Unit 5. The Environment — Teacher’s Copy

Teacher’s notes — Unit 5: Reason writing (integrated) — the first integrated task in the course

Text type. Integrated reason paragraph, drawing on a reading text and a listening.

Key teaching points

Explicitly teach the difference between reading-based points and listening-based points. Students should be able to say where each idea came from.
“Use your own words” is critical. Model paraphrasing: read a sentence from the text, cover it, and write it again differently.
The note-taking table is new at this level. Walk students through it together the first time.
Part A requires an explanation of why the word is wrong, not just which one. This metacognitive step is the point of the exercise.
Part B errors are meaning-based, not grammatical. Teach students to ask: “does this linker fit what the sentence is doing?”
Students do not have the listening transcripts. They are behind the reveal buttons in this copy only.

Common student error. Summarising the two sources one after the other instead of building reasons out of them. If the paragraph reads “the reading says… the listening says…”, it needs rewriting.

Understand

About this text type

What is reason writing (integrated)?

A reason paragraph explains why something is important or why something happens. In an integrated writing task, you use ideas from both a reading text and a listening. You must use your own words — do not copy sentences from the sources.

Purpose. to explain and justify why something is important, using evidence from two sources.

Key features

Introduce the topic and signal that reasons are coming: … for several important reasons.
Use First of all, / Secondly / Finally to order your reasons clearly.
Use cause-and-effect language (because, as a result, therefore) to connect ideas.
Combine ideas from the reading and the listening — in your own words.
End with a final message or call to action.

Remember — your paragraph has three parts

Topic sentence. Introduce the topic and signal that you will give reasons. Do not copy the question.
Body sentences. Give 2–3 reasons from your notes. Use First of all, / Secondly, / For example, / As a result,
Concluding sentence. Summarise and give a recommendation. Use In conclusion, / To sum up, / Therefore,

Study

Grammar & vocabulary

Vocabulary bank

Word / phrase	Meaning	Example sentence
environment	the natural world — air, water and land around us	We must protect the environment for future generations.
pollution	harmful substances released into the air, water or land	Air pollution causes serious breathing problems in cities.
recycle	to process waste materials so they can be used again	Recycling glass and paper reduces the amount of waste.
climate change	long-term changes in global weather and temperature	Climate change is making droughts and floods more frequent.
natural resources	things found in nature that people use (water, oil, forests)	We must use natural resources far more carefully.
damage	harm caused to something by human or natural activity	Deforestation is seriously damaging biodiversity worldwide.
protect	to keep something safe from harm or destruction	Governments must do more to protect endangered habitats.
sustainable	meeting current needs without harming the environment long-term	Solar energy is a clean and sustainable source of power.

Grammar Cause and effect language

Structure	Example
… because + reason	We must protect forests because they produce the oxygen we breathe.
As a result, …	People cut down many trees. As a result, animals lose their homes.
Therefore, …	Pollution levels are rising. Therefore, we need urgent government action.
leads to / causes / results in	Burning fossil fuels causes air pollution and accelerates climate change.

Useful linking words Notice the example sentences — they show you exactly how to use each word.

Linking word	When to use it	Example sentence
First of all, / To begin with,	To introduce the first reason	First of all, the environment provides everything we need to survive.
Secondly, / Furthermore,	To add a second or third reason	Secondly, pollution is seriously damaging our health.
For example, / such as	To support a reason with a concrete example	For example, air pollution causes serious breathing problems.
As a result, / Therefore,	To show cause and effect	As a result, many animal species are disappearing forever.
In conclusion, / To sum up,	To end with a final message	In conclusion, protecting the environment is everyone’s duty.

Extra practice · Part A · Odd one out Three linking words are given. Two fit the meaning; one does not. Choose the one that does NOT fit, then say why.

1?, the environment gives us clean air, fresh water, and food. Without it, life would be impossible.

Why?

Therefore, — Two of these open an argument. The third one reports a consequence — but nothing has been said yet for this to be a consequence of.

2Millions of trees are cut down every year. ?, many animals are losing their natural habitats.

Why?

Furthermore, — Losing habitats is caused by the cutting down. Two of these show cause and effect; one just adds a separate new point.

3There are many things we can do to help the environment — ?we can recycle paper, glass, and metal.

Why?

In conclusion, — The dash introduces specific examples of the “many things”. One of these three ends a paragraph instead.

4Pollution damages our health, destroys ecosystems, and accelerates climate change. ?, everyone must take action now.

Why?

Secondly, — This sentence draws a final point from everything before it. One of these continues a numbered list instead of closing it.

Part B · Error correction Each sentence uses one linking word incorrectly. Write a linker that fits, then say why.

1The environment is in serious danger. ~~Secondly,~~ we must all take action immediately.

Why?

Therefore — No first point has been given, so nothing can be second. The second sentence is a result of the danger.

2Solar energy does not produce any pollution. ~~In conclusion,~~ it is a clean and sustainable source of power.

Why?

Therefore — The writer is still arguing, not finishing. Being clean is the effect of producing no pollution.

3There are many simple ways to help the environment — ~~therefore,~~ we can recycle our waste, save energy at home, and use public transport.

Why?

for example — What follows the dash is a list of examples of the “many simple ways”, not a consequence of them.

4~~As a result,~~ clean air, fresh water, and fertile soil are all essential for life on Earth. Without them, we cannot survive.

Why?

First of all — Nothing comes before this sentence, so it cannot be a consequence — it opens the argument.

Analyse

Sample paragraph

This is an integrated writing task. First read the text and listen to the talk, and take notes. Then study the sample paragraph to see how the notes are used.

Read Underline the most important ideas.

ReadingWhy We Need to Protect Our Environment

Our natural environment is the source of everything we need to live. Clean air, fresh water, and healthy soil help us grow food and stay alive. Without these things, life would be impossible. However, human activity is putting the environment in serious danger. Factories produce pollution that damages the air we breathe, and people cut down forests to build cities and farms. As a result, many animal species are losing their habitats and disappearing forever. Climate change is also making the situation worse — rising global temperatures are causing stronger storms, more frequent floods, and severe droughts in many parts of the world. In conclusion, we must protect the environment urgently because our health, our food supply, and our future all depend on it.

Listen Twice — take notes as you go.

ListeningWhat Can We Do for the Environment?

Play it twice. Students do not have the transcript.

TranscriptWhat Can We Do for the Environment?

Many people ask what they can personally do to help protect the environment. The good news is that small, everyday actions can make a real difference when millions of people make them. First of all, we can reduce the amount of waste we produce. For example, using reusable shopping bags instead of plastic ones, and recycling paper, glass, and metal all significantly reduce the waste that ends up in landfill. Secondly, we should try to use less energy at home. Simple habits like turning off lights when we leave a room and not wasting water can save a surprising amount of energy over time. Furthermore, we can choose to walk, cycle, or use public transport instead of driving a car. These choices reduce air pollution and help slow down climate change. To sum up, protecting the environment begins with small, everyday decisions that every person can make.

Take notes One box for each source.

Why does the environment matter?

Reading

It provides everything we need to live — clean air, fresh water and healthy soil for growing food. Without these things, life would be impossible.

Listening

What each person does matters: small, everyday actions make a real difference when millions of people take them.

What problems is human activity causing?

Reading

Factories pollute the air; forests are cut down for cities and farms, so animals lose their habitats; climate change brings stronger storms, more floods and severe droughts.

Listening

Too much waste going to landfill; too much energy used at home; air pollution from driving instead of walking, cycling or using public transport.

What does each source say we should do?

Reading

Act urgently — our health, our food supply and our future all depend on it.

Listening

Use reusable bags and recycle paper, glass and metal; turn off lights and avoid wasting water; walk, cycle or use public transport.

Study the sample paragraph

Read the paragraph, then use the panel beside it to see how it is built. Click any row to light up that sentence.

Why We Must Protect the Environment

It is important to protect the environment for several crucial reasons. First of all, the environment provides everything we need to survive — clean air, fresh water, and fertile soil for growing food. If we continue to damage these natural resources through pollution and deforestation, our health and food supply will be seriously at risk. Secondly, human activity is already causing visible and devastating changes to our planet. According to the reading, cutting down forests is destroying animal habitats, while factories and vehicles release pollution that causes breathing problems in millions of people. Furthermore, climate change is making extreme weather events like floods and droughts more frequent and more severe around the world. However, the situation is not hopeless. As the listening points out, there are many simple actions we can take — recycling our waste, reducing energy use at home, and choosing public transport over private cars. In conclusion, protecting the environment is not just a personal choice — it is a shared responsibility that every individual, business, and government must take seriously before it is too late.

Topic sentenceBody sentencesConcluding sentence

Discussion Talk to your partner.

What information did the writer take from the reading text? What came from the listening?
Does the writer copy sentences from the sources, or use their own words? How can you tell?
What do you personally do to protect the environment? What could you do more?

Which source. Reasons 1 and 2 come from the reading — air, water and soil; deforestation, pollution and climate change. The solutions come from the listening — recycling, energy use, public transport. The writer signals this openly with According to the reading and As the listening points out, which is worth pointing out as a technique.
Own words. Paraphrased throughout. Compare healthy soil help us grow food in the reading with fertile soil for growing food in the paragraph — same idea, different wording. No sentence is lifted whole from either source.
Personally. Answers vary. Push for one specific habit rather than “I recycle” — what exactly, how often, and what makes it hard to keep up.

Practise

Controlled exercises

Exercise 1 Match each cause (1–4) to its effect (A–D).

Word	Answer	Definition
1. People cut down too many trees.		A. Sea levels are rising around the world.
2. Factories release gases into the air.		B. Animals and birds lose their natural homes.
3. Ice caps are melting rapidly.		C. City residents suffer from serious breathing problems.
4. People waste too much water.		D. Clean drinking water is becoming increasingly scarce.

1→B · 2→C · 3→A · 4→D

Exercise 2 Complete the paragraph with the linkers below. Use each one once.

First of allAs a resultSecondlyFor exampleIn conclusion

1Protecting the environment is something everyone should think about. , pollution is a serious problem in many cities around the world.

First of all — This is the first point in the paragraph.

2Many people prefer driving private cars to using public transport. , traffic pollution in city centres is getting worse every year.

As a result — Worse traffic pollution is the consequence of everyone driving.

3, there are simple things everyone can do to help — recycling waste, saving water, and using less electricity at home.

Secondly — The paragraph turns to its second main point here.

4, small changes in our daily habits can make a big difference.

For example — By elimination, this is the one that is left — see the teacher’s note if this one feels odd to you.

5, every one of us has a part to play in protecting our planet.

In conclusion — The last sentence closes the paragraph.

Write

Your own paragraph

This is an integrated writing task. Read, listen and take notes first — then plan and write.

Read Take notes as you read.

ReadingThe Plastic Problem in Our Oceans

Every year, millions of tonnes of plastic waste end up in the world’s oceans. Much of it comes from everyday items such as bottles, packaging and shopping bags, which are used once and then thrown away. Because plastic does not break down naturally, it can remain in the sea for hundreds of years. Sea birds, turtles and fish often mistake small pieces of plastic for food, and many of them die as a result. Larger pieces are equally dangerous, because animals become trapped in them and can no longer swim or feed properly. Over time, plastic slowly breaks into tiny fragments known as microplastics. These fragments are now found in seawater, in sand and even in the fish that people buy at the market, which means that the waste we throw away eventually returns to our own plates. Healthy oceans are essential for life on Earth: they produce a large part of the oxygen we breathe and they help to control the world’s climate. If we continue to treat the sea as a rubbish bin, we will damage a system that every living thing depends on. The good news is that this problem can be reduced. Every bottle that is refilled instead of replaced, every bag that is reused, and every piece of rubbish that is carried home from the beach rather than left behind keeps a little more plastic out of the water.

Listen Twice — take notes as you go.

ListeningTurning the Tide on Plastic

Play it twice. Students do not have the transcript.

TranscriptTurning the Tide on Plastic

Good morning, everyone. Last week we read about how much plastic ends up in the sea, and about the sea birds, turtles and fish that die because of it. Rubbish left on a beach does not stay there either — the tide carries it straight out into the water. Today I want to look at what is actually being done about it, because the situation is not hopeless. Let us start with water. Many cities now install free drinking fountains in parks and in the street, so that people can refill a bottle instead of buying a new one. In some places this removes thousands of plastic bottles from the shops every week. A second measure is the deposit-return scheme. When you buy a drink, you pay a small extra sum, and you get that money back when you return the empty bottle to a machine in a supermarket. In countries that use this system, more than nine out of ten bottles are collected and recycled. Thirdly, a growing number of cities have banned the items that cause the most damage: plastic bags, straws, and disposable cups and plates. Shops and cafés have to offer paper or reusable alternatives instead. Finally, there are community beach clean-ups, where volunteers of all ages spend a morning collecting rubbish from the sand and recording what they find. None of this is complicated or expensive. It simply requires a decision — by governments, by businesses and by each of us.

Take notes One box for each source.

Where does the plastic come from?

Reading

Everyday single-use items — bottles, packaging and shopping bags — used once and then thrown away.

Listening

Drinks bottles; plastic bags, straws and disposable cups and plates; rubbish left behind on beaches.

Why is plastic such a serious problem?

Reading

It does not break down naturally and can remain in the sea for hundreds of years; healthy oceans produce much of the oxygen we breathe and help control the climate, so the damage affects every living thing.

Listening

Bags, straws and disposable cups and plates are named as the items that cause the most damage; free refill points remove thousands of plastic bottles from the shops every week.

What effects does it have on wildlife and people?

Reading

Birds, turtles and fish mistake small pieces for food, or become trapped in larger pieces, and die; microplastics are now in seawater, sand and the fish we buy — the waste returns to our own plates.

Listening

Sea birds, turtles and fish die because of plastic; rubbish left on a beach is carried out into the water by the tide.

What can be done about it?

Reading

Refill bottles instead of replacing them, reuse bags, and carry rubbish home from the beach rather than leaving it behind.

Listening

Free drinking fountains for refilling bottles; deposit-return schemes (over nine out of ten bottles recycled); city bans on bags, straws and disposable cups and plates; community beach clean-ups.

Plan and write

Why is it important to protect the environment? Use your notes from the reading and the listening to write a paragraph of at least 130 words.

One paragraph · three parts · minimum 130 words.

My plan Notes first — then write.

Topic sentence ideaReason 1 (from the reading)Reason 2 (from the reading)Solutions (from the listening)Concluding sentence

Self-check Tick each box when you are sure.

Topic sentence. I introduced my main idea in my own words — I did not copy the question.
Linking words. I used at least three different linking words to connect my sentences.
Example. I included at least one example using For example, / For instance, / such as.
Concluding sentence. I ended with a sentence that summarises my main idea. I used In conclusion, / To sum up, / Overall,
Proofreading. I read my paragraph again and checked my spelling and punctuation.

0 of 5 checked.

My paragraph

0 / 130 words

Nothing is saved automatically. Copy or save your paragraph before you close this tab — only your own writing is saved, not the exercises.

Sample answer For modelling and for calibrating your marking.

Task. Why is it important to protect the environment? Use your notes from the reading and the listening to write a paragraph of at least 130 words.
200 words · band: strong pass

Protecting the environment has become one of the most urgent issues of our time, and there are several compelling reasons why we must all act now. Topic sentence: signals integrated reasons First of all, as the reading text explains, the plastic we throw away never really disappears. Bottles, bags and packaging that are used for only a few minutes can remain in the sea for hundreds of years, and as a result sea birds, turtles and fish either swallow them or become trapped in them and die. Reason 1 from the reading, in own words Secondly, the damage eventually comes back to us. Tiny fragments of plastic are now found in seawater, in sand and even in the fish we buy at the market, while the same oceans produce much of the oxygen we breathe and help to control the climate. Reason 2 from the reading + effect However, the listening makes it clear that the problem can be solved. Cities that install free drinking fountains, introduce deposit-return schemes for bottles, ban items such as straws and disposable cups, and organise community beach clean-ups are already keeping enormous quantities of plastic out of the sea. Solutions from the listening In conclusion, protecting the environment is not a distant concern but a shared responsibility, and every government, business and individual has a part to play. Conclusion: call to action

Marking focusIdeas from BOTH sources includedNo sentences copied from the textsFirst of all / Secondly / In conclusion usedAt least one cause-and-effect structure (because / as a result / therefore)

Optional activity

Environmental pledge poster

20 minutes · Writing + integrated note use

Using their note-taking table, students write a short “Environmental Pledge” of 3–4 sentences stating one problem from the reading, one action they personally commit to (from the listening), and one reason why that action matters.
Students display their pledges and do a gallery walk, noting which action is chosen most often.
Discuss as a class why that action is the popular one — is it the most effective, or just the easiest?

Extension. Students write a second version of their pledge addressed to their local government, using formal language and modal verbs (should / must).

✓

Answer key at a glance

Prints with the page

B · Part A — odd one out
1 clean air, fresh water and food	Therefore — it signals a consequence, but this sentence introduces the FIRST reason.
2 trees cut down / animals lose habitats	Furthermore — it adds a new separate point, but this sentence shows the RESULT.
3 many things we can do — recycle…	In conclusion — it ends a paragraph, but the dash introduces a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE.
4 pollution damages… take action now	Secondly — it continues a list, but this sentence draws a FINAL conclusion.
B · Part B — error correction
1 Secondly →	Therefore / As a result — no first point was given, and this is a result.
2 In conclusion →	Therefore / As a result — mid-argument; being clean is the effect.
3 therefore →	for example / such as — the dash introduces a list of examples.
4 As a result →	First of all / To begin with — this sentence opens the argument.
D · Exercise 1 — cause and effect
1 trees cut down	B
2 factories release gases	C
3 ice caps melting	A
4 water wasted	D
D · Exercise 2 — gap fill
1	First of all
2	As a result
3	Secondly
4	For example
5	In conclusion