Reading and Writing Task in workbook

READING TASK Answer key for Exercise 1: Two of the most common and dangerous litter: cigarette butts and plastic bags.

Cigarette butts are small but bad for the environment: over 1,600 billion cigarettes are smoked each year and large quantities of butts are thrown away; Butts contain toxic chemicals; Decrease the quality of water; Endanger plants and animals.

Plastic bags litter is a danger to the environment: Waste of non-renewable resources; Last from 20 to 1,000 years in the environment; Kill up to one million seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals and countless fish every year .

Tom’s solutions: 1) Put them in the rubbish bin. 2) Not to let plastic bags become litter. 3) It would be better if they used fewer. 4) Recycled them. 5) Not to smoke. 6) Not use plastic bags at all.

Answer key for Exercise 2 (P67) Paragraph I Point of view Cigarette butts and plastic bags are a serious environmental problem.

Paragraph II First point of the argument; Evidence Cigarette butts are small but bad for the environment. 1. Over 1,600 billion cigarettes are smoked each year in China. Many of these become litter.

Paragraph II 2. 4.5 trillion butts are littered every year in the world. 3. Butts are ugly. 4. Butts contain toxic chemicals; Decrease the quality of water; Endanger plants and animals. 5. Butts take up to 5 years to break down, so the toxic chemicals add up to a great amount.

Paragraph III Second point of the argument Plastic bags are a danger to the environment.

Paragraph III Evidence Plastic bags are made from non-renewable resources. If they are not recycled, these resources are lost to us. In China, 2 billion plastic bags are used every day. Many of these become litter.

Paragraph III 3. Plastic bags last from 20 to 1000 years in the environment. 4. They can travel long distances in the air and water. They are in rivers, parks, beaches and oceans. 5. Plastic bags kill up to one million seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals and countless fish each year worldwide.

Paragraph III 6. After the animal breaks down, the plastic bag becomes free and can kill another animal.

Paragraph IV Point of view The environment would be less polluted if we cleaned up cigarette butts and plastic bags. The best solution would be not to smoke or use plastic bags at all.

Writing Task (P67) Writing tips: Step 1: Write out the thesis statement. (point of view) Step 2: Write out the topic sentence of the first body paragraph. Step 3: Give the supporting points and details about the first subtopic.

Step 4: Write out the topic sentence of the second body paragraph. Step 5: Give the supporting points and details about the second subtopic. (more body paragraphs ... )

● Now choose a topic from the below list that you feel strongly about ● Now choose a topic from the below list that you feel strongly about. Make notes on your topic using headings similar to those in the table above. Use Tom's essay as a model to write your own.

A sample list of environment topics: air pollution, noise, soil erosion, water pollution, litter classification, desertification, make green by planting trees

A sample version: The Environmental Effects of Fossil Fuels There is no doubt that fossil fuels bring a lot of good to us. But do you know that many of the environmental problems our country faces today result from our fossil fuel dependence.

The environment faces air pollution, global warming, acid rain, and several other very serious problems because of our use of fossil fuels. Over the last 150 years, burning of fossil fuels has resulted in more than 25 percent increase in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere.

Carbon dioxide is one of the main factors in global warming which is negatively affecting everyone. Fossil fuels also affect water pollution, land pollution, and thermal pollution (heat pollution).

Coal mining is one of the causes of pollution in the environment Coal mining is one of the causes of pollution in the environment. After the mining is completed, the land will remain barren. Materials other than coal are also brought to the surface in the coal mining process, and these are left as solid wastes.

The production, transportation, and use of fossil fuels are to blame for the effects of pollution on the environment. Then what should we do? We should spare no effort to improve our environment. Please save energy and use fewer fossil fuels in our daily lives.