Litter is a problem in our cities

Vocabulary

litter garbage garbage can ugly spoil

fence disease punish jail litterbag

Litter is garbage – like food, paper and cans – on the ground or in the street. Where many people live together, litter is a problem. People don’t always put their garbage in the garbage can. It’s easier to drop a paper than to find a garbage can for it. But litter is ugly. It makes the city look dirty, and it spoils the view.

The wind blows papers far away. Often they are difficult to catch. When they blow against a fence, they stay there. The fence looks like a wall of garbage.

Litter is a health problem, too. Food and garbage bring animals, which sometimes carry disease.

Some people want to control litter. They never throw litter themselves, and sometimes they work together in groups to clean up the city. In most places litter is against the law. The law punishes people who throw garbage on the streets. They usually pay a fine, and occasionally they go to jail.

Two famous sayings in the United States are: “Don’t be a litterbug!” and “Every litter bit hurts!”

Activity

Change each sentence given below into a question and then answer it with a short answer.

Example:

Litter is a problem. Litter spoils the view.

 

Student 1:Is liter a problem in our cities? Student 2:Yes, it is. Student 1:Does litter spoil the view? Student 2:Yes, it does.

1. Litter is ugly.

2. Papers are difficult to catch.

3. The fence looks like a wall of garbage.

4. Litter is against the law.

5. People don’t always put their garbage in the garbage cans.

6. Litter makes the city look ugly.

7. The wind blows papers far away.

8. Food and garbage bring animals.

9. Animals sometimes carry disease.

10. Some people want to control litter.

11. They never throw litter themselves. (Don’t they ever …)

12. The law punishes litterbugs. They usually pay a fine.

Exercise 42

Share your ideas on the following.

1. Why is throwing garbage dangerous?

2. Do you or your friends usually throw litter on the ground?

3. How do people clean up the litter?

4. How is the problem of cleaning up the litter solved in the place where

you live (study)?

Exercise 43

Write a paragraph

• offering your measures to help clean up litter.

• formulating some laws to protect the environment

Exercise 44

Translate the sentences from Russian into English. Mind the use of the Present Indefinitefor talking about general truths.

1. Река Амазонка впадает (to flow into) в Атлантический Океан.

2. Земля вращается (to go round) вокруг солнца.

3. Рис не растёт (to grow) в Британии.

4. Солнце восходит (to rise) на востоке.

5. Вегетарианцы (vegetarians) не едят мясо и рыбу.

6. Пчёлы производят (to make) мёд.

7. Атеист не верит (to believe in) в бога.

8. Лжец – это человек, который не говорит правду (to tell the truth).

9. Магнит притягивает (to attract) железо.

10. Аборигены (aborigines) живут в Австралии.

11. Вода кипит (to boil) при температуре 100⁰ Цельсия.