esap environmental science sample unit

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E D U C A T I O N a r n e t

English for

ENVIRONMENTAL

SCIENCEin Higher Education Studies

Course Book

Series editor: Terry Phillips

Richard Lee



Published byGarnet Publishing Ltd.8 Southern CourtSouth StreetReading RG1 4QS, UK

www.garneteducation.com

Copyright © 2009 Garnet Publishing Ltd.

The right of Richard Lee to be identified as the author of thiswork has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,Design and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means,electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording orotherwise, without the prior permission of the Publisher.Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation tothis publication may be liable to criminal prosecution andcivil claims for damages.

First published 2009

ISBN 978 1 85964 444 7

British Cataloguing-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available fromthe British Library.

ProductionSeries editor: Terry PhillipsLead authors: Carolyn Walker, Marian DunnProject management: Nicky PlattEditor: Louise ElkinsAcademic review: Dr Mark Fellowes, Head of

Environmental Biology, Universityof Reading

Design: Christin Helen AuthIllustrations: Doug NashPhotography: gettyimages.com, clipart.com,

corbis.com

Audio recorded at Motivation Sound Studios produced byEFS Television Production Ltd.

The author and publisher would like to thank Google forpermission to reproduce the results listings on page 35.

Every effort has been made to trace copyright holders andwe apologize in advance for any unintentional omission. Wewill be happy to insert the appropriate acknowledgementsin any subsequent editions.

Printed and bound in Lebanon by International Press



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IntroductionEnglish for Environmental Science is designed for students who plan to take an environmental sciencecourse entirely or partly in English. The principal aim of English for Environmental Science is to teachstudents to cope with input texts, i.e., listening and reading, in the discipline. However, students will beexpected to produce output texts in speech and writing throughout the course.

The syllabus focuses on key vocabulary for the discipline and on words and phrases commonly used inacademic and scientific English. It covers key facts and concepts from the discipline, thereby givingstudents a flying start for when they meet the same points again in their faculty work. It also focuses onthe skills that will enable students to get the most out of lectures and written texts. Finally, it presents theskills required to take part in seminars and tutorials and to produce essay assignments.

English for Environmental Science comprises:

• this student Course Book, including audio transcripts and wordlist

• the Teacher’s Book, which provides detailed guidance on each lesson, full answer keys, audiotranscripts and extra photocopiable resources

• audio CDs with lecture and seminar excerpts

English for Environmental Science has 12 units, each of which is based on a different aspect ofenvironmental science. Odd-numbered units are based on listening (lecture/seminar extracts). Even-numbered units are based on reading.

Each unit is divided into four lessons:

Lesson 1: vocabulary for the discipline; vocabulary skills such as word-building, use of affixes, use ofsynonyms for paraphrasing

Lesson 2: reading or listening text and skills development

Lesson 3: reading or listening skills extension. In addition, in later reading units, students are introducedto a writing assignment which is further developed in Lesson 4; in later listening units, studentsare introduced to a spoken language point (e.g., making an oral presentation at a seminar)

which is further developed in Lesson 4Lesson 4: a parallel listening or reading text to that presented in Lesson 2 which students have to use their

new skills (Lesson 3) to decode; in addition, written or spoken work is further practised

The last two pages of each unit, Vocabulary bank and Skills bank , are a useful summary of the unitcontent.

Each unit provides between 4 and 6 hours of classroom activity with the possibility of a further 2–4 hourson the suggested extra activities. The course will be suitable, therefore, as the core component of afaculty-specific pre-sessional or foundation course of between 50 and 80 hours.

It is assumed that prior to using this book students will already have completed a general EAP (English forAcademic Purposes) course such as Skills in English (Garnet Publishing, up to the end at least of Level 3),and will have achieved an IELTS level of at least 5.

For a list of other titles in this series, see www.garneteducation.com/

1 THE BUSINESS OF BUSINESS



4 .

Unit Topics

1 What is environmental science?Listening · Speaking

• definition of environmental science• aspects of environmental science

2 What do environmental scientists do?Reading · Writing

• the role of environmental scientists• careers in environmental science

3 The atmosphereListening · Speaking

• gaseous composition of the atmosphere• effects of human activity on the atmosphere• depletion of the ozone layer

4 Computers in environmental scienceReading · Writing

• digital mapping/GIS• computers for research

5 Energy resourcesListening · Speaking

• non-renewable energy sources and their environmental impact• renewable energy sources, e.g., solar, hydro, wind power

6 Soil as a resourceReading · Writing

• composition of soil/different types of soil• impact of intensive farming on soil

7 Recycling wasteListening · Speaking

• recycling methods and processes• advantages and disadvantages of recycling

8 EcosystemsReading · Writing

• the Earth’s biosphere• definition of ecosystem• how organisms interact within an ecosystem/food chains

9 Preserving biodiversityListening · Speaking

• impact of human activity on flora and fauna• accelerated extinctions• case study: lowland and mountain gorilla

10 PollutionReading · Writing

• environmental effects of modern transportation systems and power stations

• technological and legislative measures to reduce pollution

11 AgricultureListening · Speaking

• environmental impacts of modern farming methods• GM foods• organic farming

12 SustainabilityReading · Writing

• the concept of sustainability• survey gathering quantitative data on attitudes to sustainable transport

Book map



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Vocabulary focus Skills focus Unit• words from general English with a special meaning in

environmental science• prefixes and suffixes

Listening • preparing for a lecture• predicting lecture content from the introduction• understanding lecture organization• choosing an appropriate form of notes• making lecture notes

Speaking • speaking from notes

• English–English dictionaries: headwords · definitions ·parts of speech · phonemes · stress markers ·countable/uncountable · transitive/intransitive

Reading • using research questions to focus on relevant information in a text• using topic sentences to get an overview of the text

Writing • writing topic sentences• summarizing a text

• stress patterns in multi-syllable words• prefixes

Listening • preparing for a lecture• predicting lecture content• making lecture notes• using different information sources

Speaking • reporting research findings• formulating questions

• computer jargon• abbreviations and acronyms• discourse and stance markers• verb and noun suffixes

Reading • identifying topic development within a paragraph• using the Internet effectively• evaluating Internet search results

Writing • reporting research findings

• word sets: synonyms, antonyms, etc.• the language of trends• common lecture language

Listening • understanding ‘signpost language’ in lectures• using symbols and abbreviations in note-taking

Speaking • making effective contributions to a seminar

• synonyms, replacement subjects, etc. for sentence-levelparaphrasing

Reading • locating key information in complex sentences

Writing • reporting findings from other sources: paraphrasing• writing complex sentences

• compound nouns• fixed phrases from environmental science• fixed phrases from academic English• common lecture language

Listening • understanding speaker emphasis

Speaking • asking for clarification• responding to queries and requests for clarification

• synonyms• nouns from verbs• definitions• common ‘direction’ verbs in essay titles ( discuss, analyze,

evaluate , etc.)

Reading • understanding dependent clauses with passives

Writing • paraphrasing• expanding notes into complex sentences• recognizing different essay types/structures: descriptive · analytical ·

comparison/evaluation · argument• writing essay plans• writing essays

• fixed phrases from environmental science• fixed phrases from academic English

Listening • using the Cornell note-taking system• recognizing digressions in lectures

Speaking • making effective contributions to a seminar• referring to other people’s ideas in a seminar

• ‘neutral’ and ‘marked’ words

• fixed phrases from environmental science• fixed phrases from academic English

Reading • recognizing the writer’s stance and level of confidence or tentativeness

• inferring implicit ideas

Writing • writing situation–problem–solution–evaluation essays• using direct quotations• compiling a bibliography/reference list

• words/phrases used to link ideas ( moreover, as a result, etc.)• stress patterns in noun phrases and compounds• fixed phrases from academic English• words/phrases related to farming and environmental issues

Listening • recognizing the speaker’s stance• writing up notes in full

Speaking • building an argument in a seminar• agreeing/disagreeing

• verbs used to introduce ideas from other sources ( X contends/suggests/asserts that … )

• linking words/phrases conveying contrast ( whereas ), result(consequently ), reasons ( due to ), etc.

• words for quantities ( a significant minority )

Reading • understanding how ideas in a text are linked

Writing • deciding whether to use direct quotation or paraphrase• incorporating quotations• writing research reports

• writing effective introductions/conclusions

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A Read the text. The red words are probably familiar to you in general English. But can youthink of a different meaning for each word in environmental science? Change the form ifnecessary (e.g., change a noun into a verb).

Jill and Dave wanted a special plant for their garden. The couple decided to use their cyclesbecause of the traffic. They looked up the nearest garden centre on the web . Jill was almostready to go when she decided to change her clothes. Then she couldn’t choose between thered and green belt . Finally they set out, but it took ages because the chain came off Dave’sbike – twice. They reached the centre and bought the plant. But on the way out, they saw asmall greenhouse for sale. ‘It’s just what we need,’ said Dave, and they put a depositdown on it there and then.

B Read these sentences from environmental science texts. Complete each sentence with oneof the red words or phrases from Exercise A. Change the form if necessary.

1 Huge coal have been found in western Africa.

2 The was created to stop urban areas spreading into the countryside.

3 They haven’t built any new nuclear power since the late 1980s.

4 The oxygen atom with the oxygen molecule to form ozone.

5 The series of changes that a living thing goes through from the beginning of its life untildeath is called a .

6 A food is the flow of energy from one organism to the next.7 A food extends the food chain concept from a simple pathway to a

complex network of interactions.

8 gas emissions continue to rise as the world economy grows.

C Study the words in box a.

1 What is the connection between all the words?

2 What is the base word in each case?

3 What do we call the extra letters?

4 What is the meaning of each prefix?

5 Can you think of another word with each prefix?

D Study the words in box b.

1 What is the connection between all the words?

2 What is the base word in each case?

3 What do we call the extra letters?

4 What effect do the extra letters have on the base word?

5 Can you think of another word with each suffix?

E Discuss the pictures on the opposite page using words from this page.

guessing words in context • prefixes and suffixes

1 WHAT IS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE?

1.1 Vocabulary

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biosphere ecosystem geologyhydrology interrelated irregular

meteorology microorganismoverlying ultraviolet underlying

accuracy classify climaticcoastal continentality

environmentalist harmfulpressurize prevention

replacement variable zoology

a

b



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A You are a student in the Environmental Science Facultyof Hadford University. The title of the first lecture isWhat is environmental science?

1 Write a definition of environmental science.

2 What other ideas will be in this lecture? Makesome notes.

See Skills bank

B ≤ Listen to Part 1 of the talk. What does the lecturersay about environmental science? Tick one or more ofthe following.

a It is the same as the Earth sciences.

b It is different from the Earth sciences.

c Geomorphologists only work in the

Earth sciences.

C In Part 2 of the talk, the lecturer mentions greenhouseand web .

1 What is the connection between the general Englishwords and their use in environmental science?

2 ≤ Listen and check your ideas.

D In Part 3 of the talk, the lecturer describes differentbranches of environmental science.

1 How many branches can you think of?

2 What are the main areas covered by each branch? 3 ≤ Listen and check your ideas.

4 What will the lecturer talk about next?

E ≤ In the final part of the talk, the lecturer gives adefinition of environmental science, and some examples.Listen and mark each word in the box D if it is part ofthe definition and E if it is part of an example.

F Write a definition of environmental science.

G Look back at your notes from Exercise A. Did you predict:

• the main ideas?

• most of the special vocabulary?

• the order of information?

preparing for a lecture • predicting lecture content • making notes1.2 Listening

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human process solution activityidentify change flood plainoverlap record intervention

measure illustrate




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lecture organization • choosing the best form of notes1.3 Extending skills

A What can you …

1 map? 3 measure? 5 analyze? 7 trace?

2 identify? 4 manage? 6 draw on? 8 record?

B How can you organize information in a lecture? Match the beginnings and endings.

1 question and contrast

2 problem and definition

3 classification and disadvantages

4 advantages and effect

5 comparison and events

6 cause and supporting information

7 sequence of process

8 stages of a solution

9 theories or opinions then answer

C How can you record information during a lecture? Match the illustrations with the wordsand phrases in the box.

tree diagram flowchart headings and notes spidergram table timeline two columns

D Match each organization of information in Exercise B with a method of note-taking fromExercise C. You can use one method for different types of organization.

E ≤ Listen to five lecture introductions. Choose a possible way to take notes from Exercise Cin each case.

Example:You hear: Today I’m going to talk about the most damaging types of greenhouse gases.

There are four gases which are particularly damaging…You choose: tree diagram

1.1. 11.2

18th

19th

1920

4 5 6

7

321



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making notes • speaking from notes1.4 Extending skills

SAND GRAVEL

precipitation

evaporation

impermeable rock

ALASKA

CANADA

Arctic

Continental

Transitional

Maritime

Contribution to Rate of increase per year Approx lifespan (years)global warming

Carbon dioxide 57% 0.5% 120

CFCs 25% 4% 100

Methane 12% 1% 10

Nitrous oxide 6% 0.5% 130

A Match items 1–6 above with the words or phrases in the box.

B ≤ Cover the opposite page. Listen to the lecture introductions from Lesson 1.3again. Make an outline on a separate sheet of paper for each introduction.

C Look at your outline for each lecture. What do you expect the lecturer to talk

about in the lecture? In what order?

D ≤ Listen to the next part of each lecture. Complete your notes.

E Uncover the opposite page. Check your notes with the model notes. Are yours the sameor different?

F Work in pairs.

1 Use the notes on the opposite page. Reconstruct one lecture.

2 Give the lecture to another pair.

1 2

3 4 5

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water treatment plant aquifer greenhouse gases reservoir climate zones filtration process



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GREENHOUSE GASESCARBON DIOXIDE (CO2) METHANE

History of environmental science

624–546 BCE Thales/Ionian school =rationality

384–322 BCE Aristotle = natural history +‘Meteorologica’

23–79 CE Pliny the Elder = wrote‘Natural History’

979–1037 CE Avicenna1126–1198 CE AverroësC13th knowledge passed back to

Europeans from Arabs

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c. 57% of greenhouse warmingfrom fossil fuels, e.g., coal + petrolincreased by1/3since 1700s

produced by bacteria in marshes, cattlec. 12% of greenhouse warming

higher in future?

CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS (CFCs) NITROUS OXIDused as coolants + propellants‘greenhouse efficiency’ = v. highc. 25% of greenhouse warmingdecline in use but long lifespan

produced from burning fossil fuels or bacterialongest lifespan (c. 130 yrs.)

c. 6% of greenhouse emissions

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The process of water treatment

preliminary screening – removes large objecti

storage – germs killed with UVi

micro-straining – removes v. small particlesi

aeration – O2 addedi

filtrationi

pH adjusted ( +/- acids or alkalines)i

disinfection – use chlorine, ozone or UVi

soften water – add lime or soda ash

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SURFACE WATER GROUNDWATERi) from rivers i) from aquifersii) stored in reservoirs ii) stored in porous or permeable rock undergroundiii) – expensive to treat iii) + cheaper to treat & water quality better

Arab scholars whokept science alive

CLIMATIC DIFFERENCES

oceanswater moderates

temperatures

landloses + gainsheat quickly

maritime climatetemperateseasons (e.g., GB)

continental climatehot summers/cold winters

irregular rainfall, much drier (e.g., Ontario, Canada)

effectscauses



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Guessing words in context

Using related words

Sometimes a word in general English has a special meaning inenvironmental science.Examples :

food chain, food web, life cycle, green belt

If you recognize a word but don’t understand it in context, think:

What is the basic meaning of the word? Does that help me understand the special meaning?

Example :

A chain is a set of connected or related things. So a food chain must mean a series of things which are connected (each group eats the group below it).

Removing prefixes

A prefix = letters at the start of a word .

A prefix changes the meaning of a word.

Examples :

redo – do again

miscalculate – calculate wrongly

If you don’t recognize a word, think: Is there is a prefix? Remove it. Do yourecognize the word now? What does that prefix mean? Add it to themeaning of the word.

Removing suffixes

A suffix = letters at the end of a word .

A suffix sometimes changes the part of speech of the word.

Examples :

prevent Ë prevention = verb Ë noun

environment Ë environmental = noun Ë adjective

A suffix sometimes changes the meaning in a predictable way .

Examples :

pressure + ize or ise – make intoloose + en – make or make more

rely + able – able to (be relied on)

If you don’t recognize a word, think: Is there a suffix? Remove it. Do yourecognize the word now? What does that suffix mean? Add it to themeaning of the word.

Vocabulary bank




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Making the most of lectures

Before a lecture …

Plan● Find out the topic of the lecture.● Research the topic.● Check the pronunciation of names and key words in English.

Prepare● Get to the lecture room early.● Sit where you can see and hear clearly.● Bring any equipment you may need.● Write the date, topic and name of the lecturer at the top of a sheet of paper.

During a lecture …Predict● Listen carefully to the introduction. Think: What kind of lecture is this? ● Write an outline. Leave space for notes.● Think of possible answers/solutions/effects, etc., while the lecturer is speaking.

Produce● Write notes/copy from the board.● Record sources – books/websites/names.● At the end, ask the lecturer/other students for missing information.

Making perfect lecture notesChoose the best way to record information from a lecture.

advantages and disadvantages Ë two-column table

cause and effect Ë spidergram

classification and definition Ë tree diagram/spidergram

comparison and contrast Ë table

facts and figures Ë table

sequence of events Ë timeline

stages of a processË

flowchartquestion and answer Ë headings and notes

Speaking from notesSometimes you have to give a short talk in a seminar on research you have done.● Prepare the listeners with an introduction.● Match the introduction to the type of information/notes.

Skills bank

esap environmental science sample unit

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