Global problems of the 21st century (Дополнительное чтение)

Global problems of the 21st centuryLead-inComplete the description below with the words from the box.communicationsexperienceimprovementslifeworldGlobalization is a term used to describe the way in which the ……… is developing asingle economy and culture. This is a result of ……… in technology and ……… and theinfluence of large multinational companies. Globalization is changing people’s ……… ofeveryday ……… all over the world.How do you understand globalization? Write your own definition of the term.Text 1Humanity’s top ten problemsIn 2003, Nobel Laureate Richard E.

Smalley outlined Humanity's Top Ten Problems forthe next 50 years, in a talk given for the MIT Enterprise Forum. According to ProfessorSmalley, the biggest problems facing humanity are:1. Energy2. Water3. Food4. Environment5. Poverty6. Terrorism and War7. Disease8. Education9. Democracy10.PopulationWhere did this list come from? Over 2002 and 2003, Professor Richard E. Smalleyposed the question “What will be the Top Problems facing the World in the not too distantfuture – 50 years?” to several of his audiences.

Professor Smalley asked them to think globallyand to keep in mind the world population will grow from 6.5 billion in 2003 to 10 billion in2050. Each group provided the following six answers – energy, water, food, environment,poverty, terrorism & war. The other four listed were presented by most groups – disease,education, democracy, population.There exists another list of other global issues which present a major concern ofinternational organizations, governments, communities and individuals.

They are racism,discrimination, global warming, financial crisis, nuclear weapons, crime and growing violence,toxic waste, genocide and starvation.The future of humanity might look grim… yet there is one prime Positive Motivation Tipto consider. While we face problems and challenges in the world, we can make a difference bybecoming part of the solution. Indeed, in the global village every act of peace and conscientiousliving helps.Learn from itVocabularyface (v) – сталкиваться, смотреть в лицо; face a problem;poverty (n) – нищета; poverty line, climb out of/push into poverty;issue (n) – вопрос, проблема; global issues, be an issue, bring up an issue;concern (n) – забота, озабоченность, особый интерес; cause concern, present a majorconcern;community (n) – общество, община, сообщество; community spirit, community service;violence (n) – насилие, жестокость; growing violence, act of violence, non-violence;humanity (n) – человечество; future of humanity, act of humanity;conscientious (adj) – сознательный, добросовестный, ответственный; conscientious living,be conscientious in one’s duty.Practice1.

Read the text once again and restore the context of the words from Vocabularysection above.2. Work with a partner to make up your own sentences with the words fromVocabulary section.3. Complete the table forming parts of speech.NounVerbAdjectiveAdverbconscientiousviolenceconcernhumanity4. Match to make collocations. Use the collocations in your own sentences.keepa differenceoutlinein mindlookgloballymakeproblemsthinkgrim5.

Fill in the blanks with the words from the box.issuesconscientiouscommunityfaceoutlinesconcerned1. The group visited various youth and ……… projects in the city.2. It's a website devoted to environmental ……….3. The document ……… our company's recycling policy.4. We have to ……… the reality that, so far, the treaty has had little effect.5. A ……… man, he took his duties very seriously.6.

I was mainly ……… with making something that children could enjoy.6. Translate these sentences into English using Vocabulary.1) Профессор Университета Райса Ричард Смолли получил в 1996 году Нобелевскуюпремию по химии. После получения Нобелевской премии Смолли стал активнымсторонником развития нанотехнологий для решения глобальных проблемчеловечества, особенно в области обеспечения энергоресурсами.2) Нищета является одной из глобальных проблем, с которыми столкнулосьчеловечество. В России, к примеру, в 2012 году 18 миллионов человек проживаютза чертой бедности.3) Финансовый кризис и проблема ядерного вооружения вызывают серьезнуюозабоченность у мирового сообщества.4) Мы сталкиваемся с проблемами и вызовами, которые нам бросают динамичныетемпы развития технологий и общества.5) Каждый из нас может помочь человечеству выжить. В современной “глобальнойдеревне” очень важную роль играет сознательное отношение.Speak about itHow would you answer Professor Richard E.

Smalley’s question (“What will be theTop Problems facing the World in the not too distant future – 50 years?”)? Work with apartner to make a list. Rank problems in order of importance. Be ready to explain yourranking.Text 2GlobalizationIf you look at the tag on your shirt, chances are you would see that it was made in acountry other than the one where you are right now. What's more, before it reached yourwardrobe, this shirt could have very well been made with Chinese cotton sewed by Thai hands,shipped across the Pacific on a French freighter crewed by Spaniards to a Los Angeles harbor.This international exchange is just one example of globalization, a process that has everythingto do with geography.Globalization is the process of increased interconnectedness among countries mostnotably in the areas of economics, politics, and culture.

McDonalds in Japan, French filmsbeing played in Minneapolis, and the United Nations, are all representations of globalization.At its core globalization is an easing of borders, making them less important as countriesbecome dependent on each other to thrive. Some scholars claim that governments are becomingless influential in the face of an increasingly economic world. Others contest this, insisting thatgovernments are becoming more important because of the need for regulation and order in sucha complex world system.Is globalization a good thing?There is a heated debate about the true effects of globalization and if it really is such agood thing. Good or bad, though, there isn't much argument as to whether or not it ishappening.

Let's look at the positives and negatives of globalization, and you can decide foryourself whether or not it is the best thing for our world.Positive aspects of globalization As more money is poured in to developing countries, there is a greater chance for thepeople in those countries to economically succeed and increase their standard of living. Global competition encourages creativity and innovation and keeps prices in check. Developing countries are able to reap the benefits of current technology withoutundergoing many of the pains associated with development of these technologies. Governments are able to better work together towards common goals now that there is anadvantage in cooperation, an improved ability to interact and coordinate, and a globalawareness of issues. There is a greater access to foreign culture in the form of movies, music, food, clothing,and more.

In short, the world has more choices.Negative aspects of globalization Outsourcing, while it provides jobs to a population in one country, takes away those jobsfrom another country, leaving many without opportunities. Although different cultures from around the world are able to interact, they begin to melt,and individuality of each begins to fade. There is little international regulation, which could have sad consequences for the safetyof people and the environment.Anti-globalizationAnti-globalization protesters say that the world trading system is not fair.

They also saythat the decision of the IMF and WTO (World Trade Organization) are undemocratic becausethe people in the countries they affect cannot vote for them.They say current trade laws allow the people in rich countries to exploit the people inpoor countries by producing goods where the costs are lowest. Globalization also causesunemployment in the developed world as factories can no longer compete with the cheap labourprices of the undeveloped world.Like in all situations here as well there are winners and losers.Learn from itVocabularythrive (v) – процветать; thrive on smth/doing smth;influential (adj) – влиятельный; an influential man, be influential in politics;pour (v) – лить, вливать; pour money into …, pour wine;encourage (v) – поощрять; encourage creativity and innovation, encourage change;undergo (v) – испытывать, претерпевать; undergo changes, undergo pains;awareness (n) – осознание, осведомленность; global awareness, self-awareness, awarenessof issues;affect (v) – действовать на…, влиять; affect smb’s interests, affect public opinion;exploit (v) – эксплуатировать, использовать; exploit people;compete (v) – состязаться; compete with cheap labour prices.Practice1.

Read the text once again and restore the context of the words from Vocabularysection above.2. Work with a partner to make up your own sentences with the words fromVocabulary section.3. Complete the table forming parts of speech.NounVerbAdjectiveAdverbinfluentialaffectawarenesscompeteexploit4. Match to make collocations. Use the collocations in your own sentences.keepconsequencesworktrade lawscurrentcountriescheapin checkdevelopingbenefitsreapunemploymentsadin cooperationcauselabour5.

Fill in the blanks with the words from the box.exploitedunemploymentaffectsdevelopingundergonethriveawarenesslabour1. Children ……… when given plenty of love and attention.2. The community here has been devastated by poverty and ……….influential3. It is known that poor housing significantly ……… educational achievement.4.

The article has ……… a series of changes and will be published in two weeks.5. Children are being ……… in many of these factories.6. She was extremely ……… in raising people's ……… of the disease.7. The demand for skilled ……… in the building industry is high.8. Children in many ……… countries lack basic medical care.6. Translate these sentences into English using Vocabulary.1) По своей сути, глобализация - ослабление границ. Это делает странызависимыми друг от друга в вопросе процветания.2) В то время, как все больше денег вливается в развивающиеся страны, длялюдей в этих странах повышается шанс быть экономически успешными иповысить свой уровень жизни.3) Глобальная конкуренция поощряет креативный подход и инновационныерешения.4) Хотя различные культуры всего мира могут взаимодействовать, в условияхглобализации они начинают терять свою индивидуальность.5) Антиглобалисты считают, что система мировой торговли несправедлива.Условия эксплуатации дешевого труда в развивающихся странах временамипоходят на рабство.6) Современная экономика должна претерпеть серьезные изменения, по мнениюмногих ученых, экономистов и политиков.Speak about it1.