ENVIRONMENT

 air quality: the cleanliness of the air we [Link] to the opening of a new factory
nearby, the air quality here went down.
 bio-diversity: a diversity in nature, among plants and [Link], we suffer
the loss of bio-diversity.
 endangered species: a category of animals or plans that might become [Link]
rhinos are endangered species. There are only 5 white rhinos left in the world.
 environmentally friendly: products that do not harm the environment.I try to use
only environmentally friendly goods in order to preserve the nature.
 exhaust fumes: gases, ejected from an engine as waste products.I bought an electric
car to avoid producing exhaust fumes when I drive.
 fossil fuels: energy resources like gas and [Link] is one of the most well-known fossil
fuels.
 global warming: an increase in temperature all-over the world, as a result of
greenhouse [Link] worming is a very serious problem that our society is
dealing with.
 greenhouse effect: heating of the atmosphere due to the carbon dioxide and other
[Link] effect causes global warming.
 melting of glaciers: the process of icebergs' [Link] of glaciers increases the
sea-level.
 natural disaster: an event like an earthquake, hurricane etc.I experienced a natural
disaster in the form of an earthquake last year.
 paper recycling: the processes of reprocessing waste paper for [Link] was found
that paper recycling causes 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution than
making virgin paper.
 poacher: one who kills or takes wild animals [Link] is considered a
violation of hunting rules and impedes wildlife conservation.
 toxic waste: poisonous rubbish, produced by industrial [Link] factories in
my city dump toxic waste into rivers and lakes.
 to become extinct: to no longer exist
 to be under threat: to be in danger of becoming extinct
 climate change: the change in worldwide weather patterns
 to die out: see ‘to become extinct’
 energy conservation: the careful management of energy resources to ensure they last
as long as possible
 flash floods: floods that happen quickly
 fossil fuels: energy resources like gas and oil that are produced deep below the ground
over millions of years
 future generations: the people who live after us
 to get back to nature: to live a life that is closer to nature
 heavy industry: the manufacture of heavy articles and materials in large numbers
 humanitarian aid: the act of showing support to people struggling to survive
 impact on: the effect on
 loss of habitat: the decline in areas of land where animals and plants would normally
exist
 man-made disaster: widespread damage or loss of life brought about by the action of
humans
 natural environment: the place where animals and plants would normally be found in
nature
 the natural world: the world of nature
 oil spill: waste usually deposited in the seas and oceans after an accident at sea
 poaching: to hunt and kill wild animals illegally
 pollution levels: the amount of toxic waste
 pressure group: a group of people who try to raise awareness of issues and try to
affect the views and actions of people and organisations
 wildlife conservation: to protect animals and plants and their habitats
Useful phrases:

 to become extinct: to stop [Link] became extinct may centuries ago.

 to be under threat: to be in danger of becoming [Link] Rhinos are under the
threat of becoming extinct.
 to dry up: to have all the water drained [Link] small river in my hometown dried
up this summer due to the enormous heat.
 to get back to nature: live a life that is closer to [Link] friend decided to leave
his boring job and move to the countryside to get back to nature.
 to litter: to throw rubbish in inappropriate places.I always try to find a garbage bin to
throw my trash in. I don't like to litter.

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.