9Saving the planet – ecological changes and challenges9.4 Plastic pollution of the world’s oceans ∆ 24

1© Helbling [printing/photocopying for use in class permitted]

Lösungen

You will have fi ve minutes to study the tasks below. You will then hear the recording twice, with an interval of three minutes for you to complete the tasks. After hearing the recording for the second time, you will have four minutes to fi nalise your answers.

You may not use your dictionaries while the recording is being played.

Plastic pollution of the world’s oceans

You are going to hear a classroom discussion about the problems caused by plastic pollution in the world’s oceans.

1. Are the following statements true or false? Tick the correct boxes.

true false

Harry thinks UK supermarkets should charge more for single-use plastic carrier bags.

✓

You now have to pay for a carrier bag in every shop in the UK. ✓

England was the fi rst country in the UK to introduce a charge for carrier bags.

✓

2. Harry gives some information about plastic carrier bag use and plastic production.Complete the grid.

Daily plastic carrier bag use in the UK last year (in millions) 16 (million)

Estimated daily usage next year (in millions) over 5 (million)

Most single-use carrier bags end up in landfill sites

Total amount of plastic produced worldwide annually (in tons) 300 million (tons)

Large-scale production of plastic began in the 1950s

9.4 Plastic pollution of the world’s oceans ∆

24

20 credits

3/3

5/5

Lösungen

9 Saving the planet – ecological changes and challenges9.4 Plastic pollution of the world’s oceans ∆ 24

2 © Helbling [printing/photocopying for use in class permitted]

3. Short answers:

a) Where does around four-fi fths of marine litter start life? on land

b) What can happen if a piece of plastic gets stuck in a marine animal’s stomach?

The animal can starve to death.

c) What do seabirds think they are eating when they eat small pieces of plastic?

fish eggs

4. Complete the following quotation by Jessica:

“A gyre gets created when airflows moving from the tropics to the polar

regions create a rotating air mass. This air mass always moves in a clockwise

direction, which makes the surface current of an ocean move in the

same direction. As a result, you get huge areas of rubbish floating on

the surface of the ocean, and most of it is plastic. The biggest one is the Eastern

Garbage Patch in the north Pacifi c, but there are four other major ones

in the world’s oceans.”

5. Answer the following questions based on the information given in the text:

a) How does Ryan describe microplastics?

Pieces of plastic that are under five millimetres in diameter.

b) What environmental problem could result in more microplastics entering the

world’s oceans? global warming

3/3

4/4

3/3

Lösungen

9Saving the planet – ecological changes and challenges9.4 Plastic pollution of the world’s oceans ∆ 24

3© Helbling [printing/photocopying for use in class permitted]

c) Where else have large quantities of microplastics been found, besides the

Eastern Garbage Patch and the Arctic? on the bottom of the sea/on

the seabeds/off the coast of Chile

6. Multiple choice: Tick the correct answer.

a) Harry says microbeads should only be used on tender skin. can be found in many shampoos. may block drains if used excessively. should be replaced by natural products.

b) The Beat the Microbead campaign was started by the Marine Conservation Society. generates much of its income from sales of its apps. collects signatures to put pressure on manufacturers. produces a list of products containing microbeads.

1/1

1/1