1. READ THE TEXT AND TRANSLATE THE ITALISED EXTRACT IN WRITTEN FORM
TASK1. A. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING COLLOCATIONS FROM ENGLISH INTO RUSSIAN
B. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING COLLOCATIONS FROM RUSSIAN INTO ENGLISH
TASK2. FILL IN THE MISSING PREPOSITION
TASK3. CHOOSE THE BEST VARIANT TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES AND TRANSLATE THEM INTO RUSSIAN
TASK 4. MATCH THE WORDS WITH THEIR DEFINITIONSAND TRANSLATE THEM
1. Read the text and translate the italised extract in written form.
Food Chains and Food Webs
A feeding relationship in an ecosystem is called a food chain, while the totality of the chains constitutes a food web. Often the food webs are quite complex with many different feeding relationships. In addition to primary producers, herbivores and carnivores, omnivores are common in some ecosystems. Many bird species, such as finches and sparrows are examples of omnivores. In autumn they feed on seeds and are herbivores, but in summer they feed their offsprings on insects and are then predators. However, it is often possible to differentiate between the levels described. They are called trophic levels. In an ecosystem there are normally four trophic levels but there might be more or fewer.
The biomass in an ecosystem is very unevenly distributed between the trophic levels. This is because not all of the biomass consumed is converted to the body mass on the next level; rather it is used as energy source for running, flying, swimming, for keeping the body temperature, etc. Thus, no more than 1- 10% of the mass of a lower level becomes biomass on the next level. This explains why an ecosystem normally does not support more than three or four trophic levels. So in the transfer between trophic levels, most energy is lost as heat (much like the engine in an automobile - much petrol is wasted).
TASK1.
A. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING COLLOCATIONS FROM ENGLISH INTO RUSSIAN:
1. artificial fertilizer – минеральное (искусственное) удобрение;
2. to convert the energy – преобразовать энергию;
B. TRANSLATE THE FOLLOWING COLLOCATIONS FROM RUSSIAN INTO ENGLISH:
6. поглощать питательные вещества – to absorb nutrients;
7. получать энергию – to receive energy;
TASK2. FILL IN THE MISSING PREPOSITION:
1. In autumn omnivores feed on seeds and are herbivores, but in summer they feed their offsprings on insects and are then predators.
2. Human use of ecosystem resources, for instance in agriculture, forestry or fishing has had dramatic effects on energy flow, nutrient circulation and biological diversity.
3. Ecosystem ecology, sometimes referred to as system ecology, is concerned about the flow of energy and circulation of matter in a whole ecosystem.
4. Soils animals, such as earthworms make up the first stage in the decomposition of detritus, while fungi and bacteria take care of the final decomposition.
TASK3. CHOOSE THE BEST VARIANT TO COMPLETE THE SENTENCES AND TRANSLATE THEM INTO RUSSIAN:
1. The majority of plants receive their energy directly from sunlight using green chlorophyll and sometimes additional pigments. Большинство растений получают солнечную энергию непосредственно ото солнечного света, используя зеленый хлорофилл, а иногда и дополнительные пигменты.
2. Plants convert the energy from sunlight into energy stored in carbohydrates and other organic compounds. Растения превращают энергию от солнечного света в энергию, содержащуюся в углеводах и других органических соединениях.
3. Earthworms make up the first stage in the decomposition of detritus. Земляные черви составляют первую стадию разложения детрита.
TASK 4. MATCH THE WORDS WITH THEIR DEFINITIONSAND TRANSLATE THEM:
1. herbivore (травоядное) - e. a plant-eating animal
2. carnivore (плотоядное) - c. a flash-eating mammal
3. omnivore (всеядное) - b. a plant-eating and a flash eating animal or person
4. to graze (пастись) - d. to feed on herbage or pasture
