Bahasa Inggeris notes, unit 5
The Environment
Textbook English Download B1+ Student's Book Form 5 (KSSM, Hamilton House / KPM 2020), pages 57-68
What this chapter covers
- I can read short texts about young environmental activists and match questions to the right paragraph (Reading, p.58-59)
- I can use vocabulary for natural disasters and environmental problems, such as drought, tsunami, deforestation, fossil fuels and endangered species (Vocabulary 1, p.60)
- I can use the future simple, shall, be going to and the future continuous for decisions, predictions, plans and suggestions (Grammar 1, p.61)
- I can form nouns from verbs, choose about or for after a verb, and use phrasal verbs such as put out and cut down (Vocabulary 2, p.62)
- I can use the future perfect simple, the future perfect continuous and temporals with present tenses (Grammar 2, p.63)
- I can predict what a listening text will say by reading the questions first (Listening, p.64)
- I can discuss environmental problems and ask for my partner's opinion politely (Speaking, p.65)
- I can write a strong introduction for an opinion essay and support my points with examples (Writing, p.66-67)
In this unit you will study the language of the environment: disasters and pollution, future tenses (simple, continuous, perfect), temporals, word formation and an opinion essay with a strong introduction. These are the skills tested in SPM Paper 1 (Reading and Use of English) and Paper 2 (Writing).
5.1Reading: teenagers saving the environment
The Reading text (p.58-59) has four short paragraphs about teenagers with practical ideas. Each project solves a different problem.
| Paragraph | Who | Problem and idea |
|---|---|---|
| A | Nadav Ossendryver, 16 | Visitors send phone updates to a website, Kruger Sightings, so others can find animals. It also helps protect rhinos from poachers by giving contact numbers to report incidents. |
| B | Daniel Burd, 16 | Plastic takes about 1,000 years to break down. He found two kinds of bacteria that decompose it and broke down 43 per cent in six weeks. |
| C | Jason Lin, 15 | E-waste (old gadgets) fills landfills. His website iReTron buys, repairs and resells old gadgets. |
| D | Alec Loorz, 19 | He took the US government to court to protect the atmosphere for future generations and organises the iMatter March. |
Multiple matching: you read several short texts, then match each question to the paragraph that contains the idea. The question and the text use different words for the same idea.
Worked example
Question: "Which paragraph mentions a project that makes money?" Key words: project, makes money. In paragraph C: "consumers make money on their gadget, iReTron makes a profit". Answer: C. Notice that "profit" matches "makes money".
Underline the key words in each question, look for similar words or ideas, and read every paragraph again even when you think you have the answer. Two paragraphs can look right.
Common mistake: choosing a paragraph because it shares one word with the question. Paragraph B and paragraph C both talk about waste, but only C is about reducing e-waste and only B is about an important discovery.
Which paragraph describes how to reuse useful rubbish, and which one is about using the law?
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C (old gadgets are fixed and sold again). D (Alec took the government to court).
5.2Vocabulary: disasters and environmental words
| Disaster | What happens |
|---|---|
| drought | a long time with a lack of water; crops die; can lead to famine |
| famine | starvation: a serious lack of food |
| flood | crops and land destroyed by water |
| wildfire | burning land that spreads quickly; high winds make it worse; deforestation follows |
| earthquake | the ground shakes; aftershocks come later |
| tsunami | giant waves from the sea |
| tornado | very strong spinning winds |
| volcanic eruption | burning lava comes out of a volcano |
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| fossil fuels | coal, oil and gas; burning them pollutes the air |
| alternative energy sources | wind, sun and water power, used instead of fossil fuels |
| global warming | gases heat up the planet; one cause of climate change |
| endangered species | animals that may disappear for ever, such as rhinos and elephants |
| conservation | protecting animals, plants and their habitats |
| clean-up | removing rubbish or pollution, for example after an oil spill |
| green belt | land around a city where building is not allowed |
| eco-friendly products | products that are kind to the environment, such as energy-saving bulbs |
| eco-tourist | a traveller who avoids harming the places he or she visits |
| landfill, waste, e-waste | a place where rubbish is buried; things thrown away; old electronic gadgets |
Common mistake: mixing up global warming (the heating) and climate change (the result). Also, flood and tsunami both involve water, but a tsunami is caused by the sea (often an earthquake) and a flood by rain or rivers.
Complete: "Wind and solar power are ______ that we can use instead of ______ like coal and oil."
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alternative energy sources; fossil fuels.
5.3Grammar 1: future simple, shall, be going to, future continuous
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| will + verb | decision at the moment of speaking; prediction with no evidence (after think, believe, probably); future fact; promise, threat, warning, offer, request | Those people are hungry. I'll give them some food. |
| shall (I, we) | ask for advice; make a suggestion or an offer | Shall we go on an eco-friendly holiday? |
| be going to | plan or intention; prediction with evidence in the present | Look at all those machines. They're going to build something in this green belt! |
| will be + -ing | action in progress at a specific time in the future; arrangement | This time next summer, Nia will be travelling around Africa. |
Which sentence?
(a) Shall we help with the clean-up on Saturday? is a suggestion. (b) Are we going to help with the clean-up on Saturday? asks about a plan or intention that already exists.
Evidence now means be going to: "Look at the clouds. It is going to rain." No evidence, just an opinion means will: "I think it will rain tomorrow."
Common mistakes.
- Using will for a plan already made: "I will visit the park tomorrow, I have bought the tickets" should be I'm going to visit.
- Using shall with he, she, they. Shall for suggestions and offers is only with I and we.
Choose will, be going to or will be + -ing: (a) The phone is ringing. I ____ (answer) it. (b) This time tomorrow, we ____ (plant) trees.
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(a) I'll answer (decision at the moment of speaking). (b) we will be planting (in progress at a future time).
5.4Vocabulary 2: word formation, prepositions, phrasal verbs
| Verb | Noun |
|---|---|
| starve | starvation |
| destroy | destruction |
| contaminate | contamination |
| conserve | conservation |
| interfere | interference |
| refer | reference |
Prepositions after verbs (p.62): hear about, be punished for, be to blame for, protest about, warn about (warn someone about a danger), long for, boast about, apologise for.
| Phrasal verb | Meaning |
|---|---|
| keep away from | do not go near |
| cut down | make a tree fall by cutting it |
| end up | finally be in a situation, often an unplanned one |
| burn down | destroy by fire |
| put out | stop a fire |
| throw yourself into | do something with great energy |
| keep on | continue |
| throw away | put in the rubbish |
| use up | finish a supply of something |
Common mistake: "cut off" is not "cut down". Cut off stops a supply such as water or electricity; cut down makes trees fall.
Write the noun: contaminate, conserve. Then choose about or for: "Who is to blame ____ the rubbish?"
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contamination, conservation; for.
5.5Grammar 2: future perfect and temporals
| Form | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| will have + past participle | finished by or before a point in the future | They will have opened the new conservation area by July. |
| will have been + -ing | how long something has lasted by a point in the future | Carole will have been protesting outside the factory for two days on Sunday. |
Temporals: when, before, after, until, once, as soon as, by the time. For the future they take a present tense, never will.
- Right: After he buys the trees, he'll plant them. Wrong: After he will buy ...
- Use the present perfect to stress that the first action is finished before the second begins: We'll start once everyone has arrived.
Worked example
"I'll arrive in Africa and then I'll email my parents" becomes When I have arrived in Africa, I'll email my parents (temporal + present perfect + future simple).
Common mistake: "until they will close the factory". After until, use the present: until they close the factory.
Complete with the verb in brackets: (a) By 2040 scientists ____ (find) a cure. (b) I'll call you when I ____ (reach) the site.
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(a) will have found. (b) reach (or have reached). No will after when.
5.6Listening and speaking
Listening (p.64). Read the questions before the recording starts. The questions and options tell you the topic, so you can guess what the speaker will say (in the textbook, a head teacher creating a wildlife area with long grass, a pond and wild flowers). Then listen for ideas, not exact words.
Speaking (p.65). To ask your partner's opinion: What do you think about ...? Do you agree that ...? Why do you think ...? Can you explain why you said ...? If you are not sure which item to choose, ask your partner first, then agree or disagree and give a reason.
Why should you read the listening questions first?
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They give you the topic and facts to expect, so you can decide whether each option is right or wrong while listening.
5.7Writing an opinion essay: the introduction and examples
The first paragraph must introduce the topic and state your opinion clearly in answer to the question, using formal language.
| Weak introduction | Problem |
|---|---|
| Uses contractions (they're, shouldn't) | Informal language |
| Copies the words of the task | No ideas of your own |
| Does not mention the topic | Reader does not know what the essay is about |
| Gives no opinion | Does not answer the question |
Plan for an essay of 140-190 words
| Paragraph | Job |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduce the topic and give your opinion |
| 2 | Point about Note 1, supported by an example |
| 3 | Point about Note 2 |
| 4 | Your own idea (support or contrast) |
| 5 | Re-state your opinion in different words, with a comment |
Link your points with First of all, In addition, Moreover, All in all. Introduce examples with For example, or For instance,: "Plastic bags are a danger to animals; for instance, ducks and birds can get trapped in them and die."
After writing, check your work: spelling, tenses, formal language, word count, and that every note is covered.
Common mistake: an essay that lists examples but never says which side you are on. State your opinion in paragraph 1 and again in the last paragraph.
Task: "Many people grow their own food. Is this a good or bad thing?" Write one formal opening sentence with an opinion.
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Example: "Nowadays more and more families are growing vegetables at home, and in my opinion this is a very good thing for both health and budget." It names the topic, gives an opinion and has no contractions.
Summary
- Multiple matching: underline key words, look for similar ideas, recheck every paragraph.
- Know the disaster and environment vocabulary: drought, famine, tsunami, fossil fuels, conservation, landfill.
- will = quick decision, prediction, promise; shall = suggestion or offer; be going to = plan or evidence; will be -ing = in progress at a future time.
- will have + pp = finished by a time; will have been -ing = duration up to a time.
- After when, before, after, until, once, as soon as, by the time: present tense, not will.
- Essay introduction: topic + your opinion, formal, own words. Use examples to support points.