Nowadays the humanity faces a great number of various problems. The scientific and technological progress has changed the life on our planet and as a result our natural resources are exhausted, the ecological balance of the planet is disturbed, many species of flora and fauna disappeared, pollution threatens everything alive. But the environmental problems are not the only ones. Every year thousand of people die because of wars of annihilation, terrorism, different diseases, natural disasters, social problems and in different terrible accident s.
Our environment is vitally connected with the problem of peace on our planet. The scientists consider that nuclear war could destroy mankind completely. Its true to say that nowadays great masses of chemical and bacteriological weapons have been stocked in the world. If any of these weapons is used, the casualties will run into tens of millions, because mankind has no immunity against bacteriological weapons, and the use of chemical weapons will result in mass contamination of the area.
In recent years terrorism has become a serious issue. People always panic about the possibility of terrorists getting hold of nuclear weapons or they may blow up a nuclear power station instead. Another worry is about the possibility of our water supplies being poisoned. Lately other forms of terrorism such as suicide terrorism and bombing have become a real threat. Everyone remembers the tragedy which happened on the 11thof September in the USA when terrorists hijacke d two planes and crashed them into two buildings in New York. Unfortunately, there is little we can do about it, except, place our faith in the government, and hope that measures taken to prevent terrorism are successful.
There are also diseases that still cant be cured. One of them is AIDS. This devastating diseasestrikes the bodys immune system. Millions of people have already died of AIDS. To overcome this problem we need further progress of science and personal responsibility. Other examples of incurable diseases are different forms of cancer and heart disorders.
They say that recent extreme weather is due to global warming. Bad weather threatens our homes and even our life. One of the worst weather hazards is the storm known as a hurricane or cyclone (the combination of enormous wind speed, heavy rainfalls and high seas). Another terrible thing is a tornado. Tornadoes are black, twisting clouds that suddenly appear from nowhere, travel at terrifying speed, move in unpredictable ways and cause catastrophic damage in seconds. Its extremely difficult to forecast where they are likely to strike. People also suffer from earthquakes (a sudden shaking movements of the ground), floods (when water covers the land), drought (a long period of time when there is little or no rain and crops die) and avalanches (a large amount of snow and ice that suddenly falls down a mountain; a large amount of substance that falls down somewhere: an avalanche of rock/stones/mud).
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To sum up, I think that the most dangerous problem is natural disasters because we cant predict and avoid them in time.
As for the ecological situation in the world, we can say that its getting worth. People cut down forests and rainforests,pollute air, water and soil, so rare plant and animal species disappear and the climate changes. We have the time, the money and even the technology to repair the damage. All we need to do is to open our eyes and act immediately. We can prevent tragedies if only the government hires responsible specialists who dont overlook human or computer errors, look after the buildings, toads and transport, keep nature under a strong control and develop an ability to resist any terrorist activity.
Here are some of the ways to solve ecological problems. Express your own opinion if they are helpful or not:
The factories and plants must be removed from cities
Green zones must be created. The greenery must be protected and increased
Pollution control systems must be introduced
Purifying systems for cleaning and trapping harmful substances must be widely used
Noise must be reduced
We must keep the streets of towns clean
We must utilize the waste
People must develop international cooperation in the field of environmental protection
Can you add other measures to mentioned above?
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What can you say about ecological situation in the place you live?
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3 STUDENT CARD
Give a 2-2.5 minute talk on the topic Global problems of the world.
Remember to say:
What global problems of the world are and what causes them
What people must do to protect the environment
The measures which should be done to survive
Answer the question: What is the most serious problem of the world in your opinion and why?
VOCABULARY EXERCISES
