Read the following passage and do the tasks below.

¹  Donnachadh McCarthy takes environmental issues very seriously. As an eco-auditor he gives advice to people and companies on how to make their homes and offices more eco-friendly. As an author he writes books that persuade readers to have a greener lifestyle, and he is often a speaker on environmental issues at different conferences.

²  Yet, he doesn’t believe words are enough: he would like to lead by example. This is why he turned his home in central London into a place where he can prove he lives by the green principles which he promotes. His Victorian house from the 1840s was equipped with different environmentally friendly devices to become first a zero-carbon house (same amount of co, in and out) and later on carbon-negative (less CO2 out than in).

³  How is this possible? First of all, he is very careful to use alternative energy sources like wind and sun wherever possible. Heating in the house is provided by a wood burner that is powered by waste wood near his house. Hot water comes from a solar water heating system from the roof and his toilet only uses rainwater. Water is not wasted in his home. While the average British household consumes 160 litres of tap water a day, he only uses 26 litres.

⁴   The same level of attention is given to household waste in his house. With thorough recycling he only needed one bin for the whole of last year and even this one bin was not full.

⁵  He does not misuse electricity either. Donnachadh McCarthy does not buy any from outside sources because he generates his own ‘green’ electricity with the solar electric panels on his roof. In fact, he produces so much that the national system pays him for the extra amount.

(Solutions Intermediate - Workbook)

Choose the most suitable heading (A-G) for each paragraph. There are two extra heading you do not need.

Paragraph 1 _____________	A - You can give it a try!
Paragraph 2_____________	B - Providing a good model to follow
Paragraph 3_____________	C - Throw it out - are you sure?
Paragraph 4_____________	D - How to build a green house
Paragraph 5_____________	E - A man of many talents
	F - No bills to pay
	G - Watch your step

He said, “I don’t have much time to talk to you.”

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Kate said, “I will help you carry your luggage.”

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“I am very happy with your results,” Mrs. Green said to us.

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“ I enjoyed the performance yesterday,” Trang said.

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“Many activities will be held to encourage environmental protection,” my teacher said.

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Match each word with its suitable definition.

Every day the environment is further_________by toxic wastes.

Nick told me, “I am going to see my parents next month.”

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Read the passage and complete the following sentences with ONE or TWO words.

Sadly, at a time when we need more forests, trees are being uprooted at an alarming rate. Deforestation is a rapidly growing problem in areas like Africa, Central and South America. Not only does this mean fewer trees, less cleansing oxygen, and the displacement of the wildlife, deforestation means a dangerous decrease in a natural fighter of global warming - the number one threat to our Earth right now. Removing trees also leads to much drier climates, as trees extract groundwater to release into the air.

Our tropical rainforests, which are crucial to stabilizing the climate and to human survival, are being chopped down at a breakneck pace - one and a half acres of rainforest are lost every second. Humans have already chopped down about 50% of the rainforests that once existed on the planet and at the current rate of destruction, we will completely destroy the rainforests in the next 40 years. If rainforests are so important, why are they being destroyed so carelessly? Short-sighted governments and multi-national logging companies only see the forests as a way to make money by selling timber - they don’t consider the long-term effects.

Luckily, deforestation is an issue that we as individuals can combat. By using recycled paper, we can decrease the need to cut down as many trees and by buying goods made with FSC-certified wood, we can show retailers that we don’t want them to support brands that obtain lumber irresponsibly.

1. Trees are being destroyed at an_________, and problem in areas like Africa, Central and South America is deforestation.

They said, “We haven’t been to the bank for a long time.”

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He said, “I don’t understand the teacher’s question.”

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Sulphur dioxide is one of several_________that are released into the atmosphere.

Write a short paragraph (120 - 150 words) about noise pollution.

You can answer the following questions as cues:

• What are the causes of noise pollution?

• What are its consequences?

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