The Environment .
A-] Iceland is an island republic in the North Atlantic . The ‘landscape’ consists largely of ‘barren plains’ [ flat land where little grows ] and ‘mountains’ , with large ‘ice fields’ particularly in the south west . The island has ‘active volcanoes’ [ they still erupt ] and is known for its ‘thermal’ [hot] springs and ‘geysers’ [ warm water that fountains out of the ground ] . With less than 1% of the land suitable for growing ‘crops’ [ food that is grown ] , the nation’s ‘economy’ is based on fishing , and fish products account for 80% of the exports.
Area : 103,000 km² . ‘Population’ : 227,000 . ‘Capital’ : Reykjavik .
B-] Here are some other nouns which are useful when talking about the environment :
- Where land meets sea : ‘coast’ , ‘shore’ , ‘beach’ , ‘cliff’ , ‘cape’ , ‘peninsula’ , ‘cove’ , ‘bay’ , ‘gulf’ .
- Words connected with rivers : ‘source’ , ‘tributary’ , ‘waterfall’ , ‘mouth’ , ‘valley’ , ‘gorge’ , ‘delta’ , ‘brook’ , ‘stream’ , ‘estuary’
- Words connected with mountains : ‘foot’ , ‘ridge’ , ‘peak’ , ‘summit’ , ‘glacier’
C-] There are many environmental problems in the world today :
- The air , rivers and seas are all ‘polluted’ , especially in ‘over-populated’ and heavily industrialized regions . Poor ‘waste disposal’ is the cause of much of this ‘pollution’ .
- ‘Overfishing’ has depleted the numbers of fish in the oceans .
- The ‘destruction of the ozone layer’ is leading to climatic changes and what is known as the ‘greenhouse’ effect’ .
- The ‘destruction of the rain forests’ is causing widespread ecological problems .
- ‘Battery farming’ provides large amounts of food but it involves keeping animals in crowded and unnatural conditions .
Bureaucracy .
A-] What is it ?
Bureaucracy refers to official systems with rules and procedures used by officials [bureaucrats] in an organization or a government . For many people it is a negative word , because it often means unnecessary rules , waiting in long lines and lots of documents and forms .
B- ] Documents :
When you need to ‘obtain’ [get] or show documents , it is important that you know the names of them . Here are some important documents .
- ‘passport’ : official identification that allows you to leave your country and enter others .
- ‘driver’s license : the official document that permits you to drive on public roads .
- ‘visa’ : gives you permission to enter , pass through , or leave a country
- ‘certificates’ : official pieces of paper stating certain facts , e.g. , a ‘birth certificate’ gives facts about your birth , a ‘marriage certificate’ states that two people are married .
- Officials often ‘check’ [look at and examine] your documents , e.g. the police may check your driver’s license ; customs officials may check your passport . Sometimes you will be asked for ‘identification / ID [ any document that shows who are you ; usually a driver’s license or passport is adequate for identification ] .
Some documents are for a ‘fixed’ period of time , e.g. , a visa may be for six months . At the end of that time , your visa ‘runs out / expires’ [ it finishes / comes to an end ] . If you want to stay in the country , you must ‘renew’ it [get a new one for a further period of time ] . You can renew a visa , a passport , a membership card for a club , etc.
C-] Forms :Sometimes you need to ‘fill in / fill out forms’ [ write information in the spaces ] .
- ‘landing card’ : a form you may have to fill out when you enter another country .
-‘registration form’ :a form you often fill in when you take a course or go to school .
- ‘application form’ : a form to write details about yourself , often when applying for a job , for a credit card , for admission to a school , etc.
- ‘income tax forms’ : forms you must fill out when you pay your income taxes .
With almost all forms , you will need to ‘sign’ them [ write your signature ]
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