&  Vocabulary Development:    top

Instructions:   Complete the following word form chart.

Noun	Verb	Adjective	Adverb	Antonym
beauty
			increasingly
threat
	to compete

$  Reading/Writing  Exercise:    top

Instructions:    Read the following text and answer the comprehension questions. 

When you close your eyes and think of nature, what do you see?  Do you envision a beautiful sandy beach, a colourful lush forest, or a majestic eagle soaring across a blue expansive sky?   When many of us think of nature, we don’t have visions of a large metropolis like Toronto; but nature does exist in cities too.   Nature is everywhere, so it exists in parks, in planters on apartment balconies, in city ravines, and even in the weeds that break through the concrete parking lots.  As our world is becoming more modernized and industrialized, it is becoming increasingly important to protect what remains of nature in our cities. 

Natural areas within the city improve our lives in many valuable ways.  First, trees provide shade in summer and offer protection in winter.  As a result, planting and maintaining trees reduces our demand for heating and air-conditioning. Second, wetlands usually located adjacent to rivers and streams, are also vital to our environment.  Wetlands are sometimes referred to as sponges,
because they can hold lots of water.  Wetlands act as filters, because pollutants settle out
when the water travels slowly through. Therefore, these wetlands are important because they absorb dangerous pollutants before they enter sources of our drinking water, like Lake Ontario.  Finally, having an abundance of well-maintained natural areas provides us with the opportunity to participate in many outdoor activities that reduce our level of stress and increase our level of fitness.  If you walk in any park in Toronto, you will see people cycling, hiking, bird watching, running, cross-country skiing and even fishing! 

Unfortunately, nature and the natural areas surrounding Toronto face many serious threats.  When plants are brought over from Europe and Asia, they often compete with “native” species and eventually take over the natural environment.  Two examples of this are the European buckthorn and the Norway maple.  Our physical presence in these areas also can become a threat to the ecosystem.  Hikers may remove plants, bird-watchers disturb nests and mountain-bikers accelerate soil erosion.  One of the biggest threats to the natural environment is caused by the continual growth of our cities, referred to as “urban sprawl”.  Concrete replaces grass and soil and buildings replace trees and shrubs.  Human activities often result in air, water and noise pollution.  Consequently, the wildlife and the natural environment that we depend on grow increasingly fragile. top

1.  The word “protect” in the 1^st paragraph could be replaced by all of the following words EXCEPT:  (a) guard  (b) shelter  (c) sacrifice  (d) safeguard

2.  In the 2^nd paragraph, the words “planting” and “maintaining” are examples of:   (a) prepositions  (b) gerunds   (c) verbs   (d) adjectives

3.  Look in the 3^rd paragraph for a word that means ‘easily broken’.     _____________________

4.  All of the following statements are true EXCEPT:   (a) rivers and creeks help filter dangerous chemicals from entering our drinking water  (b) nature can exist in cities and in forests    (c) European buckthorn and the Norway maple are native species in Toronto   (d) human behaviour has an effect on the environment

5.  The passage discusses many benefits of protecting our natural environment; what are they?   [Write your answer in point form.]

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6.   Provide two additional benefits that can be attained by protecting our natural environment that were not mentioned in the passage.  [Write your answer in sentence form.]

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O  Listening  Exercise:   top

Instructions:    As your instructor reads the text, complete the missing word.

What can I do to ___________ nature in our city?  When you visit natural areas, be respectful and responsible.  Don’t ___________ from the paths, stay on the trails.  Leave the natural vegetation ___________ and keep a safe distance so that you don’t disturb the native wildlife.  Most importantly, don’t ___________.  If you see ___________ on the ground, why not pick them up?    Try to increase your contact with nature.  Plant a garden on your ___________, encourage your school or workplace to ___________ nature.  Become politically active:  ___________ to your local, provincial and federal politicians and encourage them to support nature protection and restoration.  Realize that one person can make a ___________ to the whole environment.  Be aware of what you are doing to harm the environment.  ___________ less.  ___________ less.  Pollute less. Recycle ___________.   You can also participate in local projects that promote environmental protection.   In 1997, The Toronto Region Conservation Authority ___________ a program called the Multicultural Environmental Stewardship Program.  This program “aims to engage new Canadians and immigrant communities in environmental restoration by building ___________ with well-established cultural groups, providing ___________ that are both relevant and convenient.”    For more information about this program call 416-661-6600, extension ___________. 

J  Language Extension Activity:  top  

Part One   top

Instructions:    Match the idiom on the left with the correct definition on the right.   

to have a green thumb	no longer in danger
break the ice	to learn (or hear about something) directly from the original source
bird-brained	not very intelligent
straight from the horse’s mouth	a successful gardener, good with plants/flowers
like a fish out of water	to be old or past one’s prime
up the creek without a paddle	to be in a bad or difficult situation
over the hill	to initiate conversation
out of the woods	to feel awkward or uncomfortable

Part Two top

Instructions:    Complete the sentences with the appropriate idiom.

1.  The doctor notified the family that the operation was successful and the patient appears to be _____________________________. 

2.  Many recent immigrants feel ________________________________ when they first encounter the customs and traditions of life in Canada.

3.  I just don’t seem to ____________________________; all my plants and flowers always die.

4.  I quit my job so now I’m ____________________________ because I don’t have enough money to pay the rent this month.

5.  Select one of the idioms from Part One of this exercise and use it in your own sentence.

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Part Two:  top 
Instructions:    Can you guess the answer to each of these puzzles?   Notice that each clue is written in the passive voice.

 

1.  Clues:

(a) They are found an almost every Toronto street.
(b) They are found in both black and gray.
(c) They are found climbing trees and running across roads.
(d) They are often seen gathering nuts in the fall.

Answer:    _____________________________

 

2.  Clues:

(a)  It is found almost everywhere.
(b) It is used by people everyday.
(c) It is used to clean and to cook.
(d) It is used in the summer for swimming and in the winter for skating.

Answer:  ____________________________

 

3.  Clues:

(a)   It is delivered to many homes every day.
(b)      It is written in many languages.
(c)       It can be used to check the weather and the sports’ scores.
(d)      It is often used in ESL classrooms.

Answer:  _____________________________

 

4.  [Using the above format, make up 1 more question (4 clues) for one of your classmates.  Remember to keep your answer hidden until after he/she has guessed.] 

        

Clues:

(a) ____________________________________________________________

(b) ____________________________________________________________

(c) ____________________________________________________________

(d) ____________________________________________________________

Answer:  _____________________________