµy th× søc nãng cña MÆt Trêi vÉn ®-îc c¶m nhËn trªn
kh¾p Tr¸i §Êt. T¹i trung t©m MÆt Trêi th× nhiÖt ®é vµ ¸p suÊt lªn
cao ®Õn møc çc ph¶n øng nguyªn tö x¶y ra. Nh÷ng ph¶n øng nµy t¹o
ra mét l-îng n¨ng l-îng khæng lå, thãat ra bÒ mÆt cña MÆt Trêi
d-íi d¹ng ¸nh s¸ng vµ nhiÖt. N¨ng l-îng ®-îc s¶n sinh t¹i trung
t©m míi hµng triÖu n¨m míi tho¸t ra ®Ðn bÒ mÆt. Kh«ng cã søc nãng
liªn tôc cña MÆt Trêi th× toµn bé sù sèng trªn Tr¸I §Êt sÏ nhanh
chãng biÕn mÊt.
B·O MÆT TrêI

NhiÒu sù kiÖn x¶y ra trªn vµ t¹i bÒ mÆt cña MÆt Trêi, trong ®ã
nh÷ng ®iÒu kiÖn cã t¸c ®éng m¹nh ®îc gäi lµ B·o MÆt Trêi. B·o 62
MÆt Trêi thêng x¶y ra trªn nh†ng khu vùc cã tªn “vÕt ®en mÆt
trêi ”. “VÕt ®en mÆt trêi ” lµ nh÷ng vÖt mµu ®en mµ çc nhµ khoa
häc nh×n thÊy khi quan s¸t MÆt Trêi b»ng çc dông cô ®¶m b¶o an
toµn. Mét sè c¬n b·o mÆt trêi ®-îc nh×n thÊy nh- nh÷ng vô næ chãi
loµ to¶ ra mét l-îng n¨ng l-îng khæng lå. Sè kh¸c l¹i t¹o ra mét
l-îng khÝ lín vµo tËn kh«ng gian vµ sau ®ã quay trë l¹i bÒ mÆt
cña nã. B·o mÆt trêi còng t¹o ra çc vô phón xuÊt vËt chÊt bªn
vµnh ®ai MÆt Trêi. Mét l-îng n¨ng l-îng khæng lå ®-îc to¶ vµo
kh«ng gian. TÊt c¶ nh÷ng sù kiÖn nµy lµ mét phÇn ho¹t ®éng cña
57
MÆt Trêi.
PhÇn lín çc ho¹t ®éng x¶y ra khi mét vïng MÆt Trêi b¾t ®Çu
l¹nh.NhiÖt ®é th«ng thêng trªn bÒ mÆt lµ kho¶ng 60000
C. Çc khu
vùc l¹nh h¬n th× kho¶ng 40000C.Nh÷ng vïng l¹nh nµy ®Çu tiªn xuÊt hiÖn nh- nh÷ng
vÖt ®en gÇn phÝa b¾c MÆt Trêi. Mét sè lan tõ tõ xuèng d-íi. Sè kh¸c cã kÝch th-íc lín
trong vµi ngµy ®Çu, råi sau ®ã vì thµnh nh÷ng vÖt nhá h¬n.TÊt c¶ nh÷ng vÖt nµy tõ tõ
di chuyÓn vµo trung t©m cña ®-êng xÝch ®¹o MÆt Trêi.Çc nhµ khoa häc cho hay vÕt
®en mÆt trêi do ho¹t ®éng tõ tÝnh g©y ra vµ ho¹t ®éng cña vÕt ®en mÆt trêi cã thÓ
®-îc ®o ®¹c trong kho¶ng thêi gian trung b×nh lµ 11 n¨m. HiÖn nay, ho¹t ®éng tõ tÝnh
trªn MÆt Trêi ®ang gia t¨ng m¹nh. Ngêi ta cho r»ng vµo
kho¶ng n¨m tíi, MÆt Trêi sÏ s¶n sinh nhiÒu vÕt ®en nhÊt trong chu
kú 11 n¨m.
G¢Y RA NHIÔU §IÖN Vµ SãNG TH¤NG TIN

NhiÒu sù kiÖn nhiÔu sang liªn l¹c vµ ®iÖn n¨ng lµ kÕt qu¶ cña
ho¹t ®éng MÆt Trêi cã liªn quan ®Õn çc vÕt ®en. Ho¹t ®éng nµy
®-îc coi lµ sù phón xuÊt vËt chÊt trªn vµnh ®ai MÆt Trêi. MÆt
Trêi phãng ra rÊt nhiÒu n¨ng l-îng g©y ra çc ho¹t ®éng tõ tÝnh
m¹nh mÏ trong kh«ng gian.Çc ho¹t ®éng nµy g©y nhiÔu çc cuéc
ph¸t sang ng¾n hoÆc huû ho¹i çc vÖ tinh. Nã còng g©y nhiÔu ®iÖn.
CÇN THIÕT CHO §IÒU KIÖN ThêI TIÕT B×NH TH¦êNG

Çc nhµ khoa häc cho biÕt Th¸I D-¬ng hÖ cÇn cã vÕt ®en mÆt trêi
®Ó gi÷ ®IÒu kiÖn thêi tiÕt b×nh th-êng. Hä nãi r»ng MÆt Trêi cã 63
thÓ lµ nguyªn nh©n g©y ra nh÷ng mïa ®«ng l¹nh gi¸ khi kh«ng cã sù
ho¹t ®éng cña çc vÕt ®en. VÊn ®Ò nµy ®-îc gäi lµ hiÖn t-îng
Maunder Minimum_theo tªn nhµ khoa häc ng-êi Anh. Çc nhµ khoa häc
cho r»ng hiÖn t-îng Maunder Minimum ®-îc chøng kiÕn ®Çu tiªn vµo
kho¶ng 1645 vµ 1715 ë phÝa b¾c b¸n cÇu. Hä gäi thêi kú nµy lµ
“ Thêi kú b¨ng hµ t¹m thêi ”. Trong suèt thêi kú nµy, phÇn b¾c
b¸n cÇu ®· tr¶I qua nh÷ng mïa ®«ng l¹nh gi¸ vµ lóc ®ã cã Ýt vÕt
®en mÆt trêi ®-îc quan s¸t.
Lesson 28: HÖ THèNG §ÞNH VÞ TOµN CÇU
H«m nay chóng t«i sÏ ®Ò cËp ®Õn mét thiÕt bÞ nhá mµ b¹n cã thÓ
n¾m gän trong lßng bµn tay. Nã gióp t×m ®-êng ®i xuyªn qua çc
ngän nói,sa m¹c, ®¹i d-¬ng mµ sÏ ch¼ng bao giê b¹n bÞ l¹c c¶.
Trë l¹i thêi ®IÓm ngµy 27 th¸ng S¸u n¨m 1851. Chóng ta ®ang trªn
con tµu mang tªn „Flying Cloud‟ trong vïng bieenrDDaij T©y D¬ng,
thuyÒn tr-ëng cña tµu lóc bÊy giê lµ Josiah Cressy.
So víi hiÖn nay, chuyÕn ®i cña thuyÒn tr-ëng Cressy thùc sù lµ
mét cuéc du hµnh vÜ ®¹i víi tèc ®é nhanh ch-a tõng cã.
58
H«m nay chóng t«I xin kÓ vÒ mét vïng ®Êt nhá n»m ë cuèi trêi Nam
Ch©u Mü. Suèt mÊy ngµy trêi, thêi tiÕt v« cïng kh¾c nghiÖt.
ThuyÒn truyÓn tr-ëng kh«ng thÓ x¸c ®Þnh ®-îc vÞ trÝ con tµu.
Ng-êi chÞu tr¸ch nhiÖm h-¬ns dÉn con tµu ph¶i nh×n thÊy mÆt trêi
hoÆc mét ng«i sao nµo ®ã ®Ó ®Þnh vÞ nã, thêi tiÕt b·o ®· c¶n trë
®iÒu nµy trong suèt mÊy ngµy liÒn.
Ng-êi ®-a ra h-íng dÉn cho chuyÕn ®i th«ng th-êng vÉn lµ thuyÒn
tr-ëng. Tuy nhiªn trªn tµu Flying Cluod th× phu nh©n cña thuyÒn
tr-ëng l¹i ®¶m nhiÖm c«ng viÖc nµy.
Tªn bµ lµ Eleanor Cressy. Bµ lµ mét nhµ th¸m hiÓm ®¹i d-¬ng cã

tiÕng. Bµ ®-a ra kÕ ho¹ch cho chuyÕn ®i nµy lµ xuyªn qua vïng
biÓn ®Çy hiÓm trë gÇn mòi Horn. §©y lµ khu vùc cã nhiÒu ®¶o nhá
vµ ®¸ ngÇm. §Ó h-íng dÉn tµu ®i mét çch an toµn, bµ ph¶i lu«n
®Þnh ®-îc vÞ trÝ cña con tµu.
64
Eleanor Cressy ph¶i ¸p dông ph¬ng ph¸p mang tªn “Dead
Reckoning ” v× bµ kh«ng thÓ nh×n thÊy ¸nh s¸ng mÆt trêi ®Ó x¸c
®Þng vÞ trÝ con tµu mét çch chÝnh x¸c. §©y lµ ph-¬ng ph¸p rÊt
khã thùc hiÖn, nã võa mang tÝnh khoa häc võa mang tÝnh pháng
®o¸n.
§Ó x¸c ®Þnh vÞ trÝ cña con tµu, bµ Cresy ph¶i biÕt ®-îc vÞ trÝ
sau cïng cña nã lµ ë khu vùc nµo. Bµ còng ph¶i ®o¸n ®-îc h-íng
cña con tµu, tèc ®ä cña nã vµ møc dao ®éng cña sang hay cña luång
n-íc.
T¹i khu vùc gÇn mòi Horn, cÇn ph¶I hÕt søc cÈn träng ®Ó kh«ng x¶y
ra sai sãt. Cã nhiÒu tµu bÞ ®¾m trong khu vùc nµy. NhiÒu thuû thñ
ph¶i thiÖt m¹ng chØ v× mét lçi lÇm trong thuËt ®i biÓn. Trong
tõng giê Elaeanor Cressy ph¶i øng dông ph-¬ng ph¸p to¸n häc ®Ó
®Þnh vÞ trÝ cña con tµu. C« cø lµm ®i lµm l¹i viÖc nµy nhiÒu lÇn
mét çch cÈn thËn ®Ó kiÓm tra çc khiÕm khuyÕt. Sinh m¹ng c¶u
thuû thñ ®oµn còng nh- t-¬ng lai cña con tµu míi khæng lå nµy
hoµn toµn ®-îc giao phã cho c«.
Kü n¨ng thµnh th¹o cña Elaenor Cressy vÒ lÜnh vùc hµng h¶I ®-îc
®Òn bï xøng ®¸ng vµo ngµy h«m sau. Bµ ®· lÌo l¸i con tµu mét çch
®IÖu nghÖ. Vµo s¸ng ngµy 29 th¸ng 6, thuyÒn tr-ëng Cressy ®· ph¸t
hiÖn ra mòi Horn, çch con tµu 8 km vÒ h-íng B¾c. Con tµu chÝnh
x¸c ®ang ë vÞ trÝ mµ Eleanor ®· dù ®o¸n.ph-¬ng ph¸p ®Þnh h-ính
h¶i hµnh b»ng la bµn Dead Reckoning cña bµ hoµn toµn chÝnh x¸c.
Con tµu vÉn an toµn vµ sÏ ®I qua San Francisco, California, nã ®I
nhanh h¬n bÊt cø con tµu nµo kh¸c. Vµo thêi ®IÓm ®ã cã rÊt Ýt
ng-êi thµnh th¹o hµng h¶i nh- Eleanor Cressy.
59
NghÒ cña Eleanor Cressy vµo thêi ®iÓm 1851 rÊt ®-îc träng dông
nh-ng còng l¾m gian tru©n. §Õn cuèi thÕ kû tr-íc, c«ng viÖc cña
mét hoa tiªu vÉn kh«ng thay ®æi nhiÒu. ë trªn biÓn hay trªn ®Êt
liÒn còng vËy, viÖc t×m mét h-íng ®i chÝnh x¸c lu«n lµ mét vÊn ®Ò
nan gi¶i.
Tuy nhiªn trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y, viÖc ®Þnh h-íng trªn biÓn hay
trªn ®Êt liÕn ®· trë nªn dÔ dµng h¬n. Ph¬ng ph¸p ®Þnh vÞ „Lead
Reckoning‟ nay trë nªn lçi thêi. HiÖn nay ngêi ta kh«ng nhÊt
thiÕt ph¶I cã n¨ng khiÕu vÒ hµng h¶i nh- Eleanor Cressy. Hä cã
thÓ sö song mét thiÕt bÞ nhá cho phÐp ®Þnh vÞ ®-îc tÊt c¶ çc 65
vïng trªn thÐ giíi. ThiÕt bÞ cã sö dông mét bé phËn kü thuËt mang
tªn „HÖ thèng ®Þnh vÞ toµn cÇu‟ gäi lµ G-P-S. 66
G-P-S hiÖn ®ang lµ hÖ thèng duy nhÊt trªn thÕ giíi cã kh¶ n¨ng
chØ ra vÞ trÝ chÝnh x¸c cña b¹n trªn qu¶ ®Êt. ThiÕt bÞ nµy kh«ng
bÞ thêi tiÕt lµm ¶nh h-ëng. Nã lu«n ë trong tr¹ng th¸i ho¹t ®éng
mäi lóc mäi n¬i. Mét sè thiÕt bÞ G-P-S cã thÓ n»m gän trong lßng
bµn tay. Còng cã lo¹i kÝch cì lín h¬n ®Ó l¾p ®Æt trong m¸y bay
hay tµu biÓn. Tuy nhiªn dï ë kÝch cì nµo ®i n÷a th× thiÕt bÞ vÉn
cã tÝnh n¨ng vËn hµnh nh- nhau.
GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM
Today we tell about a small device you can hold in your hand. It permits you to find your
way
across mountains, through deserts and across oceans and never get lost.
Let us begin back on June twenty-seventh, Eighteen-Fifty-One. We are on the sailing

ship,
„Flying Cloud”, in the Atlantic Ocean. The captain of the ship is Josiah Cressy.
For many days now, Captain Cressy has made the huge sailing ship travel at speeds that
were not.
Today we tell about a small end of the South American continent. The weather has been
bad for
several days. The captain is not sure where the ship is. The person responsible for guiding
the
ship must be able to see the Sun or a star to know the position of the ship. The stormy
1
weather
has prevented this for several days
The person who plans the directions for a sailing trip is usually the ship‟s captain. On the
Flying
60
Cloud, however, the captain‟s wife does this job.
Her name is Eleanor Cressy. She is famous as an expert navigator

2
. She has planned this trip
though the dangerous waters near Cape Horn. There are many small islands and
underwater rocks
here. To guide the ship safely she must know where the ship is at all times.
Eleanor Cressy must use a method called „Dead Recking‟ because she has not been able
to see
the Sun to find the ship‟s true position. Dead Reckoning is part science, and part
guessing.
To find the poison of the Flying Cloud, Mrs.. Cressy must use the last known poison of
the ship.
She also has to consider the ship‟s direction, its speed and the movement of the waves or
current
of the ocean.
67
Here, near Cape Horn, there can be no mistakes. Many ships have sunk in this part of the
world.
Many sailors have died because of a mistake in navigation. Hour after hour Eleanor
Cressy's
great skill at navigation is rewarded the next day. She has guided the ship perfectly. On
the
morning of June twenty-ninth, Captain Cressy can see Cape Horn, just eight kilometers to
the
north. The ship is exactly where Eleanor said it would be. Her Dead Reckoning sailing
directions
have been correct. The ship is safe and will continue on to San Francisco, California,
faster than
any sailing ship ever. Few people have ever been as good at navigation as Eleanor
Cressy.
Eleanor Cressy's job in Eighteen-Fifty-One was important and extremely
3
difficult. For most of
the last century the job of navigator did not change much. At sea or on land, finding the
correct
direction to travel has always been a problem.
However, within the last several years, the problem of navigation at sea or on land has
become
very simple. „Dead Reckoning‟ navigation is now a thing of the ancient past. Now,
people do not
61
need the skills of Eleanor Cressy to navigate. They can use a simple device that will
permit them
to navigate anywhere in the world. The device uses a technology called „Global Position
System‟,
known as G-P-S.
G-P-S is the only system today able to show your exact position on Earth. Weather does
not
affect the device. It will work anytime, anywhere. Many G-P-S devices can be held in the
hand.
Some are larger and meant to be placed in aircraft or ships. Whatever the size, the device
works
much the same way.
Lesson 29:
A high-tech brain scan2

found the low-tech cause
3
of a Chinese woman‟s chronic headaches a
rusty pin logged in her brain.
Doctors who extracted the pin said its alignment in Zhang Meihua's skull indicated it had
been
there for 40 of her 41 years, Xinhua news agency4
said on Saturday.
They expressed shock5
“that one could live for so long a time with a rusty pin stuck in her brain”,
Xinhua said.
The operation6
was performed at Tinan Number 148 Military Hospital in northern Shandong
province.
Zhang said she began losing the ability to move her arms and legs nimbly7
about 20 years ago,
but doctors at the time were stumped8
as to the cause.
It was computerized axial topography9
a CAT scan-and X-rays that revealed10
the offending bit of
rusty iron with its man body logged in her brain and its head outside the skull
11
such as an
orientation12
likely meant she has been pin-pricked soon after birth before the skull hardened 13
.
Zhang, now fully recovered, said she “had no memory of being pierced 14
by a pin in the head”,
Xinhua added.
62
Notes:
1. brain (n): n·o bé
2.high-tech brain scan: rµ quÐt n·o bé víi kü thuËt cao
3.low-tech cause: nguyªn nh©n g©y ra do kü thuËt kÐm
4. Xinhua news: T©n Hoa X· (H·ng Th«ng TÊn Trung
Quèc)
5. shock (n): sù söng sèt, sù kÝch ®éng/ c¶m gi¸c
bÊt ngê
6. operation (n): sù mæ xÎ/ ca mæ, phÈu thuËt/ thao
t¸c/ho¹t ®éng
7. nimbly (adv): nhanh nhÑn
8. stump (v): ®i cµ nh¾c vµ lép cép/ lµm cho ai
bÝ
9. computerized axial topography: chôp ¶nh c¾t theo trôc ®o xö
lý m¸y tÝnh
10. reveal (v): ph¸t hiÖn
11. skull (n): sä,®Çu l©u/ ®Çu ãc, bé ãc
12. orientation (n): sù ®Þnh h-íng
13. harden (v): lµm cho cøng/ cøng l¹i/ r¾n l¹i
14. pierce (v) : ®©m, chäc/khoÐt lç
Mét [c«ng tr×nh y häc] rµ quÐt n·o bé b»ng kü thuËt cao ®· t×m ra
®-îc nguyªn nh©n cña chøng ®au ®Çu kinh niªn cña mét phô n÷ Trung
Quèc lµ do kü thuËt [y häc] thÊp kÐm: mét kim ghim rØ n»m trong
bé n·o cña bµ.
H«m thø b¶y, T©n Hoa X· ®· loan tin cho biÕt çc b¸c sÜ lÊy kim
ra nãi r»ng thÕ n»m cña c©y kim ë trong ®Çu bµ Zhang Meihua, 41
tuæi chøng tá nã ®· n»m trong n·o bé ®Õn 40 n¨m.
T©n Hoa X· bµy tá sù söng sèt khi ghi nhËn “lµ ngêi ta ®· cã
thÓ sèng mét thêi gian l©u nh vËy víi mét ®inh ghim rØ dÝnh ë
trong n·o ”.
Cuéc gi¶I phÉu ®-îc thùc hiÖn t¹i BÖnh viÖn Qu©n y 148 ë Tinan,
phÝa b¾c tØnh S¬n §«ng.
Bµ Zhang nãi r»ng bµ b¾t ®Çu mÊt kh¶ n¨ng nhanh nhÑn khi chuyÓn
®éng ch©n tay çch ®©y kho¶ng 20 n¨m, nh-ng çc b¸c sÜ thêi ®ã
kh«ng t×m ra ®-îc nguyªn nh©n.
§©y lµ mét vô chôp ¶nh c¾t theo trôc ®o xö lý b»ng m¸y tÝnh-
ph-¬ng ph¸p quÐt CAT vµ tia X ®· ph¸t hiÖn ra phÇn s¾t rØ lµm cho
bÖnh nh©n ®au ®ín vãi phÇn chÝnh n»m trong bé n·o bÖnh nh©n, phÇn 69
®Çu cña kim n»m ë phÝa ngoµI sä.Mét sù chÈn ®Þnh nh- thÕ cã nghÜa
lµ bµ ®· bÞ kim chÝch ch¼ng bao l©u sau khi sinh ra tr-íc khi vá
sä ho¸ cøng.
T©n Hoa X· cho biÕt thªm r»ng bµ Zhang b©y giê ®· hoµn toµn b×nh
phôc. Bµ nãi r»ng “bµ ®· quªn ®i lµ ®· bÞ kim chÝch trong ®Çu ”.
Lesson 30:
63
1. Vi rút máy tính là một trong những nguyên nhân gây ra những trục trặc thường xuyên
nhất.
Có hai loại vi rút: BOOT VIRUS (loại B) và FILE VIRUS (loại F). Vi rút loại B tấn công
vào các
tập tin hệ thống của máy, làm cho máy không thể khởi động được hay phá hoại các thông
tin cơ
bản về cấu hình của hệ thống. Vi rút loại F chỉ tấn công vào từng loại tập tin nhất định,
thường
gặp nhất là các tập tin có phần mở rộng là EXE, COM. Gần đây đã xuất hiện vi rút
MACRO
chuyên tấn công các tệp văn bản DOC. Vi rút lây lan thông qua việc trao đổi đĩa mềm
giữa các
máy tính, trong đó có một máy đã bị nhiễm vi rút. Việc lây nhiễm vi rút trong mạng
máy tính
cũng là một vấn đề ngày càng trở nên nghiêm trọng hơn. Do vậy, nguyên tắc cơ bản nhất
để đề
phòng vi rút xâm nhập vào máy tính là tránh sao chép hay chạy các chương trình mà chưa
kiểm
tra vi rút.
2. Thế giới tự nhiên đang bị tấn công dữ dội. Biển và sông đang bị ô nhiễm nặng do chất
thải hạt
nhân, chất thải hóa học và rác thải độc hại chưa xử lý. Không khí chúng ta thở cũng bị ô
nhiễm
do khói và khí thải của nhà máy và xe cộ. Cũng chẳng phải ngạc nhiên khi rừng và hồ
cũng
dang bị tàn phá và cuộc sống hoang dã khắp mọi nơi đang biến mất. Việc biến mất mà
không cứu
vãn nổi của đa dạng sinh học đã tác động rất lớn đến khả năng duy trì sự sống còn của
các loài
bao gồm cả con người vì con người phụ thuộc vào đa loài và môi trường sinh thái lành
mạnh.
Cho dù giới khoa học cảnh báo và hàng triệu người dân thường bày tỏ mối quan tâm sâu
sắc
nhưng sự tàn phá vẫn cứ tiếp diễn. Các chính phủ và ngành công nghiệp trên khắp thế
giới đang
nổ lực khai thác nguồn khoáng sản phong phú và nguồn sinh vật dồi dào. Rừng rậm nhiệt
đới
cũng như các lục địa đóng băng đang bị đe doạ nghiêm trọng. Tuy nhiên chúng ta cũng
có thể
xây dựng nền công nghiệp thân thiện với môi trường, khai thác năng lượng từ mặt trời,
gió và
sóng biển để phục vụ cho nhu cầu năng lượng của chúng ta và quản lý nguồn năng lượng
hạn hữu
trên trái đát này
64
1. Computer viruses is one of the reasons that causes the most problems. There are two
types of
virus: BOOT VIRUS (type B) and FILE VIRUS (type F). Virus of type B attacks
systematic files
of a computer, preventing it from setting up, or destroys basic configurative information
of the
system. Type F virus only infects some certain files, especially those that have the
extensions
EXE and COM. Virus MACRO has recently appeared and often attacks documentary file
DOC.
Viruses can be spread by the exchanging of floppy disks between computers, among
which there
is an infected one. The problem of viruses spreading through network is becoming more
and
more serious. Infected files, after being sent to the memory, will spread virus to other
files in the
hard disk. Therefore, the most basic principle to protect your computer from viruses is to
avoid
copying and not to run unformatted programmes without scanning for virus. 70
2. The natural world is under violent assault. The seas and the rivers are being poisoned
by
radioactive wastes, by chemical discharges and by the dumping of dangerous toxins and
raw
sewage. The air we breathe is polluted by smoke and fumes from factories and motor
vehicles. It
is little wonder forests and lakes are being destroyed and everywhere wildlife is
disappearing.
The irreversible loss of biodiversity has a seriuos impact on the ability of maintaining
species
including humans to survive because humans depend on species diversity and healthy
ecosystems. The destruction continues despite the warnings of the scientific community
and the
deep concern of millions of ordinary people. Governments and industries throughout the
world
are intensifying their efforts to extract the earth's mineral riches and to plunder its living
resources. The great rain forests and the frozen continents alike are seriously threatened.
However, we can create environmentally-clean industries, harness the power of the sun,
wind and
waves for our energy needs and manage the finite resources of the earth. 71
Lesson 31: GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES
Geography
65
The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam lies along the eastern coast of the Indochinese
peninsula,
bordering the Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) and Cambodia to the west
and China
to the north.
The country has five quite distinct physical regions: the coast, the delta areas, the central
region,
the high plateaux and the mountains. Some 24,000 square kilometres of land along the
3,200
kilometre coast is low-lying, mainly saline land which is frequently affected by tidal
floods and
typhoons. As the soil is not suited to agriculture, fishing and salt production are the chief
occupations of the people.
The delta regions cover a total of 47,500 square kilometres of land at the mouth of the
Red River
in the north and the Mekong in the south. Except for the areas closest to the sea, the land
is fertile
and suited for all types of agricultural crops, particularly the country's staple, rice.
The central region is about 50,000 square kilometres in area and is 25-300 metres above
sea
level. Less humid than the coastal or delta areas, it is nevertheless prone to devastating
typhoons
which make agricultural development difficult, despite the relatively rich soil.
The high plateaux region covers some 95,000 square kilometres with an altitude of 300-
900
metres in the north and 300-700 metres in the south. The area is mainly inhabited by
ethnic
minorities who live in isolated, scattered communities engaged in swidden farming. The
burning
of the forest has caused soil erosion and consequent environmental problems in the
lowland
areas.
Approximately 114,000 square kilometres of land in the north and south of the country
are
mountainous, over 700 metres above sea level. The mainly forested area is isolated and
also
populated by ethnic minorities.
Vietnam has a wet tropical climate, with high humidity. In the south the temperature is
fairly
constant, but in the north there is quite a wide variation between summer and winter. The
central
region and high mountains benefit from the altitude which tempers the climate, producing
an
average 20 degrees C. The dry (October-March) and wet (April-September) seasons are
determined by the monsoon winds. Average rainfall is 2,000 millimetres.
Notes:
66
- Indochinese peninsula : B¸n ®¶o §«ng D-¬ng
- to border : cã cïng biªn giíi
- high plateaux : vïng cao nguyªn
- saline land : vïng ®Êt mÆn
- tidal : thuéc vÒ thuû triÒu
- flood : lò lôt
- typhoon : b·o 72
- to be suited for : phï hîp víi
- agricultural crop : c©y n«ng nghiÖp
- altitude : ë ®é cao
- to be inhabited : sèng, c- ngô
- ethnic minority : d©n téc thiÓu sè
- to be isolated : bÞ c« lËp
- scattered : r¶i r¸c
- tropical climate : khÝ hËu nhiÖt ®íi
- humidity : ®é Èm
Lesson 32: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS
The following analysis of demographic data is based on the 1989 census and sample
results
compared with past figures to determine trends and implications for development.
Between the 1979 and 1989 censuses the population increased from 52.7 million to 64.4
million,
representing an average annual growth rate of 2.1 per cent. It is projected that in five
years the
population will reach 72.9 million and by the end of the century it will be 80.8 million.
Ethnic minorities
At 8.2 million the ethnic minorities population represents 12.8 per cent of the total
population, a
2 per cent rise over the last decade. The six major ethnic minority tribes are : Tay, Thai,
Hoa,
Kh'mer, Muong and Nung (see table I.2).
Sex and age group distribution
Viet Nam's population is characterized by more females (33.1 million), than males, (31.3
million)
with an average sex ratio of 94.6. However, the ratio varies considerably with the age
group. The
long years of war, together with emigration and the naturally lower life expectancy of
males,
have led to a markedly lower proportion of males than females over 35, whereas from
birth to 15
years the ratio is reversed and there are more males than females. The age group
distribution has
also been influenced by the war and migration. However the intense efforts to promote
family
67
planning and reduce population growth have curbed the proportion of young people, so
that the
0-15 year olds represent less than 40 per cent of the population.
Dependency ratio
The dependency ratio, which estimates the number of individuals whom persons in the
working
age group (15 - 64 years) must support in addition to themselves, was 98 in 1979,
meaning 100
working adults had to support 98 dependents : 84 children and 14 adults. By 1989 the
dependency ratio was 86, of whom 73 were 0-14 years.
Currently, the dependency ratio is higher in the rural areas than in the urban centres. 73
The census counted 12,958,041 households, 20 per cent of which were in urban areas.
The
national average membership of each household is 5 persons. It is clear that nuclear
families are
on the increase, particularly in urban areas where each household averaged 4.8 members.
The 1986 child population increased from 23.7 million to 25.1 million in 1989. Children
under
five constituted 43.1 per cent of the child population in 1986 but only 42.7 per cent in
1989. The
declining trend is presumably due in part to family planning measures, though it is also
noteworthy that the crude death rate has not noticeably decreased and the fertility rate is
still 4
per woman of childbearing age.
The child-woman ratio is calculated as the number of children (0-14 years) per 1,000
women of
childbearing age (15-49 years). In 1989 as there were 16.1 million women of
childbearing age
and 25.1 million children 0-14 years, the ratio was 1.56. This means that every woman of
childbearing age has to take care of almost 2 children.
Fertility
The fertility rate in Viet Nam has declined from 5.2 children per woman in 1980, to 4
children
per woman in 1989, with the highest rates recorded in the mountainous areas, among the
ethnic
minorities exist and the coastal provinces of the country. Fertility is considerably higher
in the
rural than the urban areas. These differences are thought to be due to such factors as the
lack of
modern methods of contraception in rural areas; lower levels of education among
mothers; and
the persistence of socio-cultural taboos against child spacing.
The implications of high fertility levels for women, children and the population as a
whole are
68
that the longer the space of a woman's childbearing years, the greater her risk of
mortality; while
for children, high fertility means greater exposure to the risk of dying. It has also been
observed
that the risks of infant mortality are high for the firstborn, decline for the second to
fourth-born
and then increase for the fifth born and above. These risks are naturally related to the risk
of
maternal mortality.
The 1980 crude birth rate of 35 per 1,000 population gradually went down to 32 per
1,000
population in 1988. This is partly attributable to wider acceptance of family planning and
realization of the need for child spacing.
Despite a strong family planning programme, the annual population growth rate is still
high at
2.13 per cent. Such population growth should be matched by an annual GDP growth in
the range
of 6.4-8.5 per cent. Yet between 1984 and 1988, the GDP average growth rate was only
3.4 per
cent.
Mortality
Life expectancy, estimated at 57 years at birth in 1980, increased to 62 years in 1988.
Progress
was greater for males than for females: the male rate rose from 55 years to 59.4 whereas
the
female rate increased by less than four years, from 60 to 63.8 years. As discussed in the
chapter
on Women, the maternal mortality rate gives cause for concern.
The infant and child mortality rates appear to have declined in recent years and are now
estimated to be around 49 and 88 per 1,000 live births respectively. 74
The crude death rate has fluctuated, rising from 7/1,000 in 1980 to 9.4/1,000 in 1988 and
then dropping back to 6.7/1,000 in 1989. The leading causes of mortality are mainly
related
to poor environmental sanitation, low hygiene standards and inadequate nutrition. They
thus include pulmonary tuberculosis, malaria, diarrhoeal diseases, dengue, tetanus,
pneumonia, and nutrition disorders. The implication is that in terms of sheer numbers, the
prospects for alleviating the poverty-related problems appear to have remained the same
if
not worsened, due to the limited economic resources of the country and the individual
households. Furthermore, the most affected population is the age group which is
UNICEF's
mandate.
NOTES:
- to be determined : kiªn ®Þnh, kiªn quyÕt
- demographic data : sè liÖu vÒ d©n sè
- census : cuéc ®iÒu tra d©n sè
69
- monsoon wind : giã mïa
- annual growth rate : tû lÖ gia t¨ng h»ng n¨m
- It is projected that...... : ng-êi ta dù ®o¸n r»ng
- tribe : bé téc
- life expectancy : tuæi thä
- age group distribution : sù ph©n bè theo nhãm tuæi
- dependency ratio : tû lÖ ng-êi phô thuéc
- fertility rate : tû lÖ sinh ®Î
- method of contraception : ph-¬ng ph¸p tr¸nh thai
- socio-cultural taboo : ®iÒu cÊm mang tÝnh v¨n ho¸ x· héi
- risk of infant mortality : nguy c¬ tö vong cña trÎ s¬ sinh
- maternal mortality rate : tû lÖ tö vong cña çc bµ mÑ
- fluctuate : dao ®éng
- environmental sanitation : vÖ sinh m«i tr-êng
- hygiene standard : tiªu chuÈn vÖ sinh
- pulmonary tuberculosis : lao phæi
- tetanus : bÖnh uèn v¸n
- poverty-related problem : vÊn ®Ò liªn quan ®Õn nghÌo ®ãi
Lesson 33: URBAN-RURAL DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION
As noted, the 1989 urban-rural population distribution was 20 per cent urban 80 per cent
rural. The urban population declined considerably in the southern provinces after 1975,
following the return to the countryside of the people who had moved to the towns during
75
the War. However, between 1984 and 1989 there was considerable movement of the
population
back into Ho Chi Minh City from the surrounding provinces of Song Be, Tay Ninh, Dong
Nai,
Long An and Tien Giang, from the mid-eastern seaboard province of Nghia Binh and
from the
province of Hanoi. The period was also marked by internal migration throughout the
country,
generally in a north: south direction. The provinces where out-migration was higher, are
in the
north-east : Cao Bang, Lang Son, Ha Nam Ninh and on the eastern seaboard: Nghia Binh.
Hanoi
is characterized by net outward movements, with the largest flows to the neighbouring
provinces
of Ha Son Binh, Hai Hung, and Thai Binh, to the Lao border region of Nghe Tinh and to
the
southern provinces of Lam Dong and Ho Chi Minh city.
This internal migration has created additional demand for basic services (health,
education,
housing, welfare) in the areas affected. Financial inputs from the community,
Government and
70
donors need to be correspondingly increased in order to be able to respond effectively to
the
needs of the target groups.
Population density
The distribution of population among the 44 provinces in 1989 showed the most
populated
provinces/cities were: Ho Chi Minh, Nghe Tinh, Ha Nam Ninh, Hanoi, Hau Giang and
Hai Hung.
More than 30 per cent of the country's population was concentrated in those areas.
Between 1985
and 1989 the average population density of the country rose from 180 to 195 persons per
square
kilometre. The major cities, Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi and the province of Thai Binh had
the
highest density, averaging more than 1,000 persons per square kilometre. Next were the
provinces of Hai Phong, Hai Hung, Ha Nam Ninh, An Giang, Tien Giang and Ben Tre,
with an
average of from 500-1,000 persons per square kilometre.
Concentration of the population in certain areas, clearly has serious implications for
employment,
food and nutrition, housing, health, education and social welfare and needs to be taken
into
account when drawing up social development policies and programmes for women and
children.
Urbanization
Given the above data on urban-rural population distribution, migration pattern, areas
population
densities, strains on the erstwhile stable urban centres such as Hanoi, Haiphong is
becoming
visible. He Chi Minh City already has a history of population growth and slums
However, the
magnitude of the problem is still manageable at present Current initiatives should
therefore be
focused on monitoring the existing situation as the country moves slowly to the market
economy
and greater industrialization. Baseline surveys are necessary to obtain accurate
information
required for effective monitoring, as well as it designing small scale pilot activities
related to
urban basic services,
As a measure to this problem, UNICEF has laid emphasis on working closely with both
international and local NGOs and local government units to maximize resources and re-
enforce/complement services for greater impact.
Society and the Family
The social organization, is primarily based on the traditional values of membership of a
family, a
71
village, or an ethnic group. The years of war and reconstruction which followed the
establishment of a totally new political and administrative structure necessarily produced
profound changes throughout society. The traditional extended family with three or four
76
generations living together is disappearing particularly in urban areas, due to
demographic
changes, migration housing congestion, economic pressures and a generally changing
life style.
Vietnamese traditional society was with a social and political order directly stemming
from the
Confucian pattern. Within the family the male had absolute authority. Women had little
access to
education or political role. The official position of women is now quite different.
According to
the Constitution women now have the same rights as men. However their current major
role in
the national labour force means that they have to bear a heavy burden as they are still
responsible
for household chores and raising their children with very little technology to assist them.
Child rearing beliefs, attitudes and practices
In Viet Nam young children are brought up in very close physical contact with their
mothers or
other caregivers and given encouragement rather than punishment to reinforce the
teaching of
habits. When they reach the age of four or five children are expected to start taking
responsibility. However, this practice vary from area to area. Mothers nurse them
whenever they
perceive babies are in need. It is rare to find babies lying in their cots between breast-
feedings
and at night they usually sleep with their mothers.
Mothers and other family members interact instinctively and very frequently with the
young
child. However, as soon as children are entrusted to a formal caretaker, they are likely
expected
to receive much stimulation.
There are a number of traditional beliefs about children, some of them based on
superstition. For
instance many parents, particularly in the countryside believe that after delivery, the
mother and
child should stay at home, covered up, and must avoid taking a bath. The mother and
child do not
leave the home for at least a month after the birth, and wait even longer before being fully
exposed to the open air.
NOTES :
- urban-rural population distribution : ph©n bè d©n sè theo n«ng
th«n vµ thµnh thÞ
72
- to decline : gi¶m xuèng
- mid-eastern seaboard province : tØnh duyªn h¶i miÒn Trung
- donor : ng-êi tµi trî
- population density : mËt ®é d©n sè
- concentration of population : tËp trung d©n sè
- migration pattern : h×nh thøc di d©n
- visible : h÷u h×nh, cã thÓ thÊy ®-îc
- slum : nhµ æ chuét
- existing situation : t×nh huèng thùc tÕ
- pilot activity : ho¹t ®éng thÝ ®iÓm
- NGO : Non-governmetal organization : tæ chøc phi chÝnh phñ
- local government : chÝnh quyÒn ®Þa ph-¬ng 77
- social organization : tæ chøc x· héi
- administrative structure : c¬ cÊu qu¶n lý
- profound : s©u s¾c
- extended family : gia ®×nh nhiÒu thÕ hÖ
- economic pressure : ¸p lùc kinh tÕ
- life style : lèi sèng
- to stem from : xuÊt ph¸t tõ
- Confucian pattern : theo Khæng gi¸o
- absolute authority : quyÒn hµnh tuyÖt ®èi
- household chore : viÖc nhµ
- labour force : lùc l-îng lao ®éng
- Constitution : HiÕn ph¸p
- burden : g¸nh nÆng
- to raise children : nu«i con
- to be brought up : nu«i nÊng
- caregiver : vó nu«i
- breast-feeding : nu«i con b»ng s÷a mÑ
- superstition : dÞ ®oan
Lesson 34: AGRICULTURAL FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Food is produced in Viet Nam by three different, but complementary farming systems:
the state,
the collective and the family. The state farms are mainly involved in cash crop production
and the
development of new technologies. The collective farms are responsible for national
foodstuff
production, particularly paddy. Families farm plots of land (from 300 to 1,000 square
metres,
depending on the region) around the house, growing a variety of grains, fruits and
vegetables and
raising livestock and fish. In 1983, the Government began encouraging distribution of
land to
73
individual farm families for production under a contract system and the December 1986
Party
Congress confirmed the importance of family farming for food self-sufficiency. Family
farming
is now recognized as the main basis for development. Families are free to sell more of
their
produce at negotiated or market prices and they have become the main source of
livestock, fish,
fruit and vegetables. The co-operatives have started to allocate larger plots of land to
families.
However, the co-operatives remain the focal points for distribution of inputs and services,
and the
collection of taxes and fees. It is generally admitted that these new initiatives have been
an
incentive to food production and the appearance of more food in the markets.
Land use 78
About a fifth of Viet Nam's total land area of some 33 million hectares is arable: of this
only 20
percent is now cultivated. About four fifths of the land cultivated is devoted to rice
paddy,
particularly in the delta areas. However, yields are low: two thirds of the Mekong delta
produce
only one crop a year.
Half of the cultivated land lies in the long and narrow coastal strip and the highland. This
region,
which covers 89 per cent of the country's total land area and contains 58 per cent of the
population,
has great potential for further agricultural expansion but investment costs would be high
as the
infrastructure is currently weak.
Production and Yields

Rice represents 86-88 per cent of the total food crop production. From 1976 to 1989, the
per hectare
paddy yield increased from 2.2 tons to 3.2 tons, which is similar to the average yield of
other Asian
developing countries.
The other food crops (maize, cassava, Irish and sweet potatoes, soybeans, groundnuts and
other
staple foods) have yielded an average of two tons per hectare since 1984.
The main constraints to improvements in crop yield are the lack of fertilizers (currently
the lowest
in Asia), insufficient pesticides due to a shortage of foreign exchange; problems with the
seed
multiplication system; inequities in the geographical distribution of agricultural supplies
(the North
74
is highly privileged and the central areas deprived); lack of spare parts and poor
maintenance of
farm equipment; inappropriate machinery for family farm use.
Production
From 1976 to 1989, total food production increased to 7.9 million tons. The food
production
increase from 1976 to 1981 was due to an extension of the cultivated paddy area, but
from 1981 to
1989 it was due to an improvement in the rice yield. At the same time, the area of
cultivation of
other food crops has not increased significantly. It appears that the food policy in Viet
Nam has emphasized paddy, while rather neglecting support for other food crops so their
production growth
has been irregular. This irregularity is an element of food insecurity and an indicator of
structural
difficulties in managing production factors.
Vietnamese agriculture is thus becoming virtually a rice monoculture creating a
monotonous and
high starch diet for the population and aggravating the potential risks of natural disasters
and pest
hazards.
Half of the cultivated land lies in the long and narrow coastal strip and the highland. This
region, which covers 89 per cent of the country's total land area and contains 58 percent
of
the population, has great potential for further agricultural expansion but investment costs
would be high as the infrastructure is currently weak.
Geographical variations in food production
Food production varies from one province to the next. The Mekong delta is a grain
surplus area,
while the Red River delta and central regions are traditionally grain deficient. The
production of
roots and tubers tends to be concentrated in the northern, central and coastal provinces
(cassava
and sweet potatoes) and in some provinces of the Red River delta (Irish potatoes). 79
Food availability
The per capita food availability figure is a theoretical measurement of food supply,
calculated by
dividing the total food produced by the number of inhabitants. In Viet Nam the figure is
given in
terms of rice paddy and all secondary food crops such as maize, cassava, potatoes,
sesame,
soybeans and groundnuts are given an equivalent value. Pulses and oilseeds are not
included, but
nor is any allowance made for post-harvest losses, seeds or milling so the figure may be
slightly
overestimated.
75
A theoretical food availability of 300 kilogrammes of paddy per year can be roughly
estimated at
1,600 calories per person per day. However, according to food consumption surveys,
basic
foodstuffs represent 85 percent of the total calorie intake, so the food availability of 300
kilogrammes gives a potential 1,840 calories per person per day. But this is still 260
calories
below the accepted requirement, so the country can hardly be termed self-sufficient until
the food
availability figure reaches 340 kilogrammes of paddy per person per year. Moreover, the
national
average value does not take regional variations into account. These are particularly
significant in
Viet Nam where the distribution and transportation infrastructure is weak.
From 1983 to 1986, the food availability was around 300 kilogrammes paddy. In 1987,
food
production decreased due to typhoons, floods and rice pests and there were estimated to
be only
280 kilogrammes paddy-equivalent/per year per inhabitant, covering only 82 per cent of
the
energy requirement. The central provinces experienced severe shortages that year. In
1988, the
harvest was much better, so production reached 307 kilogrammes paddy per inhabitant.
In 1989,
growth was maintained, surpassing the population growth rate for the first time. The food
availability figure was given as 310 kilogrammes. It would have been 332 kilogrammes if
the 1.4
millions of rice had not been exported. The spectacular progress in 1988 and 1989 was
due to
increases in the paddy yield. Indeed with great dependency on rice, the Vietnamese diet
has
become more and more monotonous and unbalanced. Thus the quantitative and
qualitative
insufficiency of the food production is a basic factor of malnutrition in Vietnam.
Inter household distribution of energy intake
A survey undertaken by the National Institute of Nutrition of 1,251 households, showed
that 9
percent were experiencing starvation (below 1,500 calories per person per day), 15 per
cent
suffered from food shortages (1,500-1,800 calories per person per day), and 23 per cent
were in a
more or less satisfactory situation (1,800-2,100 kcal) and 54 per cent had over 2,100
kcal/day,
considered satisfactory.
The energy availability distribution varies widely from one region to another. The central
region
76
experiences serious food shortages with 34 per cent of the households in the northern
central
provinces and 20 percent in the south central province consuming less than 1,800 calories
per
person per day. This is where the food situation requires urgent intervention.There are
also seasonal variations in food consumption. Just before the rice harvest calories
intake decreases by up to 15 per cent. Given the very low normal intakes, even a slight
decrease
can lead to starvation as happened during the bad harvest year of 1987. An additional
factor
causing temporary food shortages is the weather : the central provinces, particularly,
often suffer
from floods and typhoons which destroy harvests and food stores.
National and regional food consumption patterns 80
Rice is the main staple food in all regions of Viet Nam. Other staples are little consumed.
The quantity of pulses and oilseeds (sesame) in a meal is very low. The consumption of
milk,
eggs, sugar and fruit is also low nationwide. An average of only 18 grammes of meat per
day is
consumed. Vietnamese, especially those living in the southern central and Mekong delta
provinces, derive more protein from fish and sea products. Vegetable consumption is
sufficient overall, but with important regional variations; twice as many are consumed in
the
northern mountains as in the Mekong Delta. The Vietnamese diet contains very little fat;
the
lipid intake is believed said to be one of the lowest in the world. 81
NOTES:
- output : n¨ng suÊt, ®Çu ra
- industrial crop : c©y c«ng nghiÖp
- cash crop : n«ng s¶n hµng ho¸
- contract system : chÕ ®é kho¸n
- plot of land : thöa ®Êt
- It is admitted that : ngêi ta thõa nhËn r»ng
- to be cultivated : ®îc canh t¸c
- one crop a year : ( s¶n xuÊt 1 n¨m 1 vô
- coastal strip : vïng ®Êt duyªn h¶i
- expansion : sù më réng/sù ph¸t triÓn
- paddy yield : n¨ng suÊt lóa
- cassava : c©y s¾n ( m×)
- seed multiplication system : hÖ thèng/c¬ së nh©n gièng
- spare part : phô tïng
- maintenance : b¶o dìng/b¶o tr×
- extension : sù më réng
- to emphasize : chó träng
- food crop : c©y l¬ng thùc
- rice monoculture : ®éc canh c©y lóa
77
Lesson 35:
The enormous asteroid heading for Earth proved to be a cosmic false alarm, but that's no
reason
not to start planning for the next one.
The threat of asteroid strikes still looms over the planet, which has been hit many times in
the
past by large objects raining down from space. Evidence of these ancient impacts is
everywhere:
more than 150 caters pock Earths' surface, some clearly visible, some that can be seen
only from
aircraft or satellites, others long buried or on the ocean bottom...
By far the most notorious of these craters is the circular feature 195km in diameter
discovered
below the northern tip of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. This monster crater is believed to
be the
impact site of a 10-to-13km-wide comet or asteroid that struck 65 million years ago and
wiped
out the dinosaurs and some 70% of Earth's other species.
While these catastrophic events seem remote and unreal, there are plenty of more recent
reminders that Earth's neighborhood in space is still teeming with mountain-size rocks
and the 82
occasional wayward comet. Arizona's spectacular Meteor Crater, for one, was gouged out
only
50,000 years ago by an iron asteroid. The impact and explosion blasted a hole about 1km
across
and 210m deep. Today it could destroy a city.
Much more recently, in 1908, an asteroid or a chunk of a comet less than 60m across
roared into
the atmosphere and exploded about 8km above the unpopulated Tunguska region of
Siberia. The
blast, estimated at tens of megatons, devastated an area of hundreds of square km,
knocking
down trees, starting fires and killing reindeer. Had it occurred over a large city, hundreds
of
thousands would have died.
And two years ago, an asteroid about 450m across was discovered just four days before it
sped by
78
a 93,000km/h, missing Earth by only 450,000km. If it had hit, the resulting explosion
would have
been in the 3,00-to-12, 000-megaton range - equivalent, as the late astronomer Gene
Shoemaker
put it, to "taking all of the U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons, putting them in a pile a
blowing
them up."
XF11 was discovered last Dec. 6 by astronomer Jim Scotti, a member of the University
of
Arizona's Spacewatch group, which scans the skies for undiscovered comets and
asteroids.
For a brief but exciting 24 hours, the big asteroid commanded everyone's attention.
Astronomer
Hills calculated that an asteroid the size of XF11 colliding with Earth at more than
60,00kg/h
would explode with the energy of 300,000 megatons - nearly 20 million times the force
of the
bomb that leveled Hiroshima. If it hit in the ocean, he predicted, it would cause a tsunami
(commonly called a tidal wave) hundreds of meters high, flooding the coastlines of
surrounding
continents. "Where cities stood," he said, "there would be only mudflats." A land hit, he
calculated, would blast out a crater at least 50km across and throw up a blanket of dust
and vapor
that would blot out the sun "for weeks, it not months."
Almost as worrisome are the estimated 300,000 asteroids larger than 90m wide that also
come
perilously near or intersect Earth's orbit; each could inflict Tunguska-like damage over a
large
region. The number of Earth-crossing asteroids larger than 20m across, says University of
Arizona astronomer Tom Gehrels, could be as high as 100 million. A hit by any one of
them
could destroy a large city.
What if one or more of these asteroids are found to be a serious threat? Scientists
generally agree
on the best strategy for avoiding disaster: launch a rocket to intercept the intruder and, at
the very
least, change its orbit. If the asteroid is small and detected many years and orbits before
its
predicted impact, the solution would be straightforward. "You apply some modest
impulse to the
asteroid at as closest approach to the sun," says Los Alamos' Canavan. "The slight
deflection that
79
results will amplify during each orbit, ensuring that the asteroid misses Earth by a wide
margin."
That little push, he notes, could be provided by conventional high explosives.
For objects 90m or larger and detected late in the game, however, nuclear weapons may
well be
the only answer. If XF11 had been discovered just 145 million km away and on a beeline
toward
Earth, for example, the equivalent of a 1-megaton explosion would have been necessary
to shove
it into a safe orbit. Had it first been spotted at just a tenth of that distance, a 100-megaton
blast
would have been needed to turn it away. 83
Viãûc mäüt thiãn thaûch khäøng läö di chuyãøn vãö hæåïng Traïi
Âáút âaî cho chuïng ta tháúy âoï laì mäüt baïo âäüng giaí cuía
vuî truû, nhæng âoï khäng phaíi laì lyï do khiãún chuïng ta khäng
bàõt âáöu coï kãú hoaûch âäúi phoï våïi viãûc mäüt thiãn thaûch
kãú tiãúp seî di chuyãøn vãö hæåïng Traïi Âáút)
Mäúi âe doüa cuía viãûc caïc thiãn thaûch âuûng vaìo Traïi Âáút
váùn coìn baìn baûc trãn khàõp haình tinh naìy, vç nhiãöu láön
trong quaï khæï haình tinh naìy âaî bë nhæîng váût thãø låïn tæì
khäng gian råi xuäúng nhæ mæa âuûng vaìo noï. Bàòng chæïng cuía
nhæîng láön træåïc âáy caïc thiãn thaûch va vaìo Traïi Âáút hiãûn
giåì chuïng ta tháúy åí khàõp nåi: hån 150 häú läù chäù trãn bãö
màût Traïi Âáút, mäüt säú caïi ta coï thãø nhçn tháúy mäüt caïch
roî raìng, mäüt säú caïi khaïc âaî bë chän vuìi tæì láu âåìi räöi
hoàûc nàòm åí dæåïi âaïy âaûi dæång.
Hàón nhiãn caïi häú kheït tiãúng nháút trong säú âoï laì caïi häú
hçnh troìn coï âæåìng kênh laì 195 kilämeït âæåüc phaït hiãûn åí
dæåïi muîi phêa bàõc cuía baïn âaío Yucatan åí Mãhicä. Ngæåìi ta
cho ràòng caïi häú khäøng läö naìylaì nåi mäüt sao chäøi coï bãö
ngang räüng tæì 10 âãún 13 kilämeït hoàûc mäüt thiãn thaûch âaî
âuûng vaìo traïi âáút caïch âáy 65 triãûu nàm træåïc vaì tiãu
diãût hãút loaìi khuíng long vaì khoaíng 70% nhæîng loaìi khaïc
säúng trãn traïi âáút.
Trong khi nhæîng biãún âäú khuíng khiãúp naìy coï veí nhæ xa xäi
vaì khäng coï tháût, coï nhiãöu váût nhàõc nhåí chuïng ta gáön
âáy hån ràòng trong khäng gian lán cáûn cuía Traïi Âaït váùn coìn
âáöy dáùy nhæîng hoìn âaï to bàòng cåí traïi nuïi vaì caïc sao
chäøi âäi khi di chuyãøn chãûch hæåïng. Häú Sao Bàng ráút ngoaûn
muûc åí Arizona chàõc chàõn laì do mäüt thiãn thaûch gäöm toaìn
sàõt âaìo xuäúng caïch âáy måïi 50.000 nàm. Thiãn thaûch chaûm
80
màût âáút vaì gáy ra vuû näø sau âoï, âaî taûo ra mäüt caïi häú
ngang räüng khoaíng mäüt kilämeït vaì sáu 210 meït. Nãúu ngaìy
nay xaíy ra vuû naìy, noï coï thãø phaï huyí caí mäüt thaình
phäú.
Caïch âáy mäüt khoaíng thåìi gian gáön hån, vaìo nàm 1908, mäüt
thiãn thaûch hay mäüt maính våî cuía mäüt sao chäøi coï bãö ngang
chæa tåïi 60 meït bay vaìo khê quyãøn vaì näø caïch màût âáút
khoaíng 8 kilämeït trãn vuìng Tunguska khäng ngæåìi åí cuía
Siberia. Sæïc näø cuía noï khoaíng 10 megaton, phaï huíy mäüt
vuìng räüng haìng tràm kilämeït vuäng, âäún ngaî raûp cáy cäúi,
gáy hoía hoaûn vaì giãút chãút caïc con tuáön läüc. Giaí sæí noï 84
xaíy ra åí mäüt thaình phäú låïn, thç coï âãún tràm ngaìn ngæåìi
chãút.
Vaì caïch âáy 2 nàm, mäüt thiãn thaûch coï bãö nag khoaíng 450
meït âæåüc phaït hiãûn ra chè coï 4 ngaìy træåïc khi noï bay vuût
ngang qua traïi âáút våïi mäüt váûn täúc laì 93.000 km/giåì,
caïch Traïi Âáút chè coï 450.000km. Nãúu noï âuûng Traïi Âáút,
gáy ra mäüt sæïc näø coï thãø bàòng trong voìng tæì 3.000 âãún
12.000 megaton - tæång âæång våïi, nhæ nhaì thiãn vàn quaï cäú
Gene Shoemaker noïi, "viãûc láúy táút caí vuî khê haût nhán cuía
Hoa Kyì vaì Liãn Xä, cháút chuïng thaình mäüt âäúng vaì cho
chuïng näø tung".
Nhaì thiãn vàn hoüc Jim Scotti, mäüt thaình viãn cuía Nhoïm theo
doîi Khäng gian cuía Âaûi hoüc Arizona quan saït báöu tråìi âãø
tçm ra caïc sao chäøi vaì thiãn thaûch chæa phaït hiãûn âæåüc,
âaî phaït hiãûn ra thiãn thaûch XF11 vaìo ngaìy 6 thaïng 12 væìa
qua.
Thiãn thaûch låïn naìy khiãún cho moüi ngæåìi phaíi chuï yï âãún
chè trong mäüt khoaíng thåìi gian 24 giåì ngàõn nguíi nhæng háúp
dáùn. Nhaì thiãn vàn Hills tênh toaïn ràòng mäüt thiãn thaûch
bàòng cåî thiãn thaûch XF11 âuûng phaíi Traïi Âáút våïi täúc âäü
hån 60.000 km/giåì seî phaït näø våïi nàng læåüng cuía 300.000
megaton - gáön bàòng 20 triãûu láön sæïc cäng phaï cuía traïi bom
âaî san bàòng Hiroshima. Äng tiãn âoaïn, nãúu noï âám xuäúng
biãøn, noï seî gáy ra mäüt tsunami (thæåìng goüi laì soïng tháön)
cao haìng máúy tràm meït, laìm ngáûp luût caïc båì biãøn cuía
caïc âaûi luûc åí xung quanh. Äng noïi: "Nåi naìo coï caïc thaình
phäú thç noï seî chè coìn laì baîi buìn". Theo tênh toaïn cuía
äng, nãúu thiãn thaûch naìy âám xuäúng âáút, noï seî âaìo thaình
mäüt caïi häú bãö ngang räüng êt nháút khoaíng 50 kilämeït vaì
laìm tung lãn mäüt låïp buûi vaì håi áøm che phuí màût tråìi
"haìng tuáön nãúu khong muäún noïi laì haìng thaïng".
81
Âiãöu gáön nhæ cuîng gáy cho chuïng ta lo làõng laì coï æåïc
khoaíng 300.000 thiãn thaûch våïi bãö ngang räüng hån 90 meït
cuîng âang âeïn gáön quyî âaûo traïi âáút mäüt caïch nguy hiãøm
hoàûc càõt ngang quyî âaûo Traïi âáút; mäùi thiãn thaûch nayì coï
thãø gáy ra sæïc taìn phaï nhæ åí Tunguska trãn mäüt vuìng räüng
låïn. Theo nhaì thiãn vàn Tom Gehrels cuía træåìng Âaûi hoüc
Arizona, con säú nhæîng thiãn thaûch coï bãö ngang räüng hån 20
meït coï thãø lãn tåïi khoaíng 100 triãûu thiãn thaûch. Báút cæï
mäüt thiãn thaûch naìo trong säú âoï âuûng vaìo traïi âáút cuîng
coï thãø phaï huíy mäüt thaình phäú låïn. 85
Chuïng ta seî laìm gç nãúu chuïng ta nháûn tháúy mäüt hay nhiãöu
hån mäüt trong säú nhæîng thiãn thaûch naìy tråí thaình mäüt mäúi
âe doüa nghiãm troüng? Caïc nhaì khoa hoüc noïi chung nháút trê
vãö chiãún læåüc täút nháút âãø traïnh tai hoüa naìy laì: phoïng
mäüt hoía tiãùn âãø ngàn caín váût xám nháûp vaì, täúi thiãøu laì
laìm thay âäøi quyî âaûo cuía noï. Nãúu thiãn thaûch nhoí vaì
âæåüc phaït hiãûn tæì nhiãöu nàm vaì noï bay theo quyî âaûo
træåïc khi coï va chaûm nhæ tiãn liãûu, biãûn phaïp chuïng ta
giaíi quyãút coï thãø dãù hiãøu. Äng Canavan åí phoìng thê
nghiãûm quäúc gia Los Amlamos noïi: "Chuïng ta aïp duûng mäüt
læûc âáøy khiãm täún naìo âoï lãn thiãn thaûch khi noï âãún gáön
màût tråìi nháút. Læûc âáøy laìm cho thiãn thaûch håi chãûch
hæåïng, hiãûn tæåüng naìy seî tàng lãn mäùi láön thiãn thaûch
quay quanh quyî âaûo, baío âaím ràòng thiãn thaûch seî xa Traïi
âáút mäüt khoaíng caïch räüng". Äng ghi nháûn, viãûc âáøy mäüt
chuït nhæ thãú coï thãø thæûc hiãûn âæåüc bàòng caïch sæí duûng
caïc cháút näø maûnh thäng thæåìng. Tuy nhiãn, âäúi våïi nhæîng
váût coï bãö ngang khoaíng 90 meït hay låïn hån vaì âaî âæåüc
khaïm phaï trãù hån trong hoaût âäüng âäúi phoï våïi thiãn
thaûch, caïc vuî khê haût nhán coï thãø laì giaíi âaïp duy nháút.
Vê duû, nãúu thiãn thaûch XF11 âæåüc khaïm phaï khi noï chè coìn
caïch Traïi Âáút 145 triãûu kilämeït vaì âang bay thàóng hæåïng
Traïi Âáút, thç ta phaíi cáön âãún mäüt læåüng cháút chäù tæång
âæång våïi mäüt megaton âãø âáøy noï vaìo mäüt quyî âaûo an toaìn
cho Traïi Âáút. Nãúu ta âaî phaït hiãûn láön âáöu tháúy noï trong
khoaíng caïch noïi trãn, thç ta cáön âãún mäüt sæïc näø cuía 100
megaton âãø chuyãøn hæåïng noï âi. 86
REFERENCES
Bronte, E. 1995. Withering Heights. Oxford University Press, London UK.
Butler, O. 1993. A Good Scent From A Strange Mountain.Cambridge University Press,

Cambridge, UK.
Clark, A. 1976. The Secret Of The Andes. Penguin Group, Maryland, USA.
82
Grisham, J. 1999. A Time To Kill. Penguin Readers Ltd Original Publishing House,
Maryland,
USA.
Hailey, A. 1999. Airport. Penguin Books, Maryland, USA.
Hawthorn, N. 2000. The Scarlet Letter. Penguin Group, Maryland, USA.
Lawrence, D. 1999. British And American Short Stories. Penguin Ltd, Maryland, USA.
London, J. 1994. The Call Of The Wild. Penguin Group, Maryland, USA.
Lowry, L. 1989. Number The Stars. Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group,
Maryland, USA.
Shelley, Mary. 1988. Frankenstein. Oxford University Press, London, UK
Spack, R. 1999. International Story. Ho Chi Minh City Publishing House, HCM City,
Vietnam.
Thomson, A. 1989. A Practical English Grammar. Oxford University Press, London, UK
83

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Chapter 1: ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES

Lesson 1: VËt liÖu míi -Mét c«ng nghÖ mòi nhän

Lesson 4: RIVER POLLUTION: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

Lesson 5: WETLANDS IN DANGER

Lesson 6: POISONED SEAS

Lesson 7: SAVING THE RAINFORESTS

Lesson 8: DESERTS CAN BE FARMED

Lesson 10: SAVING THE REMAINING FEW

Lesson 11: A DIET OF CHEMICALS

Lesson 12: FARMING WITHOUT CHEMICALS

Situated on a basin surrounded by snow-capped mountains, Mexico City might be one of

Toxic waste dumps contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), cadmium, chromium,

Lesson 18: GETTING RID OF TOXIC WASTE

Lesson 20: ACID RAIN AND FALSE ECONOMIES

Lesson 21: GLOBAL WARMING

Lesson 22: TRANSLATING COMPUTER

People involved in the computer industry believe we are experiencing a computer

Last month, American agents seized

Ecstasy is said to suppress

Scientists say sunspots are caused by magnetic

CAUSING COMMUNICATION AND ELECTRIC POWER INTERFERECE

NEEDED FOR NORMAL WEATHER CONDITION

B·O MÆT TrêI

G¢Y RA NHIÔU §IÖN Vµ SãNG TH¤NG TIN

CÇN THIÕT CHO §IÒU KIÖN ThêI TIÕT B×NH TH¦êNG

Lesson 28: HÖ THèNG §ÞNH VÞ TOµN CÇU

Tªn bµ lµ Eleanor Cressy. Bµ lµ mét nhµ th¸m hiÓm ®¹i d-¬ng cã

Let us begin back on June twenty-seventh, Eighteen-Fifty-One. We are on the sailing

Her name is Eleanor Cressy. She is famous as an expert navigator

A high-tech brain scan2

Lesson 32: DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS

Lesson 33: URBAN-RURAL DISTRIBUTION AND MIGRATION

Lesson 34: AGRICULTURAL FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS

Production and Yields

Butler, O. 1993. A Good Scent From A Strange Mountain.Cambridge University Press,

Hailey, A. 1999. Airport. Penguin Books, Maryland, USA.

Hawthorn, N. 2000. The Scarlet Letter. Penguin Group, Maryland, USA.

Shelley, Mary. 1988. Frankenstein. Oxford University Press, London, UK

Thomson, A. 1989. A Practical English Grammar. Oxford University Press, London, UK

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