Unit 12: You have a point, but...
– Persuading
– Disagreeing politely
Part 1
Vocabulary
Look at the words and phrases below Write each one in the correct category in the chart.
1. energy-efficient appliances
2. global warming
3. greenhouse gases
4. recycling
5. waste
6. public transportation
7. landfill
8. hybrid cars
9. reducing your carbon footprint
Things that hurt
the environment
Things that can improve
the environment
Example Answer (just example)
Things that hurt the environment
- global warming
- greenhouse gases
- landfill
Things that can improve the environment
- energy-efficient appliances
- recycling
- reducing waste
- public transportation
- hybrid cars
- reducing your carbon footprint
Discuss things you do to protect the environment.
Example questions, teacher can give more questions.
What are some simple actions you take to reduce waste?
How do you conserve energy at home?
What steps do you take to recycle correctly?
How do you reduce your use of plastic?
Do you use public transport or carpool to reduce emissions?
What are some ways you save water daily?
Part 2
Conversation
Listen and answer 2 questions.
1. Why does Mia use CFL bulbs?
2. Why doesn’t Paula want to use them?
Paula & Mia
Transcript
Paula: Is that one of those CFL bulbs? What are they?
Mia: Yeah, it is. CFL stands for compact fluorescent light bulbs. I only use these now.
Paula: But aren’t those light bulbs kind of expensive?
Mia: Sure, they’re a little more expensive, but they last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs. And they’re better for the environment because they’re energy-efficient.
Paula: You have a point, but it’s still costly.
Mia: But don’t you think we should do whatever we can to reduce our carbon footprints?
Paula: Yes, I guess we should, but I’m still not convinced that CFL bulbs are the most environmentally responsible choice.
Example answer
- Mia uses CFL bulbs because they last longer than incandescent bulbs and they're better for the environment.
- Paula doesn't want to use CFL bulbs because they are expensive. She also isn't certain CFL bulbs are the best choice for the environment.
Practice the conversation with teacher
Find the best places to add the sentences below to the conversation and practice it again.
They use about a third of the energy that regular bulbs use.
I heard that they cost a lot.
I really like them.
I’m trying to save money.
Paula: Is that one of those CFL bulbs? What are they?
Mia: Yeah, it is. CFL stands for compact fluorescent light bulbs. I only use these now. __________
Paula: But aren’t those light bulbs kind of expensive? __________
Mia: Sure, they’re a little more expensive, but they last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs. And they’re better for the environment because they’re energy-efficient. __________
Paula: You have a point, but it’s still costly. __________
Mia: But don’t you think we should do whatever we can to reduce our carbon footprints?
Paula: Yes, I guess we should, but I’m still not convinced that CFL bulbs are the most environmentally responsible choice.
Answers
Paula: Is that one of those CFL bulbs? What are they?
Mia: Yeah, it is. CFL stands for compact fluorescent light bulbs. I only use these now. (3) I really like them.
Paula: But aren’t those light bulbs kind of expensive? (2) I heard that they cost a lot.
Mia: Sure, they’re a little more expensive, but they last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs. And they’re better for the environment because they’re energy-efficient. (1) They use about a third of the energy that regular bulbs use.
Paula: You have a point, but it’s still costly. (4) I'm trying to save money
Mia: But don’t you think we should do whatever we can to reduce our carbon footprints?
Paula: Yes, I guess we should, but I’m still not convinced that CFL bulbs are the most environmentally responsible choice.
Part 3
Language Booster
Notice the ways we persuade and disagree politely.
Persuading (thuyết phục)
Don’t you think (we should do whatever we can)?
Isn’t it important to…?
If everyone …., then…
Disagreeing politely
You have a point, but (it’s still costly).
I see what you mean, but…
That may be true, but on the other hand…
I guess.., but I’m still not convinced…
We’ll discuss ways to protect the environment using our vocabulary.
USING LANGUAGE BOOSTER
Student will describe 1 way to protect the environment
Then persuade your teacher that it is important.
1. energy-efficient appliances
2. global warming
3. greenhouse gases
4. recycling
5. waste
6. public transportation
7. landfill
8. hybrid cars
9. reducing your carbon footprint
Example
Example 1.
A: Don't you think we should do whatever we can to reduce our carbon footprint?
B: Yes, I agree. If everyone used these energy-efficient appliances, then we could make a big difference in combating global warming.
---
Example 2.
A: Isn't it important to recycle more to reduce waste and landfill issues?
B: You have a point, but it's still costly for some people to switch their habits.
Part 4
Listening
Listen to three conversations about environmental topics.
Number the pictures from 1 to 3. There is one extra.
Answer
- a
- c
- b
Listen again.
Do the speakers successfully persuade the people that they’re talking to? Write ye s or no.
1. ___________________
2. ___________________
3. ___________________
Transcript
1.
A: Aren’t you going to recycle that bottle?
B: I usually recycle, but it’s just one bottle. There’s no recycling bin around here, and I don’t want to carry an empty bottle around all day, so I’m just going to throw it away.
A: But isn’t it important to recycle all the plastic we use?
B: I see what you mean, but I don’t think one bottle makes a difference.
A: If everyone in the world threw away one bottle a week, we would add twenty-eight million plastic bottles to landfills every month.
B: Wow, that’s a lot of plastic. OK, I’ll recycle this.
2.
A: Are you ready to go shopping?
B: Yes, I am. Let’s go. I can’t wait to get some new clothes.
A: Did you bring your reusable bags?
B: I don’t use those for clothes shopping. I only use them for groceries.
A: But don’t you think we should reduce waste any way we can?
B: You have a point, but I don’t go shopping very often. And I like the bags that I get at the department stores.
A: Do you reuse those bags?
B: Sometimes. I use them to carry gifts to people’s houses and things like that.
A: Couldn’t you just carry things like that in your backpack?
B: I guess I could, but I don’t feel like carrying reusable bags today. Come on, let’s just go.
3.
A: How are we getting to the movies?
B: I can drive my car. I don’t mind.
A: Why don’t we take the subway? We can get it a block away from my apartment and it will drop us off right in front of the theater.
B: Yeah, but I don’t feel like taking the subway. Let’s just take my car. It’s easier.
A: Taking public transportation reduces carbon emissions, though. Don’t you think we should do what we can to cut down on greenhouse gases?
B: You have a point, but the subway takes longer.
A: That may be true, but on the other hand, there’s probably going to be a lot of traffic at this time of day.
B: I guess that’s true, but I’m still not convinced that public transportation is a better way to go.
Answer
- yes
- no
- no
Part 5
Debate
Topic: Is recycling the most effective way to reduce waste and protect the environment?
In a debate on this topic, you need to talk about whether recycling is truly the most effective method for reducing waste and protecting the environment. You should consider both the benefits and the limitations of recycling, as well as alternative approaches.
Preparation (3 minutes)
Student has 2-3 mins to think about their ideas.
Suggesting points:
- Support:
- Reduces waste: Recycling helps reduce the amount of trash that goes to landfills.
- Save resources: Recycling uses old materials instead of taking new ones from nature.
- Saves energy: Recycling uses less energy than making new products from raw materials.
- Problem:
- Mixing: If people don’t sort their recycling correctly, the materials get mixed up and can’t be recycled.
- Costs: Recycling can be expensive and may not always be worth the cost.
- Not enough: Recycling alone may not solve the problem of too much waste.
- Ways to reduce waste:
- Reduce and Reuse
- Government Rules
Debate (8 minutes)
Student has 2-4 mins to present their ideas.
Teacher helps student to expand their ideas, think critically & more views about this topic (by asking more questions about this topic).
Sample answer
For Recycling:
"I think recycling is very important because it helps reduce the amount of trash we throw away. For example, instead of throwing plastic bottles in the trash, we can recycle them and make new items. Also, recycling saves energy. It takes less energy to recycle paper than to cut down trees and make new paper. If everyone recycles, then we can protect the environment and reduce pollution."
Against Recycling:
"I agree that recycling is useful, but I don’t think it's the best solution. Sometimes, people mix up their recycling, and it can’t be used. For example, if food is left in a plastic container, it can ruin the whole batch. Also, recycling can be expensive. Instead of just recycling, we should use less and reuse more. If everyone used reusable bags and bottles, then we wouldn’t need to recycle as much."
Both points:
"Both of you make good points. Recycling is helpful, but we should also focus on reducing waste in the first place!"