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A11 – Man and Nature

Vlastnosti
predmetAnglický jazyk
typmaturitná téma
okruhanglický jazyk
číslo11
stavvypracované
Zadanie

Talk about the seasons of the year, the most serious ecological problems, the protection of the environment, and the organizations that protect nature.

1. Osnova témy​

  • The four seasons and typical weather in each of them.
  • The three elements our life depends on — air, water and soil — and how each is polluted.
  • Acid rain, the hole in the ozone layer, the greenhouse effect and global warming.
  • The consequences: melting glaciers, rising sea levels, floods, droughts, endangered species.
  • Natural disasters.
  • How we can protect the environment — as individuals and as a society.
  • Renewable energy sources and the „reduce – reuse – recycle" rule.
  • Environmental organisations.

2. Kľúčová slovná zásoba​

  • weather: bright and clear, sunny intervals, drizzle (mrholenie), light showers, it pours / it rains cats and dogs, thunderstorm (búrka), lightning (blesk), rainbow (dúha), breeze (vánok), fog, mist, damp (vlhký), chilly, frosty, to freeze, it hails (padajú krúpy), it sleets, thaw (topenie), slush (kaša zo snehu)
  • spring: nature awakens, the snow melts, trees blossom, flowers bloom, snowdrops (snežienky), daffodils (narcisy), dandelions (púpavy), birds return from the south
  • summer: the warmest season, harvest (žatva), crop (úroda), ripe fruit (zrelé ovocie), holidays at the seaside or in the mountains
  • autumn: leaves turn yellow and red, trees shed their leaves, Indian summer (babie leto), flocks of birds move south, fruit ripens
  • winter: lakes and rivers freeze, icicles (cencúle), piles of snow, slippery roads (klzké cesty), winter sports
  • pollution of air: smoke, dust, emissions, exhaust fumes (výfukové plyny), carbon dioxide (oxid uhličitý), lead (olovo), radioactive particles, smog
  • pollution of water: chemical waste, industrial waste, detergents, oil spill (ropná škvrna), tanker, sewage (splašky)
  • pollution of soil: pesticides, fertilisers (hnojivá), rubbish (odpadky), landfill (skládka), infertile soil (neúrodná pôda)
  • global problems: acid rain, the hole in the ozone layer, CFCs in aerosol sprays, the greenhouse effect, greenhouse gases, global warming, melting of glaciers (topenie ľadovcov), rising sea level, deforestation (odlesňovanie)
  • consequences: floods (záplavy), droughts (suchá), climate change, endangered species (ohrozené druhy), to become extinct / to die out (vyhynúť), skin cancer, ultraviolet radiation
  • natural disasters: earthquake (zemetrasenie), volcanic eruption, tornado, hurricane, tsunami, avalanche (lavína), wildfire; victims, survivors, rescuers, humanitarian aid
  • solutions: renewable energy sources, solar energy, wind power, hydroelectric energy, geothermal energy, fossil fuels (fosílne palivá), to reduce – reuse – recycle, sewage treatment plant (čistička), unleaded petrol, catalytic converter, to sort waste (triediť odpad)
  • organisations: Greenpeace, WWF (World Wildlife Fund), Friends of the Earth, the Red List of Threatened Species

3. Užitočné frázy a väzby​

  • There are four seasons in the year, and each of them has its own charm.
  • The season I like best is definitely… because…
  • Our life depends on three elements: the air, the water and the soil.
  • Air pollution is caused mainly by industry and by road traffic.
  • One of the most serious problems we are facing today is global warming.
  • This leads to melting glaciers and a rising sea level.
  • As a result, many species of animals and plants are endangered or already extinct.
  • Everybody can do something, even if it is only a small thing.
  • If people sorted their waste properly, we would produce far less rubbish.
  • Organisations such as Greenpeace draw the public's attention to these problems.
  • To conclude, we have only one planet and we should treat it accordingly.

4. Modelová odpoveď​

There are four seasons in the year and each of them looks completely different. In spring nature awakens — the snow melts, the days get longer, trees blossom, the first flowers such as snowdrops and daffodils bloom, and the birds come back from the south. Summer is the warmest season; everything is green, the sky is blue and we have two months of holidays, which most people spend at the seaside or in the mountains. In autumn the leaves on the trees turn yellow and red and then fall. At the beginning of autumn the weather is often still warm and we call this period Indian summer. Winter brings snow and frost, lakes and rivers freeze, icicles hang from the roofs, and we can go skiing or skating.

Unfortunately, the relationship between man and nature is far from ideal. Our life depends on three elements — the air, the water and the soil — and we are polluting all three of them.

Air pollution is the biggest problem in large cities, where there are many factories and heavy traffic. It is caused by smoke, dust, emissions and exhaust fumes. Chemicals released into the air mix with water in the clouds and fall as acid rain, which damages buildings, kills forests and makes the soil infertile. Water is polluted by industrial and chemical waste, by households using detergents, and by agriculture using pesticides and fertilisers. A tanker accident can release oil into the sea and kill enormous numbers of fish and sea birds. The soil is contaminated by chemicals and by the rubbish we throw away.

The most serious global problem, however, is the greenhouse effect. Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere and cause global warming. As a consequence, temperatures rise, mountain glaciers melt, the level of the oceans rises and coastal areas are threatened by floods. In other regions there are long droughts. The number of extremely hot days is increasing, weather patterns are changing, and natural disasters such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires are becoming more frequent. Another problem is the damaged ozone layer, which used to protect us from ultraviolet radiation; more radiation means more cases of skin cancer and eye damage. And because their habitats are disappearing, many species of animals and plants are endangered or have already become extinct.

The good news is that something can be done. As a society we should use renewable energy sources — solar, wind, water and geothermal energy — instead of fossil fuels. Factories must have filters, and towns must have sewage treatment plants. Cars should run on unleaded petrol and be fitted with catalytic converters, or better still, people should use public transport, cycle or share a car.

As individuals we can also help. The simplest rule is reduce, reuse, recycle: buy less, use things longer and sort our waste. We can save water and electricity, avoid plastic bags, plant trees and never drop litter in the countryside.

Finally, there are organisations that fight for the environment. The best known are Greenpeace, the World Wildlife Fund and Friends of the Earth. They organise campaigns, inform the public and put pressure on governments. In my opinion their work is very important, because most people only start caring about a problem when somebody makes them see it.

5. Otázky na diskusiu​

  1. Which season of the year do you like best, and why?
  2. What is the weather like in Slovakia in each season?
  3. What are the three main kinds of pollution and what causes them?
  4. What is acid rain and what damage does it do?
  5. Explain the greenhouse effect in your own words.
  6. What consequences does global warming have?
  7. What natural disasters have you heard about recently?
  8. What can an ordinary person do to protect the environment?
  9. Do you sort your waste at home? Why or why not?
  10. Do you think organisations like Greenpeace are effective?

6. Zhrnutie na ústnu odpoveď​

  • Ročné obdobia: spring (snow melts, trees blossom, birds return) · summer (warmest, holidays) · autumn (leaves turn and fall, Indian summer) · winter (snow, frost, winter sports).
  • Tri zložky: air (traffic, factories, exhaust fumes) · water (chemicals, detergents, oil spills) · soil (pesticides, fertilisers, rubbish).
  • Globálne problémy: acid rain · ozone layer · greenhouse effect → global warming.
  • Následky: melting glaciers, rising sea level, floods and droughts, climate change, endangered species, skin cancer.
  • Riešenia — spoločnosť: renewable energy, filters, sewage plants, public transport.
  • Riešenia — ja: reduce, reuse, recycle; save water and energy; no litter.
  • Organizácie: Greenpeace, WWF, Friends of the Earth.
Čo povedať na skúške

Pozor na dvojicu, ktorú si zdroj sám plieti: drought [draʊt] je sucho, kým draught [drɑːft] je prievan. Podobne weather (počasie) × whether (či). A keď hovoríš o jeseni, britské autumn aj americké fall sú správne — pokojne spomeň, že ide o rozdiel medzi BrE a AmE.

Súvisiace poznámky​

Kontrolné otázky​

Which season of the year do you like best, and why?

Summer, because it is warm, the days are long and we have holidays. I can go swimming and cycling.

What is the weather like in Slovakia in each season?

Spring is mild and rainy, summer is hot with storms, autumn is foggy and windy, and winter is cold with snow, mainly in the mountains.

What are the three main kinds of pollution and what causes them?

Air pollution (traffic, factories, heating), water pollution (industrial waste, chemicals from farming) and soil pollution (rubbish, pesticides).

What is acid rain and what damage does it do?

Rain containing sulphur and nitrogen oxides from factories and cars. It damages forests, lakes, buildings and monuments.

Explain the greenhouse effect in your own words.

Gases like carbon dioxide trap heat in the atmosphere like the glass of a greenhouse. Because we produce too much CO₂, the Earth is getting warmer.

What consequences does global warming have?

Melting glaciers, rising sea levels, extreme weather such as droughts, floods and heatwaves, and the extinction of species.

What natural disasters have you heard about recently?

Floods, forest fires, hurricanes and earthquakes – give one example from the news and say what happened.

What can an ordinary person do to protect the environment?

Sort waste, save energy and water, use public transport or a bike, buy less plastic and repair things instead of throwing them away.

Do you sort your waste at home? Why or why not?

Yes, we sort paper, plastic and glass. It is easy and helps recycling.

Do you think organisations like Greenpeace are effective?

Partly. They draw attention to problems and put pressure on governments, but some of their protests are too radical.

🔗 Spätné odkazy (6)