“A few years ago, terms such as CFCs, ozone and deforestation control would probably not have been used frequently in the vocabulary of the common American teenager. However, in recent years, words like these are being taken very seriously by both teens and adults.
CFCs are one of the greatest environmental concerns in present-day society. They are found in the forms of fast food packages, refrigerator and air conditioning units, and especially aerosol spray cans. These CFCs are harmful to the ozone layer as they wash it away, making it more dangerous for humans to be exposed to the sun.
Before 1900, rainforests covered 14% of the world’s surface. Today they cover 7%. The reason for this is simple. They have been cut down to provide land, paper, wood, medicines, minerals and fuel. As rainforests also contain millions of animals, insects and flowers, these are destroyed, too. If deforestation continues, more than one million species of plants and animals will become extinct by the year 2030.
Nuclear pollution also worries many ‘green’ people although nuclear power stations make electricity without burning fossil fuels. The problem is the radioactive waste produced there, which is very dangerous if humans are exposed to it.
Water pollution is also a problem for us because we need water to drink, to have a bath or a shower, flush the lavatory, to wash dishes and clothes, etc. Factories use lots of water too and when dirty water is not treated and goes into rivers it can make people ill and may kill wildlife. Sometimes thousands of fish are killed because of poisonous water dumped into rivers.
Our planet can be saved by a few simple actions that can be performed by anybody. By setting up recycling programs at home or school, using ozone-friendly products or even buying a tree in a rainforest, any environmentally-conscious person can help our environment.”
Monday, 20 July 2009
A hard time!
Miriam is unemployed! She is a 39-year-old woman who has lost her job. The worst part of this serious problem is always to admit we are jobless.
This situation was unexpected to her because she thought she had a lifetime job. However when an economic crisis begins, unemployment always rises and this is why she lost the job: not because she wasn’t good at what she did but because her services to the company were made redundant - they weren’t necessary anymore.
At first she felt very upset and went home feeling the most miserable creature on Earth but after a few days she realized that her job wasn’t needed but she could still be useful. There was no reason for her to lose her self-confidence: she still had her qualifications and skills and she knew she was a good professional. Her husband and children also played a very important role in helping her recover from depression and sadness.
She has been unemployed for three years. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to find another job but she has never thought it was going to be so difficult. She has already had a great number of interviews but she still hasn't got a job and she would like to know why. She believes she is just as good, if not better, as some men that have applied for the same jobs or the girl that was admitted to the bank even though she had less experience than her. So what is the problem? In what kind of society do we live now?
Every morning, after her children went to school, the feeling of loneliness and emptiness was hard to bear. So she has been working with a voluntary organisation for the last months and she has been using her free time to help those people whose problems are much more serious than hers. On the one hand being a volunteer makes her feel useful to society and on the other hand now she doesn't feel embarrassed when she meets friends and they ask: "So what are you doing now?"
This situation was unexpected to her because she thought she had a lifetime job. However when an economic crisis begins, unemployment always rises and this is why she lost the job: not because she wasn’t good at what she did but because her services to the company were made redundant - they weren’t necessary anymore.
At first she felt very upset and went home feeling the most miserable creature on Earth but after a few days she realized that her job wasn’t needed but she could still be useful. There was no reason for her to lose her self-confidence: she still had her qualifications and skills and she knew she was a good professional. Her husband and children also played a very important role in helping her recover from depression and sadness.
She has been unemployed for three years. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to find another job but she has never thought it was going to be so difficult. She has already had a great number of interviews but she still hasn't got a job and she would like to know why. She believes she is just as good, if not better, as some men that have applied for the same jobs or the girl that was admitted to the bank even though she had less experience than her. So what is the problem? In what kind of society do we live now?
Every morning, after her children went to school, the feeling of loneliness and emptiness was hard to bear. So she has been working with a voluntary organisation for the last months and she has been using her free time to help those people whose problems are much more serious than hers. On the one hand being a volunteer makes her feel useful to society and on the other hand now she doesn't feel embarrassed when she meets friends and they ask: "So what are you doing now?"
Friday, 17 July 2009
Home Exchange
Read the following text and find more about how to go on holiday without spending too much money.
"Last year my family and I had a great experience during our summer holiday. Instead of going to a hotel my father decided to take part in a home exchange programme. Home exchange consists of two families agreeing to swap homes during the holidays. So, we exchanged homes with a couple from Florence, in Italy. The house was not very big but it was right in the middle of the city. It was awesome!
This programme was new to me but it was quite easy to figure out some of the advantages and the major one is free accommodation. Rental costs or hotel charges form the most expensive part of the overall budget of a normal holiday. Luckily, home exchange is completely free!
However, there are still some expenses involved, such as air fares which generally are quite expensive, especially if we are talking about holidays abroad. Another advantage of home exchange is that you have the option to cook and eat at 'home', which can also be a major saving, especially for families. But, of course, we went out for a meal a couple of times (so that we could try out Italian cuisine) which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest pleasures of travelling.
My father also told me that exchangers often save further money by including cars, looking after pets, the sharing of club memberships and sports or camping equipment as part of the exchange agreement. In our case we didn't need to rent a car as the couple let us use theirs. And we only had to water their plants and feed the canary.
Travelling this way was really easy and cheap. Once my father had booked our trip and had made all the necessary contacts to get a home where we could stay; all we needed to do was pack our cases and fly to Italy."
Wendy, 15, Wales
www.homeexchangetravel.com (adapted and abridged)
"Last year my family and I had a great experience during our summer holiday. Instead of going to a hotel my father decided to take part in a home exchange programme. Home exchange consists of two families agreeing to swap homes during the holidays. So, we exchanged homes with a couple from Florence, in Italy. The house was not very big but it was right in the middle of the city. It was awesome!
This programme was new to me but it was quite easy to figure out some of the advantages and the major one is free accommodation. Rental costs or hotel charges form the most expensive part of the overall budget of a normal holiday. Luckily, home exchange is completely free!
However, there are still some expenses involved, such as air fares which generally are quite expensive, especially if we are talking about holidays abroad. Another advantage of home exchange is that you have the option to cook and eat at 'home', which can also be a major saving, especially for families. But, of course, we went out for a meal a couple of times (so that we could try out Italian cuisine) which, in my opinion, is one of the greatest pleasures of travelling.
My father also told me that exchangers often save further money by including cars, looking after pets, the sharing of club memberships and sports or camping equipment as part of the exchange agreement. In our case we didn't need to rent a car as the couple let us use theirs. And we only had to water their plants and feed the canary.
Travelling this way was really easy and cheap. Once my father had booked our trip and had made all the necessary contacts to get a home where we could stay; all we needed to do was pack our cases and fly to Italy."
Wendy, 15, Wales
www.homeexchangetravel.com (adapted and abridged)
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