Экологический кризис: миф или реальность?

 

 

Министерство просвещения Российской Федерации 

Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение 

высшего образования 

«Липецкий государственный педагогический университет 

имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского» 

 
 

Кафедра лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Н.В. Орлова 

 

AN ECOLOGICAL CRISIS:  

A MYTH OR REALITY? 

 
 
 

Учебное пособие 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Липецк – 2020 

 

 

 

Министерство просвещения Российской Федерации 

Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение 

высшего образования 

«Липецкий государственный педагогический университет 

имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского» 

 

Кафедра лингвистики и межкультурной коммуникации 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Н.В. Орлова 

 

ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ КРИЗИС: МИФ ИЛИ РЕАЛЬНОСТЬ? 

 
 
 

Учебное пособие 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Липецк – 2020 

 

 

 

 

УДК 43 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Рекомендовано к печати 

ББК 81.432.1я73-3 
 
 
 
 
кафедрой лингвистики и 

О 66 
 
 
 
 
 
межкультурной коммуникации 
Протокол № 11 от 11.06.2020 

 

Орлова, Н.В. 
Экологический кризис: миф или реальность?: учебное пособие /  
Н.В. Орлова. – Липецк: ЛГПУ имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского, 2020. – 169 с. 
 

ISBN 978-5-907168-90-9 
 
 
Пособие содержит аутентичные тексты и материалы в рамках изучаемой 
проблемы и разработанный к ним банк упражнений. Оно обеспечивает 
развитие речевых умений на основе коммуникативных технологий у студентов 
4-го курса, изучающих английский язык как первый иностранный и 
предназначено для формирования и совершенствования лексических навыков 
говорения. 
 

УДК 43 
ББК 81.432.1я73-3 
О 66 

Рецензенты:  
 
О.В. Кашкарова, канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры иностранных языков 
ФГБОУ ВО ЛГТУ 
О.В. Земцова, канд. филол. наук, доцент кафедры английского языка ФГБОУ 
ВО «ЛГПУ имени П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского 
 
 
 
 
ISBN 978-5-907168-90-9
© ФГБОУ ВО «Липецкий государственный

                  педагогический университет имени  
                  П.П. Семенова-Тян-Шанского», 2020 
              © Н.В. Орлова, 2020 

 

 

Оглавление 

Unit 1 THE ENVIRONMENT OR ECOLOGY? ..................................................................................... 4 

UNIT II POLLUTION .............................................................................................................................. 15 

PART I - WASTE AND THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................... 15 

'Waste Not, Want Not' Is Good Advice ........................................................................................................... 15 

PART II – WASTE DISPOSAL ........................................................................................................... 23 

PART III – RECYCLING & GOING GREEN .................................................................................. 29 

GREEN PRODUCTS ...................................................................................................................................... 33 

PART IV – AIR POLLUTION ............................................................................................................. 39 

PART V – WATER POLLUTION ...................................................................................................... 42 

PART VI – NOISE POLLUTION ....................................................................................................... 52 

UNIT III FORESTRY & THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. 57 

Forest Loss Increased in 2019 to Third-Largest This Century ........................................................................ 64 

UNIT IV THE OZONE LAYER DESTRUCTION ............................................................................ 66 

UNIT V GLOBAL WARMING OR GREENHOSE EFFECT ......................................................... 75 

THE BEEF AGAINST … BEEF .................................................................................................................... 75 

UNIT VI WEATHER, CLIMATE CHANGE & NATURAL CALAMITIES ................................. 87 

Unit VII RADIOACTIVITY ................................................................................................................ 94 

UNIT VIII ENERGY CRISIS ............................................................................................................ 103 

UNIT IX ACID RAIN ......................................................................................................................... 111 

UNIT X ANIMALS IN DANGER ...................................................................................................... 115 

UNIT XI WHAT ON EARTH CAN I DO ......................................................................................... 145 

UNIT XII THE EARTH – MY LOVE (OUR GREEN PLANET) .................................................. 150 

IDIOMS WITH EARTH ............................................................................................................................... 151 

Список использованной литературы и источников: ................................................................................ 167 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

Unit 1. THE ENVIRONMENT OR ECOLOGY? 

“The earth does not belong to man; man belongs to the 
earth. All things are connected like the blood that unites 
one family. The perfumed flowers are our sisters, the deer, 
the horse, the great eagle, these are our brothers. The 
rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of 
the pony, and the man, all belong to the same family. Man 
did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. 
Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. The earth 
is sacred and men and animals are but one part of it. Treat 
the earth with respect so that it lasts for centuries to come 
and is a place of wonder and beauty for our children.” 

– Chief Seattle (1854) 

Chief Seattle (Si’ahl) (c. 1786 – June 7, 1866) was a public leader, the chief of the native 
American (Red Indian) Suquamish and Duwamish tribes. The American city Seattle is named 
after him. He is especially known for his ‘speech’, or sometimes referred to as ‘letter’, 
delivered in December, 1854. This speech was a response to the American Government’s land 
treaty to buy the native lands proposed by Isaac Stevens, the Governor of Washington 
Territory. 

Seattle’s speech is regarded as a powerful plea for respect of native American rights 
and environmental values. Seattle criticized the white people’s imperialistic attitude and their 
way of reckless developments affecting the natural environment. In fact, it was one of the 
earliest instances where someone expressed great concern over the degradation of nature 
and ecological balance. He warned us against the rapid progress of western civilization and 
pitched for the need to protect nature. And, this is why Chief Seattle’s speech is acclaimed 
with such high esteem. There are several versions of his letter; the following is one of them. 

 

Chief Seattle's LETTER TO ALL 

How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not 

own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? 

Every part of the Earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, 

every mist in the dark woods, every clear and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of 
my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memory and experience of my people. 
The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. 

The white man’s dead forget the country of their birth when they go to walk among the stars. 

Our dead never forget this beautiful Earth, for it is the mother of the red man. We are part of the Earth 
and it is part of us. The perfumed flowers are our sisters, the deer, the horse, the great eagle, these are 
our brothers. The rocky crests, the juices in the meadows, the body heat of the pony, and the man, all 
belong to the same family. 

So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks 

much of us. The Great White Chief sends word he will reserve us a place so that we can live 
comfortably to ourselves. He will be our father and we will be his children. So we will consider your 
offer to buy land. But it will not be easy. For this land is sacred to us. 

This shining water that moves in streams and rivers is not just water but the blood of our 

ancestors. If we sell you land, you must remember that it is sacred blood of our ancestors. If we sell you 
land, you must remember that it is sacred, and you must teach your children that it is sacred and that 
each ghostly reflection in the clear water of the lakes tells of events in the life of my people. The waters 
murmur is the voice of my father’s father. 

The rivers of our brothers they quench our thirst. The rivers carry our canoes and feed our 

children. If we sell you our land, you must remember to teach your children that the rivers are our 
brothers, and yours, and you must henceforth give the rivers the kindness that you would give my 
brother. We know that the white man does not understand our ways. One portion of land is the same 
to him as the next, for he is a stranger who comes in the night and takes from the land whatever he 
needs. The Earth is not his brother, but his enemy and when he has conquered it, he moves on. He 
leaves his father’s graves behind, and he does not care. He kidnaps the Earth from his children, and he 
does not care. 

His father’s grave, and his children’s birthright are forgotten. He treats his mother, the Earth, 

and his brother, the same, as things to be bought, plundered, sold like sheep or bright beads. His 
appetite will devour the Earth and leave behind only a desert. 

I do not know. 
Our 
ways 
are 

different 
from 
your 
ways. The sight of 

your cities pains the 
eyes of the red man. 

But 
perhaps 
it 
is 
because the red man 

is a savage and does not 
understand. 

There 
is 
no 
quiet place in the 

white man’s cities. No 
place to hear the 

unfurling of leaves in 
spring, or the rustle 

of an insect’s wings. But 
perhaps it is because 

I am a savage and do 
not understand. The 

clatter only seems to 
insult the ears. And 

what is there to life if a 
man cannot hear the 

lonely 
cry 
of 
a 
whippoorwill or the 

arguments of the frogs 
around a pond at 

night. I am a red man 
and 
do 
not 

understand. The Indian 
prefers 
the 
soft 

sound of the wind darting over the face of the pond, and the smell of the wind itself, cleansed by a 
midday rain, or scented with the pinon pine. 

The air is precious to the red man, for all things share the same breath – the beast, the tree, the 

man, they all share the same breath. The white man does not seem to notice the air he breathes. Like a 
man dying for many days, he is numb to the stench. But if we sell you our land, you must remember 
that the air is precious to us, that the air shares its spirit with all the life it supports. The wind that gave 
our grandfather his first breath also receives his last sigh. And if we sell you our land, you must keep it 
apart and sacred, as a place where even the white man can go to taste the wind that is sweetened by the 
meadow’s flowers. 

So, we will consider your offer to buy our land. If we decide to accept, I will make one 

condition – the white man must treat the beasts of this land as his brothers. 

I am a savage and do not understand any other way. I have seen a thousand rotting buffaloes on 

the prairie, left by the white man who shot them from a passing train. I am a savage and do not 
understand how the smoking iron horse can be made more important than the buffalo that we kill only 
to stay alive. 

What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great 

loneliness of the spirit. For whatever happens to the beasts, soon happens to man. All things are 
connected. 

You must teach your children that the ground beneath their feet is the ashes of our 

grandfathers. So that they will respect the land, tell your children that the Earth is rich with the lives of 
our kin. Teach your children what we have taught our children, that the Earth is our mother. Whatever 
befalls the Earth befalls the sons of the Earth. If men spit upon the ground, they spit upon themselves. 

This we know – the Earth does not belong to man – man belongs to the Earth. This we know. 

All things are connected like the blood which unites one family. All things are connected. 

Whatever befalls the Earth – befalls the sons of the Earth. Man did not weave the web of life – 

he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. 

Even the white man, whose God walks and talks with him as friend to friend, cannot be exempt 

from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see. One thing we know, which the 
white man may one day discover – Our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him 
as you wish to own our land, but you cannot. He is the God of man, and His compassion is equal for 
red man and the white. The Earth is precious to Him, and to harm the Earth is to heap contempt on its 
creator. The whites too shall pass, perhaps sooner than all other tribes. 

But in your perishing, you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you 

to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man. That 
destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are slaughtered, the wild horses 
tamed, the secret corners of the forest heavy with scent of many men, and the view of the ripe hills 
blotted by talking wires. Where is the thicket? Gone. Where is the Eagle? Gone. The end of living and 
the beginning of survival. 
Exercise 1 Say what you know about: Chief Seattle, native American (Red Indian) 

Suquamish and Duwamish tribes, Isaac Stevens, the Governor of Washington 
Territory, The American city Seattle 

 
Exercise 2 Answer the following questions: 

1. 
How does Seattle differentiate tribal people from White people? 

2. 
Which proposition of the white people is the speaker referring to? How could it be acceptable 
to his people? 

3. 
Compare the number of chief Seattle’s people with that of the white chief. How does the 
narrator illustrate this fact? 

4. 
Give a character sketch of Chief Seattle. 

5. 
Chief Seattle’s Speech is a documentation of how the white men have brought the Red to their 
days of doom. Discuss. 

6. 
What condition does Good Father give to protect native people? 

7. 
Compare the religion of the White Man with that of the Red Man. 

8. 
Explain the ‘COMMON DESTINY’ between Red Indian and White people according to 
Seattle. 

9. 
How are the natives more dependent on their ancestors than White men? 

10. 
Comment on the hostilities between the tribal people and the white people. 

11. 
How does Seattle describe that his people were numerous once upon a time? 

12. 
Difference between the belief system of the native Americans and the Whites? 

13. 
How does Chief Seattle look back at their golden times in contrast to their upcoming doom? 

14. 
How is every part of the soil sacred to the tribal people? 

15. 
How do the tribal people regard the ashes of their ancestors? 

16. 
What does Seattle want to convey to the White Chief in his speech? 

 
Exercise 3 Make a literary analysis of this letter. 
 

To understand the relations between MAN and NATURE we’ll have to define 
the notions of nature, the environment and ecology. Discover the difference between 
them. Form as many derivatives as possible. Add them to your THEMATIC 
GLOSSARY LIST. 

Exercise 1 INTRODUCING THE ISSUE. Say what problems are thought to be 
connected with the environment. Compile a Word List or Table containing an 
extensive list of terms, words and associations related to the environment. 

 

Exercise 2 CONDUCT A POLL. Divide into pairs and use the opportunity to find 
out your classmates’ attitude toward a specific environmental problem of your own 
choosing. You are going to work together with your partners.  

Select an environmental problem that interests you. Frame a yes/no question 
that you can use to interview other people in the class.  

SAMPLE QUESTIONS

Do you think our government is doing 
enough to protect our forests? Why or 
why not?

Are you concerned about the problem of 
ocean pollution? Why or why not? 

You should work together with your partner, keeping a record of people’s 
responses and noting down any interesting comments they make. Then write a onepage report and present it in class. 

 

Exercise 3 MY NEIGHBOURHOOD, MY ENVIRONMENT 

Aims: To increase awareness of the positive & negative effects that people can have 
on a neighbourhood, take a quiz and report your answers to the class.  

 

What’s in the 

neighbourhood?

Litter-free
Plants or 

Trees

Garbage 

Cans

Lots of 
Traffic

Other 

Comments

Work places

Living spaces

Recreation spaces

Wildlife spaces

 
 
 

Procedure: 
1. Name all the places you might find in a neighbourhood. List them under the 4 headings 
in the table above. 

2. Divide into teams of four and take a walking tour of the university neighbourhood. Each 
student in your group will be responsible for recording information about one type of 
place in the neighbourhood. Your groups should stay together & share your 
observations & reactions. 

3. When you return to the classroom be ready to answer these questions: 

 What things make some living spaces more attractive? 
 How could living spaces in the neighborhood be improved? 
 How do work spaces improve the neighborhood? 
 What negative effects do they have? 
 How could work spaces in the neighborhood be improved? 
 Are there enough spaces for wildlife? 
 How can we help wild animals survive in the neighborhood? 
 Are there enough recreation spaces in the neighborhood? 
 If not, what can we do to create more? 
 What can you do to improve the neighborhood environment? 

Follow-Up: 
Write letters to local officials, owners of work places, etc., giving your suggestions 
for improving the neighbourhood environment. 
 

ENVIRONMENT DISCUSSION 

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B) 

1) 
What is the quality of the environment in your country? 

2) 
What kind of environmental policies does your country have/need? 

3) 
How important is the natural environment to you in your daily life? 

4) 
Are you environmentally friendly? 

5) 
Do you think our environment is beyond repair? 

6) 
Do you think international meetings on the environment are useful? 

7) 
What do you think our grandkids will think of the way we treated the environment? 

8) 
What is your image of an environmentalist? 

9) 
If the environment could speak, what would it tell us? 

10) What is our duty as custodians of the environment?  

----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A) 

1) 
Do you worry about the environment? 

2) 
What stories have you read or heard recently about the environment? 

3) 
What are the biggest problems facing our environment? 

4) 
What would you do to save our environment? 

5) 
What danger does your country pose to the global environment? 

6) 
Do you think the American government cares more about its economy or the 
environment? 

7) 
Which countries are leaders in caring about the environment? 

8) 
What do you know about the history of how our environment came to be under threat? 

9) 
Would you give money to or actively campaign for environmental causes? 

10) What do you think of environmental groups like Greenpeace?