The Environment
Senior 2 · English
The Environment
Lesson 2 of 4
24 min
Rwanda's forests, such as Nyungwe, Gishwati-Mukura and the forests of the Volcanoes National Park, hold soil on steep hills, feed our rivers and shelter animals found almost nowhere else. Every year, schools, families and umuganda groups plant trees across the country.
To speak and write well about forests, you need two tools. The first is quantity words, to say how much land or how many trees. The second is modals of obligation, to say what people must, have to or should do. Examiners test both, and campaign speeches depend on them.
This text is adapted from the Simple English Wikipedia article Deforestation. As you read, circle every word that tells you an amount, such as many or more.
Deforestation happens when people destroy a forest by cutting or burning the trees and do not plant new ones. The most common reason is to clear land for farms and for grazing animals. People also cut trees for firewood, charcoal and timber, and to make space for roads, houses and towns. As the population grows, people need more land and more wood.
Forests do much more than give us wood. They help to control the water cycle and the temperature. Their leaves and roots produce and protect soil, so when a forest is lost, the soil that it held in place is often washed away. This loss of soil is called erosion. Forests are also home to many kinds of animals and plants. When the trees go, the animals lose their habitat, and many of them die.
Trees also store carbon. When they are burned, or left to rot, that carbon goes back into the air as carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that makes the planet warmer. Planting trees on land that has lost its forest is called reforestation. It cannot bring an old forest back quickly, but it is one of the best ways to start.
What is the most common reason for deforestation?
To clear land for farms and for grazing animals.
Explain in your own words how cutting a forest can lead to erosion.
Leaves and roots hold and protect the soil. Without them, rain washes the soil away.
Why does burning trees make the planet warmer?
Burning releases the carbon stored in the trees as carbon dioxide, which is a greenhouse gas.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| deforestation (n) | cutting or burning a forest without replanting it |
| reforestation (n) | planting trees on land that has lost its forest |
| habitat (n) | the natural home of an animal or plant |
| erosion (n) | the loss of soil, carried away by water or wind |
| timber (n) | wood cut and prepared for building or furniture |
| charcoal (n) | black fuel made by slowly burning wood with little air |
| greenhouse gas (n) | a gas, such as carbon dioxide, that traps heat around the Earth |
A determiner of quantity is a word before a noun that tells us how much or how many. The right one depends on whether the noun is countable (you can count it: one tree, two trees) or uncountable (you cannot: water, soil, wood, land).
Worked example
Choose the right word: There is not ___ (much/many) soil left on this slope.
Step 1: Can you count soil? No, you cannot say "two soils", so it is uncountable.
Step 2: Uncountable nouns take much, not many.
Answer: There is not much soil left on this slope.
| With countable nouns (trees, animals) | With uncountable nouns (water, soil, wood) | With both |
|---|---|---|
| many, a few, few, fewer, a number of | much, a little, little, less, a great deal of | some, any, a lot of, lots of, plenty of, enough, no, most, all |
Much is most natural in questions and negatives (How much water? Not much.). In positive statements, prefer a lot of: The forest gives us a lot of water.
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| must | strong obligation, often from the speaker | We must protect the trees around our school. |
| have to / has to | obligation from a rule or a situation | Visitors have to stay on the paths in the national park. |
| must not (mustn't) | it is forbidden: do NOT do it | You mustn't burn plastic; the smoke is poisonous. |
| don't have to | it is not necessary: you may choose | You don't have to buy a new bag; reuse the one you have. |
| should / shouldn't | advice, what is right or sensible | Families should plant fruit trees near their homes. |
Worked example
What is the difference between these two signs?
The past of both must and have to is had to: Last Saturday we had to carry seedlings up the hill.
Your school environment club is running a campaign called Protect Our Trees. Prepare a one-minute talk for the morning assembly. Use at least three quantity words and three modals of obligation. Speak slowly, look up from your notes, and end with a clear request.
Model talk
Good morning, everyone. Ten years ago, there were many trees on the hill behind our school. Today there are very few, and a lot of the soil has already washed into the valley. Every rainy season we lose more soil and have less shade. We must act now. First, we mustn't break branches for firewood. Second, every class should look after at least five seedlings this term. You don't have to be a club member to help; you only have to bring a little water on Fridays. If each of us does a little, the hill will be green again. Thank you.
Tip
Can you count it? Yes → many, few, fewer. No → much, little, less.
mustn't = "Don't do it!" don't have to = "You can if you want, but it isn't necessary." Examiners love to test this pair.
Choose: There are only ___ (a few / a little) chimpanzees in Gishwati Forest.
Solution: a few. Chimpanzees can be counted, so we use a few, not a little.
Choose: Because of the drought, there is very ___ (few / little) water in the valley dam.
Solution: little. Water is uncountable, and the meaning is negative (almost none).
Correct the sentence: There are less trees in our village than before.
Solution: There are fewer trees in our village than before. Trees is countable, so the comparison word is fewer.
Complete with mustn't or don't have to: Students ___ water the seedlings on Sunday; the gardener will do it.
Solution: don't have to. Watering on Sunday is not necessary, but it is not forbidden.
Write the past form: We must plant the seedlings before the rain. (yesterday)
Solution: Yesterday we had to plant the seedlings before the rain. Must has no past form of its own, so we use had to.
Remember
Sources and credits
This lesson adapts CC BY-SA material and is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
