Unit 5. The Environment

Text 1. Nature

Since ancient times Nature has served people being the source of their life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment. But with the development of civilization human interference in nature began to increase. Industrial enterprises emit harmful substances causing acid rains, green house effect, ozone depletion. They pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we live in. Transport is one the main offenders in poisoning the environment.

Another problem is the sewage system. Sewage pollutes rivers and lakes and makes some of them die. The seas are in danger as they are also polluted. Even the ocean is falling ill.

Many species of flora and fauna have disappeared. Many of them are on the brink of extinction. Every hour some kinds of animals and plants die. Atomic power stations are a great threat to the environment.

The pollution of the environment is one of the greatest dangers to human life on earth. Our aim is to make the world around us more beautiful and preserve it for ourselves and next generations.

There is much we can do. Plants can clean smoke. Our planet must be covered with forests because trees supply us with oxygen, necessary for our life. So we must take control of cutting down forests and trees. We must plant again where we cut. It is not necessary to throw away things we cannot use any more. We can recycle them. We must also learn not to litter.

Ask 5 questions to the text and ask your friends to answer them.

Text 2. Fashion and Environment

Many people think fashion has nothing to do with the problems of our environment. People always want to look good, but they do not realize how much animals suffer. The truth is that we use animals or parts of animals for jewelry, clothes and cosmetics. A lot of expensive jewelry is made of ivory, of the horns of elephants and rhinos. African elephants are disappearing fast. They may extinct by the end of our century. People continue to kill animals for their fur. Fortunately, things are not all bad. More and more people buy cruelty-free products which have not been tested on animals.

Comprehension and discussion

What connection is there between fashion and the environment?

What animal are disappearing and why?

What is your attitude to using animals for clothes, cosmetics, etc.

What is the way out?

Memorize the words.

Make up 10 sentences in English and ask your friends to translate them into Russian.

fall – осень climate -–климат season -–время года weather -–погода weather forecast –прогноз погоды air- воздух cloud -–облако, туча fog -–туман lightning -–молния mist -–летний туман puddle -–лужа sky –н ебо snow -–снег shower -–метель shade -–тень storm -–буря thunder -–гром peals of thunder -–раскаты грома thunderstorm -–гроза wind -–ветер chill -–прохлада cold-холод, простуда degree -–градус frost -–мороз heat -–жара temperature -–температура zero -–нуль bright -–яркий chilly -–прохладный clear -–ясный cloudy -–блачный fine- ясный, хороший foggy -–туманный frosty -–морозный frosty trees -–деревья, покрытые инеем nasty -–скверный, отвратительный

mild -–мягкий, умеренный muddy -–грязный overcast -–покрытый облаками, slippery -–скользкий snowy -–снежный snowy weather -–снежная погода stormy -–бурный sultry -–душный sunny -–солнечный warm -–теплый wet -–мокрый, влажный windy -–ветреный to clear up – разъясниваться to drizzle – моросить to freeze -–замерзать, замораживать to melt -–таять to pour -–литься to stand -–выносить e.g. I can’t stand sultry weather –я не выношу знойной погоды. to thaw -–таять, оттаивать indoors -–в помещении, внутри дома to stay outdoors –быть на открытом воздухе to set in – наступать, устанавливаться to shiver-дрожать

to live in harmony with the environment – жить в гармонии с природой human interference - вмешательство человека industrial enterprises – промышленный предприятия to emit harmful substances – выбрасывать вредные вещества to cause acid rains – вызывать кислотные дожди green house effect – парниковый эффект ozone depletion – истощение озонового слоя the offender in poisoning the environment – виновник отравления окружающий среды

deadly dangerous – смертельно опасный sewage – сточные воды to be in danger – быть в опасности to fall ill – заболеть species of flora and fauna – виды флоры и фауны on the brink of extinction – на грани исчезновения threat – угроза pollution – загрязнение to preserve the world – сохранить мир next generations – будущие поколения

Remember the proverbs and sayings:

It never rains but it pours -–Пришла беда – отворяй ворота.

Every cloud has a silver lining -–Во всем есть положительные моменты.

Make up a story or a conversation to illustrate the meaning of one of them. Connect your story to the problem of environmental protection.

Conversations

Read and listen to the conversations and train them with your friends.

1. A. Do you like Russian climate? B. I think it is rather cold in Russia. A. Well, Russia is the coldest country in the world. Winter is too long and we don'’ get much sun in summer. What about California'’ climate? B. Oh, it is very good. It is hot all year round. And we get a lot of sun. A. You are lucky to live in that climate. 2. A. Do you like the climate in Egypt? B. It'’ too dry. It never rains. And the winds are very strong in winter. A. But on the other hand there is a lot of sun. And the Red Sea is one of the most beautiful seas in the world. B. Well, true. 3. A. Do you like Canadian climate? B. It'’ OK. It'’ almost like Russian climate.. A. Yes, but winters are not so cold and summers are longer. B. Yeah, I think I could live there.

4. A. Do you like the climate in the Emirates? B. It'’ too hot and dry. And they don'’ have much fresh water there. A. Dust is another problem. It'’ always in the air and you just inhale it. B. Yeah, true. It's good to travel but it's no good to live. 5. A. It'’ nice weather today. B. Oh, the weather is just lovely. Let'’ go out. A. OK. 6. A. It'’ windy today. The sea is rough. B. Well, may be the wind will drop and the sea will be calm again. A. I hope so. 7. A. Look! There are clouds in the sky. It looks like rain. B. Do you think it's going to rain? A. I hope not.

Translate the sentences into English using your vocabulary:

Природа – это источник жизни.

Тысячи лет люди жили в гармонии с окружающей средой.

В xx веке вмешательство человека в природу увеличилось.

Промышленные предприятия выбрасывают вредные вещества и отравляют природу.

Кислотные дожди смертельно опасны.

Многие виды флоры и фауны находятся в опасности.

Глобальное потепление является результатом таких вредных явлений как парниковый эффект, разрушение озонового слоя и выброс ядовитых веществ.

Тысячи лет люди жили в гармонии с природой.

Экологическая гармония нарушена.

Загрязнение окружающей среды угрожает исчезновением всему человечеству.

Этот вид животных находится на грани исчезновения.

Наша цель – сделать мир более прекрасным и сохранить его для будущих поколений.

Многие люди думают, что мода не имеет ничего общего с экологическими проблемами.

К сожалению, скоро многие виды животных и растений исчезнут.

Автор этого текста заставляет нас поверить, что между перенаселенностью и глобальным потеплением нет связи.

Мы должны поддерживать предприятия, которые повторно используют материалы и не загрязняют окружающую среду.

Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper about the ecological problems in your city using all the following words and word combinations:

to live in harmony with the environment, human interference, to emit harmful substances, deadly dangerous, ozone depletion, on the brink of extinction, to preserve the world, species of flora and fauna.

Discussion

Will mankind have any future?

Ecological problems in our towns.