Unit 9 – Protecting Our Environment
Warm-up and Vocabulary
Key Vocabulary
Environmental Problems and Challenges
- Pollution: Damage caused to water, air, etc., by harmful substances or waste.
- Carbon Footprint: A measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide that a person’s activities produce.
- Deforestation: The act of cutting down or burning the trees in an area.
- Endangered Species: A type of animal or plant that might soon no longer exist.
Environmental Protection and Sustainability
- Conservation: The protection of animals, plants, and natural resources.
- Renewable Energy: Energy from a source that is not depleted when used, such as wind or solar power.
- Sustainable: Able to continue over a period of time without causing damage to the environment.
- Ecosystem: All the living things in an area and the way they affect each other and the environment.
Activity: My Green Habits
Listening for Attitude: What’s Their Point of View?
In many TOEFL Listening questions, you need to understand the speaker’s attitude. An attitude is a speaker’s opinion, feeling, or viewpoint about a topic. Are they supportive? Critical? Worried? Neutral?
You can figure out a speaker’s attitude by listening for two main clues:
1. Tone of Voice
How does the speaker say the words? Their emotion can tell you a lot.
- Example 1 (Worried Tone): “I’m just not sure that a single recycling bin on campus is going to solve the problem.”
- Example 2 (Excited Tone): “This new solar panel project is a fantastic idea! It’s exactly what we need.”
2. Word Choice
What kind of words does the speaker use?
- Positive Words: amazing, brilliant, effective, fortunately, helpful, great
- Negative Words: awful, terrible, useless, unfortunately, impossible, a disaster
- Neutral Words: according to the data, the report states, the process involves
Let’s look at an example.
Example Audio Script (Conversation):
Student A: “The city announced a plan to ban plastic bags. It’s a brilliant move.”
Student B: “Brilliant? I think it’s a terrible idea. It’s just going to be a huge inconvenience for shoppers.”
Attitude Question: How does Student B feel about the plan to ban plastic bags?
a) He is supportive of it.
b) He is worried about its effect on the environment.
c) He is critical of it.
The answer is (c). His use of the negative phrase “terrible idea” and the word “inconvenience” clearly shows he is critical and disagrees.
Tips for Success
Use these tips to become an expert at identifying a speaker’s attitude:
- Listen for “Feeling” Words: Pay special attention to adjectives (great, terrible) and adverbs (unfortunately, hopefully). These words are strong clues to the speaker’s opinion.
- Trust Your Ears: If a speaker’s voice sounds sarcastic, worried, or excited, it’s an important clue. The tone of voice is often as important as the words themselves.
- Identify the Function: Ask yourself, “What is the speaker doing in this sentence?” Are they agreeing, disagreeing, complaining, suggesting, or just stating a fact? Identifying the function helps you understand their stance.
Skill Practice
Let’s practice with a short conversation.
A. Multiple-Choice Questions
B. Fill in the Blanks
C. Crossword Puzzle
D. Word Search
E. Video Practice
You are a TV news reporter on location. Watch this inspiring video about a massive beach cleanup initiative. After watching, your task is to record a 30-second news report summarizing the event. Make sure to mention what the problem was, what the volunteers did, and why their work is important. Start your report with, “Good morning, I’m reporting live from…”