I: And have you changed any of the things you buy?

J: Yes, I get washing-up liquid and washing powder that doesn’t harm the environment…

I: But does it get your clothes as white?

J: I don’t think my washing was ever… very white, actually. No, it’s fine.

I: We were talking about food. I know you’ve become a vegetarian. Is this part of being “green», or something totally different?

J: Hm, … yes and no. Looking after animals, I think, is as important as looking after the environment. I mean, they’re part of it. So I prefer not to kill animals to eat them. Animals eat food that people could eat. But if people want to eat meat, that’s their decision.

I: Mm, I think it’s true that people all over the world are becoming more aware of the need to look after the planet. If we don’t look after it, what will happen…do you think?

J: If we don’t become more friendly to the environment, then the environment will make it more difficult for us, so that our life will not be as comfortable. I think we’ll survive…

I: Oh, good!

J: … but these are very important times.

 

Comprehension check

1. What are some of the things he talk about that are not in the pictures?

2. What are some of the things he does more of and some of the things he does less of?

3. Complete the following sentences:

a. John uses his bicycle more because…

b. He’s going to try to use less petrol by…

c. He uses unleaded petrol because…

d. When the bags in his kitchen are full,…

e. He’s a vegetarian because…

f. John thinks that if we don’t look after…

 

What do you think?

1.How “green” are you? What do you do to be more friendly to the environment?

2.John thinks that people should try to change their lifestyle little by little, not all at once. How could you be come more “green’?

For example: I could walk more.

 

 

Test

How green are you?

a)Take this quiz and find out how green you are and compare your answers and the score with your partners:

 

	Do you buy only glass(not plastic) bottles?	yes	no	sometimes
	Do you avoid throwing out plastic bottles?
	Do you buy white tissues rather than coloured ones?
	Do you buy rechargeable batteries?
	Do you buy chlorofluorocarbon-free body-sprays?
	Do you use cosmetics, soap and shampoo not tested on animals?
	Do you try to save energy at home?
	Do you avoid using chemicals to kill insects?
	Do you eat only organic vegetables (grown without using fertilizers)
	Do you blame people who throw litter in the street?
	Do you re-use plastic carrier bags?
	Do you ride a bicycle rather than use public transport?
	Do you grow home plants?
	Do you like to plant trees?
	Do you keep your room in order?

Score: one point for every “yes”

 

More than 10 points: You obviously care about the environment ant try to preserve it. You can be an active member of Greenpeace of friends of earth organizations. Try to persuade your friends to follow your way of life. How do you understand the saying: «What a man can be, is born with him, what he becomes, is a result of his environment”?

From 5 to 10 points: You begin to show more interest in the environment. You should subscribe to some ecological magazine and read interesting articles on “green” issues. They are usually perfectly illustrated. It is not fashionable to be ecologically illiterate now. Remember the words by Jose Ortega Casset: “I am plus my surroundings: and if I do not preserve the latter, I do not preserve myself”.

Less than 5 points: You don’t seem very interested in being “green”. You are just a “criminal” but you should know the proverb: “As you sow, you will reap”. Agree or disagree to the words of F.D. Roosevelt:” The notion that destroys its habitat destroys itself”

b) Discuss which of the ways of being “green” listed in the quiz you think are the most important and the most difficult. Give your reasons.

Model: The most important \difficult thing to be ‘green’ is…

Recycling isn’t popular in our country because…

It’s impossible to avoid using chemicals because…

 

Learn to solve problems

 

 

1. Analyze the scheme. Think about the measures suitable for each kind of pollution:

a)Environmental pollution, its reasons and consequences

 

Forms of pollution	Reasons	Consequences	Measures
1. Air pollution	Industrial, chemical, nuclear waste   Massive deforestation	Smog Greenhouse effect Ozone depletion Acid rains Global warming
2. Water pollution	Communal waste Industrial, nuclear waste, Chemical fertilizers and pesticides, weeds	Dead rivers, seas, lakes, oceans   Poisoned water
3. Land pollution	Traffic Garbage	Diseases Spoiled views of the streets of the cities
4. Nuclear pollution	Destruction of the rain- forests   Nuclear power station using uranium Nuclear tests	Species in danger of extinction   Irradiation Mutations by people and animals
	Hunting	The destruction of a healthy biological habitat
	The growth of population	Diseases, overpopulation

 

b)Measures:

v Modern technology

v Pollution control systems

v City’s clean air programmes

v Green zones

v Environmentalist movement

v International cooperation in the field of environmental protection

v Strict local and international laws

v Special ecological education

v Production of ecologically clean goods

v???

 

c)Where does pollution come from?

- Pollution comes from…

- A great number of…pollute….

- Traffic jams pollute…

- Waste of…

- Poisonous substances…

- Cutting down the forests… (destroys)…

- Man’s careless interaction…(causes, leads to…)

 

d)What must we stop? Why?

 

1. We must stop polluting air now; if we don’t there will be an ecological disaster.

2. We must stop polluting water; if we don’t…

3. We must stop…

4. If we don’t change our attitude, there will be…

5. If we don’t stop polluting land territories…

6. If we don’t use energy more carefully,…

 

there will be deserts

there will be an ecological crisis

there will be dead lakes, seas, oceans

 

 

e) Read the headlines of the articles and try to guess about their contents:

“A lot of little litter makes big problems”

“Natural sights protected by the state”

“Baikal’s Health”

“Clean air for the cities”

“For a global system of ecological Security”