Scan the text and follow the instructions.

a) Answer the questions.

1. Why is it so important to be aware of ecological problems?

2. What makes us think that our planet is in a severe environmental crisis?

3. What do environmental problems affect?

4. Why do current environmental problems make us vulnerable to disasters and the biosphere more fragile?

5. Do you agree that the environment is in a state of planetary emergency?

6. Can people stop environmental catastrophe and totally eradicate the problems?

7. What ways of problems solution can you propose?

b) Fill in the table below.

Ø Read every passage concerning the solutions to the environmental problems again and express its main idea in maximum four words.

Ø Suggest your own solutions to the problems.

Ø Guess what ecological problems can be solved when following the advice.

Solutions to problems	Problems

 

Vocabulary Development

Match synonyms.

1. be aware 2. influx 3. disaster 4. pattern 5. challenging 6. affect 7. vulnerable 8. pile up 9. prudently 10. pollute 11. rubbish 12. persuade 13. amount 14. benefit

a) know b) inflow c) catastrophe d) tendency e) demanding f) influence g) susceptible h) accumulate i) carefully j) contaminate k) waste l) convince m) quantity n) advantage

Complete the sentences using some of the nouns.

1. There are many problems connected with the …, such as global warming and acid rain.

2. They must make laws to solve the … problem.

3. Too many products have useless brightly-coloured … that makes them attractive to us.

4. We can improve the world we live in by the … of paper, plastic and glass.

5. We must take … as soon as possible, rather than just talking about the problem.

6. We are all victims of … because we buy things we do not need.

7. There is a vast … between saying you are going to do something and actually doing it.

Fill in the blanks with the proper words from the list below.

· sources · divert · destruct · survival · relationships · affect  · fierce · poisonous · coexistence · severe · provide · extinction · promote · accessible

1. Human's survival on the Earth depends on ecological … throughout the world (contacts between people or countries).

2. Fish contaminated with … substances may be sold in markets and people may get sick from eating them (hazardous).

3. When animals lose their habitats they are threatened with … (to be no longer in existence).

4. Many species of plants and animals … people with necessary food and medicine (to make sth available for sb).

5. Since fresh water is not always … in different countries millions of people lack the use of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation (easy to use or understand).

6. Greenhouse gases can … global warming and lead to disasters connected with climatic disruptions (to encourage or support).

7. Except nuclear stations we can find such … as wind power system or solar panels that convert these kinds of natural energy into electricity (a place from which smth comes).

8. As a result of global warming we can observe … storms, … droughts that happened on the Earth during the last several decades (violent; very bad and intense).

9. If people all over the world don't unite their efforts in the struggle for the prosperity of our planet and for the peaceful … of plants and animals on the Earth, we will face the problem of … in the nearest future (living together at the same time or at the same place; the state of continuing to live or exist).

10. Special systems can … water from natural water reservoirs and use it to run turbines without complex dams (to turn smth into another state).

11. Scientists have confirmed that climate change happening in distant areas can … directly the weather in the densely populated regions of Europe or Asia (to influence).

12. The ozone layer that protects the Earth from the dangerous light of the sun is … in the process of air pollution (to destroy).

Read the texts and complete the sentences using the words from the box. You may have to make some changes in the word forms.

The tropical forests

· destroy · encourage · flood · in danger · international · medicine · protect · supply

Tropical forests or rain forests are moist, densely wooded areas with an annual rainfall of 200 cm. The largest rain forests in the world are found in South America. Tropical forests have 1 … us with many sorts of plants for food, 2 … and industry. They could probably supply many more. They also reduce 3 …, keep water clean, and slow down the greenhouse effect. However, the tropical forests are being 4 … to make room for things like farms, mines and plants. About 20 million hectares are lost each year – an area more than twice the size of Austria. WWF is working to 5 … and save the forests that are 6 …; to plant new trees for fuel wood and to slow down the greenhouse effect and to 7 … governments to think about the forests and their importance when giving 8 … aid.

Match synonyms.

1. conserve 2. combat 3. address 4. impact 5. contaminate 6. at stake 7. destroy 8. severe		a) cope with b) in danger c) damage d) affect e) serious f) preserve g) pollute h) fight

Language Development