SPEAKING _ Upper _ Unit 4 _ The world around us

Talking about the environment and climate

Using cleft sentences and complex sentences

Pronunciation : Long and short vowel sounds

Exam technique : Using news articles to improve your answers.

The world around us

1. Using cleft sentences and complex sentences

2. Pronunciation: Long and short vowel sounds

3. Talking about the environment and climate

4. Exam technique: Using news articles to improve your answers.

• What's your country's climate like?

• Does the weather influence your mood?

• Is it worse to feel too cold or too hot?

• Describe your favorite season.

• Are people in your country concerned about protecting the environment?

​Main Content

​1. Using cleft sentences and complex sentences. (p.g 35)

​2. Pronunciation: Long and short vowel sounds

​​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Vocab

​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Sample answers

• ​What's your country's climate like?

My country is in a tropical climate. We have four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Our winters are absolutely freezing, and our summers are boiling hot.

Drag and Drop

My country is in a ​

Placeholder

climate. We have four ​

Placeholder

seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Our winters are ​

Placeholder

freezing, and our summers are ​

Placeholder

hot.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

tropical

distinct

absolutely

boiling

​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Sample answers

• ​What's your country's climate like?

My country is in a tropical climate. We have four distinct seasons: spring, summer, fall and winter. Our winters are absolutely freezing, and our summers are boiling hot.

• Does the weather influence your mood?

Yes, it certainly does. It's the rain that influences my mood the most. I hate it when it's raining - it makes me feel so down. It's hard to go out, without getting soaked to the skin, anyway. On the other hand, sunshine can boost our mood.

Dropdown

Yes, it certainly does. It's the rain that influences my mood the most. I hate it when it's raining - it makes me feel so ​

Select answer

. It's hard to go out, without getting soaked to the skin, ​

Select answer

. On the other hand, sunshine can ​

Select answer

our mood.

Match

Tìm các cặp tương ứng sau.

• influence on me

• sweltering heat

• arid

• drizzle in the spring

• repurcussions

affect me

boiling heat

dry

light rain

bad consequences

• affect me

• boiling heat

• dry

• light rain

• bad consequences

​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Sample answers

• Is it worse to feel too cold or too hot?

  Well, I suppose if it's too cold you can just wear more layers, but nevertheless I prefer to be too hot. At least it means the weather is good, and you can always go for a swim to cool down. What I really can't stand is being cold and wet. That's the worst combination and it

  makes me worry that I'm going to catch a cold.

Match

Tìm các cặp tương ứng sau.

• humid

• frozen to the bone

• mild

  mát dịu

• dismal

  ảm đạm

• boycott

wet

my teeth are chattering

temperate

ôn hòa

overcast

u ám

tẩy chay

• wet

• my teeth are chattering

• temperate

  ôn hòa

• overcast

  u ám

• tẩy chay

Reorder

Sắp xếp lại những thứ sau.

• • Well, I suppose

• • if it's too cold

• • you can just wear more layers,

• • but nevertheless I prefer

• • to be too hot

1

2

3

4

5

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5

Fill in the Blank

• At least it means the weather is good, and you can always go for a swim to cool ____.

Drag and Drop

What I really can't stand is being cold and ​

Placeholder

. That's the worst ​

Placeholder

and it

makes me worry that I'm going to ​

Placeholder

a cold.

Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

catch

wet

combination

​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Sample answers

• Describe your favorite season.

My favourite season is most certainly the summer, which is officially from June to September. I say 'officially" because the reality is that we generally get a very short summer, in that the weather is only really 'summery" for a few weeks a year. The rest of the season merges with the others, being rather cold and rainy. The highest the temperature gets is about 3D, and when it gets that high, people start complaining

because they"re not used to such heat. This irritates me, to be honest, because my view is that we so rarely have hot weather that we should just appreciate it and enjoy it when we do. In this country, and especially in my region, you can't rely on good weather in the summer. I've been to many outdoor events, like weddings, concerts, barbecues and so on, where the organisers were optimistic about the weather, but where it rained non-stop. Of course, you can 't blame them - if you can 't organise an outdoor event in August, when can you?

​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Sample answers

• Describe your favorite season.

... In the summer, I typically go abroad on holiday to places where scorching sunshine is practically guaranteed. This is because I am a sun worshipper and like to get a good tan. Having sun on my skin makes me feel healthy, though I am fully aware of all the dangers associated with too much exposure to the sun. When I am at home, I like to have friends over for barbecues, and we stay out in the garden all evening until it gets too chilly or until it's time for them to go home.

The reason summer is my favourite season is that sunshine makes me happy. It's a scientific fact that it releases endorphins. In fact, during the winter many people in my country use light boxes, which recreate the light of the sun. You have to sit and stare into the light and it is intended to lift your mood. In the summer, though, you don't need such gadgets; you can just go outside, sit in the sun and get a natural energy boost. It's wonderful.

​3. Talking about the environment and climate - Sample answers
p.g 106

• Are people in your country concerned about protecting the environment?

  To be honest, no. I think the middle and upper classes are more interested in earning as much money as they can in order to buy as much stuff as they can. And there are many people in my country who live below the poverty line and they quite literally can't afford

  to worry about the environment when they're struggling to put food on the table and just survive.

Match

Tìm các cặp tương ứng sau

• the rich and the poor

• survive

• rich

• protect the environment

the upper class and the poverty

stay alive

wealthy = affluent = priviledged

save the nature

• the upper class and the poverty

• stay alive

• wealthy = affluent = priviledged

• save the nature

​4. Exam technique : Using news articles to improve your answers.

The environment

• Are people in your country concerned about protecting the environment?

• Does the responsibility for protecting the environment lie with governments or with individuals?

• Does it help to educate young people on being green?

Pollution

• What effects does pollution have on the environment?

• Do you think we pollute more now than we did 50 years ago?

• What do you think will happen if we do not reduce current levels of pollution?

1. Using cleft sentences and complex sentences

2. Pronunciation: Long and short vowel sounds

3. Talking about the environment and climate

4. Exam technique: Using news articles to improve your answers.

• What's your country's climate like?

• Does the weather influence your mood?

• Is it worse to feel too cold or too hot?

• Describe your favorite season.

• Are people in your country concerned about protecting the environment?

​Main Content