16 Answer the questions.
1. What is pollution?
2. How many types of pollutants are there?
3. What forms of pollution are there?
4. What are the main causes of air pollution?
5. How can water be contaminated?
6. How is the water pollution of human origin classified?
7. What are the most common soil contaminants?
8. Which forms of pollution are unquestionably the most harmful to humans? Why?
17 Find the English equivalent of these Italian words.
1. Inquinamento acustico ...............................................................................
2. Agenti inquinanti .............................................................................................
3. Diossido di carbonio .....................................................................................
4. Strato dell'ozono ............................................................................................
5. Sostanze chimiche ..........................................................................................
6. Pesticidi ..............................................................................................................
7. Polveri ..................................................................................................................
8. Scorie radioattive ..........................................................................................
18 Tick non-environmentally friendly suggestions. then listen and check your answers.
1. Don’t burn any waste, especially plastic, because the smoke may contain polluting gases. ▢
2. Drink bottled water. ▢
3. Avoid unnecessary product packaging. ▢
4. Put non-recyclable items in the recycling bin. ▢
5. Use leaded petrol in motor vehicles. ▢
6. Walk or cycle where it is safe to do so. ▢
7. Take waste oil, old batteries and used tyres to a recycling centre for safe disposal. ▢
8. Print single-sided documents. ▢
9. Throw plastic bags away after using them. ▢
10. Separate waste into biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. ▢
11. Make compost for the soil and plants from organic solid waste. ▢
12. Buy single-use items. ▢
13. Use unleaded petrol and alternative sources of energy. ▢
14. Treat sewage so that it does not pollute waterways. ▢
FOCUS
ACID RAIN
Acid rain is precipitation containing high levels of nitric and sulfuric acids which have been released in the atmosphere when burning fossil fuels. It endangers the environment as it takes away important minerals from the soil and from the leaves, leaving trees and plants less healthy, more vulnerable to cold temperatures, insects, and disease.
GLOSSARY
by-product : sottoprodotto
discharge : scarico
harmless : innocuo
to leach : filtrare
leaching out : lisciviazione
lead : piombo
to litter : ricoprire di rifiuti
nitrogen : azoto
pollutant : agente inquinante
sewage : acque di scolo
waste : scorie, scarto
waterway : corso d’acqua