U.S. State Department English Language Programs

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Preface

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Comments

 

Environmental Education Volume

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Chapter 5

Oceans and Coasts


Appendices


Appendix A

Glossary of important terms

atmosphere: the air surrounding the earth
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contaminated: impure, dirty, infected, polluted .....
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decrease: reduce, lessen, become smaller .....
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development: the building of houses and factories on land

fertilizer: a chemical or natural substance that you put on the land to make crops grow better .....return to background

habitat: the environment in which a particular animal or plant species lives
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litter: trash, garbage, rubbish
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marine pollution: the dirtying or spoiling of oceans and coastal areas .....return to background

non-biodegradable: breaking down or decomposing of materials by bacteria .....return to background

oil spill: a shipping accident that causes petroleum to be spilled into the ocean .....return to background

organism: a life form .....return to background; ....
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pesticide: a chemical substance used to kill harmful animals or insects .....return to background

petroleum: a mineral oil obtained from below the surface of the earth, and used to produce petrol and other chemical substances .....return to background

pollutant: any substance that dirties or spoils the air, land, or water .....return to background

pollution: the dirtying or spoiling of air, land, or water .
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polluted: dirtied, spoiled, contaminated .....
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population: the number of members of a particular species living in a particular area ....return to Appendix B; .....return to Appendix C

radioactive: containing or giving off nuclear radiation
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seal: a large sea animal with a tail and broad flat limbs for swimming; seals live mostly on cool seacoasts ....
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sediment: solid material that settles at the bottom of a liquid .....return to background

sewage: the waste material and water from people’s houses and from factories carried away in large pipes under the ground .....return to background; .....return to Appendix C

shore: the land along the edge of a sea or other large area of water .... return to Appendix B; .....return to Appendix C

settle: to go and live somewhere

surface: the outside or top of something .... return to Appendix B

synthetic: man-made, artificial .....return to background

toxic: poisonous .....return to background; .....return to Appendix C

tumor: a mass of diseased cells in the body .....return to background

vital: very important or necessary .....return to Appendix C

wildlife: wild animals and plants, especially animals living in a natural stat .....return to background; .....return to
Appendix C

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Appendix B

Task Sheet: Is It True That…?


Read each sentence and indicate whether it is true (T), false (F), or you are unsure (U) about it.

  1. _____ Oceans cover about 50 percent of the earth’s surface.
  2. _____ More than 80 percent of living organisms live in oceans.
  3. _____ Most ocean life lives in the open ocean, far away from the coastal areas.
  4. _____ About ten percent of the world’s population lives in coastal areas.
  5. _____ Most fish are caught more than 200 miles from shore.
  6. _____ The number of people who live near the world’s coasts is decreasing.
  7. _____ The open ocean is cleaner than the coastal areas.
  8. _____ Shipping activities are a major cause of ocean pollution.
  9. _____ Plastic litter is found in all the world’s oceans.
  10. _____ Most ocean plastic pollution comes from fishing and other activities at sea.

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Appendix C

The World’s Oceans and Coasts


The world’s oceans cover 74 percent of the earth. They are home to more than 80 percent of all the living organisms on the planet. Oceans are vital to life on Earth.

Most ocean life lives along the world’s coasts. Three billion people—half of the world’s population—live in coastal areas. Fishermen around the world catch more than 99 percent of their fish less than 200 miles (320 kilometers) from shore.

Today most coastal areas are polluted. This is especially true near cities. People have always lived near the coasts. Some people live there in order to be near food and transportation. Others want to enjoy the natural beauty of the shore.

These days, coastal populations around the world are increasing. Buildings and roads are replacing natural habitats. Pollution is destroying fish and other wildlife. More sewage and toxic waste are running into coastal waters. More plastics and other forms of trash are ending up on beaches and in coastal waters.

Compared to the coastal areas, the open ocean is fairly clean. Most ocean pollution comes from shipping activities or from the atmosphere, but there is one kind of pollution that is found in all the world’s oceans: plastic litter. Plastic items such as bottles and food containers wash down rivers, enter the ocean, and can even be found in faraway Antarctica. These plastics not only destroy the beauty of beaches, but they kill fish, birds, seals, and other animals. The major source of this ocean plastic pollution is human activities on land.

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Appendix D

Answer Key


Task Sheet: Is It True That…?

1. F

2. T

3. F

4. F

5. F

6. F

7. T

8. T

9. T

10. F

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Table of Contents About the Author Preface Appendix Bibliography Internet Resources Classroom Applications Background