Saving the Earth

I – Read the text carefully.

When we consider a subject as sweeping as the environment, we often focus on its

most tangible aspects – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the
food we put on the table. Those things are critically important. But to
me the environment is also about something less tangible, though no
less important. It is about our sense of community – the obligation 8x A.
2p = 16p
we have to each other, and to future generations, to safeguard God’s M
earth. It is about our sense of responsibility, and the realization that
natural beauty and resources that took millions of years to develop
could be damaged and depleted in a matter of decades.
L. 10

Those are values I learned firsthand as a young boy on my family’s farm in Tennessee.
We didn’t call it environmentalism back then; it was simply common sense. L.12

Today the threats to our environment are even clearer to see – and much greater in
scope and number. “We live in a world where climate change, deforestation, holes in the ozone
layer and air pollution are growing sources of concern. Our challenge is to find new ways to
address those problems by reaching back to our oldest values of community and responsibility
– by inspiring a greater respect for the land and the resources we share – even as economies
and societies advance and develop around the world. L. 18

Fortunately, as I have raised a family of my own, I have learned that we have millions of
powerful allies in this cause: our children. It is often children who remind their parents to recycle
their cans or to bundle their newspapers. It is often children who
remind their parents of the simple miracles of nature – the crops that
come from our farms, the parks and lakes and campsites where families
and communities gather. L. 24

If we are to protect and preserve our environment on a global

scale, we all must do our part, as nations, as families and as individuals.
The need for awareness has never been greater, and the opportunity for
us to make a difference is just as great. If we practise and teach the
right kind of care and commitment for our environment, it will continue
not only to bring us its natural gifts, but also to bring us together. L. 30

Source: Al Gore, TIME, November 1997 (abridged)

atch the words on the left with their equivalent meaning on the right.

1. sweeping (line 1) a. a new or difficult task

2. tangible (line 2) b. awareness
 3. to safeguard (line 7)
4. realization (line 8)
5. to deplete (line 9)
6. source of concern (line 15)
7. challenge (line 15)
8. to address (line 15-16)
c. reason for worrying
d. to deal with
e. having an important effect
f. to reduce something by a large amount so that there
is not enough left
g. that can be clearly seen or felt
h. to preserve

6x 2p = 12p
B. Say what the following words (underlined in the text) refer to.

1.its
1. its(l.2)
(l.2) ____________________________________________
____________________________________________

2.that
2. that(l.
(l.9)
9)__________________________________________
__________________________________________

3.back
3. backthen
then(l.
(l.12)
12)___________________________________
___________________________________

4.II(l.
4. (l.19)
19)____________________________________________
____________________________________________

5.their
5. their(l.
(l.21)
21) _______________________________________
_______________________________________

6.itit(l.
6. (l.29)
29)___________________________________________
___________________________________________

C. Complete according to the text. 4p x 5p = 20p

1. The topic “environment” is commonly associated with _________________________________

2. However, Al Gore thinks differently. Most important for him is not only ___________________

3. Nowadays the greatest threats to our planet are: ____________________________________

4. Today children _______________________________________________________________

5. The environment will be clean and beautiful again if___________________________________

D. Answer the question using your own words. Justify. 10p

1. What does Al Gore mean by “sense of community”?

II – VOCABULARY

A. Fill in the gaps with words from the box below. 12p x 1p =
12p

 rise  melt  heat  biodiversity

 higher  Earth  water  greenhouse
 sustainable  extinct  takes up  glaciers
 Rising Sea Level: The 4… goes higher up the
Scientists tell us that the beach when a tide comes in. At most shores
1 … 's temperature will throughout the world, two high tides and two low
probably continue to 2 … tides occur every day. But now the level of the
as long as we continue sea is rising, so high tides are 5 … than they
increasing the amount of 3 were before. Over the last 100 years, the level of
…. gases in the the sea has risen about 6-8 inches worldwide. When the sea level rises,
atmosphere. the tide goes farther up the beach . Scientists think the sea has risen
partly because of melting 6 … and sea ice. When some glaciers 7 …,
they release water into the sea and make it higher than it was before. Scientists also think that
warmer temperatures in the sea make it rise even more. 8 …. makes water expand. When the ocean
expands, it 9 … more space. If careful action is not taken 10 … might become 11 … . So, what is at
stake is our 12 …. life on the planet. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_environment

B. Use the words in the box to complete the sentences.

1p x 10p =
10p
 habitatsglobal
habitats globalwarming
warmingoil oilspills
spillsdrought
droughtacidacidrain
rainextinction
extinction
deforestationpollution
deforestationpollution ozone
ozone layer
layer rainforests
rainforests

1. ___________________ are the lungs of the Earth.

2. ___________________ contains harmful chemicals that damage trees,
crops and buildings
3. The _________________ protects all life from the sun’s harmful radiation.
4. Climate change is a tremendous threat to wildlife _______________ and to
their survival.
5. March 24, 2009 is the 20th anniversary of one of history’s worst man-made environmental
disasters: the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alaska and caused one of the most
devastating _____________________ ever.
6. If ______________________________ continues on this scale, the icecaps will melt and the
sea level will rise.
7. People who live in industrialized areas face a higher risk of developing serious diseases due to
the high level of ___________________.
8. ___________________ in the Amazon rainforest region has led to the __________________
of 26 animal and plant species, a UN report said.
9. Millions of people in Africa face starvation as a result of the long periods of _____________.

C. Fill in with the correct preposition. You can only use each preposition once.

against
against on on about
about withof of to to from
with from for for in in at at

1. The future of our planets relies …………….. our actions. 2p x 10p =

2. We must all fight …………………… the destruction of our environment. 20p
3. Many people don’t care ……………….. the environment.
4. Al Gore belongs …………………… Earth First!, an environmental NGO.
5. We must invest more ………………… renewable energies.
6. I believe ……………….. environment-friendly technology.
7. We are looking ……………….. more alternative policies.
8. In his speech Al Gore referred ……………….. politicians and their responsibilities.
9. Most politicians agree ………. ……. environmentalists but don’t take real action.
10. We all aim ………….a better environment.

III – GRAMMAR

5p x6=30p
A. Rewrite the following sentences using the given connector.
1. Although it was raining heavily, he didn’t open his umbrella.
In spite of ………………..
2. Eco-volunteering is very rewarding; however some teenagers don’t consider it a good
experience.
Although ....
3. Al Gore prepared a web conference. He wanted to present an ozone friendly campaign.
( in order to)
4. New eco-buildings use solar energy and rechargeable battery devices as well.
(not only…but also)
5. Schools teach about environmental awareness, but teenagers still use pollutant materials.
(nevertheless)
6. Governments encourage the use of non-pollutant energies. They want companies to preserve
the environment. ( so that)

B. Fill in the gaps with the right verb form. Check the verb tense correctly.
4p x5=20p

1. After Al Gore left the White House he _______________(choose) part of his work to help
environmental causes.
2. Many activists __________________ (already write) a lot about environmental damage when
they decided to plan this campaign.
3. Greenpeace activists _____________________ (plan) the campaign in the headquarters,
when they got the news about the oil spill in Mexico.
4. Human carelessness _______________ (damage) the weather system over the years, making
natural disasters more frequent.
5. Yesterday the EU Parliament ________________ (keep) its promise about climate change
prevention to force member states into general adjustments.

IV – Essay writing - Environmental issues – write about 150-200 words. 50

50 points
points
“Climate change is having a real impact on the lives of the individuals and communities around the
world. We must do something about it” Kofi Annan

 Do you worry about the environment and the future of planet Earth?
 What are some of the world environmental problems? Refer to major threats on
the planet.
 In your opinion, what are the possible solutions to solve some of the
environmental problems we have to face nowadays? Do you think teenagers
nowadays are more aware of the state of the planet? What are
they willing to do to protect it?
Your teacher