UNIT 7: POLLUTION
P.11
Noise is constant and loud sound. To measure the loudness, or volume of sounds, people use a unit called a decibel. When a sound is louder than 70 decibels, it can cause noise pollution. Do you know that the noise from a vacuum cleaner or a motorcycle can result in permanent hearing loss after eight hours? The sounds of a concert are even more serious. They can reach as high as 130 decibels and may cause immediate and permanent hearing loss. Noise pollution can also lead to headaches and high blood pressure. If you are listening to music through headphones, and other people can hear it, it means the music is too loud and unsafe. If there seems to be a ringing or buzzing in your ears, it means the noise is affecting you and damaging your hearing. Wearing earplugs when you go to concerts or other loud events, and listening to music through headphones or headsets at safe levels can help you reduce the effects of noise pollution.
P.13
Reporter: Does thermal pollution mean that bodies of water get hotter, Mr Nam?
Mr Nam: Not always. Sometimes the water becomes colder, and that’s also thermal pollution. In general, thermal pollution means a change in the water temperature.
Reporter: That’s interesting! What causes it?
Mr Nam: Power stations are one factor. They use water in the nearby lakes or rivers to cool their equipment, which heats up the water. Then they dump the hot water back into its source.
Reporter: Are there any other causes?
Mr Nam: Yes. Thermal pollution may also happen due to the discharge of cold water from reservoirs into warm rivers.
Reporter: Thermal pollution can have dramatic effects. Right?
Mr Nam: Certainly. Most aquatic creatures need a certain temperature to survive. Warmer water has less oxygen in it, and this can harm fish populations. Besides, warmer water can cause harmful algal blooms. This can change the colour of the water like in the first picture and, more seriously, the algae poisons the fish.
Reporter: What can we do, Mr Nam?
Mr Nam: In many places, they build cooling towers like in the second picture to cool down the water from power stations.
Reporter: Anything else we can do? …

UNIT 8: English speaking countriesP.23
Good morning. I hope you all had a good sleep. We are now heading for Wanaka. We arrive at the first destination, Puzzling World at 9.30. The first puzzling thing which welcomes you is the Leaning Tower. When you get inside the spacious café, you will find yourself among various wooden puzzles and games. The Illusion Room is a must-see as there’s nothing else like it in the world. Puzzling World is possibly the most photographed attraction in New Zealand. At 12.30 we leave for Lake Wanaka, New Zealand’s fourth largest lake. This ‘natural paradise’ has something for everyone. Adventure lovers may follow the biking and walking tracks through the park. Relaxation seekers may stay by the lake, taking a boat ride, or just sitting and watching its changing beauty. We meet up at 4 o’clock and the bus leaves at exactly 4.15. I hope…

Unit 9: Natural disastersP.28
1. Yesterday, a terrible storm struck the rural area of Ha Giang Province. 2. Villagers rushed into public shelters as soon as the volcano erupted. 3. Hundreds of buildings were completely destroyed when the earthquake shook the city. 4. The mudslide buried the whole village while people were still sleeping in their houses. 5. The forest fire raged for eight hours and some animals were badly injured or killed. 6. We managed to run out of the house into the street before the walls collapsed.
P.31
Welcome to ‘Nature and You.’ Today we have asked our listeners around the world to call us to express their views on these two questions: ‘Are there more natural disasters now than there were in the past?’ and ‘Are we prepared to deal with natural disasters?’
- Hi, I’m Sarah from Sydney, Australia. I think there are more natural disasters now than there used to be. Whenever I watch the news on TV, I see places that are flooded or affected by drought. I’m certain this is the result of climate change and global warming.
- Hello, I’m Peter from London, England. I don’t think that there are more natural disasters now than in the past. But more are being reported on the news in shorter time periods. We’ve seen them so often on the news that we’ve become used to them.
- Hi, everyone, I’m Nubita from Tokyo, Japan. I think recent earthquakes and tsunamis just show how unprepared we are to deal with them. Despite all the technology and knowledge available to us nowadays, many people become victims of natural disasters.
- Good evening everyone, I’m Linh from Ha Noi, Viet Nam. I don’t think we can prepare for natural disasters as nobody knows when