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 …

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