Lesson 13

Environment. Pollution

Aims and objectives:

• introducing and practicing vocabulary

• practicing grammar

• developing basic skills

Equipment: writing paper, handouts

Sequence

I. Warming-up

Predicting achievements

The students get a minute or two to invent for themselves an extremely successful future career in whatever field they like and ask for new vocabulary where needed.

Then the students tell each other (possibly in groups) what achievements they will have had by the age of 30, 50, 70.

Finally the class decides who will have had the most successful career.

II. Main part

1. Listening

Introducing vocabulary

in progress — Discussions on the matter are still in progress.

on the coast –He lives in a small town on the coast.

increase in — I’ve had two increases in salary this year.

in particular — England imports a lot of wine, French wine in particular.

at the seaside — We all spent the day at the seaside.

in use — The new offices are ready but they aren’t in use yet.

engaged in — How long have you been engaged in this work?

free from — After the exams we went on holiday free from cares.

for ever — I’m 64. Next year I’ll finish work for ever.

Students create short sentences of their own to briefly practice the vocabulary.

Pre-listening predictions

The teacher writes the title "A New Motorway” on the blackboard and asks students to brainstorm on what the text is going to be about, and how the new vocabulary may be used in it. The students exchange their guesses.

While-listening

The students are to listen to the text, find out if their guesses were correct and identify the sentences with new vocabulary.

Since the text may seem quite difficult, the teacher may read it out more than once.

A New Motorway

For some years now work has been in progress on a new motorway connecting the heavily populated industrial Midlands to the holiday resorts on the coasts of South-West England. The general increase in traffic density, and in particular the mass migration of holidaymakers who flock to the south every July and August in search of a fortnight’s peace at the seaside, has strained the old road system beyond its limits. Car drivers frequently have to endure hours of waiting in long queues of vehicles before finally crawling to their destinations.

Some sections of the new motorway are already in use, and soon half of this much-needed stretch of tarmac will be open to traffic.

Before the end of next year, the numerous construction gangs engaged in this work will have completed the entire project; and at last there will be peace for the inhabitants of the countless villages and small towns along the narrow, winding old roads. The new road will have freed them for ever from the constant, deafening roar of high-powered engines, and from the air pollution caused by dense exhaust fumes.

The completion of the road will be a relief even to the workmen.

Some of them will have been working on the project for over seven years by the time they have finished.

After-listening comprehension check and practice

Answer the questions using the new vocabulary.

How long has the people worked on the new motorway?

What will the new motorway connect?

What was the general need for constructing a new motorway?

What is special about summer months in that area?

Where do people search for peaceful rest in summer?

How will the motorway be put into operation?

How many construction firms work on the project?

What useful will the new motorway bring to people?

For how long will the changes take place?

If the students feel embarrassed about the text, they may be given the questions to look at them while listening.

2. Speaking

After the questions have been answered, the students may try and reconstruct the text in their own words using the new vocabulary. It may be done either in turns with the whole class or in groups, the object being to have the text reconstructed as close to the original as possible.

Conversation Cl–S

One (or several) student(s) pretend to represent the construction firms, and the rest of the class pretend to be the journalists asking questions about the construcyion at a press-conference.

3. Grammar practice

Checking on Homework

Students in turns read their sentences, the class correcting possible mistakes.

Practicing expressing future actions

The teacher suggests adding information to the text heard by predicting the future of the new motorway, the people who live in the area, the holiday-makers and the construction gangs writing the four types of sentences.

The activity is done in groups and discussed in the class.

4. Reading

Have students read the text, choose and explain one of the endings offered. Ask them to explain the heading of the article (the target answer being "Welcome to hell” or something like).

Using your background knowledge and the information above, read the article below and complete the dictionary entries.

HELLO, HELLNATION...

Every citizen of any modern urbanized city is being constantly affected by myriads of forms of pollution. Starting with the air we breathe. Did you know that every one of us is inhaling and processing through own lungs a tablespoonful of dust daily? Dare to count how much it will make in a year? Now, the water. Remember, your mom always used to tell you not to drink tap water? Open your teapot and look at its inside. Can you see a touch of rusty and ugly substance on the sides of it? Where do you think it comes from? If you drunk that water without boiling it, this stuff would be in your belly by now. Have you ever come home after a long day out having a headache and bothered by that constant nasty noise inside your head? Think about it, now you do know why your neighbors are so mad at you when you turn your room into a rock club in the middle of the night. Have you ever gone to make a barbecue in the countryside? Tell me, how long did it take you to find a clean spot of land near the river, or a clearing in the woods without any rubbish on the grass? Do you own a car? Do you smoke? Do you have a pet? It doesn’t really matter, because many other people around you do. The question is: Who is responsible for all that? Do you think you know the answer? Then, choose one...

Choose one of the given options and explain your choice.

The responsibility should rather be laid on:

• somebody else...

• bad guys

• governments

• ourselves

What do you think the heading of the article means?

Complete the dictionary entries for the following issues, then discuss them in class. Please provide examples where possible.

Water pollution —

Air pollution —

Soil pollution —

Noise pollution —

Complete the sentences identifying the activities, which pollute the environment. Consult a dictionary if necessary.

Burying waste or household trash means __ .

Poaching is __ .

Hyperactive fishing occurs when __ .

Car exhaust fumes are __ .

Littering and spitting mean __ .

Suggested answers

1) Soil pollution.

2) Illegal hunting or fishing that may result in poor ecological balance.

3) People catch too much fish in one part of the sea.

4) The factors of air pollution.

5) Polluting the environment.

III. Summary

IV. Home work

Students interview parents, relatives or teachers and note down

the examples of the four types of pollution in the students’ region.

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