Reading

1. Look at the book cover. What do you think the book is about?

(Nhìn vào bìa sách. Bạn nghĩ cuốn sách nói về điều gì?)

SILENT SPRING RACHEL CARSON

Answer:

"Silent Spring" is a book written by Rachel Carson, first published in 1962. The book is widely credited with sparking the modern environmental movement and raising public awareness about the harmful effects of pesticides and other chemicals on the natural world.

The title "Silent Spring" refers to a hypothetical future in which no birds sing due to the extinction of many bird species caused by the widespread use of pesticides. The book is a powerful critique of the chemical industry and its impact on the environment and human health.

In "Silent Spring," Rachel Carson argues that the indiscriminate use of pesticides and other chemicals has led to the poisoning of the environment and the destruction of wildlife habitats. She also highlights the dangers of these chemicals to human health and urges for greater caution and regulation in their use.

Overall, "Silent Spring" is a seminal work of environmental literature that played a significant role in shaping public opinion and policy on environmental issues.

2. Read the article and answer the questions.

(Đọc bài viết và trả lời các câu hỏi)

1. What was her great interest as a young girl?

2. What is Silent Spring about?

Rachel Carson, an ecologist, a biologist, and a writer, was born in 1907 in Springdale, Pennsylvania. As a small girl, she was an avid reader and soon showed a keen interest in the natural world and writing. (1) ___________ She graduated from Pennsylvania College for Women (now Chatham University) in 1929, studied at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory, and received her MA in zoology from Johns Hopkins University in 1932.

Initially, Rachel Carson worked for the US Bureau of Fisheries as a part-time science writer. (2) ___________ She then spent the next few years serving as a marine scientist and editor for the US Fish and Wildlife Service. There, she became famous for her writings on environmental pollution and the natural history of the sea, (3) ___________ Climate change, rising sea-levels, melting Arctic glaciers, decreasing animal populations are part of her work. In her most influential book, Silent Spring (1962), Rachel Carson strongly disapproved of the widespread use of pesticides such as DDT. (4) ___________ and called for new policies to protect humans and the environment. She then was criticised by the chemical industry and some government officials, but never gave up. (5) ___________ Additionally, it helped spark the environmental movement, resulting in the establishment of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. That’s why she was called the mother of modern ecology.

Rachel Carson died of breast cancer in 1964. However, her work continues to inspire new generations to protect all the living world.

Answer:

1. Rachel Carson showed a keen interest in the natural world and writing as a small girl.

2. Silent Spring is a book about the harmful effects of pesticides and other chemicals on the natural world and human health, and it calls for new policies to protect humans and the environment. It played a significant role in the establishment of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and sparked the modern environmental movement.

Reading Strategy

When you are doing a gapped-sentence task:

1. Fill in the easiest gaps first.

2. When you have filled all the gaps, try the extra sentences in each gap again to make sure they don’t fit.

3. Read the whole text again, checking your answers.

3. Read the Reading Strategy. Match sentences A—F with gaps 1-5 in the text. There is one extra sentence.

(Đọc Chiến lược đọc. Ghép câu A—F với khoảng trống 1-5 trong văn bản. Có một câu phụ)

A. Part of her job was to interest the public in marine and freshwater biology via radio programmes.

B. Firstly, Silent Spring suggested a much needed change in people’s way of life.

C. She warned the public about its negative long-term effects

D. She had her first story about animals published in a magazine when she was in the fourth grade.

E. in which she always concerned herself about the impact that humans made on the natural world.

F. The book eventually prompted a change in national policy, leading to the enactment of a national ban of pesticides on agricultural farming.

Answer:

1. D. She had her first story about animals published in a magazine when she was in the fourth grade.

2. C. She warned the public about its negative long-term effects

3. A. Part of her job was to interest the public in marine and freshwater biology via radio programmes.

4. B. Firstly, Silent Spring suggested a much needed change in people’s way of life.

5. F. The book eventually prompted a change in national policy, leading to the enactment of a national ban of pesticides on agricultural farming.

Extra sentence: E. in which she always concerned herself about the impact that humans made on the natural world.

4. Read the text again. Are the sentences true or false? Write T or F.

(Đọc văn bản một lần nữa. Nhưng câu sau đung hay sai? Viết T hoặc F)

1. Rachel Cason realised the real danger of pesticides when she was still a young girl.

2. She majored in the scientific study of animals and their behaviour when she took her MA in 1932.

3. Most of Rachel Carson’s works were about environmental issues.

4. Her opposition to using pesticides on agricultural farming was supported by the chemical industry.

5. Silent Spring brought about positive changes in the government's policies.

6. A lot of people keep on protecting the planet after her death.

Answer:

1. Rachel Cason realised the real danger of pesticides when she was still a young girl. FALSE

2. She majored in the scientific study of animals and their behaviour when she took her MA in 1932. TRUE

3. Most of Rachel Carson’s works were about environmental issues. TRUE

4. Her opposition to using pesticides on agricultural farming was supported by the chemical industry. FALSE

5. Silent Spring brought about positive changes in the government's policies. TRUE

6. A lot of people keep on protecting the planet after her death. TRUE

5. VOCABULARY Complete the verb + preposition combinations with the words below. Check your answers in the text and in the sentences in exercise 3.

(Hoàn thành các kết hợp động từ + giới từ với các từ bên dưới. Kiểm tra câu trả lời của bạn trong văn bản và trong các câu trong bài tập 3)

Verb + preposition

about about in up for for to of

1. work ____________ (a business, etc.) (line 10)

2. disapprove ____________ (line 20)

3. call ____________ something (line 22)

4. give ____________ something (line 25)

5. result ____________ something (line 26)

6. warn somebody ____________ something (sentence C)

7. concern oneself ____________ something (sentence E)

8. lead ____________ something (sentence F)

Answer:

1. work for (a business, etc.) (line 10)

2. disapprove of (line 20)

3. call for something (line 22)

4. give up something (line 25)

5. result in something (line 26)

6. warn somebody about something (sentence C)

7. concern oneself about something (sentence E)

8. lead to something (sentence F)

6. SPEAKING Work in pairs. Discuss these questions and report your ideas to the class.

(Làm việc theo cặp. Thảo luận những câu hỏi này và báo cáo ý tưởng của bạn trước lớp)

1. Do you think it is necessary for pesticides to be banned? Why?

2. Do you agree with the views Rachel Carson expressed in Silent Spring? Why? / Why not?

3. Would you like to be an ecologist? Why? / Why not? If so, what would you most concern yourself about?

Answer:

1. Whether or not pesticides should be banned is a complex issue that involves weighing the benefits of using pesticides for agricultural production against the potential environmental and health risks associated with their use. Some arguments in favor of banning pesticides include their negative impact on ecosystems, including the loss of biodiversity, and the potential health risks to humans and wildlife. However, others argue that pesticides are necessary for maintaining high levels of agricultural productivity and ensuring food security, and that banning them could lead to food shortages and increased prices.

2. The views expressed by Rachel Carson in Silent Spring are still widely debated today. Some people agree with Carson's argument that pesticides have a harmful impact on the environment and human health, and that there is a need for more regulation of these chemicals. Others argue that the benefits of pesticide use outweigh the risks, and that Carson's work was based on flawed science and exaggerated claims.

3. Becoming an ecologist involves studying the relationships between organisms and their environment and working to understand and mitigate the impact of human activities on the natural world. Whether or not someone would want to be an ecologist would depend on their interests and priorities. Some potential concerns that an ecologist might focus on could include climate change, deforestation, pollution, or the conservation of endangered species.