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The Story of Atlantis
Atlantis is one of the greatest mysteries of the world. Everybody has heard about the disappearance of Atlantis, but did it exist? There are thousands of theories – some of them are breathtaking (Atlantis was an exploded planet!) – and people have been searching the trace of it. There are a lot of books, films, scientific articles – but there is no answer.
The story of Atlantis first appeared in one of Plato` s (a Greek philosopher) books. What did Plato tell us in his books?
The history of the island began when the immortal gods divided the world among themselves. Atlantis, located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, became the land of
Poseidon.
It was a great and wonderful empire where noble and powerful people lived.
They had great wealth thanks to the natural resources found throughout their island. The island was a centre of trade and commerce. The climate was so good that two harvests were possible each year. There were a great number of animals, including elephants. Atlantians were great engineers and architects, building palaces, harbours, temples and docks.
For generations the Atlantians lived simple, good life. But slowly they began to change. Greed and power began to corrupt them. When Poseidon saw how they had changed, he gathered the other gods to punish them. So, the island of Atlantis, its people, and its memory were swallowed by the sea. Such was the end in the Plato` s book. (1173)
Answer the questions.
1 Why do people say that Atlantis is a mystery of the world?
2 What theories about Atlantis do you know?
3 Who wrote a book about Atlantis? What was he?
4 What did he write about the history of Atlantis?
5 Why was it a wealthy country?
6 What can you say about the Atlantians?
7 Why were they punished by the Gods?
8 How were they punished?
9 Do you think this story is instructive? Why? / Why not?
10 Do you think Atlantis existed?
Text 17ENGLISH LEARNING MAGAZINE
The Earth Heats Up
Large sheets of ice at the North and South Poles are melting. Ocean and air temperatures are changing unexpectedly. Scientists say these changes show that the world is getting warmer by a process called global warming.
A warmer world may not sound so bad. But it could mean trouble for plants, animals and people. The melting of large ice sheets could cause flooding. Polar bears could die off if their icy habitat keeps melting.
During the 1900s, the earth's temperature rose about 1°F. Scientists blame pollution. Recent studies suggest that the world's temperature is heating up faster than we thought.
As more countries build factories and use cars, more pollution is released into the air. Part of that pollution is a gas called carbon dioxide. Building skyscrapers, houses and schools, even charging a cell phone emits carbon dioxide. When this gas gets into the atmosphere, it acts like the walls and ceiling of a greenhouse. A greenhouse is a glass building where plants are grown. The glass lets in sunlight. It keeps in much more heat than it releases.
Now, some nations are taking steps to slow global warming. At the conference in Kyoto, Japan, 140 nations promised to cut emissions of carbon dioxide by 6-8%.
Scientists are working on new, cleaner ways to power cars and factories. Cutting pollution won't be easy or cheap. But the cost of doing nothing is too high. (1146)