English for Social Sciences and Humanities 1

Theme 5: ENVIRONMENT
PART I. VOCABULARY BOOST

Exercise 1. Choose the words given to complete the crossword with the clues below. (Some words are
unnecessary)
FLOOD DROUGHT REDUCE WASTE RECYCLE
PROTECT DESTROY DEFORESTATION PRESERVE DEVELOP
POLLUTION POLLUTE HARMFUL REUSE EXPLOITATION

Across
5. (V)to treat things that have already been used so they can be used again
8. (N) the act of cutting down or burning trees in an area

Down
1. (V)to make less of something
2. (V)to make sure that something is kept
3. (N) the process of making land, water or sky dirty
4. (V)to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction
6. (N) a large amount of water covering an area that is usually dry
7. (V)to use something again

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PART II. READING COMPREHENSION

Level A2
Exercise 1: Fill in the blank with the correct answer A, B, C or D.
GRASS
Grass is probably the (0) …….…… successful living plant in the world. There are over 9000 different types of
grasses and they are (1) ………… in every region on the earth. They are the (2) ………… flowering plants that
can exist in the freezing (3) ……….. of the Arctic and the Antarctic.
Grasslands support a wide range of animal life, from tiny insects and births to huge animals like cows and lions.
All of them (4) ……….. on grass in one way or another.
Grass (5)…………. very quickly after it is cut or (6) …………Unlike other plants, the new leaves grow from
(7) ……………. the soil, not from the top of the plant. That is (8) …………. large families or animals are able
to live together in one area. As (9) ………….as they have eaten all the grass there, a fresh meal is always (10)
…………… because the plants start to grow again.
0. A. most B. more C. very D. too
1. A. noticed B. realized C. caught D. found
2. A. single B. one C. only D. special
3. A. environment B. scene C. situation D. background
4. A. depend B. build C. turn D. hang
5. A. repeats B. recovers C. reduces D. remains
6. A. hurt B. broken C. injured D. damaged
7. A. beside B. behind C. below D. beyond
8. A. why B. where C. what D. when
9. A. fast B. soon C. quickly D. often
10. A. available B. present C. free D. complete

Exercise 2.

The people want to visit a part. There are eight descriptions of eight parks. Decide which park would be
the most suitable for the following people.

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Isabel works in the city center and likes painting and drawing in her free time. She
wants to practice her hobby in a small quite park near her office.

1.
Mr. Martin wants to take his eight-year-old pupils to a park anywhere within the
city, with lots of organized activities which allow the children to read about local
wildlife they may see.

2. Kumiko and Atsuko would like to visit a park which they can get to by boat. They
want to buy lunch there and then enjoy a short walk accompanied by an expert
leader.

3.

Hans and Birgit Kaufmann and their family want to visit a park which is
historically important. Their teenage children would like to try a water sport.

4.
Melanie and Stefan are students who need to visit a busy park for a college project.
They want to draw people taking part in team sports and watching entertainment.

5.

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Level A2+

A. Pre-reading. Think of the following questions:

1. What natural disasters can you name?

2. What are common natural disasters in Vietnam?
3. Have you ever experienced a disaster before?

B. Read the passage and choose the best answer A, B, C or D.

NATURAL DISASTERS
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When something is natural, it comes from nature and it is not

manmade. A natural disaster takes place in populated areas of the
world when lives may be lost, the property is severely damaged,
and the economy is negatively affected.

Natural disasters may include a collision with Earth, avalanche,

landslide, blizzard, thunderstorm, earthquake, flood, volcano, heat
wave, hurricane, drought, tornado, tsunami, hail, wildfire and
some others.

It is not a natural disaster if it occurs in an unpopulated area and there is no loss of life or property damage. For
example, if a tsunami took place on an uninhabited island, it would not be a disaster. Disasters cause a loss.
There are many things that can happen during a natural disaster. Sometimes, more than one disaster occurs at
the same time. Landslides may occur during severe flooding and thunderstorms.

Natural disasters occur throughout the world, and often people know when they are coming and can prepare for
them and be safe. Other disasters may occur without warning. Most people die during a natural disaster when
there is no time to prepare for it. Though natural disasters cause many problems, injuries, and sometimes death,
they are not to be feared, but being aware of them and properly preparing for them is extremely important.

In addition, there are natural disasters that can occur more often in one part of the world or country than in other
regions. For example, a person living in the middle of the United States would not need to be concerned with a
tsunami, but someone living along the coast would be affected. In the middle of the country, a tornado might
occur, but often there are fewer of them along the coast.

The top 10 natural disasters most likely occurring throughout the world include blizzards, droughts,
earthquakes, floods, heat waves, hurricanes, thunderstorms, tornados, tsunamis, and wildfires. Some of the
listed disasters may occur simultaneously such as a hurricane and thunderstorm causing massive flooding, or
possibly a tsunami, or a heat wave coupled with wildfires.

Other natural disasters include landslides and avalanches, which can be caused by earthquakes, heavy rain or
snow, or other disasters. Snow or mud can be released from the side of a mountain or hillside burying the area
below. Finally, there are active volcanoes, which are eruptions of a mountaintop, sending out ash clouds, lava,
and more, causing damage to property and the loss of human life.

The most common types of natural disasters in the world are floods and storms.

All natural disasters cause damage and destruction, and often one or more people die due to the effects of the
natural disaster. Many of the disasters can be predicted ahead of time with some warnings given for people to
prepare and move to safety.

1. A catastrophe that occurs in nature or by natural processes and causes loss of life is:

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A. a manmade disaster B. a global disaster C. a natural disaster D. an unnatural disaster

2. All the following may be natural disasters EXCEPT:

A. oil spill B. landslide C. avalanche D. volcano

3. Which of the following may occur during severe flooding and thunderstorms?

A. earthquakes B. landslides C. solar flares D. wildfires

4. Which part of the United States would most likely experience a tsunami?

A. states on the east coast B. states on the west coast

C. states in the Midwest D. both A and B

5. Which of the following natural disasters are most likely to occur simultaneously?

A. heat wave and wildfires B. thunderstorms and volcanos

C. earthquakes and blizzards D. wildfires and floods

C. Discussion. Work in pair and answer these questions:

1. How dangerous are natural disasters?

2. Why do people in the world suffer from natural disasters more than ever before?

3. What do people do to minimize the destruction and loss of natural disaster?

PART III. TRANSLATION

Translate the following sentences into Vietnamese (1-3) and into English (4-5).
Level A2
1. Offices or schools had to make emergency announcement to let their employees and students be at home to
avoid any potential accidents that may caused by the pouring rain.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Global warming is resulted from human activities such as deforestation or over-exploitation of natural
resources. Besides, the exhaust fumes from vehicles or factories are the main reason that causes the ozone
depletion.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

3. Natural disasters occur throughout the world, and often people know when they are coming and can prepare
for them and be safe. However, some disasters may occur without warning.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Khi thiên tai xảy ra thường xuyên, sức khỏe và tài sản của người dân sẽ bị thiê ̣t hại nghiêm trọng, và nền kinh
tế cũng bị ảnh hưởng mô ̣t cách tiêu cực.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. Cả chính phủ và công dân trên toàn thế giới nên hành động ngay trước khi loài người phải hứng chịu những
thảm họa nghiêm trọng hơn trong tương lai.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Level A2+

1. Because of the great range of latitudes and elevations, the climate in Vietnam is remarkably diverse for a
tropical country and the climate tends to vary considerably from place to place.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. The S-shaped country has a north-to-south distance of 1,650 kilometers. With exception of the area around
Hanoi and the Red River, northern Vietnam is dominated by mountains.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

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3. Most of the arable land is along the Red River and other river valleys in the north, in the Mekong Delta in the
south, and along the coastal plains in the center of the country.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4. Phần lớn đất nông nghiệp của Việt Nam sản xuất hai hoặc ba vụ lúa mỗi năm và Việt Nam là nước xuất khẩu
gạo lớn thứ ba thế giới.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

5. Vịnh Hạ Long là mô ̣t địa điểm nổi tiếng với rất nhiều hang đô ̣ng. Mô ̣t số hang đô ̣ng lớn có rừng râ ̣m bên
trong và có không gian đủ rô ̣ng cho mô ̣t tòa nhà chọc trời.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

WORD LIST
Word Make sentences
Words Meaning
form
pollution
disaster
destruction
deforestation
damage
protect
preserve
natural
severe
massive

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