Vocabulary list and definitions:
- The ravages of something: destruction of something
- Hybrid car: a car that uses both petrol and electricity
- Carbon footprint: how much carbon dioxide is released as a result of one’s activities
- Recycle: breaking down products to create new products from the materials
- Growing season: the time of the year when plants grow
- Yields: amount of a crop produced
- Crops: a plant grown in large amounts
- Eco-conscious: describes someone who shows concern for the environment
- Natural fertilizer: fertilizers that come from animal waste, animal matter or plant matter
- Chemical fertilizer: fertilizers that are made from synthetic materials
- Contaminate: to make something impure, poisonous or polluted
- Groundwater: water that is below the earth’s surface
- Vegetable scraps: bits of vegetables that are discarded
- Non-chemical compost: decaying matter such as food, leaves or manure used to fertilize soil
- Organic: describes something that does not use chemical fertilizers
- Commute: travel to and from work
- Solar panels: panels that collect rays from the sun to be used as energy for electricity or heating
- Household cleaning products: products that are used to clean one’s home
- Time-consuming: describes something that takes a lot of time
- Environmentally conscious: when a person or business is aware of their effect on the environment and attempts to minimize this affect
- Green lifestyle: a way of living that attempts to reduce usage of water & power, waste and toxic substances
- Sustainable: describes something that causes minimal damage to the environment
- Emulate: to copy someone’s behavior out of respect
- Conventional products: products that have been in use for a long time
- Energy saving: describe products designed to reduce use of electricity or other form of energy
- Fuel emissions: gases that lead to air pollution through the burning of fuel
- Electric cars: vehicles that run on electricity
- Food miles: the distance food travels from the time it is produced until it reaches its end customer
- Local food: food that is produced a short distance from where it is consumed
- Fossil fuels: coal, gas or oil that is used in industry, homes and vehicles
- Carbon monoxide: a dangerous gas produced from the partial burning of fuels
- Dispose: throw away
- Waterways: lakes, rivers, oceans and canals
- Ecosystem: the geographic area where animals, plants and other organisms interact
- Natural habitat: the area where a plant or animal normally lives
- Tackle: to try to deal with a problem
- Collective effort: when a group of people try to do something
- Forge: to create something strong or successful
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Are there any environmental problems in your country?
Kelly: Yes … we have a serious issue with pollution levels in some of our big cities … exhaust fumes from cars and lorries are definitely one reason for the problem but we also have a lot of heavy industry in some areas and this also results in poor air quality …
Examiner: Do you take an interest in nature?
Jenny: Well … I’m a city person through and through and don’t get back to nature very often I’m afraid … but like everyone else I’m fascinated by the natural world and I like watching documentaries showing wild animals in their natural habitat …
Examiner: Do you or your family take steps to help the environment?
Mira: My parents have always tried to make us aware of our impact on the environment … they’re really into energy conservation … and always try to buy environmentally friendly products if they have the chance …
Part 2-style task
Describe an environmental problem that has been in the news. You should say
- when this was
- where the event happened
- what actually took place
and say how you felt about this problem.
Martin: Well … this is an interesting question … there are so many issues I could think of … natural disasters like earthquakes and floods seem to be in the news almost every year … but there was one story recently about some animals that were under threat … it wasn’t focused on one place in particular … it was looking at various animals that could actually become extinct in different African countries … if we don’t take steps to protect them … these were really iconic animals like gorillas … leopards … rhinos … and apparently they’re now listed as endangered species … what made it really depressing was they were in danger thanks to us … in some cases it was due to a loss of habitat either because people need more agricultural production … or even worse I think … because of hunting and poaching … I hate to think of future generations being robbed of the chance to see creatures like these in their natural environment … it’s lucky we have lots of organisations that focus on wildlife conservation … hopefully with their help we can put pressure on those in power to do something to stop creatures like these dying out …
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: What do you think is the main danger the world faces in terms of the environment?
Spencer: Well … climate change is a real issue … in my country we have flash floods and heatwaves on a yearly basis … so yes … I think global warming is the biggest issue.
Examiner: What examples are there of how we damage the natural world?
Stella: There are so many examples … there are factories that empty toxic waste into rivers and oceans … oil spills that damage the coastline … the way we destroy vast areas of land and rain forests in search of fossil fuels or to increase agricultural production …
Examiner: In which ways do we respond well to environmental problems?
Mathius: Well … on the one hand there are various worldwide agencies that are always the first on the scene with humanitarian aid after natural and man-made disasters … and on the other hand we have environmental pressure groups that are constantly raising awareness of issues and trying to stop disasters happening …