1. Protecting Our Environment
Unit 8
Protecting Our Environment

2. Objectives Students will be able to:
grasp the main idea and the structure of the text
Appreciate the various argumentative skills employed in the text
master the key language points and grammatical structures in the text;
conduct a series of reading, listening,
speaking and writing activities related to the theme of the unit.

3. Contents 1 Warm-up activity 2 Cultural Notes 3 Reading: Text A 4
Writing strategy 4
Assignment 5

4. Warm-up Activity Word-web greenhouse effect Global warming sea level
rising
greenhouse effect
Flood
drought
ecocrisis

5. Word-web Pollution types Word -web Air pollution nuclear pollution
Water pollution
noise pollution
Text
Word -web

6. Environmental protection
recycling
center
afforest
Greenpeace
National
Tree
Planting Day

7. What should we do?

12. Film Recommended

13. 在一个缺乏英雄的世界，艾琳·布劳克维奇（Erin Brockovich）的故事就显得特别刺激、有趣而不俗。这部影片是在真实事件的基础上拍成的。获两届奥斯卡奖提名的大牌明星朱莉娅·罗伯茨出演片中一个离过两次婚、带着三个孩子的母亲，这个英雄的母亲面对逆境毫无惧色，成功地打败了一个大型公用事业公司。 　　艾琳是一个小法律公司的文员，一次在一个废弃社区中不小心绊倒在一个不易被发现的小水坑中。水坑中被污染的水中含有能引起毁灭性疾病的病菌。因受骗而被激怒的艾琳说服自己的老板同意让她调查事情真相。 　　开始时镇上的人对艾琳的做法抱怀疑态度，但艾琳的勇敢行为和颇具说服力的言词最终赢得了他们的信任。由600多名原告签名起诉的官司最终赢得了胜利，而在这个过程中，艾琳也改写了自己的人生。

14. Cultural Notes Greenhouse effect:
Greenhouse effect means the retention of heat by the lower layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, which, it is believed, will cause a rise in temperature of the Earth and its atmosphere, known as global warming.

15. Green Party
A British political party that aims to protect the environment. It is against the use of nuclear power and other forms of industry and transport which it considers harmful. It was formed in 1973 as the Ecology Party, and changed its name to the Green Party in Other countries also have parties that share the same name and ideals.

16. Green Peace
A large international pressure group that aims to protect the environment. Its members are well known for protecting the environment. They often go out in small boats to stop people from killing whales or throwing poisonous materials into the sea.

17. The Environmental Protection Agency
A US government organization that established rules and standards for protecting the environment, e.g. against pollution.

18. Quotations 1. The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.
-- Franklin D. Roosevelt, American president
一个破坏它自己土地的国家，毁灭的也就是它本身。
-- 美国总统 富兰克林•罗斯福
2. Nature never did betray the heart that loved her.
-- William Wordsworth, British poet
大自然永远不会背叛爱她的那颗心。
-- 英国诗人 威廉姆•华尔华斯
3. Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.
-- Francis Bacon, British philosopher
想支配大自然，就必须遵守大自然的规律。
-- 英国哲学家 弗朗西斯•培根
Company Logo

19. 4. One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
-- Shakespeare, British poet and playwright
自然界的一个轻轻触摸，就使得整个世界都有了亲情。
-- 英国诗人，剧作家 莎士比亚
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20. Reading: Text A Before we go into the text, let’s
look at the following two questions

21. Which type will you choose?
Preserve spotted owl
B: the loss of livelihood for
30,000 logging family
A: variety of nature

22. A:
Saving oil or energy
Attain oil through war
Cost life and money B:
Drill for oil or energy
Peaceful attainable
Disturb the breeding ground of Arctic reindeer

23. The above two situations, if you choose B type, you are a sensible environmentalism or non-sentimental environmentalism. You believe that “ man is the measure of all things”; saving nature not for nature’s sake but for our human own.

24. Main idea
We should adopt a sensible environmentalism
(you will find more explanation about sensible environmentalism in para 2,5, 6, 8, 14, try to sum up them)

25. Part division of the text
line 1-30
Part 2
line31-69
Part 3
line 70-85
It is important to distinguish between environmental necessities and environmental luxuries and apply the fundamental principle of sensible environmentalism.
A sensible environmentalism does not sentimentalize the earth.
Man is the master of nature

26. The supporting detail for each part
The ozone layer:
skin caner; eye cataracts
plankton;
The greenhouse effect: melting icecaps; disturbed climate; dried up plains; empty breadbaskets
Man’s self-preservation

27. True or False 1. Environmental sensitivity is compared to belief in
democracy or aversion to nylon.
( T )
2. Those things that would be nice to have if costless
are environmental necessities.
( F )
Those things that would be nice to have if costless are environmental luxuries.
3. Those things that we must have regardless are
environmental luxuries.
( F )
Those things that we must have regardless are environmental necessities.

28. 4. The fundamental principle of sensible environmentalism
is to combat ecological change that directly threatens
the health and safety of people.
( T )
5. To protect the ozone layer and to halt the greenhouse
effect are regarded as environmental luxuries.
( F )
They are regarded as environmental necessities.
6. Ozone reduction is very harmful to our earth and
our life.
( T )

29. 7. If the greenhouse effect can’t be checked, we are
going to see Albuquerque’s climate in Iowa and
Iowa’s climate in Siberia.
( T )
8. A sensible environmentalism declares that man
should serve nature.
( F )
A sensible environmentalism declares that nature is here to serve man.

30. The so-called “Gaia theory” Protagoras’ principle
Part 2
The so-called “Gaia theory”
Protagoras’ principle
Oil war and the reindeer
The spotted owl and logging families

31. Table completion
Sensible environmentalists and sentimental environmentalists may have great disputes over some cases. Go over Part II carefully and find out what their attitudes might be when the following events are concerned and fill in the blanks with main ideas.
Attitude
Sensible Environmentalism
Events
Sentimental Environmentalism
Snail Darter
Event
Hardworking voters are the most important.
Hardworking voters should sacrifice for the good of the snail darter.
Oil Drilling
in ANWR
Country needs oil production; the exploration is worthwhile.
No exploration in order to protect the wildlife.

32. Sensible environmentalists and sentimental environmentalists may have great disputes over some cases. Go over Part II carefully and find out what their attitudes might be when the following events are concerned and fill in the blanks with main ideas.
Attitude
Sensible Environmentalism
Sentimental Environmentalism
Events
The spotted owl should be preserved even at the cost of livelihood for 30,000 logging families.
Spotted Owl Event
The livelihood of logging families are more important.
Nature should be preserved at any cost, even at the cost of man himself.
Man-centered in preserving nature.
Conclusion

33. Man’s well-being first Who should accommodate and how
Part 3
Man’s well-being first
Who should accommodate and how
Humanistic environmentalism

34. Question and Answer
According to the author, what should be the relationship between man and nature?
Nature is man’s charge. Man is nature’s master.
2. At what time will man have to accommodate to nature?
Man will have to accommodate to nature when his fate and that of nature are bound up together.
3. What will the sentimental environmentalists think of the writer’s way of saving nature?

35. Wrong frame of mind.
4. How does the writer respond?
We do that not for the nature’s sake but for our own.

36. Writing Strategy
This essay is a piece of argumentative writing. The ways of presenting an argument include contrast, concession,
quotation, example, definition, cause and effect, data and so on.
Task:
Students are required to form groups to find out what kind of argumentative methods are used in each part and then reported to the whole class.

37. Contrast: see Text organization Exercise 2
Concession: Para 8,para 10, para 11
Quotation: para 8
Example: para 3, para 13
Definition: para 2, para 5
Cause and effect: para 3, para 4
Data: para 7, para 8, para 11

38. Vocabulary and grammar
Environmental sensitivity is now as required an attitude in polite society as is, say, belief in democracy or aversion to nylon.
环境意识，就如同对民主制度的信奉，或对尼龙的厌恶， 已成为当今上流社会一种必备的态度。

39. Aversion: strongly dislike (followed by to)
Eg: He took an immediate aversion to his new teacher.
Eg: Many people have a natural and emotional aversion to insects.

40. Conflict: be in opposition, collision or disagreement
(followed by with)
Eg: Our findings conflict with the results of the government’s survey.
Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.

41. Eg: They arrested him in the name of the safety of the country.
In the name of: for the reason of; using the excuse of;
as the representative of; by the authority of
Eg: They arrested him in the name of the safety of the country.
Let me thank you in the name of my parents.

42. Distinguish: recognize the difference (between)
Eg: He is too young to distinguish right from wrong.
Fingerprints can be used to distinguish the two suspects.

43. If costless: if those things don’t cost much
Regardless: in spite of everything; anyway
Eg: His parents objected to his marriage, but he carried on regardless.

44. Fundamental: of the basis or foundation of sth (followed by to)
Eg: The fundamental problem lies in their inability to distinguish between reality and fantasy.

45. Combat: fight or struggle (against)
Eg: Many politicians emphasized the importance of combating international terrorism.
Doctors are still seeking ways to combat AIDS.

46. Atmosphere 1) the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth
Eg: The treaty bans nuclear testing in the atmosphere.
2) feeling in the mind that is created by a group of people or a place
Eg: Atmosphere over dinner was warm and friendly.

47. Urgent
After the earthquake, there was an urgent need for food and medicines.

48. universal
Of, belonging to, affecting or done by all people or things in the world or in a particular group

49. Call for: require, demand
Facing with the threat of a civil war, the President has called for self-control and calm.

50. On the grounds of/on….grounds: for reasons of
She is suing the company on the grounds of unfair dismissal.
John was not employed by the company on the grounds of his age.

51. Vote: express one’s choice in favor of (a person, political party, etc) at an election (vote on sth; vote for/against)
If we can’t agree with each other about the plan, let’s vote on it.
They will vote for George Bush, I think.

52. Run/go against the grain: be contrary to one’s desire or feeling (followed by of sth / to do sth)
Eg: It really goes against the grain to go to school on National Day.

53. Excess: more than the reasonable degree or amount of sth
He smoked like a chimney. It was the excess of cigarettes that caused his death.

54. Nothing more than: just the same as; only
Don’t be scared. It is nothing more than a nightmare.
You needn’t report to him. He is nothing more than a clerk.

55. Rage: continue with great force; be intense
Price inflation still rages although the government has taken some measures to tackle the problem.
Street fighting raged all over the city.

56. Work one’s way: manage to reach or go through; make efforts to attain one’s goal
Eg: As my family couldn’t pay that much for me to go to school, I have to work my way through law school.

57. Come through: experience, survive or overcome ( a difficulty, etc)
The Chinese football team was in trouble at the beginning of the match but in the end come through.
If we can come through this financial crisis the company’s future will be bright.

58. In part: partly; to some extent
Eg: His failure was due in part to his laziness.
Whether you will be sent to Yale University for further study depends in part on how well you perform in the exam.

59. Ridiculous: absurd
It is ridiculous to spend all her salary buying that so-called antique.
It is ridiculous that they should want to wait ten hours just to have a look at their favorite film star.

60. Deny: 1) refuse to grant or allow (used in the pattern: deny sb sth)
Eg: The kid was denied the chance of going to school.
2) state sth is not true( deny sth, deny that; deny doing sth)
Eg: When the police asked her neighbors questions, they all denied having seen her.

61. …as much as the next man: as much as the average person

62. Accommodation: the process of adapting; adjustment
Mutual accommodation is of importance especially to newly married couples.
It is necessary to seek accommodation from both sides in the dispute.

63. Threat: a danger that sth might happen to sb( followed by to/from/of /against)
There have death threats against the witness.
The Hurricane Center warns people not to take the threat of tropical storms lightly.
The president said that he would stand firm and not give in to the threats from terrorists.
The newly built Wal-Mart will be a threat to the local supermarkets.

64. Fatal: causing death; bringing ruin
The doctor said the patient was suffering from a fatal disease.
He made a fatal mistake of giving her telephone number.

65. Concern: 1) thing that is important or interesting to sb
Eg: what are your main concern as a college student?
2) worry, anxiety (followed by for/about//over/that)
There was growing concern over the rise in unemployment.

66. Sake: purpose; benefit or well-being (for sb’s/sth’s sake, for the sake of)
He change into old shoes for the sake of comfort.
I’m studying history for its own sake, not because it will help me get a job.
She argues for the sake of arguing. (i.e, because she likes arguing)

67. Practice and Answers Multiple Choice
Choose one best answer for each of the following sentences.
1. Jenny has just changed her job, and she needs some time to ____ herself ____ the new circumstances.
A. change…for
B. adapt…with
C. accommodate…to
D. conform…to
2. Many Chinese don’t like cheese when they first eat it; it is a(n) ____ taste.
A. obtained
B. innate
C. acquired
D. inherited

68. Multiple Choice
Choose one best answer for each of the following sentences.
3. This plan was originally ________ in 1990s.
A. improved
B. put forward
C. published
D. carried away
4. The free ____ of class enables the students to communicate with their teacher.
A. atmosphere
B. air
C. surroundings
D. settings

69. Multiple Choice
Choose one best answer for each of the following sentences.
5. He announced his engagement, but his parents had a strong
________ to the would-be daughter-in-law.
A. disagreement
B. prejudice
C. sympathy
D. aversion
6. The occasion____ a cool head.
A. calls on
B. calls off
C. calls for
D. calls out

70. Multiple Choice
Choose one best answer for each of the following sentences.
7. It is a shame that the committee ________ our proposal.
A. voted through
B. voted down
C. voted out
D. Voted for
8. She is such a spoiling mother that she can ____ her son nothing.
B. deprive
A. deny
C. give
D. grant

71. Multiple Choice
Choose one best answer for each of the following sentences.
9. 1) He should ________ be allowed to get up until he has
completely recovered.
A. in any case
B. in no case
C. in case
D. in case of
2) ____ fire, please dial 911.
A. In any case
B. In no case
C. In case
D. In case of

72. Multiple Choice
Choose one best answer for each of the following sentences.
3) ________ he arrives before I get back, please ask him to wait.
A. In any case
B. In no case
C. In case
D. In case of
4) You have to be there by 8 o’clock ____.
A. in any case
B. in no case
C. in case
D. in case of

73. Key to Exercises Vocabulary 1. 1) universal 2) current
3) worked his way 4) deny
5) melt ) came through
7) threat ) combat
9) in the name of ) raged
11) vote ) concerns
13) in part ) reality
15) urgent

74. Key to Exercises
2. 1) There has been much debate on the new teaching method invented by a young educationist.
2)Most kinds of cancer are fatal without proper treatment.
3) John has submitted an application for retirement at the age of 56 on the grounds of ill health.
4) Can you draw a distinction between these two approaches? They sound so similar to me.
5) Cars should stop at red traffic lights. Similarly, bicycles should stop, too.

75. Key to Exercises
) Ecologists constantly call for people to stop cutting trees for the sake of man's own future. As a matter of fact, more and more people have realized that man's fate is closely bound up with his environment.
2) We distinguish the excellent manager from the common one by observing his human rela­tions skills to accommodate all kinds of conflicting interests within his company. The excellent manager can always create a lively atmosphere through various proposals and suggestions while the common one can do nothing more than complain about everything.
3) It goes against the grain of contemporary concept of ecology ( 生态学 ) to overuse our natural resources regardless of serious ecological consequences. While it is ridiculous to worship the earth to the point of excess, to ignore the fundamental principles of ecologi­cal balance is dangerous too.

76. Key to Exercises
II. Confusable Words
1. 1) sensible ) sensitive
3) sentimental 4) sensitive
5) sensible ) sentimental
2. 1) conserve ) preserves 3) conserve ) preserving

77. Key to Exercises III. Word Formation age-old 古老的 air force 空军
daughter-in-law 儿媳妇 first-rate 一流的
greenhouse 温室 half brother 同母异父(同父
异母)兄弟
ice-cream 冰激凌 lifelike 逼真的
light year 光年 salesperson 售货员；推销员
self-centered 自私的 threefold 三倍
overuse 过度使用 stone-still 石头似的一动不动
worldwide 全世界范围的；在全世界范围的

78. Key to Exercises Structure
1. 1) Now that he has begun a new life in a foreign country, everything seems so different and he is understandably excited.
2) The things I've worked so hard for appear to me so shallow and worthless now that I've achieved them.
3) Now that the warmer months are coming, why don't you take the opportunity to travel around Siberia?
4) Now that she knew the whole truth she realized how stupid she had been not to suspect that her boyfriend was actually a spy.
2. 1) When Mount Qomolangma was remeasured in 1987 by a more accurate method, it was found to be 24 meters higher than previously believed.
2) The central heating system has proved less effective than originally hoped for.
3) The new electronic dictionary is sold at a much lower price than predicted.
4) Totally fed up with the noise in the surroundings of the hotel, Prof. Sherrington said he'd leave as soon as he finished his work and wouldn't stay there a moment longer than necessary.

79. Key to Exercises Comprehensive Exercises I. Cloze (A)
1. concern environment
3. excess regardless
5. consequences fatal
7. distinguish urgent
9. distinctions fundamental

80. Key to Exercises (B) 1. between 2. than 3. conserving 4. less
5. concern that
7. own more
9. use mankind/man
11. as which
13. lower differences

81. Key to Exercises II. Translation
It is relatively more difficult to call for poorly educated people to conserve resources be­cause they tend to view resources as nothing more than handy materials, which they can never overuse to the point of excess. They are seldom aware of the fatal consequences of the ruin of nature. In contrast, most educated people bind their own well-being to that of nature and try to preserve nature on the grounds of self-preservation. Though it may be difficult to distinguish a good proposal from a bad one in our current debate on environmental issues, one contemporary commentator has argued that protecting the environment in the name of man should be our guiding principle.

82. Text B An Ugly New Footprint in the Sand
Useful Expressions
nothing but：only
litter about: throw away rubbish carelessly
3. wash up: bring in or be brought to the shore
3. get away from: go away
4. for all: in spite of

83. Comprehension Check Choose the best answer for each of the following:
3. D
4. A
5. D
6. C

84. Language Practice Fill in the gaps with words or phrases.
1. nothing but
2. patches
3. get away from
4. spoil
5. Pollute
6. explosion
7. assumptions

85. 8. enables
9. has rusted
10. washed up
11. dump
12. stained
13. substance
14. destruction
15. triumph

86. 16. pinched
17. hardens
18. For all
19. Uttered
20. mankind

87. Thank you very much！