Unit clobal warmind Using Language Reading and writing WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT GLOBAL WARMING? Dear Earth Care am doing a project on behalf of my school about global warming. Sometimes I feel that individuals can have little effect on such huge environmental problems. However, I still think people shoula advocate improvements in the way we use energy today. As I'm not sure where to start with my project, I would appreciate any suggestions you may have Thank youl Ouyang Guan Dear Ouyang Guang There are many people who have a commitment like yours, but they do not believe they have the power to do anything to improve our environment. That is not true. Together, individuals can make a difference. We do not have to put up with pollution The growth of the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide in the air actually comes as a result of many things we do every day. Here are a few suggestions on how to reduce it. They should get you started with your project 1 We use a lot of eneray in our houses. It is OK to leave an electrical appliance on so long as you are using it-if not, turn it offl Do not be casual about this. So if you are not using the lights, the TV, the computer, and so on, turn them off. If you are cold, put on more clothes instead of turning up the heat. 2 Motor vehicles use a lot of eneray-so walk or ride a bike if you can 3 Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags and newspapers if circumstances allow you to. It takes a lot of eneray to make things from new materials, so, if you can, buy things made from recycled materials 4 Get your parents to buy things that are economical with eneray-this includes cars as well as smaller things like fridges and microwaves 5 Plant trees in your garden or your school yard, as they absorb carbon dioxide from the air and refresh your spirit when you look at them 6 Finally and most importantly, be an educator. Talk with your family and friends about global warming and tell them what you have learned Remember- your contribution counts! Earth Care 1 Read the above letters. List Earth Cares suggestions and in groups discuss whether your answers on a separate piece of paper using the headings below swers. Write you think you can carry out each suggestion. Give reasons for your ans Earth Cares suggestion Can you carry it out easons
Unit Global warming 2 Now in pairs make a poster for your school that tells students various ways they can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the air. Underline the most important parts of Earth Cares suggestions Write notes on each of Earth Cares suggestions List the ways to reduce carbon dioxide in the air. Use imperative sentences in your poster. Give your poster a large heading Make a slogan at the end like the one at the end of the letter from Earth care. 3 Write a short passage to tell others how to solve the problem of global warming based on the suggestions you have collected. You can add more suggestions if you like. Make a presentation to the class Listening and speaking 1 Li Bin is interviewing Professor Keeling about using different sources of energy Read the statements below and tick the ones you agree with. then listen to Part 1 and decide which statements Professor Keeling does NoT agree with. I We should stop depending on fossil fuels for our energy 2 90% of our energy comes from fossil fuels 3 We can replace fossil fuels with cleaner sources of energy 4 Nuclear power is a good source of energy 2 Listen to Part 1 again and tick the energy sources that are mentioned. Complete the notes on them Sources of energy Notes Fossil fuels wind power Energy from the sun Nuclear power 3 Listen to part 2 and then list three things we can do to save energy. 4 Listen to Part 2 again and fill in the blanks. LI BIN:... What about They don t cut down on their use of KEELING: No, they don 't. However, that is a we must work on as a comnmnity That means countries will /une to work together LI BIN: But it 's not the countries that put most of the carbon Inc the air: The developed countries are really the ones to 31
5 Now read again what Professor Keeling and Li Bin say. Then in groups discuss who you agree with and give reasons. Use some of the phrases listed below or any others you know. AGREEMENT DISAGREEMENT ExactIy I'm afraid I disagree with you That's t I'm afraid not You're right No, I dont agree Thats riaht I dont think so ats correct agree I doubt SUMMING LIP Think about what you have read and practised in this unit. Then tick the boxes I have learned I need to this wel learn m learned about: globol warming some ways that individuals can reduce corbon dioxide content in the oir lifferent forms of energy new vocabulary and expressions how to use it" for emphasis in a sentence phrases I con use to express agreement or disagreement LEARNING TIP In English. certain nouns are spelt with a capital letter at the beginning of the word; for example, names of people and places, such as George Hambley, the United States of America. Other nouns that begin with a capital letter are titles of magazines, newspapers stories and books, for example, Earth Care and New Senior English for China. A person's title is also given a capital letter. for example, Doctor and Professor There are many other nouns that begin with a capital letter. When you are reading, notice what these words are and group the same types together Make lists in your note book under headings like people's names, people 's titles, months of the year: nationalities holidays, bks and so on 32
The power of Unit nature Warming Up I Look at the diagram on the right. It shows a volcano Ash cloud erupting. What do you know about volcanoes? Share your knowledge with others in your class Use some of the words on the diagram in your discussion 2 Have you ever thought about how powerful nature is? Have you ever considered how weak humans are compared with a volcano, hurricane or earthquake? Yet, however weak we are. we are not completely powerless In your groups discuss ways human beings protect themselves from powerful natural forces Pre-reading Can you imagine climbing into a live volcano in order to measure the temperature of the boiling rock inside? Can you imagine doing such dangerous work as part of your job? Do you think you would enjoy studying volcanoes as a job? Answer"yes"or"no"to these questions to find out if you would be suitable for this work Questionnaire Yes I Do you like working outside as well as inside? 2 Do you enjoy travelling to unusual places? 3 Do you enjoy taking risks? 4 Do you dislike doing the same thing every day? 5 Do you like adventure in your life? 6 Are you interested in studying rocks and other things that make up the surface of the earth? If you answered"yes"to all these questions, then volcanology could be a good career for you. Read the passage on the next page to find out more about being a volcanologist 33
Reading AN EXCITING JOB I have the greatest job in the world. I travel to unusual places and work alongside people from all over the world. Sometimes working outdoors. sometimes in an office, sometimes using scientific equipment and sometimes meeting local people and tourists. I am never bored Although my job is occasionally dangerous. I don t mind because danger excites me and makes me feel alive. However, the most important thing about my job is that I help protect 5 ordinary people from one of the most powerful forces on earth-the volcano I was appointed as a volcanologist working for the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) twenty years ago. My job is collecting information for a database about Mount Kilauea, which is one of the most active volcanoes in Hawaii. Having collected and evaluated the information, I help other scientists to predict where lava from the volcano will flow next and 10 how fast. Our work has saved many lives because people in the path of the lava can be warned to leave their houses. Unfortunately, we cannot move their homes out of the way. and many houses have been covered with lava or burned to the ground When boiling rock erupts from a volcano and crashes back to earth. it causes less damage than you might imagine. This is because no one lives near the top of Mount Kilauea. where the rocks fall. The lava that flows slowly like a wave down the mountain causes far more damage because it buries everything in its path under the molten rock. However, the eruption itself is really exciting to watch and I shall never forget my first sight of one. It was in the second week after I arrived in Hawaii Having worked hard all day. I went to bed early. I was fast asleep when suddenly my bed began shaking and I heard a strange sound, like a railway train passing my window. Having experienced quite a few earthquakes in Hawaii already. I didn t take much notice. I was about 25 to go back to sleep when suddenly my bedroom became as bright as day. I ran out of the house into the back garden where I could see Mount Kilauea in the distance. There had been an eruption from the side of the mountain and red hot lava was fountaining hundreds of metres into the air. It was an absolutely fantastic sight The day after this eruption I was lucky enough to have a much closer look at it. Two other scientists and I were driven up the mountain and dropped as close as possible to the crater that had been formed during the eruption. Having earlier collected special clothes from the observatory, we put them on before we went any closer. All three of us looked like spacemen We had white protective suits that covered our whole body, helmets, big boots and special 34