Readings in Science
S. Kathleen Kitao
Kenji Kitao Asahi Press Copyright, 1994 by S. Kathleen Kitao and Kenji Kitao. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior written permission from the authors. This textbook is accompanied by a tape and a teacher's guide which includes an English explanation of how to use the textbook and answers for the exercises. For class adoption, we offer a complimentary tape and teacher's guide. Please contact us at the following address. Published by Asahi Press 3-3-5 Nishi Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101 Japan Phone (03) 3239-0271 Fax (03) 3261-0532 sample request ii INTRODUCTION Science is important in our daily lives, and it becomes more important all the time. Therefore, it is useful to understand something about scientific topics. It is also good to understand something about the philosophy of science, the way scientists think, and the methods scientists use, as well as how these developed through history. It is also helpful to understand our environment and how human actions affect it. Understanding the universe around us helps us understand the place of the earth in it. With technology influencing our daily lives more and more, it is necessary for us to learn more about it. The following suggestions will help you get the most out of this textbook. Do not translate the English you read. One purpose of this textbook is to encourage you to develop reading skills and improve your reading speed without translating word-for-word into Japanese. Readings are grouped according to topic and level of difficulty. Difficult words and expressions are explained in easy English. Use these definitions to read without translating. Try to guess the meanings of words you do not know. If you need to use a dictionary, use an English-English dictionary. Use the exercises to guide you in understanding the readings. Various types of exercises help you understand the content of each reading, including the main point, important details, and how they are related. By reading these selections and doing the exercises, you will learn reading techniques inductively. As you read each selection, time yourself. Record your reading speed in the "Time Record Chart." Use the "Reading Speed Chart" to iii calculate your reading speed. (The number of words in each main selection is at the end of the reading and in the "Time Record Chart.") Using these charts, you can see your reading speed improving. Use the photographs and other visual aids to help you understand what you are reading. Illustrations were included so you can more easily visualize the things you are reading about and to give you background information. Read other material about science on your own. In this textbook, we are able to present only a few aspects of science. You should also read about other aspects on your own. Read as much as possible in English, so you can further improve your reading ability and increase your reading speed. You will be more motivated to read if you read about something you are interested in. In summary, remember: 1) Do not translate. 2) Use an English-English dictionary. 3) Time yourself. 4) Look at pictures, etc. 5) Read related topics in English. 6) Read as much as possible in English. * * * * * * We would like to express our appreciation to Ms. Christine Convery and Ms. Linda Donan of Doshisha Women's College for reading and commenting on our manuscript. S. Kathleen Kitao, PhD Kenji Kitao, PhD March 1992 Kyoto, Japan v Table of Contents Introduction I. Science--Philosophy and History 1. What is Science? 2. Scientific Methods 3. The Early History of Science 4. The Development of Modern Science II. The Environment 5. Ecology 6. Energy Resources 7. Pollution 8. Resource Conservation III. Space 9. Our Solar System 10. Astronomy 11. Exploring Space IV. Technology--The Applications of Science 12. Computers--History and Uses 13. My Experience with Computers 14. Robotics 15. Electricity 16. Weather Prediction and Weather Modification 7. Pollution Pollution is a change in the physical, chemical, or biological conditions in the environment--land, water, and air--that affects the quality of life for humans, animals, or plants. It makes air, water, and the ground dirty and dangerous. Though we think of pollution as being a modern problem, it actually dates back many centuries. In the Middle Ages, Europeans began living together in relatively large cities. These cities were often dirty places with unsafe water, where disease spread rapidly. Though much has been done to improve sanitation, pollution problems have become more serious since the Industrial Revolution. Changes from agricultural to industrial economies have caused changes that have resulted in air, water, and ground pollution. Even in less industrialized counties, there are pollution problems. Air Pollution. Smoke from factories and exhaust gasses from cars cause air pollution. This has many serious consequences. Smog is harmful to human health, especially for people who already have lung problems. Chemicals from this air pollution can also combine with moisture to form acid. This eats away at stone and brick buildings. In places like Rome, it has done serious damage to ancient stone buildings, arches, and statues. It may also fall in the form of acid rain, often hundreds of miles away from the source of the air pollution. Acid rain increases the acidity of the soil, ponds, and lakes. This can damage or kill wild animals and plants and pollute drinking water. Another consequence of air pollution is the possibility of global warming. As carbon dioxide from the burning of various fuels builds up around the earth, the sun's warmth is held in close to the earth. This is called the "greenhouse effect." If it continues, the average temperature could rise by up to 9 degrees F in the next fifty years. This could change weather patterns, causing droughts in some places and flooding in others. Ground Pollution. Various chemicals also cause pollution. Insecticides used by farmers to protect their crops from insects can also affect other animals. DDT is a well-known case. It is an insecticide that builds up in the tissues of animals that eat it, harming or killing the animals that, in turn, eat them. DDT is no longer used in most rich countries, but some companies still sell it to poorer countries where its dangers are not so well known. Sometimes manufacturing involves harmful chemicals, and these must be disposed of. If they are not disposed of properly--and sometimes even if they are--they may pollute the ground or water. Cancer-causing chemicals buried in the ground have been known to leak out, affecting the people who live over them. Trash disposal has also become a serious problem. As new goods are obtained, old ones are thrown away, along with often unnecessary packaging. Millions of tons of trash are disposed of every year. It takes a great deal of space, and, in some cases, there is no more room. When this trash is burned, it pollutes the air. If it is disposed of in rivers and seas, it causes water pollution. Plastics in particular are a disposal problem. Though wood and paper break down easily through the action of bacteria, plastics require a very long time. Water Pollution. Water pollution also comes from a variety of sources. The disposal of domestic sewage, sometimes untreated or inadequately treated, into bodies of water contributes to pollution, along with industrial wastes. The food and paper industries, mining, and some types of manufacturing discharge large amounts of pollutants into waters. Breaking down these wastes requires bacteria, which use up oxygen in the water that is needed by fish. Fertilizers used by farmers help produce more food, but they can also cause many problems. They can be washed into rivers and make algae grow so quickly that oxygen in the water is used up. This causes other plants and animals to die. Radioactivity. The use of nuclear energy has increased in recent decades and with it the risk of radioactive pollution. The risk comes mainly from two sources. One is accidents at nuclear plants. The other is the problem of nuclear waste disposal. Nuclear power plants produce waste that takes many centuries to become harmless. The problem of disposing of that waste is very serious. Now the wastes are put in concrete and buried at sea, but this cannot go on forever. Pollution is a problem with a long history. However, it is a greater danger today than it has ever been. Humans have more potential to do permanent damage to the environment, to plant and animal life, and to themselves, than ever before. It is necessary to consider this problem carefully and work out solutions. (773 words) Vocabulary 1. the Middle Ages: period between the years 800 and 1300 2. sanitation: protecting public health, especially by removing and treating waste 3. the Industrial Revolution: a time of change in economic and social organization as societies became more industrialized, starting in 1760 in England and later in other countries 4. smog: air pollution in large cities caused by a combination of fog, smoke, and exhaust gasses from cars 5. acidity: level of acid 6. global: of the earth 7. carbon dioxide: a gas made of one atom of carbon and two atoms of oxygen produced when animals breathe out or when carbon is burned 8. droughts: long periods of dry weather 9. insecticides: chemicals that kill insects 10. DDT: an insecticide 11. tissues: flesh and internal organs 12. leak: pass through an accidental hole or crack 13. bacteria: very small living things, some of which cause disease 14. sewage: waste material and water 15. untreated: not put through a process to make it clean 16. inadequately: not (treated) well enough 17. discharge: pour or let out (liquid or gas) 18. pollutants: substances that cause (air, water, etc.), to be dangerous or dirty 19. fertilizers: chemicals or natural substances put on land to make crops grow better 20. algae: small, simple plants that live in water 21. radioactivity: quality that some substances have of giving off energy by the breaking up of atoms, which is harmful to living things Pre-Reading Exercise What are some sources of pollution--something that makes air, water, or the ground dirty or dangerous--in Japan? What problems do they cause? Comprehension Questions 1. What were European cities like during the Middle Ages? 2. What has resulted from the change from agricultural to industrialized economies? 3. Where does the acid come from that eats away at stone and brick? 4. What problem does acid rain cause? 5. What causes global warming? 6. What could be the effect of an increase in temperature? 7. What is the problem with insecticides? 8. What can happen when harmful chemicals are disposed of? 9. What are the problems with trash disposal? 10. What are three sources of water pollution? 11. What are the two sources of radioactive pollution? 12. Why is pollution a greater danger today than it was before? Chart Exercise (N.B.: Answers are in bold type.) Fill in the blank spaces in the chart with information from the reading. _____________________________________________________________________ | | | | | Medium | Source of | Problem | | | Pollution | | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| |------------|---------------------|--------------------------------| | air |smoke from factories | harm to human health; acid | | |and exhaust gasses | that eats away at stone and | | | | brick; acid rain; global | | | | warming | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | ground | insecticides | | | | | | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | ground | | cancer-causing chemical leaking| | | | out | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | | trash disposal | so much trash that there is | | | | sometimes no more space for it | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | | trash disposal | burning causes air pollution | | | | | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | water | | disposing in rivers and seas | | | | causes water pollution | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | water | domestic sewage and | | | | industrial waste | | | | | | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| | | | | | water | | make algae in rivers grow | | | | quickly and use up oxygen, | | | | causing fish to die | |____________|_____________________|________________________________| Discussion Questions What are some sources of pollution in your local area? What problems do they cause?
Catalog (in Japanese)