UNIT 4: Our planet

4A. Vocabulary
• Weather
I. Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.
1. They couldn’t get out of the house because there was so much mist / snow /
frost in front of the door
2. Let’s go out for a walk - it’s really warm now and the storm / snow / sun is
shining.
3. Oh, no! Look at those clouds / rain / storms! I hope you brought your
umbrella with you.
4. In the winter, people love watching showers / snowflakes / winds fall. It’s
amazing that each one is different.
5. I don’t mind wet weather because I like watching raindrops / snowflakes /
floods run down the window.
6. I prefer a shower / wind / snowflake to heavy rains because I know it won’t
last long.
7. I’m scared of showers / rain / thunder because of the loud noise.
8. Be careful going for a walk in the winter or you may slip on rain / mist / ice.
II. Choose the correct answers to complete the sentences.
1. I love flying my kite when it’s icy / misty / windy.
2. Children can play out in sunny / snowy / cloudy weather if they are wearing
warm clothes.
3. It was difficult to see in the misty / windy / sunny weather, but then he
noticed her walking towards him.
4. This morning everyone felt very cold in the cloudy / frosty / sunny weather.
5. People have to drive very slowly in icy / foggy / sunny weather because they
can’t see where they’re going.
6. When it’s cloudy / sunny / frosty, you should carry a raincoat or an
umbrella.
7. It was a cloudy / windy / stormy night with rain and very strong winds. I
didn’t sleep at all.
8. The pavements are very frosty / icy / snowy so be careful not to slip.

• Describing temperature
III. Write the adjective below next to the temperatures.
freezing cold mild below zero
sweltering warm hot cool
1. 25 ° C _______warm______________
2. 10 °C _______cool______________
3. 45 °C ______sweltering_______________
4. 37 °C ______hot_______________
5. 18 °C _________mild____________
6. 0 °C ______freezing_______________
7. -4 °C ______below zero_______________
8. 3 °C ______cold_______________
• Natural disasters
IV. Match the natural disasters to their definitions.
drought mudslide flood avalanche epidemic
famine forest fire earthquake tornado tsunami
1. A dry climate in a wooded area may cause this. _forest_fire____
2. It is an extreme violent storm consisting of air tornado
that spins very quickly and causes a lot of
damage.
3. A large number of cases of a disease that __epidemic_______________
happen at the same time will cause this. _
4. It is a very large wave, caused by extreme ____tsunami______________
conditions such as an earthquake which can cause
a lot of damage when it reaches land.
5. This happens when a lot of wet earth suddenly _____mudslide____________
falls down the side of a hill or mountain. _
6. When a large mass of snow, ice and rocks falls ____avalanche____________
down the side of a mountain, it will cause this. __
7. It is a long period of dry weather when there is _____drought_____________
not enough water for plants and animals to live.
8. When there is a sudden shaking of the Earth’s ____earthquake__________
surface that causes a lot of damage, we’ll have ____
this.
9. This happens when a large number of people ______famine____________
have little or no food for a long time and many
people die.
10. This happens when a large amount of water ____flood______________
covers an area that is usually dry.
V. Complete the sentences with the correct words below.
devastation eruption protection prediction destruction
1. The __eruption_______ of a volcano can cause a tsunami.
2. Scientists’ __prediction_______ is that climate change will get worse in ten
years.
3. Hurricane Katrina caused _devastation________ in New Orleans in 2005.
4. The fire caused the __destruction_______ of an old theatre.
5. We must give some animals _protection________ so they can survive.
VI. Complete the text about Cumbre Vieja with the words given for each
section.
directions tsunami future tonnes volcano
Cumbre Vieja is an enormous, active _volcano________ in the Canary Islands.
1

Scientists know that at some time in the 2 __future_______ it will erupt. They are
worried that its side will collapse and 3 _tonnes________ of rock will fall into the
sea. This would cause a huge 4 _tsunami________ that would travel very fast in all
5
__directions_______ away from the Canary Islands.
catastrophe damage energy equipment eruption
The wave would have enough __energy_______ to cross the Atlantic and cause
6

terrible 7 __damage_______ to the east coast of America. This would be a 8

_catastrophe________ . Although the scientists can’t predict exactly when the
volcano will erupt, they are going to put some 9 __equipment_______ on Cumbre
Vieja which will give them an early warning of a(n) 10_eruption_______.
VII. Complete the sentences with the below.
avalanche disease drought earthquake famine
flood hurricane tsunami volcanic eruption
1. A huge cloud of ash from the __volcanic eruption_______ means planes cannot
fly near the island.
2. The _hurricane________ has brought rain and winds of 180 km/h.
3. Over 30 cm of snow has fallen in two days, so the chance of an
_avalanche________ is very high.
4. The __disease_______ is spreading from village to village, and thousands of
people are very ill.
5. The _famine________ is worse this year because the rice and vegetable crops
have both failed.
6. When the house shook, I knew there was a(n) __earthquake_______ .
7. Nobody was on the beach when the __tsunami_______ reached the shore.
8. The _drought________ has killed animals who usually drink from rivers and
streams which are now dry.
9. Because of the __flood_______ , travel is impossible without a boat.
VIII. Complete the text with the correct form of the words in brackets.
Droughts don’t always become 1 __natural_______ (NATURE) disasters, but when
they do, they result in a famine, like the one in Ethiopia between 1983 and 1985.
The international charity Oxfam says that famine is a 2_combination________
(COMBINE) of three 3 __failures_______ (FAIL): not enough food 4
__production_______ (PRODUCE), not enough opportunities for people to get food,
and most 5 _importantly________ (IMPORTANT), a slow 6 __reaction_______ (REACT)
to the famine from local and international 7 _governments________ (GOVERN).
8
_organisations________ (ORGANISE) such as Oxfam ask people around the world
for 9 __donation_______ (DONATE) to help the victims of famines and other
disasters. Thousands of people in affected countries rely on the
10
_kindness________ (KIND) of people who give their money to charities like
Oxfam.
IX. Match 1-5 with a-e to make sentences.
1. The tsunami reached ___d____
2. The United Nations is sending food aid to ____c___
3. A year without rain has caused __e_____
4. The volcanic eruption has destroyed ___a____
5. Five skiers were injured in ___b____
a. the forest and all the homes in the area around the mountain.
b. the avalanche on Saturday afternoon.
c. the victims of the famine.
d. the coast and destroyed thousands of homes.
e. a serious drought in Western Australia.
X. Complete the text with the words given below.
freeze fuels gases greenhouse
heat trap
 The Greenhouse Effect
What is like when you’re in a 1

_greenhouse________ on a sunny day? It’s boiling

hot. That’s because the sun’s rays 2 ___heat______
the air there and the glass windows
3
__trap________the heat inside. Outside, in the
earth’s atmosphere, greenhouse
4
_gases_________such as carbon dioxide Without
them, we’d 5 __freeze_______ . However, too much of them and the opposite
happens. Burning fossil 6 __fuels_______ such as oil and coal pollutes the earth’s
atmosphere and makes the greenhouse effect worse.

• Verbs of movement
VI. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs below.
head take off reach approach land spin
1. The pilot managed _to land________ the aircraft safely.
2. The climbers __reached_______ the summit of the mountain yesterday.
3. The wheels were _spinning________ in the mud, but the car wouldn’t move.
4. She and her child boarded a plane that _heading________ to where her family
lived.
5. When I __approached_______ , the deer immediately ran away.
6. I felt quite excited as the plane _take off________ from the airport.

• In the street
VII. Complete the sentences with the words or phrases below.
street market road sign bus stop festival
shop signs lamp post parade pedestrian crossing
1. The old lady was sitting at a _bus stop________ , waiting for the bus to the city
centre.
2. Thanks to the light from the ____lamp post_____ , we found our keys in the
street last night.
3. She made her way across the road at a __pedestrian crossing_______ , and
stood in front of the City Theatre.
4. Ahead of us was a _road sign________ , the word ‘STOP’ in the centre of a circle
- it means we could not drive through.
5. We found the T-shirt at a __street market _______ in the main square.
6. A large ___parade______ marched slowly and solemnly down the streets on the
Independence Day.
7. Millions of people from all over the world take part in the famous Munich beer
__festival_______ every October.
8. The local stores all had different _shop signs________ for the day.

• Climate change
VIII. Complete the sentences with the words or phrases below.
deforestation pollution sea level fossil fuels
extinction global warming floods greenhouse gas
1. Burning too many _fossil fuels ________ has caused global warming.
2. __global warming_______ has created an Arctic shipping route possibility.
3. Carbon dioxide is the main __greenhouse gas_______
4. _pollution________ is adding to the problem of global warming.
5. Many of Africa’s big animals are being driven to __extinction_______ due to
illegal hunting.
6. Many people have been forced to leave their homes because of __flood_______ .
7. Major steps are being taken to control the __sea level_______ of beaches.
8. The town is 500 metres above _sea level ________ .
XIV. Choose the correct words to make sentences about ideas that
would help the environment.
1. Teachers should ban / discuss environmental issues with their students.
2. If governments don’t achieve / prevent global warming, more natural
disasters will occur.
3. Local councils should promote / ban the recycling of household waste.
4. Developing countries should avoid / promote the mistakes made by
developed countries.
5. Governments should ban / improve the use of CFC gases.
6. Multinational companies should improve / increase conditions in their
factories in developing countries.
7. Governments should try to avoid / achieve the targets for carbon emissions
that they agree on.
8. Governments should prevent / increase investments in renewable sources of
energy.

XV. Complete the text. Use one word only for each gap.
Many scientists are worried about 1 _global________ warming. The consequence
could be serious. If all the 2__ice_______ in the Arctic and Antarctic regions melted,
sea 3 ___levels______ would rise and cause terrible 4_floods________ . If this
happened, people living in coastal areas would lose their homes. The melting ice
would also affect the 5 _temperature________ of the sea. If the sea got colder, the
northern part of the world would freeze. There would be terrible 6 winter_________
storms and millions of people would die.

XVI. Match i-viii with a-h to make compound nouns used to talk about
the environment. Then complete the sentences with these compound
nouns.
i. solar __power____ a. species
ii. ozone __layer____ b. rain
iii. carbon _emissions_____ c. effect
iv. global _warming_____ d. layer
v. endangered _species_____e. warming
vi. greenhouse _effect_____ f. emissions
vii. acid _rain_____ g. forest
viii. rain __forest____ h. power
1. The _greenhouse effect________ is causing the earth’s atmosphere to heat up.
2. Many forests have been damaged by _acid rain________ .
3. _global warming________ will cause the icebergs to melt.
4. Most of the Amazon _rain forest________ is in Brazil.
5. The ___ozone______ helps to protect the earth from harmful radiation from the
sun.
6. Coal-burning power stations are a source of _carbon emmisions________ .
7. Some ___endangered species______ can only be seen in zoos.
8. _solar power________ is a renewable source of energy.
4B. Grammar
• Comparison
I. Write true sentences using the comparative form of the adjective in
brackets.
1. silver / gold (heavy) → Gold is heavier than silver.
2. Norway / Brazil (warm) → __Norway is warmer than
Brazil___________________________________
3. April / January (short) → __April is shorter than
January___________________________________
4. fruit/ junk food (healthy) → ____fruit is healthier than junk
food_________________________________
5. Laos / Viet Nam (small) → _Laos is smaller than
VN____________________________________
6. Fiats / Ferraris (expensive) → __fiats is more expensive than
ferraris___________________________________
7. tigers / horses (dangerous) → __tigers are more dangerous than
horses___________________________________
II. Complete the sentences with the correct form of comparative
adjectives.
1. Eating at home is _cheaper than________ eating in restaurants. (cheap)
2. People in cities work __longer_______ hours ___than______ in the past. (long)
3. There is more traffic now, so the streets are _noisier________ . (noisy)
4. History is much _more intersting than________ physics. (interesting)
5. Houses are __more expensive _than______ they were ten years ago.
(expensive)
6. Ha Noi in summer is even _hotter than________ I expected. (hot)
III. Complete the sentences with the words given below.
than intelligent most more
bigger the tallest best
1. Blue whales are longer __than_______ elephants.
2. Dogs are __bigger_______ than cats.
3. Are humans the most _intelligent________ animals in the world?
4. Gorillas aren’t the __most_______ aggressive animals.
5. Giraffes are the __tallest_______ animals in the world.
6. Dolphins aren’t __the_______ noisiest animals in the sea.
7. Humans are __more_______ common than tigers.
8. Have chimpanzees got the __best_______ memory?

• Superlatives, too and enough

IV. Complete the sentences with the superlative form of the adjectives
and the cues below.
a. river in Europe d. planet in the solar system
b. airport in the world e. country in the world
c. lake in the world f. disaster film of all times
1. Jupiter is (large) the largest planest solar system_____________________________.
2. The Volga is (long) the logest river in Ẻuope__________________________________.
3. Titanic is (successful) the most successful disaster film_______________________.
4. The Caspian Sea is (big) the biggest lake_____________________________________.
5. London Heathrow is (busy) the busiest airport________________________________.
6. Djibouti in Africa is (hot) the hottest country__________________________________.
V. Complete the questions with the comparative or superlative form of
the adjectives. Then answer the questions.
1. What is _the biggest________ (big) country in the world? _________
2. Is the Atlantic Ocean ___larger______ (large) or __smaller______ (small) than the
Pacific Ocean? _________
3. Which is _the coldest________ (cold) continent in the world? _________
4. Is gold ___heavier______ (heavy) than silver? _________
5. What’s _the highest________ (high) mountain in the world? _________
6. Which is _nearer________ (near) to the Sun: Mars or the Earth?
VI. Complete the sentences with enough or too and the words in
brackets.
1. This film’s _too scary________ (scary) for me. I’m leaving.
2. Have you had _enough food________ (food)? I don’t want you to be hungry.
3. It’s _too hot________ (hot) in here. Can you turn on the air conditioner?
4. The water isn’t _warm enough________ (warm) to go swimming. You’ll freeze.
5. I’d like a new laptop, but it’s _too expensive________ (expensive).
6. Did you spend __enough time_______ (time) on this homework?
VII. Complete the sentences with too and an adjective below.
boring cold expensive scary sweet tired
untidy
1. It’s _cold________ in here to have the window open. Can you close it, please?
2. That DVD is __expensive_______ . It’s £50.
3. I can’t drink this tea. It’s _sweet________ .
4. That film is _scary________ to watch from beginning to end.
5. I’m not going to stay up and watch the film with you. I’m __tired_______ .
6. I can’t find anything in my room. It’s __untidy_______ .
7. I’m not going to watch the horror film with you. It’s _scary________ .
VIII. Complete the sentences with enough and a noun or an adjective
below.
exercise funny old people time television
1. I haven’t got __enough time_______ to finish my homework.
2. I didn’t enjoy the comedy. It wasn’t __funny enough_____ .
3. He doesn’t do __enough exercise_______ to stay healthy.
4. We can’t play football. There aren’t _enough people________ .
5. Go to bed. You’ve watched __enough television_______ .
6. I’m not __old enough_______ to drive a car.
IX. Complete the sentences with enough and the adjectives or nouns in
brackets.
1. Susan isn’t __tall enough_______ to reach that cupboard, (tall)
2. Is your English __good enough_______ to visit Britain? (good)
3. I never have __enough time_______ to watch TV. (time)
4. It isn’t __warm enough_______ to go swimming, (warm)
5. We haven’t got __enough milk_______ to make pancakes, (milk)
6. Ben isn’t _confident enough________ to speak in front of the class. (confident)
X. Rewrite the sentences with the same meaning using too or enough
and the opposite adjective below.
wet early generous impatient
slow old popular short
1. We’re too late to see the start of the film. We’re not early enough to see the
start of the film_________________________________________________________________
2. I’m too young to see that horror film. I’m not old enough to …________________
3. The film wasn’t long enough. The film was too short__________________________
4. She isn’t patient enough to wait. She is too impation to wait_________________
5. He’s too unpopular to win the award. He’s not popular enough to win the
award___________________________________________________________________________
6. These jeans aren’t dry enough to wear. These jeans are too wet to wear______
7. His car isn’t fast enough. His car is too slow__________________________________
8. He’s too mean to pay for my ticket. He is not generous enough to pay for my
ticket___________________________________________________________________________
• Zero conditional
XL Write zero conditional sentences using the words given.
1. you / turn off / the lights / you / use / less electricity
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. you / freeze / water / it / turn / to ice
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. I / can’t sleep /I / drink / too much coffee
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. people / usually smile / at you / you / smile / at them
_______________________________________________________________________________
5. I / eat / a lot of chocolate /I feel ill
_______________________________________________________________________________
6. I / not do / my homework / my teacher / get / annoyed
_______________________________________________________________________________
7. plants / die / they / not get / enough water
_______________________________________________________________________________
8. you / download / songs / you / can / listen to / them on your MP3 player
_______________________________________________________________________________
XII. Complete the sentences with information that is true of you. Use the
zero conditional.
1. If I don’t have breakfast,______________________________________________________
2. If I forget to do my homework,________________________________________________
3. If I eat too much,_____________________________________________________________
4. I get annoyed if_______________________________________________________________
5. I feel sad if___________________________________________________________________
6. If I go to bed late,_____________________________________________________________
XIII. Complete the sentences, using the zero conditional.
1. If you heat water to 100° Celsius,____________________________________________.
2. If you dial 113,_______________________________________________________________.
3. If you mix blue paint and yellow paint,________________________________________.
4. If you mix green light and red light,__________________________________________.
5. If you leave a fish out of water,_______________________________________________.
6. If you multiply 1,111,111 by 1,111,111,______________________________________.

4C. Word Skills

• Phrasal verbs
I. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the phrasal verbs
below.
look after heat up cut down run out
die out close down use up give up
1. If the world’s tropical forests continue to disappear at their present rate, many
animal species will __die out_______ .
2. The more forests we __cut down_______ , the hotter the Earth becomes.
3. Kate often asks her cousin to __look afer_______ the cat when she is away.
4. You should __give up_______ smoking before it is too late.
5. If the factory ___close down______ , 800 people will lose their jobs.
6. The Earth’s natural resources are being __use up_______ at an alarming rate.
7. I’ve got some money you can borrow if you __run out__ .
8. ‘Could you ___heat up______ some soup for lunch now?’
II. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the phrasal verbs
below.
wake up stand up stay in go out
get up come back carry on break down
1. It was raining, so we __stayed in_______ and played computer games.
2. My dad’s car __broke down_______ on the way to work, so he was very late
yesterday.
3. Shall I stop, or do you want me to _carry on________ ?
4. ‘What are you doing tonight?’ - T __going out_______ .’
5. Jack usually _wakes up________ before his alarm clock rings.
6. We had to _stand up________ in the meeting because there weren’t enough
chairs.
7. What time did you __come back_______ from the party last night?
8. She __got up_______ early to study for the exam.
III. Complete the phrasal verbs in the sentences.
1. It’s better to __try ______ on clothes before you buy them.
2. You can __hang _______ up your jacket in the wardrobe.
3. They __took_______ off their shoes before they went in.
4. We had some free time, so we __looked_______ around the shops.
5. ___put ____ on a jumper if you’re cold.
6. I couldn’t __pick _______ up my shopping bags because they were too heavy.

• Phrasal verbs and register

IV. Match phrasal verbs 1-8 with the definitions A-H.
1. fall through __g___ A. stop sleeping
2. go out _e____ B. stop working
3. break down _b____ C. wait
4. hold on _c____ D. return
5. set off __h___ E. leave the house
6. wake up __a___ F. remain at home
7. come back _d____ G. not happen
8. stay in __f___ H. start a journey
V. Complete the sentences with a suitable form of the phrasal verbs
from Exercise IV.
1. Last night I __went out_______ with my friends to see a film at the cinema.
2. Our bus __broke down_______ on the way to school yesterday.
3. I __am staying in_______ tonight to do my homework.
4. She _hold on________ late because she didn’t set her alarm.
5. His plans to go to university __fell through______ because he didn’t pass his
exams.
6. My sister told me to __hold on_______ while she fetched her jacket.
7. They __set off_______ at dawn to avoid the traffic.
8. We __came back_______ home from the match exhausted.
VI. Rewrite the sentences using the phrasal verbs below. Use the correct
tense and form.
get away find out carry on come back come up with
ask for put up with make up talk about look up to
1. Ann produced the solution to the problem immediately.
______came up
with___________________________________________________________________________
2. My mother used to invent bedtime stories for us.
______________make
up___________________________________________________________________
3. He escaped with minor injuries.
_____get
away____________________________________________________________________________
4. I don’t see how you can tolerate the constant noise.
___________put up
with______________________________________________________________________
5. She respected him for his honesty.
__________looked up
to_______________________________________________________________________
6. He picked up his book and continued reading.
______________________carry
on___________________________________________________________
7. My uncle has just returned from five months in Japan.
_________________come
back________________________________________________________________
8. Pupils should be given time to discuss the book with their classmates.
_______________________talk
about__________________________________________________________
9. You have to request permission if you want to take any photographs here.
______________ask
for___________________________________________________________________
10. The exercises let students discover math concepts on their own.
_________________________find
out________________________________________________________

4D. Reading
I. Read the text, and complete the sentences with the correct
programme title.
Extinction
This programme looks at several animals close to extinction and questions why
they are now in danger. We are taken to the habitats of these different animals
and shown why their survival is threatened.
Changing skies
In this excellent series we look at how the changing weather patterns in different
continents is affecting the way people live and how they have to adapt.
Natural power
This is an award-winning documentary that traces man’s efforts over the
centuries to use natural energy resources such as wind and wave power. We look
at the first windmills and watermills in several regions.
A day in the life
This unusual programme compares the lives of villagers in a third world country
with villagers in the UK and studies how they both deal with environmental
issues.
Drive me
A special programme which reveals the range of options available to people who
wish to purchase cars that are kinder to the environment.
1. In __natural power_______ we can learn historical facts.
2. In _drive me________ we can find out about how to buy something in an
environmental-friendly way.
3. In __a day in the life_______ we can see different attitudes to the environment.
4. In _changing skies________ we can see how nature is affecting our lifestyle.
5. In __extinction_______ we can learn about the reasons for certain natural
problems.
II. Read the text, and do the tasks that follow.
A Load of Rubbish
In the UK, people are finally starting to listen to the message about recycling.
British families now recycles about 22% of their waste. Only five years ago, the
figure was about 10%. That’s good news for the environment - but there’s a lot
more to do. Some other European countries, like Germany and the Netherlands,
already recycle about 60% of their waste and that’s the goal for the UK too.
Households in England produce 25 million tonnes of waste a year. More than half
of this is garden waste, paper, cardboard and kitchen waste - which people could
recycle. They could also recycle plastic, wood, glass and aluminum cans. In fact, if
everybody in the UK recycled all of their drinks cans, there would be 14 million
fewer rubbish bins of waste each year.
Recycling isn’t the only way to reduce the amount of rubbish we throw away.
More than 40% of the waste in our bins is packaging from shopping. If we
changed the way we shop, we could easily reduce the amount of waste. For
example, street markets and small shops often use less packaging than
supermarkets. And of course, if we grew our own fruit and vegetables, there
wouldn’t be any packaging at all.
Task 1. Read the text, and mark the sentences T (true), or F (false).
1. The UK recycles more than Germany and the Netherlands. ___F______
2. The UK recycles more now than five years ago. _________
3. We throw away a lot of packaging from food. _________
Task 2. Answer the questions.
1. How much of their waste do British families recycle now?
____British families now recycle about 22% of their
waste.____________________________________________________________________________
_
2. How much do they recycle in Germany and the Netherlands?
______Germany and the Netherlands recycle about 60% of their
waste.___________________________________________________________________________
3. How much waste do households in England produce?
_____Households in England produce 25 million tonnes of waste a
year.____________________________________________________________________________
4. What eight different things could people recycle?
______People could recycle garden waste, paper, cardboard, kitchen waste,
plastic, wood, glass, and aluminum
cans___________________________________________________________________________
5. How could we reduce the amount of packaging that we throw away?
___We could reduce packaging waste by shopping at street markets or small
shops, which use less packaging, and by growing our own fruit and
vegetables to eliminate packaging
entirely.__________________________________________________________________________
____

III. Read the text, and do the tasks that follow.

A Big Hit?
Every year, thousands of rock from space 1 ___fall______ to
the Earth. These are called meteorites. Most of these are
very small - less than a metre across. They start to burn
when they 2 __reach_______ the Earth’s atmosphere and usually disappear before
they 3 __hit_______ the ground. A few meteorites are too large to disappear when
they bum. They 4 ___travel______ at very high speed - about 60,000 km/h when
they touch the ground - and can cause enormous damage. This happened in
Arizona about 50,000 years ago and you can still see the crater today. It’s called
‘Meteor Crater’. If another large meteorite hit the Earth today, what would 5
__happen_______ ? The explosion would be huge. The meteorite would 6
_devastate________ everything around it. If it fell into the sea, it would 7 _________
an enormous tsunami. It would be a catastrophe.
But the good news is that large meteorites don’t hit the Earth very often. Also,
scientists know about the danger, and can 8 __predict_______ which meteorites
might hit the Earth. It might also be possible to 9___protect______ the Earth by
firing a rocket at a meteorite as it came near to the Earth. This would change its
direction and save the world.
Task 1. Complete the text with the words below.
cause devastate fall happen hit
predict protect reach travel
Task 2. Choose the correct answers.
1. Most meteorites don’t hit the Earth because _________ .
A. they bum in the Earth’s atmosphere B. they’re too large
2. ‘Meteor Crater’ appeared when _________ .
A. a very large meteorite disappeared B. a very large meteorite hit the
Earth
3. If a large meteorite hit the Earth today, _________ .
A. it would fall into the sea B. it would be a catastrophe
4. The good news is that _________ .
A. scientists can’t predict when the next meteorite will come
B. large meteorites don’t come very often
5. We could change the direction of a meteorite _________ .
A. if we knew that it was coming nearer
B. if we fired a rocket at it

IV. Read the text, and do the tasks that follow.

Too Hot to Handle
1 Imagine the world about two hundred years in the future. The cities of
Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Houston are still there, but they are empty. Nobody
lives there. What has happened? Disease? A nuclear war? No, the answer is
simpler than that; it is too hot. In fact, it is hot enough to kill anyone who
stays outside during the day.
2 Heatwaves - periods when the weather is very hot for days or weeks - are
already dangerous. In France, over 14,000 died from the heat in the summer
of 2003. And in the USA, hurricanes, tornadoes and floods get all the
headlines in the news, but in fact, heatwaves kill more people than all those
other natural disasters put together.
3 When it’s very hot, our bodies keep cool by sweating. This works best when
the air is dry. Fortunately, the hottest places on the Earth are also the driest -
deserts, for example. But this may change with global warming. Two hundred
years from now, many parts of the world may have very high temperatures
and also a lot of water in the atmosphere. This will be very dangerous.
4 According to scientists, the only solution is to stop global warming. We can do
this by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere.
But if we don’t reduce carbon emissions, many cities in the future will be too
hot for humans.
Task 1. Match headings A-E with paragraphs 1-4. There is one heading
that you do not need.
A. A dangerous combination _______
B. The dangers of hurricanes and tornadoes _______
C. Future nightmare: the world in 2200 _______
D. Our final chance _______
E. Heat: a common natural disaster _______
Task 2. Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1. About 200 years from now, some major cities might not have any inhabitants.
_______
2. In France, 2003 was a very hot summer. _______
3. In the USA, heatwaves kill a lot of people, but other natural disasters kill more.
_______
4. Heatwaves are most dangerous for humans when the air is dry. _______
5. Global warming will make the atmosphere hotter and drier. _______
6. The best way to deal with the danger is to reduce carbon emissions.
_______

V. Read the text, and do the tasks that follow.

Cumbre Vieja is a huge, active volcano on La Palma in the Canary Islands. Every
few decades it erupts and scientists are worried because the walls of the volcano
are getting weaker. Scientists feel that when it erupts, one side of the volcano
could collapse and fall into the sea. If this happened, it would be a catastrophe.
Why? Because it would cause a tsunami - an enormous wave - the biggest ever
recorded in history.
How would it happen?
The volcano is by the sea, and the water next to the volcano is about six
kilometres deep. If the volcano collapsed, 500 billion tonnes of rock would fall in
the sea. This could create a huge tsunami about 100 metres high.
What would happen next?
The wave would travel away from the Canary Islands in all directions at about 800
km/h. The other Canary Islands would immediately be covered by water. In less
than an hour a 90-metre wave would hit north-west Africa. The side of the
volcano faces west, across the Atlantic Ocean, which would protect Europe a
little. However, a 12-metre tsunami would still reach Lisbon within three hours.
After five hours it would reach Britain. The wave could travel a kilometre inland,
and devastate towns and villages. London would be flooded. How far would it
travel?
The wave would have enough energy to travel right across the Atlantic Ocean.
Eight hours after the eruption it would hit the east coast of America. It would still
be about 30 metres high. Boston would be hit first, followed by New York, the
coast down to Miami. The wave would cause a lot of damage in the Caribbean
and Brazil too. It would travel for several kilometres inland because the coast is
very flat. It would destroy everything and kill thousands of people.
What can we do about it?
Nothing much, it seems. The scientists believe that it is not a question of if, but
when. The volcano will collapse at some time in the future, but it could be
hundreds or thousands of years from now.
Furthermore, if only part of the volcano collapsed into the sea, the tsunami would
be much smaller. Scientists want to put better equipment on Cumbre Vieja so
that they can predict the volcano’s eruptions in the future and give us an early
warning of possible problems.
Task 1. Answer the questions.
1. Why are scientists worried about Cumbre Vieja?
_____________________________________________________
2. How long would it take the wave to reach the African coast?
_____________________________________________________
3. Why would Europe be in less danger than America?
_____________________________________________________
4. How big would the wave be when it reached Portugal?
_____________________________________________________
5. Why would it travel a long way inland in the Caribbean and South America?
_____________________________________________________
6. What can scientists do to predict the eruptions?
_____________________________________________________

Task 2. Find these underlined words in the text.

1. two adjectives that mean ‘very big’: ____________________________
2. two verbs that mean ‘damage very badly’: ____________________________
Task 3. Find the underlined verbs in the text that belong to the same
word family as the nouns below.
1. destruction ____destroy________________________
2. devastation ____devastate________________________
3. eruption ____erupt________________________
4. prediction ____predict________________________
5. protection ____protect________________________
VI. Read the text about tornadoes. Complete the gaps in the text with
the sentences below. There is one sentence that you do not need.
A. The tornado was gone 15 or 20 seconds later.
B. But in reality, tornadoes aren’t quite so kind.
C. But some can have wind speeds of 480 km/h.
D. It is this mixture of warm, wet air and cold, dry air that causes tornadoes.
E. It is called ‘Tornado Alley’ and it covers most of Texas, Kansas and
Nebraska.
F. It was the biggest and most dangerous tornado outbreak ever.
G. They can pick up houses, cars, animals and people, and drop them far away.
H. This is an average of 110 tornadoes every year.
The USA - Tornado Country
Do you know the American story and film The Wizard of Oz? It is about a girl from
Kansas, called Dorothy, who is caught by a tornado and is taken to a magical
world. 1 _________
A tornado, or ‘twister’, is a strong, dangerous column of air that is in contact with
the ground and a cloud at the same time. Most tornadoes have wind speeds
below 177 km/h. They travel for a few kilometres and then disappear. 2 _________
They can be 3 km wide and they can stay on the ground for than 100 km. These
twisters are the most dangerous.3 _________
Tornadoes can happen anywhere in the world, but they are very frequent in the
United States. There is tornado weather in all of the American states, but there is
one area that has more tornadoes than any other. 4 _________ The area is flat and
lies between two mountain ranges. Warm air from Mexico can therefore travel
north and meet cold air coming south from Canada. 5 _________
Texas has the most tornadoes. Between 1950 and 2000, 5,500 tornadoes hit this
US state. 6 _________ However, the worst period of tornado weather of all didn’t
just affect Texas. The 3 and 4 April 1974 will always be remembered in American
history, because in just 16 hours there were 148 tornadoes in 13 states. Some of
them were huge and travelled for 60 km. 330 people were killed and 5,500 were
injured across America. 7 _________ So many tornadoes in such a short time is a
very rare occurrence, but scientists say that it will definitely happen again. Next
time, though, they promise that the USA will be better prepared.

VII. Read the text, and do the tasks that follow.

Collision Course
1 _________
It is 2036. An enormous asteroid is going to collide with the Earth. If it isn’t
stopped, it will crash into the Pacific Ocean, creating a devastating tsunami. What
happens next?
And no, that isn’t a question about the plot of a science fiction film. It’s a question
about a real danger. There are millions of asteroids in our solar system, and if a
large one collided with the Earth, it would be a disaster.
2 _________
If a large asteroid crashed into the Earth tomorrow, what would happen? If it
landed in a large city, millions of people would die instantly. The impact would
cause massive destruction - imagine colliding with a rock as big as a mountain
that is travelling at 20 km/s. If the asteroid landed in the ocean, there would be a
giant tsunami. Thousands of cities around the world would be flooded. If the
asteroid landed in a very remote area of land, there would be fewer deaths at
first. However, the explosion would send a huge cloud of dust into the Earth’s
atmosphere. This dark cloud would block the light and heat from the sun. Crops
wouldn’t grow and it would be impossible to feed people.
3 _________
The short answer is: it has happened already. About 65 million years ago, most
life on the Earth disappeared - including all of the dinosaurs. We now believe that
this was because of a huge asteroid which changed the Earth’s weather. The
asteroid was at least 10 km in diameter and landed in Mexico, leaving a hole
more than 180 km cross.
On the morning of 30 June, 1908, a much smaller asteroid (about 90 metres
across) exploded in the sky above central Siberia. Nobody lived nearby, so there
were no deaths - although the explosion was so powerful that it destroyed an
enormous area of forest.
4 _________
Scientists believe that there are two main options: we could blow up the asteroid
with nuclear weapons or we could make it change direction. Both options have
their disadvantages. If we blew up the asteroid, it could break into smaller pieces.
Each piece could then be a danger. There are several ideas about how to make
an asteroid change direction, but nobody knows which would work best - and it’s
impossible to test the technology. And if we failed, we probably wouldn’t get
another chance.
Task 1. Match headings A-E with sections 1-4 of the text. There is one
heading that you do not need.
A. What would happen?
B. Where do the asteroids come from?
C. What can we do about it?
D. Science fiction or science fact?
E. Why hasn’t it happened already?
Task 2. Read the text again. Are the sentences true (T) or false (F)?
1. Most asteroids come from outside the solar system. ______
2. Asteroids can be as big as mountains. ______
3. A large asteroid wouldn’t cause much damage if it landed in the ocean.
______
4. If an asteroid landed in a very remote area, it could still be a disaster.
______
5. All of the dinosaurs disappeared because a huge asteroid landed in Siberia.
______
6. It is possible for an asteroid to change the weather. ______
7. Scientists don’t know exactly how to make an asteroid change direction.
______
III. Read the text, and choose the correct answers.
The Secrets of the Deep
Ivan Popov is a deep-sea biologist. We asked him about the fear of and
fascination with one of the most important frontiers of our planet.
Why are we so fascinated by our seas and oceans?
In the past, we didn’t know much about our seas and oceans.
They represented a frontier to explore, much like outer space
today. Popular tales about sea monsters and shipwrecks
taught us to have respect for these great expanses of water,
and tales often reflected the concerns of the time. For
example, in the 1950s, the films about the sea monster
Godzilla became very popular. Godzilla was a product of
radiation from nuclear testing in the Pacific Ocean. Hardly any of the deep sea
had been explored then, and people were afraid of what the radiation might have
caused.
How much do we know about the deep sea?
We have very little knowledge of the deep sea. Despite centuries of exploration,
we’ve only mapped 5% of the ocean. It’s extraordinary when you consider that
oceans cover 71% of our planet’s surface and have an average depth of 4 km.
And yet we have better maps of the surface of Mars and the dark side of the
moon. Think of it this way: we’ve sent more people to the moon than we have to
the deepest part of the ocean.
What kind of creatures have we found in the deep sea?
Every time someone explores the deep, they find
incredibly weird new species, such as goblin sharks or
vampire squids. Strangely enough, until the late 19 th
century, no one believed that there was any life in the
deep sea. People thought that nothing could survive such
a hostile environment: it was incredible cold, with no light,
and an enormous amount of pressure. However, not only is there life in the deep
sea, but the deepest parts of the ocean floor have thriving ecosystems with giant
tube worms, clams, and many other species.
Let’s talk a bit more about deep-sea geography. What are its main
characteristics?
The deep sea has some of the most amazing geography on the planet. The
deepest part of the ocean is almost 11,000 m deep. It’s called Challenger Deep
and is in the Mariana Trench in the Pacific. If Mount Everest were submerged
there, it’s peak would be more than 2,000 m beneath the surface.
We also have the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is part of an underwater mountain
range which stretches 70,000 km around our planet. It contains thousands of
peaks, many taller than mountains in the Alps.
Why should we care about the deep seas?
The deep sea plays a key role in supporting life on the Earth. It produces 70% of
the world’s oxygen, it’s an important part of the food chain, and it lowers the
temperature of our planet. Unfortunately, global warming, ocean acidification,
and plastic waste are all threats to this ecosystem. Less and less food is being
carried down to the depths of the sea, so more dead zones are appearing, with no
oxygen or marine life.
The deep sea is crucial to the survival of all of life on the Earth, and yet this most
important part of our planet is the least known. That is a concern, but it’s also an
amazing opportunity to learn more.
1. People went to see the film Godzilla because they _________ .
A. were fascinated by the deep sea
B. believed tales about sea monsters
C. were anxious about radiation from nuclear bombs
2. According to the interview, we know the least about _________ .
A. the dark side of the moon
B. the bottom of the deep seas
C. the surface of the planet Mars
3. People thought there wasn’t any life in the deep sea because _________ .
A. the conditions were extremely harsh
B. there weren’t any ecosystems there
C. no one had explored the ocean floor
4. The text states that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge _________ .
A. is 11,000 m high
B. continues for 70,000 km
C. isn’t as high as Everest
5. The deep sea is important because _________ .
A. there are many undiscovered species
B. it keeps our planet healthy
C. it doesn’t need a lot of oxygen
4E. Speaking
• Everyday English
I. Choose the correct response.
1. A: Do you think we do enough to B: a/ I think we should do more.
keep our planet healthy? b/ I think you shouldn’t ask.
2. A: Climate change is destroying our B: a/ I think we can’t stop it.
planet. b/ I think so. It’s very serious.
B: a/ It’s for the future generation.
3. A: Global warming will still be a b/ We should do something now.
problem for the future.
B: a/ We should use green technology.
4. A: Our home wastes a lot of energy.
b/ We should install more devices.
B: a/ Right. It’s because of floods.
5. A: The ice caps at the Poles are
melting. b/ Right, and the sea level is rising.
B: a/ Oh, we have to move furniture.
6. A: The flood tide will get its utmost b/ Yeah, we’ll have heavy rains.
this evening. B: a/ Did local people feel shocking?
7. A: The forest fire burst there b/ Was anyone injured?
yesterday. B: a/ Everyone will be happy with it.
b/ But we need more electricity.
8. A: We must close down all the coal B: a/ There is wind, solar energy.
and gas power stations. b/ There are fossil fuels like coal.
9. A: Are there any alternatives in Viet B: a/ We should go out and stay under
Nam? a big tree.
b/ We should stay away from doors
10. A: How to stay safe in our house and windows.
when lightning strikes outside?
• Photo comparison
II. Look at the pairs of photos, and the prompts given. Then practise
comparing each pair of photos with your partner.
A
Similarities
- effects of global warming
- polluted environment
- humans do harm to our common home - the Earth
Differences
- 1st photo: smoke from the industrial chimneys pollutes
the air; industries may provide jobs to workers
- 2nd photo: local people suffer from forest fires; people
lose their houses, all properties, and even their lives in
forest fires
B
Similarities
- effect of cutting down trees in large quantities:
deforestation
- deforestation causes soil erosion
- without trees and their roots, the soil cannot keep water, and all water runs
away to cause floods
Differences
- 1st photo: trees are cut down in large numbers, forests
disappear quickly, trees also supply oxygen, so we suffer
from global warming
- 2nd photo: many houses, villages and towns are under
water; people lose their houses, properties, livelihoods or
even their lives

4F. Writing
• Writing an article about a global issue
I. Read the notes about a tornado, write a short news report, and
present it to the class.
Tornado
when - last night, 03.00 for 30 minutes
where - the town of Cu Chi, Ho Chi Minh City
winds - 150 km/h
damage - homes, cars, shops, crops near the town
people - 25 injured
emergency services - rescued people from a coach; sent medical supplies
damage - homes, cars, shops, crops near the town
You can start your presentation like this:
'The tornado struck at three o'clock in the morning and lasted about half an hour.
It struck...'
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

II. Consider the issue of plastic waste. Use the prompts below to write a
short essay about that global issue.
1. plastic waste / probably / one of the most serious problems / environment
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. however / some people / not consider / serious enough / because / plastic /
cheap / convenient / easy / use and dispose
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
3. about 8 million tonnes / plastic / enter / world’s oceans / every year
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
4. it / estimated / there / one tonne of plastic / ocean / every five tonnes of fish /
and / if no action / taken / plastic / oceans / overweigh fish / by 2050
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
5. Viet Nam / among the five countries / contribute / a great deal / plastic waste
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
6. in those countries / there / illegal dumping / plastic waste / oceans / and /
collection systems / insufficient
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. we / remember / we / use / plastic bag / just five minutes / but / that plastic
bag / take / 500 years / decompose
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
8. we / follow / green lifestyle 3R (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle)
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

III. Consider the issue of carbon footprint. Use the prompts below to
write a short essay about that global issue.
1. carbon footprint: the amount of carbon dioxide produced as a result of our
daily living
2. the issues of reducing carbon footprint is the responsibility of the government
or community not individuals - it’s absolutely wrong
3. each of us: do small things to reduce our carbon footprint: turn off the lights
when we leave the room, don’t waste water, cycle to school when we can; turn
off the computer when it isn’t being used; don’t waste food and recycle and reuse
paper at home and at school
4. another important thing: to raise awareness of other people about green
lifestyle
5. everyone: more eco-friendly and responsible for cutting down on their carbon
footprint
Carbon footprint is
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________