UNIT 6

ENVIRONMENT
LISTENING 1
PREPARING TO LISTEN
1. You are going to listen to a lecture about habitat destruction. Before you listen, read the text
and match the words in bold (1–6) to the definitions (a–f).

a the protection of plants, animals and natural areas [1]

b a group of animals or plants that have similar characteristics [4]
c unwanted matter or material [5]
d on or related to land by the sea or ocean [2]
e the action of destroying something [3]
f things that can be used to help you [6]
2. Look at sentences (1–6) and (a–f). Which set expresses main ideas? Which set expresses
details?
 Set express main idea:
1 Planet Earth is dynamic and always changing.
2 Sometimes natural forces can destroy the environment.
3 However, humans are also responsible for a lot of habitat destruction.
4 Humans haven’t only affected the land and its animals, they have also affected the sea.
5 One other animal that is as at home in the city and in the countryside is the squirrel.
6 Not everyone feels that ecotourism is actually helping the environment.
 Set express details:
a Pollution from coastal cities has damaged the ocean.
b In Europe, only about 15% of land hasn’t been modified by humans.
c 10,000 years ago, about half of the planet was covered in ice.
d In 1991, a volcano in the Philippines erupted and killed many people and animals.
e the action of destroying something.
f things that can be used to help you.
3. Match the main ideas in Exercise 2 to the details that support them.
1 Planet Earth is dynamic and always changing.
= c 10,000 years ago, about half of the planet was covered in ice.
2 Sometimes natural forces can destroy the environment.
 = d In 1991, a volcano in the Philippines erupted and killed many people and animals.
3 However, humans are also responsible for a lot of habitat destruction.
= b In Europe, only about 15% of land hasn’t been modified by humans.
4 Humans haven’t only affected the land and its animals, they have also affected the sea.
= a Pollution from coastal cities has damaged the ocean.
5 One other animal that is as at home in the city and in the countryside is the squirrel.
= f things that can be used to help you.
6 Not everyone feels that ecotourism is actually helping the environment.
= e the action of destroying something.

WHILE LISTENING
4. 6.1 Listen to the lecture and check your answers.
5. 6.1 Listen to the lecture again and complete the notes.

= 1). 10.000 6). Stealing food

2). Rainforest 7). Wildlife
3). Habitat destruction 8). Tribes who live
4). 160.000 9). Conservationist
5). Africa and Asia 10). Pollution

POST-LISTENING
6. Choose the statement (a–c) that best matches the lecturer’s opinion.
1 ‘Part of this environmental change is due to natural, rather than human causes.’
a Natural causes result in some environmental change.
b Natural causes result in most environmental change.
 c Human causes result in most environmental change.
2 ‘Habitat destruction hasn’t been bad news for all animals.’
a The destruction of animal habitats is always a bad thing.
b The destruction of animal habitats is not necessarily negative.
c The destruction of animal habitats is inevitable.
3 ‘We tend to think of human activity as always having a negative impact on the environment.’
a It’s common to think that humans only negatively affect the environment.
b It’s wrong to think that humans only negatively affect the environment.
c It’s correct to think that humans only negatively affect the environment.

PRONUNCIATION FOR LISTENING

SENTENCE STRESS
7. 6.2 In English, stressing different words can change the meaning or the focus of a sentence.
Listen to the sentences and underline the word with the main stress. The first two are done for
you.
1. Sometimes, natural forces destroy animal habitats …
2. Sometimes, natural forces destroy animal habitats …
3. Humans have changed the Earth …
4. Humans have changed the Earth …
5. Humans have changed the Earth …
6. Humans have changed the Earth …

8. Based on the stress in Exercise 7, match the sentence halves.

a. Humans have changed the Earth but animals haven’t changed it too much.
b. Humans have changed the Earth but most of the time they don’t.
c. Humans have changed the Earth but they haven’t changed the Moon.
d. Humans have changed the Earth and you can’t say that we haven’t.
e. Sometimes, natural forces destroy animal habitats rather than humans.
f. Sometimes, natural forces destroy animal habitats and in some cases we’ve improved
it.

DISCUSSION
10. Work with your group. Discuss the questions.
1. How have people changed the habitats of the country you live in?
= These people changed it by cutting down trees in the forest without thinking about the survival
of the animals that live in the forest. They are not good at processing what already exists and
only exploit resources for their survival.
2. Think of an environment you know. Which animals live there naturally? Do any animals live
there that are originally from somewhere else?
= Bantimurung National Park. These are many animals that live naturally such as the Sulawesi
black monkey (Macaca maura), bats, cuscus, Sulawesi civet, several types of tarsiers, and
Sulawesi hornbill. None of these animals came from anywhere else
3. Have humans had an impact on the environment where you live? If so, how?
= Yes, they have. This refers to changes in the biophysical environment, ecosystems,
biodiversity, and natural resources caused by humans, whether intentional or not. The severe
effects of all of this are global warming, environmental degradation, mass extinctions, and loss
of biodiversity.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
1. Match the headings (1–5) to the complex prepositions (a–e).
1 making an exception 4 including
2 giving a source 5 giving a reason
3 giving another option

2) giving a 5) giving a 1) making an 4) including 3) giving another

source reason exception option
according to owing to apart from together with rather than
base on due to except for as well as instead of

2. Circle the correct preposition to complete the sentence.

1. Based on / Apart from research that I carried out in Ethiopia, I can conclude that the
destruction of deserts can be reversed.
2. Visitors rarely go to the research station according to / due to its extremely remote
location.
3. According to / Rather than the Economist magazine, share prices fell sharply last
month.
4. The engineers decided to use solar power owing to / instead of a conventional battery.
5. The doctors used strong medication as well as / except for lots of liquid to cure the
patients.
6. The phone is assembled almost entirely by machines, instead of / except for the outer
case.
VERBS TO DESCRIBE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
3. Match words (1–8) to the correct definitions (a–h).
1 adapt = [f to change something to suit different conditions or uses]
2 affect = [g to have an influence on something]
3 decline = [d to gradually become less, worse or lower]
4 exploit = [h to use something for an advantage]
5 extract = [b to remove or take out something]
6 impact = [a to strongly affect something]
7 occur = [c to happen]
8 survive = [e to continue to live or exist]

4. Complete the sentences with the words in the box.

1. Foxes have adapted to living in cities.

2. Extinct species could have survived if more care was taken to protect them.
3. The number of wild squirrels in the UK has declined over many years.
4. Resources have been extracted from endangered habitats without destroying them.
5. Humans have affected negatively on the environment by destroying forests.
6. Animals are exploited by changes in their habitat.
7. Once squirrel populations impacted naturally in the forests of the UK, but now they live
mainly in urban areas.
8. Urban foxes have occurred the new habitat that they find themselves
LISTENING 2
PREPARING TO LISTEN
1. You are going to listen to a talk about desert habitats. Before you listen, read the sentences and
match the words in bold (1–8) to the definitions (a–h).
1. 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water.
= f the outer layer or top part of something
2. The annual number of dust storms in dry regions has increased.
= e strong winds carrying lots of fine sand
3. Minerals occur naturally in the Earth’s surface.
= c a valuable or useful substance naturally found in the earth
4. Diamonds are the hardest naturally occurring substance on Earth.
= d very hard, valuable stones
5. Copper is important because it is used in electricity wires.
= g a reddish-brown metal, used for making wires and coins
6. It is difficult to find a good source of oil.
= h the place something comes from or starts at
7. The price of coal, oil and natural gas is increasing.
= b fuel in a form like air used for heating or cooking
8. The mining industry is reliant on the existence of desert environments.
= a the industry or activity of removing substances from the ground by digging

WHILE LISTENING
2. 6.3 Listen to the talk and choose the correct answers (a–d). (The correct answer in bold)
1. Which two environments does the speaker talk about?
a the desert b the ocean
c cities d the countryside
2. Which two living things does the speaker talk about the survival of?
a insects b humans
c plants d animals
3. Which two things will happen if the desert is destroyed?
a The soil will become saltier and plants will die.
b The whole world will get hotter.
c There will be more dirt and dust in the air.
d We will lose the acacia tree as a food source.
3. 6.3 Listen to the talk again. Number the facts in the order you hear them.
a Water for agriculture can make desert soil too salty. [6]
b Computer technology can forecast how climate change will affect deserts. [7]
c The Earth’s deserts cover 33.7 million square kilometers. [1]
d Solar energy can be used to produce water in deserts. [8]
 e The Topnaar people have deep understanding of the natural world. [2]
f Deserts provide many of the world’s minerals and metals. [3]
g There are 2,200 desert plant species in Saudi Arabia. [5]
h Desert surface temperatures in summer can reach 80 degrees [4]

POST-LISTENING
4. Match the parts of a presentation (1–3) to the sentences from the talk (a–c).
1 giving background information
2 explaining a problem
3 offering a solution
a. The United Nations reports in their online publication ‘Global Deserts Outlook’, that the
Earth’s deserts take up about 33.7 million square kilometres, or 25% of the Earth’s surface.
= 1. giving background information
b. The problem is that human activity is affecting deserts all over the world. According to the
United Nations, traditional ways of life are changing as human activities such as cattle ranching,
farming and large-scale tourism grow.
= 2. explaining a problem
c. The UN gives the example of using the latest computer technology to forecast how climate
change will affect deserts and to use that information to prepare for changes.
= 3. offering a solution

5. Read the three details below. Which part of the talk in Exercise 4 (1–3) do they come from?
a. According to a blog called ‘A Smarter Planet’, scientists in Saudi Arabia are using solar
energy to produce fresh water in the desert.
= from the part c in exercise 4
b. Data from the United Nations shows that every year, nearly 2% of healthy desert disappears.
= from the part a in exercise 4
c. ‘Global Deserts Outlook’ says that tribes such as the Topnaar, in Southwestern Africa, are
known for their ability to survive in the desert because of their deep understanding of the natural
world.
= from the part b in exercise 4

DISCUSSION
6. Work with your group. Discuss the questions.
1 What natural habitats exist in your country?
= Natural Habitat of Timor Deer (Cervus Timorensis) Timor deer originating from the island of
Java.
2 What human activities take place in those habitats?
= Preserving the Natural Habitat of the Timor Deer (Cervus Timorensis) and protecting it.
3 Do you use any products or foods that come from those habitats?
= No, we don’t.