Consist of: • living or recently dead 1. and their 2.
How it is used: • burned in 3. • burning generates 4. • heat produces 5. steam • steam flows over 6. , which rotates • rotation of turbine drives 7. that produces electricity • steam in excess is turned back into 8. , re-used in the same process
Biofuels
Consist of: •9. (from corn and sugarcane) • biodiesel (from soy, 10. and palm oil)
How it is used: •11. fossil fuels • lower 12. gas emissions
Syngas
Consist of: • mixture of 13. from waste materials and 14.
How it is used: • used as biomass
Other information: • contains carbon dioxide and other harmful 15. • has to be cleansed before use
Geothermal energy
Consist of: • natural 16. under Earth's surface
How it is used: • taking steam directly from ground • pumping water or other 17. down Earth’s surface to produce high pressure 18.
8. Watch the video about geothermal energy and fill in the blanks using the correct expression from the options in brackets.
The Advantages of Geothermal Energy People can see geothermal energy in action every time we watch 1. (a water spring / an erupting volcano) or a 2. (geyser / waterfall). The Earth’s crust is made of rock and water; under this crust there is a layer of 3. (hot water / molten rocks) whose temperature is 4. (the same as / higher than) that of the Sun. This heat contains 5. (fifteen / fifty) thousand times more energy than all the oil and natural gas resources in the world. If even a small amount of that heat were exploited in the right way, it could create electricity. For example, drilling a 6. (hole / well) nearly 7. (two / three) miles deep can capture the heat and steam which comes up from the Earth’s core. The steam can be used to spin a 8. (generator / turbine) connected to a 9. (generator / turbine) which produces electricity. Even if geothermal energy is a 10. (pollution free / carbon dioxide) and 11. (non-renewable / renewable) source of energy, and it has been available for the past 12. (4.5 million / 4.5 billion) years, it still is one of the least explored sources of energy.
9.1 Translate this sentence into English: Le biomasse sono formate da organismi viventi e dai loro prodotti di scarto.aperta
Soluzione suggerita:Biomass is formed by living organisms and their by-products.
9.2 Translate this sentence into English: Per produrre energia, le biomasse vengono bruciate e scaldano acqua che diventa vapore.aperta
Soluzione suggerita:To produce energy, biomass is burned and heats water that becomes steam.
9.3 Translate this sentence into English: Il vapore così creato fa ruotare una turbina che attiva un generatore.aperta
Soluzione suggerita:The steam created in this way makes a turbine, which activates a generator, spin.
9.4 Translate this sentence into English: I biocarburanti hanno basse emissioni di gas serra.aperta
Soluzione suggerita:Biofuels have low greenhouse gas emissions.
9.5 Translate this sentence into English: Il syngas è un miscuglio di gas prodotto da materiali di scarto.aperta
Soluzione suggerita:Syngas is a mixture of gases produced from waste materials.
9.6 Translate this sentence into English: L’energia geotermica viene generata sottoterra da reazioni chimiche e nucleari.aperta
Soluzione suggerita:Geothermal energy is generated underground by chemical and nuclear reactions.