1)The environment is a set of conditions that surround us at a given moment in time and space.
2)Deforestation, dumping of industrial residues into ponds, Global warming and etc/
3)The number of vehicles is constantly growing.
Emissions of hydrocarbon combustion products harmful to humans into the atmosphere are increasing. the number of factories,factories that are an important source of harmful fumes and a source of atmospheric pollution are increasing.
4)The climate is changing.The ecological situation in the world is getting worse every day.If we do not act, then by 2035 we will expect an increase in precipitation in some areas and droughts in other places. Habitat change and extinction of many species of flora and fauna. The growth of poverty and hunger, the strengthening of economic inequality between nations. Mass migration
Warm-up Task:
List as many types of pollution or environmental damage as you can.
Discussion Questions:
- How is the environment around you? Is it clean?
- Describe the most natural environment for a human being. Does your description match the environment you live in?
- What kind of pollution personally bothers you most?
- What kind of pollution is worst for our health?
- What do you do with a piece of trash when there is no trash can near you?
- Should people who litter be fined? How much money should they have to pay?
- Do you recycle? If so, what kinds of things do you recycle?
- What do you do to conserve energy? For example, do you turn the lights off when you leave the room?
- Do you try to buy environmentally friendly products? If so, give some examples.
- How do you feel when you hear about global warming? Is there hope for the future?
- Do you believe human activities contribute to climate change? If so, what should we do about it? If not, what do you think causes climate change?
- Which type of energy is the most environmentally friendly? Do you use this type of energy? Why or why not?
- What is more important to you? Social issues or environmental problems?
- Have you ever donated your time or money to an environmental organization? Which organization did you help? What is their focus?
- How important is nature to you? Do you try to get close to nature?
- Where can a person go to breathe really fresh air?
- Which countries produce the most pollution?
- Which country has the most environmentally friendly reputation?
CONTENTS
Sample answers
Sample questions and answers from speaking part 1, 2 and 3
Key vocabulary
Words and terms frequently used when talking about environment
Word formation
Learn how to use wide variety of parts of speech, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives
Collocations
Find out groups of words that usually used together by native speakers
Useful resources
References to teaching and authentic materials related to this topic: IELTS blogs, podcasts, videos and articles
Downloads
Download this article in PDF. Download ANKI flashcards and take advantage of spaced repetition method
Environment: Sample questions and answers for IELTS speaking exam
Part 1
- Which country are you from?
– I am from the Philippines, an archipelagic country that is comprised by many islands. The country has 7,107 islands and that is why people who live there have a diverse set of culture and languages.
- Where is this country located?
– The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia situated in the Western Pacific Ocean.
- Which part of the country do most people live in?
-I The bulk of the country’s population is in Metro Manila, a region which houses the primary business centers and the seat of government.
- What are the main industries in your country?
-The Philippines is traditionally an agricultural country, but the economy has been transitioning into industries that emphasizes on services and manufacturing.
5. What kind of weather do you dislike?
-I do not like the extreme heat of summer, but do you know what I disliked more? A humid weather; at least in the summer you could sweat off the heat, but in a humid environment, the effectiveness of sweating in cooling the body is reduced by reducing the rate of evaporation of moisture from the skin.
6. Would you prefer to live in a hot or cold country?
-I was born in a tropical country, my body had adapted to it. Well, at least in a hot country, I could enjoy eating ice cream.
7. What is the best/worst weather for traveling in?
-In my opinion, the best weather to travel is in a slight rainy season. Why? Because it is the off season, less traffic jam, lower prices for tickets and food and you don’t have to compete with other tourists in terms of time by falling in line on order to enjoy a tourist site.
The worst weather to travel in is of course the typhoon season. Because it is safe to stay indoors and to avoid flooded areas, establishments are closed and flights get cancelled.
Part 2
Describe an environmental problem that has occurred in your country. You should say:
- The cause of the problem
- What effect it has had on your country
- The steps, if any, that have been taken to solve this
- Explain why you think this problem is so important to solve.
If there is an environmental problem that I would like to talk about, it would be the excessive pollution of waterways, rivers and canals. It was caused by the irresponsible disposal of wastes by the factories, industries and the people who live near the bodies of water.
The pollution of the rivers was the effect of prolonged abuse and neglect. The rivers were considered biologically dead, which means no fish left to catch and less food to eat. Boats could not travel because of the density of the debris of floating plastic wastes; the rivers emit a foul stench and the waters are toxic which house a number of bacteria that could cause different diseases.
In the 90’s, the government started to create a rehabilitation program for the rivers and waterways, unfortunately they failed to displace the main polluters-the illegal settlers near the river, simply because they have their “human rights”.
The problem is important to solve simply because water is life. It is the circulatory system of the world, water enabled life forms to survive and we need other life forms in order to survive.
Part 3
- Do you think it is the responsibility of governments alone to protect the environment?
Of course not! I think it is everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment. Sure, the government has the power to enact laws and craft policies but how good is the law if nobody respects it.
We simply could not go on with our lives throwing our wastes irresponsibly and expect the government to just clean it up. There is nothing left to clean up in the first place if only we dispose things properly, it wastes both time and resources.
- What measures can individuals take to protect the environment?
There are a lot of ways on how individuals can do to protect the environment some of them are:
- Turn off appliances when you are not using them.
- Recycle and segregate your biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste or better yet avoid creating trash by avoiding disposable products.
- Minimize your water and electricity consumption.
- Use a fuel-efficient car or if you are traveling in short distances, take a walk or ride a bicycle.
These are just small things we can do to change our lifestyles, imagine millions of other people doing the same thing. It can gradually make a difference.
- Do you think large companies and business organizations should be more environmentally friendly? Why? How?
Development is good; sometimes it is a necessity to survive in today’s world. Businesses need profit, but they should not do so at the expense of the environment. Sustainable development is the key, the needs of the present has to be met without compromising the ability of future generations to sustain life in this planet.
Key vocabulary: Definitions and examples
to recycle
to use objects or matrerials again after processing by converting waste into reusable material
It is possible to recycle cardboard into lower grade materials, such as paper
to contaminate
to make something poisonous as a result of adding waste or chemical
The incentives strongly encourage oil companies to not contaminate the water supply
to endanger
put (someone or something) at risk or in danger
It is a criminal offence to endanger the lives of the public by allowing the introduction of a contaminate into the mains supply.
air pollution
bad air quality that usually caused be harmful gases
According to a recent study, air pollution in Russia causes the death of approximately 4000 citizens per day or 1.6 million people per year.
soil pollution
the presence of toxic chemicals or man made waste in soil
Plastics do contribute to soil pollution.
water pollution
the presence of harmful materials in water, such as dissolved metals, waste from farms
Water pollution causes marine life to die.
to protect
keep safe from harm or injury
For more than 15 years, the nonprofit volunteer-run center has worked to educate the community to protect wildlife and their habitats.
conservation
The protection of a natural resource, usually by planned management, to prevent its depletion or destruction
I’ve decided to dedicate the rest of my life to environmental conservation.
toxic waste
waste products that are hazardous to the environment, people, animals
All of the military activity has left it a toxic waste hazard
greenhouse gas
a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect by trapping heat above the Earth
Here is a list of habits each one of us can form to help reduce greenhouse gas missions.
environmentalist
a person whose lifestyle, political etc choices are designed to minimise human impact on the natural environment
Environmentalists often encourage us to buy our foods from local sources. They say it is good for the environment
Word Formation
WORD
PART OF SPEECH
EXAMPLE
depletion
noun
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
to deplete
verb
The clearance of trees and vegetation depletes the soil , resulting in decreasing agricultural yields .
contamination
noun
There is no danger of long-term contamination.
to contaminate
verb
The incentives strongly encourage oil companies to not contaminate the water supply
contaminated
adjective
He is ill as a result of eating contaminated food
endangered
adjective
There are a few different ways that helping endangered species can be profitable
to endanger
verb
There are a few different ways that helping endangered species can be profitable
to recycle
verb
It is possible to recycle cardboard into lower grade materials, such as paper
recycling
noun
Recycling is not only good for environment but it also creates so many jobs across many levels
recyclable
adjective
Most businesses generate more recyclable waste then residual waste.
emission
noun
Drastic carbon emission reductions would undoubtedly be better for the atmosphere and climate
to emit
verb
The new car emits less than 160g/km CO2
degradation
noun
More and more farmers move to the city as deforestation and agricultural degradation become ever more widespread .
to degrade
verb
Freshwater ecosystems have already been severely degraded.
biodegradable
adjective
Most plastic is not biodegradable.
degradable
adjective
Even the degradable plastics may break into fragments that litter the soil.
pollution
noun
Water pollution causes marine life to die.
pollute
verb
Intensive use of pesticides and fertilisers seriously pollutes water, soil and air0
polluted
adjective
People are becoming more and more aware of the detrimental effects of living in heavily polluted areas
conservation
noun
Energy conservation is important for many reasons
conserve
verb
Our aim is to minimise energy consumption and conserve natural resources.
disposal
noun
The creditors declined the offer, preferring to realize the estate themselves.
to dispose
verb
The best way to dispose of the cell phone battery is to recycle it
disposable
adjective
Disposable razor blades get dull from water corrosion.
hazard
noun
One of the most widespread natural hazards is flooding.
hazardous
adjective
Hazardous waste disposal can be a complicated process.
threat
noun
This could save the world from one of its biggest environmental threats.
to threaten
adjective
Always look for hazards that threaten the environment.
sustainability
noun
Energy conservation is important for many reasons.
sustainable
adjective
Cities offer a far more sustainable lifestyle than suburban or rural areas.
Collocations
ozone layer
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
toxic waste
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
endangered species
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
genetically modified
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
breeding in captivity
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
organic farming
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
fossil fuels
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
solar power
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
natural resources
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
wildlife conservation
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
global warming
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
conservation program
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
to get serious about climate change
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
genetic engineering
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
to get serious about climate change
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
to observe natural behaviour
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
animal rights activists
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
environmentally friendly
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
sustainable energy sources
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
fossil fuels
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
carbon emissions
The combined effects of overpopulation, resource depletion, and environmental degradation will cause great economic losses.
easily
completely
potentially
adverb+
recyclable
air
environmental
marine
water
industrial
nuclear
nitrate
noise
vehicle
soil
adjective+
pollution
cause
avoid
prevent
combat
control
verb+
pollution
bring (in)
earn
generate
make
realize
reap
verb+
profit
fight
tackle
cut
limit
minimize
reduce
monitor
verb+
pollution
level
control
prevention
reduction
standards
pollution+noun
pollution
a risk of pollution
a source of pollution
phrase
pollution
preserve
protect
safeguard
save
damage
harm
pollute
verb+
environment
environment+noun
environment
conservation of the environment
protection of the environment
damage to the environment
harmful to the environment
phrase
environment
pollution of the environment
have an impact on environment
phrase
environment
dangerous
harmful
hazardous
poisonous
toxic
adjective+
waste
non-toxic
recyclable
industrial
domestic
household
nuclear
adjective+
waste
produce
dispose of
dump
get rid of
bury
process
verb+
waste
recycle
reprocess deal with
handle
manage
cut down on
reduce
adjective+
waste
disposal
processing
recycling
reprocessing
treatment
management
minimization
reduction
waste+noun
waste
Useful resources
This topic on IELTS blogs
- IELTS Speaking Part 2: environment problem [ielts-simon.com]
- IELTS SPEAKING part 1, 2 and 3 sample questions [ipassielts.com.com]
- IELTS Environment vocabulary [ieltsspeaking.co.uk]
Podcasts
- Star Talk Radio – Protecting Our Environment, with Gina McCarthy [Soundcloud]
- Yale University – On The Environment [Soundcloud]
- BBS Radio UK – Britain’s Environment: The Debate[BBC Website]
Articles
- Is it too late for us to do anything about global climate change? [quora.com]
- Everyday Things You Aren’t Recycling, But Should Be [HuffingtonPost.com]
Videos
- Johan Rockstrom: Let the environment guide our development [TED TALKS]
- James Hansen: Why I must speak out about climate change [TED TALKS]
Downloads
You can get PDF now at no cost. No email required. Click “DOWNLOAD PDF” button to download PDF file.
Q 1. Define the term environment.
Ans. Environment is sum of total water, air and land, inter-relationship among themselves and also with the human beings, other living organism and property. Environment means our surroundings or encircle around us.
Q.2. what are the major objectives of environmental education?
Ans. Providing awareness, knowledge, a positive attitude about the environment skills and participation toward resolution of environmental problems are the major objectives of environmental education.
Image Source: eastspringsec.moe.edu.sg
Q.3. what is the role of science and engineering in the protection of environment?
Ans. Science and engineering plays a major role in the protection of environment by helping in increasing economic growth and welfare of human society, maintains ecological balance, provides proper knowledge of environment, solves different issues like population measures and food problem and inculcates attitudes and values.
Q.4. List the four conceptual spheres in the earth’s environment.
Ans. Four conceptual spheres in the earth’s environment are
i. Lithosphere
ii. Hydrosphere
iii. Atmosphere
iv. Biosphere
Q.5. Differentiate between Lithosphere and Biosphere.
Ans. The biosphere is composed of all living organisms. Plants, animals, and one-celled organisms while lithosphere contains all of the cold, hard solid land of the planet’s crust (surface), the semisolid land underneath the crust, and the liquid land near the center of the planet.
Q.6. what do you understand by ozone layer?
Ans. Ozone is primarily found in the atmosphere at varying concentrations between the altitudes of 10 to 50 kilometers. This layer of ozone is also called the ozone layer. The ozone layer is important to organisms at the Earth’s surface as it protects them from the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation. Without the ozone layer life could not exist on the Earth’s surface.
Q.7. Ozone is pollutant in troposphere while life server in stratosphere. Justify this statement.
Ans. As ozone is present in troposphere it is a pollutant because in presence of sunlight it breaks into oxygen O2 and nescient oxygen O and react with oxides of nitrogen and hydrocarbon and causes the formation of smog but when that is present in stratosphere it absorbs the ultraviolet radiation of sun and protect the living organisms so known as life saver in stratosphere.
Q.8. Define the term biomes.
Ans. Within the biosphere, living things form ecological communities based on the physical surroundings of an area, these communities are referred to as biomes. Deserts, grasslands, and tropical rainforests are three of the many types of biomes that exist within the biosphere.
Q.9. How an individual can improve the environment?
Ans. An individual can improve the environment by the following ways:
i. By minimising the unnecessarily and exhaustive extraction of the natural resources such as underground water, minerals etc;
ii. By saving the non-renewable energy resources such as burning of fossil fuel;
iii. By increasing the forest cover area; and
iv. By obeying the moral codes meant for achieving a better environment.
Q.10. Define Ecology and Ecosystem.
Ans. The term Ecology was coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1869. It is derived from the Greek words Oikos- home + logos- study. So ecology deals with the study of organism in their natural home interacting with their surroundings. Now ecology is often defined as ‘the study of ecosystem’.
An ecosystem includes a group of biotic communities of species interacting with one another in an area, plus their surroundings, plus all the ways in which they interact with each other and exchanging energy and matter.
Q.11. Differentiate between biome and ecosystem.
Ans. Within the biosphere, living things form ecological communities based on the physical surroundings of an area. These communities are referred to as biomes. A biome is made up of the total of all biological communities interacting with single life zone where the climate is similar.
Deserts, grasslands, and tropical rainforests are three of the many types of biomes that exist within the biosphere whereas an ecosystem includes a group of biotic communities of species interacting with one another in an area, plus their surroundings, plus all the ways in which they interact with each other and exchanging energy and matter.
Q.12. Why are decomposers called ‘micro-consumers’?
Ans. Decomposers like bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi, are heterotrophic organisms feed on organic compounds of dead or living protoplasm of plant and animals for their food and energy. They absorb some of the decomposition products as their food, so as also known as micro- consumers.
Q.13. what role do autotrophs and heterotrophs play in the ecosystem?
Ans. Autotrophs are organisms that can manufacture the organic compounds by converting solar energy into chemical energy with the help of inorganic substances such as water and C02 and organic substances such as enzymes and contribute to build up of organic matter in an ecosystem.
Heterotrophs get their energy and nutrients by feeding directly or indirectly on producers. They cannot make their own food (and need producers). In an ecosystem heterotrophs are called consumers because they depend on others.
Q.14. Distinguish between the following:
Biotic and abiotic components of ecosystem Gross primary productivity and net primary productivity.
Ans. Distinguish between the following:
Biotic components are composed of a variety of living organisms. The plants, animal and micro-organisms present in an ecosystem form the biotic components. These organisms have different nutritional behaviour and status in the ecosystems while abiotic components are nonliving physical and chemical factors of an ecosystem. It includes climatic factors, soil factors, geographical factors, energy, nutrients and toxic substances.
The producers are left with a little less organic matter than what was actually produced by them. This is known as the Net Primary Production (NPP) and the respiratory loss (R) added to it gives the Gross Primary Production (GPP).
Hi Everyone!! This article will share Our Environment Questions & Answers.
In one of my previous posts, I have shared the objective type questions & answers of Our Environment so, make sure to check that post as well.
Question 1: Define the following:
(a) Ecology
Answer: The branch of science that studies the interaction between the living organisms and their surrounding is called ecology.
(b) Environmental degradation
Answer: Environmental degradation refers to loss of biodiversity (reduction in number of plant and animal species), depletion and degradation of natural resources due to pollution, overexploitation and obliteration.
(c) Hydrosphere
Answer: Hydrosphere refers to the total water found on our planet in the oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, as well as underground.
Question 2: What is the composition of atmosphere?
Answer: The atmosphere is a mixture of nitrogen (78%), oxygen (21%), other gases (1%), water vapour and dust particles.
Question 3: What is meant by environment? Explain the major components of the environment.
Answer: The word environment is derived from the French word ‘environer’ meaning surrounding. Environment encompasses all living and non-living components of man’s surrounding. Thus, environment is everything that surrounds and influences a living organism. It includes the place (where we live), the flora, the fauna, the people, as well as man made things.
The environment can be broadly classified into – natural environment and man-made environment.
1. Natural environment includes the physical and biological components of the earth.
a. Physical environment comprises of the non-living components like air, water, land.
b. Biological environment comprises of living components such as plants, animals including human beings and even microbes (microorganism).
2. Human environment includes all man-made creations, behaviour and relationships that are guided by socio-cultural, economic as well as political conditions.
Question 4: Why would the earth be barren without the atmosphere?
Answer: The atmosphere prevents the sun’s harmful rays from reaching the earth’s surface. It controls the temperature during day and night. It also controls humidity and pressure.
Our Environment Questions & Answers
Question 5: Write a note on Lithosphere.
Answer:
- It is the outermost layer of the Earth, also known as crust, and is composed of rocks and minerals.
- The surface of the Earth is uneven due to presence of landforms such as mountains, hills, valleys and plateaus.
- Lithosphere extends over both the continents and water bodies that support various kinds of activities such as settlement, agriculture, industry, etc. essential for existence.
Question 6: Write a short note on Biosphere.
Answer: Biosphere, that supports a large variety of life, is a narrow zone formed by interaction among three spheres, namely, land, water and air. The term biosphere comes from Greek word bios meaning life and Latin word sphaera which means the total range. All living organisms in the biosphere can be categorized into producers(autotrophs), consumers (heterotrophs) and decomposers and they are interdependent on one another.
Autotrophs such as plants, algae and some bacteria prepare their own food by using water, sunlight and carbon dioxide from the environment. The heterotrophs, on the other hand, are organisms that are dependent on other plants and animals for their survival. All herbivores, carnivores and omnivores fall in this category. While decomposers such as fungi and bacteria, perform the task of recycling nutrients back into the Earth by decomposing dead organisms.
Question 7: Explain the causes of Environmental Degradation.
Answer:
- Inappropriate land use, such as poor farming techniques, over cultivation, overgrazing and deforestation leads to soil erosion (removal of the top layer of the soil).
- Inappropriate disposal of waste products and pollutants both from households as well as industries harms the natural environment.
- Rapidly increasing population puts pressure on the limited natural resources, which leads to loss of biodiversity as well as pollution.
- Rapid and unplanned urban development has led to deterioration of air and water quality and generation of wastes.
- Increasing transport networks also have a negative impact on the environment. For instance, construction of ports and harbours disturbs the sensitive ecosystem of the coastal areas.
Question 8: Give reasons.
(a) Hydrosphere is very essential to mankind.
Answer:
Water supports all forms of life. Oceans are source of food and minerals. Oceans facilitate trade and transportation. They also help in moderating the climate of coastal regions. Freshwater is used for many domestic, agricultural and industrial uses. Hence, hydrosphere is very essential to mankind.
(b) Both natural and human environment is constantly changing.
Answer: Over the ages, humans have adapted themselves to their natural environment by modifying their needs.
For example – people living in deserts wear cotton clothes, cover their heads with turbans to ward off heat, build houses with thick walls to keep themselves cool and grow crops such as ragi, jowar that require less water.
Thus, human being is the only living organism who has consciously and continuously transformed the environment in which they live to fulfil their needs.
(c) Change in one part of the environment causes a ripple effect of change throughout other parts of environment.
Answer:
- A change in the size of one population in a food chain influences the entire natural environment.
- For instance, if there are too many deer, there will be insufficient shrubs and grasses for all of them to eat.
- Many will go hungry and die.
- Fewer deer mean less food is available for the tigers and again many will starve to death.
- When there are fewer tigers, the deer population will increase which will again disturb the balance of nature.
So, these were Our Environment Questions & Answers.