H4/V4 - Green Cities lesson

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 4

Green Cities:

Reading, listening & speaking practice

Instructions

• For today, split up into groups of 3/4
• Make sure one of your groupmates writes down the answers to the exercises, including the speaking parts. You need to hand them in later.
• Each part will have a timer so you know when to be done with an exercise with your group.
• Don't know a word? Ask your teacher or look it up online!

Answers 1

a) Green cities: embrace the importance of urban trees

b) Learn to meditate and retain your sanity in an ever-changing world

c) Home schooling: laying the foundations for your child’s future

d) Uncover the environmental benefits of a vegan diet

e) How trees purify the air

f) Politicians who stay committed to saving wildlife

g) How green foliage influences our mental health

Video: Why cities need trees

You are going to watch a video about the importance of trees in cities.

While watching, take notes. 

After, you will answers some 

questions, make sure to note 

down the answers of your group.

3. Video questions

a) What did two ancient cities, Uruk and Anuradhapura, have in common?

1. The population of both cities grew until the inhabitants couldn’t feed themselves.
   
2. Both relied heavily on irrigation systems.
   
3. Their irrigation systems turned out to be a failure.
   

b) Which of the following statements about trees is NOT correct?

1. They keep cities clean by retaining toxins.
   
2. They protect from mudslides and floods.
   
3. They purify the air.

c) What happened in Manhattan in the 1870s?

1. There were hardly any trees on the island and people started
   suffering from serious lung diseases.
   
2. Intense sunlight damaged buildings and caused sanitation standards to drop.
   
3. High temperatures combined with poor sanitation standards caused dangerous bacteria to breed.

d) How does green foliage influence our mental health?

1. Patients recover more quickly if hospitals are surrounded by trees.
   
2. It increases the quality of the air we breathe.
   
3. It helps us concentrate better.

e) What are Supertrees?

1. 50-metre tall vertical gardens
2. 50-metre tall trees
3. green areas in some megacities

Answers 3

a - 2

b - 1

c - 3

d - 3

e - 1

4. Match the sentence halves. 

a) It worked in concert

b) They absorbed

c) They contribute

d) It increased the resilience

e) It preserves

f) They sustain themselves

1) with solar energy and collected rainwater.

2) to pollution and natural disasters.

3) natural biodiversity.

4) with the surrounding forest.

5) to the city’s poor air quality.

6) too much solar radiation.

Answers 4

a - 4

b - 6

c - 5

d - 2

e -  3

f - 1

5. Discuss the questions in your group

Discuss these 5 questions based on the video you've just watched. 

Note down your group's answers.

1. Which part of the video surprised you the most?
2. Which three facts from the video would you use to convince people that more trees should be planted in cities?
   
3. Do you think that there are enough trees in your city or the area where you live? Is planting trees on the list of priorities for your local government?
   
4. Could too many trees in cities be dangerous? In what way?
   
5. Have you ever planted a tree? If so, tell the story, providing some detail.

6. Fill in the right word

6. Fill in the right word

Answers 6

a - 3

b - 3

c - 1

d - 4

e - 2

f - 4

g - 3

7. Ranking

Read the sentences in ex. 6 again and put the ideas in order of importance. Justify your ranking and write down your reasons.

a) Green areas which already exist in cities should be preserved

b) The local government should incorporate tree planting into urban development plans.

c) Schools should be committed to educating children about the importance of keeping urban areas green.

d) Cities should sustain themselves with renewable energy.

e) Citizens should recognise the importance of using public transport.

f) The local government should help people uncover the benefits of urban green areas, e.g. by organising community events in parks.

g) The local government should work in concert with the national authorities.

8. Green Future

Your city is launching a campaign called “Green Future”, aimed at educating people about the importance of trees in urban areas. Choose the best picture for the campaign poster. Justify your choice and explain why you didn’t pick the other pictures.

Hand in your group's answers