Group Works to Reduce Holiday Trash, Clean Environment

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

relationship

Noun

rɪˈleɪʃənˌʃɪp

the way in which two things are connected

There is a close relationship between poverty and crime.

waste

Noun

weɪst

material, products, etc. that are unusable or unwanted

The bank of the river was covered with waste.

Recycling is the best way to get rid of waste.

encourage

Verb

ɪnˈkɜːrɪdʒ, ɪnˈkʌrɪdʒ

to make someone want to do something

It is important for parents to encourage their children to read.

My personal trainer encourages me to work out often.

My company encourages interaction with people from a wide range of departments.

My favorite teacher encouraged me with her kind words.

We encourage all employees to take advantage of the company health club and to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

He encouraged me to start acting.

wrap

Verb

ræp

to put cloth, paper, etc. around something

The store did a beautiful job of wrapping the gift.

In Muslim countries, it is common for women to wrap scarves around their heads.

They wrapped the baby in a soft blanket.

The piece of sushi is wrapped with seaweed.

Could you wrap this gift in paper?

Make sure this present is nicely wrapped.

Could you wrap this?

scarf

Noun

skɑːrf

an item of clothing worn around the neck, typically for warmth

I'm looking for a handmade scarf.

tote bag

Noun

ˈtəʊt ˌbæɡ

a large open bag with two handles, often made of strong cloth

Tote bags are great because you can use them for a very long time, unlike plastic bags.

urge

Verb

ɜrʤ

to try to convince someone to do something

The mother urged the judge to say her son was innocent.

essential

Adjective

əˈsɛnʃəl

necessary and very important

It's essential to wear a helmet while riding a bicycle.

Tomatoes are an essential ingredient to Italian cooking.

Good communication is essential to doing business.

It is essential to arrive at work on time.

It is essential that a strong management team be in place before looking for funding.

Fruit and vegetables are essential to your diet.

Exercise 2

Article

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Group Works to Reduce Holiday Trash, Clean Environment

The Alice Ferguson Foundation is a non-profit group that works to improve the environment by building relationships between people and nature.

The foundation is based in the state of Maryland. It was created more than 50 years ago. It teaches people ways to protect the environment.

Hanna Seligmann works for the group.

She shows adults and children how to reduce waste during the holidays.

“We encourage using things that are already in your house like newspaper, old magazines, using a gift within a gift. You can wrap something in a napkin, wrap something in a scarf, or even a tote bag.”

Urging people to recycle is especially important in the Washington, D.C., area. It is home to the Potomac River, one of the most famous rivers in the country.

Seligmann says that the amount of waste created increases during the holidays.

Many young people do not know how much waste enters the river until they help to clean it up.

It is essential that they learn that reducing waste is important not just during the holidays, but every day of the year.

Exercise 3

Questions

What is the Alice Ferguson Foundation doing to improve the environment?

What does Hanna Seligmann show both adults and children?

When does the amount of waste usually increase?

Exercise 4

Discussion

Are there any groups that are working on improving the environment in your country?

Is there more waste during the holidays in your country as well?

Do you personally care about the environment?

Advanced Exercises

The following exercises are for an additional lesson.

Exercise 5

Summary

Please describe the main topic of the article with 1 or 2 sentences. (1-2 minutes) Take your time to organize your thoughts first.

Exercise 6

Discussion

Do you think that people buy a lot of unnecessary things they can certainly do without?

What is the negative side of buying a lot of things?

Why do you think that people create so much waste? Is there a way to stop this?

Generally speaking, are rivers in your country polluted?

Do you think the condition of the environment will change for the better in the next 10 years? Why or why not?

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.