English language: level 7

Trinity contents

Language requirements

Language functions

Giving advice and highlighting advantages and disadvantages

Making suggestions
Describing past habits
Expressing possibility and uncertainly
Eliciting further information and expansion of ideas and opinions
Expressing agreement and disagreement

Grammar

Second conditional
Simple passive
Used to
Relative clauses
Modals and phrases used to give and make suggestions, e.g.:
should/ought to, could, youd better
Modals and phrases used to express possibility and uncertainly, e.g.:
may, might, Im not sure.
Discourse connectors, e.g. Because of, due to

Lexis

Vocabulary specific to the topic area

Vocabulary specific to the subject areas
Appropriate words and expressions to indicate interest and show
awareness of the speaker. E.g. Really? Oh dear! Did you?
Simple fillers to give time for thought, e.g. well, um
Phrases and expressions relating to the language functions listed above

Phonology

The correct pronunciation of vocabulary specific to the topic and subject

areas
Rising intonation to indicate interest and surprise as appropriate
Falling intonation to indicate the end of a turn
Intonation and features of connected speech beyond sentence level

Subject areas for the Conversation phase

Pgina 1 de 27

Education
National customs
Village and city life
National and local produce and products
Early memories
Pollution and recycling

Happiness and unhappiness

The pursuit of happiness, which was defined as an unalienable

right by the American of Independence (July 4th, 1776), is still,

unfortunately, reserved to comparatively few people. Indeed, if you
are to be happy, you must have decent living conditions, failing
which you are likely to experience hardships and ordeals which
will make happiness an unattainable end. And there are hundreds of
thousands of people in the world who live below the poverty
threshold and can hardly be expected to cast radiant smiles upon
their environment. As to the reasons which determine happiness, they
vary with the individuals. For some, happiness is to be found in
tangible, concrete achievements: success in their professional life, a
gratifying work in which they can put their heart and which enables
them to feel useful to the community, a fair amount of leisure-time
which can be devoted to non-professional activities and give them a
sense of freedom, or simply a high salary enabling them to enjoy the
luxuries as well as the necessities. For other people, happiness
depends on human relationships which other them the possibility to
love and be loved as well as the sense of belonging to community.
But happiness is also a state of mind as difficult to account for as the
melancholy feelings you sometimes experience without knowing their
cause. You may feel blithe as a lark on an ordinary day for no special
reason at all, just because your heart happens to be overflowing
with joy.
Vocabulary:
1. Well-being:
2. To take pleasure in delight
in:
3. To rejoice in:
4. Carefree:
5. Delighted:
6. Beaming:
7. Cheerful:
Pgina 2 de 27

8. To roar with laughter:

9. To burst out laughing:
10.To keep smiling:
11.Enjoy yourself:
12.Strain:
13.Sorrow:
14.Joyless:
15.Listless:
16.Annoyed:

17.
18.

19.

Idioms:
To repine at ones lot:
To be in the mourning:
Ask yourself whether you are happy, and you cease to be so (John
Stuart Mill).
That action is best which procures the greatest happiness for the
greatest numbers.
Reading comprehension

1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

What the text is talking about?

According to the text, what happiness means?
How people are to be happy?
Can you show the link between well-being and happiness?
The pursuit of happiness, was defined as an unalienable right in
USA, what the civil right in your country talks so?
6) What should be the final purpose of the human life?
7) How people and government can protect the right to happiness and fight
together the unhappiness condition?
8) Talk about poverty and unhappiness, dignity and happiness.
20.

21.

City life: NEW YORK

22.
Here we are in New York, the incredible city where all the
languages of the world are spoken, and where people live on the
ground, travel under the ground, and work in the sky. New York makes
a profound impression on all visitors because of its many lofty
buildings, its gigantic department stores, its immense theaters,
museums, and hotels, its magnificent bridges, and its exclusive shops
with their fabulous prices.
23.
The first permanent white settlers came to New York from
Holland in 1626. Seeing the city today, we find it hard to imagine that
these Dutch settlers bought all of Manhattan Island from the Indians
for the equivalent of twenty-four dollars (U.S.), while today some of
this land is worth a million dollars an acre. This island is the heart of
the city; it is connected by six long suspension bridges, as well as by
tunnels and ferries, with the other four boroughs that constitute New
York City, and with the state of New Jersey across the Hudson River.
24.
New York is the largest city in the United States. Today there
are more people living in New York City than in Venezuela, Iraq, or
Sweden. There are people from every state, from every Canadian
Pgina 3 de 27

province, and from every country in the world. Among the seven
million New Yorkers, there are two million who were born in foreign
countries. Of these the Italians, the Russians, and the Germans form
the largest groups. To these many foreigners, now Americans, the
Statue of Liberty in the harbor has always symbolized the ideal of
freedom in the New World.
25.
For transportation New York depends mainly on buses,
subways, taxis, and ferries. The buses are slow because of the
crowded streets, whereas the subway trains go as fast as railroad
trains, sometimes stopping only at the most important stations. We
may ride all day on the subway for fifteen cents, if we change trains
but do not go out of the stations.
26.
New York moves vertically as well as horizontally, taking its
citizens by elevator to their offices on the fortieth, sixtieth, or
eightieth floor. Here is the tallest building in the world, the Empire
State Building, with its 102 stories that are served by sixty-three
passenger elevators. The Chrysler Building (77 stories), The RCA
Building (70 stories), and the Wool-worth Building (60 stories) also
reach into the clouds; and many other skyscrapers have from 40 to
71 floors.
27.
New York is the richest and the poorest, the most modern
and the most old-fashioned of cities. It is the home of exclusive hotels
and cheap boardinghouses; the home of great symphonies and
popular jazz, of cathedrals and night clubs; the home of the famous
Metropolitan Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, and the American Museum of Natural History; the
home of many of the publishing houses of the United States and of
the biggest newspapers. On Fifth Avenue there are many exclusive
stores of international fame, but around the corner one may find little
shops where imitation diamonds and cheap souvenirs are sold. New
York is a city of immense beauty and immense ugliness, a place
where everyone is in a hurry and where no one seems to have time to
live.
28.
Bright, noisy, spectacular, and impersonal that is New York.
It would take years for one person to see everything that is important
in New York. It is a mixture of all that is the United States, but it is no
like any other American city.
29.

Making point:

Pgina 4 de 27

30.
Write about your favourite city and share your informations
with the others students.

31.
32.
33.

34.

YOUTH CULTURE

35.

Vocabulary

36.

39.
1.expe
rience

42.
2.a
teenager

45.
e

3.activ

48.
el

4.rebb

51.
5.
discipline

Pgina 5 de 27

37.

38.

41.

naivety

an
adolescent

44.

a youth

a couch
potato

47.

a zombie

40.

innocenc

43.

46.

49.

52.

disobey

ideals

antiestablishment

50.

53.

defy

54.
6.irres
ponsible

57.
on

7.fashi

8.vand
alism

60.

63.
9.
idolize

66.
10. to
revere

69.
11. to
confide

72.
12.
booze up

55.

challenge

58.

music

61.
juvenile
crime
64.

fans

to
respect

67.

70.

secrets

pop
concerts

73.

56.

ignore

59.

urban tribes

62.

offender

65.

copy

68.

to worship

71.
take up
smoking

74.
street
parties

75.
Topics on youth culture to review and use as an
argument
Youth is associated with innocence, beauty, good
health,
energy,
idealism,
curiosity,
immaturity,
inexperience and rebellion. However, the descriptions of
character relate more closely to fiction than to reality since
in many cases particularly in large cities, youngsters today
engage in vandalism, joy-riding or even drug-trafficking,

76.

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yet magistrates in Spain are asking for tougher sentencing

powers to combat juvenile crime. Many young teenagers
are now experienced offenders.
If you go out on any Saturday night you will see quite
a few drunken young people although underage drinking is
illegal. They buy bottles of booze and Coke or orangeade in
a supermarket and then later go to the beach or a public
park or city square for the sole purpose of drinking until
they become legless. This then causes brawls and fights
among them or between rival groups. Neighbours often
complain about the noise and the litter.

77.

Drugs are another major problem nowadays. There

are drug traffickers in schools selling to anybody who will
buy their products or even worse, introducing youngsters
to them. It is considered fashionable and so, many kids
may well get hooked unless they are strong and can say
NO to them.

78.

Smoking is another problem which the government is

trying to solve. Although they all know the dangers to
health it is considered fashionable and sociable to smoke
and a lot of kids get hooked. Commercials are aired on TV
saying it's brave to say NO.

79.

All these issues may come from the fact that

teenagers are supposed to be rebellious. They often like to
defy rules and regulations. Little do they know that they
will pay for their defiance in the future? They usually do
badly at school and so lose the option of further education,
having to opt for menial badly-paid jobs instead of cushy
ones.

80.

Of course not all of them are like that. Thank

goodness there are many who take their life seriously and
are able to combine having a good time with their
schooling. They will have good jobs and a comfortable life
in the future because they have used their time sensibly.

81.

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Fashion has a lot to do with music. Teenagers want to

be different yet they also want to belong to a group, and
this means that the sort of music they listen to will affect
their appearance in many cases. A kid who enjoys rap will
probably want to wear the clothes associated with this kind
of music. If another is keen on punk he is likely to have
spiky bright green and blue hair.

82.

Some people say that kids today have it "to easy". In

the past, youngsters had to work at a very young age to
help their parents. For example, many left school at 14 and
went on to train on building sites and at hairdressers. They
had to sacrifice their youth for their parents well-being.
Because of this fact, when these kids grew up and had kids
of their own they decided that an education was the best
thing that they could give their children and so, gave them
all the opportunities money could offer them. Children
today have everything from encyclopaedias to PC'S and
internet. They have a lot of material things and in a way...
this could mean that they have few aspirations. If they
want something they just ask for it and they usually get it
within reason of course. This boils down to the fact that
many kids today have become lazy and do not appreciate
their parents like they should. They can also be quite bored
which means that they then turn to drinking and drugs to
get their "kicks".

83.

84.
In
many
cases,
parent-children
relationships
deteriorate when the kids reach puberty, they claim that
their parents are "out of touch" and "oldies" and usually
argue a lot. The children usually forget one very important
thing, their parents are sacrificing their lives and their
freedom for them, parents want the best for their kids, they
want them to have the best of everything and all the
opportunities that they never had so that their future is
even better. And this is a great investment, and like any
investment they will protect it forever.
85.

86.

Practice

Pgina 8 de 27

1. Are young people generally more selfish than their parents

and grandparents?
2. Should adults try to teach young people lessons, such as

the dangers of drinking too much, taking drugs or

contracting the HIV virus, or should they leave them alone
to find out about these things themselves?
3. What do you think is the best age to be parent? Explain

your opinion.
4. Most countries give young people rights as they reach a

certain age. For example, British people can legally make

love or fight for their country at the age of 16; they can
drink, vote and drive a car when they are 18. Does your
country have similar laws?
5. Do you think that any of the age limits need changing?
6. Should young people have to do some form of military or

community service by law?

7. Should people of between 60 and 65 be forced to retire

from their jobs in order to make way for younger workers?

8. Are there many things that the old can teach the young or

are they hopelessly out of touch by the time they reach a

certain age?
9. In most countries, compulsory education is targeted at 5 -

16 year olds. Would it be better to offer it to pensioners

who want to learn rather than young people who prefer not
to be in school?
In Russia, China and many other countries, there is a
tradition of choosing leaders who are advanced in years.
Do you think that older people make better leaders?

10.

Are friends more important than family? What do you

think?

11.

12.

Are chores assigned to children in your family?

Pgina 9 de 27

13.

Are you married?

14.

Are you pressured by your family to act in a certain

way?
15.

Are you the oldest among your brothers and sisters?

16.

Are your parents strict?

17.

Did you ever meet any of your great grandparents?

18.

Do you get along well with your family?

o Do you get along well with your brothers and sisters?

Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, how old are

they?

19.

20.

Do you have to clean your own room?

o Does your mother make you clean your room?

21.

Do you like your family? Why or why not?

22.

Do you live with any of your grandparents?

23.

Do you live with your parents?

24.

Do you look more like your mother or your father?

Do you often argue with your mother or father? What

about?

25.

26.

Do you often visit your grandparents?

Do you think people should adopt children from other

countries?

27.

28.

Do you usually have any influence on family matters?

29.

Do your parents let you stay out late?

o What time do you have to be home?

Pgina 10 de 27

o Do you have a curfew?

30.

How did you get your name?

o Who are you named after?

31.

How many (first) cousins do you have?

32.

How many aunts and uncles do you have?

33.

How many brothers and sisters do you have?

34.

How many children do you have?

How many members do you have in your family

altogher?

35.

36.

How many people are in your (immediate) family?

37.

Is spanking a good way to discipline children?

Should people follow the religion of their parents, or

should they have the liberty to choose another?

38.

What are some of your fondest memories of

childhood?

39.

40.

What are your parents like?

41.

What do you and your family like doing together?

What do your mother and father look like? How about

your grandparents?

42.

43.

What do your parents do in their free time?

44.

What are the occupations of your family members?

o What does your father do? What's his job?

o What does your mother do?

Pgina 11 de 27

What is the best memory you have of your family

doing something together?

45.

46.

What kind of things do you do with your family?

47.

What would you change about your childhood?

Who do you get along better with, your mother or

your father?

48.

49.

Who is the black sheep (odd ball) in your family?

Would you get involved in your in-laws' family

problems?

50.

Would you live with your parents after you get

married?

51.

52.

Should children help with the housework?

o How much or how often should they help?

o What kinds of housework is not appropriate for

children to do?
53.

Do you live in a nuclear family or an extended family?

o What are the advantages and disadvantages of these
types of family?

What impact has divorce and/or modern day living

had on the family?

54.

Is the nanny and/or the day-care centre the third

parent?

55.

56.

Where is the best place to raise a family?

o Where do you think the best place to raise a family is?
Why?

Pgina 12 de 27

Do you think your parents undestand you? Why or

why not?

57.

Who does the household work, your father or your

mother or both of them?

58.

87.
Have you ever seen your mother (or father) cry?
When was that and why?
88.

89. City and village life

90.
91.
In the past Spain was a country mainly dedicated to
agriculture for its lively hood. Villages were full of families
with many children, all and I mean all of them worked on
the land. Families were big, five children upwards and
although nearly all the villages had a village school,
education was not high up in the agenda. Most offspring
followed in their fathers footsteps.
92.
Cities were for "cultured people" business men,
engineers, architects and so on. These people usually had
more money than villagers and often went to university.
93.
Then, around the 60's there was a social change, a
vast number of villagers left their homes in search of a
better life in the cities. So slowly but surely villages were
emptied of "young people" in fact there is a good number
of "ghost villages up and down Spain".
94.
The villagers who moved to the city found that they
were actually better off. Spain's economy was growing and
there were plenty jobs available. These people had fixed
working hours, (unlike in the village where work was from
dawn till dusk) they also had a month's holiday which was
paid for by the company, (something which they never had
in the village) their children could go to school instead of
working the land. There were all the amenities near at
Pgina 13 de 27

hand, all kinds of entertainment and so on....Indeed, they

felt they were better off!
95.
Nowadays things have changed yet again. Villages are
filling up once again but not with farmers, in fact, townsfolk
are trying to escape the stress of city life by going back to
nature. These citizens are buying up old, deteriorated
village houses and doing them up, so that at weekends
they can get away from the hustle and bustle of the boring
daily routine in the city. Other people have sold up their
belongings and gone to live in the village, they make a
living by converting large old houses into "village inns"
where city folk who can't afford a house of their own can
escape that stress.
96.
Life in the village is now peaceful for most. Of course
there are still farmers in villages, but their life today is
much better than in the past as they have all kinds of
machines and gadgets to make their work easier. I wonder
what kind of changes there will be in the future. Maybe
people will all decide to live in peace and quiet in villages
and the cities will become empty!
97.
If I had the chance to work from home, I would
certainly choose to live in a village although I would need
to be fairly near a big city so that I had the best of both
worlds!
98.

Likely questions

1. Where would you like to live in the future and why?

2. What kind of entertainment is there in a village?
3. What amenities are there in a city that make life easier?
4. Is there much pollution in the country?
5. What disadvantages are there to living in a city? And in a village?
6. How has life in villages changed in the last 20 years?
7. What job opportunities are there in a village and in a city?
Pgina 14 de 27

8. Is there much crime in cities and in villages?

9. What does a student have to do if he lives in a village and wants to
go to school?
10.

Is there a school bus service in the villages?

11.

Where would you recommend living?

12.

What are the main differences to living in a city or a village?

99.
100.
101. National customs
102.

Vocabulary

103.

RELIGIOUS

112.

104.

Weddings

105.

Christenings

113.
The Virgin
of Guadalupe

106.
First Holy
Communion
107.
Christmas
Day
108.
The Three
Kings Day
109.
Easter
Sunday
110.
All Saints
Day
111.
All souls
Day

134.
Pgina 15 de 27

LOCAL

114.
Saint
Jugdes Thadee
115.
Village
Ftes
116.
Summer
festival
117.
9-pin
Bowling
118.
music
festivals

121.

NATIONAL

122.

Father's Day

123.

Mother's Day

124.
Christmas
EVE
125.
Independenc
e Day
126.
day

Revolution

127.
Battle of
Puebla
128.

labor day

119.
New
Years Eve

129.

Carnival

130.

Halloween

120.
day

131.

bull fighting

132.

bull running

Mothers

Words that go with the customs above

135.
orch
estra

136.
w
ater

140.
ade

141.
m
arket

par

145.

pins

150.

ball

155.
cost
umes

146.
t
ourna
ments
151.
f
olk
music
156.
fi
rework
s

gifts

161.
s
pring

165.
hou
se to
house

166.
fl
oats

170.
mir
acle

171.
c
lowns

175.
fishi
ng boats

176.
p
arties

180.
dec
orations

181.
w
itches

185.
holi
days

186.
s
eafood

160.

137.
b
ulls
142.
p
rocess
ions

138.
mass

139.
es

sardin

143.
eggs

144.

hearts

147.
p
icnics

148.
sing
song
s

149.

bless

152.
t
urkey

153.
stalls

154.
outdo
or dancing

158.
cross

159.

163.
bonfire

164.
harleq
uins

168.
beach

169.
t

nouga

173.
ghosts

174.
s

camel

178.
candles

179.

statue

183.
dances

184.

tree

188.
traffic
jams

189.

cake

157.
V
irgin
Mary
162.
p
resent
s
167.
ray

172.
t
rick or
treat
177.
t
insel
182.
s
peciali
ties
187.
f
lowers

190.
191.

Questions

1. Which custom is your favourite and why?

2. What do you do at Christmas?
3. What customs are there in summer?
4. Do you ever give presents?
Pgina 16 de 27

statue

5. What was your favourite, which you received at Christmas?

6. Do you believe in ghosts ?
7. Have you ever dressed up?
8. What did you do last Easter?
9. Do Mexican people go on holidays at Easter?
10.

What is so special about summer?

11.

How ethical is bull fighting?

12.

Is it simply cruelty to animals or just a tradition?

13.

Have you ever wanted to go bull running?

14.

What dangers are there to this activity?

15.

Do you know anybody who has taken part in bull running?

16.
Why do people take part in dangerous activities like bull
running?
17.
Are there any traditions that have been imported from other
countries?
192.
You can use the following sentences to answer the
questions above.
193.
A popular custom in MEXICO at Christmas is giving presents,
not on Christmas Day but on the 6th of January. Last year I
got..........
194.
My family and I got together for Christmas Eve. We had
special food for dinner, for instance.....
195.

In summer we usually celebrate........

196.
Halloween wasn't popular 15 years ago, but now a lot of
children dress up and go from house to house like in the USA.
197.

They ask for sweets.

Pgina 17 de 27

198. Education
199.
PRIMA
RY

200.
S
ECON
DARY

204.
ages 611

207.
1
2-16
208.
c
ompu
lsory

205.
compul
sory

209.
k
nown
as
CSE

206.

201.

SKI
LLED
TRAININ
G

210.
16
onwards

202.
HIGH
SCHOOL

213.

211.
cou
rses
divided
into
modules
or units
for
training
in trades
212.
not
compulso
ry,
although
advisable

16-18

214.
speciali
sation in
certain areas
with
compulsory
subjects like
English
215.
Baccal
aureate
certificate to
go to
university

203.
UNIVER
SITY
217.
18
onwa
rds
218.
degree
219.
not
comp
ulsor
y

216.
not
compulsory

221.

Vocabulary

223.

There may be more than one answer. Give your reasons .

224.

228.

225.

1.

232.
236.

2.

Pgina 18 de 27

226.

227.

229.
singl
e sex

230.
ed

mix

231.
coe
ducational

233.

234.

237.

com

238.

235.
volu

239.

opti

pulsory

ntary

onal

240.

3.

241.
inde
pendent
school

242.
priv
ate school

243.
stat
e school

244.

4.

245.
ery

246.
ary

prim

247.
seco
ndary

248.

5.

249.
furt
her
education

250.
com
prehensive
school

251.
nonselective
school

252.

6.

253.
stre
aming

254.
mix
ed ability
grouping

255.
abili
ty
grouping

256.

7.

257.
cont
inuous
assessmen
t

258.
final
examinati
ons

259.
intel
ligence
testing

nurs

260.

261.

TOPIC

262.
In Spain, school is compulsory between the ages of
five and sixteen, before that children can go to a nursery
but because all are privately run families have to pay a
monthly fee. When children are in the nursery, they are not
taught much, academically speaking, although social
interaction is considered a lesson in itself.
263.
Primary education continues until the age of eleven.
At the early stages of Primary Schooling children learn to
read, write and do simple Maths. At the later stages
English, History and Science together with Art and Music
become part of the school syllabus.

Pgina 19 de 27

264.
Pupils who wish to enter university usually finish their
compulsory secondary education, also known as CSE and
baccalaureate course when they are eighteen.
265.
There are other kinds of further education for those
who want to learn a trade such as catering or specialize in,
say, mechanics, at an early stage. Actually, they can
choose a training course at the age of 16.
266.
In recent years, the proportion of young people
entering university has risen dramatically. The variety of
degree courses on offer has also widened. It is now
common for students who enter fields such as nursing to
be based at university, in fact one of the best universities
for nursing in Spain is right here in Santander.
267.
In the past, there used to be only fee-paying schools,
and only rich families could afford to send their children
there. At that time money was a key factor in success at
any degree the student wanted to do. The poor were
relegated to menial jobs with few prospects.
268.
But today, things are very different. Firstly, there are
two kinds of independent schools, some are fee-paying and
others are funded with state grants and very small fees
from parents, both belong to the private sector. It is said
these schools are selective although there is no actual
proof, as long as the parents pay the fees the students are
accepted.
269.
The rest of the schools, which fall between primary
and secondary education, are part of the state system.
Most state secondary schools are non-selective. Unlike in
some countries where children are tested at the age of
eleven and the bright ones are creamed off, Spain does not
test them at any age and depend solely on the school
board, the teachers and tutors for "streaming" their
students within the school.
270.
Many parents and politicians argue that private
schools should be abolished to allow equality of
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opportunity for all children. Others insist that a fast track is

needed for gifted pupils and that diversity means more
freedom of choice.
271.
I believe freedom of choice is more important that's
why if I had a child I would like this freedom to be
respected. Don't you agree?
272.
273.

(3 MINUTES)

274.

QUESTIONS

1. What kind of education would you choose for children in

Mxico?
2. What have you got against single sex schools?
3. Don't you think they distract one another when they
become teenagers?
4. How about boarding schools? Don't they teach children
how to live together?
5. Would you prefer your child to be educated privately or by
the state?
6. Would you consider sending your child to a grammar
school?
7. What's wrong with mixed ability teaching?
8. How is bullying or peer pressure dealt with in your school?
9. Have you ever suffered from bullying? Or have you ever
bullied somebody?
10.

What is the discipline like in your school?

11.
What does a teacher do when a student is noisy or
disruptive in the classroom?
Pgina 21 de 27

12.
Do you consider that a subject should be abolished
from the school syllabus? Which and why?
13.

What do you think of home-schooling?

14.
Are there boarding schools in Mexico? What are the
differences?
15.

What do the authorities do with truancy?

275.
276.
277.

Early memories

Vocabulary

278.
USED TO+ INF
279.
DIDN'T USE TO +
INF
280.
DID YOU USE TO +
INF ?
281.
USO DE "WOULD"
SIGNIFICANDO SOLIA
282.
REMEMBER + ING

283.
BE USED
TO + ING

284.
GET
USED TO +
ING

285.
SOLIA
286.
O EL IMPERFECTO
PARA HABLAR DE ALGO
QUE HOY DIA YA NO SE
HACE

287.
ESTAR
ACOSTUMBRA
DO A HACER
ALGO

288.
ACOST
UMBRARSE A
ALGO

289.
290.
Questions that should help you to develop the topic.
291.
292.
How did you used to feel when you started going to
school?
293.
Did you ever feel frustrated when your parents told
you off for something that you did?
294.
Have you ever seen a film that made you feel afraid?
295.
How did you use to feel as a child after seen a scary
movie?
296.
What things did you use to do five years ago?
297.
Can you tell me an anecdote about your childhood?
298.
Do you have an anecdote?
299.
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300. POLLUTION
301.

303.

Useful Vocabulary

1. green

1. biodegradable

2. efficient

2. an oil rig

3. to conserve

3. a power station

4. environmentally friendly

4. renewable

5. to protect

5. a recycling plant

6. to save

6. to campaign

7. to deplete

7. traffic jams

8. to ration

8. motorway tolls

9. ozone layer

9. radioactive waste

10. to share

10.

park and ride schemes

11. green house effect

11.

nuclear energy

12. floods

12.

oil pollution

13. icebergs melt

13.

global warming

14. polar caps

14.

to condemn

15. sustainable

15.

to oppose

16. solar enery

16.

aeolic

304.

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305.
306.

Topic developed

307.
The greenhouse effect is a global environmental
problem as it affects all individuals in all the countries
all over the world. This implies that international
cooperation among countries will be needed to reach
an efficient solution to this problem.
308.
The greenhouse effect is the rise in temperature
that the Earth experiences because certain gases in
the atmosphere (water vapour, carbon dioxide, nitrous
oxide, and methane, for example) trap energy from
the sun. Without these gases, heat would escape back
into space and Earths average temperature would be
about 60F colder. Because of how they warm our
world, these gases are referred to as greenhouse
gases.
309.
The greenhouse effect is important. Without the
greenhouse effect, the Earth would not be warm
enough for humans to live. But if the greenhouse
effect becomes stronger, it could make the Earth
warmer than usual. Even a little extra warming may
cause problems for humans, plants, and animals.
310.
Global warming may be a big problem, but there
are many little things we can do to make a difference.
If we try, most of us can do our part to reduce the
amount of greenhouse gases that we put into the
atmosphere. Many greenhouse gases come from
things we do every day.
311.
As we have learned, these greenhouse gases trap
energy in the atmosphere and make the Earth warmer.
Driving a car or using electricity is not wrong. We just
have to be smart about it. Some people use less
energy by carpooling. For example, four people can
ride together in one car instead of driving four cars to
work.
312.

Here are some additional ways you can help

Pgina 24 de 27

make the planet a better place!

313. Save Electricity: Whenever we use electricity,
we help put greenhouse gases into the air. By turning
off lights, the television, and the computer when you
are through with them, you can help a lot.
Bike, Bus, and Walk:You can save energy by
sometimes taking the bus, riding a bike, or walking

314.

315. Plant Trees: Planting trees is fun and a great

way to reduce greenhouse gases. Trees absorb carbon
dioxide, a greenhouse gas, from the air.
316. Recycle: Recycle cans, bottles, plastic bags, and
newspapers.
317. Buy Cool Stuff: reduce the amount of
greenhouse gases that we put into the air is to buy
products that don't use as much energy.
318.

Solar Energy

319.

Cars

320. What Might Happen?

Human Health
Ecological Systems
Sea Level Rise

Crops and Food Supply

321.

322. Pollution causes 14,000 deaths a

year in Mexico
323.

http://themexpatriate.com/2013/05/05/pollution-causes-14000-deaths-ayear-in-mexico/

The Clean Air Institute just published an alarming report

on air quality in Latin America; Mexico came in second to

324.

Pgina 25 de 27

Brazil as the country with the most deaths every year caused
by pollution. Mexico City has long been plagued by smog but
according to the report, Monterrey is the city with the highest
levels of Particle Pollution (PM10) in all of Latin America. The
concentration of PM10 per cubic meter is 85.9 micrograms in
Monterrey; the European Union limits member countries to
maintaining levels of under 40 micrograms per cubic meter.
Guadalajaras pollution is also toxic (70.1 mcg/m3) and
Mexico Citys looks almost clean by comparison (57.0
mcg/m3).
325.
The report also analyzes ozone levels. Ozone is a gas
made up of oxygen atoms and its highly reactive. We need it
in the atmosphere to protect us from UV rays, but its
dangerous when it comes into more direct contact with living
tissue. According to Air Info Now: The properties that make
ozone a powerful cleaner, disinfectant, and bleaching agent
also make ozone dangerous to living tissues. When it comes
in contact with living tissues, like our lungs, ozone attacks
and damages cells lining the airways, this causes swelling
and inflammation. Some have compared ozones effect to
sunburninside your lungs. Guadalajara has the highest
ozone levels in Latin America, followed by Len and then
Monterrey and DF. Their only close competitors are
Cochabamba, Bolivia and Quito, Ecuador.
326.
Pollution has been linked to a wide array of serious
health problems, including cardiovascular and respiratory
disease, cancer, premature birth and low birth weight, lung
disease and early death syndrome.
327.
The Clean Air Institute (CAI) and several other NGOs
concluded that Mexico needs a federal air quality
improvement policy as soon as possible. The director of CAI,
Sergio Sanchez, noted that Mexico has no standardized
techniques for collecting data or monitoring air quality. The
director of atmospheric science at UNAM, Mara Amparo
Martnez, said one of the problems we have is lack of
institutional capacity for monitoring all the different cities in
the country.
Pgina 26 de 27

328.
An article in Proceso published on April 5 titled In
Mexico, even the air kills us, starts by observing that most
of the population (60%) ignores the quality of the air they are
breathing, since the government fails to provide accurate
information. In fact, Mexicos official safe levels of ozone,
PM10 and PM2.5 are all significantly higher than the levels
recommended by international environmental and health
organizations, which allows the government to cheat by
declaring that the pollution isnt at dangerous levels (just
dont ask for a definition of dangerous.) Politicians have
made a few lame attempts to reduce car dependence and
promote a green image; the mayor of Saltillo started a
bicycle sharing program in March, but the bicycles dont
work. The ex-governor of Jalisco cut the ribbon on two new
sections of a major highway on a bicycle the highway has
no bicycle lane.
329.
Mexico City has made some progress in the past twenty
years and as indicated by the CAI report, its pollution is
actually less noxious and dense than in other smaller Mexican
cities. It has taken time and effort the construction of
Metrobus, adding cycling lanes, cutting the number of
vehicles on the road by improved enforcement of hoy no
circula. But it still has a long slog ahead.
330.
Pollution is indeed the stuff of politicians nightmares: it
kills constituents, but unlike smoking or fatty foods or alcohol,
its not their problem to fix. Sure, you can tell people to risk
their lives weaving in and out of traffic on bicycles or maybe
suggest they dont inhale when they step outside, but the
reality is that any major air clean-up is going to fall on the
shoulders ofwhat? The government? Regulations have to be
enforced, public transportation invested in, air quality tested,
dirty fuel use curtailedthe list goes on and the politicians
yawn, roll over and dream of the next highway construction
project bearing their name.
331.
332.
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