Page 93 - English Vocabulary In Use upper intermediet and advance

The environment

There are many different words referring to features of the environment. Here are some
arranged on small to large scales.
brook -+ stream -+ river hillock -+ hill -+ mountain cove -+ bay -+ gulf
copse -+ wood -+ forest puddle -+ pond -+ lake footpath -+ lane -+ road

You have to be careful about the use of 'the' with features of the environment.
I
I use with the? example
countries France
countries which are in a plural form The USA
countries when limited by time The Spain of today
individual mountains Mount Everest
mountains in the Bernese Oberland The Jungfrau
mountain chains The Rockies
islands Sicily
groups of islands The West Indies
rivers The Volga
oceans The Pacific
seas The Mediterranean
gulfs, bays and straits The Gulf of Mexico
The Bay of Biscay
lakes Lake Erie
current The Gulf S'tream

Look at this encyclopaedia entry about Iceland and note any words that refer to particular
features of the environment.
Iceland An island republic in the North Atlantic. The landscape consists largely
of barren plains and mountains, with large ice fields particularly in the south
west. The island has active volcanoes and is known for its thermal springs and
geysers. With less than 1% of the land suitable for growing crops, the nation's
economy is based on fishing, and fish products account for 80% of the exports.
Area: 103,000 km2. Population: 227,000. Capital: Reykjavik.
L.
Here are some other nouns which are useful when talking about the environment. Check
their meanings with a dictionary if necessary.
Where land meets sea: coast shore beach estuary cliff cape peninsula
Words connected with rivers: source tributary waterfall mouth valley gorge
Words connected with mountains: foot ridge peak summit glacier

There are many environmental problems in the world today. Check with a dictionary if you
do not know any of the terms below.
air, river and sea pollution overfishing the greenhouse effect
the destruction of the ozone layer destruction of the rainforests
battery farming waste disposal overpopulation

English Vocabulary in Use