Speak English to Speak English: Listening and Answering the Questions - Life and Employability Skill Practical

Experiment 2

Date:

Listen to the passage and answer the following questions:

Pollution

Pollution is the process of making land, water, air or other parts of the environment dirty and unsafe or unsuitable to use.

Land can become polluted by household garbage and by industrial waste. In 2010, Americans produced about 250 million tons (226.8 million kilograms) of garbage, consisting of product packaging, furniture, clothing, bottles, food scraps, newspapers, appliances, paint and batteries. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), it is about 4.3 pounds (1.95 kg) of waste per person per day. According to the Green Schools Alliance, Americans generate 30 billion foam cups, 220 million tires, and 1.8 billion disposable diapers every year.

Water pollution happens when chemicals or dangerous foreign substances are introduced to water, including chemicals, sewage, pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural runoff, or metals like lead or mercury. The EPA also states that the most common contaminants in the United States are bacteria, mercury, phosphorus and nitrogen. Warming water can also be harmful. The artificial warming of water is called thermal pollution. When a factory or power plant is using water to cool its operations, it ends up with discharging hot water. This makes the water hold less oxygen and can kill fish and wildlife.

The air we breathe has a very exact chemical composition; 99 percent of it is made up of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and inert gases. Air pollution occurs when harmful gases are added to the air through smoke from vehicles and factories. A common type of air pollution happens when people release particles into the air by burning fuels. Another common type of air pollution is dangerous gases, such as sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and chemical vapors. According to the WHO, ambient air pollution contributes to 6.7 percent of all deaths worldwide. Air pollution kills more than 2 million people each year. In 1984, the release of harmful gas at Union Carbide plant in Bhopal killed over 2,000 people, and over 200,000 suffered respiratory problems.

Questions and Answers:

1. How much of waste is produced by an American a day?

4.3 pounds (1.95 kg) of waste is produced by an American a day

2. What is thermal pollution?

The artificial warming of water is called thermal pollution. When a factory or power plant is using water to cool its operations, it ends up with discharging hot water.

3. Which country people have suffered a lot in 1984 due to air pollution?

In Bhopal country people have suffered a lot in 1984 due to air pollution

4. Name any two of the most common contaminants in water found in America?

Mercury and Nitrogen are two of the most common contaminants in water found in America.