Read the text carefully

I

Read the text carefully.

FRAGILE,

HANDLE WITH CARE

Every year we celebrate Earth Day. Last year people around the world celebrated the environment and, once again, made efforts to defend it. Earth Day was an urgent call for dramatic changes in our lifestyles. But to reduce problems with our daily solid waste – we all must make Earth Day a commitment every day for many future generations.

Across the USA, trash litters the American countryside. Uncontrolled air and water contamination force outdated landfills to close. Today`s trash crisis threatens to leave an enduring fingerprint of society of convenience and excess. Each person in America creates and discards more than four pounds of trash every day, 365 days a year. That`s almost a ton of waste every year – adding up to over 160 million annual tons nation wide. It`s a number that is growing.

We must find safer alternatives. Over the last twenty-five years America`s problems with waste have changed dramatically – more and more packaging has found its way into our trash while the amount of organic materials has decreased. A first step in confronting our trash crisis is to change our consumer habits and reduce the amount of packaging we require. Another is a close review of our household and toxic wastes, better alternatives to their production and use, and better disposal methods. We need to convince manufacturers that their business which uses undesirable materials, such as certain inks, plastics and bi-metals, is adding to our disposal problems and that developing more practical alternatives will help protect the environment.(…)

We are beginning to make careful choices on how to handle our trash problems in a better way. These are fragile choices which will influence not only how we live today but also how future generations will live as well. For hundreds of towns and cities, waste reduction and the recycling of trash into new materials and energy were innovative ideas a few decades ago but today they are inspiring new solutions. For the rest of our communities, integrated waste management programs promise a safer and more resourceful future, and ensure that Earth Day will be celebrated every day.

(slightly adapted)

A. Match the words in column A with their definition in column B.

A	B
a)  environment b)  call c)  lifestyle d)  commitment e)  to litter f)  enduring g)  household h)  ensure	·  people`s way of life ·  guarantee ·  to make untidy with rubbish ·  natural conditions-air, land and water ·  continuing in existence ·  people living together in a house ·  order, shout ·  dedication

B. Find the opposites of these words in the text.

1. next (3rd parag.) 5. careless (4th parag.)

2. increased (3rd parag.) 6. strong (4th parag.)

3.to add (3rd parag.) 7. old (4th parag.)

4.worse (3rd parag.) 8. many (4th parag.)

C. What do the following words refer to?

1.  It (l. 11)

2.  their(l. 17)

3.  their(l. 18)

4.  These (l. 22)

D. Answer the following questions on the text with complete answers. Use your own words as far as possible.

1.  What does the title of the text refer to?

2.  Why do people celebrate Earth Day?

3.  Do you agree with this special day? Why?

4.  How much trash does an American citizen produce every year?

5.  Do you agree that we have to be careful with the solutions we are taking? Explain your point of view.

II

A. Rewrite the sentences, starting them as suggested.

1. If we don`t stop burning so many fossil fuels, global warming will increase.

Unless…….

2. Unless we seek sustainable solutions for the benefit of people and nature, our future will become a nightmare.

If ……

3. Measures should be taken to avoid resources depletion.

Unless …..

4. People should use water carefully. Water mismanagement can lead us to a serious situation of crisis.

If……

plete the sentences using the correct conditional form.

1. If I ____1_____(to be) you, I ______2_____ (to try) to protect that animal.

2. If you ______3______ (to cut) your finger, it _____4____ (to bleed).

3. If you _____5_______ (to be) driving, ______6_______ (not/ to use) the cell phone.

4. He ______7_________ (to get) the job if he ______8______(to work) harder. But he didn`t.

5. If people _______9______ (to travel) by public transport, they ______10______ (to help) reduce the air pollution.

III

Write about 150 words on the subject.

A clean environment is no doubt one of the characteristics of a good quality of life. Nowadays, people are more aware of the main environmental problems. What are the main environmental problems? How can we use our knowledge to preserve the earth`s resources and what solutions can we find to reduce these problems?

GOOD WORK!

The teacher: