Lesson1: Air and land pollution

I. LET’S GET STARTED:

1. Label the pictures with the expressions from the box

Land pollution / water pollution / air pollution / noise pollution

TYPES OF POLLUTION

2.
 Air pollution is caused by:

………………………………… ……………………………… .………………………………

 The main causes of water pollution are:

………………………………… ………………………………… ……………………………

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  Among the causes of Noise pollution are:

……………………………. ………………………………. …………………………………….

 Land pollution is caused by:

…………………..…………………… ………….……………………………

3. What are the effects of pollution on people and on the environment?

Look at the labeled pictures and complete the table:

headache Hole in the smog Disease / Chemical Skin rash

ozone layer sickness reaction

burn Breathing Acid rain stomachache deafness weakness

problem

Effects of pollution on people Effects of pollution on the environment

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 Pollution
1. Pollution is the fouling of the environment – that is, land, water and air – by waste, smoke, chemicals
and other harmful substances. Every industrial country faces the problem of waste. As factories make
new goods for people to buy, old ones are thrown out with the household trash. Burning this garbage
pollutes the air; throwing it in rivers and seas pollutes the water; and rubbish tips are unpleasant and take
up much- needed space. Getting rid of plastic is particularly difficult- with time wood and paper decay
through action of bacteria, but plastics never decay.
2 As industry needs a regular supply of raw materials, the best solution to the problem of waste is to
make use of it as a raw material by reusing or ‘recycling’ it. For example, old cars can be taken apart and
the valuable metal used again.
3 The world’s oceans have been used as ‘dustbins’, with millions of tons of litter being thrown into the
seas every year, endangering marine life. If too much sewage is poured into sea, lakes and rivers the
water can no longer dilute it – all the oxygen gets used up and the fish die. The bacteria which normally
break down the refuse into harmless matter also die; only harmful bacteria which do not need air remain,
and these cause disease.
4 In the 1950s, people in Japan became ill with a new disease, named Minamata disease. It was found
that they had been eating tuna fish containing mercury. The mercury had come from chemicals poured
into the sea by factories.

5 Smoke from factories and gases from motor vehicles pollute the air .Chemicals in the air combine with
the wetness in the air make acids, which eat away stone and brick, and damage buildings. Carbon
monoxide gas and substances called hydrocarbons – given out by the engines of cars and lorries and
buses – can damage people’s health.

6 Smog formed by chemical reactions among the fumes (gases) in strong sunlight darkens the skies. It is
bad for health, especially for people with lung problems. Smog also damages trees and other plant life.

7 Chemicals in the fumes, especially from coal – fired power stations mix with moisture to make acid rain
which may fall hundreds of kilometers away.

8 Another very serious form of pollution is the build - up of carbon dioxide in the upper layer of air. As we
burn coal, wood, petrol and oil, more carbon dioxide is sent into this layer. This is causing the sun’s
warmth to be caught near the earth’s surface, by what is called the ‘green house effect’. If the burning
continues, average temperatures could rise by around 3⁰ to 5 ⁰ C in the next fifty nine years or so.
Weather patterns will change, so that regions that now grow wheat or corn will receive no rains at all.
Also, the polar ice caps may melt and raise sea levels by over five meters. This would mean that big sea
port cities and vast areas of low -lying land, such as the Netherlands and Maldives, will be covered with
water.

9 Pollution is also caused by the fertilizers and insecticides used by farmers. The chemicals in fertilizers
may be washed from the soil into rivers. They can build up in water supplies, and they can also make
algae (a very small sea plant) grow so fast that they use up all the oxygen in the water, and kill all life in
it.

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10 Nuclear energy has two main drawbacks. It can result in accidents, as at Chernobyl in the Soviet
Union in 1986. It also produces radioactive wastes which need to be dealt with. By its very nature this
form of deadly pollution will be around for thousands of years. The present solution is to put away
radioactive waste in concrete and bury them or drop them to the sea bed. But we cannot go on doing this
forever.

11 Making our world free of pollution is an unimaginably big task. There are so many people, for one
thing. Also many governments and big companies are slow to act, since anti pollution measures are not
welcome or are expensive. Many people like the idea of reducing pollution, but not when it changes the
way they live.

12. Pollution must be controlled, and the sooner the better. It will cost a great deal, both in terms of
money and a change of life style. For example, acid rain can be stopped by checking the harmful fumes
before they go out from power stations chimneys. This may push up the price of electricity. Perhaps the
packaging of goods in bright plastic and the ‘throw away’ culture should also be discouraged.

13 There are different pollutants (substances which cause pollution) in the modern world. Scientists are
trying to find ways to avoid using them so as to bring back the ‘balance of nature’ which man has upset.

1) Underline the correct answer

1. Pollution refers to
a) cleaning of land, water and air.
b) fouling of the environment by waste , smoke, chemicals and other harmful substances .
c) closing down of factories .
2. Getting rid of plastics is particularly difficult because
a) they never decay, unlike wood and paper.
b) they can never be broken down into pieces .
c) they cannot be burnt .
3. When too much sewage is poured into the sea
a) the water turns brown .
b) the sea water turns salty.
c) it kills marine life .
4. ‘ Recycling’ means
a) using bicycles instead of cars and other motor vehicles .
b) the build-up of carbon monoxide in the upper layer of air .
c) using waste materials again for making new things .
5. When chemicals in fertilizers are washed from the soil into rivers
a) this river water helps plants grow very fast .
b) plants on the land die .

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c) they make algae grow very fast, use up all the oxygen in the water and kill all the life in it.

2) Find the words in the passage which best fit the meanings given below . A paragraph
number tells you where to look.

1. damaging something by making it dirty (§1) ________________________________

2. causing danger (§3)______________________________________________

3. fog intensified by fumes or atmospheric pollutants . (§6) ___________________________________

4. rain polluted by acid substances . (§7) ____________________________________
5. chemicals used to kill insects (§9 ) ____________________________________
6. difficulties or disadvantages (§10) ____________________________________
7. keep away from (§13) ___________________________________________

3)Match the words with their definitions

Word Meaning Answer

1/ Release a/ harmful smoke 1+…………
2/ Solvent b/ contact with something 2+…………
3/smog c/ Discharge/ let go 3+…………
4/fumes d/ substances that dissolve things 4+………...
5/ exposure e/ a mixture of smoke and fog 5+…………
4) Focus on the underlined words in the following sentences and circle the right
function

They can catch fire and result in burns, skin rashes or risky chemical reaction. (Addition/cause/effect)

Pollution is dangerous. Therefore, we should keep our environment clean. (result / cause / effect)

The air gets polluted because factories release fumes. (Addition / cause / effect)

Because of factory fumes, the air gets polluted. (contrast / cause / effect)

Result in+………………………………… expressing result/effect/ consequence

Therefore/that's why/as a result

Because of +…………………………….…… expressing cause

Because +………………………..

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5)Circle the correct alternative:
Pollution is dangerous. (That’s why / Because / But) everyone has to take actions against it. For
example:
 (Therefore / whereas / because) household chemicals are harmful; we must handle them with
care.
 Batteries from toys, mobile phones and cars leak heavy metals. (Because / So / Can) they
must be disposed of properly.
 Moreover, people cut trees. (As a result / First / Because) many bird species disappear.
 Besides, plastic bags are a major source of waste. (Therefore /
Because / will) we should not throw them.

II. LET’S PRODUCE

In pairs, suggest some ways to control pollution and discuss them with your teacher and
the rest of the class.

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 POLLUTION

Pollution is anything that makes the earth unhealthy

and dirty. EFFECTS ON HUMAN HEALTH
Nowadays every individual is facing problems caused There are a lot of effects on human.
by it. Air pollution causes headaches, acute
and chronic respiratory diseases (e.g.;
It occurs when gases, smoke, dust or odor get into cough and asthma), burning eyes and
the air and make it dirty. It’s very harmful for also lung cancer and heart disease.
humans, animals and plants.
The sky looks so blackish. This is due to
Smoke from factories, power plant, vehicles, smog (smoke + fog= smog) that is very
chemicals, airplanes, spray cans and methane gases dangerous. Smog is a type of air
from land fields causes air pollution. pollution that reduces visibility and
makes the air hard to breathe.The
word “Smog” comes from smoke plus
fog that create it.
EFFECTS ON ANIMALS
EFFECTS ON PLANTS
Animals face breathing problems,
skin infections and many others
There are, also, effects on plants.
diseases due to air pollution.
Air pollution causes acid rain
harming forests, wildlife and
agriculture.

EFFECTS ON ATMOSPHERE
Air pollution is the reason of increase in global
warming and green house effects that force the
glaciers to melt, sea levels to increase and
climate to change. According to the W.H.O.( World Health
Organization)nearly 2.4 million people die each
What can we do? year from air pollution.
To control air pollution we should use public
transport more. For short distances we should
use a bicycle or go by walking. We should
switch off the lights, Televisions, computers
and other electrical devices when not in use. 7
We should always recycle and reuse.
10 Ways to Reduce Pollution:

1. Transportation: Walk, bike, carpool, use public transit, maintain vehicles, consider
electric/hybrids.
2. Energy: Conserve energy at home, support renewable sources.
3. Industry: Support eco-friendly businesses, advocate for cleaner regulations.
4. Waste: Reduce, reuse, recycle.
5. Disposal: Avoid littering, dispose of hazardous waste properly.
6. Agriculture: Buy local/organic, minimize pesticide/fertilizer use.
7. Nature: Support conservation, volunteer for cleanups.
8. Consumption: Buy less, choose durable goods.
9. Trees: Plant trees.
10. Education: Learn and advocate for change.

Learn about environmental issues: Stay informed about the impact of pollution and share your
knowledge with others.

Advocate for change: Contact your elected officials and support organizations working to address
environmental problems.

By making conscious choices in our daily lives, we can all contribute to reducing air and land
pollution and creating a healthier planet for future generations.

Industrial production noise/ Oil spill/ factory fumes/ vehicles smoke/ throwing waste in the streets/
sewage waste/ flying aero planes/ moving and honking vehicles/ industrial waste/ smoking/
deforestation/ chemical substances

- Litter or trash on the ground

b-Motor vehicles smoke
c-Factory fumes
d-Dumping used oil
e-Sewages
f- Residue from mines or industry pile up
g-Leaking of landfills into the sea
h-Human waste
i- Emission of gases
j-Pesticides and chemicals building up in the soil
k-Oil spills from ships