Dust storms / forest fires / power plants / car exhaust fumes / burning wood / volcanic eruption / oil refining / aerosol sprays / nuclear weapon
| anthropogenic factors | natural factors |
| dust storms |
2.2 Match the definitions:
1 smog a) metal container for food and drink
2 waste b) relating to cities
3 urban c) rubbish
4 can d) throwing away wastes
5 garbage e) illness (n)
6 disease f) mixture of smoke and fog
7 flood g) useless materials
8 stock h) amount
9 breath i) take air in your lungs
10 dumping j) large amount of water
2.3 Make statements about environmental problems, choosing the correct information from the table.
Model: Acid rain is created by power stations and car exhausts. It kills life in rivers and lakes.
| Environmental problems | Main causes | Most serious effects |
| water pollution | nuclear power stations | increases the risk of skin cancer |
| noise pollution | refrigerators, air-conditioning | leads to several forms of cancer |
| acid rain | forest fires | creates floods and soil erosion |
| ozone layer damage | car exhausts, power stations | threatens fish stocks |
| radiation | loud music, power tools, transport | results in breathing disorders |
| urban smog | oil, industrial waste, sewage | kills life in rivers and lakes |
| tree loss | solid wastes (used cans, bottles, plastic containers, paper) | damages people’s mental health |
| air pollution | smokes from factories | increases the risk of infection from garbage |
| land pollution | cutting down tropical rainforests | causes respiratory diseases |
2.4 Fill in the gaps with the verbs given below. Mind the grammar tense.
Increase / lead / create / threaten / result / damage / cause / reduce
1 High level of pollution …….. wildlife and human health.
2 Using public transport rather than private cars …….. air pollution.
3 Lack of trees and intensive farming …….. a ‘dust bowl’.
4 A pleasant environment …….. positive feelings and emotions.
5 Improved carburettors …….. toxic fumes.
6 Certain European industries …….. the environment.
7 A reduction in water quality …….. to a crisis in fishing.
8 Air pollution …….. from a variety of causes.
2.5 Match the beginnings of the sentences in A with their endings in B.
A B
| 1 If the woodlands continue to be damaged | a) but in a concentrated form it can kill animals. |
| 2 Carbon dioxide is a normal component of the atmosphere, | b) and many big cities have taken measures to decrease the level of urban noise. |
| 3 If a species becomes extinct, | c) if the air is polluted. |
| 4 At a level of 80 decibels sound is annoying, | d) and millions of ordinary people understand this too. |
| 5 Pollution may begin as water moves through the air, | e) it will threaten the ecological balance in Europe. |
| 6 Ocean dumping creates water pollution | f) it cannot be brought back. |
| 7 In 1986 the Chernobyl nuclear power plant suffered a fire | g) and destroys marine habitat. |
| 8 We need a cleaner, healthier planet | h) resulting in a major release of radioactive particles. |
2.6 Choose the correct item.
1 Greenpeace is going to release a(n) …….. on water pollution.
a) edition b) issue c) publicity d) report
2 Zoologists work hard to …….. endangered species.
a) protect b) shelter c) cover d) support
3 The tropical …….. of Africa need to be protected from destruction.
a) regions b) states c) places d) sites
4 To improve the …….. of the water, use a water purification tablet.
a) standard b) amount c) quantity d) quality
5 Acid rain has caused a lot of …….. to Europe’s trees.
a) wreck b) ruin c) damage d) disaster
6 Five world leaders are due to attend the …….. meeting in London.
a) tip b) top c) summit d) peak
2.7Read these sentences (1-10) and then use the words in bold to complete the sentences below (a-j).
1 Exhaust fumes from cars are responsible for much of the air pollution in cities.
2 Many factories still allow pollutants, such as toxic waste, to flow into our rivers.
3 We should put our old newspapers and bottles in recycling bins.
4 Ecology is the relationship between plants, animals, people and their environment.
5 Scientists are concerned about the size of the hole in the ozone layer, as ozone helps stop harmful radiation entering the Earth’s surface.
6 Organizations like Friends of the Earth are often referred to as greenorganizations.
7 People who live in the countryside live in a rural environment.
8 People who live in towns and cities live in an urban environment.
9 Dinosaurs became extinct millions of years ago; there will never be dinosaurs again.
10 Global warming is the theory that the world’s average temperature is increasing.
a) If …….. continues, the polar ice caps will start melting and the sea level will rise.
b) Some aerosol cans give off СFС gases which enter the atmosphere and destroy the …….. .
c) If we don’t protect endangered species, they may become …….. .
d) …….. is important because it means that factories have to produce less new plastic, glass and paper.
e) The filter prevents dangerous …….. from entering the atmosphere through the chimney.
f) Some children in …….. environments don’t realize that milk comes from cows!
g) Electric cars don’t produce any …….. so they are much cleaner.
h) I’m a very …….. person; I recycle, use public transport, and care about the environment.
i) Until the Industrial Revolution, most Europeans had a very …….., agricultural way of life.
j) The …….. of rainforests changes when trees are cut down.
2.8 Read the following four short texts and answer the questions:
1 Which text:
● says about the influence of exhaust fumes?
● gives information about radioactive pollution?
● worries about infertile lands?
2 What plants can survive only in clean air?
3 What are special electronic signs designed for?
4 How do you understand the phrase: “to combat a problem”?