Protecting Our Environment
FoundationLitter and dirty water pollute rivers and seas, waste gases foul the air, and animals and plants struggle to survive — cut waste, recycle, and everyone protects the environment.
- Litter and dirty water pollute rivers and seas.
- Exhaust and smoke cause air pollution.
- Pollution sickens animals and plants and threatens their survival.
文體小知識：說明文把知識講得清清楚楚。這一篇解釋污染怎樣形成、怎樣傷害動植物，以及我們可以採取的行動。
§Text Passage
1The waterfront near our home used to be beautiful: clear water, little fish swimming about, egrets catching fish in the shallows. But when we passed by recently, plastic bags and lunch boxes floated on the water and a bad smell rose up; the fish were gone and so were the egrets. That is the change pollution brings, and it makes us sad.
2Where does pollution come from? Some people drop rubbish into rivers for convenience; some restaurants and factories release dirty water straight out; cars and lorries puff black smoke that fouls the air. Rubbish rots in the water and gives off harmful substances; once dirty water and smoke build up, both air and water turn filthy — this is water pollution and air pollution.
3Pollution makes it hard for animals and plants to survive: fish and shrimps drinking dirty water fall ill and die; turtles mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and choke; piles of rubbish leave too little oxygen in the water, so even water plants grow poorly. Pollutants also travel along the food chain: little fish eat the filth, big fish eat the little fish, and in the end even people are affected.
4Protecting the environment can start with small actions: put rubbish in the bin and sort plastic bottles, cans and paper for recycling; carry your own water bottle and shopping bag to cut down on disposables; use public transport more to reduce exhaust; and when you see lots of rubbish in a stream, tell an adult to report it to the authorities.
5There is only one Earth, and clean air and sea need everyone's care. Be a little green pioneer from today, and remind family and friends to join in: one fewer plastic bag, one more bottle recycled — a little cleaner each time, until the fish and the egrets come back to us.
1Summary 重點摘要
Litter and dirty water pollute rivers and seas, waste gases foul the air, and animals and plants struggle to survive — cut waste, recycle, and everyone protects the environment.
2Vocabulary cards Vocabulary
Harmful substances making air, water or land dirty.
Rubbish and dirty water making rivers and seas filthy.
Waste gases and smoke making the air dirty.
Things we throw away; they belong in bins or recycling boxes.
Used dirty water; it must not be released to the sea untreated.
To collect waste by type and remake it, like bottles becoming clothing.
The air, water, land and living things around us.
Who eats whom among living things; pollutants travel along it.
To care for and keep the environment from harm.
A shopping bag used again and again, replacing plastic bags.
3Step by step Steps
- Step 1: Know how human actions affect the environmentWhat people do greatly affects the environment: dropping litter piles up waste on streets and in streams; factories and restaurants release dirty water that fouls rivers and seas; cars pump out exhaust and factories emit smoke, polluting the air. Making too many disposable goods wastes resources and creates rubbish. Think: if each of us throws away one item a day, Hong Kong's seven million people create seven million items daily — a staggering number showing how much our personal behaviour matters.
- Step 2: Know air pollution and water pollutionAir pollution comes mainly from vehicle exhaust, factory smoke and fumes from burning coal and oil; harmful gases and fine dust fill the air, making people cough and sneeze and the sky turn hazy. Water pollution comes from rubbish, dirty water and oil spills; once rivers, the harbour or beaches are polluted, the water smells, darkens, and can no longer be drunk or swum in. Both kinds of pollution harm animals and plants, and affect our health and daily life too.
- Step 3: See how pollution hurts living thingsPollution harms animals and plants badly: fish and shrimps sicken and die when the water lacks oxygen; turtles swallow floating plastic bags, mistaking them for jellyfish, and choke with blocked guts; birds get tangled in discarded fishing line and cannot fly; oil sticks to seabirds' feathers so they can neither keep warm nor float. Water plants and trees that take in polluted water grow poorly too. Pollutants move up the food chain step by step, and in the end even the seafood we eat is affected.
- Step 4: Action one — cut waste and recycleThe most direct action is reducing rubbish: bring your own bottle and shopping bag, skip disposable cutlery, and choose items with less packaging. Sort used items for recycling: rinse plastic bottles before the recycling bin, flatten waste paper for the paper bin, and keep cans and metal tins separate. Old toys and books can be donated to people in need so they are used again. Remember the rhyme: use less, use well, recycle more — and rubbish naturally shrinks.
- Step 5: Action two — green travel and saving resourcesAir pollution mostly comes from burning fuel, so travel green: take buses and the MTR to school, walk or cycle for short trips, and ride in private cars less. Saving energy at home helps too: switch off lights and air-conditioning when leaving a room, do not set the air-con too cold, and use energy-saving bulbs or LEDs. Saving water matters as well: turn off the tap while brushing your teeth, take shorter showers, and reuse the water from washing vegetables to water the plants.
- Step 6: Action three — remind others and report pollutionProtecting the environment is not one person's job: share what you learn with family and friends and sort rubbish together; join school and community clean-ups of beaches and riverbanks. If you see someone dumping rubbish or a large flow of dirty water, do not handle it yourself — tell an adult, who can report it to the authorities so it is cleaned up quickly. Be a little green pioneer: inspire the people around you with actions and words, and together the environment gets better day by day.
5Worked example Example
Example: the stream near home is covered with rubbish and smells bad, and the fish have gone. How did the pollution form, and what actions can we take?
- First find the causes: people drop plastic bags and lunch boxes into the stream, and nearby restaurants pour in dirty water, so the water turns filthy and smelly.
- Then the effects: fish and shrimps cannot survive in foul water short of oxygen, birds are hurt eating plastic, and blocked channels easily flood after rain.
- Action one: never drop litter, sort rubbish for recycling, and use fewer disposables and plastic bags to cut waste.
- Actions two and three: explain to family why the stream matters and join a riverbank clean-up; when large amounts of dirty water flow out, ask an adult to report it to the authorities.
- Answer: The pollution comes mainly from littering and releasing dirty water, which makes it hard for fish and birds to survive and can even cause flooding. We can cut and sort our waste, join clean-ups and ask adults to report pollution — taking action to protect the environment.
6Common mistakes Mistakes
7Quick check Quick check
Q1What pollution does dropping rubbish into a river cause?
Q2What pollution does black smoke from cars cause?
Q3What happens to fish in dirty river water?
Q4What should we do with an empty plastic bottle?
Q5Name one action to protect the environment.
8Recap Recap
- Litter and dirty water pollute rivers and seas.
- Exhaust and smoke cause air pollution.
- Pollution sickens animals and plants and threatens their survival.
- Cut waste, sort recycling, bring your own bottle and bag.
- Tell an adult about pollution — everyone can be a green pioneer.