ALUMINIUM

Aluminium is the most common metal on Earth. It occurs naturally in many different kinds of rocks. But most of the aluminium we use is extracted from an ore called bauxite, which is formed over, long periods by the weathering of rocks containing aluminium silicates (aluminium, silicon and oxygen).

In 1886 two chemists independently discovered how to extract aluminium using electricity. Their discovery reduced the price of aluminium to a fraction of the price of silver in four years. The two chemists were Charles Martin Hall (1863 - 1914), a student at Oberlin College in the USA, and P.L.T. Heroult (1863 - 1914), a young chemist working in France. By coincidence, they were not only the same age when they made their discovery, but also died within eight months of each other.

Before this, the metal was much more expensive than silver and gold. The Emperor of France, Napoleon III, for example, used aluminium plates to impress the most important guests. Today we use aluminium foil to wrap food because it is so cheap.

Aluminium is also durable, light and a good conductor of electricity. It is used to protect metals against corroding because when the surface of aluminium reacts with oxygen in the air, a thick coating of aluminium oxide forms that seals a metal from the air. It isalso used to make parts for planes, cars, and lorries, to make electric cables.

Соотнесите русские и английские словосочетания.

1. it occurs naturally	a) по случайному стечению обстоятельств (случайно)
2. over long periods	b) алюминиевая фольга
3. by coincidence	c) встречаться в природе
4. to seal a metal from the air	d) защищать металл от доступа воздуха
5. aluminium foil	e) в течение долгого времени

Найдите в каждом ряду слово, противоположное по значению первому слову ряда.

1. similar	a) simple	b) same	c) different	d) complete
2. common	a) usual	b) extraordinary	c) proper	d) natural
3. expensive	a) costly	b) essential	c) special	d) cheap
4. durable	a) malleable	b) valuable	c) unreliable	d) possible
5. reduce	a) decrease	b) remove	c) remake	d) increase

Вставьте пропущенное слово согласно информации, данной в тексте.

1. Aluminium is the most ____ metal.

2. Aluminium is _____ from an ore.

3. The discovery of two chemists in 1886 ______the price of aluminium.

4. Today aluminium foil is ________.

5. Aluminium is durable, _____ and conducts electricity.

Напишите, соответствуют ли предложения содержанию текста. Отметьте данное утверждение как T (True), если предложение верно передает содержание текста, и как F (False), если оно не соответствует его содержанию.

	Statement	True	False
1.	An ore called bauxite was formed by the weathering of rocks that contained aluminium silicates.
2.	Charles Martin Hall discovered how to extract aluminium using silver.
3.	Two chemists who made the discovery were of the same age.
4.	Napoleon III used aluminium plates to wrap food.
5.	A thick coating of aluminium oxide is formed when the surface of aluminium reacts with oxygen in the air.

Найдите в тексте необходимую информацию и дайте ответы на следующие вопросы.

1. Where does aluminium occur naturally?

2. Was aluminium always a cheap metal?

3. What reduced the price of aluminuim?

4. What are the properties of aluminium?

5. Is aluminium widely used and where?