Mission Earth – ESL Lesson A2+/B1
🌍 A2+ / B1 · ESL Lesson

Mission
Earth

Environmental Hazards · Pollution · Future Perfect Simple
Przygotowanie do egzaminu ósmoklasisty

9 sections Listening activities ~60 min Future Perfect
👤
Environment
A2+ / B1 · Environment

🌍 Mission Earth

Environmental Hazards · Pollution · Cause & Effect · Future Perfect Simple

📚

Section 1 — Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary

Study the vocabulary. You will need it for the exercises below. / Naucz się słownictwa — przyda się w ćwiczeniach.

TermPolish 🇵🇱Definition
pollutionzanieczyszczenieHarmful substances in air, water, or soil that damage the environment.
climate changezmiana klimatuLong-term shifts in global temperatures and weather patterns.
deforestationwylesianieThe process of cutting down large areas of forest.
greenhouse gasgaz cieplarnianyGases like CO₂ that trap heat in the atmosphere.
global warmingglobalne ocieplenieThe gradual rise in Earth’s average temperature.
endangeredzagrożonyAt risk of becoming extinct.
habitatsiedlisko / środowiskoThe natural environment where a plant or animal lives.
floodpowódźAn overflow of water onto normally dry land.
droughtsuszaA long period with no rain, causing water shortages.
emissionsemisjeGases released into the atmosphere from cars, factories, etc.
renewableodnawialnyEnergy from natural sources that never run out (sun, wind, water).
fossil fuelspaliwa kopalneCoal, oil, or gas — energy sources formed from ancient organisms.
biodegradablebiodegradowalnyCapable of being broken down naturally by bacteria.
carbon footprintślad węglowyThe total amount of CO₂ released by a person, product, or activity.
sustainablezrównoważonyAble to continue without damaging the environment.
reforestationzalesianiePlanting new trees to replace those that have been cut down.
🔗

Section 2 — Cause & Effect Language

Language Focus

CAUSE phrases

Because of + noun  |  Due to + noun  |  As a result of + noun  |  Owing to + noun

EFFECT phrases

This leads to...  |  This causes...  |  As a result,...  |  Consequently,...  |  Therefore,...

📝 Examples:
Because of deforestation, many animals lose their habitat.
Burning fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases. As a result, the planet warms up.

✍️ Exercise 2 — Cause & Effect Practice

Write TWO original cause-and-effect sentences about environmental problems using the phrases above. / Napisz dwa własne zdania przyczynowo-skutkowe.

1. Your sentence:
2. Your sentence:
📖

Section 3 — Reading: The Problem of Deforestation

Reading
🎧 Listen while you read

Every year, millions of hectares of forest are cut down around the world. This process, known as deforestation, is one of the most serious environmental problems we face today. Forests are cut to make space for farming, cattle ranching, and building new roads and cities.


Deforestation has serious consequences. Firstly, it destroys the habitat of thousands of plant and animal species, many of which become endangered. As a result, biodiversity — the variety of life on Earth — is reduced significantly.


Secondly, trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. When forests are destroyed, this CO₂ is released back into the air, contributing to the greenhouse effect and global warming. Scientists estimate that deforestation accounts for about 10% of global carbon emissions.


Finally, forests protect the soil and regulate rainfall. Without trees, the soil is easily washed away by rain, leading to floods and droughts in different regions. Local communities that depend on forests for food and water are especially affected.


Despite these problems, there is hope. Many countries have introduced laws to protect their remaining forests, and large-scale reforestation projects are underway. However, experts agree that more urgent action is needed.

Każdego roku miliony hektarów lasów są wycinane na całym świecie. Ten proces, znany jako wylesianie, jest jednym z najpoważniejszych problemów środowiskowych, z jakimi borykamy się dziś. Lasy są wycinane, aby zrobić miejsce dla rolnictwa, hodowli bydła oraz budowy nowych dróg i miast.


Wylesianie ma poważne konsekwencje. Po pierwsze, niszczy siedlisko tysięcy gatunków roślin i zwierząt, z których wiele staje się zagrożonymi. W rezultacie różnorodność biologiczna Ziemi jest znacznie ograniczona.


Po drugie, drzewa pochłaniają dwutlenek węgla z atmosfery. Gdy lasy są niszczone, CO₂ jest uwalniany z powrotem do powietrza, przyczyniając się do efektu cieplarnianego i globalnego ocieplenia. Naukowcy szacują, że wylesianie odpowiada za około 10% globalnych emisji węgla.


Wreszcie, lasy chronią glebę i regulują opady deszczu. Bez drzew gleba jest łatwo wypłukiwana przez deszcz, co prowadzi do powodzi i susz w różnych regionach. Lokalne społeczności zależne od lasów są szczególnie dotknięte.


Pomimo tych problemów jest nadzieja. Wiele krajów wprowadził prawa chroniące pozostałe lasy, a na dużą skalę prowadzone są projekty zalesiania. Eksperci zgadzają się jednak, że potrzebne są pilniejsze działania.


✅ Exercise 1 — Comprehension: Short Answers

Answer in 1–2 sentences. / Odpowiedz w 1–2 zdaniach.

1. Why are forests cut down? Give two reasons.
2. How does deforestation contribute to climate change?
3. What positive actions are mentioned in the final paragraph?
🎧

Section 4 — Listening Comprehension

Listening

Task 1 — Eco-Warrior Podcast

🎵 Play to unlock transcript

Listen and fill in the gaps. / Posłuchaj i uzupełnij luki.

1. The community will have planted oak trees by the end of the week.
2. They hope the birds will have by the start of summer.

“Welcome back! By the end of this week, our local community will have planted over 200 oak trees in the park. We hope that by the time summer starts, the birds will have returned to this area.”


Task 2 — Breaking News Report

🎵 Play to unlock transcript

Answer the questions. / Odpowiedz na pytania.

1. What will be banned in supermarkets by 2035?
2. What will shoppers have adapted to doing by then?

“In breaking news, the government promised that by 2035, they will have banned all single-use plastics in supermarkets. Shoppers will have adapted to using reusable bags by then.”


Listening Activity 1 — The City of 2045

🎵 Play to unlock transcript

A. Choose the correct answer (a, b or c). / Zakreśl poprawną odpowiedź.

1. What will have happened to petrol vehicles by 2045?
a
They will be more expensive.
b
They will be banned.
c
They will be faster.
2. How will buildings help the environment in the future?
a
They will be smaller.
b
They will absorb CO₂.
c
They will be made of plastic.
3. What is the goal for city waste by mid-century?
a
To put it in landfills.
b
To burn it.
c
To turn it into renewable energy.

B. Sentence Completion — Future Perfect. Fill in the gaps. / Uzupełnij luki.

1. By 2045, engineers underground magnetic trains.
2. By the time you walk down the street, buildings absorbing CO₂.
3. By the middle of the century, we from consumers to protectors.

“Welcome back to ‘Global Future.’ Today we are looking at the ‘Green-Tech City Project.’ Many experts believe that by the year 2045, our urban environments will have changed completely. By 2045, most major cities will have banned all petrol-burning vehicles. Instead, engineers will have built underground magnetic trains that use zero emissions. In this future city, architects will have covered every skyscraper with vertical forests. By the time you walk down a street in 2045, the buildings themselves will have started absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Finally, by the middle of the century, scientists hope they will have created a way to turn all city waste into renewable energy. By 2045, we will have moved from being a planet of consumers to a planet of protectors.”


Listening Activity 2 — The Ocean Cleanup Interview

🎵 Play to unlock transcript

A. True or False? / Prawda czy fałsz?

1. Plastic pollution is causing the destruction of marine habitats.
2. The speaker says that many species are already extinct.
3. The boats will have collected 50 tons of plastic by the end of the year.
4. A new tax might help companies find biodegradable alternatives.

B. Cause & Effect Matching — Click LEFT then RIGHT to match. / Kliknij lewą kolumnę, potem prawą.

Cause
1. Single-use plastic addiction
2. Plastic entering the ocean
3. New taxes on packaging
Effect
b) Species become endangered.
a) Marine habitats are destroyed.
c) Companies use biodegradable materials.

Interviewer: “Today we’re talking to Mark, a volunteer for ‘OceanClean.’ Mark, how bad is the plastic problem?”

Mark: “It’s a massive environmental hazard. Currently, millions of tons of plastic enter our oceans every year. This leads to the destruction of marine habitats. Because of our addiction to single-use plastic, thousands of species have already become endangered.”

Interviewer: “Is there any hope for the future?”

Mark: “Yes! By the end of this summer, our specialized boats will have collected over 50 tons of plastic from the Mediterranean Sea. We also believe that by next year, the government will have introduced a new tax on plastic packaging. If we continue this work, by 2030, we will have restored the health of many coastal areas.”

✍️

Section 5 — Vocabulary Exercises

Exercises

Exercise 3 — Matching

Match the terms with the correct descriptions. / Dopasuj terminy do opisów.

a) Trash that is not separated for recycling.
b) Solar and wind power sources.
c) Removing large amounts of trees from a forest.
1. Deforestation
2. Sort waste
3. Renewable

Exercise 4 — Gap Fill

Word bank:   sustainable  /  footprint  /  preserve  /  emissions  /  habitat
1. We need to our national parks for our children.
2. Eating less meat is a great way to reduce your ecological .
3. Using bamboo instead of plastic is a more choice.
4. Carbon from transport are rising every year.
5. The panda’s natural is under serious threat.

Exercise 5 — Partial Translation (PL → EN)

Translate only the underlined Polish part into English. / Przetłumacz tylko podkreślony fragment.

1. Our goal is to reduce .
2. You should never use .
3. We need more .
4. This area is suffering from severe .
🔤

Section 6 — Word Formation

Grammar

Complete the table. Use ___ where the form does not exist. / Uzupełnij tabelę.

VERBNOUNADJECTIVE
pollutepollutionpolluted
warmwarmth / warming
destroydestructive
protectionprotected
emit
recyclerecyclable
conservationconserved
⚙️

Section 7 — Grammar: Future Perfect Simple

Grammar

🇬🇧 English

We use Future Perfect for actions that will be FINISHED before a specific point in the future. Think of it as looking BACK from the future.

Key triggers: By… · By the time… · By the end of… · In X years’ time

🇵🇱 Polski

Czasu Future Perfect używamy gdy czynność zostanie zakończona do konkretnego momentu w przyszłości (czas przyszły dokonany).

By 2050, we will have stopped using plastic.
Do 2050 r. przestaniemy używać plastiku.

@media(max-width:500px){div[style*=”grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr”]{grid-template-columns:1fr!important}}
FormStructureExample
Affirmative (+)Subject + will have + V3By 2040, scientists will have found a cure.
Negative (−)Subject + won’t have + V3We won’t have solved all problems by then.
Question (?)Will + subject + have + V3?Will they have built the park by June?
💡 Pro Tip! Whenever you see “By 2030” or “By the time…” — think Future Perfect! The action will be FINISHED before that time.

Exercise 6 — Future Perfect: Positive & Negative

Put the verb in brackets into the correct Future Perfect form. / Wpisz czasownik w nawiasie we właściwej formie.

1. By next month, the scientists their study on bees.
2. By 2050, we all environmental problems.
3. In two years’ time, the city a new recycling plant.
4. By the end of this century, many coastal cities .
5. By the time you wake up, I to the recycling centre.

Exercise 7 — Questions

Write the question in the Future Perfect. / Napisz pytanie.

1. (the government / pass) — the new law by December?
2. How many trees (you / plant) — by the end of the day?
3. Do you think (we / stop) — using coal by 2040?

Exercise 8 — Sentence Transformation

Use the Future Perfect in your answer. / Użyj czasu Future Perfect.

1. “I will finish this report at 5 PM.” → By 6 PM,
✅ By 6 PM, I will have finished this report.
2. “The workers started planting trees in January. They will finish in March.” → By April,
✅ By April, the workers will have planted the trees.
🎯

Section 8 — Exam Practice: 8th Grade Style

Exam

Exercise 9 — Translate the underlined parts (PL → EN)

1. , many coastal cities will have disappeared.
2. I hope that by 2030 people the rainforests.
3. , the factory will have installed new filters.
4. I hope that any more trees by then.

Exercise 10 — Use the Words in the Correct Form

1. By the time the meeting ends, we how to sort our waste.
2. Because of , the air in our city is very unhealthy.
3. Many species are at risk becoming extinct. If we don’t act, by 2050 they have lost their natural habitats entirely.

Exercise 11 — Choose the Correct Response

X: “We should really stop using plastic straws.”
Y: ___________

a
I will have bought them yesterday.
b
I couldn’t agree more.
c
By the time the party starts.
✏️

Section 9 — Writing Task: My Ecological Paragraph

Writing

Write 80–100 words about ONE environmental problem. / Napisz 80–100 słów o jednym problemie środowiskowym.

✈️Air Pollution
🌊Plastic in the Ocean
🧊Melting Ice Caps
Requirements: Use CAUSE & EFFECT language (Section 2) · Include at least ONE Future Perfect sentence · Use at least FOUR vocabulary words from Section 1.

Introducing the problem: One of the most pressing environmental issues today is… · A major concern for our planet is… · Nowadays, we are facing a serious crisis regarding…

Cause & Effect: Because of heavy use of fossil fuels… · Due to human activity… · As a result of throwing plastic into the sea… · This leads to… · Consequently,…

Future Perfect: By the year 2050, I hope we will have stopped… · By 2040, scientists will have developed… · By the end of this decade, many countries will have switched to renewable energy… · Unless we act, by 2060 the sea level will have risen significantly.

Hidden Example Starter: “One of the most serious problems is air pollution. Because of the burning of fossil fuels, our cities are full of toxic emissions. This leads to serious health issues and contributes to global warming. I hope that by 2040, we will have replaced all coal power plants with renewable energy…”

0 words (aim for 80–100)
📊

Your Results

Final
Student:
Total Score:
Listening 1+2
Listening 3+4
Vocab Ex 3–5
Word Formation
Future Perfect
Exam Ex 9–11