UNIT 2: HUMANS AND ENVIRONMENT

I.       TÓM TẮT LÝ THUYẾT

1.        Nội dung

Pronunciation: Consonant blends: /k!/, /pl/ /gr/, and /pr/

Vocabulary: Words and phrases related to human activities and the environment

Grammar: The future with will and be going to; Passive voice

Reading: Reading for main ideas and specific information in a text about green living

II.   BÀI TẬP ÁP DỤNG

Getting Started

Listen and read

Mike:   What are you going to do this weekend, Nam?

Nam:    I’m going to attend the first meeting of my school’s Go Green Club.

Mike:   Really? Can you tell me about the club, please?

Nam:    Well, it was set up by the Youth Union in my school. Its aim is to improve       our environment and encourage people to adopt a greener lifestyle.

Mike:   Sounds interesting. What’s the first thing you are going to do?

Nam:    We’re going to clean up the school right after the ceremony.

Mike:   Do you have any other planned events?

Nam:    Not yet, but I think we’ll organise more activities to raise local people’s       awareness of environmental issues.

Mike:   I’m keen to reduce my carbon footprint, but I don’t know what to do. Can I    join the club?

Nam:    Sure. The club welcomes all students in the area. I hope we’ll be able to do     a lot to protect our environment.

Mike:   Great. Can you please give me the time and place of the club meeting?

Nam:    OK. I’ll text them to you. See you then.

Read the conversation again and answer the following questions.

1. Who set up the Go Green Club?

2. What does the club want to achieve?

3. What does Nam think the club will do in the future?

Match the verbs or phrasal verbs in A with suitable nouns or noun phrases in B.

Complete the following sentences based on the conversation in 1.

1. The club ________ by the Youth Union in Nam’s school.

2. The club members ________ clean up the school right after the ceremony.

3. Nam thinks they ________ organise more activities to raise local people’s awareness of environmental issues.

Từ vựng

1. humans (n): nhân loại, con người
 eg: Dogs can hear much better than humans.

2. club /klʌb/ (n): câu lạc bộ
 eg: Grandad is a member of the bowling club.

3. go green (v): sống xanh
 eg: To go green, he has installed solar powered cell sites in various locations.

4. Youth Union /ˌjuːθ ˈjuːniən/ (n): Đoàn thanh niên
 eg: The Youth Union will hold voluntary activities in my town.

5. aim /eɪm/ (v): đặt mục tiêu, hướng đến
 eg: The training program aims at raising employees’ awareness about human rights.

6. improve /ɪmˈpruːv/ (v): cải thiện
 eg: I hope my French will improve when I go to France.

7. environment /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ (n): môi trường
 eg: The government should do more to protect the environment.

8. encourage /ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ/ (v): khuyến khích
 eg: My parents have always encouraged me in my choice of career.

9. lifestyle /ˈlaɪfstaɪl/ (n): đời sống, cách sống
 eg: Many people are trying to adopt a healthy lifestyle these days.

10. ceremony /ˈserəməni/ (n): lễ kỉ niệm
 eg: The ceremony will be held in the school hall next week.

11. event /ɪˈvent/ (n): sự kiện
 eg: They are planning a big event to celebrate Earth Day.

12. clean up /kliːn ʌp/ (phr.v): dọn dẹp
 eg: Volunteers helped clean up the park after the festival.

13. organise /ˈɔːgənaɪz/ (v): tổ chức
 eg: The students organised a charity fair for poor children.

14. raise /reɪz/ (v): nâng cao
 eg: The campaign aims to raise awareness about plastic pollution.

15. awareness /əˈweənəs/ (n): nhận thức
 eg: Environmental awareness is increasing among young people.

16. issue /ˈɪʃuː/ (n): vấn đề
 eg: Climate change is one of the biggest issues we face today.

17. reduce /rɪˈdjuːs/ (v): cắt giảm
 eg: We should reduce the amount of plastic we use every day.

18. carbon footprint /ˌkɑːbən ˈfʊtprɪnt/ (n.phr): lượng khí thải cacbon
 eg: Taking public transport can help reduce your carbon footprint.

19. protect /prəˈtekt/ (v): bảo vệ
 eg: Everyone should take action to protect the environment.

Language

Pronunciation

a. Listen and repeat. Pay attention to the consonant blends /kl/, /pl/, /gr/, and /pr/.

b. Listen and practise saying the following sentences.

1. The club members will clean up all the classrooms.

2. We are pleased that we created an interesting plot for the school play.

3. Our group will make the playground green again.

4. The students are practicing their presentation on environmental protection.

Vocabulary

a. Match the words and phrases to their meanings.

b. Complete the sentences using the words and phrases in a.

1.    _________ car models always attract great attention at exhibitions.

2.    Remember to turn off your _________ when they are not used.

3.    Small changes in your daily habits can help reduce the _________ your       produce.

4.    One of the most important sources of _________ is the sun.

5.    Students are reminded to pick up _________ that they see on the ground.

Grammar

a. Complete the following sentences with will or the correct forms of be going to.

1.    I don’t think she ________ come tonight. She has to revise for her exam       tomorrow.

2.    We have already made the decision. We ________ buy a new house next month.

3.   I’m sure she ________ pass the final exam.

4.    Look at the sun. It ________ be a beautiful day.

5.    I forgot to phone Dad. I ________ do it right after lunch.

b. Rewrite the following sentences using the passive voice. Begin each sentence as shown.

1.    More and more people adopt a green lifestyle.

      A green lifestyle ___________________________________________.

2.    The students didn’t put the rubbish in the bins after the party yesterday.

      The rubbish _______________________________________________.

3.    We will plant more trees in the neighborhood.

      More trees ________________________________________________.

4.    Our club is going to organise a lot of clean-up activities this weekend.

      A lot of clean-up activities ___________________________________.

5.    They discussed important environmental issues at the meeting.

      Important environmental issues _______________________________.

Từ vựng

1. plot /plɒt/ (n): cốt truyện
 eg: We are pleased that we created an interesting plot for the school play.

2. playground /ˈpleɪɡraʊnd/ (n): sân chơi
 eg: Our group will make the playground green again.

3. environmental protection /ɪnˌvaɪərənˈmɛntl prəˈtɛkʃən/ (n.phr): bảo vệ môi trường
 eg: The students are practicing their presentation on environmental protection.

4. household appliances /ˈhaʊshəʊld əˈplaɪənsɪz/ (n.phr): đồ dùng gia đình
 eg: What materials are used for household appliances?

5. eco-friendly /ˈiːkəʊ ˈfrendli/ (adj): thân thiện với môi trường
 eg: Eco-friendly building materials will help you save money and the Earth.

6. produce /prəˈdjuːs/ (v): tạo ra
 eg: The amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is produced by the activities of a person or an organization.

7. litter /ˈlɪtə(r)/ (v): vứt rác
 eg: Stop dropping litter on the street.

8. harm /hɑːm/ (v): gây hại
 eg: It can harm the environment.

9. device /dɪˈvaɪs/ (n): thiết bị
 eg: Smartphone is a necessary device.

10. driving machine /ˈdraɪvɪŋ məˈʃiːn/ (n): máy lái xe
 eg: Can you name some driving machines?

11. attract /əˈtrækt/ (v): gây được sự chú ý
 eg: Car models always attract great attention at exhibitions.

12. turn off /tɜːn ɒf/ (phr.v): tắt
 eg: Remember to turn off your devices when they are not used.

13. reduce /rɪˈdjuːs/ (v): giảm
 eg: Small changes in your daily habits can help reduce wasting electricity.

14. be reminded to do something /biː rɪˈmaɪndɪd tuː duː ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ (v.phr): được nhắc nhở làm gì
 eg: Students are reminded to pick up garbage on their own.

15. revise for /rɪˈvaɪz fɔː/ (phr.v): ôn tập
 eg: She has to revise for her exam tomorrow.

16. make the decision /meɪk ðə dɪˈsɪʒən/ (v.phr): đưa ra quyết định
 eg: We have already made the decision.

17. plant /plɑːnt/ (v): trồng
 eg: We will plant more trees in our neighborhood.

Reading

Work in groups. Look at the pictures and answer the questions.

Which pictures show a green lifestyle? Why?

Read the following text and choose the best title for it.

1. Green living 

2. Green issues 

3. Green products

More and more people adopt a green lifestyle. It is a choice we make to change to a greener and more sustainable lifestyle. There are many things you can do to become an eco-friendly person. Here are some of them.

Turning off your appliances when they are not in use

This is one of the easiest ways to save energy and reduce your carbon footprint. It also helps reduce energy bills and prevent any dangerous situations such as a fire or an explosion.

Buying products that are grown using more natural organic methods

This helps reduce the use of harmful chemicals in food. Organic food is better for us because it is safer and healthier. It also tastes better.

Cutting down on plastic use

This really helps the environment because it takes many years for plastic waste to break down into small pieces. Bring a reusable bag when you go shopping, and your own refillable bottle instead of buying bottled water.

Recycling as much as possible

This prevents pollution because it reduces the need to collect new raw materials and protects natural resources such as water and trees. So don’t throw away your used household items, but sort and recycle them.

Circle the correct meanings of the highlighted words and phrases in the text.

1. sustainable 

a. causing little or no damage to the environment 

b. bringing no benefits to the environment 

2. organic 

a. without the use of animal organs 

b. without the use of chemicals 

3. cutting down on 

a. reducing 

b. reusing 

4. natural resources 

a. materials supporting life 

b. materials harmful to life 

Read the text again and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. Green living is now compulsory for many people.                         ___

2. Turning off electrical appliances is an easy way to save energy.     ___

3. It takes a long time for plastic waste to break down.                      ___

4. The use of refillable water bottles is not encouraged.                     ___

Work in pairs. Discuss the following question.

In your opinion, which of the suggestions in the text is the easiest way to live green?

Từ vựng

1. lifestyle /ˈlaɪfstaɪl/ (n): lối sống
eg: More and more people adopt a green lifestyle.

2. sustainable /səˈsteɪnəbl/ (adj): bền vững
eg: We choose to change to a greener and more sustainable lifestyle.

3. prevent /prɪˈvent/ (v): ngăn ngừa
eg: It also helps reduce energy bills and prevent any dangerous situations such as a fire or an explosion.

4. natural and organic /ˈnæʧrəl ænd ɔːˈgænɪk/ (adj): tự nhiên và hữu cơ
eg: Buying products that are grown using more natural and organic methods is good for our health.

5. chemical /ˈkemɪkl/ (n): chất độc hại
eg: This helps reduce the use of harmful chemicals in food.

6. cut down /kʌt daʊn/ (phr.v): cắt giảm
eg: Cut down on plastic use.

7. break down /breɪk daʊn/ (phr.v): phân hủy
eg: This really helps the environment because it takes many years for plastic waste to break down into small pieces.

8. refillable /ˌriːˈfɪləbl/ (adj): có thể đổ đầy
eg: Bring a reusable bag when you go shopping, and your own refillable bottle instead of buying bottled water.

9. recycle /ˌriːˈsaɪkl/ (v): tái chế
eg: Recycle as much as possible.

10. raw material /rɔː məˈtɪərɪəl/ (n.phr): nguyên liệu thô
eg: This prevents pollution because it reduces the need to collect new raw materials and protects natural resources such as water and trees.

11. throw away /θrəʊ əˈweɪ/ (phr.v): vứt
eg: So don’t throw away your used household items, but sort and recycle them.

12. compulsory /kəmˈpʌlsəri/ (adj): bắt buộc
eg: Green living is now compulsory for many people.

13. electrical appliance /ɪˈlektrɪkl əˈplaɪəns/ (n.phr): thiết bị điện
eg: Turning off electrical appliances is an easy way to save energy.

Speaking

Which of the following activities do you think teenagers should or shouldn’t do to live green? Put a tick (✓) in the appropriate column.

                                                                                Should                                                                                 Shouldn’t

The table below presents the reasons why teenagers should or shouldn’t do the activities in 1. Work in pairs and match them with the activities.

Work in groups. Discuss and present your ideas about what you should or shouldn’t do to live green.

Từ vựng

1. teenager /ˈtiːneɪdʒə(r)/ (n): thanh thiếu niên
eg: Which of the following activities do you think teenagers should or shouldn’t do to live green?

2. dirty /ˈdɜːti/ (adj): bẩn thỉu
eg: This makes the street dirty and polluted.

3. waste /weɪst/ (v, n): gây lãng phí; chất thải
eg: This wastes electricity and creates dangerous situations.

4. shade /ʃeɪd/ (n): bóng râm
eg: Trees provide shade and fresh air.

Listening

Work in pairs. Look at the picture and answer the questions.

What are they doing? Why?

Listen to an announcement about a Go Green Weekend event and decide whether the following statements are true (T) or false (F).

1. At the club meeting, the speaker only talks about the teams and activities.

2. The Clean-up Team will pick up rubbish in the central market.

3. Both students and local people will take part in the event.

4. A report of the event will be produced by the Media Team.

Listen again and complete each gap in the table with ONE word from the recording.

Clean-up Team

Clean the central 1) ________

Pick up rubbish, bottles, and 2) _______ bags

Water small trees and flowers

Donation Team

Collect used items

3) the items and put them into the correct bags

Media Team

4) ___________ photos of the event on the club’s website

Make 5) ________ for the club’s future activities

Work in groups. Discuss the following question.

If you have to organise a green event in your area, what will you do?

Từ vựng

1. announcement /əˈnaʊnsmənt/ (n): thông báo
eg: I have a big announcement for you today.

2. pick up /pɪk ʌp/ (phr.v): nhặt rác
eg: The Clean-up Team will pick up rubbish in the central market.

3. take part in /teɪk pɑːt ɪn/ (v.phr): tham gia
eg: Both students and local people will take part in this charity event.

4. water /ˈwɔːtə(r)/ (v): tưới nước
eg: Water small trees and flowers.

Writing

Work in pairs. Match the suggestions for improving the environment with their expected results.

Suggestions

1. Cleaning up regularly (e.g. organizing clean-up activities at weekends)

2. Planting more trees (e.g. encouraging students to plant trees or flowers in their school)

3. Setting up more rubbish bins (e.g. putting more rubbish bins in public places such as parks or bus stations)

Expected results

a.    This reduces CO2 and makes the air clean.

b.    This makes the waste collection easier.

c.    This keeps the environment clean and makes it safe for everyone.

Read the incomplete paragraph about ways to improve the environment. Fill in the blanks with the words and phrases from the box.

First                                   In conclusion                   For example

There are three things we can do to improve the environment in our school. 1) _______, we should clean up all areas regularly. 2) _______, we can organise clean-up activities at weekends. By doing this, we can keep our environment clean, beautiful, and safe for everyone. 3) _______, we can improve the environment in our school in many ways and even small actions can make a big difference.

Add two more suggestions to improve the environment in your school to the paragraph in 2. Use the ideas in 1 to help you.

Từ vựng

1. waste collection /weɪst kəˈlɛkʃən/ (n.phr): thu gom chất thải
eg: This makes the waste collection easier.

2. suggestion /səˈdʒestʃən/ (n): đề xuất
eg: Write about suggestions for improving the environment.

3. safe for /seɪf fɔː/ (adj.phr): an toàn
eg: By doing this, we can keep our environment clean, beautiful, and safe for everyone.

4. action /ˈækʃn/ (n): hành động
eg: We can improve the environment in our school in many ways and even small actions can make a big difference.

Communication and Culture / CLIL

Everyday English

a. Listen and complete the conversation with the expressions in the box. Then practise it in pairs.

Lan:   I was asked to give a presentation on climate change next week. 1) __________, Mai?

Mai:   (2) __________ search for information about the topic on the internet.

Lan:   (3) __________ also read books in the library?

Mai:   That’s a good idea. (4) __________ to collect information from different                           sources. Then you can decide what to include in the presentation.

A. You should

B. What should I do

C. I advise you

D. Should I

b. Work in pairs. Make similar conversations asking for and giving advice about green living. Use the expressions below to help you.

Useful expressions

Asking for advice

What should I do

What do you advise me to do?

Do you have any suggestions for me?

What would you do if you were me?

Can you give me some advice about …?

Giving advice

I think you should …

I advise you to …

How about …

If I were you, I would …

My advice would be to …

Culture

a. Read the text and complete the table.

A carbon footprint is the total amount of CO2 produced by human activities. It often also includes the emissions of other greenhouse gasses. Although calculating your carbon footprint can be difficult, you can still estimate it based on how big your family is, how much electricity your appliances use, how much you drive or fly, or how much you recycle.

Globally, the average carbon footprint per person is more than 4 tons per year. Too much CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere can cause serious problems. It can lead to increasing global temperatures and air pollution, and destroy the natural world.

It’s not difficult to reduce your carbon footprint. You can do it by making your daily activities eco-friendly. For example, you can take shorter showers. The less hot water you use, the less energy is needed to heat the water. Instead of using your personal car or motorbike, you should use public transport, walk or cycle as much as possible.

These simple activities can help reduce your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment.

Carbon footprint

Definition

Carbon footprint is:

– the total amount of 1) ________ produced by human activities

– emissions of other greenhouse gasses

Effects of large carbon footprint

– increasing 2) ________ and air pollution

– destroying the natural world

Ways to reduce it

Make your daily activities eco-friendly by:

– taking shorter 3) ________

– using 4) ________, walking or cycling

b. Work in pairs. Discuss things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

Từ vựng

1. advise /ədˈvaɪz/ (v): khuyên
 eg: What do you advise me to do?

2. climate change /ˈklaɪmət tʃeɪndʒ/ (n.phr): biến đổi khí hậu
 eg: I was asked to give a presentation on climate change next week.

3. collect information /kəˈlɛkt ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃən/ (v.phr): thu thập thông tin
 eg: How do you collect information?

4. emissions /ɪˈmɪʃənz/ (n): phát thải
 eg: It often also includes the emissions of other greenhouse gases.

5. calculate /ˈkælkjuleɪt/ (v): tính toán
 eg: Although calculating your carbon footprint can be difficult, you can still estimate it based on how big your family is, how much electricity your appliances use, how much you drive or fly, or how much you recycle.

6. global temperatures /ˈgləʊbəl ˈtɛmprɪʧəz/ (n.phr): nhiệt độ toàn cầu
 eg: It can lead to increasing global temperatures and air pollution, and destroy the natural world.

7. heat /hiːt/ (v): làm nóng
 eg: The less hot water you use, the less energy is needed to heat the water.

8. public transport /ˈpʌblɪk ˈtrænspɔːt/ (n.phr): phương tiện công cộng
 eg: Instead of using your personal car or motorbike, you should use public transport, walk or cycle as much as possible.

9. impact /ˈɪmpækt/ (n): sự tác động
 eg: These simple activities can help reduce your carbon footprint and your impact on the environment.

10. take shower /teɪk ˈʃaʊə/ (v.phr): tắm
 eg: For example, you can take shorter showers.

11. destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/ (v): hủy hoại
 eg: The natural world is destroyed by human activities.

Looking back

Pronunciation

Listen and underline the words with the consonant blends /kl/, /pl/, /gr/ or /pr/. Then practise reading the sentences.

1. The professor is proud of the results of our project.

2. Grass is growing on the ground.

3. Those toy planes are made of plastic.

4. Click the button to become a member of the club.

Vocabulary

Complete the sentences. Use the words and phrases in the box.

appliances                        green lifestyle

carbon footprint               eco-friendly

1. More people adopt a ______________.

2. You should cut down on electricity usage to reduce your ______________.

3. Many modern houses today are built from ______________ materials.

4. Modern household ______________ make housework much easier.

Grammar

Choose the best answers.

1. Wind energy is used / use to produce electricity.

2. More trees are planted / plant around the school.

3. I’m sure you are going to pass / will pass your driving test. Don’t worry.

4. Mai has won the first prize in the speaking contest. – Really? I will / am going to phone her to give her my congratulations.

5. My parents have made their holiday plans. They will / are going to travel to the south of the country.

6. Do you hear the thunder? It is going to rain / will rain heavily.

Từ vựng

1. professor /prəˈfesə(r)/ (n): giáo sư
 eg: The professor is proud of the results of our project.

2. modern household /ˈmɒdən ˈhaʊshəʊld/ (n.phr): hộ gia đình hiện đại
 eg: Modern households make housework much easier.

3. thunder /ˈθʌndə(r)/ (n): tiếng sấm
 eg: Do you hear the thunder?

4. prize /praɪz/ (n): giải
 eg: Mal has won the first prize in the speaking contest.

5. driving test /ˈdraɪvɪŋ test/ (n.phr): kiểm tra lái xe
 eg: I’m sure you will pass your driving test.

6. congratulation /kənˌɡrætʃəˈleɪʃn/ (n): chúc mừng
 eg: Really? I will phone her to give her my congratulations.

7. be made of /biː meɪd ɒv/ (v.phr): được làm bằng
 eg: Those toy planes are made of plastic.

8. wind energy /wɪnd ˈɛnəʤi/ (n.phr): năng lượng gió
 eg: Wind energy is used to produce electricity.

Project

Work in groups. Make a plan for a Go Green Weekend event. Think of activities that you can organise during the weekend. You should also provide the reasons and expected results of each activity you suggest.

Present your plan to the class. Your presentation should include the following:

GO GREEN WEEKEND

Activity                                  Time                                Place

Picking up litter                     Sunday morning              City park

Reason

The park is dirty because many people drop litter on the paths

Expected result

It will make the part cleaner and more beautiful