Unit 02: Waste not, Want not Part One: Discovering Language

Task1: Match these pictures with the words they describe

South America, biodiversity, deforestation, timber harvesting, Amazon rainforest

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Task 2: Read the text then answer the questions below

The Amazon rainforest is one of the world’s greatest conservation challenges. There are four countries
with areas inside the Amazon ecosystem: Brazil, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia. The Amazon basic ecosystem
has historically been protected from threats because of its isolation. Access to the forest was difficult. So
resource extraction was limited to the immediate margins of its navigable rivers. However, throughout the
1960s and the 1970s new roads were built in Amazonia by the Brazilian government and colonization
projects settledd millions of people into the region. In three decades, 15% of the forest was cleared and 4 to
5% was degraded through timber harvest. Each year, 18000 km² of forest trees are felled by timber
companies. 80% of the forest is still standing, but if nothing is done to stop its degradation soon, the Amazon
forest will be devastated within 20 years’ time.

a. Why has the Amazon basic ecosystem historically been protected?

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b. What did the Brazilian government do in Amazonia?
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c. How much of the forest was cleared in three decades?
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d. How much of the forest trees are felled by timber companies?
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e. How will the Amazon rainforest be within 20 years’ time?
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 Task 3: Match sentences from column A with their equivalents from column B

Column A Column B

1. New roads were built in Amazonia by the Brazilian
government.
2. 15% of the forest was cleared.
3. 4 to 5% of the forest was degraded.
4. 18000 km² of forest trees are felled by timber
companies.
5. Nothing is done by the Brazilian government to
stop the degradation of the forest.
a. Timber companies fell 18000 km² of forest trees.
b. Timber companies degraded 4 to 5% of the forest.
c. The Brazilian government does nothing to stop the
degradation of the forest.
d. Timber companies cleared 15% of the forest.
e. The Brazilian government built new roads in
Amazonia.

Task 4: Identify the sentences which focus on the doer of the action and the ones focusing on the action
itself. What do you notice? Complete the rule.
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Voive: Subject + Verb + Object

Voice: ……………….. + To be + ……………………. + …………………

Task 5: Turn these sentences into the passive voice

1. Fumes from automobile exhaust pipes cause air pollution.
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2. Water pollution will deplete many water zones of their oxygen soon.
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3. The Algerian government will ban cigarette smoking next year.
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4. The Post and Telecommunication Ministry has already issued a lot of environmental stamps.
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5. We haven’t imposed drastic limits on gas emissions and noise yet.
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Task 6: Turn these sentences into the active voice

1. The environment should be protected.
We …………………………………………………………………………………………….
2. Pollution can be divided into four types.
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3. Animals in danger of extinction mustn’t be hunted.
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4. All the work has been done.
I ………………………………………………………………………………………………..
5. Beautiful flowers have been grown by my neighbor since 2010.
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Your Teacher: Ms. Zeghouani

You ARE the BEST.