If the children let it

And if we do it right

Together we can make the world

A better place

Because the world’s best friend

Is you!

Miriam Mackley

I. Read the poem written by a British girl, Miriam Mackly. Do you agree or disagree with the girl? Why?

II. Read and learn the words and word-combinations used in the topic:

an environment	навколишнє середовище
a planet	планета
an universe	всесвіт
an air	повітря
an ancient time	стародавні часи
interference	втручання
a nature	природа
to increase	збільшувати
species	вид
to destruct	знищувати
oxygen	кисень
jigsaw	головоломки
narrow	вузький
traffic fumes	пари транспорту
to pollute	забруднювати
a pollution	забруднення
a countryside	сільська місцевість
to waste	витрачати
a wildlife	дика природа
a coast	узбережжя
to destroy	знищити
a rubbish	сміття
the Earth	Земля
biosphere	біосфера
carbon dioxide	вуглекислий газ
conservation of natural resources	збереження природних ресурсів
ecosystem	екосистема
endangered species	види, які перебувають під загрозою зникнення
a habitat	середовище існування
human beings	люди
a lot of litter	багато сміття
solar energy	сонячна енергія

III. Read the following information. Pay attention to the active vocabulary:

Our planet Earth is only a tiny part of the universe, but nowadays it's the only place where we can live. People have lived on our planet for many years. They lived and live on different continents, in different countries. People depend on their planet, the sun, animals and plants around them. Environment is everything in the world around us that affects all life on earth, including the air, food, water, plants, animals and others.

Environment is the place where we live. Since ancient time nature has served man, being the source of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural wealth were unlimited. But man's interference in nature began to increase with the development of civilization. Our ecology becomes worse and worse with every new day. Many species of animals and birds are disappearing nowadays. People destruct wildlife, cut down trees to make furniture. They forget that people can’t live without trees and plants, because they fill air with oxygen.

What is “the environment”?

It contains many different parts, just like the pieces of a big jigsaw puzzle. Human beings, animals, buildings, the earth, the air, the seas, our climate… and all these parts interconnect.

If one part of the environment changes, this affects other parts of it, too. Sometimes the changes can be positive. For example, people clean the water in a city. As a result, more oxygen enters the water. Plants grow again, and insects and fish return.

Changes: positive or negative?

Sometimes the changes can be positive and negative. For example, there is a lot of traffic in a city. The roads are narrow, and the lorries and cars cannot move. The air is full of traffic fumes. People get ill. The doctors are always busy. So the planners decide to build a big road around the city. Traffic can go around it, not through it. The air in the city becomes better – but the new road causes problems too. The fumes from the traffic pollute the countryside. They affect the fields where farmers grow crops. Animals cannot find their food. One problem goes, and another one appears! We have to think of the results of any changes, now and in the future.