Enviromental protection intermediate

8/3/2019 Enviromental protection intermediate

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Laboratory work (Intermediate level) The Natural world

Reading

Read the article and decide whether the statements below are True (T) or False (F).

1 People in Britain were not surprised by the floods.2 Insurance costs will be very high.3 One reason for the floods was that a huge amount of rain fell in a very short time.4 The sewers in London were built by Victorian engineers.5 The public have been putting the wrong kinds of things down the toilet.6 Farmers could help prevent flooding if they ploughed their land up and down hill.7 If people keep covering more land with buildings and concrete, we may see more floods in thefuture.

Going under

Everyone knows that it often rains in Britain. We often have week upon week of rain. So whyhave a few heavy showers caused so much damage here this summer?

People trying to take a train to or from the southwest of England this weekend could thinkthey had accidentally walked into a disaster movie. Some trains never arrived, and the peoplewho had to watch their homes and businesses go under water couldnt believe that such a shortrainstorm could cause so much damage.

I can understand their surprise, because this country is famous for its wetness. Rain is ournational weather. Snow can cause us problems, yes, and very hot weather, like last summer,causes difficulties, too but rain? With our wide experience, surely we should lead the world inrain management.

Unfortunately not. Thousands of people had to leave their homes over the weekend, andthousands more are still trapped inside their houses. Some towns in the south had floods of up

to five metres. In the north of England, some people still cant go home after last months floods,which killed 8 people. Everyone is asking how such short rainstorms just one hour in London,slightly longer in other places could have such terrible results.

In fact, the answer is partly because it all happened so quickly. Brize Norton in Oxfordshirehad 121.2mm of rain between midnight Thursday and 5pm Friday a sixth of what it wouldexpect for the whole year. South Yorkshire got a months worth of rain on June 25. It has beenraining for weeks now, and the ground is very wet, so immediately you get rainfall, you getrunoff, explains professor Adrian Saul, of Sheffield University.

It isnt just that the ground cannot absorb so much so fast drainage systems get too full,too. When you design a system you have to plan for possible dangers, and generally the plans

are good enough to protect our communities, says Saul. Its very lucky that the Victorians builtthe systems as big as they did. Especially in London, they thought the city would get bigger, andthat has protected London until now. But Londons population is now four times as big andlast Friday, the sewers couldnt handle so much water.

Our sewers are not designed to have so much water flowing through them, says NicolaSavage, a spokeswoman for Thames Water. And they are not designed for the way we usethem nowadays. We each, personally, use much more water than ever before. Also, the publicoften use the sewers as a rubbish bin, Savage adds. People put things like babies nappiesdown the toilet. And also, we need to encourage people not to pour fat and oil down the sink.The sewers were never designed to handle this kind of thing.

Saul is also investigating how farmers can control the flow of water off land. If Farmersplough across hills, not down them, there will be less runoff. And carefully placed trees can helpstop flooding. Also, the more animals walk over a piece of land, the harder the ground becomes,and the less water it can absorb. Then, plants cant grow well, and there wont be enough food.


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And if farm animals get no drinking water for 48 hours, thousands will die, and meat will costmore.

Scientists are also investigating how each of us can help reduce a problem that, in fact, wehave helped create: by extending our houses, paving driveways, and building car parks. All thistakes away soft ground that could absorb water, and adds to the runoff into drains and rivers.And we should collect any water that runs off the house instead of letting it go into the seweragesystem. We can use rainwater to flush toilets or run washing machines. Every little helps.

For although this months weather in Britain has been very unusual, that may happen more, andmore often, as our climate changes. Today people in Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire arehaving to leave their houses. Tomorrow, next month, next year who knows?

Vocabulary practiceMatch these words with the meanings below.

disaster floods run-offdrainage sewers absorb

8 ____________ removing liquids from something9 ____________ water from rivers filling the land10 ____________ a very bad accident or serious damage11 ____________ a system of pipes underground to carry waste water away12 ____________ take in liquid a little at a time13 ____________ too much water that cannot go down into the ground

Word formationFill in the blanks in the passage below using a suitable derivative of the words given on theright.

Its no exaggeration to say that the world has become

a global village. Modern methods of communication have

made the world much smaller and the problems we

face such as (14) _____ are not restricted to one POLLUTE

country. The (15) _____ of the rainforests in Brazil DESTROY

is everyones problem and the (16) _____ which is STARVE

common in many African countries is a challenge

for Europe too. The (17) _____ of rare species is a EXTINCT

tragedy for the planet as a whole and the (18) ______ EXHAUSTof oil supplies will shake the foundations of the worlds

economy.

The (19) _____ of the environment is the responsibility PROTECT

of all nations, rich and poor. However, uncontrolled

economic competition between strong and weak

nations leads to the (20) _____ of greater inequality CREATE

between the rich and poor nations of the world.


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Grammar21 I love running. It's a great way ______ fit.a) keep b) to keep c) keeping

22 I've always enjoyed ______ but I didn't use to like running.a) walk b) to walk c) walking

23 I've tried ______ weight, but I can't. (lose)

a) lose b) to lose c) losing

24 He suggested ______ by bus to save money.a) go b) to go c) going

25 My brother offered ______ me move house.a) help b) to help c) helping

26 You could try ______ it off and on again, that might help.a) switch b) to switch c) switching

27 I forgot ______ the milk when I was at the shops.a) get b) to get c) getting

28 Your football boots need ______ before the match tomorrow.a) clean b) to clean c) cleaning

29 We're not allowed ______ in the library.a) eat b) to eat c) eating

30 My mother will let me ______ to the party if I promise to be back by 10.30.a) go b) to go c) going

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Enviromental protection intermediate