English For Today chapter 17: The Air We Share

The Air We Share

1.1

Bidhan likes to read newspaper. He has found an interesting article in today's newspaper. Read the article.

Saturday, September 27, 2026

DAILY NEWS

NEWS - OPINION - SPORTS - WEATHER - LIFESTYLE

The Air We share

Figure

Description: Illustration of a field where many trees have been cut down, leaving only stumps, with two men cutting trees with axes.

Air is all around us. We breathe air in and out every day. We cannot live without air. But do you know that sometimes the air can get dirty? This is what we call air pollution.

Smoke, dust and chemicals cause air pollution. Burning fossil fuels is one of the main causes for air pollution. Fossil fuels are things like coal, oil and natural gas. Factories, power plants, and cars use fuel to make energy. When we burn these fuels, they create smoke and harmful gases.

Breathing in polluted air can make us sick. It can cause diseases like asthma, bronchitis etc. Air pollution leads to global warming. Global warming means gradual rise in the Earth's temperature over time. Air pollution can also harm the ozone layer. It is a part of the atmosphere. It protects us from the harmful rays of the sun.

We all can reduce air pollution. Planting

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trees is a great way of doing this. Trees absorb harmful gases and release oxygen. They also filter out harmful pollutants. Thus, trees help to clean the air. We can also walk or ride bicycles for a short distance. It does not need to use fossil fuels. Remember, every effort helps and together we can make a big difference.

Figure

Description: Illustration of a busy road with many vehicles, including a yellow auto-rickshaw, motorbikes and cars, with people riding on them, all covered in a dark cloud of smoke.

Figure

Description: Illustration of a factory with several tall chimneys releasing thick dark smoke into the sky.

Figure

Description: Illustration of a tree beside a heap of burning waste, with plastic bottles and bags on the ground and dark smoke rising.

2.1 Choose the right answers.

1. What is air pollution? a) The process of breathing in and out. b) The mixture of smoke, dust and chemicals in the air. c) The process of burning fossil fuels. d) The act of saving energy.

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2. What are fossil fuels? a) coal, oil and natural gas b) ash and soot c) smoke and dust d) trees and plants

3. What can air pollution cause? a) It can make the air clean. b) It can cause asthma diseases. c) It can help in saving energy. d) It can help in recycling trash.

4. What is a great way of reducing air pollution? a) burning more fossil fuels b) planting trees c) breathing in and out every day d) mixing smoke, dust and chemicals with the air

5. What is the role of trees in preventing air pollution? a) Trees cause air pollution. b) Trees burn fossil fuels. c) Trees absorb harmful gases. d) Trees create smoke and dust.

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3.1 Language Focus: Paragraph Writing

A paragraph is a group of sentences on a topic. The following steps will help you write a paragraph:

• First choose a topic.

  My Favourite Sport

• The first sentence of a paragraph is topic sentence.

  I love playing football.

• Then, we write supporting sentences to develop the topic.

  Football is a fun sport. We get to run around and kick a ball.

• After that, we will add details to the supporting sentences.

  Playing football is a teamwork. We pass the ball to our teammates. All players try to score goals.

• Finally, end the paragraph with a closing sentence.

  That is why I like football the most.

Now, put the topic sentence, supporting sentences, details, and closing sentence together to make a paragraph.

My Favourite Sport

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4.1 Imagine, you are a tree in a city affected by air pollution. Write a diary about your day. Think about the following questions to write the diary.

Figure

Description: A street in a city with tall buildings on both sides. A large tree stands in a round raised planter in the middle of the road. A red car and a row of other cars are on the left, and a red double-decker bus is on the right. Smoke rises from chimneys in the background.

a) What do you see, smell and feel? b) How does it affect you? c) What do you do to keep the air clean?

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You can start like this:

Date: ....................

Today was another tough day in the city. As a tree, I stand tall. And I try to do my best to clean the air.

But the air around me was filled with smoke and dirt from the ................. ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ...............................................................................................................