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THE BLUE TREE
Travel & Nature
CEFR B1
Intermediate
warm up
Answer the questions below. Use the model answers to practice listening and reading.
| There is an ongoing debate on the causes of climate change. Where do you stand on this? |
TRANSCRIPT
I believe climate change is mostly caused by human activity. We burn too many fossil fuels, cut down forests, and produce too much waste. Some people still argue about it, but the science is quite clear. I think we can already see the effects in floods, fires, and rising temperatures. We can’t just wait and hope – we have to act.
| If climate change is the result of human activity, what do you think we should do to better manage it? |
TRANSCRIPT
If it’s really our fault, we should change the way we live. For example, we can use public transport, eat less meat, and recycle more. But the biggest changes must come from governments and companies. They need to invest in clean energy and protect nature. Each person can do something, but the problem is too big for just individuals to fix.
| How much hope do you have in humanity’s ability to prevent the collapse of the climate in the future? |
TRANSCRIPT
Honestly, I still have some hope. Humans are very creative and have solved many big problems in the past. If we work together and take climate change seriously, I think we can slow it down or even stop it. But we need to stop arguing and start acting fast. If we wait too long, the damage could be impossible to reverse.
part one
KEY LANGUAGE
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
VIDEO
Watch a trailer to a movie on Netflix: A life on Our Planet.
COMPREHENSION
Answer these questions. Refer to the information from the video.
| 1 | 0:09 | How old is David Attenborough in this trailer? |
| 2 | 0:19 | What does he think about his life? |
| 3 | 0:32 | What does David Attenborough think about human influence on the planet? |
| 4 | 0:42 | What are we replacing the wild with? |
| 5 | 0:50 | Why is this film particularly important for him? |
| 6 | 1:03 | Does he believe we can make things right as regards the environment? |
| 7 | 1:30 | What do people need to learn? |
| 8 | 1:41 | What is he going to tell us in this film? |
POLL
Cast your vote in the poll below.
part two
THE INTERVIEW
In the second part of the lesson we will listen to an interview with David Attenborough. It comes from BBC Radio 4 and was recorded more than 20 years ago. What were David’s observations at that time?
Here is the introduction.
„David Attenborough knows the world better than most people. He’s spent much of the last seven years globe-trotting for his hugely successful television programmes Life on Earth and The Living Planet.
But his next series might well be named The End of Life on the Dying Planet. David Attenborough is very gloomy about much of what he’s seen.”
Go through the flashcards below. Make sure you understand all the words and expressions.
listening #1
Listen to the first part of the interview. Answer the questions that follow.
| 1 | 0:11 | How does David Attenborough feel about the future of our planet?David Attenborough is very gloomy about much of what he’s seen. |
| 2 | 0:23 | Why are forests cut down in the Himalayas?In the Himalayas, people cut down trees because there are an awful lot of people who need firewood to keep warm. |
| 3 | 0:43 | "The trees were umbrellas". What does this mean?The rain washes out the good soil, which ends up as mud a thousand miles away in the channels of the River Ganges. |
| 4 | 0:43 | What happens to soil without trees?The rain washes out the good soil, which ends up as mud a thousand miles away in the channels of the River Ganges. |
| 5 | 0:52 | What causes floods in Bangladesh?Without the forest acting as a sponge, rainwater runs straight off into channels clogged with mud, and the whole area is underwater. So cutting down trees in Nepal drowns people in Bangladesh. |
| 6 | 1:26 | What is the ‘devastating statistic’ about the desert in the Sudan?In parts of the Sudan, the desert in just 15 years has advanced 60 miles. |
| 7 | 1:38 | Why does David Attenborough call it a ‘heart-breaking’ statistic?Because how can you go to these people and say, you mustn’t cut down that tree in order to cook your food? |
Listening #2
Listen to the second part of the interview. Answer the comprehension questions below.
| 1 | 1:55 | Why did he not believe at first that the Amazon jungle could disappear?He remembered flying over the Amazonian jungle for hour after hour and not seeing a sign of the hand of man beneath him — just a green carpet of trees — so he said to himself, it can’t be true that this will disappear by the end of the century. |
| 2 | 2:24 | How are statistics about the disappearing jungle made?The statistics are based on surveys by satellites with infrared cameras which measure the change of a patch of green leaves into a patch of bare ground. |
| 3 | 2:43 | How much jungle is being destroyed each year?About 29,000 square miles a year — an area the size of the whole of Scotland disappearing every year. |
| 4 | 2:53 | Why are plants in tropical rain forests important?Trees are a vital part of the water cycle and give us oxygen. 40% of our drugs and medicines are derived from plants, most from the tropical rainforest and the Amazon. Those plants also help fight the diseases that threaten our food crops. |
LISTENING #3
Listen to the final part of the interview. Answer the questions.
| 1 | 3:20 | How do plant breeders fight funguses and moulds that attack crops?Plant breeders beat the funguses by changing the varieties of crops, and to change a variety they need new genes, which come from wild plants. |
| 2 | 3:52 | What could happen to mankind if we lose wild plant strains?The fields could be devastated and mankind would starve. |
| 3 | 4:14 | What current events does David Attenborough mention as direct consequences of environmental destruction?The floods in India and Pakistan and the starvation in parts of Africa — these aren’t accidents but direct consequences. |
| 4 | 4:30 | Who suffers first from these environmental problems, and why shouldn’t wealthier nations feel safe?The deprived people, those living on the edge of prosperity, suffer first — but if we think we are insulated from that, we are wrong. They are the start, as sure as fate, and they are coming our way. |
DISCUSSION
DIALOGUE
Alita and Pete meet at a park after watching David Attenborough’s documentary. Inspired by the message, they talk about nature, the planet, and the future.
Alita: That documentary was extraordinary, wasn’t it? I had no idea things had declined so quickly.
Pete: Yeah, I agree. I really appreciate how Attenborough used his own story to show what we’ve lost over time.
Alita: And the images of the forests and oceans were so spectacular—yet it made me feel a bit gloomy, seeing how much damage we’ve inflicted.
Pete: Same here. I didn’t know that felling trees on such a massive scale could lead to clogged rivers and poor soil.
Alita: Right! Trees work like a sponge, helping to keep the soil fertile and absorb water. Without them, everything suffers.
Pete: And it’s not just trees. Overusing land for wheat or other crops can cause fungus or moulds to spread and make the area unusable.
Alita: It’s terrifying. And what we build often isn’t insulated properly, so we use more energy and threaten the environment even more.
Pete: True. But I also felt hopeful. If we all do our part—planting trees, saving energy, using less firewood—it could amount to something meaningful.
Alita: I agree. Some people think it’s an exaggeration, but I’d say it’s not. I insist we have to change the way we live before it’s too late.
Pete: Then let’s head for that tree-planting event next weekend. Small steps can multiply into big results.
Alita: Deal! I don’t want to feel deprived of a healthy planet. Let’s help tame this damage while we still can.
OVER TO YOU
Discuss these questions. Refer to the topic of the lesson and your own experience.
 | Have you ever watched a documentary that made you appreciate nature more? What was it about? |
| In your opinion, is climate change a real threat to our planet? Why or why not? |
| Do you think people today are deprived of natural beauty compared to the past? Why? |
| What does a spectacular natural place look like to you? Can you describe one you’ve seen? |
| Some say it’s an exaggeration to say humans are destroying the planet. Do you agree or disagree? Explain. |
What can we do
Conside the ideas on the mind-map below. Discuss what can a regular person living in a city can realistically do to protect the environment.
Use the mind map and speak for 60 seconds about today’s topic. Try to use 2–3 or more expressions from the lesson.
lesson glossary
David Attenborough
COMMENTS
What do you think of the ideas from this class? Share your views and opinion below.
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