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time. Thus, to understand ancient rocks, we must first understand present-day processes
                  and their results. This idea is commonly stated as the present is the key to the past.
                         Today the basic tenets of uniformitarianism are just as viable as in Hutton’s day.
                  We realize more strongly than ever that the present gives us insight into the past and
                  that the physical, chemical, and biological laws that govern geological processes remain
                  unchanged through time. However, we also understand that the doctrine should not be
                  taken too literally. To say that geological processes in the past were the same as those
                  occurring today is not to suggest that they always had the same relative importance or
                  operated at precisely the same rate. Moreover, some important geologic processes are
                  not currently observable, but evidence that they occur is well established. For example,
                  we know that Earth has experienced impacts from large meteorites even though we have
                  no  human  witnesses.  Such  events  altered  Earth’s  crust,  modified  its  climate,  and
                  strongly influenced life on the planet. The acceptance of uniformitarianism meant the
                  acceptance of a very long history for Earth. Although processes vary in their intensity,
                  they still take a very long time to create or destroy major landscape features.

                                                       Grammar focus
                                                  The Noun in English

                         Task  1.  Tell  whether  the  following  nouns  can  form  plural,  if  not,  try  to
                  explain why. Do the nouns form the plural with the help of the ending –s? Consult
                  the dictionary for some help.
                         Rock,  magma,  lava,  surface,  gas,  liquid,  volatile,  pressure,  material,
                  metamorphism,  ash,  ore,  road,  resource,  concentration,  weapon,  change,  temperature,
                  process, evidence, arrangement, divergence, crust, luster, air.

                         Task  2.  Divide  the  nouns  into  the  following  groups:  those  in  which  the
                  ending (s) is pronounced as [s], as [iz], as [z] and which form plural in some other
                  way.
                    A  mineral,  a  cycle,  a  vent,  a  system,  an  appearance,  a  type,  a  multitude,  a  life,  a
                  component, a zone, a part, a property, a formula, a top, a deposit.

                         Task 3. Try to form the plural of the following compounds:
                  An  attorney-general,  a  passerby,  an  assistant  director,  a  grown-up,  a  cover-up,  a
                  summing-up, a notary public, a sit-in.

                                                      Discussion

                                Task 1. Read and memorize the following words:
                   envelope - конверт                         blanket – покривати, охоплювати
                   interact - взаємодіяти                     breathe дихати, вдихати
                   apparent - очевидний                       consist of – складатися з
                   respond to – реагувати на                  dangerous - небезпечний
                   influence – впливати на                    extend - простягатися
                   environment – навколишнє середовище  glacier - льодовик
                   evaporate - випаровуватися                 obtain - отримати
                   divide into – бути поділеним на            precipitate - осаджуватися
                   depend on –залежати від

                         Task 2. Read the text. Talk about major spheres of the Earth.
                         As  we  look  more  closely  at  our  planet  from  space,  it  becomes  apparent  that
                  Earth  is  much  more  than  rock  and  soil.  The  physical  environment  is  traditionally

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