Phrasal Verbs About The Environment

Phrasal verbs often Be aware that many of

include another these phrasal verbs
preposition if they take also have other
an object. meanings.

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.

1) break down a) to remove pollution

2) clean up b) to decompose

3) cut down (on) c) to become extinct

4) call for d) to discard something that is no longer needed or wanted

5) chop down e) to reduce

6) die out f) to emit, release, radiate, or produce as a by-product

7) dispose of g) to consume all of a resource

8) do away with h) to demand something publicly

9) dry up i) to remove something large with cutting tools

10) give off j) for water to completely evaporate

11) heat up k) to remove or abolish gradually

12) phase in l) to abolish or ban

13) phase out m) to increase the temperature

14) push for n) to deactivate a machine or apparatus

15) sign up (to) o) to actively campaign for something

16) turn off p) to introduce gradually

17) use up q) to kill or eliminate all of a species

18) wipe out r) to commit to something

LET’S PLAY BINGO!

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Phrasal Verbs About The Environment

break down call for chop down clean up cut down die out dispose of do away with dry up
give off heat up phase in phase out push for sign up turn off use up wipe out
Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the sentences below.
You will need to conjugate them appropriately.

1) Global warming is the result of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases causing the Earth’s
atmosphere to _________ ______.

2) The climate activist, Greta Thunberg, has _________ ______ governments around the world to start
taking action against climate change.

3) For many years now, Greenpeace has used world-famous celebrities and has engaged in publicity
stunts to _________ ______tighter controls on how nuclear power is used.

4) When the UK joined the Common Market in 1971, it had to _________ ______ _____the use of lead
as an ingredient in paint, as it contravened European health and safety rules.

5) Deforestation is a series problem in South America where cattle farmers have been accused of
_________ ______ large areas of forest to make room for cattle ranches.

6) Little actions, such as _________ ______a light when leaving a room, can have a very positive effect
on reducing one’s carbon footprint.

7) When plastic is thrown away, it can take as long as 500 years before it _________ ______completely.

8) It took a very long time to _________ ______the coast of Galicia after the Prestige oil spill of 2002.

9) Another good reason to look for renewable energy sources is the high probability that the world will
have _________ ______ all of its oil within the next 150 years.

10) The dinosaurs _________ ______millions of years ago although crocodiles have survived.

11) It is often thought that European sailors _________ ______ the entire population of dodos on the
island of Mauritius.

12) The Paris Agreement of 2016 saw many countries around the world commit themselves to
_________ ______ on carbon emissions.

13) The use of leaded petrol was _________ ______during the 1990s.

14) The use of unleaded petrol was _________ ______ during the 1990s.

15) Recycling means that we need separate waste containers to _________ ______our rubbish.

16) Many countries _________ ______ to the Paris Agreement of 2016 on climate change, although the
United States later decided to remove its name from the list.

17) Because of global warming, sea levels have risen but rivers and lakes have started to _________
______.

18) There are many everyday chemicals which we use around the house that can _________ ______
harmful fumes that can damage the environment.
 A BRIEF HISTORY OF GREENPEACE
Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

break down call for chop down clean up cut down die out dispose of do away with dry up
give off heat up phase in phase out push for sign up turn off use up wipe out

Greenpeace was set up in 1971 in Canada to try and stop nuclear testing in nearby Alaska by the
United States government. Greenpeace argued that the nuclear explosion would _______ _____ high levels
of radiation resulting in dangerous contamination of the surrounding area and the possibility of producing
earthquakes or even tsunamis on account of the shockwave. They were also concerned that certain animal
species were in danger of _______ ____as a consequence of the tests. They used a number of different
activities to _______ ____an end to testing in the area and were ultimately successful.
Scientists had been _______ _____ an end to whale hunting for many years before Greenpeace got
involved, but once they committed themselves, along with other environmental groups, they were able to
raise the profile of this movement. Commercial whaling had already _______ _____ several species and was
in danger of doing it to even more of them. Greenpeace bought ships which could follow the whalers and then
try to manoeuvre themselves between the whales and the commercial whaling vessels, thereby protecting the
animals. Their intense publicity campaigns struck a chord with the public and, after immense pressure, many
countries _______ _____ to a moratorium which effectively _______ _____ ______commercial whaling for
the majority of the international community in 1986.
In the meantime, Greenpeace had started to employ its own scientists and build its own laboratories
thanks to donations that came from all over the world. The scientific community had been expressing
concerns for years about the build-up of greenhouse gasses contributing to global warming. In fact, evidence
was finally starting to show that the world was _______ _____ and ice in the Polar Regions was starting to
melt. And in the meantime, areas of the world that had once boasted rivers and fertile vegetation had started
to _______ _____, leaving behind large areas of dessert. Greenpeace sprang into action and helped to
convince the public that something needed to be done.
Greenpeace also acted to help reduce smog in big cities through various high profile campaigns.
Engineers invented the catalytic converter to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars but leaded
petrol damaged these devices. Greenpeace scientists, among others, helped to point out that reducing the
lead in petrol would allow car users to fit catalytic converters and the reduction of lead in the air in cities
would help to _______ _____ the air quality. Governments around the world began to _______ _____ the
use of leaded petrol. Unleaded petrol was _______ _____, thanks in no small part to publicity stunts by
Greenpeace, and eventually replaced its leaded counterpart.
Raising awareness for environmental issues is a crucial part of Greenpeace campaigning. So too is what
they call “bearing witness,” which means to simply be somewhere to film environmentally harmful activities
carried out by companies or organisations. In 1993, a Greenpeace ship filmed a Russian naval vessel as it
_______ _____ its radioactive waste directly into the Japanese sea. The TV pictures were beamed live to
media outlets around the world and within just a few hours the Greenpeace ship was joined by other ships
carrying journalists. Backed up by scientific evidence that proves it takes radioactive waste hundreds of
thousands of years before it can _______ _____ completely and be absorbed safely by the ecosystem, action
was taken that resulted in a ban on the dumping of toxic or radioactive waste in our oceans at the London
Dumping Convention in 1993.
Greenpeace is still very active and has many campaigns going on at the moment, such as preventing
illegal logging companies from _______ _____ large areas of the world’s rain forests, but perhaps the
organisation’s biggest success is how it has managed to influence public opinion and modify our behaviour.
The world is aware that we are _______ _____ precious resources too quickly and many people have
changed their habits as a result. Whether it is something simple such as _______ _____ a light when leaving a
room or just recycling to _______ _____on how much household waste we produce, we can thank
Greenpeace for its efforts to educate us into taking responsibility for our actions and their impact on the
planet.

There are some other phrasal verbs, highlighted in

blue, in the article. What do you think they mean?
 Renewable Energy Debate
Read the memo below and then read your personality card. After that, attend
the meeting and debate what the board should do next regarding the issue at
hand. Each person should spend at least 1 minute stating their opinion and a
further 5 minutes debating what should be done once everybody has had their
say. A vote must be taken at the end of the meeting.

Walton Town Hall

To: All councillors

From: The Mayor’s Office
Date: 10/09/20
Re: Sustainable Town Hall

Honourable Councillors,

As you are all no doubt aware, the motion has been put forward by members
from three distinct political parties on the council to make our town hall the first
in the country to run entirely on renewable energy sources. It would seem that the
idea has been received well by the general public although there are also elements
that are at odds to the idea on the grounds of cost.
This has left us in a bit of a quandary as we can only implement these
changes on the condition of full and unequivocal backing of the municipal electorate
after holding an open meeting to debate the matter with a free vote to decide the
argument, according to local bylaws. Failure to do so would render such
implementation null and void and place all officers of the council in breach of
their oaths of office and therefore liable to prosecution.
As such, I think we must first meet to mull over the sagacity of this
proposal. A meeting will be chaired this Monday to discuss the matter and attendance
is obligatory.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter at the forthcoming
meeting.

Warmest regards
Polly Tishon
Polly Tishon
Mayor

Indicate whether the statements below are true or false.

1. The council is considering the elimination of non-sustainable energy usage at the town hall. True□ False□

2. The general public is overwhelmingly in favour of using only renewable energy at the town hall. True□ False□

3. The council does not need permission from the local population to do this. True□ False□

4. The meeting is to discuss whether the implementation of a renewable-energy-only town hall is True□ False□
a good idea.
Phrasal Verbs About The Environment
break down call for chop down clean up cut down die out dispose of do away with dry up
give off heat up phase in phase out push for sign up turn off use up wipe out

Insert the phrasal verbs that fit best into the gaps in the story below.
You will need to conjugate the verbs appropriately.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

IN PAIRS CREATE A GAP-FILL EXERCISE FOR THE 18 PHRASAL

VERBS IN THE BOX AT THE TOP OF THE PAGE.
 Renewable Energy Debate – Personality Cards
You are a councillor on the local council and
you are also a business leader. You own
factory that produces boxes and plastic bags.
You are worried that if people become too
green, there won’t be enough demand for
you packaging products. You don’t think very
highly of environmentalists as some of them
dumped a load of rubbish in your car park
last week as a protest. You think renewable
energy is expensive nonsense.
You are a councillor for the local branch of
the Traditionalist Party. You think that all
the fuss about renewable energy is just a
secret conspiracy to radicalise everybody
and destroy the values and traditions that
once made this country great. You think
that the Green Party is a danger to
everybody and its leaders should be
arrested and thrown into prison.
You are a councillor on the local city
council and, many years ago, you were a
hippy that lived in a commune. While
living on the commune you tried to live
your live in as ecologically as was possible.
Unfortunately, one day you got ill and
were too sick to go down to the recycling
centre. The rest of the commune expelled
you for this even though you were sick. As
a result, you hate environmentalists.
You are a councillor for the local branch of
the Workers Party. You think that we should
be more concerned about creating jobs for
the local populace and so much about
renewable energy. You think that
environmentalism is OK as long as it creates
jobs. You believe that the council should
employ a local workforce to build and
maintain the renewable energy
infrastructure.
You are a councillor on the local council
and you also own three petrol stations. As
more people buy electric cars, you find
your profits are starting to suffer. To you,
renewable energy is a big threat to the
local economy. You are against the town
hall becoming the latest organisation to
submit to the barbaric practice of
renewable energy usage.
CHOOSE ONE OF THE PERSONALITY CARDS ABOVE AND THEN USE THIS AS
YOUR MOTIVATION DURING THE ROLE-PLAY.
You are a councillor for the local branch of
the Green Party. You strongly believe that
education is the answer for a greener
planet. You think all schools should set
exams for responsible energy usage. You
believe that the town hall should set the
standard for future generations and you
also think there should be educational
tours of the future town hall for schools.
You are a councillor on the local city
council and you are also a business leader.
You own a small solar power plant and are
paid a considerable subsidy by the central
government for this service. However, you
have been limited on how much electricity
you can produce. You think there should
be more renewable energy available to the
public and a better, greener,
infrastructure.
You are a councillor on the local city
council and also a secret member of an
active radical environmental group. Your
group has been responsible for dumping
rubbish in local businesses’ car parks when
those businesses have broken
environmental laws but not been punished
by the courts. You think there should be
harsher penalties for people and
companies that break these laws.
You are a councillor on the local city
council. You believe strongly that the
environment is in danger and that society
has a duty to fix this for the future
generations of the human race. You think
that if we don’t act now, it will be too late.
You also own an advertising company and
are happy to offer to do a campaign for
the council at a discount.
You are a councillor on the local
council and a member of Greenpeace.
You have been campaigning for years
to get all public buildings to be run on
renewable energy. You think that
schools and hospitals should also run
on renewable energy and the sooner
the better.
Phrasal Verbs Bingo Game
Cut out and place the definition slips in a cup or envelope. Cut out the bingo cards and give to the students. Take a definition
slip from the cup one at a time and read the definition. Students tick off the corresponding phrasal verbs. Once a student has
crossed out 5 words on a card they shout “bingo” and the round starts again with fresh cards. Repeat the process 3 times.

Definition Slips
break down = clean up = cut down (on) = call for = chop down =
to decompose to remove pollution to reduce to demand to remove something large
something with cutting tools
die out = dispose of = do away with = dry up = give off =
to become extinct to discard something to abolish or ban for water to to produce as a by-
that is no longer completely product
needed or wanted evaporate
heat up = phase in = phase out = push for = sign up =
to increase the to introduce to remove or to actively to commit to something
temperature gradually abolish gradually campaign for
something
turn off = use up = wipe out =
to deactivate a machine to consume all of a to kill or eliminate
or apparatus resource all of a species

Bingo Cards Bingo Cards

break down clean up push for give off
chop down phase in
cut down call for die out turn off

phase in die out phase out dry up

dispose of clean up
break down give off sign up dispose of

give off push for call for wipe out

phase out cut down
clean up chop down do away with turn off

turn off use up wipe out turn off

sign up give off
cut down phase in call for push for

wipe out dry up

sign up use up
push for
die out
turn off die out
phase out call for
use up phase in
dry up push for
break down
turn off
dispose of heat up
phase in wipe out

dispose of cut down

do away with heat up
call for
heat up
wipe out use up push for phase out

sign up heat up
clean up do away with
chop down
do away with
chop down dry up
dry up break down
 Answers

Phrasal Verb Mix and Match

Connect each of the phrasal verbs below with the correct definition.
1) break down a) to remove pollution

2) clean up b) to decompose

3) cut down (on) c) to become extinct

4) call for d) to discard something that is no longer needed or wanted

5) chop down e) to reduce

6) die out f) to emit, release, radiate, or produce as a by-product

7) dispose of g) to consume all of a resource

8) do away with h) to demand something publicly

9) dry up i) to remove something large with cutting tools

10) give off j) for water to completely evaporate

11) heat up k) to remove or abolish gradually

12) phase in l) to abolish or ban

13) phase out m) to increase the temperature

14) push for n) to deactivate a machine or apparatus

15) sign up (to) o) to actively campaign for something

16) turn off p) to introduce gradually

17) use up q) to kill or eliminate all of a species

18) wipe out r) to commit to something

Answers
1) = b)
2) = a)
3) = e)
4) = h)
5) = i)
6) = c)
7) = d)
8) = l)
9) = j)
10) = f)
11) = m)
12) = p)
13) = k)
Transitive = a verb that takes an object 14) = o)
Intransitive = a verb that does not take an object 15 = r)
16) = n)
17) = g)
18) = q)
 Answers

1) Global warming is the result of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases causing the Earth’s
atmosphere to heat up.

2) The climate activist, Greta Thunberg, has called for governments around the world to start taking
action against climate change.

3) For many years now, Greenpeace has used world-famous celebrities and has engaged in publicity
stunts to push for tighter controls on how nuclear power is used.

4) When the UK joined the Common Market in 1971, it had to do away with the use of lead as an
ingredient in paint, as it contravened European health and safety rules.

5) Deforestation is a series problem in South America where cattle farmers have been accused of
chopping down/cutting down large areas of forest to make room for cattle ranches.

6) Little actions, such as turning off a light when leaving a room, can have a very positive effect on
reducing one’s carbon footprint.

7) When plastic is thrown away, it can take as long as 500 years before it breaks down completely.

8) It took a very long time to clean up the coast of Galicia after the Prestige oil spill of 2002.

9) Another good reason to look for renewable energy sources is the high probability that the world will
have used up all of its oil within the next 150 years.

10) The dinosaurs died out millions of years ago although crocodiles have survived.

11) It is often thought that European sailors wiped out the population of dodos on the island of
Mauritius.

12) The Paris Agreement of 2016 saw many countries around the world commit themselves to cutting
down on carbon emissions.

13) The use of leaded petrol was phased out during the 1990s.

14) The use of unleaded petrol was phased in during the 1990s.

15) Recycling means that we need separate waste containers to dispose of our rubbish.

16) Many countries signed up to the Paris Agreement of 2016 on climate change, although the United
States later decided to remove its name from the list.

17) Because of global warming, sea levels have risen but rivers and lakes have started to dry up.

18) There are many everyday chemicals which we use around the house that can give off harmful fumes
that can damage the environment.
 Answers

Greenpeace was set up in 1971 in Canada to try and stop nuclear testing in nearby Alaska by the
United States government. Greenpeace argued that the nuclear explosion would give off high levels of
radiation resulting in dangerous contamination of the surrounding area and the possibility of producing
earthquakes or even tsunamis on account of the shockwave. They were also concerned that certain animal
species were in danger of dying out as a consequence of the tests. They used a number of different activities
to push for an end to testing in the area and were ultimately successful.
Scientists had been calling for an end to whale hunting for many years before Greenpeace got
involved, but once they committed themselves, along with other environmental groups, they were able to
raise the profile of this movement. Commercial whaling had already wiped out several species and was in
danger of doing it to even more of them. Greenpeace bought ships which could follow the whalers and then
try to manoeuvre themselves between the whales and the commercial whaling vessels, thereby protecting
the animals. Their intense publicity campaigns struck a chord with the public and, after immense pressure,
many countries signed up to a moratorium which effectively did away with commercial whaling for the
majority of the international community in 1986.
In the meantime, Greenpeace had started to employ its own scientists and build its own laboratories
thanks to donations that came from all over the world. The scientific community had been expressing
concerns for years about the build-up of greenhouse gasses contributing to global warming. In fact,
evidence was finally starting to show that the world was heating up and ice in the Polar Regions was starting
to melt. And in the meantime, areas of the world that had once boasted rivers and fertile vegetation had
started to dry up, leaving behind large areas of dessert. Greenpeace sprang into action and helped to
convince the public that something needed to be done.
Greenpeace also acted to help reduce smog in big cities through various high profile campaigns.
Engineers invented the catalytic converter to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions from cars but leaded
petrol damaged these devices. Greenpeace scientists, among others, helped to point out that reducing the
lead in petrol would allow car users to fit catalytic converters and the reduction of lead in the air in cities
would help to clean up the air quality. Governments around the world began to phase out the use of leaded
petrol. Unleaded petrol was phased in, thanks in no small part to publicity stunts by Greenpeace, and
eventually replaced its leaded counterpart.
Raising awareness for environmental issues is a crucial part of Greenpeace campaigning. So too is
what they call “bearing witness,” which means to simply be somewhere to film environmentally harmful
activities carried out by companies or organisations. In 1993, a Greenpeace ship filmed a Russian naval
vessel as it disposed of its radioactive waste directly into the Japanese sea. The TV pictures were beamed
live to media outlets around the world and within just a few hours the Greenpeace ship was joined by other
ships carrying journalists. Backed up by scientific evidence that proves it takes radioactive waste hundreds
of thousands of years before it can break down completely and be absorbed safely by the ecosystem, action
was taken that resulted in a ban on the dumping of toxic or radioactive waste in our oceans at the London
Dumping Convention in 1993.
Greenpeace is still very active and has many campaigns going on at the moment, such as preventing
illegal logging companies from chopping/cutting down large areas of the world’s rain forests, but perhaps
the organisation’s biggest success is how it has managed to influence public opinion and modify our
behaviour. The world is aware that we are using up precious resources too quickly and many people have
changed their habits as a result. Whether it is something simple such as turning off a light when leaving a
room or just recycling to cut down on how much household waste we produce, we can thank Greenpeace
for its efforts to educate us into taking responsibility for our actions and their impact on the planet.
 Walton Town Hall

To: All councillors

From: The Mayor’s Office
Date: 10/09/20
Re: Sustainable Town Hall

Honourable Councillors,

As you are all no doubt aware, the motion has been put forward by members
from three distinct political parties on the council to make our town hall the first
in the country to run entirely on renewable energy sources. It would seem that the
idea has been received well by the general public although there are also elements
that are at odds to the idea on the grounds of cost.
This has left us in a bit of a quandary as we can only implement these
changes on the condition of full and unequivocal backing of the municipal electorate
after holding an open meeting to debate the matter with a free vote to decide the
argument, according to local bylaws. Failure to do so would render such
implementation null and void and place all officers of the council in breach of
their oaths of office and therefore liable to prosecution.
As such, I think we must first meet to mull over the sagacity of this
proposal. A meeting will be chaired this Monday to discuss the matter and attendance
is obligatory.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this matter at the forthcoming
meeting.

Warmest regards
Polly Tishon
Polly Tishon
Mayor

1. The council is considering the elimination of non-sustainable energy usage at the town hall. TRUE

2. The general public is overwhelmingly in favour of using only renewable energy at the town hall. FALSE

3. The council does not need permission from the local population to do this. FALSE

4. The meeting is to discuss whether the implementation of a renewable-energy-only town hall is a good idea. TRUE
 Extra Cards

Bingo Cards
break down
push for
clean up
Bingo Cards
call for turn off
chop down call for
phase out
die out turn off
phase out die out
dispose of
turn off
phase in heat up
break down
clean up
sign up dispose of
give off call for
phase in
call for wipe out
clean up cut down
chop down
do away with give off
give off dry up
sign up
die out turn off
cut down phase out
give off
do away with wipe out
heat up clean up
wipe out wipe out heat up
phase out push for push for
give off die out
clean up push for
give off dry up phase in
phase in die out break down
dispose of heat up
dispose of break down
dry up do away with break down
die out use up push for
call for phase in
clean up heat up
do away with heat up do away with
cut down dry up chop down
clean up break down
Environment FCE Practice Reading and Use of English
Part 4
For these questions complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence,
using the word given.
Do not change the word given. You must use between TWO and SIX words, INCLUDING the word given.
Here is an example (0).
Example:
0 We missed the first band because we arrived at the concert late.
GOT
We _________________ late so we didn’t see the first band.
The gap can be filled with the words ‘insisted on speaking’, so you write:

Example: 0 GOT TO THE CONCERT

Write only the missing words IN CAPITAL LETTERS on the separate answer sheet.

1 We can reduce the volume of traffic to the city centre by imposing a congestion charge at certain times of the
day.
DOWN
By introducing a congestion charge, we should be able ________________________________ the volume of
traffic in the city centre.

2 People have been campaigning to get the council to provide more charging stations for electric in the city.
PUSHING
Some citizens ___________________________________________ more places to charge electric cars in the
city.

3 The manufacturing process for this item produces a lot of carbon dioxide.
OFF
The factory that produces this product_____________________________________________ of carbon dioxide
during the manufacturing process.

4 Many people believe that single-use items should be banned to try and reduce waste.
AWAY
A lot of people think that___________________________________ single-use items would create less waste.

5 Litter should be placed in the appropriate waste containers that have been provided.
OF
Please ____________________________________ in the appropriate containers provided.

6 It looks as if the Siberian tiger could become extinct.

OUT
The Siberian tiger is in danger ______________________________________.
 Answers
1 We can reduce the volume of traffic to the city centre by imposing a congestion charge at certain times of the
day.
DOWN
By introducing a congestion charge, we should be able TO CUT DOWN ON the volume of traffic in the city
centre.

2 People have been campaigning to get the council to provide more charging stations for electric in the city.
PUSHING
Some citizens HAVE BEEN PUSHSING FOR more places to charge electric cars in the city.

3 The manufacturing process for this item produces a lot of carbon dioxide.
OFF
The factory that produces this product GIVES OFF A LOT of carbon dioxide during the manufacturing process.

4 Many people believe that single-use items should be banned to try and reduce waste.
AWAY
A lot of people think that DOING AWAY WITH single-use items would create less waste.

5 Litter should be placed in the appropriate waste containers that have been provided.
OF
Please DISPOSE OF (YOUR) LITTER in the appropriate containers provided.

6 It looks as if the Siberian tiger could become extinct.

OUT
The Siberian tiger is in danger OF DYING OUT