THE OCEANS

Oceans cover about 70% of the Earth's surface. The oceans contain roughly 97% of the Earth's water supply. The oceans of the Earth are unique in our Solar System. No other planet in our Solar System has liquid water (although recent finds on the Mars indicate that it may have had some liquid water in the recent past). Life on Earth originated in the seas, and the oceans continue to be home to an incredibly diverse web of life.

The oceans of Earth serve many functions, especially affecting the weather and temperature. They moderate the Earth's temperature by absorbing incoming solar radiation (stored as heat energy). The always-moving ocean currents distribute this heat energy around the globe. This heats the land and air during winter and cools it during summer.

The Earth's oceans are all connected to one another. Until the year 2000, there were four recognized oceans: the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, and Arctic. In the spring of 2000, the International Hydrographic Organization delimited a new ocean, the Southern Ocean (it surrounds Antarctica and extends to 60 degrees latitude).

There are also many seas (smaller branches of an ocean); seas are often partly enclosed by land. The largest seas are the South China Sea, the Caribbean Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea.

ocean	area	average depth	deepest depth
Pacific Ocean	165,250,000 sq km	4,028m	Mariana Trench, 11,033 m
Atlantic Ocean	106,400,000 sq km	3,926m	Puerto Rico Trench, 8,604 m
Indian Ocean	73,560,000 sq km	3,963m	Java Trench, 7,724 m
Southern Ocean	20,330,000 sq km	4,000 to 5,000 meters	the southern end of the South Sandwich Trench, 7,236 m
Arctic Ocean	13,990,000 sq km	1,205m	Eurasia Basin, 5,450 m

 

1. An average area of the Earth covered by the oceans is

a) 97 %;

b) 80 %;

c) 70 %.

2. Liquid water is characteristic of

a) the Mars;

b) the Earth;

c) some other planets in the Solar system.

3. Life on the Earth appeared in

a) the atmosphere;

b) the oceans;

c) the rivers.

4. Oceans implement various functions among which is

a) influencing climate;

b) directing currents;

c) forming tides.

5. Oceans take in ultraviolet rays to

a) moderate the temperatures;

b) heat the tides;

c) affect the ozone layer.

6. The heat energy is given out by

a) the sun’s radiation;

b) the currents;

c) the tides.

7. Seas are often surrounded by

a) oceans;

b) rivers;

c) land.

8. The Atlantic Ocean is smaller than

a) the Pacific Ocean;

b) the Arctic Ocean;

c) the Indian Ocean.

9. The Indian Ocean is deeper than

a) the Pacific Ocean;

b) the Southern Ocean;

c) the Arctic Ocean.

10. The deepest trench is located in

a) the Southern Ocean;

b) the Indian Ocean;

c) the Pacific Ocean.

Task 4. Read the text and find the synonyms for the words given after it: