Teen012017 by ELI Publishing

Your English Monthly

TEEN

B2/C1

Year XXXVIII - N. 1 - September - October 2017 - Imprimé à Taxe Réduite

Britain’s Favourite Places

Kew Gardens

Teen People

Maisie Williams

Report

Japanese Anime

Around the World

A Plastic-Free World (?) www.elimagazines.com Find TEEN online (see page 2 for details)

Welcome Hello everyone! Welcome to your brand new Teen magazine. This issue has lots of interesting stories and fun activities to inspire you. We find out about the Japanese style of animation – Anime; go on a tour of London’s UNESCO World Heritage Site – Kew Gardens; we investigate the problems of plastic pollution and some ways of solving* it; we look at the changing eating habits of the British. We also meet some interesting and very famous people. Who are they? You will have to read on to find out!

N. 1 - September/October 2017 Common European Framework Intermediate Level (B2–C1) In this issue look out for: - comparatives and superlatives - conjunctions and linking words - relative clauses with which - time phrases - present tense simple, continuous and passive - modal verbs

Audio A subscription to the magazine allows you to download for free, in MP3 format, the audio of all the magazines in the resources section of our website www.elimagazines.com. You can do this by inserting the access code found in each issue of the magazine. Teacher’s guide For teachers, the subscription to the magazine allows you to download for free the audio material in MP3 format, as well as the teacher’s guide for all* the magazines available in PDF format. The teacher must first register in the teachers’ resources section on our website www.elimagazines.com Access Code: 0004 7000 0010 NO PART OF THIS PUBLICATION MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM OR BY ANY MEANS OR FOR ANY PURPOSES WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION. THE PUBLISHER IS PREPARED TO MAKE PAYMENT FOR ANY COPYRIGHT OF PHOTOGRAPHS WHERE THE SOURCE HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO TRACE. ALTHOUGH WE CHECK THE CONTENT AND SUITABILITY OF THE WEB SITES FEATURED OR REFERRED TO IN OUR MAGAZINES AT THE TIME OF GOING TO PRESS, WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY CHANGES WHICH MAY HAVE OCCURRED SINCE, AS THESE WEB SITES ARE IN NO WAY ASSOCIATED WITH ELI. ELI srl, C.P. 6, 62019 Recanati, Tel. (071) 750701, Fax (071) 977851 Direttore responsabile: Lamberto Pigini. Realizzazione testi: Liz Ferretti. Autorizzazione Trib. di Macerata N. 237 del 4 luglio 1984. Realizzazione: Realizzazione: Tecnostampa, Loreto © ELI Italy 2017

Liz

Contents 3 4 6 8 10 12 14

Teen People Maisie Williams Britain’s Favourite Places Kew Gardens Report Japanese Anime Made in Britain Grime Around the World Towards A Plastic-Free World (?) Culture and society The Changing Eating Habits of the British Playstation

Around the World Patient, hard-working and passionate about their subjects, or tired, irritable* and stressed out*? Teachers may be all or some of those things, but whatever your teachers are like, they play an important part in your life. On 5th October 1966, UNESCO and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) met to discuss the rights and responsibilities* of teachers and to improve their working conditions across the world. Since then, 5th October has been celebrated as World Teachers’ Day. All over the planet, conferences and events are organised by UNESCO and also by individual schools. Our best teachers can change our lives, let’s show them we appreciate* them this 5th October!

Glossary solving: finding an answer to a problem irritable: someone who gets cross or angry easily stressed out: anxious, angry and/or tired because you have a lot of pressure at work responsibilities: the things you have to do, your duty appreciate: are grateful for, want to say thank you to

World Teachers’ Day

True or False 1. World Teachers’ Day dates from 5th October 1966. 2. At their meeting, UNESOC and the ILO talked about teachers’ pay. 3. All teachers love their work. 4. We can learn something from all of our teachers, even if we don’t think they are that great! 5. On 5th October every year, students around the world have to bring flowers and presents to the teachers to say thank you.

True

False

Answers are on page 15.

comparatives and superlatives

Teen People

Passport Name: Margaret Constance (“Maisie”) Surname: William Place and date of birth: Bristol (UK), 15 April 1997 Profession: actor Distinguishing features: plays Arya Stark in Game of Thrones

Maisie Williams

Arya Stark is the tomboyish* daughter of a ruling family in a dark world who learns how to avenge* her family. Arya is one of the most popular characters in the TV series, Game of Thrones, but who is the actor who plays this brave heroine*?

… and Maisie

Game of Thrones

This hugely popular TV series is adapted from a series of novels by George R.R. Martin, called A Song of Ice and Fire. The first in this series of books was called Game of Thrones and this was the title chosen for the TV series. Between April 2011 and July 2017, seven series of Game of Thrones were made. This story of the seven kingdoms, their ruling families and the wars that were fought between them to gain power and save the human race, has fans all over the world and has won many prizes.

Arya

Arya Stark is the third child of Eddard Stark and Catelyn Stark. She has an older sister, Sansa, and three brothers, Robb, who is older than her, and Bran and Rickon who are younger. She also has a half-brother*, Jon Snow. Arya’s sister, Sansa, grows up doing all the things that women are supposed to* enjoy such as sewing, dancing and playing music. Arya is not interested in any of this. She much prefers fighting and exploring. Out of all her family, she is closest to her half-brother, Jon Snow. It is Jon who gives her a short sword*, and teaches her a particular style of sword fighting best suited* to it. Arya is a very modern female character who challenges the boundaries* of what it means to be a young woman. When she is younger she is often mistaken* for a boy and this is a big help to her. After the death of her brother Robb Stark, she disguises* herself as a boy and escapes.

“Arya and I grew up together. I agree with everything that Arya says,” says Maisie, but, she admits, “I’m not sure I would be as brave as she is.” Like Arya, Maisie comes from a large family, she is the youngest of four children. But in contrast to the young heroine in Game of Thrones, Maisie has always loved dancing, she even studied at a college of performing arts in the city of Bath. Maisie and Arya have a lot in common – they are both strong and determined*. Maisie is well known for saying what she thinks. “I am always getting told to keep my mouth shut, but I simply can’t,” she says, “sometimes, when I get back home and I think about what I have said I go into a state of panic!” But she is honest, and honesty is generally a good thing to be. Maisie says that even when she was at primary school she didn’t like obeying rules without understanding what the rules were for. “The truth is that I like to be able to decide things for myself, I like to have some control over my life.”

The Actor’s Life

Game of Thrones has brought a lot of good things into Maisie Williams’ life, for a start it launched her acting career. Since 2011 she has been awarded 9 prizes as Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress, Best Young Actor, and the list doesn’t end there. But all of this success comes at a price*. Maisie is worried about missing out on the life of an ordinary teenager, and this is a real risk when you are as famous as she is. Once she left school, Maisie decided not to continue with her studies. She now spends her time on film sets and travelling around the world. Even though being an actor is one of the best jobs in the world, even she admits that at times she misses ordinary life. When she goes back to her home city of Bristol, she goes to concerts, festivals and clubs. She loves electronic and house music, and she likes the fact that it is

dark in the venues*, it makes it more difficult for her fans to recognise her.

Maisie the Campaigner

It is hard to remember that Maisie is still only 20 years old. Her life as an actor meant she had to grow up quickly. Now that she’s famous, she has a large number of fans and she communicates with them on social media. She has some important things to say to other young people about cyberbullying* or online bullying (she also appeared in a short film on this topic). Maisie has spoken about being the victim of bullying at school and online comments on the success or failure of people can be hurtful. She has another message, particularly for girls. “Girls should not be judged according to how pretty they are, but should be valued for what they can do. It’s not only boys that can be strong, courageous or good at sport. Girls also know what they want out of life.” Maisie doesn’t accept that things have to be the way they have always been and that’s what makes her such an interesting person.

Glossary tomboyish: girl who behaves more like a boy than a traditional girl avenge: fight back when someone has done something wrong (to you/your family) heroine: important female character in a book who is good, brave and strong half-brother: brother who has the either the same mother or father as you supposed to: that most people believe to be true or correct, but might not be sword: weapon like a long, sharp knife best suited: perfect for a particular situation

boundaries: edges, borders is mistaken for: people think wrongly that she is disguise: hide who you really are by wearing different clothes, cutting your hair etc. determined: person who makes a decision and wants it to succeed comes at a price: (idiom) which included disadvantages to get what you want venues: the places where discos, concerts and clubs happen cyberbullying: hurtful, aggressive or frightening messages sent by one person to another using social media

Britain’s Favourite Destinations

conjunctions

Kew Gardens, in the west of London, is the world’s largest collection of plants and fungi. It has 14,000 different types of tree, and many more plants that are endangered* in the wild*. It gained* UNESCO World Heritage status in 2003. Let’s visit Kew, one of the most popular visitor attractions in the UK’s capital city.

Kew Gardens History and Future

Kew Gardens was founded in 1759 on an old royal estate. It has important living collections and also preserved* specimens*. In fact, there are over 30,000 different kinds of living plants at Kew but its collection of plant specimens is over 7 million, and it is growing all the time. This huge range of plants acts as a real living reference library* for scientists from around the world. Kew helps our understanding of plants at a time when one in five species could soon be lost forever as a result of human land use, habitat loss and climate change.

The Millennium Seed Bank One of Kew’s most important projects is to collect and preserve seeds from as many plants as possible around the world. Seeds, as you know, contain all the genetic material of the parent plant. Kew’s Seed Bank is the biggest in the world. It is useful for current research, of course, but is also a way to ensure* biodiversity, global food security, conservation and plant disease

prevention. Kew aims to preserve 25% of all the world’s species by 2020. The Seed Bank “is an ‘insurance policy*’ against the extinction of plants in the wild”.

The Garden of Delights

You can’t actually visit the Seed Bank unless you are a scientist, and it probably wouldn’t be that interesting as a visitor attraction, but you can go to Kew itself.

Kew Gardens is big on plants but it also has its very own and very small police force. With only 17 members of staff and one vehicle, it is the smallest police force in the world! Kew is home to the oldest pot plant in the world. It is a cycad, a type of plant that dates far back into prehistory. Of course, this plant is not that old – it may be around 500 years old– but it came to Kew in 1775. It was one of the many plants that was collected during the voyages of explorer Captain Cook. There are plenty of places to eat and drink in the Gardens. The underground station at Kew is the only one with its own pub! The original tea house was destroyed by fire in 1913. Police at the time said this had been done deliberately. Leaflets found nearby suggest this act of vandalism was done by suffragettes – women who were fighting at the time to be allowed to vote in elections. If you can’t make it in person to Kew, you can go on a video tour of some of the best bits here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEsq8GREX9A

Here you will find historic glasshouses, dating from the Victorian age holding ancient and fascinating plants, such as Kew’s famous Palm House which has a rainforest climate, but also more modern structures* like The Princess of Wales Conservatory. Opened in 1987, this conservatory is Kew’s most complex glasshouse and it has ten different growing environments from tropical rainforest to dry desert conditions. Outside you will find, at different times of year, stunning displays of flowers, A Japanese landscape and busy kitchen garden. There is also a Royal Palace to visit.

Treetops

Recently, Kew had an imaginative tree-top walkway* built 18 metres above the ground. This not only gives you a bird’s eye view* of the tree canopies* but has some great views over the city of London too. The design was inspired by the Fibonacci number sequence, which is often found in nature. Some say the walkway is best in Spring, when the trees are coming into leaf, but others prefer the bright colours of the Autumn leaves.

The Hive

Pollinators*, which include many insects but especially bees, are incredibly important to us. Their work in spreading pollen when

Plant word quiz 1. Bees are important because they p _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ plants. 2. The Millennium Seed Bank helps to preserve b _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , f _ _ _

s _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .

3. The Treetop Walkway was inspired by the F _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ number sequence, which is often found in nature. 4. The part of a plant that contains its genetic material is called the _ _ _ _ .

Expressing opinions What do you think?

1. What time of year is the best time to see plants? 2. Who do you think burned down Kew’s Tea House, and why? 3. Do you agree with Kew that it is important for us to preserve as many plant species as we can? Why?

The answers are on page 15.

they drink the sweet nectar produced by flowers, means that we can eat, giving us greater food security. Bees are fascinating and complex insects. Bees alone pollinate 30% of all the food we eat. At the moment, bee numbers are in decline* and many scientists and governments around the world are trying to find out why so that we can protect them. The Hive is a multi-sensory experience of light and sound that changes according to the activity of bees in a real beehive in Kew Gardens. The design was inspired by scientific research into the way bees behave in their hives. It is a space that quietly helps you to understand bees better. You can see it here: https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=kEsq8GREX9A

Glossary endangered: that will soon not exist alive in the wild: in the natural world gained: was given preserved: (here) plants dried, frozen or kept in chemicals specimens: examples (especially in science) reference library: academic library, where you can study and learn ensure: make sure or certain that something will or will not happen insurance policy: (figurative) document which gives you protection if you lose something in the future, e.g. life insurance structures: synonym of building walkway: path above the ground bird’s eye view: (figurative) when you see something from above the ground (like a bird would) tree canopies: top part of trees pollinators: animals or insects which take pollen from one part of a plant to another; this makes flowers turn into seeds in decline: getting smaller in number

Report

relative clauses with which

Japanese Anime Since the 1970s, the Japanese style of TV and film animation, known as anime, has become more and more popular around the world. People love watching anime – the stories are exciting and the images are beautiful. What exactly is anime and how did it all begin? Read on to find out!

What is anime?

The word anime comes from the Japanese abbreviation* of the word “animation” – films and TV programmes created through a series of individual drawings or images which run together to create the illusion* of action. Anime is a big part of Japanese popular culture. It helps to boost* the country’s economy as well as its international profile*. Different types of anime are aimed at different target audiences – for example young children, boys under 15, young girls, other appeal to male and female adult audiences. There are also a number of different genres* – romantic, literary, sport, science fiction and fantasy.

Anime and Japanese culture

Because it has developed from long traditions of Japanese art, music and story telling, anime has a distinctive style, but it’s not only the visual style that is Japanese – many of the themes in anime also come from centuries of Japanese culture. Nature, for example, is a central theme in a lot of anime where nature is seen as a living being, able to speak to and interact with the human protagonists of the films. Our relationship with the people who have gone before us, our ancestors, is another important theme, as is the supernatural*. These reflect many of the beliefs in Shinto, the ethnic* religion of Japan. Often, the characters in anime follow moral rules of Bushido (‘the way of the

Hayao Miyazaki

Hayao Miyazaki is the greatest exponent* of anime. Miyazaki was born in 1941. He is a director, animator, screenwriter, author and Manga artist and the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, one of the best known anime film studios. In 2001, he released his film, Spirited Away, which won many prizes including the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2002, and the Oscar for Best Animated Feature in 2003. At the start of his career, Miyazaki made cartoons based on stories and novels that had originated in Europe or North America, then in 1982 his focus changed. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is an epic

When did it all begin?

The history of Japanese animation goes back to the 1920s when early anime pioneers* used traditional Japanese themes and early animation techniques to create simple sequences of images. Everything ground to a halt* with the Depression of the 1930s and the Second World War. The next generation of animators started up in the 1960s, and began to experiment with new forms and really developed the genre. In the 1970s, anime films became internationally successful. It went mainstream* both in its home country and abroad. Once TV arrived in people’s homes, a whole new world of anime was born. The 1980s and 1990s saw a big increase in the number of anime TV series and these also quickly gained an international audience, first in Europe and then in the USA. Early fans were people already familiar with the Japanese cartoon style, manga, which has been the inspiration for a lot of anime.

warrior*’ – the warrior code of the Samurai): honesty, courage, sense of duty, loyalty. In many anime films and series there is conflict* between technology and nature. On the one hand, technology is seen as a powerful means of evolution and growth in man, but it can also have a hugely negative impact on nature – a concern shared by many people around the world.

science fantasy adventure adapted from a classic Japanese manga. From that time, his focus was much less European or American and much more Japanese. In 2013, after the release of The Wind Rises, and a career spanning nearly fifty years, Miyazaki announced his retirement, saying that he wanted to leave space for the next

For many people, critics and public alike Spirited Away (2001) is Miyazaki’s masterpiece. This magical film tells the story of a young girl and her parents who enter a world filled with spirits. The girl’s parents are transformed into pigs and she must find a way to save them and herself, and return to the human world. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1986) is set in a post-apocalyptic* future world. It tells the story of a princess called Nausicaä who can communicate with mutant* insects that live in the toxic forest that covers most of the planet. The kingdom of Tolmeckia wants to use an ancient weapon to destroy the insects. Nausicaä tries to stop them from provoking these dangerous creatures. generation of Japanese animators. More recently, however, he has decided to return to work.

The Miyazaki Theme Park

Miyazaki’s new project is not making new anime but it about helping people to love and understand nature. Miyazaki has always believed in the importance of nature, so in 2018 he is opening a theme park all about ‘respecting and embracing’ nature. This children’s theme park will engage all of your senses to immerse*

Answer True or False

1. 2. 3. 4 5. 6. 7. 8.

Anime are cartoons for children. Japanese pioneers experimented with animation before the Second World War. Anime often talks about universal themes of love, courage and loyalty. Nature is one of the most important themes in anime. Shinto is the official religion of Japan. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind won an Oscar in 2003. “The Forest Where the Wind Returns” is a theme park for children. The only attraction in the park will be nature itself.

Have you ever watched anime? If so, what did you like about it? If not, do you think you will watch some now you know more about it? Why? Why not?

…………………………………………………………………………..........................................................................…….

Choose the correct conjunction for each sentence as well as but so then

where

which

1. Anime helps to boost the country’s economy, …………………… its international profile. 2. In 2001, he released his film, Spirited Away, …………………… won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival. 3. At the start of his career, Miyazaki from Europe and North America, …………………… in 1982 his focus changed. 4. The park will have nature trails …………………… you will learn about the natural world. 5. Miyazaki believes in the importance of nature, …………………… in 2018 he is opening a park all about the natural world 6. Technology can help us live better lives, …………………… it can also be destructive.

The answers are on page 15.

you in the natural world. It will be built in the Zendo Forest Park on Kume Island in Okinawa Prefecture at the southern tip of the Japanese archipelago. The park will have a series of nature trails where you will be able to learn about the natural world and your place in it. It’s a theme park without terrifying rides, bright colours and loud music! It’s already being called the anti-Disneyland! The name of this park? The Forest Where the Wind Returns. With this park, Miyazaki hopes that we will learn to see nature as a living being and that we will communicate better with nature, understand and respect it.

Glossary abbreviation: the short form of a word illusion: impression, when you think something is real and it isn’t boost: make better or stronger profile: (here) name, reputation genres: romance, thriller, sci-fi… these are different types or genres of film or book pioneers: people who are the first to do something ground to a halt: (idiom) gradually slow down and completely stop mainstream: accepted as a central part of a culture supernatural: ghosts and

unexplained events ethnic: that originate in a particular country or place, native warrior: brave and experienced fighter conflict: strong argument, battle exponent: person who is known for a particular idea immerse: (figurative) make you go right into (as if under water) post-apocalyptic: the time after some terrible war has destroyed civilisation mutant: creature that is different from other animals (because its DNA is damaged)

Made in Britain

emphatic do/did

Political Youth

For many years, a lot of young people in Britain have not voted in parliamentary elections. There was a general feeling amongst young people that their votes made no difference to what happened in the country, and older people accused* the new generation of being apathetic*, but the General Election in June 2017 has changed all of that. Let’s find out what happened. housing in the UK, rents, especially in London are very high, and buying a house is now impossible for many young people. Not only that, but wages have dropped since the financial crisis in 2008. All of this means that the generation now aged 18-24 years old is the first generation in modern ti mes to be poorer than their parents.

Don’t Vote, Don’t Have a Voice

The Background

For many years it has been difficult for politicians in the various political parties to get young people interested in politics. On their side many young people felt that decisions made in parliament were often not for their benefit*. Then a series

of difficulties hit a whole generation. University and college education used to be free in the UK, students now have to pay a lot of money for their education and they start their working life with a large amount of debt*. In addition, there is a shortage* of

When the General Election to vote for a new government was announced* earlier in 2017, a lot of groups and political organisations decided to try and encourage young people to get out and vote. The message was that if you don’t vote, then you don’t have a voice in the country you live in. Musicians and celebrities joined in to encourage young people to register to vote by the deadline* at the end of May. A number of songs by Grime or Reggae artists became very popular, all of them telling young people to get out and vote, that their opinions did matter, that they should make their voices heard.

General Election June 2017 So what happened? Statistics show that about 72% of 18-24 year olds did vote in this election, and it is likely that they did affect the outcome. The message went out via social media, in the form of

memes, gifs, and posts that were shared between friends, and political Facebook groups. Twitter and Snapchat were also a very important part of getting the message out to young people. In fact, many young people only get their news from Twitter, or the headlines on their Facebook pages.

The Politics Taboo*

In the past, it was often seen as socially unacceptable to talk about politics, but that is changing. Young British people have a strong awareness of social responsibility, including fighting for the

LGBT* rights, racial equality, along with the new feminist movement and the work of Emma Watson, the UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, as well as a new generation of men who are encouraged to express their emotions. Young people are suddenly finding their voice again.

come across a wider variety of opinions, they are making their own minds up.

The Generation Gap*

young British people have a strong sense of community, and a belief in human and social rights, as well as the desire for a better standard of living. Now that they have become more politically aware, it is hard to imagine that will suddenly stop.

The gap between the attitudes and opinions of the older generation (aged 65+) and young people is more obvious than ever in modern Britain. On the whole, older people tend to get their news from traditional media, TV and newspapers. Many newspapers in the UK have strong political opinions and many people believe that they play a large part in British politics. Young people, on the other hand, tend to get their news online. This often includes satirical* news and humorous cartoons and images. It is possible, that because many young people

True or False How much do you know about the British political system? Answer True or False. 1. In 1215 King John was forced to sign the Magna Carta. This document meant he had to share power with the barons – the powerful men around him. 2. The famous Houses of Parliament on the banks of the River Thames were built in the 16th century. 3. There are three main political parties – the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. 4. The nickname of The Conservatives is the Tories and their party colour is blue. 5. Labour are associated with red; their leader is Jeremy Corbyn. 6. Politicians elected to the British Parliament are known as MDs (Members of Democracy). 7. Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state, but has no direct political power.

The answers are on page 15.

What’s next?

Young people had a big impact* in this election, but it is too soon to know if they will get out and vote next time. But many

Only 43% of young people voted in the General Election in 2015. Over 2.3 million voters registered to vote in the weeks immediately after the election was announced (if you want to vote in the UK, you have to register yourself via the Government website, it does not happen automatically). Many of these were young people under the age of 25, and first-time voters. Many young voters now say they feel they have taken back control of their future. RizeUp was one of the campaigns that worked hard to get young people out to vote. Find out more here: rizeup.org

Glossary accuse: when someone says you have done something wrong apathetic: not energy for or interest in anything benefit: something that helps you debt: when you get money from a bank, for example, that you have to pay back shortage: when there is not enough of something announced: told the public deadline: the last date by which you have to do something taboo: strong social custom which does not allow a particular thing LGBT: short for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transvestite gap: space between one thing or group and another satirical: opinion that is often critical and humorous impact: strong effect

Around the World

A Plastic-Free World (?) Plastic is cheap to produce, it’s lightweight* and disposable. Plastic is incredibly useful, but it is also one of the major causes of pollution on our planet. Not even recycling can completely rid us* of this problem. So, what can we do about it? Where’s the problem? Everywhere!

In the last few decades, our consumption of plastic has increased dramatically and it continues to go up. Every day, we create millions of tonnes of plastic waste*. We don’t always realise just how much plastic is in our lives! Our computers are made of plastic, our food is wrapped in it, we drink from plastic bottles, our mobile phones and watches are made of plastic. But what happens to this plastic after we throw it away? Recycling is starting to make a difference, but while some countries do recycle most of their plastic, global recycling rates are only 14% for plastic packaging! Plastic can be recycled

into new plastic products, or used in energy recovery to provide heat and fuel. Unfortunately, most plastic still ends up in landfill* and a lot ends up as litter in our forests, beaches and along our roads.

The Issues

It takes a minute to drink a bottle of water and then throw the bottle away, but that plastic bottle will take between 100 and 1000 years to degrade. Normal plastic is not biodegradable and even if it gets recycled it never really goes away – plastic just breaks down into smaller and smaller pieces. These microscopic pieces of plastic are highly toxic to plants, animals, fish and humans. Plastic is being found in the

stomachs of turtles and fish. Seabirds are also suffering. They either get caught up in plastic or starve because their gullets* are full of plastic that they can’t digest – they can’t tell the difference between small pieces of plastic and food. Unfortunately, plastic also contains toxic chemicals that leach* into the environment. These are harmful* to animals and fish and eventually, as we go up the food chain, they are harmful to us.

Marine Debris* Gyres*

There are huge areas of rubbish, or debris, that ocean currents, or gyres, push into huge ‘islands’. These areas of rubbish are mostly made of microscopic plastic bits and chemical sludge*! The most famous of these is in the North Pacific. It is called the Great Pacific Garbage* Patch* – it is estimated to be about the same size as Texas. It started forming in the 1950s but wasn’t officially discovered until the mid 1980s. It’s not only the Pacific that is affected, there are huge areas of this rubbish in the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean. They are even starting to form* in the Mediterranean, though these are much smaller. How do these patches form? They are made up of the rubbish we throw into the

present tense simple, continuous and passive; modal verbs

Recycling Our Rubbish

In many countries around the world rubbish is sorted. Households and businesses separate plastic, paper and organic waste from other rubbish. It is possible to recycle everything that we produce – just imagine if we became a waste-free world!

environment, washed down to the sea in rain storms, but it also comes from ships. At any one time there are thousands of container ships travelling over our oceans. When they get caught up in storms, some of those containers fall off the ships. In 1990, 80,000 shoes, boots and other Nike products ended up in the sea. In 1992, another major incident involved bath products including thousands of plastic ducks, and in 1994 it was a load of hockey equipment.

Prevention

As well as recycling plastic, we should try not to produce so much in the first place. In order to achieve this. We can change the way we shop, and try to find eco-friendly products that we can use instead of plastic.

Underline the statements that are true. To live in a plastic-free world we need to: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

produce biodegradable plastic to replace traditional plastics. use as much plastic as possible, so we can use it all up. make plastic islands in the sea to collect all the rubbish in one place. sort more rubbish so that we can send less to landfill. recycle and reuse the plastic that we already have. wait until scientists have found solutions to the problem before doing anything about it.

o you think? Anti-plastic action.

1. What could we use instead of disposable plastic bottles? (Americans used approximately 50 billion plastic bottles last year) ........................................................................................................................................... 2. What could we use instead of disposable plastic knives and forks, and plastic plates? ...........................................................................................................................................

The answers are on page 15.

Solutions!

There are no problems, only solutions to be found! Every one of us has a responsibility to look after the our planet for ourselves and the generations that come after us. We need to recycle and reuse, but also bring less plastic into our lives. By making relatively small changes in the way we live, we can have a huge impact on the future of our planet. It might seem as if we couldn’t possibly live without plastic, but there are alternatives. Several types of genuinely biodegradable plastic, or bioplastics, are being developed by researchers. Bioplastics are made from natural materials such as corn starch*. Biologist Federica Bertocchini has found a caterpillar* that can eat and break down polyethylene (human beings produce 80 million tonnes of this type of plastic every year!). She discovered this by chance when she was cleaning out one of her beehives* (she is an amateur beekeeper). These caterpillars normally eat beeswax but they also eat plastic. It was an exciting discovery and a scientific study is now being conducted. While this is good news of course, we should still try to reduce the amount of plastic we consume, and try to recycle the rest!

Glossary lightweight: not heavy rid us: take away completely; remove waste: rubbish, something no longer needed or not useful landfill: place where rubbish is buried under the ground gullets: throats (in birds where digestion starts) leach: (of chemical) gets washed through the land by rain and other water harmful: dangerous, bad for your health debris: (here) lots of small pieces of rubbish

gyre: (here) circular current in the ocean caused by the movement of the earth through space sludge: thick ‘soup’ of rubbish garbage: (US English) rubbish patch: area form: grow, is/are created corn starch: (US English) fine flour made from maize (US = corn) caterpillar: insect, worm (may become a butterfly or moth as an adult) beehive: the place were bees live and make honey

Culture and Society

The Changing Eating Habits of the British Since 1947, the British Government has conducted* a national survey* of the eating habits of its citizens. Last year, all the data was made available* to the public for the first time and it showed a lot of interesting information. Let’s take a closer look into the homes of the British. The National Food Survey

The Survey was started in 1947 in the postwar period when food was still scarce*. The government of the time was concerned about the levels of nutrition, particularly in the poorer members of UK society, the ‘working class’. So how is the information collected? Between 1947 and 2000, around

present and past perfect; language of comparison and statistics; used to (past habits)

Fun Facts

Nearly 30% of British people are “passionate about cooking”. The favourite fruit is 1 bananas, 2 apples, 3 oranges. The number of cafés in the UK went up 847% during the 1990s. And the most surprising thing? We are no longer a “nation of tea drinkers” – in 1973 the average Brit drank 23 cups of tea a week, now that is closer to 8!

Bad habit s?

British people eat a lot of ketchup with their chips (chips are a big favourite of course!), but they also eat them with “brown sauce” – another sweet and spicy sauce, or gravy or a kind of curryflavoured sauce. Beans on toast is a favourite snack. These are white beans in tomato sauce (from a tin) on… toast. Most people outside the UK think that is weird. 

changed. In 1947, for example, 11% of all fruit and vegetables eaten were grown in gardens or allotments*. By 2008 that had gone down to just under 3%, but with a renewed* interest in home-grown produce, that had gone back up to 5% by 2011. The story is similar for home-produced eggs. This has a lot to do with people wanting to grow untreated* vegetables and fruit, and a growing awareness of the need to keep physically active and healthy. But that still means that 95% of all fruit and vegetable consumed in UK households are bought in shops and supermarkets!

Mod Cons*

In 1956, only 8% of British households owned a fridge, and in 1970 only 3% of households owned a freezer. Now almost all homes have both. Because of that we now buy fewer tinned* goods, and more

Cost of Living

The media and politicians often talk about how much food costs, and while there are years where food prices do go up, for example during the ‘credit crunch*’ in 2008 food prices went up 9%, food in fact makes up a much smaller part of the household budget* than it used to. In 1951, people spent up to 40% of their entire income on food, by the mid 1980s that had gone down to 20% and by the early 2000s that had further reduced to 11%. Food prices have gone down in this time because of more efficient agriculture and a better food distribution network, as well as an increase in online grocery shopping.

Italian influence

One of the biggest changes in the British diet is that British people are swopping* bread for pizza and pasta. British food is now heavily influenced by Italian favourites, but this is