MAN AND NATURE
A) Me, my family and the environment
B) Nature around us
C) Man’s influence on environment
D) Influence of environment on people
E) Future of environment
1. What is weather like today?
2. Why do seasons change?
3. How do people pollute environment?
Climate is the long-term weather of certain area. Slovakia has a continental climate with four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter. The weather in spring and autumn is alike[1]: light showers[2], cloudy days and sunny intervals are typical. Winters are normally cold and dry, while summers tend to be hot and humid[3] with a few summer storms.
The environment means surroundings in which people, animals and plants exist. Nowadays, the existence of some plants and animals is in danger.
The most serious ecological problems of today are the pollution[4] of air, water and soil, the destruction of ecosystems, extinction[5] of many species[6] of animals and plants, weather changes, acid rains[7], global warming, destruction of tropical rain forests and destruction of the ozone layer. Most of this damage has been caused by[8] man himself. Technical progress, which enables[9] us a more comfortable life destructs the environment we live in.
Global warming is caused by the greenhouse effect[10]. Normally, heat from the sun warms the earth and then escapes back into space. The greenhouse effect is caused by harmful gases known as greenhouse gases. They are produced when we burn fossil fuels, especially coal burned in power stations to produce electricity. Carbon dioxide[11] and other gases in the atmosphere trap[12] the sun’s heat, and this is slowly making the earth warmer. It causes rising temperatures, the melting[13] of mountain glaciers[14], icebergs[15] and so the sea level rises. The rising temperatures may cause drought[16] in some parts of the world, and floods[17] in others.
The growing number of cars on roads and highways contributes[18] much to air pollution[19]. Factories produce large quantities of carbon dioxide, lead[20] poisons, radioactive particles[21] which get into the air and later can fall as acid rain. Acid rains kill trees, then they get into the soil and make it infertile[22]. Factories also increase water pollution because many of them are built near rivers into which they put their chemical waste[23]. Rivers and soil can also be polluted by chemical fertilizers[24] and pesticides used by farmers.
All pollution is caused by chemical substances getting into our water, soil and air. These chemicals are not just from factories but from products we use daily, things such as laundry detergents[25] used to wash our clothes and pesticides and fertilizers used to grow our food. All these chemicals get into the atmosphere or leak[26] into the soil and pollute our water.
The ozone layer[27] is a layer of gas high above the surface[28] of the earth. It protects the earth from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, which can damage our skin and cause cancer[29]. The ozone layer can be damaged by substances called CFCs. CFCs are used in refrigerators, aerosol cans and in the manufacture of some plastic products. Some companies now make aerosols that do not contain CFCs, and these are often marked ‘ozone-friendly’.
We need a cleaner, healthier planet and there are many ways how to achieve this. One of the solutions[30] is to use alternative sources of energy[31]. For example: solar power, wind power, water power or hydroelectric power.
Recycling is reusing (using again)some materials. It saves energy and raw materials[32], and also reduces damage to the countryside. Glass, paper and aluminium cans can be recycled very easily. Many towns have bottle containers and can containers where people can leave their empty bottles and cans for recycling. A lot of paper bags, writing paper and greetings cards are now produced on recycled paper.
There are also many practical ideas how people can help the environment. For example: save as much water as possible, use bottles more than once or take them to a bottle container, buy and use recycled paper as often as possible, use public transport instead of[33] car as often as possible, and don’t leave on electric lights, TV, hi-fi, etc, if you’re not using them.
Answer these questions:
- What pollution can you see in the place where you live?
- How do you protect environment?
- Do you know any ecological organizations which help to protect the environment and endangered species of animals?
- How can people protect environment when they do the shopping? Here are some ideas: environmentally friendly products, packaging, recycling etc.
- What changes in seasonal weather have you seen in our country?
Describe these pictures:
[1]alike – podobný
[2] showers - zrážky
[3] humid - vlhký
[4] pollution - znečistenie
[5] extinction – vyhynutie, vymretie
[6] species – živočíšny druh
[7] acid rains – kyslé dažde
[8] caused by – zapríčinený niečím
[9] to enable - umožniť
[10] greenhouse effect – skleníkový efekt
[11] carbon dioxide – oxid uhličitý
[12] to trap - zadržiavať
[13] melting - topenie
[14] glacier - ľadovec
[15] iceberg - ľadovec
[16] drought - sucho
[17] flood - záplava
[18] contribute to sh – podieľať sa na niečom
[19] pollution - znečistenie
[20] lead – olovo, olovnatý
[21] particle - čiastočky
[22] infertile - neúrodný
[23] waste - odpad
[24] fertilizers - hnojivá
[25] laundry detergents .- pracie prostriedky
[26] leak - vsiaknuť
[27] ozone layer – ozónová vrstva
[28] surface - povrch
[29] cancer - rakovina
[30] solution - riešenie
[31] source of energy – zdroj energie
[32] raw material – prírodná surovina (drevo, uhlie apod.)
[33] instead of sth – namiesto niečoho