THE NUCLEAR DEBATE

One of the consequences of the terrible earthquake and tsunami in Japan on 11 March
was, of course, a leak of radiation at the Fukushima nuclear power station on the
country‟s east coast. Soon afterwards, all the people living within twenty kilometers of
the plant were told to leave because of the danger from the radiation.

All around the world, everyone watching the Fukushima situation on TV can only hope
it will not be as serious as the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power station in
Ukraine in 1986, when tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes
permanently, and estimates of the eventual number of deaths from radiation-related
illnesses range from 4,000 to more than 100,000.

The pros and cons of nuclear power always come up in debates about how the world
should produce the energy it needs. Those who think the risks are too great can
obviously use Chernobyl – and now Fukushima – in their argument, while also pointing
out that nuclear waste stays radioactive for hundreds of years, and asking what might
happen if terrorists ever chose to attack a nuclear power plant. Those who support
nuclear power point out that a very small amount of nuclear fuel can create a huge
amount of energy, and that unlike the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, coal and natural
gas, nuclear power stations don‟t contribute to global warming by pushing greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere. Most of the world‟s energy currently comes from fossil fuels,
but this can‟t go on forever. As well as the problem of global warming, there is the
simple fact that the Earth has a limited amount of these resources. They will eventually
run out – although there is a lot of disagreement about when that might be.

Apart from nuclear power, which currently provides less than 10% of the world‟s
energy, the other alternative is energy from renewable sources. These include
hydropower, biofuels (made mostly from crops), wind power and solar power, and
together they currently provide around 15% of the world‟s energy.

Some scientists think renewable energy is the great hope for the future – not only
because it won‟t run out but also because it is less risky than nuclear power and
produces far fewer greenhouse gases than burning fossil fuels. Other scientists,
however, believe we will never produce enough renewable energy to fill the gap when
fossil fuels begin to run out. That is why, even while watching the very worrying events
in Japan, they argue that nuclear power will always have to be part of the solution to the
world‟s energy problems.

I. Comprehension exercises (2 points)

1.a- How many people had to abandon their houses at Chernobyl?
a. more than 10,000
b. more than 100,000
c. more than 10,000,000
 1.b- According to the text …
a. all fossil fuels will probably run out in the next 100 years.
b. half the world‟s energy currently comes from oil.
c. the Earth has a limited amount of oil and coal.

1.c- “Renewable sources currently provide more energy than nuclear power”
(Answer „True‟ or „False‟ AND write the sentence supporting this idea)
1.d- “Fossil fuels currently provide most of the world‟s energy”. (Answer
„True‟ or „False‟ AND write the sentence supporting this idea)

II. Do the following grammar exercises according to the instructions given

(2 points)
1.a- Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
one.
- It will be better for her to arrive late.
- She had
1.b- Turn the two sentences into a clause with “such”.
- He behaves very rudely. I have never seen anything like that.
- I have never
1.c- Turn the two sentences into a relative clause.
- There was a meeting yesterday. I couldn‟t understand its purpose.
-
1.d- Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the
first one.
- People believe that Morocco will become a popular holiday destination
soon.
- Morocco

III. Identify ONLY FOUR words or phrases from the following definitions
(1 point)
- An approximate calculation or judgment.
- Become no longer valid.
- Unusable or unwanted material.
- A plant cultivated on a large scale for food or other use, especially a
cereal, fruit or vegetable.
- Moving forward by using force.
- A break in continuity.

IV. Write a summary of the text of about 30 – 45 words using your own
words. (2 points)

V. Write a composition of about 100 – 120 words on ONLY ONE of the

topics below. (3 points)
A) Advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power (use your own words)
B) Do you think renewable energy will replace other types of energy?