5.1 Have you ever heard the term ‘carbon footprint’?
Read the definition of the term and share your opinion about it.
Carbon footprint is a measure of the amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the daily activities of a person or company.
5.2 Listen to thetalk about carbon footprint and fill in the gaps in the text:
We 1) ___________________ something about pollution. Even though there are warnings about global warming, companies 2) ___________________ to reduce pollution. Our sky, air, rivers, beaches and countryside 3) ____________________ rubbish dumps. The air 4) ____________________ it is giving children breathing problems. Polluted rivers have no fish 5) __________________ and beaches are too dangerous 6) __________________ because of the garbage everywhere. It seems a lot of 7) ___________________. I think there should 8) ___________________ for polluters. I don’t 9) ___________________ more for things if they can be made with less pollution. The problem is that companies are more 10) __________________ profits than pollution. We have only just started looking at our carbon footprint.
5.3 Unscramble the words in the following phrases:
1. even hohutg
2. there are ansnigwr
3. to uerdec pollution
4. hsbbiru dumps
5. enagbhtri problems
6. polluted iserrv
7. eabchse are too dangerous
8. rbageag everywhere
9. interested in irpftso
10. efisn for polluters
5.4 With your partner, discuss what steps you can personally undertake to reduce carbon footprint.
(Based on http://www.listenAminute.com/carbon_footprint.html)
Task 6. Use your dictionary to find the stressed syllable for these words and complete the table with the stressed syllable in the dark box. The words ‘alternative’ and ‘climate’ are the example:
| Alternative
|
| al
| ter
| na
| tive
|
| Climate
|
|
| cli
| mate
|
|
| Extinction
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Desert
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Ultraviolet
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dioxide
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Vehicle
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Unleaded
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Poisonous
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Dissolve
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Acid
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Damage
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chemical
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Fertilizer
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Pesticide
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Recycling
|
|
|
|
|
|
Task 7. Jigsaw Reading. Split into three groups. Each group reads two texts making notes in the diagram from task 4 (in the notebooks and on the board).
Group 1: texts Global Warming, The ozone Layer.
Group 2: texts Deforestation, Pollution.
Group 3: texts Alternative Energy, Recycling.
After reading find a partner from another group, share your information and listen to your partner’s one. Choose a partner from the third group and repeat the procedure.
| Global Warming
Scientists say the temperature of the earth could rise by 3°C over the next 50 years. This may cause drought in some parts of the world, and floods in others, as ice at the North and South poles begins to melt and sea levels rise.
Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect. Normally, heat from the sun warms the earth and then escapes back into space. But carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere trap the sun’s heat, and this is slowly making the earth warmer.
| The Ozone Layer
The Ozone Layer is a layer of gas high above the surface of the earth that helps to protect it from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which can damage our skins and cause cancer. Scientists have recently discovered holes in the Ozone Layer, caused by substances called CFCs (clorofluorocarbons).
CFCs are used in refrigerators, aerosol cans and in the manufacture of some plastic products. Some companies now make aerosols that do not contain CFCs, and these are often marked “Ozone Friendly”.
|
| Deforestation
Rainforests help to control global warming because they absorb carbon dioxide. In recent years, large area have been destroyed, as the trees are cut down for wood or burned to clear the land for farming. The burning releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Many rainforests grow on poor soils, and when they are cut down or burned, the soil is washed away in the tropical rains, so that the area may turn to desert. Many plant and animal species that live there could become extinct.
| Pollution
Factories, power stations and motor vehicles pump large quantities of carbon dioxide and other gases into the air. This is a major cause of the greenhouse effect. A lot of petrol contains lead, which is very poisonous and can cause brain damage in children. Most cars use unleaded petrol today and hybrid cars use batteries and petrol to use less petrol.
Some poisonous gases dissolve in water in the atmosphere and then fall to the earth as acid rain. Acid rain also damages trees and buildings, and can kill fish in lakes and rivers. Rivers can also be polluted by industrial waste from factories and chemical fertilizers and pesticides used by farmers.
|
| Alternative Energy
Most of the energy we use today comes
from coal, oil and gas. But these will not last forever, and burning them is slowly harming the atmosphere. We need to look for other ways of supplying energy.
Solar Power is a way of using the sun’s energy as heat or to make electricity. We can also use wind-power by building modern windmills that spin in the wind. There are several types of water-power: river water in mountainous areas can be used to generate hydroelectric power, and we can also create electricity from sea water flowing in and out with the tides.
| Recycling
Recycling is the processing of used objects and materials so that they can be used again. About 60% of rubbish from homes and factories contain materials that could be recycled. Recycling saves energy and raw materials, and also reduces damage to the countryside.
Glass, paper and aluminium cans can all be recycled very easily. Many towns have special bins for bottles and cans where people can leave their empty bottles and cans for recycling. A lot of paper bags, writing paper and greeting cards are now produced on recycled paper.
|
Task 8. Match the words in column A to those in column B to make the correct collocations:
| A
| B
|
| 1. massive
| a) landscape
|
| 2. lush
| b) drought
|
| 3. to lack
| c) extinct
|
| 4. cultural
| d) to be natural
|
| 5. to comprise
| e) ultraviolet radiadtion
|
| 6. to cease
| f) green vegetation
|
| 7. utilized
| g) carbon dioxide
|
| 8. to cause
| h) human intervention
|
| 9. to absorb
| i) in the ozone layer
|
| 10. sun’s
| j) tides
|
| 11. holes
| k) clear-cut boundaries
|
| 12. to release
| l) in water
|
| 13. the soil is
| m) fertilisers
|
| 14. become
| n) the areas and components
|
| 15. major cause
| o) by a species population
|
| 16. brain
| p) washed away
|
| 17. gasses dissolve
| q) damage
|
| 18.chemical
| r) in the wind
|
| 19. windmills spin
| s) of the greenhouse effect
|
| 20. sea and ocean
| t) into the atmosphere
|
Work in pairs. Use the above collocations in the sentences of your own.
Task 9. In your groups, do a short quiz: answer the following questions in writing. Add your general knowledge information. Compare your answers as a whole group. The group who is the quickest to finish and has more information will win.
1. What are CFCs and how do they affect the environment?
2. What alternative forms of energy do you know?
3. What is the Ozone Layer? What does it do? What is happening to it?
4. How are forests good for the environment? What is happening to them?
5. What is a hybrid car? How does it help the environment?
6. What is acid rain?
7. What is recycling? How does it help the environment?
8. What is the Greenhouse Effect?
(Based on http://www.listenAminute.com/n/natural_disasters.html)
