Introduction to students
You, Me and the World has been designed to help you learn English while studying about
global and social issues. In each unit, you will find all or most of the following activities.

Discussion
Each unit begins with a discussion called Talking about the Topic. There is at least one discussion
later in each unit. If at first you are nervous about discussing topics in English, you could
think about the questions and prepare answers before class. However, the main aim of thissection is to develop confidence in exchanging opinions and ideas in English without advance
preparation.

Words in Context
This section presents words you may need to know for the listening section. These words arepresented in a context that enables you to guess what they mean and thus develop a skill thatis useful for listening, reading and spontaneous vocabulary acquisition. You can check themeanings in a dictionary later if you have any doubts.

Listening
In this section, some tasks involve answering questions and others involve taking notes on an
outline. However, in real life there are usually no questions or outlines, so it is important to also
practice listening and taking notes with a blank sheet of paper. Watching videos on YouTube is agreat way to practice listening and note-taking, especially if you can turn off the Closed Captionfunction.

3

Read and ShareIn this section, each student gets a chance to be a teacher. For each unit, there are four or fivedifferent reading passages at the back of the textbook. After forming a group, each member
will choose a different reading passage. Please decide quickly, as you will need plenty of time tocomplete this section. The reading passages are completely out of sequence, so you canʼt andshouldnʼt read any passage other than your own while doing this activity.
There are two formats:Presentation format
Read the passage you have chosen quietly and prepare to present and explain it (including
important words that the other students might not know). Donʼ t spend too long on
preparation, because we have plenty of other things to do! When each student is ready, youwill take turns to present your passages to the group. Presenters should pause frequently
to allow the other students to take notes or to ask them to repeat or explain something.
When the presenter has finished, the other students will try to summarize what they havefound out using their notes. The speaker should provide prompts if necessary and correct
any mistakes. When speaking, try to maintain eye contact. When listening, focus on what the
speaker is saying and on taking brief notes.
Q & A format
Read the passage you have chosen and prepare to answer questions about it. The questions
are shown in the textbook. When each student is ready, decide who will be the first to
answer questions. The other students will ask the questions provided. They may ask further
questions if they want additional details or clarification. Finally, they will try to summarize
what they have found out.

Vocabulary Review
This focuses on your ability to produce in context the words that you encounter in the Words inContext sections. It is better to write your answers on a separate sheet of paper rather than the
textbook so that you can review regularly.

4

Writing
Each unit has one or more writing projects that may be assigned for homework. They generally
involve some kind of research. Your teacher will provide specific guidelines. However, there
is one rule you must never forget: every essay or report that you write must be in your own

English. If you want to include a few words from the original source, be sure to make this clear
by using quotation marks (“.......”) and showing the source (e.g. According to ...).
You may be asked to present your research in addition to, or instead of, a written report.

Other sections
The following sections are included in one or more units. Instructions are provided.
Survey (Unit 1)
Consolidation (Units 5, 6 and 8)
Project (Units 3, 9, 10, 11 and 14)
Brainstorming (Units 8 and 9)
Role Play (Units 1, 5 and 7)
Keeping up to date
Global and social issues are constantly evolving and facts keep changing. For example, thefirst edition of this book anticipated climate change and some serious consequences. We
now know it is already occurring, and the impacts appear regularly in the news. However,
we also have clear targets and more options for dealing with it. Whenever you come acrossimportant new information, please check that it comes from a reliable source and then shareit with your teacher and classmates.

5General Tips for Listening
1 Practice every day. Start with easy tasks. You can find plenty of free practice on theInternet, including many interesting videos on YouTube.
2

You can listen to English on TV and radio too.

3

When you listen to English on the Internet, you can use the pause button on your PC or
smartphone anytime to stop and repeat or think about what you heard. It is better to use
the pause button many times than to listen to the whole thing many times. But you should
also practice without pauses.

4

Don ʼ t try to understand every word; it is usually not necessary and sometimes it is
impossible.

5

Pay attention to what the speaker is saying now; donʼt focus on what the speaker has
already said.

6

Donʼt try to translate in your head. Just focus on understanding the key points: who did
what, where & when, why ...?

7

Be an active listener: take notes, join in the conversation, make comments.

8

Do your listening in a quiet place, with no distractions, or use headphones.

9

If you like movies, try watching a movie in Japanese first and then watch it in English. Or
read the book in Japanese and then watch the movie in English.

10 Try watching movies and documentaries on YouTube with and without Closed Captions or
subtitles.
11 And finally: relax and enjoy listening to English!

6Expressions for Use in Discussion
1 Asking for repetition or for the
speaker to slow down●

Could you say that again, please?

●

Sorry, could you repeat that?
Sorry, could you speak more slowly,●

please?

7 Saying it another way●

In other words ...

What I mean is ...
● To put it another way ...
●8 Taking a turn & interruptingIʼd like to add a comment, if I may.
● Could I add something?
● Excuse me for interrupting, but ...
●2 Asking for clarification●●

Could you explain that?
What exactly do you mean?

Iʼm afraid I donʼt understand.
● Could you give me an example?
●

3 Confirming understanding
Do you mean ...?
● So ..., right?
● If I understand correctly, ...
●9 Offering a turn
What do you think?
● Do you agree?
● What are your views on this?
● Does anyone have a different opinion?
●

10 Asking opinions●

4 Asking for further information
Can you tell me a bit more about ...?
● Do you have any other examples/
reasons/data?
●

5 Showing understanding
●

OK.

●

I see.

6 Checking listenerʼs comprehension●

OK?

Did you follow that?
● Would you like me to explain that

What do you think about ...?

How do you feel about ...?
● Whatʼs your opinion of ...?
● What are your views on ...?
●

11 Giving opinions●

I think ...

In my opinion ...
● I donʼt really care.
● Iʼm not really interested.
● I donʼt know much about that.
● Iʼve never really thought about it.
●●again?
● Do you have any questions?

12 Agreeing and disagreeing●●

I agree.
I think so too.

I agree to some extent.
● Thatʼs true, but on the other hand, ...
●7

Really? Why?
● Oh, I wouldnʼt say that.
● Iʼm afraid I (totally) disagree.
●

18 Conceding●

I hadnʼt thought of that.

Thatʼs a good point.
● Really? I didnʼt know that.
●

13 Reacting●

Really? That ʼ s great/interesting/surprising/shocking ...

14 Asking for, making and responding
to suggestions
What do you think we should do?
● Do you have any ideas/suggestions?
● How about ...?
● Why donʼt we ...?
● We could ...
● Thatʼs a great idea!
● That sounds good.
● I doubt if that would work.
●●

It might be better to ...

15 Disputing facts
Are you sure about that?
● Really? I thought ...
●16 Asking someone to back up astatement●

Really? What makes you think that?

Can you give an example?
● How do you know that?

19 Offering a counter argument
That may be so, but ...
● Yes, but on the other hand ...
●●20 Questioning relevance
What does ... have to do with ...?
Are you sure thatʼs relevant?
● I doubt if that makes much difference.
● Thatʼs beside the point.
● So what?
●●

21 Referring backAs I mentioned earlier, ...
● As youʼve already pointed out, ...
●22 Returning to the main issue
If I may, Iʼd like to go back to what
you said about ...
● Can we get back to the original issue?
● Letʼs go back to the question of ...
● I think we ʼ re getting away from the●●17 Providing support
For example, ...
● According to ....,●For instance, ...
● ... such as ...
●8

I take your point, but ...

main issue.

23 Using hedging devices whenunsure of the facts
Iʼm not sure, but I think ...
● I may be wrong, but Iʼve heard ...
● If Iʼm not mistaken, ...
●Contents
Unit 1

Waste and Recycling ‥‥‥‥ 10

Unit 2

Sustainable Cities ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 18

Unit 3

Energy ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 26

Unit 4

Climate Change ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 34

Unit 5Endangered Species ‥‥‥‥ 42

Unit 6

Tropical Rainforests ‥‥‥‥‥ 50

Unit 7

Tourism ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 56

Unit 8Developing Countries ‥‥‥ 64

Unit 9Peace and Conflict ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 74

Unit 10 Refugees and Migrants ‥‥ 84
Unit 11 The United Nations ‥‥‥‥‥ 92
Unit 12 Human Rights ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 100
Unit 13 Gender Issues ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 106
Unit 14 Health and Longevity ‥‥‥ 112
General Tips for Listening ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 6
Expressions for Use in Discussion ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 7
Read and Share ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 119

9

UNIT 1WASTE
AND
RECYCLING

Unit Goals
In this unit, you will find out about:・sustainable and unsustainable approaches togarbage management
・urban mining
・the merits and demerits of plastic bags

1

Talking about the Topic

Discuss the following questions with a partner or in a small group.

How much garbage do you and your family throw away each week?
What could you do to reduce that amount?
● What kinds of trash can be recycled where you live?
● What happens to trash that isnʼt recycled?
●
●

10

2

Words in Context

What do you think the words and phrases in bold type below mean? Try to guess, and thencheck them in a dictionary.
Tip: You can often guess the meanings of unfamiliar words from the context.
□ We should deal with this problem before itʼs too late.
□ All the garbage that canʼt be recycled or burned is dumped in landfills.
□ My solar panel generates all the electricity I need.
□ Incineration of garbage is convenient but it causes air pollution.
□ Dumping bottles and cans in a landfill is a waste of resources.
□ Itʼs cheaper to buy imported paper than to recycle it, so recycling isnʼt profitable.
□ They recycle gold, platinum and other precious metals.
□ Some people extract aluminum cans from garbage dumps and sell them to recyclers.
□ I agree with a ban on plastic straws, but overall, I think plastic is a great invention.
□ Plastic bags have been banned in many countries.

11

3

Listening

How to Deal with Garbage

DL 02

CD02

A Listen and write your answers to the following questions. Then share your answers witha partner or in a small group.
1 What are the three main ways of dealing with garbage?
・・・

2 What are the advantages and disadvantages of incineration?
3 Which approach is best for the environment?
4 How much of San Franciscoʼs waste is recycled?
5 What helps Norway to recycle all of its PET bottles?
6 What happens to most of Japanʼs garbage?
7 What is Kamikatsuchoʼs big ambition?
8 How is it trying to achieve that?
9 How did recycling support the 2020 Summer Olympics?
10 What is urban mining?
11 Why did many people join a campaign to ban plastic straws?
12 Why are plastic bags popular?
13 What was the conclusion of the BBC report about the use of plastic bags?

B
12

Present a short summary of what you have found out.

UNIT 1

4

WASTE AND RECYCLING

Discussion

Discuss the following questions with a partner or in a small group.
Tip: We often express opinions with phrases such as: In my opinion ...
We can agree or disagree like this:I (completely) agree.

I agree to some extent.

Iʼm afraid I disagree.

Why is Japanʼs recycling rate so low?
● What do you think of Norwayʼs PET bottle deposit system?
● Would you be willing to sort your garbage into 45 categories?
● Are there any other ways to achieve zero waste?
● How could a plastic straw end up in a turtleʼs nose?
● Do you think plastic straws should be banned?
● What about plastic bags?
●

13

5

Read and Share

More about Garbage

Form a small group. Each member will choose one reading passage. Read yours carefully
and be ready to present and explain it. The other members will listen and take notes withoutlooking at the reading passages. After each presentation, they will report what they have foundout. The presenter will add anything they overlooked and correct any misunderstandings.
Tip: Useful expressions:
Listeners
Could you say that again, please? Could you explain that, please?
Could you speak a little more slowly, please?
Sorry, could you repeat your explanation about ...?
Speakers
Shall I repeat that? Would you like me to explain that?
Do you have any questions?

The ʻrʼs of garbage management

Used electrical appliances

Paper

Drink containers

14

UNIT 1

6

SurveyWASTE AND RECYCLING

How Green Are You?

Work with a partner. Interview each other. Ask the following questions. Score your answers
as shown and then calculate the total.
1 Which of the following things do you recycle?
□ PET bottles□ Cans (drink and food containers)□ Paper cartons (for milk and juice)□ Glass jars (for jam, etc.)□ Styrofoam trays□ Newspapers and magazines□ ClothesAward yourself one point for each ʻYesʼ or ʻI never use these productsʼ.:2 Do you sometimes buy□ second-hand goods? What? (e.g. books, umbrellas, etc.)□ things made of recycled materials? What? (e.g. printer paper)□ things with no packaging? What?
□ refills (e.g. for ballpoint pens, shampoo, printer ink, etc.)

Award yourself one point for each ʻYesʼ.:
3 Do you sometimes□ bring your own bag to the supermarket?
□ bring your own lunchbox or flask?
□ give away or sell books and other things that you no longer need?
□ get things repaired when they break, or repair them yourself? (What?)Award yourself one point for each ʻYesʼ.:4 Do you ever□ buy things you donʼt need?
□ buy disposable goods (e.g. cheap ballpoint pens or paper cups & plates)□ throw away food? (Why?)□ buy takeaway drinks with plastic cups or straws?
□ buy ʻfast fashionʼ garments?
□ buy things that canʼt be safely disposed of after use? (e.g. bleach)Take off one penalty point for each ʻYesʼ.:Your Score:15

7Role Play

City Garbage Policy

A Form a small group. You are the councilors of a small city. Your city has just one landfill,
and it is full. There is no space for a new one. You also have an old incinerator that emits
harmful gases. A court has ordered you to close it. Decide what to do.
Tip: We can make suggestions like this:Why donʼt we ...?

How about ...ing ...?
Maybe we could ... Letʼs ...

What if we ...?

We can respond like this:Thatʼs a good/great idea. That wouldnʼt help much.
I donʼt think that would be a good idea/effective.
Proposals
12345B Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each proposal. Finally, prepare yourofficial statement to the local citizens.

16

UNIT 1

8

WASTE AND RECYCLING

Vocabulary Review

Fill each space with a suitable word or phrase from this unit. You may need to change somewords so that they fit grammatically.
1 There are no cigarette vending machines here: they were, but now itʼs losing money.

2 Her business used to be very
3

last year.

means burning stuff we want to get rid of.

4 The trash in old

includes some interesting and valuable things.

5 This machine cangold and other valuable metals from old smartphones.

6 This small power station
7 The best way to

2,000 kilowatts of electricity a day.
PET bottles is to wash and recycle them.

8 This country is rich, due to its valuable
9 Nothing is moresuch as gold and oil.

than life itself.

10 Sorting trash into 36 different types is extreme, but, I think recycling

is good.

9

Writing

Find out about the garbage management policies of San Francisco and a large city in yourown country, compare them and write a report.
Tips:
1 Be sure to choose reliable sources of information when using the internet, such as reports bygovernment agencies (.gov), well-established NGOs (.org) and academic institutions (.edu).
2 Make sure the information is both correct and up-to-date.
3 If your sources are English (many teachers require this), the teacher will want to be surethat you wrote your report by yourself and didnʼt just copy it. To avoid that risk, you should- use more than one source- use paraphrase and summary- use “quotation marks” for any sentences that you found in the original.
4 To be absolutely sure of writing it in your own English, first take notes in your own
language and use those notes to write the report.
5 Use in-text citation and references to show where your information and ideas came from.

17

Read and Share -Key to reading passages
Unit 1 Waste and Recycling
1 The ʻrʼs of Garbage Management ‥ 121
15 Used Electrical Appliances ‥‥‥ 126
29 Paper‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 131
43 Drink Containers ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 136
Unit 2 Sustainable Cities
2 Copenhagen ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 121
16 Oslo ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 126
30 Freiburg ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 131
44 Vienna ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 136
Unit 3 Energy

3
17
31
45
57

Solar Energy ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 122
Geothermal Energy ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 127
Tidal Energy ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 132
Wind Energy ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 137
Hydrogen ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 141

Unit 4 Climate Change

4
18
32
46

Renewable Energy ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 122
Plant-based Diets ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 127
Planting Trees ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 132
CCS ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 137

Unit 5 Endangered Species

5
19
33
47
58

The Black Rhinoceros ‥‥‥‥‥ 122
The Californian Condor ‥‥‥‥ 127
Polar Bears ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 132
Mountain Gorillas ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 137
Learʼs Macaw ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 141

Unit 6 Tropical Rainforests

6
20
34
48

Payment for Ecosystem Services 123
Ecotourism ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 128
Carbon Offsets ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 133
Debt-for-Nature Agreements ‥ 138

Unit 7 Tourism

7
21
35
49

Runa Tupari ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 123
Tumani Tenda ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 128
REST ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 133
Chalalan Lodge ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 138

Unit 8 Developing Countries
8 Hunger ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 123
22 Disease ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 128
36 Illiteracy ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 133
50 Unemployment ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 138
59 Homelessness ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 142
Unit 9 Peace and Conflict
ICAN ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 124
WFP ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 129
MSF ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 134
ICBL ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 139

9
23
37
51

Unit 10 Refugees and Migrants
A Refugee Weightlifter ‥‥‥‥ 124
Refugee Musicians ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 129
Refugee Farmers ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 134
A Climate Refugee? ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 139

10
24
38
52

Unit 11 The United Nations
UNICEF ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 124
UNESCO ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 129
FAO ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 134
WHO ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 139
UNEP ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 142

11
25
39
53
60

Unit 12 Human Rights

12
26
40
54

Martin Luther King Jr. ‥‥‥‥‥ 125
Peter Benenson ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 130
Craig Kielburger‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 135
Fashion Revolution ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 140

Unit 13 Gender Issues

13
27
41
55

Maria Montessori ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 125
Malala Yousafzai ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 130
Marie Curie ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 135
Florence Nightingale ‥‥‥‥‥ 140

Unit 14 Health and Longevity

14
28
42
56

Life Expectancy in Okinawa ‥‥ 125
Blue Zones ‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥ 130
Long Life in Monaco ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 135
How to Live to 120 ‥‥‥‥‥‥ 140

119

Instructions for Read and Share section
The main aim of this section is to practice presentation, conversation management and notetaking. Students will work in groups of 3 to 5 members. In each Read and Share section, there
are some short readings related to the theme of the unit. For example, Unit 1 has five topics.
Each member of the group will choose a different reading. (If the number of members doesnʼtmatch the number of readings, some students can work with two readings, or some readings
can be skipped.)
There are two formats.
Presentation (e.g. Unit 1)
Each student will study a topic and then present it, with pauses for the other members totake short notes. The other students will then summarize what they have found out and thepresenter will correct any mistakes.
Q & A (Units 3, 5, 7 and 8)
Each student will study a topic and then answer questions about that topic from the othermembers. The other students will write the answers. Using those answers, they will thensummarize what they have found out.
With both formats, students will need to be ready to explain not only the content but also thelanguage, using paraphrase, explaining unfamiliar words, and so on.
Try to use these expressions.
Presenters:Iʼm going to tell you about ...
Did you understand?
Would you like me to repeat that?
In other words, ...
Do you have any questions?
So what did you find out from my presentation?
Other members:
Could you say that again, please?
Excuse me. Could you speak more slowly, please?
Could we have a little more time to write the answers?
What did you say about ...?
Did you say ...?
120

1 The ʻrʼs of Garbage Management (Unit 1)
People often talk about the three ʻrʼs of waste management: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Thatmeans we should reduce the amount of stuff we buy and use, reuse things such as supermarket
bags, and recycle drink cans and other containers. But there are more ʻrʼs that can help us
improve our garbage management. For example, we can repair things like broken umbrellas(or get them repaired), we can recharge our batteries instead of buying new ones, and we
can refill our ballpoint pens instead of buying new ones. And what can we do with old houses
instead of demolishing them? Renovate them. It saves money and resources. We should also
refrain from buying disposable goods, and reject pressure from the advertising industry to buy
stuff we donʼt need. And of course, we must refuse the plastic bags offered by supermarket
clerks. Above all, waste management has to do with our attitudes. We must resolve to live
more sustainably, redefine happiness in a way that includes having less stuff, and respect theenvironment!

2 Copenhagen (Unit 2)
Copenhagen is a relatively small city with a big ambition: to be carbon-neutral before 2030.
During the period from 2005 to 2015, they cut their emissions by over 40%. The cityʼs electricity
comes from a power station that burns wood chips (a renewable resource) and from an
incinerator which is so clean that it has a park on top. Waste heat from the power station is used
to heat 98% of all homes. 58% of their garbage is recycled–98% if you include whatʼs burned
to produce electricity. Most buses are electric, but 55% of the cityʼs residents cycle every day.
There are over 360 kilometers of bicycle-only routes. Less than 30% of all households own a car.
25% of the food sold is organic, and there are many vegan and vegetarian restaurants. Several
have their own kitchen gardens or rooftop farms. A lot of the residents live in co-housing
communities, where they share a garden and other amenities.

121

15 Used Electrical Appliances (Unit 1)
Until 2001, Japanese manufacturers had little interest in what happened to their products after
they broke down. But then the government introduced strict recycling regulations making the
manufacturers responsible for proper disposal of unwanted air conditioners, TVs, refrigerators andwashing machines. Computers were added to the list in 2003. As recycling technology developed,
it became possible to cut costs, and eventually it was cheaper to recycle than to import some of themetals needed. It was also better for the environment. For example, cellphones contain coltan, whichis mined in Africa. The mines are very poorly regulated, and the natural environment is destroyed.
But now coltan and other important minerals such as gold and copper can be recovered from oldcellphones and other devices. Whatʼs more, some researchers think the worldʼs largest supply of
valuable metals may actually be in Japanʼs old landfills.

16 Oslo (Unit 2)
Osloʼs main climate goal is to cut its overall carbon emissions to zero by 2030. The city islucky enough to be the capital of Norway, a country that gets 98.5% of its electricity fromhydropower and wind, and has enough leftover to sell to its neighbors. The cityʼs trams andmetro are electric, and from 2025, all new cars sold in Norway must be electric. Of course, all theelectricity used by cars will be from renewable energy, but the buses will run on biogas madefrom food waste. Biomass plants also provide district heating for homes. Much of Osloʼs waste isrecycled. The rest is burned in incinerators that donʼt emit greenhouse gases because they use
carbon capture and storage. Oslo was chosen as the European Green Capital in 2017, and one
reason was the fact that 72% of the city is green space. This is said to be the highest proportionin the world for a capital city.

126

29 Paper (Unit 1)
As you probably know, most paper is made from wood pulp, which comes from trees. In Japan,
about 80% of all waste paper is recycled. Thatʼs important for three reasons. First, to produce
new paper, trees have to be cut. Cutting trees and not replacing them is one cause of climatechange. Second, making new paper uses a lot more energy than recycling it. Third, when paper
is burned, it emits harmful gases such as chlorine. So why donʼt we recycle all of our paper? For
one thing, the fibers in the pulp become weaker each time itʼs recycled. For another, itʼs difficultand expensive to recycle certain kinds of paper products, such as paper cups and photos. A
further problem is that it often costs less to import cheap virgin pulp from countries such as
Indonesia, than to recycle paper in Japan. We should at least make sure that our paper comesfrom sustainably-managed forests.

30 Freiburg (Unit 2)
Freiburg is said to be the greenest city in Germany. It all began in 1975 when residents opposeda decision to build a nuclear power plant nearby. Various environmental institutes were created,
and a cluster of green businesses developed, focusing on energy, architecture, services, andenvironmental protection. The worldʼs first carbon-negative house was built here. Freiburghas 400 kilometers of bicycle paths, and 40% of the town is forest, certified by the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC). That forest has Germanyʼs tallest tree: 63 meters tall. There are about
22,000 trees along the streets. The city center is car-free. Freiburg has more solar panels thanany other city in Germany, despite only having 230,000 residents. One goal is for all of theirelectricity to be from renewable sources by 2035.

131

43 Drink Containers (Unit 1)
Drinks can be sold in PET bottles, metal cans, glass bottles and paper packs. Manufacturers
like PET bottles because theyʼre strong, light and cheap to make. About seven billion are usedevery year in Japan, and approximately 95% are recycled. Thatʼs good, because a lot of energy
is needed to make them, and theyʼre hard to get rid of. They release harmful gases whenburned and take a long time to degrade in landfills. Metal cans are also popular, especially invending machines, and the recycling rate for them is high too. On the other hand, glass bottles
are heavy and break easily, so they tend to be used mostly for alcoholic drinks and expensive
cooking oil. Products such as milk and fruit juice are commonly sold in paper packages, andthese also have high recycling rates. But as recycling technology improves, we should be able
to achieve 100% recycling rates for all drink containers in order to protect the environment andsave resources.

44 Vienna (Unit 2)
Vienna is often described as the worldʼs most livable city. Itʼs also one of the most sustainable.
First, itʼs very green: around half of the city consists of woods, fields, parks, gardens, lawns andeven vineyards. Thereʼs also a large natural wetland with over 100 kinds of birds. Second, thecity has an excellent public transport network carrying 966 million passengers a year on trams,
metro and buses covering the entire city. There are 1,400 kilometers of bicycle-friendly routes.
And Vienna is an extremely walkable city. So most people donʼt need a car. But for anyone who
does, there are over 1,850 charging stations for electric vehicles. Actually, Viennaʼs first electric
car was introduced in 1899! Third, with around 800 farms within the city, Vienna can produce a
lot of food with zero food miles. There are also many local farmersʼ markets. Fourth, 65% of allmunicipal waste is recycled. Some is transformed into electricity in an incinerator thatʼs a very
popular tourist attraction owing to its unique design. Vienna is a very green city.

136