Unit 6 Ecological problems of big cities and their solution

Focus: Ecological problems of cities and their solution.

Grammar focus: Present perfect simple, clauses of purpose

Skills focus: Reading for specific information; learn to analyze the problem of pollution and look for the ways of its solution; writing for suggesting ways to improve the situation and explaining the results of each suggestion.

Vocabulary:

soil – почва

lifespan – жизненный отрезок, длительность существования

urgent need – острая необходимость

highway – большая дорога, магистраль, шоссе

to ban – запрещать

exhaust – выпуск, выхлоп

unleaded petrol – неэтилированный бензин

greenhouse effect – тепличный эффект

congested road – перегруженные дороги

biodegradable materials – разлагаемые микроорганизмами материалы

environmentally friendly materials – экологически чистые/ приемлемые материалы

drinking water – питьевая вода

1 Do you know that:

· The most common form of drinking water pollution: soil, sand and minerals washed from the land into the water.

· The biggest cause of air pollution in cities (85%): cars, trucks and buses.

· Amount of garbage produced in the US per year: 144 million tons.

· Amount of garbage thrown away by the average North American per day: 3 kilograms.

· Expected lifespan of a plastic container buried in the ground: 50, 000 years.

Discussion: In pairs try to find an answer to the following questions:

What are the main sources of pollution in your city?

How is garbage disposal controlled in your city?

What are two reasons for and two against using plastic containers?

2. Match information in columns A and B to make sentences then compare them with your partner:

A B

1) Paying for their children’s education a) is a good way to protect people’s health

2) An urgent need in many industrial cities b) is a problem for people living near highways

3) Reducing traffic noise c) is a problem for many parents

4) Banning smoking in public places d) is reducing air pollution

3. Fill in correct words from the box and discuss the way to solve pollution problem in cities:

aerosol, exhaust, recycling center, public transport, boycott, waste, dispose, influence, unleaded, ban

Pollution is getting worse and we must solve this pressing problem. You can start by taking your unwanted 1)…….. to a 2)………, instead of throwing it away. You also need to properly 3) ……….. of any garbage that can’t be recycled. A good way to 4)…….. big companies is to 5) …….. any products which are harmful to the environment. This forces the companies to change their methods of production. If you buy an 6)……. spray, for example, always make sure it is an 7)……… one. If you drive a car, try to get one which takes 8) ……..

petrol because 9) ……… fumes given off are less harmful to the environment. If you are traveling in the city, don’t use the car, but take 10)……… instead. It’s much more environmentally friendly, and often faster as well.

TEXT C