Global Issues: Environment and Poverty

Caring for the world

This module builds your Chinese for global issues: looking after the environment, and understanding poverty in society. Each example is a Chinese word with its English meaning. A full sentence looks like this: 我爱环境 (wǒ ài huánjìng), meaning I love the environment.

Words for the environment

Start with four words about the environment.

Match each society word

Characters build meaning

Chinese characters often join smaller meanings. 住 means to live and 房 means a room or house, so 住房 (zhùfáng) means housing. Small actions help the environment too: using less and wasting less both make a difference.

Which means the environment?

Which Chinese word means the environment?

• 环境
• 垃圾
• 交通
• 社会

Spot the two environment words

Select the TWO words that are about the environment.

• 垃圾
• 浪费
• 穷
• 失业

Match each society word

Planet and people

Reading the whole word tells you whether it is about the planet or about people. Here are more of each.

Find the two environment words

Tap the TWO words that are about the environment.

• 环境, the environment
• 穷, poor
• 交通, traffic
• 社会, society

Reading a sentence

Now read a full Chinese sentence: 我不浪费 (wǒ bù làngfèi) = "I do not waste". Parts: 我 (wǒ, "I"), 不 (bù, "not"), then 浪费 (làngfèi, "to waste"). 不 before a verb makes it negative.

What does it say?

In 我不浪费 (wǒ bù làngfèi), what does the person do?

• They do not waste things
• They waste things
• They are poor
• They increase rubbish

Help the environment

Put the steps of helping the environment into a sensible order.

• Notice how much you waste
• Use less at home
• Recycle your rubbish
• Use public transport
• Tell others what you do

Complete the global-issues facts

The world around us is the _____. Old things we throw away are _____. Using more than you need is to _____. Someone with very little money is _____. The number of people is the _____.

Read the notice

Use what you know to read each Chinese word on a notice. Choose each time.

• A bin is labelled 垃圾 (lājī). What goes in it?
• A report is about the 人口 (rénkǒu) of a city. What is it about?
• A campaign is about protecting the 环境 (huánjìng). What does it protect?

Write about a global issue

In English, write about how you help the environment and one social issue that matters to you, using some of the Chinese words. This is written in English and is not auto-marked.

• Name two things people can do to protect the environment
• Name one Chinese environment word, such as 环境 or 垃圾, and its meaning
• Say why a social issue such as poverty matters
• Write one full Chinese sentence with 我, for example 我爱环境