Going Green - Unit 11 - What on Earth's Going On?

B2 First · Multiple Matching · Ready for B2 First 4th Edition Workbook, Macmillan Education Limited

You are going to read an article in which four people talk about projects to make their different towns more eco-friendly. For questions 1-10, choose from the options (A-D). The people may be chosen more than once.

Well, in my town, there are a few new incentives that have made a welcome difference. A couple of years ago, we had a go at all that. You know, having a few places where everyone could grow their own food and cutting down on water use. It didn't seem to take off for some reason and they put an end to it, so now they've tried another approach. We have some special planting days when volunteers help to increase the tree population in parks. It's a lovely thing to do with the family and you feel like you're making a real difference. And rather than hopping on the bus, there are all these bike paths now, so it feels much safer. The good thing is that it's not only environmentally friendly, but it's also good for your own fitness. I'd love to be able to do it, but I actually work from home, so it's a bit tricky.

I'm actually a town planner and what they've done in my local area is incredible. It's not been quick enough in my opinion, but hopefully they'll put pressure on the council before too long. There's still a severe lack of green areas in the centre, so I hope they'll look into this in the future. However, what we have done is manage to promote eco-friendly construction. The heating and design are modern and very effective. In addition, it's all locally sourced, so that's got to be good for the economy. We've managed to decrease the amount of water used in the town as a whole, which we're rather proud of. It's something like 20% down and we've raised awareness of the fact that we shouldn't waste water. There has been considerable investment in buses and trains as well, which has paid off. The key message is that we should be considerate and work towards the greater good of the community.

I'm only aware of what people tell me or what's been reported in the local paper. If I didn't read that, I wouldn't have a clue. Anyway, I read somewhere that we're running entirely on green power. I think that's something to brag about. But energy remains a problem. If they put to use a driving scheme, whereby some people could only drive on certain days, that would be a big improvement. In my opinion, they're scared of doing that because it wouldn't be popular with the public. The clear skies and fresh air would make it worthwhile, though. I try to cycle to work and do my bit. I have to go on the main road with the traffic though, so it puts me off. My friend told me about a new scheme where you grow your own food on public land and all the local people help out. I think I'd prefer that to going to the supermarket.

The message here is very clear. It's all about not depending on outside help, for example, by growing your own vegetables. Fewer people here are reliant on supermarkets. This is an old market town, so we're not likely to get fancy new buildings with all the modern energy-saving stuff very soon. It would spoil the look of the place, to be honest. But they recently introduced a system that means only certain number plates can be in the centre on one particular day. It was criticised initially, but now people are starting to see the benefits of less traffic. When you're walking through the park in the centre, it's just more peaceful and you feel like you could actually be in the middle of the countryside. Alongside this, there has been an initiative for people to get fit on their way to work, like buying a bike at a reduced cost to cycle there and back. It's really worth it.

Going Green

has a tree-planting scheme?

has seen a reduction in water usage?

has increased its number of cycle lanes?

has put the price of bikes down?

has encouraged self-sufficiency at home?

has introduced town gardens for growing produce?

has encouraged energy-efficient buildings?

has limited the number of cars going into the city centre?

has put a lot of money into public transport?

has managed to generate 100% renewable energy?

Which town

Available as a free printable PDF worksheet with an optional answer key.

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