Are there litter laws where you live? If so, what is the penalty for littering?
Do you think cars should be banned from city centers?
Do you think people should recycle newspapers? Why or why not?
Do you think there are lessons to learn from nature?
How has the world changed since you were a child? (technology, values, environment, health)
How often is garbage collected in your neighborhood?
If humans are really intelligent and not simply manipulated by their genes like any other animal, why can’t they do anything about overpopulation?
What are some things that can be recycled?
What are some things that your community is doing to help the?
What are some things which you recycle?
What are some types of pollution?
What are some ways that you can reduce pollution in this country?
What can you do to help prevent pollution?
What can you do to make this world a better place?
What do you think of people who smoke cigarettes indoors?
Which is more important, increasing people’s standard of living, or protecting the environment? Think of a situation in your area involving this issue. Which side would you choose?
Who do you think is more responsible for pollution, individual people or the government? Explain.
What is the most important issue facing the environment today?
Do you know about any anti-pollution programs in your community? What about programs in your native country?
Do you usually drink bottled water? Why or Why not?
If you could choose one alternative energy source to develop which one would you choose? Why?
Are companies more or less environmentally responsible now than they were in the past? Why do you think that is?
Do you think recycling is an important community service? Do you recycle?
Who should pay for the costs associated with renewable energy?
Should we make the development of renewable energy sources an economic priority?
What are some ways energy is wasted?
What types of energy are popular in your native country?
What is the main problem with renewable energy sources?
What can large cities do to improve their air quality?
How can we protect the environment and at the same time improve people’s standard of living?
Do you think overpopulation is an important environmental issue? Why or why not?
Should an environmental levy be imposed on SUVs not used in the farming community? How would this help the environment?
Should gas for motorists be more expensive?
What would be the advantages and disadvantages of this?
Do think global warming is real?
Do you think this is an effect of pollution?
Are worried about global warming?
If you live on an island or on the coast does this increase the danger from global warming? Why?
What’s happening to forests in the world?
What happens when we remove forests?
What can we do to protect forests?
Why should we recycle?
Does your local government make it easy or hard for citizens to recycle?
Are there people in your country who make their living from picking-up other people’s garbage?
How is pollution effecting the environment of the United States today?
How about your own country?
Does your country have a smoking ban law in place?
What are the benefits/ disadvantages of a smoking ban?
How do individual decisions about number of children affect overall population numbers?
What is global warming?
Do you think nuclear power safe? Who should be allowed it and why? Who should police it?
In what ways can we save more water? Please tell your experiences.
What should we do to increase the awareness about environmental pollution?
Do you have any ideas on how to minimize the use of plastic bags and Styrofoam boxes?
Does your local government make it easy or hard for citizens to recycle?
exercise 3: Work with your partner. Choose questions and discuss them.
In the oral exam you will be confronted with a cartoon that has to do with environment/pollution/climate change. You will have to analyze it. What does it mean?
When analyzing a cartoon you might follow these 4 steps:
Which aspects does the cartoonist want you to see most and what does he want to criticize?
Can you explain other aspects of the topic?
exercise:Here you can find a lot relevant cartoons. Chose one and analyze it (see the 4 steps above) using the words and phrases below.
the point of the cartoon…
This cartoon shows… It focuses on… It deals with… It points out… In my opinion the cartoon is supposed to … The cartoon implies that … At first glance one might think that … a slight / gross exaggeration a satirical description (of)
the cartoonist….
The cartoonist critizizes… He points out that… makes us understand that… The cartoonist may want to convey that … His message might be that … Perhaps his intention is to show that … Critizises the…
other aspects….
to refer to … / a reference to … This cartoon leads us to the general problem of… We can talk about … as well
Now, we are discussing about our environment, about pollution and about climate change. Let’s try to get some helpful vocabulary structured:
Topic
facts
problems to be seen – destruction / change of Nature
melting of the polar ice:
weather conditions: – hot and dry summers – rising temparatures – bush fires – huge areas of destroyed forests – dead animals – loss of animal habitats – droughts will cause bad harvests – storms – very cold winters
pollution of air: – CO2-emissions – smog – air pollution – too much traffic
pollution of water:
deforestation of the rainforest: – fire clearance of the rainforest –
consequences
loss of animal habitats: – some animal species will get extinct
loss of quality of life: – spread of diseases
natural disasters: – sea level rises, floods
reasons
natural reasaons:
human influences: – use of traditional energy: nuclear, oil, gas, coal
alternatives – what can be done?
awareness: – education – campeigns
alternative behaviour: – use green / renewable energies: solar, water, wind – use less plastic – eat less meat and dairy products – save ressources – fly less – use bike or public transport instead of cars, trains, planes etc. – don’t use your car so often
exercise: Now comment on your cartoon. Use the 3 steps and the vocabulary aids below.
In ein Thema einführen
Now, we are talking about…/discussing…. It’s all about…. This leads us to the question: ….
die eigene Meinung
As far as I’m concerned… I think…/ I don’t think… In my opinion… As far as I know… My honest opinion is… I believe that…/ I don’t believe that I’ve never come across the idea that… I’m convinced that… The way I see it… It seems to me that…
zustimmen
I agree with… I totally/fully/partly agree with…. Exactly. That’s an important point
Protestieren, dagegen sein
I don’t agree with… I wouldn’t say that… I don’t think so…. That can’t be right… I Don’t agree at all… however… It’s hard to say… I’m sorry, but… Can/May I add something? Sorry to interrupt you, but…
Abwägen, sich auf Argumente beziehen
I must admit that…. You’re right up to a point… You could be right…. One the one hand it’s true that… but you shouldn’t forget that… I can understand that… but…. One the one hand… on the other hand…. That’s a matter of opinion.
Beweise finden / behaupten
As a matter of fact…. That’s why… Opinion among experts is that…. Everybody knows that…
Nachfragen
What do you think? What’s your opinion about…? Would you like to say something? What do you mean? What are your ideas? What are you trying to say?
