PEC Learning to be IELTS Speaking 4 Unit 3

UNIT 3: THE WORLD AROUND US

VOCABULARY : OUR ENDANGERED WORLD

Shrinking habitats1 are a threat to biodiversity2, in terms of

both plants and animals, and endangered species3 need legal
protection if they are to survive. Although some climate change
sceptics4 disagree, most scientists believe that global warming5
will increase. This will encourage polar ice to melt, resulting in
rising sea levels and climatic changes. Carbon (dioxide)
emissions6 from the burning of fossil fuels7 are contributing to
the greenhouse effects8. In addition, population growth exerts
severe pressure on9 finite resources10, and the ecological
balance11 may be upset by uncontrolled deforestation12.
Demographic projections13 suggest the world population will continue to grow exponentially14,
putting extra pressure on depleting resources15. Waste disposal16 is an increasing problem and toxic
waste17 is contaminating18 many rivers and seas. Safe water may become an increasingly precious
commodity19, leading to issues of water security20. One of the worst-case scenarios21 is that there
will be no tropical rainforests left by the year 2050. Our only hope is that pristine environments22
such as Antarctica can be protected from development and damage, so that at least these habitats are
preserved.

VOCABULARY: DEALING WITH ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Worldwide efforts are being made to improve the situation. Green parties and green or ecological
policies are mainly concerned with protecting the environment. Conservation organisations are
developing nature reserves where plants and animals are protected. Some farmers produce organic

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PEC Learning to be IELTS Speaking 4 Unit 3
food, which avoids the use of harmful chemicals. More companies try to behave in a way that is
environmentally friendly or ecologically sound. Societies attempt to dispose of waste in a more
responsible way, by, for example, recycling as much as possible. People aim to reduce their carbon
footprint by using cars less so that they cut down on their use of fossil fuels, for example.

EXAM PRACTICE PART 2

Describe your favourite season.

You should say:
what the season is and when it occurs
what the weather is like during this season
what your typical activities are during this season
and explain why it is your favourite season.
Sample answer

My favourite season is most certainly the summer, which is officially from June to September. I say
'officially' because the reality is that we generally get a very short summer, in that the weather is only
really 'summery' for a few weeks a year. The rest of the season merges with the others, being rather
cold and rainy. The highest the temperature gets is about 30, and when it gets that high, people start
complaining because they're not used to such heat. This irritates me, to be honest, because my view
is that we so rarely have hot weather that we should just appreciate it and enjoy it when we do. In this
country, and especially in my region, you can't rely on good weather in the summer. I've been to
many outdoor events, like weddings, concerts, barbecues and so on, where the organisers were
optimistic about the weather, but where it rained non-stop. Of course, you can't blame them - if you
can't organise an outdoor event in August, when can you? In the summer, I typically go abroad on
holiday to places where scorching sunshine is practically guaranteed. This is because I am a sun
worshipper and like to get a good tan. Having sun on my skin makes me feel healthy, though I am
fully aware of all the dangers associated with too much exposure to the sun. When I am at home, I
like to have friends over for barbecues, and we stay out in the garden all evening until it gets too
chilly or until it’s time for them to go home. The reason summer is my favourite season is that
sunshine makes me happy. It's a scientific fact that it releases endorphins. In fact, during the winter
many people in my country use light boxes, which recreate the light of the sun. You have to sit and
stare into the light and it is intended to lift your mood. In the summer, though, you don't need such
gadgets; you can just go outside, sit in the sun and get a natural energy boost. It’s wonderful.

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PEC Learning to be IELTS Speaking 4 Unit 3
Do you dislike the winter?

No, I don't. All the seasons have something to offer. In the winter it’s nice to snuggle up inside,
with a mug of hot chocolate.

EXAM PRACTICE PART 3

The environment

Are people in your country concerned about protecting the environment?

Does the responsibility for protecting the environment lie with governments or with individuals?

Does it help to educate young people on being green?

Pollution

What effects does pollution have on the environment?

Do you think we pollute more now than we did 50 years ago?

What do you think will happen if we do not reduce current levels of pollution?

Sample answer

The environment

Examiner: Are people in your country concerned about protecting the environment?

Candidate: To be honest, no. I think the middle and upper classes are more interested in earning as
much money as they can in order to buy as much stuff as they can. And there are many people in my
country who live below the poverty line and they quite literally can't afford to worry about the
environment when they're struggling to put food on the table and just survive.

Examiner: Does the responsibility for protecting the environment lie with governments or with
individuals?

Candidate: In my view, the responsibility lies with all of us. However, individuals, at least in my
country, aren't taking action of their own accord, and nor are businesses; they're just out to make a
profit. Therefore, it falls to governments to force people to be more green, for example by fining
companies that release toxic waste into our rivers, or incentivising us to recycle.

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PEC Learning to be IELTS Speaking 4 Unit 3
Examiner: Does it help to educate young people on being green?

Candidate: Almost certainly it does, because it is the next generation who will have to take on the
huge burden of saving the planet. This generation isn't doing enough and is too worried about
money, so I pray that the next one will see the urgency of the situation, and the way to get them to
see is to teach them about the repercussions of a polluting lifestyle such as ours.

Pollution

Examiner: What effects does pollution have on the environment?

Candidate: Oh, I hardly know where to

start! Pollution in the oceans kills fish and
so unbalances the ecosystem. Pollution on
land means that whole areas become unfit
to live on or to farm. Habitats are
destroyed, which leads to the extinction of
hundreds of animal and plant species.

Examiner: Do you think we pollute more now than we did fifty years ago?

Candidate: Well, yes, overall. I'd say, though, that richer countries pollute less themselves but export
their pollution elsewhere, by which I mean that they consume foreign products that have a large
carbon footprint. It has become fashionable to be green in wealthier nations, especially Western
ones, so people make an effort to cycle to work and recycle their waste. However, it’s quite a
shallow attempt at being green, in my opinion, because they still live in big houses using lots of
energy and go on holidays abroad, leaving a trail of pollution in their wake.

Examiner: What do you think will happen if we don't reduce current levels of pollution?

Candidate: I read an article recently that claimed if we don't change our ways, we will need a second
planet to meet our needs as early as 2030. It’s frightening to think that were that greedy, and I'm
sure I'm just as guilty as the next person. I do hold out some hope that things will get so bad that we
will realise we really must act, and we will completely change our destructive habits just in the
nick of time. If not, the planet will surely become uninhabitable.

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