- •Concrete island*
- •Word-Combinations and Phrases
- •Topical vocabulary Man’s Impact on the Biosphere:
- •Protection of Atmosphere:
- •Protection of Soil:
- •Protection of Water:
- •Noise Pollution:
- •The Ways of Solving Ecological Problem:
- •Save the Earth!
- •The Environmental Crisis – Number One International Problem
- •Animals in danger
- •Food Safety
- •The Throw-Away Society
- •The Green Answers
- •1. Throw Away Less Rubbish
- •2. Turn Rubbish into Energy
- •3. Use Rubbish Again
- •What is Recycling?
- •Trash or Treasure?
- •The Three Rs of Trash
- •Student Trash Profile
- •The Fossil Fuel Data-Bank
- •The Nuclear Power Data-Bank
- •Solar Power
- •Geo-Thermal Power
- •Wind Power
- •The Future
- •Where Does Our Tap Water Come From?
- •What can you do?
- •Environmental Education and the Public Ecological Movement
- •Glossary
- •Appendix
- •Flower thieves
- •Video Comprehension Duration: 3 minutes and 3 seconds
- •Salmon return to the thames
- •Video Comprehension Duration: 2 minutes and 16 seconds
- •Changing weather
- •Thunderstorm
- •Precipitation
- •How can behaviour and economics be made more climate-friendly?
- •The twenty-first century and beyond
- •Secretary-general kofi annan in the millennium report: biodiversity – the web of life
- •Secretary-general kofi annan in the millennium report: what are we doing to our planet?
Task 16. Comment on a list of practical ideas given below. What of them are the easiest for you? What is your idea to help the environment?
What can you do?
Buy fresh food that doesn't need a lot of packaging.
Try to buy “organic” fruit and vegetables from farmers who don't use chemicals.
Save as much water as possible.
Find out more about Green organizations in your area.
Write letters to the government in your country about Green problems which worry you.
Use products that won't stay forever in the earth or sea when you throw them away.
Use bottles more than once (or take them to a bottle bank).
Try to save paper. Also, buy and use recycled paper as often as possible.
Avoid “throw-away” products.
Make sure that your family and friends use unleaded petrol in their cars.
Don't buy products (fur or ivory, for example) made from rare or protected species.
Use public transport as often as possible.
If you're buying wood, don't choose hardwood from tropical rainforests.
Look for aerosols which haven't got any of the chemicals called CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) in them.
Try to eat a healthier diet. Avoid too much fat or sugar.
Don't buy hamburgers or pizzas in plastic boxes which contain CFCs.
Use batteries as little as possible. It takes 50 times more energy to make them than they produce.
Don't leave on electric lights, TV, hi-fi, etc, if you're not using them.
Take aerobic exercise at least three times per week.
Find out more about conservation issues in your area. Are there any woods, fields, etc, in danger, for example?
Try to throw away at least 25% less rubbish.
Help old people in your area to insulate their homes. This saves energy and helps to keep them warm in winter.
Visit any local nature reserves or zoos and talk to the people who run them.
Add your own conservation ideas to this list.
Task 17. Make a copy of the following statements and rank each on a scale of 1 to 10 from strongest disagreement "1" to strongest agreement "10".
Natural resources should not be left untapped if using them could improve living conditions for a group of people.
It is important for people to preserve wilderness areas even if a vast majority of people will never visit them.
The world's natural resources exist for people to use. Preserving these resources as wilderness is a luxury we often cannot afford.
Environmental degradation is the biggest problem facing humanity today.
People will eventually develop new technologies to cope with environmental problems.
People have a responsibility to protect all life forms on Earth.
Protecting a country's natural resources and natural heritage is primarily the Government's responsibility.
The Government is doing a good job of protecting your country's environment.
Recycling is the most important thing people can do to help improve the environment.
People should be able to use their own land (i.e., farming, housing, logging, wildlife habitat) in whatever way they see fit.
All people have a legal right to clean air and water.
When a dilemma arises between protecting wildlife and protecting jobs for people, we should consider the needs of people first.
The fate of the human race is tied to the fate of other living things; if people are to survive, we must protect all species and their habitats.
Human overpopulation is the single greatest factor contributing to Earth's environmental problems.
The laws the Government has passed to control pollution are sufficient to ensure safe air and water for future generations.