Exercise 48 Answer the following questions.

1. Why is it necessary to develop new energy sources? 2. Why is demand for energy constantly increasing? 3. What possible energy sources are mentioned? 4. How does the solar-heating system work? 5. Can we say that the idea of windmills is justified? 6. What do we call resources? 7. What are the most important things you should know about natural resources? 8. What kind of energy sources do you know?

Exercise 49 Think about several possible alternative sources of energy, trying to compare them in the following aspects.

Exercise 50 Do you know how to be more environmentally conscious? Is all rubbish the same to you? Do you believe that responsibility for saving planet Earth is in your hands? Read the following practical ideas and say which way they can be dangerous for the environment and which of them are easy to follow for you.

1. Buy fresh food that doesn’t need a lot of packaging. 2. Try to buy ‘organic’ fruit and vegetables from farmers who don’t use chemicals. 3. Save as much water as possible. 4. Try to save paper. Also, buy and use recycled paper as often as possible. 5. Don’t buy products made from rare or protected species. 6. Use public transport as often as possible. 7. Don’t buy hamburgers or pizzas in plastic boxes, which contain Cold Fusion Components (CFC). 8. Don’t leave on electric lights, TV, hi-fi, etc, if you’re not using them. 9. Look for aerosols, which haven’t got any CFCs in them. 10. Make sure that your family and friends use unleaded petrol in their cars.

Exercise 51 Do you have nuclear power plants in your country? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of building more nuclear power stations. Use the given ideas. Think about other possible pros and cons.

Advantages: adequate supply of power

cleaner than the use of fossil fuels

Disadvantages: danger of accidents

disposal of waste

possible harmful effects we still don’t know about

Exercise 52 Work in pairs. Make a list of things we take for granted in our daily lives that would not be possible without electricity. Exchange your list with those of other members of the group.

Exercise 53 Speak on the harm done to the environment. Use the table.