i. Polythene shopping bags and wrappers are a potential threat to urban environment. Once you have discarded them after use, you do not lose your link with them. They return to you in a variety of ways, though you do not realise it. For example, they choke your drains and provide breeding facilities to deadly germs.
ii. A recent study has shown that about 250 tonnes of plastic waste come out of various colonies of major cities every day. This disrupts the sewer system, the essential arteries of city life, choke the land mass and clog the pores of the wetlands.
iii. Unfortunately, even the villages and small towns are not free from this danger. Millions of people returning to their home towns everyday carry their shopping in colourful bags. This pleases their family and children, who after preserving them for a time dispose them in wells, rivers, tanks and drains. Many throw them off into the fields. They do it with a sense of pride, to show off. When their neighbours see that their men from the cities regularly send them those good things of life, they are impressed.
iv. All over the world the worst offenders are the upper income groups of the so-called posh colonies. Though educated, the residents of these affluent areas are unaware of the damage done by the plastic bags. Millions of children in schools carry their lunch boxes in plastic bags. They callously throw them away and cause an unhealthy environment.
v. As it is convenient for mothers to wrap the food in plastic, it is difficult to persuade them against doing this. According to a drill master of a school, it becomes a drill to clean the fields after the children leave. When the midday meal scheme is fully implemented, it must be seen that no plastic wrappers are used.
vi. As these wrappers are light in weight, they are borne aloft by the wind causing visual shocks. Unlike cotton or paper bags they remain undissolved in the mud and stop rain water from seeping deep in the earth. This affects the natural growth of greenery.
Questions:
a. How do polythene bags become health hazards?
b. What are the findings of the latest research about plastic waste?
c. How do the school children pollute the environment?
d. How do plastic bags hamper the growth of greenery?
e. Find the synonyms for the following words from the given passage:
thrown & wealthy
f. Find the antonyms for the following words from the given passage:
poor & shame
g. Give an appropriate title to the passage.
h. Write the meanings of the following words and frame sentences which should not match the content of the passage.
Damage & posh
i. Give the essence of the passage in not more than 75 words.
Мы вошли в новую эру: двадцать первый век. Конечно, это волнующе и мы пытаемся предсказать какая наша жизнь будет в будущем. Она безусловно станет лучше - я в этом уверен. Роботы будут делать всю опасную и грязную работу для нас и наша повседневная жизнь станет легче. Они будут подметать пол, чистить мебель, мыть посуду и даже готовить! Это не значит, что мы станем ленивее, нет. Когда всё автоматизировано, мы сможем делать больше творческой работы. Мы сможем звонить нашим друзьям на видеомобильный и записывать домашнюю работу, говоря в маленький гаджет, что понимает человеческий голос.
Ученые (или может быть компьютеры?) будут находить решения к нашим самым проблемам. Люди перестанут умирать от рака и СПИДа и будут жить по 150 лет.
В будущем на нашей планете не будет голода и не будет больше голодающих детей.
Наши города станут чище, зеленее и безопаснее. Мы будем управлять электрическими машинами и жить в домах с большим кол-вом растений и специальными воздухоочистительными гаджетами.
Атмосферное загрязнение будет остановлено и наша планета будет
Не будет больше войн, никакого криминала и террористов. Люди будут учиться жить в мире и понимании друг с другом.
У нас будет больше свободного времени и более длинные выходные. У нас будет возможность путешествовать в космосе и - кто знает? - когда-нибудь мы сможем проводить наши выходные на Марсе.
Я очень оптимистично настроен на такое будущее. После всего, мы становимся мудрее. Сверхдержавы разоружаются, правительства задумываются насчет природных проблем..
В любом случае, это для нас же лучше - заботиться о нашей планете и стараться сделать ее более хорошей для жизни.
2. Are there any flowers in the vase? What is there in the vase?
3. Are there any English books on the shelf? What is there on the shelf?
4. Is there anybody in the garden? Who is there in the garden?
5. Is there much milk in the jug? How much milk is there in the jug?
6. Are there any mistakes in your test? Where are the mistakes?
7. Is there any ink in your pen? What is there in your pen?
8. Are there any pictures on the wall of the room? What is there on the wall of the room?
9. Is there any coffee in the cup? What is there in the cup?
10. Are there six continents in the world? How many continents are there in the world?
11. Are there many flowers in the garden? How many flowers are there in the garden?
12. Is there anything in the box? What is there in the box?
13. Are there any new words in the text? How many new words are there in the text?
14. Is there much snow in the forest? Where is much snow?