Paweł's Green Shift at Volta Drive

Word Bank

These words appear in the reading and the exercises below. Hover or click a word to see its definition.

carbon footprint n. greenhouse gases n. fossil fuels n. greenhouse effect n. global warming n. eco-friendly practices noun phrase renewable energy n. solar farms n. wind turbines n. forest protection n. cut down phrasal verb cut back on phrasal verb switch to phrasal verb preserve v. tackle v.

Full vocabulary notes (examples, collocations, related words)

carbon footprint noun · in the reading — The total amount of greenhouse gases released by a person, group, or activity We need to reduce our carbon footprint by using less energy.Collocations: reduce carbon footprint, growing carbon footprint, calculate carbon footprintRelated: ecological footprintNotes: Often used with verbs like reduce, lower, minimize.

greenhouse gases noun · in the reading — Gases like carbon dioxide that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere and contribute to global warming Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.Collocations: emit greenhouse gases, release greenhouse gases, trap heatRelated: emissions, carbon dioxideNotes: Always plural. Includes CO2, methane, etc.

fossil fuels noun · in the reading — Natural fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas that are used for energy We burn fossil fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas for energy.Collocations: burn fossil fuels, rely on fossil fuels, fossil fuel industryRelated: coal, oil, natural gasContrasts: renewable energyNotes: Always plural. Non-renewable.

greenhouse effect noun — A process that occurs when certain gases in the Earth's atmosphere trap the sun's heat and warm the planet The greenhouse effect is caused by gases trapping heat in our atmosphere.Collocations: the greenhouse effect, cause the greenhouse effect, contribute to the greenhouse effectRelated: global warmingNotes: Usually with 'the'.

global warming noun · in the reading — Gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect Global warming is causing ice caps to melt.Collocations: cause global warming, fight global warming, effects of global warmingRelated: climate change, rising temperaturesNotes: Usually without article.

eco-friendly practices noun phrase · in the reading — Actions that help protect the environment by reducing waste and conserving natural resources Eco-friendly practices are leading the fight against worldwide environmental problems.Collocations: adopt eco-friendly practices, promote eco-friendly practicesRelated: sustainable practices, green practicesNotes: Always plural 'practices'. Also 'environmentally friendly'.

renewable energy noun · in the reading — Energy made from natural sources that never run out, like the sun and wind More and more we see renewable energy replacing fossil fuels.Collocations: use renewable energy, switch to renewable energy, renewable energy sourcesRelated: clean energy, green energyContrasts: fossil fuelsNotes: Uncountable. Opposite of fossil fuels.

solar farms noun · in the reading — Large-scale setups of solar panels that capture sunlight and convert it into electrical energy We see solar farms across the land, using natural energy to make cleaner electricity.Collocations: build solar farms, solar farm installationRelated: solar panels, solar energyNotes: Always plural when referring to installations.

wind turbines noun · in the reading — Tall structures with blades that spin with the wind to generate electricity Wind turbines generate clean electricity from natural wind power.Collocations: install wind turbines, wind turbine farm, offshore wind turbinesRelated: wind power, wind energyNotes: Always plural when referring to multiple units.

forest protection noun · in the reading — Efforts to preserve forests from deforestation and promote biodiversity Forest protection helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.Collocations: efforts in forest protection, forest protection policiesRelated: forest conservation, preserve forestsContrasts: deforestationNotes: Uncountable.

cut down phrasal verb · in the reading — To cut a tree's trunk so that it falls to the ground The company was fined for illegally cutting down trees in the protected forest area.Collocations: cut down trees, illegally cut downRelated: chop down, fellNotes: Separable. Object can go between or after.

cut back on phrasal verb · in the reading — To reduce something, such as CO2 emissions The new regulations require factories to cut back on their emissions by 30%.Collocations: cut back on emissions, cut back on waste, cut back on energyRelated: reduce, decreaseNotes: Often followed by emissions, waste, energy use.

switch to phrasal verb · in the reading — To start using new practices, materials, etc. instead of the old ones Our city plans to switch to clean energy by installing solar panels.Collocations: switch to clean energy, switch to renewable energy, switch to recyclingRelated: change to, convert toNotes: Often followed by clean/renewable energy, recycled materials.

preserve verb · in the reading — To protect something like natural resources or endangered species from damage, depletion or extinction The new wildlife reserve was established to preserve natural resources and protect endangered species.Collocations: preserve natural resources, preserve endangered species, preserve habitatsRelated: protect, conserveContrasts: destroy, harmNotes: Formal. Common in environmental contexts.

tackle verb · in the reading — To take action to deal with a problem and try to find solutions The government announced a new initiative to tackle environmental issues like air pollution.Collocations: tackle environmental issues, tackle global warming, tackle climate changeRelated: address, deal with, combatNotes: Often followed by problem, issue, challenge.

Reading

Read the text, then try the exercises below.

Paweł Zając stood at the edge of the new production line at Volta Drive, watching the machines hum to life. The line was three weeks behind schedule, and his team had to reach an output target of 1,200 electric bike motors by the end of the month. Paweł knew that pushing too hard could lead to mistakes, so he refused to add extra shifts. Now his boss, Marek Nowicki, had given him a second job: the plant had to cut back on energy and switch to eco-friendly practices to reduce its carbon footprint. Paweł had read about renewable energy and wondered if solar farms or wind turbines could power part of the factory one day.

On his eight-kilometre run that morning, the air had smelled of smoke from the coal stoves in the old houses. Every winter, running made him notice it: Silesia still burned a lot of fossil fuels, and he could taste them in the cold air. His wife had told him about a forest protection project near Gliwice, where volunteers preserve old woodland and plant new trees where others have been cut down. Paweł thought Volta Drive could join it. He had already talked to the engineers about using less gas and lowering the plant’s greenhouse gases. ‘We can’t tackle global warming in one month,’ he told his team. ‘It’s like training for a half marathon. You don’t change everything on race day. You start with small steps, and you keep going.’

Fill in the Blank

Pick the word that best completes each sentence. The sentence may use a different form of the word (a plural, or -ed / -ing).

Matching

Click a word, then click its definition — or drag from one to the other. Use the undo button if you change your mind.

Teacher Notes

All vocabulary in this lesson comes directly from the bank at B2 level, filtered by the topic "environment".
Exercise #1 (Matching) practices recognition; Exercise #2 (Gap-fill) practices production in context.
This lesson blends 3 related sub-themes rather than one narrow group -- worth pointing out the connections between them explicitly if students seem to treat the words as unrelated.
Several items have register/usage notes worth raising in class: carbon footprint, greenhouse gases, fossil fuels, greenhouse effect, global warming.