Unit 1 Is the Earth Being Squeezed Dry? Training FocusDeveloping the skill of outlining is a major training focus for this unit. And it will remain a training focus for many other units in this book.The content of this unit centers around some environmental issues including global warming, deforestation, water shortage and so on. The listening materials are mainly in the forms of interviews and reports.Please focus on the speaker’s line of thought while listening. You may have a quick look at the outlines in the exercises beforehand so as to obtain some cues about what to come, where to pinpoint the answers, and how to organize the information. You should also pay attention to the special value of some key words in the outlines, such as problems, effects and actions. These key words help single out and group the most important pieces of information in the utterances.Part IE xercise BListen to two short extractions. Write down the environmental issues mentioned in them.1.burning of the forests / tree removal (deforestation) / reduction of the world’srain forests2.global warming / greenhouse effect / emissions of CO2Part IIExercise AListen to the first part of an interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.Key:1. More people more firewood fewer treesMore domestic animal more plants fewer available plantsmore desert move south desert expanding south no grass2. Growing crops stabilize soil, without them the top soil just blows away. But ifthere isn’t enough rain the crops don’t grow.3.People try to grow food to support themselves or the create ranches wherecattle can be raised, or to get hardwood for export, or to make way for an iron ore mine.Exercise BListen to a more authentic version of the first part of the interview. Complete the outline.Outline ( I )I. Environmental problems in different continentsA.Africa1.Sahara Desert expansion2.no grass for animals to eat (East Africa)B.North America & most of Europe1.situation —intensive farming / agriculture2.potential problem —top soil blowing awayC.South America, Central Africa & Southern Asia1.problem —tropical forests destruction2.consequencesa.soil thin unproductive wastelandb.animal / plant species becoming extinctc.climate change for the whole worldPart IIIExercise AListen to the second interview. Note down the key words in the notes column. Then answer the questions.1.Trees would hold rainfall in their roots. When forests in the higher up-riverhave been destroyed, all the rain that falls in the monsoon season flows straight into the river and starts the flooding.2.He implies that some national governments just consider the results of theirpolicies in the near future, or just think as far ahead as the next election. Exercise BListen to a more authentic version of the second interview. Complete the outline.Outline ( II )II. Reasons for some “natural” disaster s —mainly man-madeA.flooding in BangladeshB.flooding in SudanIII. Action to be takenA. national governments —forward-lookingB. population controlC.stopping using hardwood for furniture makingcating people to realize the consequencesPart IVListen to the material. Complete the outline.OutlineI. Warming up of the worldA.average temperatureB.yearly increaseII. Causes of global warmingIII. Effects of global warmingA.great changes in rainfallB.rise in the sea levelC.reduced potential of food productionD.health and social problems1.environmental refugees2.change of patterns of distribution of insects and infective agents3.change of patterns of heat-related food poisoning, etc.IV. Time to take actionPart VExercise A1: F 2: F 3: F 4: F 5: TExercise CNow listen to some simple tips to help you Save It —save energy. Complete the do’s an d don’ts.Tapescript:Don’t attempt to iron everything. Rough-dry your towels and nylon things. Trust the thermostat on your iron —don’t turn it up too high.Don’t leave the kettle to boil away. Any don’t fill it to the brim for only a cup oftea!Cut out unnecessary lighting. Every little helps.Save It on heating. Do without a wall-fire if you can.Defrost the fridge regularly. Ice build-up wastes fuel. Don’t put hot food in either —if you do, the fridge has to work overtime.It makes energy sense to wait until you’ve a full load before using your washing machine.Cook a complete meal in the oven and Save It on the rings and grills. Roast chicken, veg, and baked sweet to follow?DictationGenerations of Americans have been brought up to believe / that a good breakfast is one of life’s essentials. / Eating breakfast at the start of the day, / we have all been told, / is as necessary as putting gasoline into the family car before starting a trip. / But for many people / the thought of food as the first thing in the morning is by no means a pleasure. / So despite all the efforts, / they still take no breakfast. / Between 1977 and 1983, / the latest year for which figures are available, / the number of people who didn’t have breakfast / increased by 33 percent from 8.8 mi llion to 11.7 million / —according to the Chicago-based Market Research Corporation of America. / For those who feel pain or guilt about not eating breakfast, however, / there is some good news. / Several studies in the last few years indicate / that there may be nothing wrong with omitting breakfast.Notes:京都议定书( Kyoto Protocol )为了21世纪的地球免受气候变暖的威胁，１９９７年１２月，１４９个国家和地区的代表在日本东京召开《联合国气候变化框架公约》缔约方第三次会议，经过紧张而艰难的谈判，会议通过了旨在限制发达国家温室气体排放量以抑制全球变暖的《京都议定书》。