TASKS
- 1. Which of these features are Fuel Savers or Gas Guzzlers?
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Eco-Driver
Large engine
Overdrive
Trip computer
Power seats
Air conditioning
Tinted glasses
Sunroof
Heated seats
Manual transmission
Tachometer
4-wheel drive
Power locks
Cruise control
(Answers: 2, 3,6,9,10,13 are Fuel Savers.)
- 2. Order the words in this text:
Your the and Planet Help Wallet
fuel just can year by save a you hundreds of dollars, a and reduce Reducing your tanks personal consumption emissions ten by almost tone.
because kilograms litre gasoline carbon every burned in a car's atmosphere releases 2.3 That's of of dioxide into the that's earth's engine.
is change dioxide greenhouse primary Carbon the climate contributing gas to.
Note: This exercise will be made easier if you cut word strips, rather than have them printed on a handout. The three sentences can be in three different colours or in different fonts. You can also give each member of a group of three one sentence.
3. Look at the estimated annual fuel costs for different cars.
Compare the costs (Exercise in reading numbers.)
Which one would you buy? Why? (Discussion, giving opinion.)
| |||
Best in class | 10th best | Median | |
Hybrid | $1,025 | $1,925 | $1,825 |
Compact | $1,575 | $1,850 | $2,268 |
Mid-size | $1,700 | $1,925 | $2,754 |
Full-size | $2,000 | $2,400 | $3,105 |
Van/Minivan | $2,100 | $2,775 | $3,575 |
Based on 20,000 km, $1.25/litre, $1.35 premium | |||
Note: each year, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) produces a free booklet that compiles fuel efficiency ratings for all new cars. Online fuel consumption ratings can be found at: www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation
- 4. Insert an article: a, an, the or zero:
Welcome to the Idle-Free Zone
For Individuals
As __ individual, you can be instrumental in reducing __environmental impacts. If every driver of __ light duty vehicle avoided ___ idling by three minutes __ day, collectively over ___ year, we would save 630 million litres of ___fuel, over 1.4 million tonnes of GHG emissions, and $630 million annually in___ fuel costs (assuming fuel costs are $1.00/L).
(Answers: an,0, a, 0, a, the, 0, 0)
GROUNDHOG DAY
This mp3 was shared with me by John Warren of Alter Eco, who is a poet, visual artist, musician, environmentalist and a very fine person.If the URL below doesn't open, please copy and paste it in your browser and click enter.
https://alter-eco.sslpowered.com/ThisOldGuitar/audio/Groundhog%20Day%20Slaughter.mp3
SCRIPT
Groundhog Day
So you wanted to know all about G Hog Day, eh? Well it's not as lucrative as to drive the economy like Xmas, Valentines Day, Halloween, but it ranks somewhere way down with Lunar New Year. hahaa Here's some info:
*NB For those who are not familiar with this old folk lore, every year on Feb. 2nd, the groundhog is observed coming out of his hole at high noon to see if it can see it's shadow, or not, to determine if it will be a long or short winter. If it sees it's shadow it means that there will be at least 8 more weeks of winter! If not, then spring will come within 6 weeks! That's what they say. Quite frankly these days, I put my money on the appearance of the geese returning to the north! I mean what if the groundhog didn't come out on the 2nd, like it didn't want to, overslept, died! And even more relevant, how does it account for global warming? Well one way or another, it has become a crucial factor in the local tourist economy bring badly needed jobs to the now poor rural areas at this time of year, and as usual, there's nothing more satisfying than milking those city slickers again! At one time it was considered an accurate factor in making farming decisions, and in fact the theory was pretty damn accurate. But nowadays it is a big media event, surpassing the Annual Polar Bear Swim! If only they could ensure that the groundhog would co-operate. Simple, read the following:
Wiarton Willy - Wiarton, Ontario, Canada
Punxtatawney Phil - Pennsylvania, USA
The boomers in their beemers come from miles around.
The pilgrimage to this site, their fortune to be found.
With cells in ears, these laptop jokers
Keep in touch with their stockbrokers,
In L.L. Beans and hats from Tilly's.
The locals think they look damn silly,
To seek the wisdom of Wiarton Willy.
Big black mercs are filled with jerks, further south in Pennsylvania.
They filed a claim they were first with this similar critter mania.
They've complained most bitterly to the WTO.
Unfair is the weather where it's 40 below.
It gives the advantage of advanced knowledge
And tilts the profits away from their college!
To Punxtatawney Phil this is cultural pillage!
Quietly, below the ground,
Peacefully sleeping, safe and sound,
Phil and Willy dream away
Completely oblivious of the day.
And all the folks and paparazzi gather
And off the truck comes the ground tamper!
But known to none that fateful day,
Some bears nearby had chosen to lay
And spend their winter in solitude,
And not expecting an awakening rude!
Most certainly not to such a crowd
So arrogant and selfish and insultingly loud!
"Pop the cork!" The town Mayor did say.
"Christen the tamper with cheap beaujolais!"
"A swig all round!" said a wino there.
No one heard him and none who would care.
The church clock rang noon
"Pull the cord you buffoon!"
With a sputter and a thump that made the thing jump
It nearly got away til it ran into a stump,
They dragged it back again
Over the top of it's den
But it killed the poor hog
That had slept like a log!
They thumped and they thumped wondering what was the matter.
By now they were drunk and mad as a hatter!
To their shock and surprise
Standing before their eyes
A mother of a beast
To make them a feast!
It ranted and roared like a true nature's pet.
And lumbered and swiped at as many as it could get.
The scene it was gruesome
There was none who could lose him,
Except for the winehead
Whom it thought he was dead!
All was still as the bear went back to bed,
The tamper tamped off and the groundhog was dead.
But faintly the sound of cell phones and pooters
Like an orchestra gone mad without a conductor.
Their brokers were freaking and all in a panic
The market was stalled and the WTO was frantic!
When the poor sod came to, he didn't know what to do!
The place was a mess like feeding time at the zoo!
"I must be delerious,
This plonk is injurious,
I think I've had enough."
And swore off the stuff!
He tried a cell phone to call up his business,
And then call the Missus and beg her forgiveness,
But the batteries had died
And the stock market fried
And the sod lost his job
He fell in with the mob!
So there you have it, The Groundhog Day Slaughter!
And legislation was passed to change it to otters,
Or maybe to beavers, or possibly eagles,
Or maybe to rabitts, or maybe to beagles,
Now it's tied up in squabbles at the UN, I think,
But no longer groudhogs because they're extinct!
https://alter-eco.sslpowered.com/ThisOldGuitar/audio/Groundhog%20Day%20Slaughter.mp3
SCRIPT
Groundhog Day
So you wanted to know all about G Hog Day, eh? Well it's not as lucrative as to drive the economy like Xmas, Valentines Day, Halloween, but it ranks somewhere way down with Lunar New Year. hahaa Here's some info:
*NB For those who are not familiar with this old folk lore, every year on Feb. 2nd, the groundhog is observed coming out of his hole at high noon to see if it can see it's shadow, or not, to determine if it will be a long or short winter. If it sees it's shadow it means that there will be at least 8 more weeks of winter! If not, then spring will come within 6 weeks! That's what they say. Quite frankly these days, I put my money on the appearance of the geese returning to the north! I mean what if the groundhog didn't come out on the 2nd, like it didn't want to, overslept, died! And even more relevant, how does it account for global warming? Well one way or another, it has become a crucial factor in the local tourist economy bring badly needed jobs to the now poor rural areas at this time of year, and as usual, there's nothing more satisfying than milking those city slickers again! At one time it was considered an accurate factor in making farming decisions, and in fact the theory was pretty damn accurate. But nowadays it is a big media event, surpassing the Annual Polar Bear Swim! If only they could ensure that the groundhog would co-operate. Simple, read the following:
Wiarton Willy - Wiarton, Ontario, Canada
Punxtatawney Phil - Pennsylvania, USA
The boomers in their beemers come from miles around.
The pilgrimage to this site, their fortune to be found.
With cells in ears, these laptop jokers
Keep in touch with their stockbrokers,
In L.L. Beans and hats from Tilly's.
The locals think they look damn silly,
To seek the wisdom of Wiarton Willy.
Big black mercs are filled with jerks, further south in Pennsylvania.
They filed a claim they were first with this similar critter mania.
They've complained most bitterly to the WTO.
Unfair is the weather where it's 40 below.
It gives the advantage of advanced knowledge
And tilts the profits away from their college!
To Punxtatawney Phil this is cultural pillage!
Quietly, below the ground,
Peacefully sleeping, safe and sound,
Phil and Willy dream away
Completely oblivious of the day.
And all the folks and paparazzi gather
And off the truck comes the ground tamper!
But known to none that fateful day,
Some bears nearby had chosen to lay
And spend their winter in solitude,
And not expecting an awakening rude!
Most certainly not to such a crowd
So arrogant and selfish and insultingly loud!
"Pop the cork!" The town Mayor did say.
"Christen the tamper with cheap beaujolais!"
"A swig all round!" said a wino there.
No one heard him and none who would care.
The church clock rang noon
"Pull the cord you buffoon!"
With a sputter and a thump that made the thing jump
It nearly got away til it ran into a stump,
They dragged it back again
Over the top of it's den
But it killed the poor hog
That had slept like a log!
They thumped and they thumped wondering what was the matter.
By now they were drunk and mad as a hatter!
To their shock and surprise
Standing before their eyes
A mother of a beast
To make them a feast!
It ranted and roared like a true nature's pet.
And lumbered and swiped at as many as it could get.
The scene it was gruesome
There was none who could lose him,
Except for the winehead
Whom it thought he was dead!
All was still as the bear went back to bed,
The tamper tamped off and the groundhog was dead.
But faintly the sound of cell phones and pooters
Like an orchestra gone mad without a conductor.
Their brokers were freaking and all in a panic
The market was stalled and the WTO was frantic!
When the poor sod came to, he didn't know what to do!
The place was a mess like feeding time at the zoo!
"I must be delerious,
This plonk is injurious,
I think I've had enough."
And swore off the stuff!
He tried a cell phone to call up his business,
And then call the Missus and beg her forgiveness,
But the batteries had died
And the stock market fried
And the sod lost his job
He fell in with the mob!
So there you have it, The Groundhog Day Slaughter!
And legislation was passed to change it to otters,
Or maybe to beavers, or possibly eagles,
Or maybe to rabitts, or maybe to beagles,
Now it's tied up in squabbles at the UN, I think,
But no longer groudhogs because they're extinct!
Conserving Nature for Future Generations
John Riley, NCC's chief science officer
When John Riley was a child,
there was a slogan: "Leave no child inside". He spent a lot of time exploring local wild places. It was popular among friends to know stuff about animals and trees. In his high school years, he hitchhiked to British Columbia and back twice, just for sport. Together with his siblings he took care of a big family garden that supplied food for the family.
Now John is the chief science officer at Nature Conservancy Canada. He takes care of spaces and species for future generations.
He says that Canada is multicultural and it is also multi-ecological. The best part of his job is that he can enjoy this diversity across Canada.
"It is urgent to get the job done, before it is too late – to be able to give such an assurance of successful conservation to our supporters and to the youth who are looking over our shoulders", says John.
"Let's make this a year that counts! For nature, for now, for ever."
TASKS
1. Explain the meaning of the following words:
A
slogan
wild
popular
stuff
hitchhike
siblings
youth
B
species
multicultural
multi-ecological
diversity
urgent
assurance
conservation
looking over one's shoulder
2. Comprehension questions:
- Who is John Riley?
- What is NCC?
- Why is Canada multi-ecological?
- Why are youth looking over their shoulders?
3. Discussion questions
- Which wild places in Canada do you know?
- Check the NCC website and find what places and species they have put on their list.
- Why is nature conservancy important for future generations?
- How would you rank the importance of: individuals, conservancy groups and organizations and government in the role of nature conservation? Explain your point.
4. GRAMMAR
Use the past form of the verbs in brackets:
Beryl Ivey ______ (be) a passionate advocate for conservation, especially in her native South-western Ontario.
She deeply _______ (love) nature. She _______ (create) conservation areas along the Niagara Escarpment.
She _______ ( live) much of her life in London, Ontario. Her mother _________ (grow up) in England's Lake District and _______ (tell) Beryl stories about it. Mrs. Ivey _________ (pass) this passion down to her own four children.
Their work with the Ivey Foundation supports many causes, including the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Mrs. Ivey ____________ (pass away) on Christmas Day 2007. In her will, she _______ (make) a $1-million
bequest to NCC.
- Order the words in this message:
environment all role to in a our
we have preserving play
- Supply these synonyms for the words underlined in the text:
cottage, generosity, researchers, endangered, shore, deciduous, properties, habitat, flora, honour, expeditions, Woods, fauna
Conserving nature for a lifetime and beyond ,
The Bickford Oak Forest (1) is one of the NCC pieces of land (2) that's benefited from Mrs. Ivey's passion and unselfishness (3) and is named in her family's respect (4): the Ivey Research Station at Middle Point Woods on the eastern coast (5) of Pelee Island. This mature, 69-acre (28- hectare) leaf shedding (6) forest growing on sand dunes provides essential home (7) for both rare plants (8)- including the nationally threatened Common Hoptree and Wild Hyacinth – and animals (9) - such as the endangered Smallmouth Salamander. It's also the location of a recently renovated country house,(10)
that can accommodate up to eight researchers on multi-day research and restoration trips (11).
Thanks to the financial contributions of Beryl and Richard Ivey, it will be home base for scientists (12)
to study and protect the ecologically diverse and threatened (13) area for many, many years to come.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Farmer Schmidt
Farmer Michael Schmidt, a 54-year-old dairy farmer, thinks milk is healthier before it is pasteurized. But Canadian health officials do not think so. They think it is not safe. They say it is illegal to sell milk or cream that has not been pasteurized or sterilized.
However, it is legal to drink unpasteurized milk. So farmer Schmidt and 150 other people started the cow-share co-op. Together, they owned 30 cows at Mr. Schmidt's southern Ontario Glencolton Farms. They drank raw milk from their cows. They thought they had right to choose what to put in their body.
One day police raided the farm and Michael Schmidt was brought to court. After three years he was acquitted of 19 charges. Justice of the Peace said in this case Mr. Schmidt did not break the law because he was not selling to the public at large.
What do you think about:
• Michael Schmidt
• Cow-share co-op
• Drinking unpasteurized milk
• Laws regarding consumption of food
Questions for discussion:
1. What kind of food processing do you know?
2. Which food do we preserve to keep it long?
3. What is the most usual way of preserving meet/fish/vegetables /fruit in your country?
4. How do people in your country look after seeds/ reproduction of crops or animals / animal breeds?
5. Which animal or plant species do you know that are at risk of extinction ? What do people do to save those species?
However, it is legal to drink unpasteurized milk. So farmer Schmidt and 150 other people started the cow-share co-op. Together, they owned 30 cows at Mr. Schmidt's southern Ontario Glencolton Farms. They drank raw milk from their cows. They thought they had right to choose what to put in their body.
One day police raided the farm and Michael Schmidt was brought to court. After three years he was acquitted of 19 charges. Justice of the Peace said in this case Mr. Schmidt did not break the law because he was not selling to the public at large.
What do you think about:
• Michael Schmidt
• Cow-share co-op
• Drinking unpasteurized milk
• Laws regarding consumption of food
Questions for discussion:
1. What kind of food processing do you know?
2. Which food do we preserve to keep it long?
3. What is the most usual way of preserving meet/fish/vegetables /fruit in your country?
4. How do people in your country look after seeds/ reproduction of crops or animals / animal breeds?
5. Which animal or plant species do you know that are at risk of extinction ? What do people do to save those species?
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