Step 3. Speaking

I suppose I should begin by highlighting the fact that there is a wide range of activities people can do to help in environmental matters. But I guess the most common would be that people can regularly save electricity by buying more efficient light bulbs and home appliances. Besides, every day people can go to work by public transport or cycle instead of using a car that produces the majority of worldwide greenhouse gases. The key explanation is possibly their desire to reduce pollution in their home town. The less petrol is burnt, the better the air quality will be. Another point which I could add is that environmentalists organize clean-up weekends. The key motivation is to make the city cleaner. City dwellers collect rubbish within the inner city area and sort it out for recycling. The entire community benefits from it as the city becomes much cleaner and more attractive. As well as that, volunteers organize a service in their residential area to collect waste paper, glass and plastic for a local company to recycle it. Local residents take reusable rubbish to collection points at various locations around the city. In fact, they do it daily and it greatly contributes to the reduction of the amount of non-biodegradable waste being dumped at landfill sites. If people stop discard things like glass and plastic, the land could be used as farmland in the future. Moreover, by recycling things made of glass, aluminium, plastic and paper people preserve raw resources and save energy. Another form of environmental activity worth mentioning could be people’s supporting different conservation programmes. Volunteers become members of environmental organizations, for example, IUCN, and start putting conservation into action by writing detailed information about various species, writing blogs, etc. They do it on a regular basis because it is very important that people should be made aware of species that are struggling to survive or habitats that are being destroyed. And finally, there are things like green concerts, tree planting, and essay and poster competitions at schools.

Unfortunately, I guess I could remark on the fact that environmental campaigns are not held on a regular basis, much attention is usually paid on the Environmental Day only. As well as that, some people, having the concept “live now, pay later”, are quite environmentally unconscious. I wish they didn’t throw away cans, plastic bags and other things which could be recycled. They litter in the street though there are rubbish bins around the city. After having had a picnic they dump garbage in the river or on the land. They are quite indifferent to what is going on in. They live as if they didn’t notice that almost all factories and plants situated in their home town violate environmental protection laws. Instead of appealing to the Mayor of the city and all city residents to do something about the pollution or getting a TV station run a story about the environmental problem, they just keep silence. So people must become aware of the fact that the protection of the environment is everyone’s responsibility and they shouldn’t expect the government to provide all the solutions.

68. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence using the given word. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words including the word given.

1) Recycling old newspapers seems pointless to me.

point

I can’t _____________ old newspapers.

2) It is said that swimming in this river is very harmful for your health because you can develop a high fever and a rash over your body.

supposed

Swimming ______________ very harmful for your health because you can develop a high fever and a rash over your body.

3) All fish died because the chemical plant discharged their effluents directly into the river.

if

Fish wouldn’t have died _________________ their effluents directly into the river.

4) The government must impose heavy fines on factories and plants that violate environmental protection laws.

necessary

It is _____________________ heavy fines on factories and plants that violate environmental protection laws.

5) They are launching a recycling project in their residential area.

being

A recycling project in their residential area ___________.

6) I regretted not taking part in a clean-up weekend.

wished

I _______________________ in a clean-up weekend.

7) CFCs have badly affected the ozone layer.

effect

CFCs have ....................................... the ozone layer.

8) Scientists say the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere has affected plant and animal life around the world.

considered

The warming of the Earth’s atmosphere _____________ plant and animal life around the world.

9) The cloud could reduce rainfall over northwestern Pakistan, Afghanistan and western China by up to forty percent.

likely

The cloud _______ rainfall over northwestern Pakistan, Afghanistan and western China by up to forty percent.

10) Changes in temperature in the air can also affect the reproduction of some reptiles and amphibians.

affected

The reproduction of some reptiles and amphibians can _________ changes in temperature in the air.

11) Once I saw people dumping dirty water and rubbish into the river.

were

People _____________ dirty water and rubbish into the river.

12) A paper mill, a hospital and strongbox factory discharged waste into the river.

was

Waste ___________ a paper mill, a hospital and strongbox factory.

69. a) Match the words (1-7) with their opposites (a-g).

1)	carnivorous	a)	wild
2)	tame	b)	herbivorous
3)	decline	c)	encourage
4)	dwindle	d)	rise
5)	ban	e)	succumb
6)	discourage	f)	allow
7)	resist	g)	increase

b) Using the words make up our own sentences.

70. a) Match the words (1-10) with their synonyms (a-k).

1)	have effect	a)	endanger
2)	release	b)	aggravate
3)	promote	c)	pay little attention to
4)	disappear	d)	emit
5)	threaten	e)	dwindle
6)	trigger	f)	vanish
7)	make worse	g)	eradicate
8)	pay scant heed	h)	further
9)	get rid of	j)	cause
10)	decrease	k)	affect

b) Paraphrase the following sentences using the necessary word. Change the form of the word if necessary.

1) Pollution has a damaging effect upon public health and ecosystems.

2) Factories and plants release a wide range of pollutants.

3) Detergents and artificial fertilizers promote overgrowth of bacteria and algae.

4) Scientists believe that some species will disappear because they cannot move to the new areas when their home climate gets too warm.

5) Even small temperature increases can threaten the production of turtles.

6) Many pollutants can trigger an asthma attack.

7) High concentration of ozone can make people’s health worse.

8) Most zoo personnel pay scant heed to the requirements of the animals they keep in captivity.

9) An alternative way to get rid of soil pollution is that the farmers should use compost instead of huge quantities of pesticides and fertilizers.

10) The territories where large predators can survive have decreased.