M o d e l :

Wild Flowers and the Law

All the protection that the law can effectively give to our wild flowers is likely to be provided by the Wild Plants Protection Bill, which

is due for its second reading in the Lords shortly. If the Bill reaches the Statute Book, as is probable, it will become an offence to sell,

offer or expose for sale any wild plant that has been picked or uprooted, and for anyone other than an authorized person wil fully to

uproot any wild plant. Picking of wild flowers will not be prohibited unless they are sold, or are included in the Bill's schedule of rare

species. The Bill has rightly been widely welcomed because so many of Britain' wild plants are already in danger of disappearing, and

it is high time that the law recognized the need for their conservation. It would, however, be self-deception to suppose that the Bill by

itself can provide the protection that is needed. Measures of this kind, which are concerned with the actions of individuals, either

greedy or ignorant, in remote and lonely places, are extremely difficult to enforce. If our rare plants are to be saved, only the greatest

vigilance, in and outside the nature reserves, will save them.

6. You are asked to tell a group of foreign students (schoolchildren) about the nature conservation and environment protection in your country.

You should cover the subject in about fifty words. Use the Topical Vocabulary.

7. Work in pairs. Discuss any of the environmental problems of today. You may speak about nature conservation in regard to nature destruction, environmental protection in regard to pollution. One of the students is supposed to introduce a subject of mutual interest, the other

student disagrees with his partner's viewpoint on the subject under discussion. Use the Topical Vocabulary.

M o d e l :

A: I must admit I'm mostly interested in the nature-man relationship. I think it is the core item of the environmental protection policy.

We should be environment-conscious to foresee the ill-effects of unrestricted industrialization and urbanization. I see these problems

as a global imperative for environmental protection today. I am all for fighting pollution and against destruction of nature by man ...

B: I don't share your fears. You paint the situation black. I can hardly see any unfavourable connection between urbanization, on

the one hand, and pollution, on the other. Could you possibly explain what you mean by "the nature-man" relationship?

8. Speak about the after-effects of environmental pollution and nature destruction. Consider the following:

1. Destruction of wildlife. 2. Land pollution. 3. Water pollution. 4. Air pollution. 5. Noise disturbance. 6. Radioactivity. 7. Unrestricted

industrialization.

9. During the last 20 years environmental protection has become a vital necessity for people. What do you think has stimulated man's interest

in the problems of environment? Consider the following and expand on the points which you think especially significant:

1. The problems of environment include a wide range of burning issues: nature destruction and pollution, extermination of wildlife

on global scale, endangering human health with industrial wastes, etc.

2. There are the by-products of massive industrialization confronting all great industrial countries with the most serious problem of

environment mankind ever faced, that of pollution.

3. The "green belts" not only provide restful relaxation, they are regarded as important allies in the battle against air pollution.

4. Among the simple but far disappearing blessings is the smell of clean fresh air and the good taste of pure water.

5. How the problem of pollution has been and is being tackled has a great deal to do with politics and social initiative.

6. One of the great problems grappled with in the plans for economic and social development is how to harmonize industry and

community, plants and people.

7. Pollution has to do with the giant enterprises which advance industries and abuse natural resources.

10. Read the following dialogue. The expressions in bold type show the WAYS OF CHECKING UNDERSTANDING. Note them down. Be ready

to act out the dialogue in class:

— What I can't make out is why you're s o . . . so keen on our going to the country. Why on earth should we choose to live out

in a

village ... even if it is a popular village?

— Isn't that clear? After all these years in London I would have preferred the smell of clean fresh air and the good taste of pure

water ... and greenery ... and ... .

— Stop talking through your hat. You've never been a lover of fresh air. You said it choked you. Why is that. . . that now you insist

that your love of nature is boundless, you adore the countryside ... when in fact . . . . You know that I'd much prefer to be in the town

and ... .

— But I do like the country ... or to be more exact I ' d like to move to the country ... if o n l y . . . .

— If only what? You sound as if you've made it a point to tease me!

— If only ... w e l l . . . if only we lived somewhere that would make it all possible and worthwhile. Never mind. Any place out of town

is good enough, I suppose. There'll be fields and trees and whatnot nearby.

— You are so carried away with the idea. Well, your personal likes and dislikes are making you anything but practical.

— All right, all right. I ' d much prefer to travel back and forth to London every day than b e . . . How does it go? ... "Cabin'd,

cribb'd, confin'd" ...

— That's all very well to take that romantic attitude. You know . . . you think you can get out of everything ... Wriggle out of any ar-

gument ... by quoting Shakespeare. What about my preferences? You are being selfish, you know.

— Selfish? Do you really mean it? I admit I ' d like to be sort of free to do as I like. I've wanted to go to the village ever since I

married you. But you've always preferred to live in London and be boxed in by a thousand other houses, surrounded by a thousand

faceless neighbours. No ... l e t ' s g o for the village.

11. Discussing things often involves giving instructions to people. If you give instructions to someone you will probably need to check as you go

along that your listener understands, like this:

Alright so far? Are you with m e ? Is that clear? Do you see what I mean? That's right. Now ... Got that? Good! Now ... Fine! Now ...

Sorry, but I don't quite see why you have t o . . . Sorry, can you say that again, please? Sorry, but I'm not quite clear on ...

Use clichés of checking understanding in making conversations of your own.

12. Work in pairs. Read the statements and expand on them. You may be of the similar or different opinion on the subject. Your comment

should be followed by some appropriate speculation on the suggested point:

1. Everybody's talking about pollution. Pollution is what happens when things we eat, the place we live in and the air around us are

made dirty and unhealthy by machines and factories.

2. Men do not realize that a forest is more than a collection of trees. It is a complex community of plant and animal life. In a living

forest two opposing forces are constantly at work: growth and decay. The growth of new trees balances destruction by insects, plant

diseases, and occasional storms. But man's unrestricted cutting of timber disturbs this natural balance.

3. National forests and national grasslands are managed for many uses, including recreation and the continuing yield of such