SCAN THE TEXT 1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS
DIRECTIONS:
Before you begin to read, look at these topics. There is each topic for each paragraph. Look quickly at the reading to find these topics. Do not read every word at this point. Write the number of the paragraph next to the topic of that paragraph.
ü Destruction of the Tropical Forest
ü Depletion of the Ozone Layer
ü Acid Rains
ü People upset nature's equilibrium.
ü The main practical measures to improve the ecological situation.
ACTIVITY B
READING
DIRECTIONS:
Now read.
Environmental Problems
1. Computers project that between now and the year of 2030 we are going to have an increase of the average temperature between 1,5—4,5 degrees C. Sea levels would rise by several metres, flooding coastal areas and ruining vast tracts of farmland. Huge areas would be infertile and become uninhabitable. Water contamination could lead to shortages of safe drinking water. It looks like the end of civilization on the Earth.
For hundreds of thousands of years the human race has thriven in Earth's environment. But now, at the end of the 20th century, we are at a crucial turning point. We have upset nature's sensitive equilibrium releasing harmful substances into the air, polluting rivers and oceans with industrial waste and tearing up the countryside to accommodate our rubbish. These are the consequences of the development of civilization. We are to stop it by joint efforts of all the people of the world.
The range of environmental problems is wide. But the matters of people's great concern nowadays are atmosphere and climate changes, depletion of the ozone layer, freshwater resources, oceans and coastal areas, deforestation and desertification, biological diversity, biotechnology, health and chemical safety. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) concentrates its activities on these issues.
2. One of the most alarming forms of air pollution is acid rain. It results from the release into the atmosphere of sulphur and nitrogen oxides that react with water droplets and return to earth in the form of acid rain, mist or snow. Acid rain is killing forests in Canada, the USA, and central and northern Europe. (Nearly every species of tree is affected.) It has acidified lakes and streams and they can't support fish, wildlife, plants or insects. (In the USA 1 in 5 lakes suffer from this type of pollution).
3. The protective layer of the Earth, the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from the sun's destructive UV (ultraviolet) rays, is being damaged by CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons). They are released by the daily use of industrial and household products: refrigerators, air conditioners, foam insulation, cleaning chemicals, food packaging. In the ozone layer they attack the ozone molecules making a «hole». This «hole» allows more UV rays to penetrate to the Earth. It increases the risk of skin cancer, weakens the immune system of people. Besides, UV rays influence the oceans, the growth of plankton, an essential part of the marine-life food chain in the negative way, reduce economically important crops (rice, cotton, soy beans). The life cycle is going to be undermined by the ozone.
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4. It's generally agreed that the destruction of the tropical forest has a major impact on the world climate. The tropical rain forest is a natural recycler, provider and protector for our planet. It recycles carbon, nitrogen and oxygen, helps determine temperature, rainfall and other climatic conditions and supports the most diverse ecosystem in the world. Deforestation could cause one forth of all species on earth to vanish in the next 25 years. These forests in Amazonia, South-East Asia and West and Central Africa are being destroyed at an alarming rate of 42 million acres per year.
5. We have only a few years to attempt to turn things around. We must review our wasteful, careless ways, we must consume less, recycle more, conserve wildlife and nature, act according to the dictum «think locally, think globally, act locally». To my mind, we are obliged to remove factories and plants from cities, use modern technologies, redesign and modify purifying systems for cleaning and trapping harmful substances, protect and increase the greenery and broaden ecological education. These are the main practical measures, which must be taken in order to improve the ecological situation.
Some progress has been already made in this direction. 159 countries-members of the UNO have set up environmental protection agencies. They hold conferences discussing ecological problems, set up environmental research centres and take practical urgent measures to avoid ecological catastrophe. There are numerous public organisations such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund that are doing much to preserve environment.
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The 5th of June is proclaimed the World Environmental Day by the UNO and is celebrated every year.
ACTIVITY C
VOCABULARY STUDY
PART 1
DIRECTIONS:
Match the synonymous pairs:
| crucial release substance pollute impact recycle purify uninhabitable increase | clean contaminate influence process growth vital unfit for human living stuff contaminate |
PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Which word doesn’t suit the group?
· waste, rubbish, substance, garbage
· affect, protect, guard, conserve
· acidify, pollute, vanish, contaminate
· hazardous, average, harmful, unhealthy
ACTIVITY D
READING COMPREHENSION
PART 1
DIRECTIONS:
Find the English equivalents for the following sentences in the text:
1. Сотни тысяч лет человечество процветало в окружающей его среде.
2. Одна из самых тревожных форм загрязнения воздуха — это кислотные дожди.
3. Защитный слой Земли, озоновый, защищающий Землю от разрушительных ультрафиолетовых лучей, разрушается хлорфторуглеродами.
PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Fill in the missing words:
1. But now in the last decade of the 20th century we are at a..........
2. It results from the release into the atmosphere of ... and......that... with water droplets and return to earth in the form of acid rain, ... or snow.
3. The life cycle is going to be ... by the ozone.
4. The tropical rain forest is a natural..., ... and ... for our planet.
5. Sea levels would rise by several metres, ... coastal" areas and ruining vast ... of farmland.
6. We must review our ..., ... ways, we must consume less, recycle more, ... wildlife and nature, act to the ... «think locally, think globally, act locally».
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PART III
DIRECTIONS:
Complete the sentence with the best answer (a, b or c) according to the information in the text:
1. Environmental changes are the consequences of the
a) development of sport.
b) development of civilization.
c) protection of the environment.
2. Acid rains are killing
a) forests in Canada, the USA, central and northern Europe.
b) towns in Africa.
c) animals all over the world.
3. In the ozone layer CFCs attack
a) spaceships and satellites, making holes.
b) birds, killing them.
c) the ozone molecules, making a «hole».
4. Tropical rain forests recycle carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and help determine
a) temperature, rainfall and other climatic conditions.
b) level of the world ocean.
c) the development of science.
5. Huge areas would be
a) conserved and recycled.
b) infertile and become uninhabitable.
c) destroyed by UV rays.
6. Practical measures must be taken to
a) flood coastal areas and vast tracts of farmland.
b) improve the ecological situation.
c) protect animals.
ACTIVITY E
ORGANIZING YOUR THOUGHTS
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Answer the questions:
1. What are the matters of people's great concern nowadays?
2. What damage do acid rains bring?
3. Why are the ozone «holes» dangerous for the life on the Earth?
4 Why is tropical rain forest a natural recycler, provider and protector for our planet?
5. What could lead to shortages of safe drinking water?
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PART I I
DIRECTIONS:
Working with a partner make some decisions about the following situation:
· You are invited to the international conference concerning ecological problems in different countries. You need to decide what to say about the main sources of pollution in the Republic of Belarus.
· For centuries people lived in harmony with nature. Can we say the same about our generation?
· Think and say why many people are concerned about ecology today. Speak about the ecological situation in Belarus.
· Imagine that you are a young designer who has been asked to produce a T-shirt with an ecological orientation. Think of its design and explain the picture printed on your T-shirt covering the essence, reasons and consequences of the ecological problem.
· You are participating in the session of the Ecological Council of your city. Work out an appeal to the citizens on improvement of the ecological state of your native city.
PART III
DIRECTIONS:
Working in groups discuss possible answers:
· What are the main practical measures which must be taken in order to improve the ecological situation?
· What role should television and press play in environment prorection?
ACTIVITY F
WRITE AND SPEAK
PART I
DIRECTIONS:
Give a summary of the text.
PART II
DIRECTIONS:
Express your opinion:
· The most important ecological problem in Belarus.
· Only developed countries are able to keep their ecology clean.
ACTIVITY H
SELF-WORK:
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