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from the waste that is left over after a nuclear reaction. Luckily, there is |
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a relatively simple solution to this problem. |
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Spent nuclear fuel rods are left over after fissile material such as |
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uranium-235 or plutonium-239 is used to create a nuclear chain |
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reaction within a power plant. These radioactive rods are usually |
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buried in the ground, contaminating the area far into the future. There |
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is another option, however. Reprocessing these fuel rods allows the |
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plutonium and unburned uranium in the rods to be dissolved, |
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separated, and used again as fuel in a nuclear reactor. Interestingly, |
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after being used in conventional reactors, these reprocessed fuel rods |
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could then be used in special breeder reactors. These reactors create |
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more plutonium than they use up, leading to a virtually unlimited |
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supply of energy. |
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SEWAGE TREATMENT PROJECT |
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The city of Hudson currently has plans to build a sewage |
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treatment facility to treat its waste water. This impact |
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assessment report examines the potential effects of this |
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facility on the environment. |
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The sewage facility will draw in waste from industrial and |
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residential buildings. It will then treat the water through a |
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process of detoxification. Finally, the facility will direct |
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the treated water back out into nearby bodies of waste. |
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Such a process may pose a risk to the flora and fauna |
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living in nearby lakes. For example, a leak or spill from |
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the facility’s storage tanks can create sewage runoff. |
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This runoff contains hazardous compounds that may |
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enter the nearby lakes and streams. If extensive pollution enters these habitats, the plants and animals that live in them could be threatened.
However, some mitigation measures are available to reduce the chances of such problems occurring. The least expensive option is to install special storage tanks that help contain spills. Another option is to use alternative treatment methods in place of using potentially harmful chemicals.
Such measures will eliminate the amount of harmful compounds that can enter nearby lakes and streams. This will aid in the conservation of many important plant and animal species.
2 What type of document does each text (1–6) represent?
email from a company owner to an engineer
advertisement
report
report
job listings
magazine article
3 Read the six texts carefully and answer the following questions:
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What is the report from an industrial engineer mostly about?
What could be done to increase the efficiency of the factory?
What can be inferred from the report from the Centre for Environmental Protection?
What is the advertisement mainly about?
What types of irrigation do PlantCo offer?
What is the main topic of the email?
What are the three jobs advertised?
What professional characteristics should the candidates have?
What is the article mostly about?
Why do they support nuclear fuel rod reprocessing?
4 Read the definition and guess the defined word or phrase (used in the texts 1–6
above):
Sales engineering
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1) A is the process of calling consumers’ attention
to a company’s products or services.
2)A payment made to a sales agent in return for securing a sale or other business relationship is called a c .
3)A rival company that creates similar products and is competing for the same consumers is called a c .
4)E is a high level of skill or knowledge on a certain topic or subject.
5)A person who creates and maintains contact between two groups in order to ensure collective action or cooperation is called a l .
Agricultural Engineering
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7)A c is a group of plants that you grow in order to eat or sell.
8)The removal of excess water is called d .
9)The preparing the soil for crops is called t .
10)F -irrigation covers an entire area with water.
11)L irrigation applies small amounts of water directly to plants.
12)P -irrigation involves a machine that rotates, applying water to a circular area around the machine.
Industrial Engineering
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13) A list of the materials and goods in a factory is called an
i .
14)A piece of equipment that moves materials in a line from one area to another is called a c .
15)A line of workers or machines in a factory working on a product is called an
a l .
16) C refers to the maximum amount of work a company
or organization can perform.
17) F l refers to the design and
arrangement of a factory’s workspace.
18) To s an operation is to improve it and make it more efficient.
Materials Engineering
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19) |
A hole created by drilling is called a w . |
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20) |
The examination of rocks brought to the |
surface |
by drilling is called |
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m l . |
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21) |
The study of |
the motion of fluids in a |
well is |
called wellbore |
h . |
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22) |
R is the act of making something more usable by |
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making it pure. |
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23) |
Injection |
m is the insertion of plastic into a mold |
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to shape it. |
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24) |
The shaping |
of something by pushing |
it through a die is called |
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e .
25)When something is o it is underwater.
26)When something is o it is on land.
Environmental Engineering
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27)A specific area where a plant or animal lives is called a h .
28)R is the excess liquid that flows on the ground and often
contains dirty substances.
29) A sewage treatment f is a building that
collects and treats waste water in order to remove dirty substances.
30) The process of limiting the harmful effects of activities on the environment is called m .
31)The process of protecting the environment and the plants and animals that live there is called c .
32)Something that is h is harmful or dangerous.
Nuclear Engineering
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33) A power plant in which steam is used to turn a turbine and create power is called a t power station. (They can include anything
from coal-fired power plants to nuclear power plants.)
34) A fuel such as coal or oil that is created by the decomposition of dead organisms is called f fuel.
35) A nuclear reaction wherein the nucleus of an atom is split into smaller parts and when a large amount of energy is released is called n
f .
36) If something is f , it is capable of being split. In nuclear
engineering, this refers to the splitting of atoms necessary to create a nuclear chain reaction.
37) A nuclear reactor that creates new fissile material at a faster rate than it consumes fissile material is called a b r .
(It is capable of using less nuclear fuel and creating less waste while still creating the same amount of energy as a normal nuclear reactor.)
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5 Complete the table using the information from the texts (1–6) above and information from the internet sites. (Prepare a list of sites you used.)
Useful internet sites:
…
Get ready to present and discuss the information you obtained.
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What is |
How does |
What are the |
How can IT |
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(sales/…) |
(sales/…) |
recent |
technologies |
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engineering? |
engineering |
advances in |
benefit this |
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affect the world? |
this field? |
branch? |
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1 |
Sales |
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engineering |
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2 |
Agricultural |
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engineering |
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3 |
Industrial |
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engineering |
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