Английский язык: Экспресс-репетитор для подготовки к ЕГЭ, «Говорение».
Урок 5: «Окружающая среда. Переговоры. Задание 2».

Task 2

Give a talk on environment.
Remember to discuss:
• why our environment is in danger
• what is the most urgent ecological problem, why
• whether it is important to save our environment, why
• how young teenagers can help our environment

I think that our environment is in a sorry state today because people have destroyed it by building huge cities and power stations, developing industries, cutting down trees and excavating mountains. In pursuit of new inventions and discoveries, as well as higher and higher profits, man has forgotten about nature and it has led him to the edge of ecological catastrophe. I can’t help mentioning such burning environmental issues as pollution in its many forms, acid rains and greenhouse effect, the destruction of tropical forests and wildlife, overpopulation and shortage of natural resources. The list of serious ecological problems could be continued.

In my opinion, the most urgent ecological problem today is the environmental safety of nuclear power stations. Nuclear pollution can’t be seen but its effects can be terrible. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are. In addition, nuclear waste also endangers people’s lives. People all over the world protest against nuclear tests and nuclear weapons because in case of nuclear war our planet will be completely destroyed. If we do not take any action now, the possibility of a global nuclear disaster will be very real.

If people want to survive, they must do their best to solve these problems. We understand that our environment is not just our home town but the whole earth. And we must protect it for the sake of our children and grandchildren. But the protection of the environment requires the cooperation of all nations. If we take action now, there might be some hope for the future. If we do nothing, we are heading for disaster!

There are a lot of environmental organisations such as Greenpeace or The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), whose main goal is to help our environment. Teens may join these organisations as well as Friends of the Earth Trust, which is an educational charity set up to help people of all ages become aware of the threats to our environment. However, there are a lot of simple things we should all do to help our environment. First of all, we must keep our cities and towns clean. That means, we mustn’t drop litter in public places. If we see litter on the ground, we must put it into a litter bin. And of course we mustn’t draw or paint on pavements, walls or trees. Besides, we can help to plant trees, clean rivers and canals and create footpaths. But first of all, we must change our attitude towards the environment.

Questions
1. What is the influence of pollution on people’s health?
2. What is happening to our forests?
3. What is happening to the ozone layer?
4. How can we help animals survive?
5. Was life better a hundred years ago? Why do you think so?
6. What ecological problems exist in your home place?
7. What can you personally do to help our ecology?