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The Earth is the only planet in the solar system where
there is life. If you look down at the Earth from a plane you will see how
wonderful our planet is. You will see blue seas and oceans, rivers and lakes,
high snow-capped mountains, green forests and fields. For centuries the man had
lived in harmony with nature until industrialization brought human society into
conflict with the natural environment. Today, the contradictions between man
and nature have acquired a dramatic character. With the development of
civilization man’s interference in nature has increased. It goes without saying
that human activities have a big impact on the environment and can seriously
damage the planet. The most dramatic environmental issues today are climate
change, water, air and soil pollution, littering, acid rains, deforestation,
animal extinction and resource depletion. Most of the environmental issues are
interdependent. Recently people have become more and more aware of the
damage we have caused. The humankind has hit on the idea that we should save
our planet in order to save ourselves.
Air pollution is perhaps the most burning
environmental problem. Many megapolises lie under a thick blanket of smog and
live like in a "gas chamber". Every year the world’s industry
pollutes the atmosphere with millions of tons of dust and other harmful
substances. People who live in big cities are badly affected by harmful
emissions from plants and city transport and by the increasing noise level
which is as bad for human health as well as lack of fresh air and clean
water. Car exhaust fumes also destroy the ozone layer which protects the
Earth from the dangerous light of the sun. Aerosols create large “holes” in the
ozone layer round the Earth. Air pollution is one of "the biggest
killers" in the world. It causes at least one million deaths a year,
mostly from heart diseases, strokes, cancer and a breathing problem. Most
deaths take place in megapolises where air pollution is reaching its
catastrophic levels.
A sore subject is that our forests are dying from acid
rains. Deforestation, especially destruction of tropical forests, affects the
balance of nature in many ways. It kills animals, changes the climate and
ecosystem in the world. People’s activity is crowding animals out of their
natural habitat. I’d like to say a few words about animals in danger of
extinction. The blue whale is the largest animal which has ever lived. Once
there were over 200000 of these creatures living in the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans. Since the seventeenth century they have been hunted for their
oil and meat. In fact, so many of them were killed that by 1963 their
population had been reduced to just 1000. Today it is even less than that. The
African elephant is the world’s largest land animal. Today there are fewer than
one million of these animals left. Even though they are now protected, they are
still being hunted because of their tusks, which are used to make ornaments and
jewellery.
There are a lot of places on our planet that need
immediate help. Our country is not an exception. The nuclear accident
at Chernobyl, which took place on April 26, 1986., has seriously
aggravated the ecological situation in Belarus. That catastrophe can be
considered as the largest disaster of the 20th century. As the result of that
accident 18% of territories of our republic were contaminated by radioactive
elements. The agriculture of our country suffered great losses. More than 20%
of the population has also suffered. A death rate among children has increased
considerably. Everyone understands that this catastrophe is a threat to health
of our nation, and though years have already passed, the results will be shown
on the future generations.
I believe that environmental disasters can be avoided
if people broaden ecological education and every person understands that the
beauty of nature is extremely fragile and people must obey the unwritten laws
of nature. Recently governments have taken serious measures to tackle these
problems. Factories close down for several days per week, and city dwellers are
encouraged to think of alternative ways of travelling around the city. They are
advised to use public transport or bikes, car-pool and walk more.
The world's best scientists are trying to invent new
advanced equipment to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. They see the
solution to this problem in clean and renewable energy. Environmental
activists give preference to wind and solar energy. Solar panels and windmills
are now quick to install and safe in comparison with nuclear energy. With them
we don't have to worry about the accidents like Chernobyl or Fukushima. So when
you see more and more valleys covered with solar panels and sea coasts occupied
with windmills, you should know that this is a sign of hope for the human race,
hope for fresh, clean and safe air.
Renewable energy will help not only to clean the air
but also to maintain global average temperature. Global warming is a very
serious problem. If the temperature rises, it will cause a lot of ice near the
North and South Poles to melt. As a result, large areas along the coast will go
under water and we may lose such great cities as Venice and New
York. This problem can also be solved by individual action -
reducing energy use. We could do this by turning off lights, turning down
heaters and air conditioners, building more energy efficient buildings,
shutting doors. We can also sort out our rubbish for recycling to save
natural resources. If we all make an effort we can change the situation.
It’s not so difficult for everyone to take the empty bottles to a recycling bin
or reuse an old plastic bag or use your own bag when you buy something at the
supermarket. We should also choose products which contain recycled materials,
for example recycled paper. These are all simple actions which everyone
must do if we are concerned about our planet, yet not many do so. New
technology may help, but lifestyle change can have a much more immediate effect.
The problem of “holes” in the ozone layer round the
Earth could be solved by individual action: stop using ozone-depleting
chemicals. However, global action was taken to control the problem. The
international convention to stop the production of many ozone-depleting
chemicals is one of the best examples.
The activity of many public organizations is directed to protect environment. One of the best known organizations is “Greenpeace”, whose purpose is to protect and conserve the environment. This organization was founded in 1971 by the activists from the USA and Canada and it has representations in 25 countries of the world. “Greenpeace” acts against nuclear tests, radiating threat, pollution of the environment by waste industrial products, to protect the animal world, etc. This organization influences public opinion through mass media and protest actions.
For example, the “Greenpeace” sent its boats to
protect whales, and today commercial whaling is banned. In the North Sea
Greenpeace swimmers turned back dump ships carrying chemical waste, and new
laws to protect the North Sea have been considered.
If we don’t realize that we are all responsible for
what’s happening around us we will never feel secure about the future of the
world we live in. In conclusion I’d like to say that we should think about
our beautiful planet and joint our efforts to keep it clean and safe for future
generations.
1. . Do you share the opinion that our planet is in danger?
2. Is your city/town/village
polluted? Why or why not?
3. What questions will you ask your
friend who is a member of “The Greens”?
4. Give a piece of advice on what
people can do to protect the environment.
5. If you have a chance to start a
campaign to help the environment, what will you campaign for?
Answer the questions in comments (at least 3-4 sentences to every question), if you are not signed up on Google, write your name and surname. Answers will be graded.
Learn the words for the lesson.
3:05 – It’s 5 past three
4:10 – It’s 10 past four
5:25 – It’s 25 past five
2. Если минутная стрелка находится на 6 (30 минутах), тогда мы говорим ПОЛОВИНА ПОСЛЕ (HALF PAST) и также называем прошедший час.
6:30 – It’s half past six
7:30 – It’s half past seven
3. Если минутная стрелка находится на цифре от 6 до 12, т.е. в пределах второй половины циферблата, тогда мы говорим сколько минут осталось ДО (TO) следующего часа:
8:35 – It’s twenty-five to 9
9:40 – It’s twenty to 10
10:50 – It’s ten to 11
Говоря о времени, мы используем предлог AT :
Let’s meet at 5 o’clock.
His work starts at 9.
The train comes at 8.
Если мы называем время без минут, а только час, мы можем добавить o’clock:
at 2 o’clock
at 11 o’clock
at 3 o’clock
Сообщая который сейчас час, мы начинаем предложение с It’s:
It’s 5 o’clock
It’s half past 3
It’s fifteen past 4
Говоря о 15 минутах, мы можем использовать ПЯТНАДЦАТЬ (fifteen) или ЧЕТВЕРТЬ (quarter):
5:15 – It’s fifteen past 5 = It’s quarter past 5
5:45 – It’s fifteen to 6 = It’s quarter to 6
Просмотрите видео и потренируйте время в речи:
Listening Test 2
First learn the words, then listen to the conversation and do the test.
Beginner 1-03 Weekend Routine from elllo on Vimeo.
Learn the words for the topic "Environment"
Reading Test
Read the text and do the tasks after it.
One day Mary and Bob went shopping. They wanted to buy some ice cream. Then they saw a little man selling balloons. "Mister, we want a balloon”, said Mary to the man. "Here is our money”. "What balloon do you want?” said the balloon man. Mary and Bob wanted a bright green balloon. So they gave the man some money. The little man began to blow the balloon. He blew and blew. He blew up a big green cat. It was beautiful.
Mary and Bob were happy to have a green cat balloon. Now they didn’t want any ice cream.
Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr
Lexical-Grammar Test
Do the test to practice your grammar and vocabulary
Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr
Listening Test
First learn the words, then listen to the conversation and do the test
Now listen to the conversation and do the test
Quiz created by Veronika Bebekh with GoConqr