PREVIEW ACTIVITY (I) Fluentize, LLC Copyright 2019. For use only with license.

You Can Live Without Producing Trash (B1 - B2)

Work with a partner, group, or your teacher. Do the activities below together.

PART I Discuss and make a list of what you think are our biggest environmental problems.

Discuss the questions below...

1 What does it mean to be eco-friendly? What do you think are some
common habits or behaviors of people who are eco-friendly?
2 How eco-friendly are you? Do you recycle well?
3 What could you do personally to improve your eco-friendliness?

PART II Discuss and write two questions you would like to ask someone who lives a lifestyle
of zero waste (someone who doesn’t produce trash).

PART III Fill in the missing letters for the objects you see in the images below.

1 2 3

d o o a t plasticw r s o g

4 5 6

n p i glass j baking s d
PREVIEW ACTIVITY (II) Fluentize, LLC Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
You Can Live Without Producing Trash (B1 - B2)

PART I Choose the correct definition for each verb / phrasal verb below.

1 I’m trying to eliminate sugar from my diet in order to have a healthier lifestyle.
2 Sometimes it’s hard to figure out how to recycle some products correctly.
3 I always fill up my water bottle before I leave the house.
4 Seeing all of the trash in the ocean compels me to be smarter about recycling.
5 I wonder how difficult it would be to live a zero waste lifestyle.

1 eliminate a. to make something full

2 figure out b. to completely remove
3 fill up c. to find a solution / solve
4 compel d. to think or speculate about curiously
5 wonder e. to motivate, inspire, or influence

PART II Choose the correct definition for each phrase / term below.

1 I prefer to buy in bulk because then I don’t have to go shopping so often.

buy in bulk means... a. to buy expensive or luxurious things

b. to buy in big quantities or amounts
c. to buy something at a discounted price

2 You’re supposed to separate your trash when recycling, but many people don’t.

supposed to expresses.. a. what you should do or are expected to do

b. what you remember to do
c. what you hope or wish to do

3 I want to go off the grid and live in nature, away from all cities and pollution.

off the grid means... a. crazy b. disconnected c. social

4 My mom is a hypocrite. She tells me not to use my mobile device while driving a
car, but then I see her do it!

a hypocrite is... a. someone who thinks that their opinion is always right
b. someone who is quiet, reserved, or shy
c. someone who says one thing, but does the opposite
Bonus Words!
growler
a small, round portion
a big glass jar that is used to of liquid (for example, a
fill up beer and take home drop drop of oil or rain)
YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT
PRODUCING TRASH Fluentize, LLC Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
You Can Live Without Producing Trash (B1 - B2)

PREVIEW DISCUSSION QUESTION

How many pounds* of trash do you think

you create in a day on average?
*(1 kilogram = 2.2 pounds)

VIEWING ACTIVITY

PART I Write sentences about what Lauren does with the objects below.

0:04 1 jar

0:24 2 growler
1:24 3 oil drops

PART II Write a short answer according to the information in the video.

0:42 1 How did Lauren get the idea to become zero waste?

1:04 2 What is one of Lauren’s most important values that she lives by?

1:19 3 How did Lauren change her shopping habits?

1:53 4 What are a few examples of things Lauren uses in place of normal products?

2:26 5 What does Lauren teach the reporter how to do? What is the process and recipe?

Lauren says that composting helped her eliminate a lot of her waste. Choose the
PART III
correct answer for the information about composting below.

1 Compost is material that can be recycled.

a. organic b. glass c. plastic

2 Lauren owns a compostable .

a. garbage can b. toothbrush c. refrigerator
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY (I)
Fluentize, LLC Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
You Can Live Without Producing Trash (B1 - B2)

PART I Choose the correct preposition that was used in the video. One is not used!

to up off out in on

1 The reporter talks about minimizing our waste and going

the “trash grid”.

2 Everything in Lauren’s jar is what she couldn’t compost,

recycle, or figure what to do with.

3 Lauren felt like a hypocrite because she was studying environmental studies
and was supposed be saving the planet, but at the same time
she was buying a lot of plastic.

4 By composting and buying bulk, Lauren eliminated 80% of her

waste.

5 Lauren brings a reusable jar to fill when she buys olive oil.

PART II Choose the answer to the question below about the question in the past simple.

What is the correct form of the question below in the past simple?
(The reporter asked Lauren this question in the video.)

a. Where you got the idea to become zero waste?

b. Where did you get the idea to become zero waste?
c. Where did you got the idea to become zero waste?

PART III Ask questions in the past simple based on the answer. Use a question word that
answers the information in bold words.

1 QUESTION: How did Lauren start living a zero-waste lifestyle?

ANSWER: She started living a zero-waste lifestyle by shopping with reusable bags.
2 QUESTION:

ANSWER: I found the organic toothpaste recipe in a book.
3 QUESTION:

ANSWER: They closed the beach because of all of the plastic waste and trash.
4 QUESTION:

ANSWER: I had to stop buying all plastic objects in order to live a zero waste lifestyle.
5 QUESTION:

ANSWER: Lauren put non-recyclable materials into the jar.
6 QUESTION:


ANSWER: She bought a bamboo toothbrush because it’s compostable.
POST-VIEWING ACTIVITY (II) Fluentize, LLC Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
You Can Live Without Producing Trash (B1 - B2)

SPEAKING TASK:

Your teacher will choose a few of the speaking topics below to discuss. Discuss the topics
with your teacher or partner. In your discussion, explain your ideas in detail.

1 What do you think would be the disadvantages of living a

similar lifestyle of zero waste similar to Lauren?

2 Do you think that you could live “off the trash grid” like Lau-
ren? Why or why not? What do you think would be the most
difficult thing about living a similar lifestyle?

3 How important is it to be aware and careful of how much

plastic you consume? Some cities / countries around world
are making laws which forbid the sale of single-use plas-
tics (E.g., plastic cups, straws, bottles, bags, etc.). Do you
agree with these laws?

4 What do you know about recycling in other countries

around the world? Have you heard of any cities or countries
with really good recycling systems, solutions, or inventions?

5 What kind of bad practices do some companies do which

have a negative impact on the quality of air, drinking water,
the health of our oceans, or other part of the environment?

WRITING TASK:

Imagine you just finished your first month of living a zero waste lifestyle and you want to
write a short social media post about your experience. What do you write?
QUIZ & REVIEW ACTIVITY Fluentize, LLC Copyright 2019. For use only with license.
You Can Live Without Producing Trash (B1 - B2)

Work with a partner. Complete the quiz and review activities below.

PART I Questions. Discuss and answer the questions below about the video.

1. How many pounds of trash do Americans produce per day on average?

2. How did Lauren get the idea to become zero-waste?
3. What are some products Lauren uses?
4. What did Lauren teach the reporter how to do? What are the ingredients?
5. What are some tips that Lauren gives for living a lifestyle like hers?

PART II Vocabulary: Discuss what each term means. Write how it was used in the video.

1. jar

2. hypocrite

3. eliminate

4. compostable

5. drops

PART III Grammar: Explain how to form W/H questions in the past simple. Do you remember
the example from the video? If so, write the missing information in the sentence below.

Where the idea to become zero-waste?”

PART IV Create a question in the past simple using the verbs from the box below.

drink install fill up quit ask clean learn get

1 Who did you ask (you) for zero-waste lifestyle tips?

2 Why (your dentist) mad at you?
3 How much water (you) today?
4 How (you) to make organic toothpaste?
5 Why (you) eating meat?
6 What kind of beer (you) your growler with?
7 When (they) solar panels here?
8 When (the city) up the beach? It was full of trash last week.