The Environmental Crisis – Number One International Problem

e are in an environmental crisis because human beings have broken out of the circle of life and are destroying the environment. To survive, we must learn how to restore the wealth we have borrowed from nature.

A. What does the environmental crisis mean? To understand this we must begin at the source of life itself: the earth's thin skin of air, water and soil, bathed by the radiant solar fire. Life appeared here several billion years ago and was nour­ished by the earth's matter. Living things formed a global network of various habi­tats, where everything is directly or indi­rectly dependent on everything. This is the ecosphere (biosphere), the home that life has built for itself on the planet.

B. In nature all processes are in con­stant balanced interaction. There is no waste in nature. Nothing is created, nothing is lost. Everything is recycled endlessly. The environmental crisis means that this perfect and delicate balance has begun to break down, and the relationship between life and its earthly surroundings have begun to collapse.

C. The environmental degradation continues to accelerate. The ozone layer, vital for survival, is thinning. Acid rain is destroying huge areas of forest and tens of thousands of lakes. We pollute our rivers, lakes and oceans, and the sky, forgetting that we need water and air to live and breathe. We destroy rainforests, picturesque landscapes, and slaughter the world's most beautiful animals.

As a result of our new technologies of land use we lose soil, which is the basis of civili­zation. And, worst of all, the earth is steadily warming with potentially dangerous effects. That is why the environmentalists of the world call for fundamental changes NOW!

Task 6.1. Decide where these sentences go in the text.

1. In the ecosphere everything goes on in cycles: an animal’s waste becomes food for soil bacteria; bacteria’s waste nourishes plants; animals eat plants.

2. Deserts are expanding so rapidly that they threaten to cover one third of the earth.

3. Man is a newcomer: homo sapient probably appeared first about four million years ago.

4. Man has converted ecological cycles of life into man-made linear events, and at the end of the line there is smog, toxic chemicals, mountains of rubbish.

5. One of the effects of the ozone layer thinning may be genetic mutation.

Task 6.2. Pick out from the text the word which suits the definition:

a) place from which something comes or is got;

b) natural home (soil type and climate) of animal or plant;

c) upper layer of earth in which plants grow;

d) the envelope surrounding the planet from the subsoil to the stratosphere, occupied by living organisms;

e) gradual loss or decrease as a result of use;

f) physical breakdown;

g) results or consequences of action;

h) physical substance in general as distinct from mind and spirit.

Task 6.3. Answer the following questions and give your reasons:

1. Why is the environmental crisis the international problem?

2. How can people slow down environmental degradation?

3. Is the energy crisis one of the effects of the environmental crisis?

4. Why is the present ecological situation threatening the survival of life itself?

Task 7. Study the following text and do the given tasks.

ANIMALS IN DANGER

erhaps the most famous rare animal is panda. Twenty years ago it was nearly extinct. Now, its numbers are growing again. It even became a symbol for wildlife conservation. But many other species have been less lucky than the panda.

By the year 2030, 25% of all animals, birds, fish and insects may be extinct. Why is this happening? Well, there are three main reasons. The first is pollution. Millions of animals die every year because man has polluted their natural home or "habitat". A habitat contains everything a living thing needs: food, water, shelter, space, light. Pollution and destruction change the balance of nature. Each species in a habitat – wood, jungle, marsh or forest – needs and helps the rest. If one animal, bird or insect disappears, all the rest suffer, too, because some plants and animals pro­vide food for other animals. Forests help to regu­late water supplies. We all need the help of all living things to maintain chemical balance of the atmosphere.

After pollution or destruction, habitats take many years (sometimes hundreds or even thousands) to grow again. This is what's happening in the rainforests of South America, Africa and Asia. These are some of the world's oldest habitats. Or they were. But the problem doesn't stop there.

The second reason is the environment itself. It is becoming smaller. Every year man cuts down more trees, builds more roads and uses more land for farming. This leaves fewer jungles, fields and forests for wildlife. In fact scientists believe that thirty British animals, fish, birds may become extinct by the beginning of the 21st century.

Today, many more species are in danger not only because man destroys and pollutes their habitat, but because man hunts them. Man has always been a hunter. He still is. But many modern hunters don't just kill for food – they kill for profit. That is why so many rare and protected animals are still dying. Hunters like these are called poachers. In 1981 there were 15,000 black rhinos in Africa. Today, because of illegal hunting, that number is 4,500.

There is only one way to save wild animals and wild habitat – conservation. If it doesn't happen, many wild animals will soon have just one habitat – the Zoo.

Task 7.1. Decide if the following words are used in the text in the given sense.

1. “rare” means undone, cooked so that some blood remained.

2. “extinct” means dead, no longer in existence.

3. “wild” is used in the meaning stormy, violent.

4. “habitat” is a natural place, home.

5. “rainforest” is the place where it rains hard all the year round.

6. “species” means here a group having some common characteristics.

7. “poacher” is a hunter having special legal permission to hunt animals.

Task 7.2. Write a conference report on one of the suggested topics.

1. “Panda is a symbol for Wildlife Conservation” – What other animal-symbols do you know? What things are usually called after animals? What features of the animals do they symbolize? What are the sport teams called after animals?

2. “Many other species have been less lucky than panda” – Do you know what other species have become extinct? Are they on the Endangered Spices List? Where do they live? What is their habitat and what has happened to it? What are people doing to save them?

3. “The Region I live in” – What species live in your area? Are they extinct or their number is growing? What animals does the law protect in you region? Is there the problem of poaching in your area? What is done to fight it?

Task 8. Study the following text and do the given tasks.

Food Safety

here are two sides of the food issue. In poor countries it's a question of life and death. In rich countries it's a question of health and diet.

 

ü Food has become the source of anxiety to many people. Behind it lies a revolution in the way our food is now produced. The problem is that a vast range of chemicals used on the modern farm have crept into our food. Our diet –the food we eat – is not always healthy.

ü 30% of Americans and 25% of Europeans are fat because they eat too much junk food: hamburgers, popcorn, pizza, chocolate. Why is junk food bad for us? The answer is simple. It contains too much sugar and fat. This is the reason why so many people die of heart diseases.

ü Finally, there are "additives" – a group of che­micals which food factories use. They make food look better, taste better, last longer. The best recommendation is to stop eating processed foods. Instead there is a diet of fruit, vegetables, brown bread, fish and other "health" foods.

ü But even health food isn't always healthy. People don't just pollute the atmosphere. They pollute themselves too. Modern farmers and food factories use over three thou­sand chemicals. Some are "fertilizers" – these help crop to grow. Others are "pesti­cides" which kill insects. A third group are "hormones" – these make animals, like pigs, grow more quickly.

ü Concern about the health risks caused great demand for organic food, grown with­out chemicals. Chemicals are replaced by crop rotation. Organic agriculture is also kinder to the environment, the soil and the farm workers.

ü You may turn your worry about food to action. As a shopper you have a great deal of influence. How you choose to spend your money shapes the supply chain policy. Ci­tizens can choose and campaign for food that is safe to eat, healthy for themselves and environment.

Task 8.1. Define whether the statement is true or false; give reasons for your answers based on the text.

1. All our food is healthy.

2. Junk food is very good for men.

3. Chemicals used on a modern farm pollute our food.

4. Fruits and nuts, vegetables and wheat are health food.

5. Food additives can add colour, flavour, artificial sweetness.

6. Hormones help plants grow.

7. Fertilizers are used to kill insects and weeds.

8. Chemicals make agriculture safer and healthier.

9. All food grown on a farm can be called organic.

Task 8.2. Work in pairs. One completes the question, another gives an answer.

1. Why has our food become...?

2. What food do we call...?

3. Why is junk food...?

4. What substances help...?

5. Why isn’t health food...?

6. How do farmers grow...?

7. How can people change...?

Task 8.3. Find in the text the word which matches the definition:

a) things we eat;

b) sort of food eaten by a person or community;

c) food of little or no value;

d) substance added to food in small amounts for special purposes;

e) chemical substances that kill insects and weeds;

f) food grown without chemicals;

g) take part in an action against something.

Task 8.4. Write out from the text actions you would join to help things change.

Task 8.5. Conduct a survey of the eating habits of teenagers. Include these questions and add some of your own. Present your results to the class.

1. Are you a vegetarian?

2. Do you eat only health food?

3. Do you worry about food safety?

4. Are you fond of hamburgers, pizza?

5. Do you read a label when you buy food?

6. Where do you usually buy food?

 

Task 9. You need to write a report for your English class round-table discussion, but the available material is only in your mother-tongue. Translate the following into English and you’ll have your report.

Грінпіс – міжнародна організація, головною метою якої є охорона навколишнього середовища. Вона проводить активні кампанії за без’ядерне майбутнє, проти забруднення біосфери, на захист живої природи. Ця організація була заснована у 1971 році групою північноамериканських активістів, які закликали боротися за зелену і мирну планету. Сьогодні Грінпіс об’єднує таких людей, як і ті, що у перші роки існування організації на маленькому човні вирушили у зону ядерних випробувань недалеко від острова Амчитка (Аляска). Адже рішучі люди, звертаючи увагу громадськості на варварське ставлення до природи своєю постійною присутністю в зонах екологічного лиха, незважаючи на ризик і небезпеку, здатні змінити дії і навіть мету тих, хто тримає в руках реальну владу.

У 1977 році представництво Грінпіс було відкрито у Великобританії, а у 1979 році її представництва в Австралії, Канаді, Франції, Нідерландах, Новій Зеландії, Великобританії і США об’єдналися у Раду Грінпіс, міжнародну організацію Грінпіс. Грінпіс визнає, що тільки завдяки міжнародній співпраці можна чинити серйозний опір силам, що загрожують нормальному стану природнього середовища. Представництво Грінпіс в Україні почало діяти з 1990 року.

Кампанії Грінпіс мають одну спільну мету: зберегти або відтворити навколишнє середовище, де все живе, з людиною разом, могло б існувати без загрози для свого здоров’я.

Дуже непокоїть Грінпіс загроза існування багатьох видів тварин і рослин. Ця організація також стурбована виробництвом і викидами радіоактивних та інших шкідливих речовин в атмосферу і скиданням токсичних відходів до річок та морів.

Task 10. Read the text and discuss it in small groups. Work out the other way to beat the throw-away society

The Throw-Away Society

any countries bury and forget millions of tonnes of rubbish every year. But we don't have to throw away all our waste paper, glass, metal and plastic. We can also burn or recycle a lot of it. In fact waste can be wonderful stuff. The Green World dossier reports.

Data-File

The average person in Los Angeles throws away 7 kilos of rubbish every day. The average person in the Third World throws away only 1 kilo of rubbish every day. Britain throws away 7 million tonnes of paper every year. That's the same as 80 million trees.

In one year, a European family with two children throws away:

- 50 kilos of paper (that's six trees)

- 60 kilos of metal

- 45 kilos of plastic (that doesn't sound like a lot of plastic, but it is. You need 300,000 supermarket carrier bags to make one tonne).

In one year, the average person throws away 71 food cans, 34 cans of pet food and 68 drinks cans. Britain produces 3.5 billion cans per year. Half are for food and half are for drinks. That's enough to go to the moon and back and half-way to the moon again. England and Wales produce 500 tonnes of rubbish every year. This costs £600 million to collect and bury.

Packaging

Almost all supermarket food today comes in paper or plastic containers. Some of this “packaging” is necessary. It keeps the food clean and fresh. It also makes it last longer. But some packaging isn't necessary at all. It's just there to make the food look better.

Did you know....?

1. In Britain, over 75,000 people work in packaging factories.

2. The UK packaging industry sells £4 billion of paper and plastic containers every year.

3. 28% of domestic rubbish is packaging.

4. 5% of ail Britain's energy goes into making packaging.

Here are the ways to beat the throw-away society. All of them are cleaner and cheaper than burying rubbish.

The Green Answers

Throw Away Less Rubbish

In Denmark, for example, it's illegal to sell drinks in cans. And it's not just governments which can produce less rubbish. It's ordinary people, too. For example, anyone can decide to

1) buy products with as little packaging as possible;

2) use and throw away fewer carrier bags;

3) waste less paper.

Turn Rubbish into Energy

How? By burning it. This is a good idea because it

1) saves fossil fuels;

2) means burying less rubbish;

3) cuts pollution.

Energy from rubbish is cleaner and 11 cheaper than energy from fossil fuels. At the moment, most countries only turn between 5% and 10% of their rubbish into energy.

Use Rubbish Again

lot of what we throw away is still useful. It's possible, in fact, to recycle 80% of domestic rubbish. This includes most kinds of paper, glass, metal and plastic. But there's a problem. Recycling is expensive. That's (at the moment) we only recycle about 15% of glass, 20% of plastic and 30% of paper. But it's getting cheaper and easier to recycle all the time. One reason for this is the growing number of recycling centres. (For example, there are more “bottle banks” today than ever before.)

Also, some countries now have recycling laws. These mean that supermarkets pay customers to return tins and bottles.

What is Recycling?

ecycling is the process of converting trash into something that can be used again. This process is an alternative to disposal. Recycling reduces the amount of trash sent to landfills and incinerators.

Recycling begins when you separate recy­clable items from your trash. Newspapers, plastic bottles, glass containers, and aluminum and metal cans are the most commonly recycled household items. But some communities recycle cardboard, advertising mail, phone books, and many other items as well.

Once collected, recyclable items go to a materi­als-recovery facility. There the items are sorted further (for example, tin cans are separated from aluminum cans) and sold to companies that will re­process the items into new products or packaging. Collecting recyclables can be costly for com­munities: it requires special trucks, extra drivers, and investments in materials-recovery facilities. The prices that recyclables sell for may not cover the collection costs.

The price that communities can get for recyclables depends on the demand for the recycled products. Companies have little incentive for making products if no one will buy them.

Many communities believe that the benefits of recycling outweigh the drawbacks and that recy­cling has an important part to play in the way we manage our trash. Some waste-management experts believe that as much as two-thirds of the trash we generate could be recycled. A number of communities are well on the way to meeting that goal.

Trash or Treasure?

e can get a good idea of what trash is all about by looking in the nearest trash can. You might see candy-bar wrappers, empty cups, fast-food packaging, old newspapers – things people don't want or can't use anymore. But what is trash? Are all the things in our trash can really trash? Is a spaghetti-sauce jar or an old pair of jeans really useless? Well, it depends on who you ask. What some people call trash, others call treasure. How do you know when to throw something out and when to hang on to it? Take the bike pictured here, for instance. You won't get very far riding it. So you might as well throw it out. It's trash – or is it? The bike does have some problems: rusty chrome, a broken chain, two flat tires. But a few repairs and a new paint job could put these wheels back on the road. So maybe it isn't trash.

What about car and truck tires? Americans throw away a whopping 240 million of them each year. As those tires pile up, so do the problems. Pests such as mosquitoes and rats can live in old tires. Tire dumps may catch fire and smolder for days, polluting the environment.

But a dump doesn't have to be the end of the road for an old tire. Hang one from a tree to make great swing. Or paint one pink and fill it with petunias. The rubber from chopped and shredded tires can be used to make doormats and hockey pucks. But the biggest and fastest growing use for tires is as a source of fuel – a process that the United States alone has the potential for converting some 200 million tires into fuel each year.

So you see, the definition of trash can vary from person to person. The people who handle our trash simply define it as all the things we've thrown away. Waste-disposal specialists call trash "solid waste" and define it to cover a broad list of categories that includes most everything we might discard.

But think about the bike and those old tires. Would you call them trash? Or treasure?

The Three Rs of Trash

s you make your next trip to the trash can, think about the item you plan to throw away. Maybe there's an alternative to disposal. While there is no easy solution to the problem of trash, there are some things we can do to make less of it. Scientists call those things the "three Rs of trash" – reduction, reuse, and recycling.

We reduce the amount of trash we generate and we use fewer disposable items. For example, we can select products that have as little packaging as necessary so that there is less to throw away. Buy hot cereal or cocoa mix packag­ed loose in a box instead of individual packets and you'll produce less trash. When we reuse an item again and again, we cut down on the amount of trash we discard, pour yourself a glass of juice instead of reaching a juice box. You can wash that glass and use many times over. Many communities have "reuse centers" – local thrift shops or materials-exchange facili­ties – where people can donate reusable items rather than throw them away. By donating, we prevent useful items from being discarded and make them available to others. We conserve the natural resources that would be used to create more of the same product.

When we recycle, we separate and collect items that would otherwise wind up in the trash can. These items are then used to make new products. For example, aluminum cans can be recycled into new cans over and over. Used paper can be recycled into new paper products. Plastic bottles and plastic bags can be recycled as well.

Buy a recycled product, and you help to close the recycling loop that began when you separated the materials in the first place. Recycling not only reduces the amount of trash we throw away but also protects the environment and conserves our natural resources. Recycling isn't easy, but it is important. Many communities require residents to separate paper, plastics, metals, and glass from their trash. If you recycle, then you're one of the billions of people who recognize recyclables as valuable resources, not trash.

Student Trash Profile

This activity sheet will help you estimate the weight of the trash you discard during one study day, and then to estimate the weight of trash dis­carded by your entire group. On the chart below, list the items you think you throw away in a day. Use the list of common items on the next page of this activity sheet to help you calculate the weight of the items in your profile.

Item	Weight of Each Item (grams)	Quantity of Each Item	Total Weight of Each Item (grams)
Estimated Weight of Group's Total Trash (grams):	Est. Total Weight of Student's Trash (grams):

Discuss the results in your group. Estimate the most and the least environmentally-friendly student. Make up the list of activities to reduce individual trash amount.

Task 11. Study the facts given below and express your opinion about the future sources of energy. Will natural energy become more important? Why?

The Fossil Fuel Data-Bank

ü The energy in fossil fuels came from the sun thousands of years ago. First, plants stored it. Then the plants died. After that their cells (and all the energy stored inside them) slowly turned into coal, gas and oil.

ü Man can't make new fossil fuels. When we've used all the coal, gas and oil on Earth we'll need to get our energy from somewhere else.

ü Each person in the First World uses the energy from six tonnes of coal (or the same in gas or oil) every year. 94% of that energy comes from fossil fuels.

ü The average American uses twice as much energy as a European (and 1,000 times as much as someone from Nepal).

ü In the 21st century there will be less and less oil and gas. As this happens, both fuels will become more expensive.

ü Coal will last longer – perhaps for another 300 years.

ü Man uses 30% of all fossil fuels to heat buildings.

ü It's possible to save 50% of all energy in houses and 30% in industry. Energy conservation like this will become more and more important in the future. Why?

¨ to save fuel

¨ to save money

¨ to cut pollution.

ü 60% of all the world's oil becomes petrol for cars, buses and lorries.

ü In 1950 there were 4 million cars in Britain, today there are 25 million.

ü Modern cars use much less fuel than 20 years ago. But experts think there will be 50% more cars in the year 2010 than now.

ü The world's top four coal producers are America, Russia, China, Germany.

ü The world's top five oil exporters are Saudi Arabia, Russia, The United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Nigeria.

ü The most important fuel for 2 billion people in the Third World isn't coal, gas or oil. In parts of Africa and Asia, 80% of all energy comes from wood.

ü The burning of fossil fuels (and wood) adds to

¨ the Greenhouse Effect

¨ Acid Rain.

What do you know about nuclear energy, its sources, way of production? What are its +s and –s? Learn more about it from the information about the countries that produce and use it.

The Nuclear Power Data-Bank

ü Russia built the first nuclear power station in 1954.

ü The fuel which nuclear power stations use is a rare metal – uranium. One tonne of uranium can produce as much energy as 20,000 tonnes of coal.

ü Electricity from nuclear power is far more expensive than energy from oil.

ü These countries all produce uranium... Russia, Canada, America, South Africa, Australia, China.

ü Nuclear power doesn't pollute the atmosphere like fossil fuels. But it does produce waste. This stays radioactive for thousands of years and is very dangerous. At the moment most stations

¨ bury their waste deep underground.

¨ bury their waste at sea.

¨ send their waste to other countries. (Britain, for example, accepts and buries nuclear waste from several countries.)

ü Nuclear experts say it's safe to bury radioactive waste. Other scientists aren't so sure. Many think it will seriously pollute the sea or the Earth one day.

ü Another problem for the nuclear industry is leukaemia. This is a cancer of the blood. Usually it's very rare – but not near several British nuclear power stations. There, the number of people with the disease is much higher than normal. Many of them are children.

ü Nuclear power stations are never in cities. That's because of the possibility of accidents. There have already been several serious ones. For example:

¨ Sellafield (UK, 1957)

¨ Three Mile Island (USA, 1979)

¨ Chernobyl (USSR, 1986)

ü The accident at Chernobyl sent a cloud of radioactive pollution over Scandinavia and Western Europe. This pollution travelled for more than 1,000 kilometres. As a result, farmers had to kill millions of pigs, sheep and cows. But the accident didn't just affect animals – it affected people, too. Doctors expected to see 25.000 extra cancers before the year 2000 because of Chernobyl.

ü Since Chernobyl, many countries have stopped building new nuclear power stations. Many, but not all. France, for example, still believes in the future of nuclear energy. But other countries, like Sweden and America, are less sure now than in the '60s or '70s.

ü Green organizations all over the world are against nuclear energy. In their opinion it's dirty, unhealthy and dangerous.

Now that you know more about nuclear and other traditional sources of energy, compare them with the new alternative ones. Which of them do you consider most efficient? Why?

Solar Power

More energy arrives at the Earth's surface in one hour than man uses in one year. This clean, natural energy comes from sunlight and it's called solar power. The question is... how can we use it to replace fossil fuels and nuclear energy? There are three answers:

We can use it directly.

Many modern buildings have big windows which face south. These collect solar power directly. In fact some buildings in North America and Scandinavia get 100% of their energy from the sun.

We can collect it on Earth.

Another way to collect the sun's power is with solar panels. These absorb and store energy on sunny days. But there are two problems with solar panels on Earth:

(a) They're expensive (b) They don't work very well on cloudy days.

We can collect it in space.

One answer to the problems of clouds is to collect solar power in space. The idea is expensive, but simple. Satellites with huge solar panels collect the sun's energy. Then they send it back to Earth. A series of satellites like this will be able to work for 24 hours a day.

Wave Power

25% of the world's electricity already comes from dams and rivers. Now, scientists are learning how to use the sea's power, too. What they're doing is collecting the energy contained in waves. Here's how it works. First, water enters a special wave machine. This pushes all the air inside the machine up to the top. Then the water leaves again and pulls the air back down. This pushing and pulling makes enough energy to work an electric motor. At the moment wave machines are small and expensive. They don't produce much electricity, either. But in the future they will be bigger and cheaper. One day scientists think they will produce between 25% and 30% of our electricity.

Geo-Thermal Power

As well as solar, wind and wave power, there are other kinds of natural energy, too. One is from the hot rocks and water at the centre of the Earth. This kind of “geo-thermal” energy already heats thousands of buildings in Iceland, Hungary, Japan and New Zealand. (In fact, 60% of Iceland's energy comes from under the ground.)

Wind Power

Several “wind farms” already exist in Britain and other European countries. Each farm is a group of machines which turn wind power into electricity. The idea is popular in America, too. California, for example, expects to get 10% of its electricity from wind farms by the year 2008.

The problem at the moment is money. It's very expensive to develop and build wind farms. That's because they have to be in high places near the coast or on islands. This makes their electricity expensive, too. But in the future, electricity from fossil fuels and nuclear power will begin to cost more and more. Perhaps then wind farms won't look so expensive after all.

The Future

So... what's going to happen in the 21st century? Will energy from • the sun • the wind • the sea • under the ground, take the place of fossil fuels and nuclear energy completely? The answer is probably “no”, but natural energy will become more and more important. That's because:

- It will become cheaper.

- It will be better for the environment.

- It will make it possible to conserve fossil fuels.

- It will be safer than nuclear power.

Think of the examples of using natural sources of energy in your region, country. Has it proved to be efficient? What obstacles exist as for the massive/wide usage of natural energy?

 

Task 12. Video Comprehension FLOWER THIEVES (Duration: 3 minutes and 3 seconds).

Pre-viewing questions:

Why do you think people would want to steal flowers?

Where would they steal them from?

What would they do with them when they had stolen them?

Task 12.1. Listen to the following story. Pick out the words and phrases which show:

1) why the flowers have become extinct;

2) how people try to help them survive.

Comprehension tasks:

1. What is worrying conservationists in Oxfordshire and south-east?

2. Which plant is being protected in Chiltern Hills?

3. How is it protected by law?

4. Describe how conservationists are trying to protect it?

5. What damage is caused if the flowering plant is stolen?

6. What other plants are under attack?

7. Why are the plants being stolen?

8. What additional law do conservationists propose?

Use the words and phrases you’ve put down to write about the endangered plants in our area. Describe what should be done to save them.

Task 12.2. Video Comprehension SALMON RETURN TO THE THAMES(Duration: 2 minutes and 16 seconds). Pre-viewing questions:

What is implied by the word “return” in the title of the clip?

Can you think of any reason why the salmon might have left?

Suggest a reason why their return has been brought to our attention.

Listen to the following story. Pick out the words and phrases which pertain to the topic under discussion. Describe what facts impressed you most.

Comprehension tasks:

1. State the purpose of the NRA’s salmon program.

2. Why the salmon are regarded as good indicators of water quality?

3. Put the following dates and expressions of time in the order in which they occur in the extract and say what they refer to:

§ two hundred years ago

§ 1834

§ centuries ago

§ 1974

§ 1979

§ today

4. Give your opinion of the story.

 

Task 13. Learn about our drinking water; look at where it comes from and how pollutants may get into it. After identifying the water source, test the drinking water for nitrates and chlorine. Discuss relevant water-quality issues.

Water is a precious resource. Although we are surrounded by it in oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams, our supply is limited. Even though the water on earth is constantly changing form, the amount of water never changes. Taking a close look at our "water pie," we use less than 1% of our total water supply.