HUE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH

------***------

NGUYEN VAN TUAN

TRANSLATION 5

HUE - 2006

1

INTRODUCTION

TRANSLATION 5 is a basic course book written for the second-year students of the Department

of English, College of Foreign Languages, Hue University. It is intended to equip the students

with an overview of translating Vietnamese and English scientific texts. It also helps the students

get familiar with the terms related to science and technology as well as the typical structures

frequently used in scientific and technological texts.

Since the course book has been written for the students to learn either by themselves or in class

with a teacher, there will be a course book and assignments. The course book contains the

Vietnamese and English socio-politic texts with notes and suggested translations. The

assignments contain the Vietnamese and English socio-politic texts that will be translated into

either English or Vietnamese by the students.

By the end of the course, the students will be able to:

- obtain general knowledge of the Vietnamese and English scientific and technological

documents.

- get familiar with and effectively use scientific and technological terms and typical structures

of scientific and technological texts in their translations.

- accurately translate scientific and technological texts into English and Vietnamese.

On the completion of this course book, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Dr. Ton Nu

Nhu Huong for her encouragement. I would also like to be grateful to Dr. Tran Van Phuoc and

other colleagues of the College of Foreign Languages for their kind help.

Errors are unavoidable in this course book. Therefore, I appreciate and welcome any criticism on

the course book.

Hue, November 14th, 2006

Nguyen Van Tuan

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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 c¸c 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 nghÑ ®­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 c­¬ng 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 c¸c s¸ng chÕ míi, s¶n phÈm míi cña m×nh vµo thùc tiÔn s¶n

xuÊt vµ xuÊt khÈu.

Víi ®éi ngò c¸n 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 c¸c 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 l­¬ng, x©y dùng kÕt cÊu h¹ tÇng, c¸c 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 c¸c 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

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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

- 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.

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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.

5

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 are sprayed with sulfites, to which many

people are allergic. Bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit are sprayed with even more

poisonous chemicals.

- 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

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- 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

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.

Suggested Translation : 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

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người cho rằng phát triển dân số ở các nước nghèo là nguyên 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

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 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‟.

8

Suggested Translation :

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 c¸c lo¹i n«ng s¶n xuÊt khÈu vµ do c¸c 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

®­îc 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 c¸nh

rõng nhiÖt ®íi ®· bÞ biÕn thµnh ®ång cá ch¨n th¶ v× viÖc nu«i gia

sóc mang l¹i c¸c kho¶n lîi nhuËn xuÊt khÈu gióp tr¶ nî n­íc

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 c¸c kho¶n mua s¾m xa xØ

cña chÝnh phñ vµ qu©n ®éi. ViÖc x©y dùng c¸c ®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 runoff

pollution.

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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 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 H­¬ng b¾t nguån tõ ®©u?

- to be crystal clear : trong nh­ 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 c¸i 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 n­íc s¹ch

- to be passed : ®­îc th«ng qua

- toxic chemical : ho¸ chÊt ®éc h¹i

- weed : cá d¹i

- insect : c«n trïng

- residue : phÇn cßn d­, phÇn ch­a dïng hÕt

- to be washed : bÞ tr«i d¹t

- 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.

11

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

- 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 : ng­êi 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 more

pollutants 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 com-

plaints 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.

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

13

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 : m­a 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 c¸i 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 tr­êng

- dolphin : c¸ heo

14

- 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.

C¸c 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 c¸c 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

tr­ëng 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 c¸c 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 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 effective 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

16

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 : v­ît qu¸

* to exceed the speed limit : v­ît 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

- long-term benefit : lîi Ých l©u dµi

- short-term benefit : lîi Ých tr­íc 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 c¸i 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:

- 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 (c¸i 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 l­¬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×

19

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 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 c¸i g×

20

* 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 : c¸ 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. 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

21

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

22

- artisan : nghÖ nh©n

- wildlife conservation movement : phong trµo b¶o vÖ ®éng vËt

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

23

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

- 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

24

25

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 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

26

* 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 c¸c 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 th­êng

* Nothing can compensate for the loss of our health.

* compensation : sù båi th­êng

* 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

- to benefit from : h­ëng lîi tõ

- to get rid of : xo¸ bá

- to develop resistance to : kh¸ng l¹i

27

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.

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 ng­êi ®· 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

* water seeping through the roof of the tunnel

n­íc 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 l­îng

- 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 c¸i g× thµnh c¸i g×.

- to sort sth into sth : ph©n lo¹i c¸i g× thµnh c¸i g×.

- to deliver : giao, ph©n phèi

- to subsidize : bao cÊp, trî cÊp

* subsidized industries : c¸c 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

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.

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 : ng­êi x¶ r¸c

- to be thrown into prison : bá tï

- to sneak out to do sth : lÐn lót lµm c¸i g×, trèn chui trèn lòi

lµm c¸i g×.

- retailer : ng­êi b¸n lÎ

- to be obliged to do sth: bÞ b¾t buéc lµm c¸i 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 h­íng lµm c¸i 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 d­ìng

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.

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

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 nЬc 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 : c¸i 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,

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,

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 tr­êng

- to threaten : ®e do¹

* to threaten to do sth : ®e do¹ lµm c¸i g×

- to make an attempt : cè g¾ng

- strict : nghiªm tóc, nghiªm ngÆt

- to go far beyond the limit : v­ît qu¸ giíi h¹n

- to be imposed on : g©y t¸c ®éng cho, g©y ¶nh h­ëng 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 investi- gation 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,

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

- 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

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

37

- 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

38

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

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-

lished; but governments have been very slow to take remedial action.

Notes:

- consequence : hËu qu¶

* environmental consequence: hËu qu¶ m«i tr­êng

- to mix : trén lÉn, hoµ trén

* to mix with : trén víi

- water vapor : h¬i n­íc

- 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.

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«

* a withered flower : mét hoa hÐo

* a withered glance : mét c¸i 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 c¸i 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 n­íc

- 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 l­îng ch¹y b»ng than

- monster : qu¸i vËt

- approach : ph­¬ng ph¸p, ®­êng h­íng

- to replace sth with sth : thay c¸i g× b»ng c¸i g×

- non-polluting source : nguån ( n¨ng l­îng...) 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.....: Ng­êi 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

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

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 l­íi phøc

t¹p

- thermal : thuéc vÒ nhiÖt

* thermal current : dßng nhiÖt

* thermal insulation : sù c¸ch 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

43

- to radiate : bøc x¹

- blanket : c¸i ch¨n, líp bao phñ

* a blanket of fog : líp s­¬ng mï

- to prevent sth from : ng¨n ngõa, b¶o vÖ c¸i g× khái...

- to allow sb to do sth : cho phÐp ai lµm c¸i 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 h­íng gi¸ c¶ cßn gia t¨ng.

- figure : con sè

- to accumulate : tÝch luü

- to have an impact on sth : t¸c ®éng lªn c¸i 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

- 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

44

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

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

45

Suggested Translation :

M¸Y VI TÝNH DÞCH

Trong nhiÒu n¨m, c¸c chuyªn gia vÒ ng«n ng÷ ®· sö dông c¸c m¸y vi

tÝnh ®Ó gióp cho con ng­êi chuyÓn ®æi mét sè tµi liÖu tõ ng«n ng÷

nµy sang ng«n ng÷ kh¸c. HiÖn nay, ng­êi ta quan t©m h¬n trong

viÖc sö dông c¸c m¸y vi tÝnh ®Ó dÞch thªm th«ng tin. C¸c nhµ khoa

häc tõng tin r»ng c«ng viÖc nµy cã thÓ ®­îc thùc hiÖn mét c¸ch dÔ

dµng. Hä nghÜ r»ng c¸c m¸y vi tÝnh cã thÓ chuyÓn ®æi c¸c tõ tõ

ng«n ng÷ nµy sang ng«n ng÷ kh¸c vµ cã thÓ ®Æt nh÷ng c©u víi c¸c

tõ b»ng c¸ch 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 m­în 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 c¸ hoÆc nghÜa lµ

t«i lµm viÖc trong nhµ m¸y ®ãng c¸ hép. M¸y vi tÝnh kh«ng thÓ

hiÓu ®­îc sù kh¸c nhau vÒ nghÜa. V× thÕ, c¸c 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. Tr­íc 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

ng­êi 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÷.

C¸c 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 ng­êi Mü ngµy cµng quan

t©m ®Õn mèi quan hÖ víi c¸c 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 c¸c

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 c¸c 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 ng­êi. 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:

46

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.

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¬

Suggested Translation :

47

C¸c 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 c¸c ¶nh h­ëng gièng nh­ c¬n ®ét quþ ë n·o gäi lµ

chøng ®éng kinh. C¸c 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).

C¸c 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 th­êng do hËu qu¶ cña

chÊt ®éc g©y ra.

C¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu còng tiªm vaccine vµo nhãm chuét thø hai. N¨m

th¸ng sau, c¸c 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 c¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu th× vaccine ®· lµm cho hÖ miÔn nhiÔm b¶o

vÖ n·o khái c¬n ®ét quþ vµ tæn th­¬ng, gièng nh­ nã b¶o vÖ c¸c 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. C¸c

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 c¸c ho¸ chÊt ë

n·o lµm huû ho¹i tÕ b¹o thÇn kinh sau c¸c c¬n ®ét quþ hay tæn

th­¬ng.

C¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu thuéc Tr­êng §¹i häc Jefferson dù ®Þnh tiÕn

hµnh thö nghiÖm lo¹i vaccine nµy trªn nh÷ng ng­êi 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 ng­êi giµ khái bÞ tæn h¹i vÒ

n·o v× c¸c c¬n ®ét quþ vµ ngay c¶ bÖnh Alzheimer (bÖnh mÊt trÝ

nhí).

HiÖn nay, lo¹i vaccine nµy còng ho¹t ®éng nh­ c¸c lo¹i vaccine

kh¸c. B¸c sÜ sÏ tiªm cho nh÷ng ai ®­îc chÈn ®o¸n cã nguy c¬ ®ét

quþ vµ c¸c bÖnh kh¸c vÒ n·o. C¸c chÊt kh¸ng thÓ ph¸t triÓn trong

m¸u. Khi c¬n ®ét quþ hay chÊn th­¬ng x¶y ra, c¸c kh¸ng thÓ ®i vµo

n·o n¬i mµ cÇn chóng ®Ó ng¨n ngõa tæn th­¬ng. C¸c kh¸ng thÓ kh«ng

®i vµo n·o trõ phi c¬n ®ét quþ hay tæn th­¬ng x¶y ra.

48

C¸c nhµ nghiªn cøu nãi r»ng cÇn ph¶I thùc hiÖn thªm nhiÒu cuéc

nghiªn cøu vÒ lo¹i vaccine nµy h¬n n÷a tr­íc khi ®em ra sö dông

réng r·i. Nh­ng c«ng viÖc Êy cã thÓ lµ b­íc ®Çu cho mét ph­¬ng

ph¸p hoµn toµn míi mÎ ®Î trÞ c¸c bÖnh vÒ n·o.

Lesson 24: Trong lÞch sö loµi ng­êi khoa häc ®­îc xem nh­ cã sø mÖnh gi¶i

phãng con ng­êi khái sù ngu dèt, sù mª tÝn, gi¶m ®ãi nghÌo vµ

t¨ng tÇm hiÓu biÕt cña con ng­êi vÒ thÕ giíi.

Tê N. A ®· ca ngîi c¸c nhµ khoa häc cña thêi ®¹i ®ã lµ c¸c nhµ

truyÒn b¸ ¸nh s¸ng, nh÷ng ng­êi sÏ xua tan bãng ®ªm vµ më ra con

®­êng cho con ng­êi chinh phôc thiªn nhiªn. Trong thêi kú ®ã,

nh÷ng ph¸t minh kh«ng t­ëng nh­ m¸y bay, tµu ngÇm vµ ®iÖn tho¹i

®· ®­îc dù b¸o tr­íc.

Nh÷ng ai quan t©m ®Õn ngµnh c«ng nghÖ m¸y tÝnh tin rµng chóng ta

®ang tr·i qua mét cuéc c¸ch m¹ng vÒ m¸y tÝnh. T¹i sao cuéc c¸ch

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¬ l­îc vÒ lÞch sö m¸y tÝnh.

M¸y tÝnh ®Çu tiªn -bµn tÝnh , do ng­êi Trung Quèc ph¸t minh c¸ch

®©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 ch­a cã g× cã thÓ s¸nh b»ng bµn tÝnh vÒ

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 c¸c kh©u s¶n xuÊt vµ dÞch vô do

con ng­êi ®¶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 c¸c thiÕt bÞ ®­îc

m¸y tÝnh kiÓm so¸t.

Ng­êi 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 c¸c 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 c¸c ®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, b­íc ®Çu

®· g©y ra n¹n thÊt nghiÖp víi sè l­îng lín. Nh÷ng nghÖ nh©n lµnh

nghÒ trong ngµnh tiÓu thñ c«ng nghiÖp vèn khan hiÕm tr­íc ®©y,

nay bçng d­ng tù hä c¶m thÊy thõa d­ vµ thiÕu kü n¨ng trong nÒn

c«ng nghÖ hiÖn ®¹i.

Nh÷ng ý t­ëng khoa häc vÜ ®¹i nµy ®· ph¸t triÓn vµo thÕ kû 18 vµ

19. Cuéc c¸ch 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 ng­êi khëi x­íng ra viÖc dïng n¨ng l­îng nguyªn tö nhÊn

m¹nh r»ng thÕ giíi nµy råi ®©y ch¾c c¾n sÏ trë thµnh mét thÕ giíi

cña nguyªn tö. Ng­êi ta còng cho r»ng nh÷ng ng­êi chèng ®èi l¹i

viÖc sö dông nguyªn tö ®ang chèng l¹i trµo l­u cña lÞch sö vµ cã

mèi quan hÖ gÇn gòi víi dßng hä Luddites - vèn lµ nh÷ng ng­êi chñ

tr­¬ng ®Ëp ph¸ m¸y mãc ngay tõ khi cuéc c¸ch m¹ng c«ng nghiÖp b¾t

®Çu.

Suggested Translation : 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.

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.

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:

C¸c b¸c sÜ cho thÊy lÇn ®Çu tiªn hä cã thÓ t¸i t¹o c¸c hÖ miÔn

nhiÔm cña nh÷ng ng­êi bÞ nhiÔm vi rót bÖnh AIDS b¨nge c¸ch ®ét

ngét t¨ng sè l­îng 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 tr­êng ®¹i häc trªn thÕ giíi ®· dÆt

vÊn ®Ò ph¶i xem xÐt l¹i néi dung ®µo t¹o ®éi ngò c¸n bé y tÕ .

Ng­êi thÇy thuèc ngµy nay nªn lµ ng­êi cña søc khoÎ . V× vËy

ng­êi thÇy thuèc ®ã cÇn ph¶i biÕt ph¸t hiÖn , gi¶i quyÕt , phôc

håi nh÷ng vÊn ®Ò søc khoÎ cña c¸ 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 h­íng ®i cña hÖ

thèng gi¸ trÞ. Mét ng­êi khoÎ m¹nh lµ mét ng­êi khoÎ m¹nh vÒ mÆt

thÓ chÊt lÉn tinh thÇn.

Ngµy nay con ng­êi cã khuynh h­íng 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 ng­êi

51

thùc sù khoÎ m¹nh lµ ng­êi ®¹t ®­îc sù th¨ng b»ng hîp lý gi÷a thÓ

chÊt vµ tinh thÇn.

Suggested Translation : 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

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 ng­êi 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 ch­a cã

cuéc ®iÒu tra lµ cã thÓ vµ nªn lµm c¸i g×. §iÒu ®ã cã nghÜa lµ

ng­êi ta kh«ng thÓ ®ång ý vÒ viÖc ph¶i lµm g×. NhiÒu ng­êi 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

ng­êi nghÜ r»ng chÝnh phñ kh«ng nªn can thiÖp vµo. Tuy nhiªn

nhiÒu ng­êi 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 c¸ nh©n lo liÖu

§a sè nh÷ng ng­êi trªn thÕ giíi nghÜ r»ng viÖc kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia

®×nh nªn lµ sù lùa chän cña c¸ nh©n. Nãi c¸ch kh¸c, hä nghÜ r»ng

ng­êi 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 ng­êi

ñng hé ®iÒu nµy lµ v× lý do t«n gi¸o.

52

Nh÷ng ng­êi 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.

T¹i sao chÝnh phñ nªn kiÓm so¸t ch­¬ng tr×nh kÕ ho¹ch hãa gia

®×nh? NhiÒu ng­êi cho r»ng kh«ng cã mét gi¶i ph¸p kh¶ thi nµo

kh¸c v× ng­êi d©n sÏ tiÕp tôc muèn cã qu¸ nhiÒu con c¸i. 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 d­îc trong t­¬ng lai? Rñi

thay, hä l¹i cho r»ng viÖc ®Ó cho c¸ nh©n tù quyÕt ®Þnh viÖc kÕ

ho¹ch hãa gia ®×nh th× kh«ng thùc hiÖn ®­îc. Theo nh÷ng ng­êi nµy

th× viÖc lùa chän duy nhÊt lµ ®Ó nhµ n­íc ®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. Ng­êi 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? ( Th­êng 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 c¸c gia ®×nh ®«ng

con kh«ng thÓ h­ëng lîi vÒ c¸c kho¶n häc phÝ cho con c¸i còng nh­

b¶o hiÓm y tÕ cña ChÝnh phñ. HoÆc lµ chÝnh phñ cã thÓ ph¹t nh÷ng

bè mÑ nµy. Nãi c¸ch 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 ng­îc 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 ng­êi 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. Nh­ng ®©y l¹i lµ mät r¾c rèi thùc sù. NhiÒu ng­êi 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. Tr­íc 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 ng­êi ®Òu ®ång ý víi

®iÒu nµy. Tuy nhiªn d©n ë c¸c n­íc kh¸c nhau muèn tr­êng häc ph¶i

d¹y c¸c ®iÒu kh¸c nhau. Mçi nÒn v¨n hãa cã nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ riªng

cña nã, vµ ng­êi d©n muèn tr­êng 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 ng­êi 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 ng­êi d©n ®¸nh gi¸ cao sù lµm viÖc ch¨m chØ th×

quan träng h¬n c¸c ®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, tr­êng häc

th­êng d¹y nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ cña nÒn v¨n hãa ®ã. Hay nãi c¸ch kh¸c

häc sinh häc nh÷ng gi¸ trÞ v¨n hãa cña ®Êt n­íc chóng t¹i tr­êng.

Mü lµ mét n­íc d©n chñ. Mäi c«ng dan Mü ®Òu cã c¬ héi h­ëng gi¸o

dôc miÔn phÝ. ChÝnh phñ liªn bang, bang vµ chÝnh quyÒn ®Þa ph­¬ng

tr¶ tiÒn cho c¸c tr­êng c«ng. Mäi c«ng d©n dï giµu hay nghÌo ®Òu

cã thÓ ®i häc. Còng cã c¸c tr­êng t­ thôc. Häc sinh ë tr­êng t­

thôc ph¶i ®ãng häc phÝ. Nhµ n­íc kh«ng tr¶ tiÒn cho c¸c häc sinh

häc ë c¸c tr­êng t­ thôc.

Mét vµi ng­êi cho r»ng tr­êng häc ë Mü cè g¾ng lµm qu¸ nhiÒu ®iÒu

cho qu¸ nhiÒu ng­êi. Hä nãi r»ng gi¸o dôc tèt cho tÊt c¶ mäi

ng­êi th× kh«ng thÓ ®­îc. Hä nghÜ r»ng nÒn gi¸o dôc Mü nÒn gi¸o

dôc chØ nªn d¹y cho nh÷ng ng­êi th«ng minh nhÊt trong x· héi.

Thay v× ®ã th× nÒn gi¸o dôc Mü l¹i dµnh cho tÊt c¶ mäi ng­êi.

Tuy nhiªn, ®a sè ng­êi Mü muèn mäi ng­êi ph¶i cã c¬ héi ®i häc.

Gi¸o dôc cho mäi ng­êi trong mét n­íc d©n chñ lµ rÊt quan träng.

Trong mét n­íc d©n chñ, ng­êi d©n chän nh÷ng ng­êi 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 l­ìng ®Ó trë thµnh nh÷ng c«ng d©n tèt trong n­íc

d©n chñ.

Tr­êng 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 tr­êng tiÓu häc hay cßn gäi

lµ tr­êng cÊp 1. TrÎ con Mü th­êng b¾t ®Çu häc ®äc khi c¸c em

häc líp 1 vµ líp 2. C¸c em còng b¾t ®Çu häc sè häc, khoa häc

th­êng thøc vµ lÞch sö.

Tr­êng trung häc c¬ së: Sau khi häc xong tiÓu häc c¸c em lªn häc

ë bËc trung häc c¬ së ( ®«i khi cßn gäi lµ tr­êng cÊp hai). Trong

phÇn lín c¸c tr­êng trung häc c¬ së bao gåm líp 7, líp 8 vµ líp

54

9. Nh­ng ®«i khi cã tr­êng chØ bao gåm líp 8 vµ líp 9. Häc sinh

phæ th«ng c¬ së th­êng tõ 12 ®Õn 14 tuæi.

Tr­êng Trung häc phæ th«ng: Sau khi häc xong phæ th«ng c¬ së th×

häc sinh häc tiÕp tr­êng 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 tr­êng phæ th«ng trung häc kh¸c nhau. Mét vµi

tr­êng phæ th«ng trung häc chuÈn bÞ cho häc sinh vµo ®¹i häc. C¸c

tr­êng phæ th«ng trung häc kh¸c chuÈn bÞ cho häc sinh c¸c nghÒ

kh¸c nhau ( tr­êng trung häc d¹y nghÒ). NhiÒu tr­êng trung häc

phæ th«ng c¶ d¹y nghÒ lÉn chuÈn bÞ kiÕn thøc cho häc sinh vµo c¸c

tr­êng ®¹i häc.

Gi¸o dôc ®¹i häc : Sau khi häc sinh tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng trung

häc c¸c em cã thÓ häc tiÕp ë c¸c tr­êng cao ®¼ng hoÆc ®¹i häc.

Cã h¬n 3000 tr­êng cao ®¼ng vµ ®¹i häc ë Mü. Tr­êng cao ®¼ng vµ

®¹i häc t­ ë Mü cã møc häc phÝ rÊt cao, nh­ng ®a sè tr­êng ®¹i

häc c«ng lËp th× møc häc phÝ rÊt thÊp. ViÖc hæ trî vÒ mÆt tµi

chÝnh (do chÝnh phñ hæ trî ) th­êng nh»m gióp sinh viªn tr¶ mét

phÇn häc phÝ. C¸c h×nh thøc gi¸o dôc ®¹i häc lu«n ®¸p øng nguyÖn

väng cho häc sinh tèt nghiÖp phæ th«ng trung häc.

Suggested Translation :

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

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

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.

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-

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

Suggested Translation :

ECSTASY- LO¹I THUèC KÝCH THÝCH BÞ CÊM L¦U

HµNH

58

C¸c 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 c¸c 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 c¸I tªn M-D-M-A vµo n¨m

1912. C¸c quan chøc côc qu¶n lý d­îc Hoa Kú cho biÕt mét sè Ýt

b¸c sü ë ®©y ®· dïng thuèc nµy cho c¸c 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.

C¸c 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 c¸ch ®©y 10 n¨m. Ecstasy ®­îc sö dông phæ

biÕn trong giíi trÎ mµ th­êng tham gia c¸c hép ®ªm vµ c¸c 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. C¸c quan chøc Côc

qu¶n lý d­îc phÈm DEA cho biÕt lo¹i Ecstasy nµy th­êng ®­îc sö

dông chung víi c¸c lo¹i thuèc kh¸c.

Ng­êi ta cho r»ng Ecstasy g©y biÕng ¨n, biÕng uèng vµ biÕng ngñ.

KÕt qu¶ lµ ng­êi sö dông thuèc lu«n c¶m thÊy kh¸c hoÆc trë nªn

mÖt mái kinh khñng.

Theo c¸c quan chøc Côc qu¶n lý d­îc 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.

C¸c quan chøc Hoa Kú cho biÕt c¸c 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, c¸c 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

59

møc ®é nguy h¹i ¶nh h­ëng trùc tiÕp lªn ng­êi 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 sun- spots.

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.

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 7activity. 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

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 tr­êng

8. interference (n): sù nhiÔu sãng

9. expel (v): to¶ ra

10 experience (v): tr¶I qua

Suggested Translation :

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. Tr­íc khi tiÕp tôc th× dï sao chóng ta còng c¶nh

b¸o c¸c 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 c¸c “ 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 l­îng vËt chÊt

trong Th¸i D­¬ng hÖ. MÆt trêi ®ñ lín ®Ó chøa trong nã h¬n mét

triÖu hµnh tinh cã kÝch th­íc nh­ Tr¸i §Êt.

Kho¶ng c¸ch tõ Tr¸i §Êt ®Õn MÆt Trêi lµ 150 triÖu km. Ngay c¶ víi

kho¶ng c¸ch 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 c¸c ph¶n øng nguyªn tö x¶y ra. Nh÷ng ph¶n øng nµy t¹o

ra mét l­îng n¨ng l­îng khæng lå, thãat ra bÒ mÆt cña MÆt Trêi

d­íi d¹ng ¸nh s¸ng vµ nhiÖt. N¨ng l­îng ®­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 c¸c nhµ khoa

häc nh×n thÊy khi quan s¸t MÆt Trêi b»ng c¸c 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 l­îng n¨ng l­îng khæng lå. Sè kh¸c l¹i t¹o ra mét

l­îng khÝ lín vµo tËn kh«ng gian vµ sau ®ã quay trë l¹i bÒ mÆt

cña nã. B·o mÆt trêi còng t¹o ra c¸c vô phón xuÊt vËt chÊt bªn

vµnh ®ai MÆt Trêi. Mét l­îng n¨ng l­îng khæng lå ®­îc to¶ vµo

kh«ng gian. TÊt c¶ nh÷ng sù kiÖn nµy lµ mét phÇn ho¹t ®éng cña

MÆt Trêi.

PhÇn lín c¸c ho¹t ®éng x¶y ra khi mét vïng MÆt Trêi b¾t ®Çu

l¹nh.NhiÖt ®é th«ng th­êng trªn bÒ mÆt lµ kho¶ng 60000C. C¸c 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 d­íi. Sè kh¸c cã kÝch th­íc

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.

C¸c 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 c¸c 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 l­îng g©y ra c¸c ho¹t ®éng tõ tÝnh

m¹nh mÏ trong kh«ng gian.C¸c ho¹t ®éng nµy g©y nhiÔu c¸c cuéc

ph¸t sang ng¾n hoÆc huû ho¹i c¸c vÖ tinh. Nã còng g©y nhiÔu ®iÖn.

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

C¸c nhµ khoa häc cho biÕt Th¸I D­¬ng hÖ cÇn cã vÕt ®en mÆt trêi

®Ó gi÷ ®IÒu kiÖn thêi tiÕt b×nh th­êng. 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 c¸c vÕt ®en. VÊn ®Ò nµy ®­îc gäi lµ hiÖn t­îng

Maunder Minimum_theo tªn nhµ khoa häc ng­êi Anh. C¸c nhµ khoa häc

cho r»ng hiÖn t­îng 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 c¸c

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 tr­ëng cña tµu lóc bÊy giê lµ Josiah Cressy.

So víi hiÖn nay, chuyÕn ®i cña thuyÒn tr­ëng Cressy thùc sù lµ

mét cuéc du hµnh vÜ ®¹i víi tèc ®é nhanh ch­a tõng cã.

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 tr­ëng kh«ng thÓ x¸c ®Þnh ®­îc vÞ trÝ con tµu.

Ng­êi 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.

Ng­êi ®­a ra h­íng dÉn cho chuyÕn ®i th«ng th­êng vÉn lµ thuyÒn

tr­ëng. Tuy nhiªn trªn tµu Flying Cluod th× phu nh©n cña thuyÒn

tr­ëng 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 h­íng dÉn tµu ®i mét c¸ch 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 c¸ch 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 h­íng

cña con tµu, tèc ®ä cña nã vµ møc dao ®éng cña sang hay cña luång

n­íc.

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 c¸ch cÈn thËn ®Ó kiÓm tra c¸c 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 c¸ch

®IÖu nghÖ. Vµo s¸ng ngµy 29 th¸ng 6, thuyÒn tr­ëng Cressy ®· ph¸t

hiÖn ra mòi Horn, c¸ch con tµu 8 km vÒ h­íng B¾c. Con tµu chÝnh

x¸c ®ang ë vÞ trÝ mµ Eleanor ®· dù ®o¸n.ph­¬ng ph¸p ®Þnh h­ính

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

ng­êi thµnh th¹o hµng h¶i nh­ Eleanor Cressy.

NghÒ cña Eleanor Cressy vµo thêi ®iÓm 1851 rÊt ®­îc träng dông

nh­ng còng l¾m gian tru©n. §Õn cuèi thÕ kû tr­íc, 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 h­íng ®i chÝnh x¸c lu«n lµ mét vÊn ®Ò

nan gi¶i.

Tuy nhiªn trong nh÷ng n¨m gÇn ®©y, viÖc ®Þnh h­íng 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¶ c¸c

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 h­ëng. 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.

Suggested Translation :

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

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

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 cause3

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.

Notes:

1. brain (n): n·o bé

68

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 h­íng

13. harden (v): lµm cho cøng/ cøng l¹i/ r¾n l¹i

14. pierce (v) : ®©m, chäc/khoÐt lç

Suggested Translation :

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 c¸c 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 c¸ch ®©y kho¶ng 20 n¨m, nh­ng c¸c 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 tr­íc 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:

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

Suggested Translation :

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

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:

- 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

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

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

- monsoon wind : giã mïa

- annual growth rate : tû lÖ gia t¨ng h»ng n¨m

- It is projected that...... : ng­êi 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 ng­êi 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 c¸c bµ mÑ

- fluctuate : dao ®éng

- environmental sanitation : vÖ sinh m«i tr­êng

- 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

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

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

- to decline : gi¶m xuèng

- mid-eastern seaboard province : tØnh duyªn h¶i miÒn Trung

- donor : ng­êi 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 l­îng 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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

Suggested Translation : 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

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".

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.

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

CONTENTS

Introduction 1

Chapter 1: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 2

Lesson 1 2

Lesson 2 4

Lesson 3 6

Lesson 4 7

Lesson 5 9

Lesson 6 11

Lesson 7 13

Lesson 8 15

Lesson 9 17

Lesson 10 18

Lesson 11 20

Lesson 12 22

Lesson 13 24

Lesson 14 26

Lesson 15 28

Lesson 16 30

Lesson 17 31

Lesson 18 32

Lesson 19 34

Lesson 20 35

Lesson 21 37

Chapter 2: TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES

Lesson 22 40

Lesson 23 41

Lesson 24 43

Lesson 25 45

Lesson 26 46

Lesson 27 50

Lesson 28 55

Lesson 29 58

Lesson 30 59

Lesson 31 61

Lesson 32 62

Lesson 33 64

Lesson 34 67

Lesson 35 70

References 74

Thông tin về tác giả của giáo trình:

- Họ và tên: Nguyễn Văn Tuấn

- Sinh năm: 1963

- Cơ quan công tác: Tổ Biên-phiên dịch, Khoa Tiếng Anh, Trường Đại học Ngoại

Ngữ Huế

- Địa chỉ email: tuannguyen11863@yahoo.com

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