Academic English

[ Randall created this listening activity on saving the environment with his daughter, Aubrey. She has appeared in many conversations on this site, including another one on saving the planet called, “Water Conservation,” produced in December 2016. ]

1. Everyone should take responsibility for protecting the environment.
2. One person can make a big difference in saving the Earth.
3. Governments should do more than individuals to fight climate change.
4. It’s too late to stop global warming.
5. People should stop using plastic completely.
6. Saving endangered animals is more important than building new homes.
7. Companies that pollute should pay higher taxes.
8. Recycling is not enough to save the planet.
9. Technology can solve most of our environmental problems.
10. People in rich countries should do more to protect the Earth than people in poor countries.

“be way out in left field” = be totally wrong
“Some people thought the scientist was way out in left field when he suggested that cooking oil could be recycled to power car engines. In the end, the scientist was right.”

“scratch the surface” = only begin to deal with a small part of the problem
“The government is only beginning to scratch the surface in dealing with serious environmental issues.”

A. Listen to the recording and answer the questions.

Conduct research on how paper and glass are recycled and then report on the types of products that are produced from these recycled materials. Review how paper and other products are being overused at your home, school, or business, and propose ideas on how to reduce excess waste and promote recycling.

What recycling programs are set up in your city to handle waste? What kinds of items can be recycled? What are the recycling guidelines?