Unit 8 The Environment.doc

Unit 8 The EnvironmentPart APre-listening TaskQuestions for Discussion1. Do you think our environment is polluted?2. What kinds of pollution do you think we have at present?3. What are the main causes of pollution? What are the effects of pollution on the environment or on human health?4. What do you think we should do to protect our environment?5. Do you know of any campaigns to reduce pollution and save the environment?Demo:3. What are the main causes of pollution? What are the effects of pollution on the environment or on human health?In my opinion, peoples bad behavior and bad habits are the main causes of pollution. They are very harmful to the environment and to our health as well. Many rivers and lakes are polluted by uncontrolled discharge of industrial and domestic waste into them. The air is polluted by industries and motor vehicles. Many forests are damaged or destroyed by people who cut trees. The natural environment is abused by human beings when they try to reshape it such as removing part of a mountain or emptying a pond or a lake. It is also a foolish act to put up an ugly house in a place of natural beauty. So people in those polluted areas will surely be affected by the smog and poisonous polluted water. Whats more, once the environment has been ruined, it will be extremely difficult for it to recover.Additional Question for DiscussionWhat progress have we made to save the environment? Give one or two examples.Demo:In the past two decades, China has established a series of rules and laws and built facilities to control environmental pollution. We have set up various preservations or special zones to protect the nature and wildlife. We have carried out education programs to raise peoples awareness of the importance of environmental protection. We have learned to recycle (循环利用) natural resources whenever possible. Many of us have tried very hard to make our lifestyles more environmentally-friendly (有益于环境). All these efforts we have made are aimed at saving the environment. We will continue our efforts and make our world a better place to live.Language FocusHere are some sentences and structures that you may find useful in discussing the above questions.l Our environment is being seriously polluted.l There are air pollution, water pollution, and land pollution.l Humans are to blame / responsible for the worsening of the Earths environment.l It is human beings who have polluted the environment.l It is human beings bad behavior and bad habits that have caused serious pollution / damage to the environment.l The development of technology has brought pollution while improving peoples life.l The invention of the automobile is a mixed blessing. It provides convenience but at the same time pollutes the air.l Most air pollution comes from the human activity of burning natural gas, coal and oil for industries and motor vehicles.l Air pollution makes people sick / causes breathing problems / promotes cancer.l Some industries and people are spoiling the waters. They pour dirty water / wastes / harmful substances into lakes, rivers and seas.l As a result of water pollution, lots of fish die and the water becomes unhealthy for people to drink.l Land pollution is caused by littering, improper disposal of domestic and industrial waste, and use of fertilizers and pesticides in farming.l A large amount of waste collected from homes, offices and industries ends up in landfills. l Landfills are a major source of pollution. They contain harmful chemicals that can seep into / enter the soil and make it polluted.l The toxic chemicals that pollute the soil can get into our body when we eat fruits and vegetables that have been grown in polluted soil.l Governments / Businesses / Individuals must do their best / all they can to clean up / save the environment.l Pollution knows no boundaries between nations. So a global effort is needed to fight against it.l As individuals, we can help reduce pollution by cutting back on the amount of energy we use / walking more and driving less / cutting down on the waste we produce / separating household waste at home for recycling / buying products that have little packaging.l In our country, a nationwide campaign against plastic bags has been launched to fight environmental pollution. The campaign prohibits shops from giving out free plastic shopping bags and encourages consumers to use baskets or reusable cloth bags instead. l Plastic bags are light, handy and cheap but dumping plastic bags everywhere is a bad habit / causes pollution to the environment.l Burning plastic bags produces poisonous gases harmful to the environment.Part BListening TasksPassage 1Plastic Bags A Big Problem in Hong KongWord Bankdump v. to drop or unload 倾倒taxpayer n. a person who pays taxes 纳税人release v. to let go 放出poisonous a. containing substances that can cause death or serious illness 有毒的penetrate (into) v. to enter 渗透入，进入retail n. the sale of goods in shops to customers 零售launch v. to start 开展，发动ideally ad. used to describe the way you would like things to be, even though this may not be possible 最理想的是canvas n. strong rough cloth used for bags, tents, etc. 帆布coordinator n. a person who makes people or things work together 协调人awareness n. knowledge or understanding 认识break down to undergo chemical decomposition 分解reduce . by . per cent使减少个百分点Script:Every day people in Hong Kong get rid of 15 million plastic bags. They weigh about 600 tons. This is not including the tens of thousands of plastic bags people dump at the beaches and in local waters, which have caused serious pollution.These bags cost taxpayers over $70 million a year to deal with. Some of the bags are destroyed by burning. The problem with this is that, when they break down, they release poisonous chemicals, which can cause cancer. The chemical poisons penetrate into the earth.In order to attract the publics attention to the problem of plastic bags and to reduce the number of bags used at the same time, the Retail Management Association launched the Use Fewer Bags Campaign. In the first stage of the campaign, 1,500 retail stores aimed to reduce the number of plastic bags given away to customers by 10 per cent. This has been achieved. The second stage of the campaign will focus on the number of plastic bags given away in markets.“Ideally, people going to buy food in the markets should carry their own reusable bags, such as canvas bags, that can be washed,” said a campaign coordinator. She stressed that the campaign had two objectives. Besides reducing the number of plastic bags used, she hoped that the campaign would increase the publics overall awareness of environmental problems.Language and Culture Notes1. Background informationMany big cities in the world have environmental problems. Hong Kong is no exception. The disposal of plastic bags alone has caused serious damage to the environment. Every day 15 million plastic bags are thrown out, equivalent to 8 per cent of Hong Kongs solid waste. The government spends HK $70 million a year to get rid of the bags by dumping them in landfills or by burning. As a result, large areas of land are wasted and, what is worse, poisonous chemicals, such as dioxin, a cancer-causing element, are released when the bags are burned, polluting the air and contaminating land and ground water. To raise public awareness of the problems caused by plastic bags, the Use Fewer Bags Campaign was launched in May 1994 by the Retail Management Association in Hong Kong. More than 1,500 retail stores took part in the campaign. Pop stars and radio celebrities also joined in. Altogether 22 jingles (广告短诗、短歌) were created for broadcast in participating shops and supermarkets to urge customers to protect the environment by using fewer plastic bags. The campaign was a great success. In its first year, participating retailers saved more than 35 million plastic bags. Today if you are shopping in Hong Kong, you are not supposed to be given plastic bags. Instead, you will be asked, “Do you need a bag?”2. when they break downwhen the plastic bags disintegrate into particles3. The chemical poisons penetrate into the earth. The chemical poisons go deep into the soil.4. the Retail Management AssociationThe Hong Kong Retail Management Association (HKRMA), the major retail association in Hong Kong, counts almost all of Hong Kongs 50,000 retailers as members, and represents most major supermarket chains and department stores.5. to reduce the number of plastic bags given away to customers by 10 per centto give away 10% less plastic bags to customers6. reusable bagsbags that can be used againExercise 1Listen to the passage and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1. What does the passage mainly tell us?a. How the Hong Kong authorities try to protect its environment.b. Why plastic bags should be replaced by reusable bags.c. How people in Hong Kong try to reduce the number of plastic bags in use.d. How Hong Kong handles serious environmental problems there.2. What is the purpose of launching the Use Fewer Bags Campaign?a. To call the publics attention to the serious problem caused by plastic bags.b. To attract the publics attention to the problem of chemical poisons.c. To inform the public that destroying plastic bags by burning causes pollution.d. To stop poisonous chemicals from penetrating into the earth.3. According to a campaign coordinator, what should people carry when they go to buy food in the markets?a. Their own plastic bags.b. Shopping baskets.c. Canvas bags only.d. Reusable bags.Exercise 2Listen again and complete the chart below with information from the passage.The Use Fewer Bags CampaignBackgroundPeople in Hong Kong throw away 15 million plastic bags every day. In addition, tens of thousands of plastic bags are dumped at the beaches and in local waters, causing serious pollution.It costs $70 million a year to deal with the thrown-away bags.Some of the bags are destroyed by burning, a process that gives off cancer-causing chemicals.ObjectivesTo reduce the number of plastic bags used.To increase the publics overall awareness of environmental problems.StagesStage One: 1,500 retail stores joined efforts to reduce the number of plastic bags given away to customers by 10 per cent. (Achieved)Stage Two: focusing on reducing the number of plastic bags given away in markets.Passage 2The Rhine RiverWord Bankwaterway n. a river, canal, or other body of water that ships or boats can travel on 水路；航道untreated a. not subjected to chemical or physical treatment 未经处理的pesticide n. a chemical substance that kills animal pests 杀虫剂；农药leak v. (of a liquid or gas) to escape from a hole or crack in a pipe or container 泄漏extract v. to take out (sth.) 取出trace v. to find or discover by investigation 追踪；追查festive a. joyous or merry 节日式的；欢乐的leisurely ad. done in a relaxed way, without hurrying 悠闲地；从容地wake-up callan event that causes people to become fully alert to an unsatisfactory situation警钟the Rhine a river in western Europe 莱茵河the Alpsa mountain system in Europe 阿尔卑斯山脉the North Seaan arm of the Atlantic Ocean 北海BaselSwitzerlands third most populous city 巴塞尔（瑞士第三大城市）Script:The River Rhine is Western Europes most important waterway. Rising in the Alps, it passes through Switzerland, Germany, France and Holland, before flowing into the North Sea. But for decades, industrial and domestic waste flowed untreated into the river and, not surprisingly, the Rhine was seriously polluted from the 1950s to the 1970s. Fish disappeared and it was dangerous to swim in it. Then in 1986 a fire at a chemical plant in Basel, Switzerland, caused tons of pesticides to leak into the river. Thousands of fish died. That was a wake-up call for the countries along the Rhine. They realized that they really had to get together and clean it up and keep it clean. Otherwise it could be the death of the Rhine. Switzerland, Germany and France now work together in Basel to keep the river clean. At various points, water is extracted and checked every six minutes, twenty-four hours a day. And industries that pollute the river can be traced and fined.Thanks to international cooperation, the river is on the path to recovery. At Basel, in the evening summer sun, the river has a festive atmosphere. People walk leisurely along the river banks, listening to live music, and pause for a drink in one of the many open-air cafes. On the vast river itself, boats from Germany sail slowly past the old town of the city, towards the more modern structures of the chemical industries.Language and Culture Notes1. Background informationThe River Rhine is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. It begins in the Swiss Alps and flows north and northwest to the North Sea, passing six countries: Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands. With a length of about 820 miles (1,320 km), the Rhine is Europes most important inland waterway. Many cities and major industrial areas occupy its banks. Over the twentieth century, water quality in the Rhine increasingly deteriorated. Huge amounts of untreated waste from towns, farms and industries were dumped into the water and the Rhine was nicknamed “the Sewer of Europe”. The fish population also dwindled and by 1958, the once-plentiful salmon known for their sensitivity to pollution disappeared entirely from the Rhine. As early as 1950, Germany, France, Luxemburg, Switzerland and the Netherlands had formed the International Commission for Protection of the Rhine (ICPR) to handle pollution issues of the Rhine, but little was accomplished and water quality steadily worsened for the next 20 years. Then, in 1986, a fire broke out at a chemical factory in Basel, Switzerland, sending tons of toxic chemicals into the nearby Rhine. More than half a million fish were killed and some species were completely wiped out. The disaster created a sense of urgency for tougher action against pollution. In 1987, the ICPR drafted the Rhine Action Program, a project aimed at restoring the health of the river. It became known as the Salmon 2000 project because its stated goal was to see the return of salmon to the Rhine by the year 2000. The Rhine Action Program proved to be a turning-point in the protection of the Rhine. By the 1990s, water quality in the river had greatly improved. In 1997, salmon returned to the Rhine, three years ahead of schedule.2. the Alpsa mountain system in Europe extending in a curve from the coast of southeastern France through northwestern Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and southern Germany into Austria. The highest peak of the Alps is Mont Blanc, at 4,807 meters, on the French-Italian border. 3. the North Seaan arm of the Atlantic Ocean lying between the mainland of Europe and the coast of Britain, important for its oil and gas deposits4. Basel, Switzerlanda commercial and industrial city in northwestern Switzerland. It straddles the Rhine at the point where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. The city consists of Greater Basel, which is the commercial and intellectual center, and Lesser Basel, where industry is concentrated.Exercise 1Listen to the passage and choose the right answers to the questions you hear.1. Which of the following headings best describes the main idea of the passage?a. The Rhine: a dying river.b. Water pollution in the Rhine River.c. International cooperation in environmental protection.d. Cleaning up the Rhine: an environmental success story.2. Which event served as a wake-up call to countries along the Rhine that they should get together and restore the health of the river?a. The death of thousands of fish in the river.b. A fire at an open-air cafe on the bank of the river.c. A chemical spill into the river from a nearby factory.d. The discharge of untreated industrial waste into the river by a chemical plant.3. According to the passage, what plays a key role in the effort to clean up the Rhine?a. Public awareness of environmental problems.b. Cooperation between countries that share the Rhine.c. Self-regulation of the chemical industries along the Rhine.d. Severe punishment of industries responsible for polluting the river.Exercise 2Listen again and complete the answers to the following questions.1.How important is the Rhine to Western Europe?It is Western Europes most important waterway.2.What happened to the Rhine from the 1950s to the 1970s?It was seriously polluted. Fish disappeared and it was dangerous to swim in it.3.What happened in 1986?A fire broke out at a chemical plant in Basel, which caused tons of pesticides to leak into the Rhine.4.What was the good result of what happened in 1986?The countries along the Rhine realized that they should work together to clean it up and keep it clean.5.How often is the water at various points in the Rhine extracted and checked?Every six minutes, 24 hours a day.Speaking TasksPair WorkDebating Arguments for or against the view that economic development is more important than environmental protectionA SampleEconomic development and environmental protection are two important but competing issues facing the world today. Do you think economic development is more important than environmental protection or vice versa? Express and defend your views from the perspectives given in the card below.Topic: Is economic development more important than environmental protection?Perspectives:1. From the perspective of a ma