Looking after the environment

E.T. Pre-reading task: compile a list of things from your home that can recycled with little damage to the environment.

E.T. Read the following article to be ready to translate it into Russia. In the space below write down the words and phrases and transcriptions and translations that you need for proper comprehension of the article

The area covered by forest and woodland more than doubled in the twentieth century and now covers over ten per cent of Britain, 2 per cent more than in 1989. The state-run Forestry Commission monitors the health and sustainability of its forests.

In many parts of upland Britain the Forestry Commission planted dense squares of evergreen trees which did not fit in with the irregular native woods, but modern state-run forests are planted with more thought for their effect on the environment.

The National Trust was set up in 1895. It is а voluntary society with а million and а half members and it now owns more than 200,000 hectares, particularly in the Lake District and North Wales. It has 190 houses open to the public, 51 villages, 38 pubs and nearly 12,000 farms. Durdle Door, on the Dorset Coastal Path, is part of its Enterprise Neptune scheme, which protects 800 km of coast.

The North Sea is in danger of becoming poisoned to death. More than 70 million tonnes of industrial waste are dumped into it each year. If river pollution is included, at least 50,000 different chemicals get into the North Sea, including heavy metals like mercury, lead and arsenic [a:snik], highly poisonous chlorinated compounds and fertilisers which can kill fish and make shellfish unsafe to eat.

Until the 1960s, mining waste in the coalfields was left on the surface in ugly heaps. These are now landscaped and grassed over to provide а safer and cleaner environment.

The disposal of nuclear and other dangerous waste continues to be а problem as available land decreases. It is estimated that an area of countryside the size of London disappears into urban, industrial and recreational use every twelve years.

The United Kingdom is responsible for 2 per cent of the man-made carbon dioxide in the earth's atmosphere. Unlike most European countries, it has managed to reduce emissions of this greenhouse gas, which contributes to global warming, but Germany has been much more successful in doing so. The goal is to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 80 per cent of the 1990 level by the year 2010. The United Kingdom is also committed to the United Nations Kyoto Protocol signed in 1997. It must reduce emissions of six greenhouse gases to 87.5 per cent of the 1990 level by the year 2012.

E.T. How worried do you personally feel about each of these problems? Tick the corresponding item.

Chemicals put into rivers and the sea Getting rid of nuclear waste

Destruction of wildlife Dirty beaches and bathing water

Insecticides, fertilisers and chemical sprays Litter and rubbish

Decay of inner cities and derelict land Acid rain

Losing 'green belt' land Oil slicks from ships

Fumes and smoke from factories Car exhaust fumes

Fowling by dogs Loss of hedgerows

Neglect of old buildings and ancient monuments Lack of access to open spaces and countryside

Ugly new buildings Noise from traffic, aircraft, radios, lawnmowers, car woofers

P.T.. Be prepared to deliver a report on this subject and/or translate you colleague's report

Дата добавления: 2015-10-31