Unit2
Warm-up
Step1Talking about the picture
Living green means having an environmentally conscious lifestyle.It means being earth-friendly or environmentally friendly,rather than doing things that are harmful to our world.In general,living green can be accomplished through what is known as“the3Rs”:recycling,reusing, and reducing.
The picture shows an example of reusing water.The greywater,which is water used in the bathroom and laundry,can be collected for a second use —to flush the toilet.
We can also apply the“3Rs”in our daily lives.First,donating usable but unwanted clothes and second-hand goods to people in need or charity organizations allows these items to have a second life rather than being thrown away as rubbish.Second,reusing stained or ripped clothes as cleaning rags is another environmentally friendly method.Paper towels aren’t considered environmentally friendly because the pulp comes from natural resources,especially trees.Using cloth rags helps to reduce the number of pape
r towels needed in a family.Therefore,reusing clothes can not only help to save families’expenses but also be friendly to the environment.
Step2Sharing your ideas
There are two main reasons why more and more countries are increasingly concerned about environmental issues.Firstly,the environment is the basis for the living of human beings.All the resources needed for human living come from nature.Once the environment is damaged,human society will inevitably be affected.For example, environmental problems cause global warming and extreme weather, which affect social,agricultural,and economic development.Meanwhile, environmental issues indirectly cause natural disasters like floods, droughts,and pests in agriculture.Only by protecting the environment can we maintain the ecological balance and promote the development of human society.
Considering the above reasons,some countries turn to using renewable energy and take actions to protect the environment in order to keep the
ecological balance.
Reading1
Language focus
2.Longing to
4.laden
5.happened upon
6.intentional
7.whereabouts
8.pondering
Global understanding
1)invigorating/energizing
2)plogger
3)2016
4)picking up trash/garbage
5)jogging
6)waterways and wilderness areas
7)decreases
8)burn(a few)calories
9)toss their trash
Detailed understanding
1.F
2.F
3.T
4.F
5.T
6.T
Cultural thinking
China has promised to create“ecological security barriers”and protect as much as a quarter of its total territory from human encroachment.China is stepping up a tree planting campaign.Tree planting has been the key to
China’s environmental protection for decades and is a major part of plans to bring carbon emissions down to net zero.
Ant Forest is a project that aims to drive the public to reduce carbon emissions.Each person’s low-carbon daily behavior counts as“green energy”in the Ant Forest.When“green energy”accumulates to a certain degree,one can apply online for a tree to be planted in an area in urgent need of ecological restoration.
As a user of Ant Forest,I have planted three trees in northwest China through the accumulation of“green energy”in the Ant Forests.In order to get more“green energy,”I tend to live a green lifestyle,for example, taking public transportation,paying bills by electronic payment,and asking for electronic invoices instead of paper ones.
Reading2
Language focus
1.artificial
2.Deforestation
4.sustainable
6.habitat
7.sidewalk
8.manufacturing
Global understanding
1)Christmas tree farms
2)benefit
3)oxygen
4)habitats
5)biodegradable
6)lumber
appreciates
7)local
8)living
9)LED lights
Detailed understanding
1)C
2)B
3)D
4)A
5)C
Cultural thinking
When it comes to the topic of misconceptions about environmental protection,I am wondering this question:Are reusable products always better than disposable plastics?
There has been a move away from disposable plastic products to reusable alternatives.In the kitchen,trendy alternatives include bamboo drinking straws and beeswax sandwich wrap.People assu
me that reusable products are less environmentally harmful.However,researchers investigated the environmental impacts of common kitchenware—both disposable and reusable,and uncovered surprising and counter-intuitive results.
The researchers analyzed four types of kitchenware:drinking straws, sandwich bags and wraps,coffee cups,and forks.They found that some reusable alternatives never reach the break-even point since these products consume more water and dish soap)when being washed.For example,reusable bamboo drinking straws and two reusable sandwich bags and wraps cannot reach the break-even point in any of the three environmental impact categories in the gy consumption,global warming potential,and water consumption. Therefore,it is not accurate to conclude that all reusable products are more environmentally friendly than disposable ones.
Three methods can be applied to correct this wrong belief.First,more scientific research is needed to correct people's misunderstandings of using reusable products.Second,environmental public welfare organizations can help people clarify the facts about how to use reusable products properly.Third,manufacturers can make it easier to clean up reusable products through technological innovation.
Integrated thinking
Water:Our group members agree that a good way to deal with water pollution is to establish a network of water auto-detectors and alarms. With automatic electronic water detectors and alarms set in different locations of the water system,it helps the water management department to detect water pollution problems the first time to take action
accordingly and timely.The network will be more effective and efficient than human inspectors and can also reduce labor costs.
D eforestation:We think that the campaign of Ant Forest can be applied more widely in more areas and countries.Although people know about the environmental problem of deforestation,they don't know what to do to prevent this problem.Moreover,even though they know that planting trees can help to prevent deforestation,many people are unable to go to the desertification area for practical reasons,such as inconvenient transportation,lack of professional support,and limited time.However, people are enthusiastic about contributing to tree planting on the smartphone.Ant Forest enables people to not only contribute to preventing deforestation but also have a green lifestyle.The united efforts of millions of people are making a difference.
Culture mosaic
1Chinese philosophy for sustainability
We can achieve a balance between man and nature in different ways.The following are two examples.
First,it is necessary to use renewable resources to maintain the ecological balance.The development of the economy has put a burden on the ecosystem.The number of fossil fuels and minerals is decreasing at an alarming rate.To alleviate this problem,people have to make use of renewable energy such as wind and solar energy.Therefore,we can buy new energy vehicles and energy-saving household appliances in daily life. Second,we can live a green lifestyle,for example,using canvas bags or biodegradable plastic bags instead of plastic bags,and taking public transportation instead of driving private cars.All these help to save energy and maintain the harmony between man and nature.
2Henry David Thoreau’s naturalism
Thoreau concludes from transcendentalism that nature is not just for the extraction of resources,but plays an important role in providing humanistic values.Chinese philosophy has always regarded humans as a part of nature.Chuang Tzu,one of the great philosophers in ancient China,appreciates the beauty in nature greatly and advocates the coexistence of humans and nature.He believes in the ideal of harmony between man and nature and expresses an infinite yearning for freedom. In Chuang Tzu’s
philosophy,freedom and nature are not opposites but in