Part Ⅰ Getting ready
The environment is the natural world of land, sea, air, plants, and animals that exists around towns and cities. Since there is only one globe where we're living, more and more people realize the importance of protecting the total global environment. A 1989 UK Department of the Environment survey showed public concern about the environment was second only to worries about the National Health Service.
A The following words and phrases will appear in this unit. Listen carefully and study the definitions.
1. vicious circle: a set of events in which cause and effect follow each other in a circular pattern
2. monsoon season: the season of heavy rains that fall in India and neighboring countries
3. hygiene: the study and practice of how to keep good health, esp. by paying attention to cleanliness
4. accelerate: (cause to) move faster
5. summit: a meeting between heads of state
6. think tank: a research institute or other organization of scholars, social or physical scientists, etc. esp. one employed by government to solve complex problems or predict future developments in military and social areas
7. trigger: start (esp. a chain of events)
8. impediment: a fact or event which makes action difficult or impossible
9. bore hole: a hole made by drilling or digging
10. incentive: an encouragement to greater activity
B Listen to two short extractions. Write down the environmental issues mentioned in them.
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
Part Ⅱ The Earth at risk (Ⅰ)
Do you know what happens to a rainforest when the trees are chopped down? About 80% of the rain forests nutrients come from trees and plants. That leaves 20% of the nutrients in the soil. The nutrients from the leaves that fall are instantly recycled back into the plants and trees. When a rain forest is clear-cut, conditions change very quickly. The soil dries up in the sun. When it rains, it washes the soil away.
A Listen to the first part of an interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.
Questions
1. What is the vicious circle mentioned by Brian Cowles?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. Why is the rain so important to soil?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3. What are some of the reasons that tropical forests are being cut down?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the first part of the interview. Complete the outline.
Outline (Ⅰ)
Ⅰ. Environmental problems in different continents
A. Africa
1. ______________ expansion
2. no grass for animals to eat (East Africa)
B. _____________________________
1. situation -intensive farming/agriculture
2. potential problem- _____________________
C. South America, Central Africa & Southern Asia
1. problem- _________________________
2. consequences
a. soil -> thin -> unproductive -> wasteland
b. _____________________________________
c. _____________________________________
Part Ⅲ The Earth at risk (Ⅱ)
As early as in 1984, the United Nations created a special environmental agency, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. In 1992, the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro aroused great media interest in tackling difficult global environmental issues.
A Listen to the second part of the interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.
Questions
1. Why is some flooding man-made?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. What does Brian imply when he says that the national governments have to be forward-looking?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the second part of the interview. Complete the outline.
Outline (Ⅱ)
Ⅱ. Reasons for some "natural" disasters-mainly man-made
A. __________________________________
B. flooding in Sudan
Ⅲ. _____________________________________
A. national governments-forward-looking
B. __________________________________
C. stopping using hardwood for furniture-making
D. educating people to realize the consequences
Part Ⅳ More about the topic: The Effects of Global Warming
The world is getting warmer. It matters because it changes a lot of things to do with our everyday life. We can also say because the Earth is warming up we could simply not have enough to eat. Do you know what some of the effects of global warming are?
Listen to the material. Complete the outline.
Outline
Ⅰ. __________________________________
A. average temperature
B. yearly increase
Ⅱ. Causes of global warming
Ⅲ. __________________________________
A. great changes in rainfall
B. rise in the sea level
C. _______________________________
D. health and social problems
1. environmental refugees
2. change of patterns of distribution of insects and infective agents
3. ___________________________________
Ⅳ. Time to take action
Part Ⅴ Do you know ...?
Water is abundant globally but scarce locally. Of the earth's 1360 million cubic kilometers of water, 97 percent is in the oceans. Three-quarters of the freshwater is in glaciers and icebergs, another fifth is groundwater, and less than 1 percent is in lakes and rivers. Almost two-thirds of the renewable freshwater provided by annual rainfall over land evaporates. Much of the rainfall transformed into runoff is lost to floods.
A Listen to the following news report. Decide whether the statements are true or false. Put "T" or "F" in the brackets.
( ) 1. Water consumption in some parts of the world has increased ten fold.
( ) 2. Oil will he the cause of warfare in the next century.
( ) 3. The number of people affected by water shortage will increase five fold over the next 20 years.
( ) 4. The main reason why water is becoming a scarce resource is agriculture since it now accounts for 90% of water consumption worldwide.
( ) 5. In some regions water shortage is now the biggest impediment to feeding the population.
B Now try this: listen to a more authentic version of the report.
Nowadays energy is too expensive to waste. It costs the country, and you, too much. What have you done to conserve existing energy resources? Here are some tips to help you slim your waste ?save energy. Always remember that energy sense is common sense.
C Now listen to some simple tips to help you Save It ?save energy. Complete the do's and don'ts.
Do's
● Rough-dry ________ and nylon things.
● ________ unnecessary lighting.
● Do without ________ if you can.
● Defrost the ________ regularly.
● Before using your washing machine, ________________.
● Cook ________ in the oven and Save It on the rings and grill.
Don'ts
● Don't attempt to ________.
● Don't turn ________ too high.
● Don't leave ________ to boil away.
● Don't fill the kettle ________ for only a cup of tea.
● Don't put ________ in the fridge.
Part Ⅵ Reminder of key points in this unit
Verb & Verb Phrase Noun & Noun Phrase Other
Part Ⅰ sponsor Amazon
implement rain forest
summit
emission
part Ⅱ expand continent at risk
stabilize impact at an alarming rate
blow away the Sahara Desert unproductive
cut down vicious circle
make way for domestic animal
convert intensive agriculture
ranch
hardwood
rare plant
rainfall
part Ⅲ Bangladesh depressing
India forward-looking
Nepal
monsoon season
Sudan
the Nile
Ethiopia
part Ⅳ put stress on global warming potential
accelerate pole heat-related
take action lower/higher latitude
decline
environmental refugee
infective agent
part Ⅴ highlight the earth summit
switch from...to... think tank
feed the population consumption
boil away trigger
defrost barrier
warfare
fold
home market
high yield
impediment
extraction
bore hole
financial incentive
brim
build-up
a full load
ring
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