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computers and the television sets – have been made by workers,
whose labour increasingly resembles that of an engineer and a
technologist. A worker is to be well versed in complex
technology to be able to read blueprints, to control automatic
machines and to know the fundamentals of telemechanics,
electronics and radio engineering. A considerable part of his time
he devotes to the analysis, control and regulation of production,
i.e. to mental work which requires a knowledge of mathematics,
physics, chemistry and other subjects. There fore, for many trades
general secondary education becomes one of the necessary
qualifications.
These considerations underline the idea of setting up a
basically new type of vocational schools in our country, to train
workers in such particularly complex trades as the adjusting
repair and assembly of automated lines and programme
controlled tools, as well as radio and electrical mechanics,
machines operators for industry, construction, agriculture, etc.
These schools will give training in hundreds of trades, among
them dozens for engineering, power generation, electrical
engineering, metalluegy and chemistry.
ATOMIC ENERGY
In 1896 Ernest Rutherford began investigations of
radio-activity at Cambridge. Four years later he continued them
in Canada. He studied the radiations from the element thorium
and showed that atoms were splitting up. This was a great shock
to the chemists of the time as the atoms had always been regarded
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as the smallest indivisible units.
Further research showed that the atom was made up of smaller
particles and that its structure was very complex: it resembled the
solar system with a central nucleus and a number of electrons,
very much smaller than the nucleus and revolving around it.
Rutherford’s result made a great impression on the scientific
world because the splitting of the atom opened to man a new and
enormous source of energy. The most important results have been
obtained by splitting the atom of uranium.
World War I interrupted much of the scientific work in
England. In 1918 the work on radio-activity was resumed with
additional workers from England, the United States and the
Soviet Union. Rutherford died in 1937, but the work which he
began has not yet been finished.
ECOLOGICAL PROBLEMS
Since ancient times Nature has served Man, being the source
of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with
environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were
unlimited. But with the development of civilization man's
interference in nature began to increase.
Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises
appear all over the world today. The by-product of their activity
pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow
grain and vegetables on.
Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about
1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many
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cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire.
Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result some
rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever a
number of rivers and lakes dry up.
The pollution of air and the world's ocean, destruction of the
ozone layer is the result of man's careless interaction with nature,
a sign of the ecological crisis.
The most horrible ecological disaster befell Ukraine and its
people after the Chernobyl tragedy in April 1986. About 18
percent of the territory of Belarus was also polluted with
radioactive substances. A great damage has been done to the
agriculture, forests and people's health. The consequences of this
explosion at the atomic power-station are tragic for the
Ukrainian, Belarusian and other nations.
Environmental protection is of universal concern. That is why
serious measures to create a system of ecological security should
be taken.
Some progress has been already made in this direction. As
many as 159 countries-members of the UNO-(United Nation
Organization) have set up environmental protection agencies.
Numerous conferences have been held by these agencies to
discuss problems facing ecologically poor regions including the
Aral Sea, the South Urals, Kuzbass, Donbass, Semipalatinsk and
Chernobyl. An international environmental research centre has
been set up on Lake Baikal. The international organization
Greenpeace is also doing much to preserve the environment.
But these are only the initial steps and they must be carried
onward to protect nature, to save life on the planet not only for the
sake of the present but also for the future generations.
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ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
People have always polluted their surroundings. But until now
pollution was not such a serious problem. People lived in
uncrowded rural areas and did not have pollution – causing
machines. With the development of crowded industrial cities
which put huge amounts of pollutants into small areas, the
problem has become more important. Automobiles and other new
inventions, make pollution steadily worse. Since the late 1960’s
people have become alarmed with the danger of pollution.
Air, water and soil are necessary for existance of all living
things. But polluted air can cause illness and even death. Polluted
water kills fish and other marine life. On polluted soil, food can
not be grown. In addition environmental pollution spoils the
natural beauty of our planet.
Pollution is as complicated as serious problem. Automobiles
are polluting the air but they provide transportation for the
people. Factories pollute the air and the water, but they provide
jobs for people and produce necessary goods. Fertilizers and
pesticides are important for growing crops, but they can ruin soil.
Thus, people would have to stop using many useful things if
want of course. But pollution can be reduced gradually. Scientists
and engineers can find the ways to reduce pollution from
automobiles and factories. Government can pass the laws that
would make enterprises take measures for reducing of pollution.
Individuals and groups of people can work together to persuade
enterprises to stop polluting activities.
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