Vocabulary: Environmental problems

 

Exercise1. Look at the vocabulary and answer the questions:

 

1. What does destroy our planet?

2. What environmental problems do you have in your city?

3. What can help us to save the planet?

4. Name countries and natural disasters they suffer from.

 

acid rain	кислотный дождь
air	воздух
atmosphere	атмосфера
be threatened with extinction	быть под угрозой вымирания
biosphere	биосфера
carbon dioxide / co2	углекислый газ/двуокись углерода
chop down	срубать, вырубать
conservation of natural resources	охрана природных ресурсов
deforestation	обезлесение
depletion	истощение
drought	засуха
dump	свалка
earth	земля
ecosystem	экосистема
emissions	выходы/выбросы
endangered species	исчезающий вид
environmental protection	охрана окружающей среды
flooding	наводнение
fossil fuel	ископаемое топливо
fume	дым, выхлоп
greenhouse effect	парниковый эффект
habitat	место, среда обитания
hazardous wastes	опасные отходы
heat	жара
humidity	влажность
hurricane	ураган
incineration	сжигание отходов
landfill	свалка мусора
list of endangered species	красная книга
natural calamity	стихийное бедствие
ozone depleting substances (ods)	озоноразрушающие вещества
ozone hole	озоновая дыра
ozone layer	озоновый слой
(p)reserve, sanctuary	заповедник
prey upon	охотиться
recycling	вторичное использование, рекуперация, рециркуляция
reduce the threat	снижать угрозу
renewable energy	возобновляемая энергия
wastes	отходы
water / air pollution	загрязнение воды, воздуха
wave	волна

 

Exercise2. Match the problems to the effects and their solutions.

 

Problems	Effects	Solutions
Global warming
Pollution
Hunting/Overfishing
Deforestation

 

Effects:

1. Destruction of the rainforest

2. Many animals and fish wiped out

3. Change in world’s climate – ocean levels rising – extreme weather conditionals

4. Very poor air quality in cities – rivers and lakes full of industrial waste

Solutions:

1. Have stricter laws and harsher punishments for illegal hunting and fishing

2. Encourage countries to control the number of trees that are cut down

3. Reduce gases emitted from factories. Use public transport instead of cars

4. Reduce use of aerosols. Use alternative sources of energy.

 

Exercise3. Make sentences using conditionals as in the example:

 

If we continue to pollute air and water, rivers and lakes will be full of industrial waste.

If we have stricter laws and harsher punishments for illegal hunting and fishing, people will hunt/prey out less.

 

Exercise4. Match the problems and their descriptions:

 

1. litter	a. Animals are losing their habitats as growing cities cause the countryside to disappear.
2. urban sprawl	b. Factories and cars release poisonous chemicals into the air. The chemicals mix with the water in the clouds, and the polluted rain which later falls damages trees, lakes and buildings.
3. deforestation	c. Chemicals from aerosol sprays and fridges are going up into the atmosphere. More and more people are getting skin cancer.
4. acid rain	d. Our society is producing too much packaging and food waste. People drop them in the streets or end up on the rubbish tip: diseases spread more easily.
5. water contamination	e. Forests are disappearing as people cut down the trees. Less and less oxygen is being produced.
6. destruction of the ozone layer	f. There are a lot of dangerous chemicals from factories in the oceans, rivers and streams. They kill fish.

 

Now, discuss these problems as in the example:

The problem of urban sprawl is caused by growing cities. As a result, animals are losing their habitats.

The problem of __________ is caused by __________. As a result, ________________.

 

Exercise5. Read the texts and give them the headlines.

 

1. ___________________

Gases pollute atmosphere, because factories, cars and industries produce them so quickly that rain, winds or plats can’t clean them away. These poisonous gases come from several sources such as oil produces, industries which burn fuel, and motor vehicles. There are two harmful effects from these gases. Firstly it’s acid rain, which damages the environment. Secondly, increasing amounts of carbon dioxide which causes the heating. People cut down the trees, and it also creates the problem of carbon dioxide increasing.

2. _____________________

The question of whether it is right to keep animals in captivity is every time under discussion. So, should be animals free or not?

There are several points of keeping animals in zoos. First of all, it gives people the chance to see and learn more about animals. Moreover, zoos save animals from becoming extinct.

On the other hand, animals in zoos live in unnatural environment and often haven’t enough space in their cages. Therefore, living in captivity makes animals dependent on humans and means that they can’t live in the wild, as they can’t survive there.

So, we should keep animals in captivity only when it’s necessary.

 

Exercise6. Say if the sentences true or false:

 

1. Factories, cars and industries pollute atmosphere.

2. Rain, winds and plats clean gases away.

3. Poisonous gases come from oil produces, industries which burn fuel, and motor vehicles.

4. Acid rain damages the environment.

5. Zoos save animals from becoming extinct.

6. Animals in zoos live in natural environment.

7. Animals in the zoos can live in the wild easily.

 

Exercise7. Answer the questions:

 

1. How do gases pollute atmosphere?

2. From what sources do the gases come from?

3. What are the two harmful effects from the gases?

4. Why is there a lot of carbon dioxide around us?

5. In what cases should we keep animals in the zoos?

6. What disadvantages are there for animals in the zoos?

 

Exercise8. Discuss next problems:

 

1. How can we solve the problem of the greenhouse effect?

2. How can we save animals from extinction?