HUE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
------***------

NGUYEN VAN TUAN

TRANSLATION 5

HUE - 2006

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

Chapter 1:

ENVIROMENTAL ISSUES

Lesson 1:

Vt liu mi -Mt cng ngh mi nhn

Khoa hc v cng ngh vt liu trn th gii ngy nay pht trin
rt nhanh v mnh, lin tip tung ra th tr-ng hng lot vt
liu mi vi tnh nng -u vit ch-a tng thy, tc ng ngay n
thay i din mo v tng hiu qu kinh t cng sc cnh tranh,
nht l trn cc lnh vc xy dng kt cu h tng, cng nghip
Vt liu lun l mt trong nhng sn phm ch cht quyt nh sc
mnh kinh t, quc phng, an ninh ca mi quc gia.
Cng ngh vt liu mi n-c ta hin nay l mt trong nhng khu
vc cng ngh -c coi l mi nhn, c vai tr gp phn to ra
b-c nng cao r rt v hiu qu v sc cnh tranh ca nn kinh
t cng nh- tng c-ng sc mnh an ninh, quc phng. Ngnh khoa
hc v cng ngh vt liu n-c ta c th tr-ng rng ln -a
nhanh cc sng ch mi, sn phm mi ca mnh vo thc tin sn
xut v xut khu.
Vi i ng cn b khoa hc, k thut ngy cng tr-ng thnh,
ph-ng tin nghin cu, th nghim -c Nh n-c u t- trang b
tng b-c hin i, chng ta nghin cu, ch to thnh cng
nhiu loi vt liu mi -c cc ngnh kinh t, an ninh, quc
phng n nhn, gp phn tng sc cnh tranh ca hng ho Vit
Nam. Mt s vt liu mi -c xut khu.
Ti nguyn n-c ta di do, a dng, c o, to ra th mnh cho
cng ngh vt liu mi, lm ra sn phm mi cht l-ng cao, gi
thnh h, cung cp cho ngnh then cht ca kinh t quc dn nhnng l-ng, xy dng kt cu h tng, cc cng nghip in t, c
kh, vt liu dn dng v xut khu hiu qu kinh t cao.
Khc phc nhanh tnh trng cn lc hu, phn tn, thiu ng b
ca h thng c s nghin cu khoa hc v cng ngh vt liu.
Gii khoa hc bm st thc tin sn xut bt nhy nhu cu th
tr-ng v cc nh sn xut g ca c quan khoa hc t hng.
Nh n-c c c ch, chnh sch thch hp i mi thit b nghin
cu, nng cao i ng khoa hc vt liu, cng nh- chnh sch cn

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thit rt ngn thi gian t pht minh, sng ch n sn xut
trc tip. Trin vng khoa hc v cng ngh vt liu mi n-c ta
rt sng sa.

Notes:
- cng ngh vt liu : material technology
- tung ra th tr-ng : bring into the market
- tnh nng -u vit : perfect feature
- din mo : face
- hiu qu kinh t : economic effect/ efficiency
- kt cu h tng : infrastructure
- mi nhn : key factor
- c vai tr : play an important role
- sc cnh tranh : competition
- c o : unique
- cng nghip in t : electronic industry
-

bm st thc tin : have a hold of reality

- Khc phc : 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.

4
Out resources are abundant, diversified our unique, which facilitates our material technology to
manufacture new products with high quality, low price, providing for the essential sectors of the
national economy such as power, infrastructure building, electronic industry, mechanics, high
economical domestic and export materials.
To overcome the state of backwardness, divergence, lack unification of the basic system of
research and material technology and science, the circle of science have hold of production
reality to catch of with the market demand and manufactures have knocked on the door of
scientific organizations to order. The State has had suitable mechanisms and policies, renewed
he research equipment and improved the quality of the staff as well as the necessary policy to
shorten the time from invention to direst production. The prospect of our new material
technology and science of our country is very bright.

Lesson 2:
1. Chemicals enter our food in various ways and for various reasons. Farmers use herbicides to
kill weeds, pesticides to kill insects, fungicides to kill mold and fertilizers to promote growth. All
of them are very harmful to health and also to the environment. After harvesting, most crops are
subjected to further "post-harvest" chemical treatment in order to protect them from fungus.
Japanese rice, for example, is sprayed with methyl bromide, which can cause mental disorders
and speech impediments. Fresh fruits and vegetables are sprayed with sulfites, to which many
people are allergic. Bananas, mangoes and other tropical fruit are sprayed with even more
poisonous chemicals.
- Reason : l do
* for various reasons : v nhiu l do
- Herbicide : thuc dit c
- Fungicide : thuc dit nm mc
- Fertilizer : phn bn
- To be harmful to : c hi
- To be subjected to : chu phi
- Post-harvest treatment : x l sau thu hoch
- Fungus : nm mc
- To spray : phun
- Mental disorder : ri lon thn kinh
- Speech impediment : ri lon ngn ng
- To be allergic : b d ng
2. Although fertility rates in poor countries have declined in recent years, the UN has estimated
that the worlds 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: t l sinh
- To decline: gim xung
- To estimate: c tnh
- It is estimated that..: Ngi ta c tnh rng
- To stabilize: lm n nh

6
- It is important to stabilize our population growth rates.
- To match: snh bng
- Worldly pleasures cannot match those joys.
Nhng th vui trn tc khng th snh bng nhng nim vui ny.
- Belief : nim tin
to have belief in something: tin tng ci g
freedom of belief: t do tnh ngng
The patient comes to the hospital in the belief that he will be cured of his chronic disease. Bnh
nhn n bnh vin vi nim tin l mnh s c cha khi cn bnh mn tnh
- poverty: s ngho kh
- Hunger eradication and poverty alleviation: xa i gim ngho
- population explosion/boom: bng n dn s
- To wipe out: xo sch
- To achieve: t c
- Economic development: S pht trin kinh t
- Consequence: hu qu
- Social welfare payment: tr cp phc li x hi
- To be regarded as : c xem l
- additional income : khon thu nhp thm
- adequate:
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. Ho cht xm nhp thc phm ca chng ta bng nhiu cch v v nhiu l do khc nhau.
Nng dn s dng thuc dit c dit c di, thuc tr su dit su b, v thuc fit nm
dit nm mc v phn bn tng s pht trin. Tt c cc loi ho cht ny rt c hi vi sc
kho v mi trng ca chng ta. Sau khi thu hoch, phn ln nng sn phi c x l ho cht
sau thu hoch, Chng hn nh la go Nht Bn c ngi ta phun thuc methyl bromide.
Loi thuc ny c th gy ra ri lon thn kinh v ri lon ngn ng. Tri cy v rau ti c
phun thuc sulfite. Loi thuc gy d ng cho nhiu ngi. Chui, xoi v cc loi tri cy nhit
i khc c phun nhng loi ho cht thm ch c hi hn.
2. Trong nhng nm gn y, mc d t l sinh cc nc ngho c gim xung, nhng Lin
Hip Quc c tnh rng n nm 2100 t l sinh t s bng nhau v lc dn s th gii s n
nh mc xp x 10,2 t ngi, tng 2,25 ln so vi dn s th gii hin nay. Lu nay nhiu

7
ngi cho rng pht trin dn s cc nc ngho l nguyn nhn chnh gy ra nn i ngho.
S bng n dn s ang hu hoi mi thnh qu kinh t m cc nc ny t c. Do vy,
cn phi y mnh cng tc sinh c k hoch thot khi cnh i ngho. Tuy nhin, quan
im ny b cc nc ngho v mt s ngi cc nc giu ph phn gay gt. H cho rng gia
nh ng con v dn s tng nhanh l hu qu hn l nguyn nhn ca s i ngho. Nhiu
ngi ngho xem gia nh ng con l cn thit cho s sng cn ca cc nc ngho. Con ci l
c s m bo cho tui gi cng nh lc m au hay b tht nghip nhng nc khng c tr
cp phc li x hi. Con ci cng l ngun nhn lc gp phn vo vic tng thu nhp cho gia
nh ngay lc chng cn nh. Hn na, do t l tr em t vong cao nn gia nh ng con tht s
cn thit m bo chc chn t nht c mt a con trai sng st cho n tui trng thnh.
Mt quan im khc cho rng c hi tm c vic lm v m bo bo phc li x hi thc s
ng c xem l gii php c bn hn ch sinh hu hiu nht.
3. Th gii t nhin ang b tn cng d di. Bin v sng ang b nhim nng do cht thi ht
nhn, cht thi ha hc v rc thi c hi cha x l. Khng kh chng ta th cng b nhim
do khi v kh thi ca nh my v xe c. Cng chng phi ngc nhin khi rng v h cng
dang b tn ph v cuc sng hoang d khp mi ni ang bin mt. Vic bin mt m khng cu
vn ni ca a dng sinh hc tc ng rt ln n kh nng duy tr s sng cn ca cc loi
bao gm c con ngi v con ngi ph thuc vo a loi v mi trng sinh thi lnh mnh.
Cho d gii khoa hc cnh bo v hng triu ngi dn thng by t mi quan tm su sc
nhng s tn ph vn c tip din. Cc chnh ph v ngnh cng nghip trn khp th gii ang
n lc khai thc ngun khong sn phong ph v ngun sinh vt di do. Rng rm nhit i
cng nh cc lc a ng bng ang b e do nghim trng. Tuy nhin chng ta cng c th
xy dng nn cng nghip thn thin vi mi trng, khai thc nng lng t mt tri, gi v
sng bin phc v cho nhu cu nng lng ca chng ta v qun l ngun nng lng hn hu
trn tri t ny.

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.

Suggested Translation :
S gia tng dn s l mt nhn t gy ra nn ph rng nhit i.
Tuy nhin, nu cho rng vic m rng mt nn nng nghip t cung
t cp nui sng nhiu ming n hn l nguyn nhn chnh, th
y l mt gii thch v cn c. i b phn rng Chu M La
Tinh, N v Thi Bnh D-ng b tn ph l do vic khai hoang
trng cc loi nng sn xut khu v do cc hot ng bun bn g
, ch khng phi do nn du canh, du c- v t in gy nn. Hng
nm hot ng bun bn g ph hu 4500 km2 rng, phn ln g
-c xut khu sang M v Nht.
Mi lin h gia nn ph rng v nhu cu thnh lp x hi phn
vinh -c thy r nt nht Trung M v Brazin ni nhng cnh
rng nhit i b bin thnh ng c chn th v vic nui gia
sc mang li cc khon li nhun xut khu gip tr n n-c
ngoi. Khon n n-c ngoi khng l ang nng ln vai dn
ngho ch yu -c dng trang tri cho cc khon mua sm xa x
ca chnh ph v qun i. Vic xy dng cc in trang chn th
rng ln l nguyn nhn chnh dn n vic ph hu 2000 km2 rng
nhit i hng nm Trung v Nam M. t khai hoang ch yu dng
cho vic nui b xut khu phc v cho ngnh cng nghip thc n
nhanh Bc M, Chu u v Nht- vng xng vi tn gi l vng
giao l-u 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.

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 : ngun (sng)
* The source of the Red River : ngun sng Hng
* Where does the Perfume River have its source?
Sng H-ng bt ngun t u?
- to be crystal clear : trong nh- pha l
* a necklace of crystal : vng c lm bng pha l
- to show respect to sb : tn trng ai
- poisonous : c, c c
* poisonous chemicals : ho cht c hi
* poisonous snakes : rn c
* poisonous tongue : ming l-i c a
- cocktail : hn hp
- sewage : cht thi
* sewage treatment : (s) x l cht thi
- prosperity : s thnh v-ng, s giu c, ca ci
* to live in prosperity : sng trong giu sang
* a life of happiness and prosperity
- prosperous : thnh v-ng
* a prosperous year : mt nm thnh v-ng
* a prosperous business : mt doanh nghip n ra lm nn
- to discharge sth : thi ci g

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- cyanide : cht xi a nua
- penalty : x pht
* the penalty for (not) doing sth : vic x pht v (khng)
lm g
* death penalty : hnh pht t hnh
- deterrent : bin php ngn nga
- to account for : chim
- pollutant : cht gy nhim
- Clean Water Act : o lut n-c sch
- to be passed : -c thng qua
- toxic chemical : ho cht c hi
- weed : c di
- insect : cn trng
- residue : phn cn d-, phn ch-a dng ht
- to be washed : b tri dt
- sewage treatment facilities : nhng c s x l cht thi
- microbe : vi khun
- to generate electricity : pht in
- to monitor : gim st
* to monitor a project : gim st mt d n
- strict enforcement of law : nghim chnh chp hnh lut php

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 : b nguy him
- the Mekong Delta : ng bng sng Cu Long
- to have sth in common: c iu g chun, ging nhau
- wetland ; vng m ly
- estuary : ca sng
- unique : c o, c nht
- ecosystem: h sinh thi
- to purify: lm tinh khit
* purify water : lm cho n-c tinh khit
- to spawn : sinh sn, trng
- alluvial soil : t ph sa
- fertile : ph nhiu
* fertile land : vng t ph nhiu
- barren : bc mu, hoang ho
- grants and loans : khon vin tr v cho vay
- canal : knh o
- to be filled : san lp
- malaria : bnh st rt
- to eliminate : xo b
- to result in : gy ra
- to be drained : x n-c, thot n-c
- indigenous : bn a
- traditional lifestyle : li sng truyn thng

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- dam : p
- hydroelectric project : d n thu in
- to interrupt : can thip
- flow of water : dng chy
- to be vulnerable to : c th b, d b
* people who are vulnerable to criticism : ng-i d b ph
bnh
- pesticide : thuc tr su
- to cultivate : canh tc, trng trt
- to come into force/effect : c hiu lc
- annual budget : ngn sch hng nm
- convention : cng -c
- to be paid for : -c chi tr, -c ti tr
* The projects are paid for by the World Bank : nhng d n
-c Ngn Hng Th Gii ti tr.
- to be corncerned with : quan tm n

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 complaints by visitors of raw sewage on beaches and foul-smelling water began to hit the headlines.
Finally, representatives of surrounding nations adopted a plan known as the Nicosia Charter
designed to protect the sea from further damage. The plan called for the construction of proper
sewage treatment facilities for 25 major cities and 75 smaller communities, and the setting up of
25 centers for the disposal of dangerous wastes.
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 : a Trung Hi
- except for : ngoi t
* The
mistakes.

essay

is

good

except

for

some

minor

grammatical

- acid rain : m-a a-xt

- massive # great : ln,v i
- oil spill : vng du
- to be spilled : b loang, b trn, to thnh vng
- to be regarded as : -c xem l
* The immense network of rivers and canals is regarded as
the great boon second to none in this area : h thng knh rch
mnh mng -c xem l ci duyn c mt khng hai ca vng ny.
- disposal site : bi rc thi
- human civilization : vn minh nhn loi
- ruin : s tn li
- to be ruined : b li tn, b sp
- to alarm : bo ng
* Everybody was alarmed that war might break out.
Mi ng-i -c bo ng rng chin tranh c th xy ra.
- environmental activist : nh bo v mi tr-ng, nh hot ng
mi tr-ng
- dolphin : c heo

14
- seal : hi cu
- local ressident/inhabitant : c- dn a ph-ng
- to be/get involved in : c dnh lu ti, c lin quan ti
* The prominent
scientific research.

scientists

have

been

involved

in

the

Cc nh khoa hc tm c/c ting/ni ting tham gia vo

cng trnh nghin cu khoa hc ny.
- foul-smelling water : n-c c mi thi
- representative : ng-i i din
- to adopt: chp nhn
* The Congress adopted new measures.
i hi chp nhn cc bin php mi.
- to be designed : -c thit k/vit ra
- Charter : Bn hin ch-ng
- to call for : ku gi
* The Government called for foreign investment.
Chnh ph ku gi u t- n-c ngoi.
- community : cng ng
* The Vietnamese Community :
Cng ng ng-i Vit
* a speech community : cng ng ngn ng
- to suffocate : ngt th
- nutrient : cht nui d-ng, phn bn
- to stimulate : kch thch
* They have used a special substance to stimulate the growth
of these plants.
H dng mt loi cht c bit kch thch s tng
tr-ng ca nhng cy ny.
- the growth of algae: s pht trin ca to bin
- to consume # to use : s dng
- to rinse : x/ty
* to rinse soap out of clothes : x x phng khi qun o
- mysterious illness : cn bnh khng r nguyn nhn
- to ban # to prohibit : cm
* to ban firecrackers : cm t pho

15
- commitment : s cam kt, s rng buc
* Marriage should be a five-year renewable contract not a
life-long commitment.
Hn nhn nn l mt bn hp ng 5 nm c gia hn hn l
mt s rng buc trn i.
- to take necessary steps/measure : thc thi cc bin php cn
thit
- to be wiped out : b xo sch

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, conservatio n 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 disap pear 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 : rng rm nhit i
- to be destroyed : b tn ph
- profit : li nhun
* to sell sth at a profit
- in the long run : rt cuc l
- to preserve : bo tn
* to preserve the worlds cultural heritage : bo tn di sn
vn ho th gii
* to preserve the national identity : gi gn bn sc dn
tc
- exceed : v-t qu
* to exceed the speed limit : v-t qu tc gii hn
- nut : ht cha du
* cashewnut: ht iu
- to cut down for sale : n bn
- cattle raising : chn nui gia sc
- exposed land : vng t trng
- sustainable use : s dng bn vng/lu di
- to turn out to be : rt cuc l
- short-sighted policy : chnh sch thin cn
- to be convinced : b thuyt phc
- long-term benefit : li ch lu di
- short-term benefit : li ch tr-c mt
- to prohibit: cm
* to prohibit the production of : cm sn xut
- forest-management regulation : iu l qun l rng
- restriction : s hn nh
- financial assistance : gip v mt ti chnh
- to lack : thiu
* to lack capital : thiu vn
- to earn a living : kim sng

17
- in view of : nhm
- in exchange for : nhm trao i ci g

Lesson 8:

DESERTS CAN BE FARMED

With daytime temperatures reaching 50C 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 solarpowered 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 : nhit
- reach : t -c, ln n

18
* the growth rates reach 12%
* the mountains reach the sea.
( ni v-n ra bin.)
- hostile climate : kh hu khc nghit
- food-producing region : vng sn xut l-ng thc
- the introduction of : vic p dng, vic -a (ci g)vo....
- farming technique : k thut canh tc
- irrigation system : h thng t-i, h thng thu li
- sufficient :
* sufficient amount : mt l-ng y
- perforated plastic pipe : ng nha c l xung quanh
- to be pumped up from the ground : bm t mch n-c ngm ln
- salt-resistant plant : cy chng -c mn, cy thch nghi vi
t mn
- cereal : ng cc
- to be confronted with : -ng u vi
- to reverse: lm o ng-c, chng li
- process of desertification : qu trnh sa mc ho
- to absorb : thm thu, ht n-c
- moisture : m
- arid land : t kh cn
- solar-powered pump : bm chy bng nng l-ng mt tri
- time-consuming : mt thi gian
* time consuming work : cng vic chim nhiu thi gian
- alternative : mt gii php thay th
- waterway : -ng dn n-c
- to be targeted for : nhm , -c nhm n lm 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 OrangUtan 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 : b e do dit chng
- to blame : li
* to blame sb for sth : li cho ai v ci g

20
* He blamed the teacher for his failure.
( Hn li l thy gio lm hn tht bi.)
- livestock : gia cm
- to inhabit : sng
- strict protection : bo v nghim ngt
- ivory tusk : ng voi
- rhinoceros: t gic
- to suffer from : chu phi
- aggression :

s xm l-c

- decline : gim
* decline in number : gim v s l-ng
- natural habitat : vng c- tr t nhin
- panda : gu trc
- in captivity : (nui) trong chung
- logger : ng-i khai thc g
- to encroach upon : xm phm
- encroachment : s xm phm
- to face the danger: -ng u vi nguy him, i mt vi nguy
c
- whale : c voi
- marine animal : ng vt bin
- to be attributed to : do, nh

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 : khng khoan nh-ng
* desperate struggle : u tranh khng khoan nh-ng
- endangered species : loi c nguy c dit chng
- The World Wildlife Fund : Qu ng Vt Hoang D Th Gii
- era : k nguyn
- culminate : t n nh im
- customs officer : hi quan
- to be in charge of : chu trch nhim v
- ratify : ph chun, k (hip nh)
* to ratify the agreement : ph chun hip nh

22
- artisan : ngh nhn
- wildlife conservation movement : phong tro bo v ng vt
hoang d
- illegal trade : bun bn bt hp php
- bison : b rng
- potential : tim nng
* tourist potential : tim nng du lch
- challenge : thch thc
- gorilla : -i -i
- vulnerable : d b lm hi
* Young birds are vulnerable to predators.
Chim non rt d b th n tht lm hi.

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 : l do
* for various reasons : v nhiu l do
- herbicide : thuc dit c
- fungicide : thuc dit nm mc
- fertilizer : phn bn
- to be harmful to : c hi
- to contribute to : ng gp
* He
company.

has

greatly

contributed

to

the

development

of

ng ta ng gp nhiu cho s pht trin ca cng ty.

- to be subjected to : chu phi
- post-harvest treatment : x l sau thu hoch
- fungus : nm mc
- to spray : phun
- mental disorder : ri lon thn kinh
- speech impediment : ri lon ngn ng
- to be allergic : b d ng
- antibiotics : khng sinh
- immune system : h min dch
- imbalance : s mt cn i
- additive : cht ph gia
- preservative : cht bo qun
- flavour : mi
- aroma : h-ng
- contamination : s nhim khun
- to be tested for safety : kim tra an ton
- excessive : qu nhiu
* excessive consumption : dng qu nhiu
- mental instability : bt n tinh thn

the

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 bnh, bnh qun

26
* average temperature : nhit trung bnh
* average height : chiu cao trung bnh
* The age of boys in this clas is 15.
Tui trung bnh ca cc cu b trong lp l 15.
* on average : tnh bnh qun
- herbicide : thuc dit c
- insecticide : thuc tr su
- proportion : t l. phn
* The proportion of imports is worrying the government.
(T l nhp khu lm chnh ph lo lng.)
* in proportion to : t-ng xng vi
* payment in proportion to the work done : tr cng t-ng
xng vi cng vic -c
thc hin
- to compensate : bi th-ng
* Nothing can compensate for the loss of our health.
* compensation : s bi th-ng
*
He
received
$
5000
in
compesation/by
compensation/as copensation for the loss.
- proliferation : s sn sinh
- to rebel against : chng li
- yield : nng sut
- high bill for : chi ph cao cho
- to be replaced by : -c thay th bi
- fertility : ph nhiu
- to interplant : xen canh
- to interplant several crops
- pest attack

: s ph hoi ca cn trng

- to benefit from : h-ng li t

- to get rid of : xo b
- to develop resistance to : khng li

way

of

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 : rc
- rubbish : rc
* rubbish dump : ng rc
- to decay : thi ra
* decaying organic waste : rc thi hu c ang thi ra
- methane gas: kh m tan
- to explode : n tung
* When the boiler exploded many people were injured.
Khi ni hi n nhiu ng-i b th-ng.
* to explode a bomb : lm cho bom n
* At last his anger exploded.
Cui cng cn gin d ca anh ta bng n.
- liquid : cht lng
* If you add too much liquid the mixture wil not be thick
enough.
Nu bn thm qu nhiu cht lng, th hn hp khng c.
- to seep : r, thm
* water seeping through the roof of the tunnel
n-c r ra qua mi tng hm
- to emit : thi ra
* The volcano emits smoke, lava and ashes.
Ni la phun ra khi, nham thch v tro bi.
- component : thnh phn
-

incineration : s thiu hu, l thiu

- imission : s thi ra
- mercury : thu ngn
- to melt : chy lng
* The ice melted when the sun shone on it.
Bng tan ra khi mt tri chiu ln n.
- to recycle : ti sinh, ti ch
* recycled plastic : nha ti sinh
- volume : khi l-ng
- to process : x l

29
- to be dealt with : -c gii quyt
- collection : s thu gom
- municipal : thuc thnh ph
* municipal

transport system : h thng giao thng thnh

ph
- magnet : nam chm
- ferrous : thuc v st
* ferrous and non-ferrous metals : kim loi en v kim loi
mu
- to scrap : loi b
- compost : phn hu c
- composting plant : nh my phn hu c
- awkward : bt tin, kh s dng,gy kh khn
* awkward

shape/door

* You put me in an awkward position : bn t ti vo mt

tnh trng kh x.
- to process sth into sth : ch bin ci g thnh ci g.
- to sort sth into sth : phn loi ci g thnh ci g.
- to deliver : giao, phn phi
- to subsidize : bao cp, tr cp
* subsidized industries : cc ngnh cng nghip -c bao cp

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 : v lp xe dng ri
- to prove : chng minh, chng t
* They prove that they are right.
H chng minh l mnh ng.
* He proves hmelf to be an expert on English.
ng ta chng t mnh rt lo luyn ting Anh.
- fashionable : hp thi trang
* fashionable clothes : o qun hp thi trang
- litterbug : ng-i x rc
- to be thrown into prison : b t
- to sneak out to do sth : ln lt lm ci g, trn chui trn li
lm ci g.
- retailer : ng-i bn l
- to be obliged to do sth: b bt buc lm ci g
- practical solution : gii php thc t
- vending machine : my bn hng t ng

31
- to be inclined to do sth : c chiu h-ng lm ci g
- to decompose : phn hu
- biodegradable material : cht c th phn hu bng sinh hc
- cornstarch : bt ng
- jagged edge : c cnh lm chm
* a piece of glass with jagged edges
mt mnh thu tinh c cnh lm chm
- unwary: khng thn trng, khng cnh gic
- nutritious : b d-ng

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 : m hng
- mask : mt n
* gas mask : mt

n phng hi c

- to be situated # to be located : nm, to lc, chim c

- snow-capped mountain : ni c tuyt ph
- exhaust gas : kh thi t t- phenomenon : hin tng
- similar : tng t
* to be similar to : tng t vi
- thermal : thuc v nhit
* thermal spring : sui nc nng
- to lead to : dn n, gy ra
* The road leads to my school.
Con ng dn n trng ti.
- legislation : lut, o lut
- to be aimed at : nhm lm g
* My project is aimed at helping poor people.
D n ca ti nhm gip dn ngho.
- chimney : ng khi
- domestic : thuc v trong nh
* domestic animals : vt nui
* Horses, cows and sheep are domestic animals.
Nga, b, v cu l nhng vt nui.
- to consist of # to be made up of

: gm c, bao gm

* The committee consists of 10 members.

U ban gm 10 ngi.
- suspended : treo l lng

33
* to be suspended in air : l lng trong khng kh
- to be accompanied by : cng vi
- to be released : thi ra
* Toxic chemicals are released into the sky.
Ho cht c hi b thi ra trong kh quyn.
* to release a man from prison : th mt ngi ra khi t
- severe : nghim trng, d di, nghim ngh
* a severe pain : cn au d di
* a severe look : ci nhn nghim ngh
- a drastic increase : mt s gia tng ng k
- a relentless increase : mt s gia tng nhy vt
- chronic bronchitis : bnh vim phi mn tnh.

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 Bo V Mi tr-ng
- to threaten : e do
* to threaten to do sth : e do lm ci g
- to make an attempt : c gng
- strict : nghim tc, nghim ngt
- to go far beyond the limit : v-t qu gii hn
- to be imposed on : gy tc ng cho, gy nh h-ng cho
- monument : di tch

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 nobody 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 provide 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 : b mt cht ng-i
- by-product : ph phm
- oil-refinery : nh my lc du
- hazardous : nguy him
- culprit : ti phm
- residential area : vng dn c- investigation : cuc iu tra
- to be related to : c lin quan n
- to be prepared to # to be ready to : sn sng
- responsibility : trch nhim
* to take full responsibility for : chu hon ton trch
nhim v
- public opinion : d- lun, kin cng chng
- to make huge profit : kim -c nhiu tn li, thu -c khon
li khng l
- bidder : ng-i u thu, nh thu
- to be punished : b pht

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 : thng cha bng thp
- isolated : c lp
* an isolated place : ni bit lp, ni hoang vng, ni b
hoang
- mine : hm m
* a coal mine : m than
- site : bi

37
- to sue : th-a kin
- to dump : (rc...)
- in exchange for : trao i, giao l-u
- bribe : khon tin hi l
* to receive a bribe : nhn tin hi l
- to be classified : -c phn loi
- to leak : r r
- to draft : son tho
- international agreement : hip nh quc t
- to eliminate : hu b
- landfill : t p
- to treat waste by bacteria : x l rc thi bng vi khun
- to be recycled : -c ti ch, -c ti sinh
- Molten Metal Technology : cng ngh nng chy kim loi

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

Notes:
- consequence : hu qu
* environmental consequence: hu qu mi tr-ng
- to mix : trn ln, ho trn
* to mix with : trn vi
- water vapor : hi n-c
- to form : to ra

39
- to be blown : b thi i, b cun

- to condense into : nn li, c li

- acidity : tnh a xt
- purity : s thun khit, s tinh khit
- corrosion : s bo mn, s xi mn
- to dissolve : lm tan r, lm phn hu
- to be damaged : b h- hi
- to some extent : mt mc no
- to exercise outdoors : tp th dc ngoi tri
- kidney disease : bnh thn
- to be prone to : thin v, d
* He is prone to lose his temper.
Hn d ni gin.

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, ho, khinh mit
* a withered tree : mt cy kh
* a withered flower : mt hoa ho
* a withered glance : mt ci nhn khinh mit
- retarded ; pht trin chm ( v th cht)
* a retarded child : mt a tr pht trin th cht chm
- to have sth in common : c chung ci g, ging nhau
- victim : nn nhn
- root : r cy
* trees with long roots : cy c r di
* to have roots in : c ngun gc t
- to cripple : lm cho tn ph, gy tn th-ng
- gill : mang
- lead : ch
- water pipe : ng dn n-c
- enormous : ln, khng l
* an enormous breakfast : mt ba n sng thnh son
- to be harmed by : b gy hi bi

41
- to combat the effect : chng li nhng tc hi/hu qu
- to pour :
- lime : vi
- costly # expensive : t , tn nhiu tin
- considerable expense : khon chi ph ng k
- to give rise to vast savings : tit kim -c mt khon tin
ln
- coal-fired power station : nh my nng l-ng chy bng than
- monster : qui vt
- approach : ph-ng php, -ng h-ng
- to replace sth with sth : thay ci g bng ci g
- non-polluting source : ngun ( nng l-ng...) khng gy
nhim/sch
- to be exploited : -c khai thc, b bc lt
- ammonia : kh a m ni c
- combusion : t
- to suffice : , p ng nhu cu ca
* Will $10 suffice for the trip?
Liu 10 la c cho chuyn i khng?
- gypsum : thch cao
- to be estimated : -c tnh
* It is estimated that.....: Ng-i ta -c tnh rng

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 1.8C and within 80 years by 3.5C 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 26C, 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 22C, 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 : thuc v ton cu
* global economy : kinh t ton cu
* global temperature : nhit ton cu
* globalization : ton cu ho
- complex : phc tp
* a complex system, network : mt h thng, mng l-i phc
tp
- thermal : thuc v nhit
* thermal current : dng nhit
* thermal insulation : s cch nhit
* thermal power station : nh my nhit in
- volcanic eruption : s phun tro ca ni la
- surface : b mt
* the surface of the earth : b mt tri t

43
- to radiate : bc x
- blanket : ci chn, lp bao ph
* a blanket of fog : lp s-ng m
- to prevent sth from : ngn nga, bo v ci g khi...
- to allow sb to do sth : cho php ai lm ci g
- density : mt
* population

density : mt dn s

- steady : u n
* a steady increase : mt s gia tng u n
- trend : xu h-ng,chiu h-ng
* The

trend of prices is still upwards.

Chiu h-ng gi c cn gia tng.

- figure : con s
- to accumulate : tch lu
- to have an impact on sth : tc ng ln ci g
- to be known as : -c bit n nh* To Huu is known as great poet.
T Hu -c bit n nh- mt nh th v i.
- Greenhouse Effect : hiu ng nh knh
- to be attractive : quyn r
- harsh : khc nghit
- drought : hn hn
- grain belt : vnh ai la m
- dust bowl : vng y bi, vng kh cn
- hurricance : bo, gi ln
- to spread : lan truyn
* Fear spread through the village.
Ni s lan khp lng.
- to be predicted : -c d bo
* as predicted : nh- -c d bo
- sea level : mc n-c bin
- coastal area : vng duyn hi
- cropland : vng t trng, vng t canh tc
- neighbouring country : n-c lng ging

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:

2. language expert:

my vi tnh dch
chuyn gia v ngn ng

3.

information (n):

thng tin

4.

to make sentence:

t cu

5. to solve:

gii quyt, x l

5. evice (n):

thit b

7. to be concerned:

quan tm, lo ngi

8. diplomatic letter:

th- ngoi giao

45

Suggested Translation :

MY VI TNH DCH
Trong nhiu nm, cc chuyn gia v ngn ng s dng cc my vi
tnh gip cho con ng-i chuyn i mt s ti liu t ngn ng
ny sang ngn ng khc. Hin nay, ng-i ta quan tm hn trong
vic s dng cc my vi tnh dch thm thng tin. Cc nh khoa
hc tng tin rng cng vic ny c th -c thc hin mt cch d
dng. H ngh rng cc my vi tnh c th chuyn i cc t t
ngn ng ny sang ngn ng khc v c th t nhng cu vi cc
t bng cch s dng lut ngn ng. Tuy nhin, nhiu t c hn
mt ngha. T b ank trong ting Anh c th ngha l mt khong
t dc theo mt dng sng, h hay bin hoc ngha l mt t chc
gi v cho m-n tin. Cu cng c th c hn mt ngha. Cu ni
I can fish c th ngha l ti c th bt c hoc ngha l
ti lm vic trong nh my ng c hp. My vi tnh khng th
hiu -c s khc nhau v ngha. V th, cc nh khoa hc pht
trin mt ph-ng php mi v dch vi tnh gii quyt vn
ny. H pht trin mt h thng m s dng mt ngn ng chung c
bit. T bo N ew York Times gn y gii thch h thng
ny nh- sau. Tr-c tin, my vi tnh dch thng tin t mt ngn
ng sang ngn ng chung. Trong ngn ng chung, mi t ch c mt
ngha. Sau , my vi tnh dch thng tin sang ngn ng khc.
Khng ch nhng my vi tnh a nng mi -c s dng dch m
ng-i ta cn c th mua nhng thit b nh cm tay. Nhng thit
b ny c th dch hng ngn t ting Anh sang mt vi ngn ng.
Cc chuyn gia ni rng c nhiu l do ct ngha vic quan tm
mi ny ca M trong vic dch ngn ng. H cho bit c thm mt
p lc i vi nn kinh t ton cu v ng-i M ngy cng quan
tm n mi quan h vi cc quc gia khc.
Cng ng kinh t
Chu u ang y mnh vic dch ngn ng. N ni rng nm n cc
cng ty m c quan h lm n vi Cng ng kinh t Chu u phi
dch thng tin v sn phm sang 10 ngn ng ca cc quc gia
thnh vin. Mt s chuyn gia cho rng cng mt khong 25 nm na
th my vi tnh mi c th dch tt nh- con ng-i. H cng cho
bit h khng tin bt c my no c th dch -c nhng thng tin
c bit nh- th- ngoi giao hay ti liu php lut.

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 bodys 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
Alzheimers 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): cn t qu
2.

epilepsy (n) : chng ng kinh

3. poison (n): cht c

4. antibody (n): khng th
5.

block (n): ngn cn

6.

to be at risk of: c kh nng, c nguy c

Suggested Translation :

47
Cc nh nghin cu ng-i M cho rng h va pht trin mt loi
thuc nga bnh t qu chut. H cho bit loi vaccine ny
cng c th nga cc nh h-ng ging nh- cn t qu no gi l
chng ng kinh. Cc nh nghin cu ti Tr-ng i hc Y Khoa
Jeferson Philadelphia, Pennylvania cng b kt qu th
nghim ca h trn t bo Science (Khoa hc).
Cc nh nghin cu tim vaccine vo 100 con chut th nghim.
Mt thng sau, h tim thuc c vo no ca chng. Thuc gip
cho 70% s chut khi b tn th-ng no th-ng do hu qu ca
cht c gy ra.
Cc nh nghin cu cng tim vaccine vo nhm chut th hai. Nm
thng sau, cc nh khoa hc gy cn t qu nhng con chut
ny. Thuc lm gim i s tn ti no n 70%.
Theo cc nh nghin cu th vaccine lm cho h min nhim bo
v no khi cn t qu v tn th-ng, ging nh- n bo v cc b
phn khc ca c th khi bnh tt. Vaccine nga -c bnh l do
chng to ra mt dng Protin trong mu gi l khng th. Cc
khng th ny chng li s nhim trng gy ra bi vi khun v vi
rt. Vaccine th nghim to ra khng th ngn chn cc ho cht
no lm hu hoi t bo thn kinh sau cc cn t qu hay tn
th-ng.
Cc nh nghin cu thuc Tr-ng i hc Jefferson d nh tin
hnh th nghim loi vaccine ny trn nhng ng-i c nguy c b
t qu. Nu vaccine t ra an ton v hu hiu th n c th -c
s dng trong t-ng lai bo v ng-i gi khi b tn hi v
no v cc cn t qu v ngay c bnh Alzheimer (bnh mt tr
nh).
Hin nay, loi vaccine ny cng hot ng nh- cc loi vaccine
khc. Bc s s tim cho nhng ai -c chn on c nguy c t
qu v cc bnh khc v no. Cc cht khng th pht trin trong
mu. Khi cn t qu hay chn th-ng xy ra, cc khng th i vo
no ni m cn chng ngn nga tn th-ng. Cc khng th khng
i vo no tr phi cn t qu hay tn th-ng xy ra.

48
Cc nh nghin cu ni rng cn phI thc hin thm nhiu cuc
nghin cu v loi vaccine ny hn na tr-c khi em ra s dng
rng ri. Nh-ng cng vic y c th l b-c u cho mt ph-ng
php hon ton mi m tr cc bnh v no.

Lesson 24:
Trong lch s loi ng-i khoa hc -c xem nh- c s mnh gii
phng con ng-i khi s ngu dt, s m tn, gim i ngho v
tng tm hiu bit ca con ng-i v th gii.
T N. A ca ngi cc nh khoa
truyn b nh sng, nhng ng-i
-ng cho con ng-i chinh phc
nhng pht minh khng t-ng nh -c d bo tr-c.
Nhng ai quan tm
ang tri qua mt
mng ny xy ra ?
tr li nhng cu
My
y
th
tc

hc ca thi i l cc nh
s xua tan bng m v m ra con
thin nhin. Trong thi k ,
my bay, tu ngm v in thoi

n ngnh cng ngh my tnh tin rng chng ta

cuc cch mng v my tnh. Ti sao cuc cch
iu ny c mang li hu qu g cho x hi?
hi ny, cn pha s l-c v lch s my tnh.

tnh u tin -bn tnh , do ng-i

5000 nm l tin thn ca my tnh
k th 17, Chu u ch-a c g c
cng nh- chnh xc trong tnh

Trung Quc pht minh cch

hin i sau ny. Cho n
th snh bng bn tnh v
ton.

My tnh -c pht trin ng thi c, Anh v M tng thm

tc cng nh- chnh xc trong tnh ton cn cho vic gii m
thng ip ca k th.
Ngy nay , nhiu cng vic trong cc khu sn xut v dch v do
con ng-i m trch c th -c thc hin nhanh hn v t tn km
hn nh s tr gip ca cng ngh my tnh v cc thit b -c
my tnh kim sot.
Ng-i my ang dn thay th cng nhn trong dy chuyn sn xut
nh- nh my ch to t Fiat ca v Nissan ca Nht. Vo nm
1980, 50 robot -c cc cng ty ca c s dng chng hn nhhng General Motors Ford, Nissan v Simpson Pope
Cng ty no khng s dng cng ngh my tnh u khng th cnh
tranh -c vi cc i th p dng cng ngh ny. Bng chng l
s tht bi ca cng nghip sn xut ng h Thu S trong 2 nm
va qua do b ng h in t cnh tranh nn tht thu 200
triu la mi nm.

49

Cng vi vic c gii ho mt s qui trnh sn xut, b-c u

gy ra nn tht nghip vi s l-ng ln. Nhng ngh nhn lnh
ngh trong ngnh tiu th cng nghip vn khan him tr-c y,
nay bng d-ng t h cm thy tha d- v thiu k nng trong nn
cng ngh hin i.
Nhng t-ng khoa hc v i ny pht trin vo th k 18 v
19. Cuc cch mng cng nghip Anh vo cui th k 18 cng cng
c nim tin vo mt x hi khoa hc k thut mc d li nhun x
hi thu vo khng b -c chi ph x hi b ra .
Nhng ng-i khi x-ng ra vic dng nng l-ng nguyn t nhn
mnh rng th gii ny ri y chc cn s tr thnh mt th gii
ca nguyn t. Ng-i ta cng cho rng nhng ng-i chng i li
vic s dng nguyn t ang chng li tro l-u ca lch s v c
mi quan h gn gi vi dng h Luddites - vn l nhng ng-i ch
tr-ng p ph my mc ngay t khi cuc cch mng cng nghip bt
u.

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 mans 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 enemys 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 largescale 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:
Cc bc s cho thy ln u tin h c th ti to cc h min
nhim ca nhng ng-i b nhim vi rt bnh AIDS bnge cch t
ngt tng s l-ng t bo mu m vi rt HIV hu dit.
Trong lnh vc o to y khoa, nhng vic
nm qua -c nh du bng s kin ni bt
gia v o to y khoa , nhiu tr-ng i hc
vn phi xem xt li ni dung o to i

lm -c trong nhng
l vic nhiu chuyn
trn th gii dt
ng cn b y t .

Ng-i thy thuc ngy nay nn l ng-i ca sc kho . V vy

ng-i thy thuc cn phi bit pht hin , gii quyt , phc
hi nhng vn sc kho ca c nhn v cng ng.
R rng rng mt thn th kho mnh gip cho mt tm hn lnh
mnh, v chnh nhng tm hn lnh mnh iu khin h-ng i ca h
thng gi tr. Mt ng-i kho mnh l mt ng-i kho mnh v mt
th cht ln tinh thn.
Ngy nay con ng-i c khuynh h-ng lo u v sc kho th cht.
Tuy nhin ti mun nhn mnh ti tm quan trng ca sc kho tm
l. Mnh kho v mt tinh thn l rt quan trng v l mt ng-i

51
thc s kho mnh l ng-i t -c s thng bng hp l gia th
cht v tinh thn.

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 s nhiu ng-i cho rng nn nhn mn l mt vn . t ra th
n cng l mt vn rc ri cho t-ng lai. Tuy nhin ch-a c
cuc iu tra l c th v nn lm ci g. iu c ngha l
ng-i ta khng th ng v vic phi lm g. Nhiu ng-i ngh
rng mi cp v chng nn t quyt nh l c bao nhiu con. H
ngh rng chnh ph khng nn can thip vo. Tuy nhin nhiu
ng-i ngh rng chnh ph khng nn can thip vo. Tuy nhin
nhiu ng-i li ngh rng chnh ph phi quan tm n vn nhn
mn.
hy vn k hoch ha gia nh cho tng c nhn lo liu
a s nhng ng-i trn th gii ngh rng vic k hoch ha gia
nh nn l s la chn ca c nhn. Ni cch khc, h ngh rng
ng-i dn nn quyt nh l sinh bao nhiu con m khng cn phi
lm theo li khuyn hay l s ch o ca chnh ph. Nhiu ng-i
ng h iu ny l v l do tn gio.

52
Nhng ng-i khc th l phn i vic can thip ca chnh ph hay
mt t chc tn gio no v h mun t do quyt nh ly nhng
vic ca mnh.
Ti sao chnh ph nn kim sot ch-ng trnh k hoch ha gia
nh? Nhiu ng-i cho rng khng c mt gii php kh thi no
khc v ng-i dn s tip tc mun c qu nhiu con ci. H khng
th hn ch l ch c 1 hoc 2 con. Trong qu kh h khng hn
ch -c th c sao h c th hn ch d-c trong t-ng lai? Ri
thay, h li cho rng vic cho c nhn t quyt nh vic k
hoch ha gia nh th khng thc hin -c. Theo nhng ng-i ny
th vic la chn duy nht l nh n-c ng mt vai tr tch
cc trong vic k hoch ha gia nh.
Chnh ph nn lm g trong vn ny? y l vn ang cn
tranh ci. Ng-i ta khng ng l chnh ph nn dnh lu th
no.
Chnh ph c nn ni chnh xc l mt gia nh nn c my con
khng? ( Th-ng th 1 hoc 2) Chnh ph c nn buc h phi gii
hn n con s ny khng? Lm th no chnh ph thc hin
chnh sch hn ch sinh nh- th? B m ca cc gia nh ng
con khng th h-ng li v cc khon hc ph cho con ci cng nhbo him y t ca Chnh ph. Hoc l chnh ph c th pht nhng
b m ny. Ni cch khc, b m ca nhng gia nh ng con phi
np pht mt khon tin no cho chnh ph.
Mt kin hon ton tri ng-c khc cho rng chnh ph ch nn -a
ra nhng thun li ca nhng gia nh t con v nhng bt li
ca gia nh ng con.. H cho rng ng-i dn thng minh
lm iu tt nht m khong cn s kim sot hay can thip no ca
chnh ph. Nh-ng y li l mt rc ri thc s. Nhiu ng-i tin
rng ch c gia nh ng con mi c th m bo cuc sng ca h
trong t-ng lai. H khng cn s la chn no khc. Tr-c ht
chnh ph phi ch cho h k hoch bo m an sinh cho tui gi.
Chnh ph phi bo m cho h vn an sinh x hi v tr cp y
t. T h c th ch sinh t con.
Passage 2 :
Nhn dn th gii dnh gi cao nn gio dc bi l mt nn gio
dc tt mang li mt cuc sng tt hn. Mi ng-i u ng vi
iu ny. Tuy nhin dn cc n-c khc nhau mun tr-ng hc phi
dy cc iu khc nhau. Mi nn vn ha c nhng gi tr ring
ca n, v ng-i dn mun tr-ng ca h dy nhng gi tr vn ha
ca h.

53
Chng ta mun ni nhng gi tr l g? Gi tr l nhng
iu m ng-i dn ngh l tt v quan trng trong nn vn ha ca
h. V d nh- nn vn ha ca bn cao vic lm vic chm ch.
iu c ngha l nn vn ha ca bn lm vic chm ch l
quan trng, v ng-i dn nh gi cao s lm vic chm ch th
quan trng hn cc c tnh khc. Hoc gi nn vn ha ca bn
nh gi cao nht l tnh tht th. iu c ngha l ni tht
l quan trng. V nu khi no cng ni tht th c th gy ra
nhng rc ri. Tt c chng ta u bit iu .
Mt vi gi tr vn ha ging nhau l quan trng nh- nhau nhng
nn vn ha khc nhau. Tuy nhin c nhiu im khc nhau gia
nhng nn vn ha khc nhau. Trong mt nn vn ha, tr-ng hc
th-ng dy nhng gi tr ca nn vn ha . Hay ni cch khc
hc sinh hc nhng gi tr vn ha ca t n-c chng ti tr-ng.
M l mt n-c dn ch. Mi cng dan M u c c hi h-ng gio
dc min ph. Chnh ph lin bang, bang v chnh quyn a ph-ng
tr tin cho cc tr-ng cng. Mi cng dn d giu hay ngho u
c th i hc. Cng c cc tr-ng t- thc. Hc sinh tr-ng tthc phi ng hc ph. Nh n-c khng tr tin cho cc hc sinh
hc cc tr-ng t- thc.
Mt vi ng-i cho rng tr-ng hc M c gng lm qu nhiu iu
cho qu nhiu ng-i. H ni rng gio dc tt cho tt c mi
ng-i th khng th -c. H ngh rng nn gio dc M nn gio
dc ch nn dy cho nhng ng-i thng minh nht trong x hi.
Thay v th nn gio dc M li dnh cho tt c mi ng-i.
Tuy nhin, a s ng-i M mun mi ng-i phi c c hi i hc.
Gio dc cho mi ng-i trong mt n-c dn ch l rt quan trng.
Trong mt n-c dn ch, ng-i dn chn nhng ng-i lnh o chnh
ph ca h. H cn c kh nng la chn sng sut. H cn phi
-c o to k l-ng tr thnh nhng cng dn tt trong n-c
dn ch.
Tr-ng Tiu hc : a s tr con M bt u i hc lc 5 tui.
Chng hc lp v lng ( mu gio) mt nm v sau bt u hc
lp 1 lc 6 tui. Cp hc u tin l tr-ng tiu hc hay cn gi
l tr-ng cp 1. Tr con M th-ng bt u hc c khi cc em
hc lp 1 v lp 2. Cc em cng bt u hc s hc, khoa hc
th-ng thc v lch s.
Tr-ng trung hc c s: Sau khi hc xong tiu hc cc em ln hc
bc trung hc c s ( i khi cn gi l tr-ng cp hai). Trong
phn ln cc tr-ng trung hc c s bao gm lp 7, lp 8 v lp

54
9. Nh-ng i khi c tr-ng ch bao gm lp 8 v lp 9. Hc sinh
ph thng c s th-ng t 12 n 14 tui.
Tr-ng Trung hc ph thng: Sau khi hc xong ph thng c s th
hc sinh hc tip tr-ng ph thng trung hc ( gm lp 10, 11
v12). Hc sinh tt nghip ph thng trung hc tui 17 hoc
18. C nhiu loi tr-ng ph thng trung hc khc nhau. Mt vi
tr-ng ph thng trung hc chun b cho hc sinh vo i hc. Cc
tr-ng ph thng trung hc khc chun b cho hc sinh cc ngh
khc nhau ( tr-ng trung hc dy ngh). Nhiu tr-ng trung hc
ph thng c dy ngh ln chun b kin thc cho hc sinh vo cc
tr-ng i hc.
Gio dc i hc : Sau khi hc sinh tt nghip ph thng trung
hc cc em c th hc tip cc tr-ng cao ng hoc i hc.
C hn 3000 tr-ng cao ng v i hc M. Tr-ng cao ng v
i hc t- M c mc hc ph rt cao, nh-ng a s tr-ng i
hc cng lp th mc hc ph rt thp. Vic h tr v mt ti
chnh (do chnh ph h tr ) th-ng nhm gip sinh vin tr mt
phn hc ph. Cc hnh thc gio dc i hc lun p ng nguyn
vng cho hc sinh tt nghip ph thng trung hc.

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-MA 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 NineteenSeventies. 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):

bt gi

2.

raid (n):

cuc rung b

3.

emotional (adj):

4.

rave (n):

5.

suppress (n):

6.

tension (n): tnh trng cng thng, mt mi

thuc v cm xc

cuc lin hoan

ngn chn, chm dt

Suggested Translation :

ECSTASY- LOI THUC KCH THCH B CM LU

HNH

58
Cc chuyn gia cho bit s ng-i M s dng Ecstasy tng ng k
trong nhng nm gn y. Cnh st Lin Bang bt gi khong 8
triu vin thuc trong 10 thng qua, H cho bit loi thuc ny
-c sn xut cc cng ty d-c phm Chu u, ch yu l H
Lan.
Ecstasy khng phi l loi thuc tn d-c. Mt cng ty c ln
u tin sn xut ra loi thuc ny d-i cI tn M-D-M-A vo nm
1912. Cc quan chc cc qun l d-c Hoa K cho bit mt s t
bc s y dng thuc ny cho cc bnh nhn c vn v tm
l vo cui nhng nm 1970. Tuy nhin, loi thuc ny b cm
s dng Hoa K vo nm 1985.
Cc quan chc Lin Bang cho bit loi thuc ny khng -c php
s dng trong y hc. Tuy nhin, s s dng tri php loi thuc
ny tr nn ph bin cch y 10 nm. Ecstasy -c s dng ph
bin trong gii tr m th-ng tham gia cc hp m v cc bui
tic khiu v thu m nh- lin hoan chng hn. Loi thuc ny
gy ra mt phn ng ho hc trong no. Nhng ng-i s dng thuc
ni rng thuc to cho h cm gic sung s-ng v tnh to. N cn
gy ra ngng cm gic d chu cho ng-i khc. Cc quan chc Cc
qun l d-c phm DEA cho bit loi Ecstasy ny th-ng -c s
dng chung vi cc loi thuc khc.
Ng-i ta cho rng Ecstasy gy bing n, bing ung v bing ng.
Kt qu l ng-i s dng thuc lun cm thy khc hoc tr nn
mt mi kinh khng.
Theo cc quan chc Cc qun l d-c phm DEA th Ecstasy c th
gy nn nhng tc dng ph nguy him. Nhng tc dng ph ny gm
st cao, mi c bp, yu m th lc. Thuc cn lm tng nhp tim
v huyt p.
Cc quan chc Hoa K cho bit cc nh khoa hc va mi bt u
nghin cu nhng tc dng ph khi dng Ecstasy trong thi gian
di. Trong mt nghin cu, cc nh khoa hc pht hin rng nu
dng thuc Ecstasy lin tc s gy bnh no. Mt nghin cu
khc cho thy ng-i s dng Ecstasy s b ri lon tr nh sau
khi ngh dng thuc vI tun. C hai nghin cu u cho rng

59
mc nguy hi nh h-ng trc tip ln ng-i s dng tu thuc
vo hm l-ng thuc -c s dng.
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 Suns 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 Suns
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 Suns 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: h mt tri
2. nuclear reaction : phn ng hy nhn

61
3. explosion (n): s n
4. release (v): thot
5. coronal (a): thuc vng quang
6. equator (n): xch o
7. magnetic (n): t tr-ng
8. interference (n): s nhiu sng
9. expel (v): to ra
10 experience (v): trI qua

Suggested Translation :

VT EN MT TrI
Ch-ng trnh ca chng ti ni v mt tri v tc dng cua nhng
v t en mt tri -tc nhng hot ng trn b mt ca n- i
vi chng ta. Tr-c khi tip tc th d sao chng ta cng cnh
bo cc bn ng bao gi nhn thng vo mt tri nhm tm hiu
iu g ang xy ra, v vic ny c th gy ra nhng tn th-ng
nghim trng cho c quan th gic, k c m lo. Nu c dng c
an ton, bn mi c th xem cc v t en mt tri .
Mt tri ca chng ta l mt qu cu kh ti trung tm v cng l
mt vt th ln nht, bao gm khong 98% ton b l-ng vt cht
trong Thi D-ng h. Mt tri ln cha trong n hn mt
triu hnh tinh c kch th-c nh- Tri t.
Khong cch t Tri t n Mt Tri l 150 triu km. Ngay c vi
khong cch ny th sc nng ca Mt Tri vn -c cm nhn trn
khp Tri t. Ti trung tm Mt Tri th nhit v p sut ln
cao n mc cc phn ng nguyn t xy ra. Nhng phn ng ny to
ra mt l-ng nng l-ng khng l, that ra b mt ca Mt Tri
d-i dng nh sng v nhit. Nng l-ng -c sn sinh ti trung
tm mi hng triu nm mi thot ra n b mt. Khng c sc nng
lin tc ca Mt Tri th ton b s sng trn TrI t s nhanh
chng bin mt.
BO MT TrI
Nhiu s kin xy ra trn v ti b mt ca Mt Tri, trong
nhng iu kin c tc ng mnh -c gi l Bo Mt Tri. Bo

62
Mt Tri thng xy ra trn nhng khu vc c tn vt en mt
tri . Vt en mt tri l nhng vt mu en m cc nh khoa
hc nhn thy khi quan st Mt Tri bng cc dng c m bo an
ton. Mt s cn bo mt tri -c nhn thy nh- nhng v n chi
lo to ra mt l-ng nng l-ng khng l. S khc li to ra mt
l-ng kh ln vo tn khng gian v sau quay tr li b mt
ca n. Bo mt tri cng to ra cc v phn xut vt cht bn
vnh ai Mt Tri. Mt l-ng nng l-ng khng l -c to vo
khng gian. Tt c nhng s kin ny l mt phn hot ng ca
Mt Tri.
Phn ln cc hot ng xy ra khi mt vng Mt Tri bt u
lnh.Nhit thng th-ng trn b mt l khong 60000C. Cc khu
vc lnh hn th khong 40000C.
Nhng vng lnh ny u tin xut hin nh- nhng vt en gn pha
bc Mt Tri. Mt s lan t t xung d-i. S khc c kch th-c
ln trong vi ngy u, ri sau v thnh nhng vt nh hn.
Tt c nhng vt ny t t di chuyn vo trung tm ca -ng xch
o Mt Tri.
Cc nh khoa hc cho hay vt en mt tri do hot ng t tnh
gy ra v hot ng ca vt en mt tri c th -c o c trong
khong thi gian trung bnh l 11 nm. Hin nay, hot ng t
tnh trn Mt Tri ang gia tng mnh. Ng-i ta cho rng vo
khong nm ti, Mt Tri s sn sinh nhiu vt en nht trong chu
k 11 nm.
GY RA NHIU IN V SNG THNG TIN
Nhiu s kin nhiu sang lin lc v in nng l kt qu ca
hot ng Mt Tri c lin quan n cc vt en. Hot ng ny
-c coi l s phn xut vt cht trn vnh ai Mt Tri. Mt
Tri phng ra rt nhiu nng l-ng gy ra cc hot ng t tnh
mnh m trong khng gian.Cc hot ng ny gy nhiu cc cuc
pht sang ngn hoc hu hoi cc v tinh. N cng gy nhiu in.
CN THIT CHO IU KIN ThI TIT BNH THNG
Cc nh khoa hc cho bit ThI D-ng h cn c vt en mt tri
gi Iu kin thi tit bnh th-ng. H ni rng Mt Tri c

63
th l nguyn nhn gy ra nhng ma ng lnh gi khi khng c s
hot ng ca cc vt en. Vn ny -c gi l hin t-ng
Maunder Minimum_theo tn nh khoa hc ng-i Anh. Cc nh khoa hc
cho rng hin t-ng Maunder Minimum -c chng kin u tin vo
khong 1645 v 1715 pha bc bn cu. H gi thi k ny l
T hi k bng h tm thi . Trong sut thi k ny, phn bc
bn cu trI qua nhng ma ng lnh gi v lc c t vt
en mt tri -c quan st.

Lesson 28:

H THNG NH V TON CU

Hm nay chng ti s cp n mt thit b nh m bn c th

nm gn trong lng bn tay. N gip tm -ng i xuyn qua cc
ngn ni,sa mc, i d-ng m s chng bao gi bn b lc c.
Tr li thi Im ngy 27 thng Su nm 1851. Chng ta ang trn
con tu mang tn Flying Cloud trong vng bieenrDDaij Ty Dng,
thuyn tr-ng ca tu lc by gi l Josiah Cressy.
So vi hin nay, chuyn i ca thuyn tr-ng Cressy thc s l
mt cuc du hnh v i vi tc nhanh ch-a tng c.
Hm nay chng tI xin k v mt vng t nh nm cui tri Nam
Chu M. Sut my ngy tri, thi tit v cng khc nghit.
Thuyn truyn tr-ng khng th xc nh -c v tr con tu.
Ng-i chu trch nhim h-ns dn con tu phi nhn thy mt tri
hoc mt ngi sao no nh v n, thi tit bo cn tr
iu ny trong sut my ngy lin.
Ng-i -a ra h-ng dn cho chuyn i thng th-ng vn l thuyn
tr-ng. Tuy nhin trn tu Flying Cluod th phu nhn ca thuyn
tr-ng li m nhim cng vic ny.
Tn b l Eleanor Cressy. B l mt nh thm him i d-ng c
ting. B -a ra k hoch cho chuyn i ny l xuyn qua vng
bin y him tr gn mi Horn. y l khu vc c nhiu o nh
v ngm. h-ng dn tu i mt cch an ton, b phi lun
nh -c v tr ca con tu.

64
Eleanor Cressy phi p dng phng php mang tn
Dead
Reckoning v b khng th nhn thy nh sng mt tri xc
ng v tr con tu mt cch chnh xc. y l ph-ng php rt
kh thc hin, n va mang tnh khoa hc va mang tnh phng
on.
xc nh v tr ca con tu, b Cresy phi bit -c v tr
sau cng ca n l khu vc no. B cng phi on -c h-ng
ca con tu, tc ca n v mc dao ng ca sang hay ca lung
n-c.
Ti khu vc gn mi Horn, cn phI ht sc cn trng khng xy
ra sai st. C nhiu tu b m trong khu vc ny. Nhiu thu th
phi thit mng ch v mt li lm trong thut i bin. Trong
tng gi Elaeanor Cressy phi ng dng ph-ng php ton hc
nh v tr ca con tu. C c lm i lm li vic ny nhiu ln
mt cch cn thn kim tra cc khim khuyt. Sinh mng cu
thu th on cng nh- t-ng lai ca con tu mi khng l ny
hon ton -c giao ph cho c.
K nng thnh tho ca Elaenor Cressy v lnh vc hng hI -c
n b xng ng vo ngy hm sau. B lo li con tu mt cch
Iu ngh. Vo sng ngy 29 thng 6, thuyn tr-ng Cressy pht
hin ra mi Horn, cch con tu 8 km v h-ng Bc. Con tu chnh
xc ang v tr m Eleanor d on.ph-ng php nh h-nh
hi hnh bng la bn Dead Reckoning ca b hon ton chnh xc.
Con tu vn an ton v s I qua San Francisco, California, n I
nhanh hn bt c con tu no khc. Vo thi Im c rt t
ng-i thnh tho hng hi nh- Eleanor Cressy.
Ngh ca Eleanor Cressy vo thi im 1851 rt -c trng dng
nh-ng cng lm gian trun. n cui th k tr-c, cng vic ca
mt hoa tiu vn khng thay i nhiu. trn bin hay trn t
lin cng vy, vic tm mt h-ng i chnh xc lun l mt vn
nan gii.
Tuy nhin trong nhng nm gn y, vic nh h-ng trn bin hay
trn t lin tr nn d dng hn. Phng php nh v Lead
Reckoning nay tr nn li thi. Hin nay ngi ta khng nht
thit phI c nng khiu v hng hi nh- Eleanor Cressy. H c
th s song mt thit b nh cho php nh v -c tt c cc

65
vng trn th gii. Thit b c s dng mt b phn k thut mang
tn H thng nh v ton cu gi l G-P-S.

66
G-P-S hin ang l h thng duy nht trn th gii c kh nng
ch ra v tr chnh xc ca bn trn qu t. Thit b ny khng
b thi tit lm nh h-ng. N lun trong trng thi hot ng
mi lc mi ni. Mt s thit b G-P-S c th nm gn trong lng
bn tay. Cng c loi kch c ln hn lp t trong my bay
hay tu bin. Tuy nhin d kch c no i na th thit b vn
c tnh nng vn hnh 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 ships captain. On the Flying
Cloud, however, the captains 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 ships 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 ships 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 womans 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):

no b

68
2.high-tech brain scan:

r qut no b vi k thut cao

3.low-tech cause:

nguyn nhn gy ra do k thut km

4. Xinhua news:
Quc)

Tn Hoa X (Hng Thng Tn Trung

5. shock (n):
bt ng

s sng st, s kch ng/ cm gic

6. operation (n):
tc/hot ng

s m x/ ca m, phu thut/ thao

7. nimbly (adv):

nhanh nhn

8. stump (v):
b

i c nhc v lp cp/ lm cho ai

9. computerized axial topography:

l my tnh
10. reveal (v):

chp nh ct theo trc o x

pht hin

11. skull (n):

s,u lu/ u c, b c

12. orientation (n):

s nh h-ng

13. harden (v):

lm cho cng/ cng li/ rn li

14. pierce (v) :

m, chc/khot l

Suggested Translation :
Mt [cng trnh y hc] r qut no b bng k thut cao tm ra
-c nguyn nhn ca chng au u kinh nin ca mt ph n Trung
Quc l do k thut [y hc] thp km: mt kim ghim r nm trong
b no ca b.
Hm th by, Tn Hoa X loan tin cho bit cc bc s ly kim
ra ni rng th nm ca cy kim trong u b Zhang Meihua, 41
tui chng t n nm trong no b n 40 nm.
Tn Hoa X by t s sng st khi ghi nhn l ngi ta c
th sng mt thi gian lu nh- vy vi mt inh ghim r dnh
trong no .
Cuc giI phu -c thc hin ti Bnh vin Qun y 148 Tinan,
pha bc tnh Sn ng.
B Zhang ni rng b bt u mt kh nng nhanh nhn khi chuyn
ng chn tay cch y khong 20 nm, nh-ng cc bc s thi
khng tm ra -c nguyn nhn.
y l mt v chp nh ct theo trc o x l bng my tnhph-ng php qut CAT v tia X pht hin ra phn st r lm cho
bnh nhn au n vi phn chnh nm trong b no bnh nhn, phn

69
u ca kim nm pha ngoI s.Mt s chn nh nh- th c ngha
l b b kim chch chng bao lu sau khi sinh ra tr-c khi v
s ho cng.
Tn Hoa X cho bit thm rng b Zhang by gi hon ton bnh
phc. B ni rng b qun i l b kim chch trong u .

Lesson 30:
1. Vi rt my tnh l mt trong nhng nguyn nhn gy ra nhng trc trc thng xuyn nht.
C hai loi vi rt: BOOT VIRUS (loi B) v FILE VIRUS (loi F). Vi rt loi B tn cng vo cc
tp tin h thng ca my, lm cho my khng th khi ng c hay ph hoi cc thng tin c
bn v cu hnh ca h thng. Vi rt loi F ch tn cng vo tng loi tp tin nht nh, thng
gp nht l cc tp tin c phn m rng l EXE, COM. Gn y xut hin vi rt MACRO
chuyn tn cng cc tp vn bn DOC. Vi rt ly lan thng qua vic trao i a mm gia cc
my tnh, trong c mt my b nhim vi rt. Vic ly nhim vi rt trong mng my tnh
cng l mt vn ngy cng tr nn nghim trng hn. Do vy, nguyn tc c bn nht
phng vi rt xm nhp vo my tnh l trnh sao chp hay chy cc chng trnh m cha kim
tra vi rt.
2. Th gii t nhin ang b tn cng d di. Bin v sng ang b nhim nng do cht thi ht
nhn, cht thi ha hc v rc thi c hi cha x l. Khng kh chng ta th cng b nhim
do khi v kh thi ca nh my v xe c. Cng chng phi ngc nhin khi rng v h cng
dang b tn ph v cuc sng hoang d khp mi ni ang bin mt. Vic bin mt m khng cu
vn ni ca a dng sinh hc tc ng rt ln n kh nng duy tr s sng cn ca cc loi
bao gm c con ngi v con ngi ph thuc vo a loi v mi trng sinh thi lnh mnh.
Cho d gii khoa hc cnh bo v hng triu ngi dn thng by t mi quan tm su sc
nhng s tn ph vn c tip din. Cc chnh ph v ngnh cng nghip trn khp th gii ang
n lc khai thc ngun khong sn phong ph v ngun sinh vt di do. Rng rm nhit i
cng nh cc lc a ng bng ang b e do nghim trng. Tuy nhin chng ta cng c th
xy dng nn cng nghip thn thin vi mi trng, khai thc nng lng t mt tri, gi v
sng bin phc v cho nhu cu nng lng ca chng ta v qun l ngun nng lng hn hu
trn tri t ny

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 : Bn o ng D-ng
- to border : c cng bin gii
- high plateaux : vng cao nguyn
- saline land : vng t mn
- tidal : thuc v thu triu
- flood : l lt
- typhoon : bo

72
- to be suited for : ph hp vi
- agricultural crop : cy nng nghip
- altitude : cao
- to be inhabited : sng, c- ng
- ethnic minority : dn tc thiu s
- to be isolated : b c lp
- scattered : ri rc
- tropical climate : kh hu nhit i
- humidity : m

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 : kin nh, kin quyt
- demographic data : s liu v dn s
- census : cuc iu tra dn s
- monsoon wind : gi ma
- annual growth rate : t l gia tng hng nm
- It

is projected that...... : ng-i ta d on rng

- tribe : b tc
- life

expectancy : tui th

- age group distribution : s phn b theo nhm tui

- dependency ratio : t l ng-i ph thuc
- fertility rate : t l sinh
- method of contraception : ph-ng php trnh thai
- socio-cultural taboo : iu cm mang tnh vn ho x hi
- risk of

infant mortality : nguy c t vong ca tr s sinh

- maternal mortality rate : t l t vong ca cc b m

- fluctuate : dao ng
- environmental sanitation : v sinh mi tr-ng
- hygiene standard : tiu chun v sinh
- pulmonary tuberculosis : lao phi
- tetanus : bnh un vn
- poverty-related problem : vn lin quan n ngho i

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 reenforce/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 : phn b dn s theo nng
thn v thnh th
- to decline : gim xung
- mid-eastern seaboard province : tnh duyn hi min Trung
- donor : ng-i ti tr
- population

density : mt dn s

- concentration of population : tp trung dn s

- migration pattern : hnh thc di dn
- visible : hu hnh, c th thy -c
- slum : nh chut
- existing situation : tnh hung thc t
- pilot activity : hot ng th im
- NGO : Non-governmetal organization : t chc phi chnh ph
- local government : chnh quyn a ph-ng

77
- social organization : t chc x hi
- administrative structure : c cu qun l
- profound : su sc
- extended family : gia nh nhiu th h
- economic pressure : p lc kinh t
- life style : li sng
- to stem from : xut pht t
- Confucian pattern : theo Khng gio
- absolute authority : quyn hnh tuyt i
- household chore : vic nh
- labour force : lc l-ng lao ng
- Constitution : Hin php
- burden : gnh nng
- to raise children : nui con
- to be brought up : nui nng
- caregiver : v nui
- breast-feeding : nui con bng sa m
- superstition : d 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 : nng sut, u ra
- industrial crop : cy cng nghip
- cash crop : nng sn hng ho
- contract system : ch khon
- plot of land : tha t
- It is admitted that : ng-i ta tha nhn rng
- to be cultivated : -c canh tc
- one crop a year : ( sn xut 1 nm 1 v
- coastal strip : vng t duyn hi
- expansion : s m rng/s pht trin
- paddy yield : nng sut la
- cassava : cy sn ( m)
- seed multiplication system : h thng/c s nhn ging
- spare part : ph tng
- maintenance : bo d-ng/bo tr
- extension : s m rng
- to emphasize : ch trng
- food crop : cy l-ng thc
- rice monoculture : c canh cy la

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 :

Vic mt thin thach khng l di chuyn v hng Trai

t a cho chung ta thy o la mt bao ng gia cua
vu tru, nhng o khng phai la ly do khin chung ta khng
bt u co k hoach i pho vi vic mt thin thach
k tip se di chuyn v hng Trai t)
Mi e doa cua vic cac thin thach ung vao Trai t
vn con ban bac trn khp hanh tinh nay, v nhiu ln
trong qua kh hanh tinh nay a b nhng vt th ln t
khng gian ri xung nh ma ung vao no. Bng chng cua
nhng ln trc y cac thin thach va vao Trai t hin
gi chung ta thy khp ni: hn 150 h l ch trn b
mt Trai t, mt s cai ta co th nhn thy mt cach
ro rang, mt s cai khac a b chn vui t lu i ri
hoc nm di ay ai dng.
Hn nhin cai h khet ting nht trong s o la cai h
hnh tron co ng knh la 195 kilmet c phat hin
di mui pha bc cua ban ao Yucatan Mhic. Ngi ta
cho rng cai h khng l nayla ni mt sao chi co b
ngang rng t 10 n 13 kilmet hoc mt thin thach a
ung vao trai t cach y 65 triu nm trc va tiu
dit ht loai khung long va khoang 70% nhng loai khac
sng trn trai t.
Trong khi nhng bin khung khip nay co ve nh xa xi
va khng co tht, co nhiu vt nhc nh chung ta gn
y hn rng trong khng gian ln cn cua Trai at vn con
y dy nhng hon a to bng c trai nui va cac sao
chi i khi di chuyn chch hng. H Sao Bng rt ngoan
muc Arizona chc chn la do mt thin thach gm toan
st ao xung cach y mi 50.000 nm. Thin thach cham
mt t va gy ra vu n sau o, a tao ra mt cai h
ngang rng khoang mt kilmet va su 210 met. Nu ngay
nay xay ra vu nay, no co th pha huy ca mt thanh
ph.
Cach y mt khoang thi gian gn hn, vao nm 1908, mt
thin thach hay mt manh v cua mt sao chi co b ngang
cha ti 60 met bay vao kh quyn va n cach mt t
khoang 8 kilmet trn vung Tunguska khng ngi cua
Siberia. Sc n cua no khoang 10 megaton, pha huy mt
vung rng hang trm kilmet vung, n nga rap cy ci,
gy hoa hoan va git cht cac con tun lc. Gia s no

84
xay ra mt thanh ph ln, th co n trm ngan ngi
cht.
Va cach y 2 nm, mt thin thach co b nag khoang 450
met c phat hin ra ch co 4 ngay trc khi no bay vut
ngang qua trai t vi mt vn tc la 93.000 km/gi,
cach Trai t ch co 450.000km. Nu no ung Trai t,
gy ra mt sc n co th bng trong vong t 3.000 n
12.000 megaton - tng ng vi, nh nha thin vn qua c
Gene Shoemaker noi, "vic ly tt ca vu kh hat nhn cua
Hoa Ky va Lin X, cht chung thanh mt ng va cho
chung n tung".
Nha thin vn hoc Jim Scotti, mt thanh vin cua Nhom theo
doi Khng gian cua ai hoc Arizona quan sat bu tri
tm ra cac sao chi va thin thach cha phat hin c,
a phat hin ra thin thach XF11 vao ngay 6 thang 12 va
qua.
Thin thach ln nay khin cho moi ngi phai chu y n
ch trong mt khoang thi gian 24 gi ngn ngui nhng hp
dn. Nha thin vn Hills tnh toan rng mt thin thach
bng c thin thach XF11 ung phai Trai t vi tc
hn 60.000 km/gi se phat n vi nng lng cua 300.000
megaton - gn bng 20 triu ln sc cng pha cua trai bom
a san bng Hiroshima. ng tin oan, nu no m xung
bin, no se gy ra mt tsunami (thng goi la song thn)
cao hang my trm met, lam ngp lut cac b bin cua
cac ai luc xung quanh. ng noi: "Ni nao co cac thanh
ph th no se ch con la bai bun". Theo tnh toan cua
ng, nu thin thach nay m xung t, no se ao thanh
mt cai h b ngang rng t nht khoang 50 kilmet va
lam tung ln mt lp bui va hi m che phu mt tri
"hang tun nu khong mun noi la hang thang".
iu gn nh cung gy cho chung ta lo lng la co c
khoang 300.000 thin thach vi b ngang rng hn 90 met
cung ang en gn quy ao trai t mt cach nguy him
hoc ct ngang quy ao Trai t; mi thin thach nay co
th gy ra sc tan pha nh Tunguska trn mt vung rng
ln. Theo nha thin vn Tom Gehrels cua trng ai hoc
Arizona, con s nhng thin thach co b ngang rng hn 20
met co th ln ti khoang 100 triu thin thach. Bt c
mt thin thach nao trong s o ung vao trai t cung
co th pha huy mt thanh ph ln.

85
Chung ta se lam g nu chung ta nhn thy mt hay nhiu
hn mt trong s nhng thin thach nay tr thanh mt mi
e doa nghim trong? Cac nha khoa hoc noi chung nht tr
v chin lc tt nht tranh tai hoa nay la: phong
mt hoa tin ngn can vt xm nhp va, ti thiu la
lam thay i quy ao cua no. Nu thin thach nho va
c phat hin t nhiu nm va no bay theo quy ao
trc khi co va cham nh tin liu, bin phap chung ta
giai quyt co th d hiu. ng Canavan phong th
nghim quc gia Los Amlamos noi: "Chung ta ap dung mt
lc y khim tn nao o ln thin thach khi no n gn
mt tri nht. Lc y lam cho thin thach hi chch
hng, hin tng nay se tng ln mi ln thin thach
quay quanh quy ao, bao am rng thin thach se xa Trai
t mt khoang cach rng". ng ghi nhn, vic y mt
chut nh th co th thc hin c bng cach s dung
cac cht n manh thng thng. Tuy nhin, i vi nhng
vt co b ngang khoang 90 met hay ln hn va a c
kham pha tr hn trong hoat ng i pho vi thin
thach, cac vu kh hat nhn co th la giai ap duy nht.
V du, nu thin thach XF11 c kham pha khi no ch con
cach Trai t 145 triu kilmet va ang bay thng hng
Trai t, th ta phai cn n mt lng cht ch tng
ng vi mt megaton y no vao mt quy ao an toan
cho Trai t. Nu ta a phat hin ln u thy no trong
khoang cach noi trn, th ta cn n mt sc n cua 100
megaton chuyn hng no i.

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

Chapter 1: ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3
Lesson 4
Lesson 5
Lesson 6
Lesson 7
Lesson 8
Lesson 9
Lesson 10
Lesson 11
Lesson 12
Lesson 13
Lesson 14
Lesson 15
Lesson 16
Lesson 17
Lesson 18
Lesson 19
Lesson 20
Lesson 21

2
2
4
6
7
9
11
13
15
17
18
20
22
24
26
28
30
31
32
34
35
37

Chapter 2: TECHNOLOGICAL ISSUES

Lesson 22
Lesson 23
Lesson 24
Lesson 25
Lesson 26
Lesson 27
Lesson 28
Lesson 29
Lesson 30
Lesson 31
Lesson 32
Lesson 33
Lesson 34
Lesson 35

40
41
43
45
46
50
55
58
59
61
62
64
67
70

References

74

Thng tin v tc gi ca gio trnh:

- H v tn: Nguyn Vn Tun
- Sinh nm: 1963
- C quan cng tc: T Bin-phin dch, Khoa Ting Anh, Trng i hc Ngoi
Ng Hu
- a ch email: tuannguyen11863@yahoo.com
Phm vi v i tng s dng gio trnh:
- Gio trnh Translation 5 ch yu s dng dy cho sinh vin ngnh Ting Anh,
chuyn ngnh S phm v Bin phin dch. Gio trnh ny cn c th dng dy
hoc dng nh ngun tham kho cho sinh vin ngnh Quc t hc, Vit Nam hc.
- Gio trnh c th dng cho cc trng i hc ngoi ng, i hc s phm ngoi
ng.
- Yu cu kin thc trc lc hc mn ny:
hc tt mn ny, ngi hc cn c trnh ting Anh t Intermediate tr ln
v c li din t ting Vit r rng, chnh xc. Ngoi ra ngi hc cn phi c k
nng c hiu, tra cu, phn tch v vit vn bn tt. Ngi hc cn phi chun b
lng t vng nht nh lin quan n ch im khoa hc-k thut tip cn,
hiu v dch vn bn v ch ny tt hn.
- Cc t kha tra cu:
Environmental issues, construction material technology, radioactive waste,
extinction, translating computer, global positioning system (GPS), immune
system, cloning, solar storm, biotech.
- Gio trnh cha c xut bn, nhng c s dng lm gio trnh ging dy
trong chng trnh o to c nhn s phm ting Anh ca i hc Ngoi ng
Hu v chng trnh elearning ca i hc Hu.