Упражнения: Nature, environment and global issues

Природа, окружающая среда и глобальные проблемы

Have you ever heard of ecotourism? It's become quite popular in recent years. Let's get to know more about it.

Read the article and choose the correct options

Ecotourism

One of the best things people look forward to is their summer holiday. Many of us really want to visit interesting, new places, try something new or unusual, or just relax. I wonder how many tourists are aware of the effect which our holidays and trips have on the places they visit.

Certainly, tourism has many advantages. For instance, meeting interesting people, getting new experiences or investing extra money into the local economy. However, most importantly, we shouldn't forget about the negative effects of tourism. The environment can suffer from tourism business, especially places which are not prepared for holiday travel fans. More and more travellers visit such remote sites, which have started to change because of frequent holidaymakers. Although these changes aren't altogether positive, there is some good news.

Nowadays, we can see a large increase in "ecotourism" . It's a kind of tourism where travellers try to make a beneficial impact on the places which they visit. If this idea appeals to you, then you have a wide range of options: you can contribute to the development of an organic farm in Britain, take part in the Amazon rainforest protection programme or preserve the wildlife in Africa. There is a wide variety of things to do so you can always opt for something you really like. Overall, through ecotourism, you can affect your holiday destination in a positive way.

If you have made up your mind to go on such a holiday, you should definitely find out more about your intended destination. Why not google it? It will give you a lot of useful information as well as some helpful tips on what to wear and how to behave. What's more, it can help prevent you from making stupid mistakes, which reduces the risk of offending or upsetting your hosts. Another good thing to do is to get to know more about the culture and art of the country you're staying in. Listen to some of their ethnic music or read some books about that place. If you know even a little bit about your holiday spot, your vacation can turn out to be really exciting and enjoyable.

Don't forget, it's important to plan your budget. You should always know your spending limit. You can help local people and their economy if you buy food and drinks from them as well as rent an apartment locally. Also, hire a local guide who can tell you many more interesting things about their place than a travel agent. It's a well-known fact that we can be richer in some places and not so in others due to the standard of living and currency exchange rate. Try to always pay a fair price, even if it's a common thing to bargain there. Don't forget that even a very small amount of money, which might be unimportant to you, can make a big difference to the local people.

As an ecotourist, you can have a positive effect on the local environment. One way is pretty simple: don't leave any garbage lying around. You should also use biodegradable products if it's possible. If the place where you travel to has a short supply of water or fuel, try to use them as little as possible. Another important tip is that you shouldn't buy things which are made from endangered plants or animals. If you get the wonderful opportunity to visit an exotic spot like a rainforest, a coral reef or a remote mountain, you should leave it in the same condition as you found it. That way, other visitors who go there afterwards will be able to enjoy this place, too.

According to ecotourism organisations, your respect for the environment, local culture, and of the holiday destinations you visit will make your vacation nicer and more enjoyable. If travellers try to contribute to the local economy, respect the environment, and follow laws, then everyone will be able to experience "ecoholidays" now and into the future.

Where does tourism have a big negative effect?

In countries which aren't ready for a big number of tourists In countries where there are a lot of people who travel on their own In countries which have an effective local economy

What do they mean by the highlighted word "ecotourism" in the article?

To help to save the rainforests To have a positive effect on the environment To help places meet new visitors

What should a tourist do before they take their ecoholidays?

Hire a guide online. Make a detailed plan of what places to visit. Learn about their holiday destination.

How can a holidaymaker contribute to the economy of a country?

Ask for discounts for everything they buy. Buy things and food which are produced by local people. Buy as many expensive foreign brands as possible.

What does the highlighted phrase "can make a big difference to some local people" in the article mean?

We can change their opinions. We can help to protect their local environment. We can help them to have a better quality of life.

Which is true according to ecotourism organisers?

Tourists will have nicer holidays if they think more carefully about the holiday destination and local people. Tourists should make some useful changes to exotic places which they visit. Tourists should make sure local people will be glad to meet them again when they have a vacation.

What is the writer's opinion about ecotourism?

They think it's frustrating. They think it's supportive. They think it's interesting.

Complete the text with the numbers which you think are true. Then check your guesses

Did you know that more than 950,000 1,000,000 2,700,000 plastic bottles are sold in the world every minute? Only 25% 40% 30% of them are recycled in the USA. At the same time, 85% 97% 58% of plastic bottles are recycled in Norway. There's a horrifying fact: it takes 450 300 520 years for a plastic bottle to degrade.

Click to check your guesses

Did you know that more than 1,000,000 plastic bottles are sold in the world every minute? Only 30% of them are recycled in the USA. At the same time, 97% of plastic bottles are recycled in Norway. There's a horrifying fact: it takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to degrade.

It's time to find out how to reuse plastic bottles! Read the article and choose the correct answers

Ways to reuse plastic bottles

Today, plastic bottles have become the most hated rubbish as they fill up landfills and harm the environment. Recycling and switching to more eco-friendly containers are obvious solutions. What's more, there are many different ways to reuse plastic bottles. Let's discuss five of them.

A water sprinkler

Apart from a simple water sprinkler for your home potted plants with holes poked in the cap, you can create a more advanced tool for your entire vegetable and flower garden by making holes in the bottle itself. All you need to do is to insert a hose into the bottle and affix the hose with the help of sealing tape. Turn on the water

tap and see how it works. Isn't it a smart solution for dedicated DIY gardeners?

Snack bowls

Many people like snacking while watching a TV series. It's usually something like crisps or nuts. Here is a great idea on how to create lightweight and stylish bowls for these snacks almost effortlessly. You simply need to cut the bottoms off of plastic bottles. Note that the colourful ones will look especially nice.

If needed, smoothen the edges with wax paper and decorate the bowls. Bon appetit!

A jewellery stand

To make an original jewellery stand, you will also need the bottoms of bottles. Depending on how many things you want to display on your future stand, Take 3–5 bottoms of 1 or 2-litre bottles, run a metal rod through their centres, and firmly secure the bottoms. The lower bottom should be upside down to provide proper

support. If you are feeling artistic, you can paint your new stand. Enjoy!

A bird feeder

This is probably one of the most common ways to reuse plastic bottles. Let's discuss this simple option. Take a 0.5-litre bottle and run pencils through it at different heights so that birds can sit on them. Above each "perch" make a small hole — about 7 mm in diameter — just enough for the seeds not to fall out, but, at the same

time, big enough for birds to easily access them. Additionally, you should make several holes for drainage at the bottom of the feeder. Finally, make two holes in the upper part of the bottle and run a string through them as you'll need to hang the feeder. Very soon, the birds will be singing your praises!

A vertical hanging garden

Using plastic bottles and strings, you can create really amazing vertical hanging gardens. There are different options, but the common principles are to keep the bottle caps to prevent the soil from falling out, make holes at the bottom for drainage, and choose bottles of the same size for a perfect composition. Search for vertical

garden ideas on YouTube and get inspired — find options suitable for your climate and household!

The text discusses

recycling plastic bottles. how to stop using plastic bottles. some ideas for reusing plastic bottles.

According to the text, in your garden, you can use

the same water sprinkler as you use at home. a more complicated sprinkler. a plastic bottle without holes.

The author offers to use wax paper to

keep snacks. remove sharp parts. provide a shiny look.

The described jewellery stand includes bottle bottoms,

a rod, and nuts. caps, and nuts. caps, and a string.

One of the bottoms of the jewellery stand makes it

original. bright. stable.

The optimum size of the hole for a bird to take a seed from it

is 0.7 cm in diameter. is 7 mm in radius. depends on the size of the bottle.

The author suggests that when seeing the feeder, the birds will be

surprised. hungry. happy.

In the paragraph about vertical hanging gardens, the author

gives a perfect universal solution. gives some basics, but we should do the research ourselves. says that they're perfect for warmer climate zones.

SardanaKateSophieMaxGeorgePhilNarrator Sorry, I'm a bit late, guys. I lost track of time, as I got very focused on a project at work. Then there was some sort of strike and I had to take a different route. I feel horrible you've been waiting all this time. Not to worry, we've only just arrived as well. Could you please get me a freshly squeezed orange juice? Sure thing. I'll be right back. Here you go. That was fast. Wow! This is delicious and so refreshing. It would be better without the plastic straws though. To be honest, I kind of like the plastic straw. I think it would taste differently without it. I challenge you to try that. What, now? OK, let's all go green for 30 days? I dare you. We'll do an experiment and commit to being greener for a month. The one who goes greenest will be the winner. Alright then, I'm in. I'll stop using plastic bags and straws. Way to go Sardana! I can start using water bottles and ceramic cups instead of plastic coffee cups. That's the spirit, Max! Sophie, any thoughts in that beautiful head of yours? I'm thinking … shopping. Well, stop thinking. You have to start buying fewer clothes. I can't promise anything, but I'll try. That's a start, and we all know what George can do best out of all of us. I got it, Kate. I'll be the one sorting the waste. I can definitely do that. That leaves one out…Phil, are you up to it? Yes, but how could I go green? How about trying to stop eating meat? Cut down on meat or stop altogether? Come on, Phil, it's only for 30 days. Can't you do without it? Challenge accepted. I love you, guys! It's high time we made some changes! Sophie is happy with her challenge but she's not fond of change. She wants things to stay as they are. What Sophie doesn't know, though, is that very soon, things are quickly about to change for everyone in the gang. And not only for the gang… Click here to listen to the dialogue Lisa shares her experience of going greener. Complete her story by choosing the correct options

A couple of weeks ago, I applied for committed to made it up being greener. I didn't want to force my opinion on anyone or go on strike for a meeting to a break to protest against pollution. First, I decided to focus on my everyday routine, and I started to select rubbish upcycle litter sort the waste . It took some time to learn the colours of recycling bins!

What's more, you know, I can't imagine my morning without a cup of espresso or a glass of newly prepared recently made freshly squeezed juice. However, I stopped using a refined sugar plastic straw special tube with these drinks. Of course, these are small steps, but I'm sure they mean a lot. Oh, it's time for me to go now! Gosh, I can lose track forget a moment waste an amount of time when I speak about going green.

Mia and Paul are on a date. Complete the dialogue with the given phrases I feel horribleAre you up to it?That's the spirit.I dare you!Challenge accepted!It's high time we did it.

Mia: Oh, I'm 20 minutes late. I'm so sorry, but I had an urgent call from my boss. you've been waiting all this time.

Paul: It's OK, please, don't worry. I'm thinking of ordering a big pizza.

Mia: Yes, it's a brilliant idea! By the way, I'm a vegetarian. Do you fancy a four-cheese pizza?

Paul: Why not? It's delicious. How long have you been a vegetarian?

Mia: For about 10 years maybe.

Paul: Wow!

Mia: No, I can't say that it's too difficult.

Paul: So you're a health nut, aren't you? I go jogging in the park every morning. Join if you want!

Mia: Every morning? Um …

Paul: You can do it!

Mia: All right. By the way …

Paul: What?

Mia: We haven't ordered a pizza yet.

Paul: (to the waiter) Excuse me …

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Отзывы

Виктория
Виктория
12 апреля 2023
Учусь в Skyeng уже полгода, в последнее время стала довольно быстро расправляться с домашками, так что раздел с бесплатными заданиями очень помогает не скучать между уроками. Занимаюсь английским практически каждый день.
Станислав
Станислав
01 мая 2023
Спасибо за бесплатные задания. Кажется, у меня наконец получилось разобраться, в чем разница между прошедшими временами. Мучился с этой темой еще со школы.
Карина
Карина
15 апреля 2023
Удобно, что можно делать упражнения с телефона, помогает скоротать время в дороге, да еще и с пользой.

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