Intermediate Listening Power

Activity 1.

Listen to the file.

I Love Trees

Activity 2.

Listening Comprehension. Answer the following questions.

1. What does the girl do when painting pictures of trees?
A. She uses many different colors of paint.
B. She goes to the mountains to be surrounded by trees.
C. She climbs her grandfather's tree to concentrate on her work.

2. What aspect of trees is the girl referring to when she says that "it's" a glass of cool water on a hot day"?
A. the color
B. the feel
C. the smell

3. What is one thing the girl does NOT mention about climbing her grandfather's tree?
A. She likes to think and relax in the tree. 
B. She enjoys eating the apples.
C. She likes to play games in the branches.

4. According to the girl, how do trees make life possible?
A. They produce oxygen so we can breathe.
B. They provide food and shelter for countless animal species.
C. They serve as an important energy source.

5. How does the beauty of trees make the girl feel according to her closing statement?
A. Trees make her feel a greater interest in protecting the environment.
B. The beauty of trees makes her want to study plants in the future.
C. The girl believes that trees help her become a better person.

Activity 3.

Listening to Details. Listen to the file for the last time and fill in the blanks with the correct answer.

I love trees because they are an important ⁽¹⁾ to the environment. They make life possible on this planet, along with other plants. I also love the trees' ⁽²⁾ display of colors in the fall.

I love trees because they have many different shades of green, so many that it's almost impossible to count. When I paint a picture of a tree I use many shades of green and many more shades of brown. My favorite thing about trees is that they always seem to have a ⁽³⁾ around them.

I love trees because they always smell so fresh and clean. I like to go to the ⁽⁴⁾ because I love the smell of trees; it's so ⁽⁵⁾. It's a glass of cool water on a hot day, or a damp cloth on a hot forehead.

I love to plant trees. I love to dig through the ⁽⁶⁾ to make a hole in which the tree will rest. I love to place the tree in the ground, making sure not to disturb the roots which will be the tree's support. I love to water the trees. I love to pour the water on the trees knowing that it will grow.

One of my favorite things about trees is that they are fun to climb. I started climbing trees when I was very little. My dad taught me how to climb, along with some useful tips. I especially like to climb my grandpa's apple tree. I love to ⁽⁷⁾ through the branches, and climb to a board that has been placed there. Once up, I like to think and relax, or bring a book up with me. It is fun to let my imagination run away with me while ⁽⁸⁾ apples.

I love trees in the autumn when they display their beautiful colors. In the autumn time, ⁽⁹⁾of red, yellow, orange, and green decorate the mountainside. The maples go red, the oak and aspen go yellow while the evergreens maintain their beautiful shade of green.

Trees make life possible because they use the carbon dioxide and release oxygen which makes it so that we can breathe. If we ⁽¹⁰⁾ trees, the effects could be fatal. There may be global warming, lack of oxygen, and we would definitely not have any lumber or paper.

Trees are very important to the environment. The beauty of trees makes me feel peaceful, and inspires me to make the best of myself.

Activity 4

Vocabulary. Read and study the following words.

• commodity (noun): a product or useful thing ^
  - Having your own small greenhouse to grow vegetables is a very popular commodity in some places.

• nursery (noun): greenhouse, a place where plants are cultivated
  - I went to the nursery today to buy some fruit trees.

• damp (noun): a slight wetness
  - The grass was a little damp this morning.

• soil (noun): ground, dirt
  - We added some new soil to the garden to prepare for planting.

• disturb (vdrb): bother, upset
  - Be very careful where you walk so you do not disturb the ground cover and wild flowers.

• munch (verb): to eat and chew lightly
  - The kids like to munch on carrots and pretend they are rabbits.

• evergreens (noun): plants that do not lose their leaves and stay green throughout the year
  - We have several nice evergreens in our backyard.

• exterminate (verb): destroy, kill off
  - The farmers were determined to exterminate the crickets eating their crops.

• lumber (noun): wood from trees
  - So much lumber is being harvested that deforestation has resulted in many areas.

Activity 5.

Discussion. Answer the following questions related to the conversation.

• What environmental problems can you think that pose great danger to nature and our world (e.g., acid rain, deforestation, water pollution)? 
• Are these threats caused by human activity or by natural occurrences? 
• What are some solutions to these problems?