Air pollution is the biggest problem of large cities and industrial areas.

It is usually caused by different means of

transport. Cars and buses are among the worst air polluters. Many people are trying to reduce the use of cars.
Some cities now have special bicycle paths and many people cycle to work. Some people also travel to work
together in one car to reduce the pollution. Factories and plants also pollute air doing harm to our health. As a
result, acid rains appear and damage forest and soil.

Water pollution is as dangerous as air pollution. Factories and plants dump wastes into rivers and lakes polluting
them. Fish and reptiles can’t live in them. There is not enough oxygen in the water. In such places all the birds
leave their habitats and many plants die. If people drink this water they can die too. There are up-to-date filters
that make water and air clean. All the factories and plants must start using them to prevent pollution.

Every day we throw away a lot of litter, which, actually, we can use again, for example paper, cloth, glass, plastic,
etc. Forests are full of used bottles and cans. Such litter can be found in rivers and lakes too. This can be stopped if
you make sure that you throw litter into recycling bins and take litter with you after a picnic in a forest or on a
river bank.

1. pollution — загрязнение

 Land pollution, air pollution, water pollution

2. protection — защита

 protection of the environment

3. environmental  — связанные с окружающей средой (=ecological)

 environmental problems

 The main environmental problems are

4. An influence = an effect — влияние (воздействие)

 to have a strong influence (effect) on.

5. human influence — влияние человека

 Human influence on nature is negative.

6. a disaster — катастрофа

 nuclear disaster

 ecological disaster

7. to survive — выжить

8. safe — безопасный

 a safe place to live

9. safety — безопасность

10. global — глобальный

 global problems

 global warming

11. to prevent — предотвратить

 to prevent an ecological disaster

12. to take actions — принимать меры

 to take actions to prevent an ecological disaster

13. to produce — производить

14. energy — энергия

 Energy is the power from electricity, wind, etc. that helps machines work.

15. nuclear — ядерный

 nuclear energy

 nuclear weapons

16.  a dump — свалка

 town dump

 This town is a real dump.

17. litter — мелкий мусор

18. waste — отходы

 chemical waste

 A lot of waste from factories and plants goes in to the rivers.

 The scientists try to solve the problem of radioactive waste.

19. poison — яд (fertilizes — удобрения)

20. to poison / to be poisoned — отравлять / быть отравленным