Welcome to Theme 5: Environmental Issues & Being 'Green'
Hello! In this chapter of your Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9–1) Chinese (1CN0) course, we will explore Environmental issues: being 'green'; access to natural resources (Theme 5: International and global dimension). This topic is essential for expressing your opinions on global challenges, describing your everyday eco-friendly habits, and comparing environmental practices in the UK and Chinese-speaking communities.
Don't worry if talking about the environment seems daunting at first! We will break down the essential vocabulary, learn powerful grammar patterns to boost your marks, and look at common pitfalls to avoid in your exams.
Important Note on Characters
In your Edexcel exams, texts and prompts are provided in both Simplified (简体) and Traditional (繁体) characters side-by-side. You are welcome to write in whichever script you prefer, but remember to stay consistent throughout your writing exam!
1. Essential Thematic Vocabulary
Let's break down the vocabulary into manageable topic clusters. Try to learn both the character and the Pinyin tone pairs.
A. General Environment & Nature (环境与自然 / 環境與自然)
• 环境 / 環境 (huánjìng) — Environment
• 自然 (zìrán) — Nature / natural (e.g. 自然资源 natural resources)
• 保护 / 保護 (bǎohù) — To protect / protection (e.g. 保护环境 protect the environment)
• 地球 (dìqiú) — The Earth
• 世界 (shìjiè) — World
• 气候 / 氣候 (qìhòu) — Climate
B. Environmental Issues & Pollution (环境问题与污染 / 環境問題與污染)
• 污染 (wūrǎn) — Pollution / to pollute
• 空气污染 / 空氣污染 (kōngqì wūrǎn) — Air pollution
• 水污染 (shuǐ wūrǎn) — Water pollution
• 垃圾 (lājī) — Rubbish / waste / litter
• 塑料 / 塑膠 (sùliào / sùjiāo) — Plastic
• 砍 / 砍树 / 砍樹 (kǎn / kǎnshù) — To cut down / chop trees
C. Being "Green" & Taking Action (环保行动 / 環保行動)
Memory Trick: 环保 / 環保 (huánbǎo) is a combination of 环境 (environment) and 保护 (protect)!
• 绿色 / 綠色 (lǜsè) — Green (metaphorically used for eco-friendly, e.g. 绿色生活 green living)
• 节约 / 節約 (jiéyuē) — To save / conserve (e.g. 节约用水 save water, 节约用电 save electricity)
• 回收 / 循环利用 / 循環利用 (huíshōu / xúnhuán lìyòng) — Recycling / to recycle
• 骑自行车 / 騎自行車 (qí zìxíngchē) — To ride a bicycle
• 坐公共交通 (zuò gōnggòng jiāotōng) — To take public transport
• 随手关灯 / 隨手關燈 (suíshǒu guān dēng) — To turn off lights when leaving
• 少用塑料袋 / 少用塑膠袋 (shǎo yòng sùliào dài) — To use fewer plastic bags
• 植树 / 植樹 (zhí shù) — To plant trees
D. Access to Natural Resources & Energy (自然资源与能源 / 自然資源與能源)
• 资源 / 資源 (zīyuán) — Resources
• 水 / 水源 (shuǐ / shuǐyuán) — Water / water source
• 能源 (néngyuán) — Energy
• 太阳能 / 太陽能 (tàiyángnéng) — Solar energy
• 风能 / 風能 (fēngnéng) — Wind energy
• 煤 / 煤炭 (méi / méitàn) — Coal
• 石油 (shíyóu) — Oil / petroleum
Section Takeaway: Master words like 保护 (bǎohù), 环境 (huánjìng), 节约 (jiéyuē), and 污染 (wūrǎn) first—they form the foundation of almost every sentence in this topic!
2. Essential Grammar Structures for Top Marks
Using a variety of sentence patterns will help you achieve higher marks in both Paper 2 (Speaking) and Paper 4 (Writing).
A. Expressing Obligation & Recommendations
Use 应该 / 應該 (yīnggāi - should) and 必须 / 必須 (bìxū - must) to suggest solutions to environmental problems.
• Simplified: 我们应该少用塑料袋，多回收垃圾。
• Traditional: 我們應該少用塑膠袋，多回收垃圾。
• Meaning: We should use fewer plastic bags and recycle more rubbish.
• Simplified: 为了保护地球，大家必须节约用水。
• Traditional: 為了保護地球，大家必須節約用水。
• Meaning: In order to protect the earth, everyone must save water.
B. Cause, Effect, and Purpose
1. 因为……所以…… / 因為……所以…… (yīnwèi... suǒyǐ... — Because... therefore...):
• Example: 因为空气污染很严重，所以我们要多骑自行车。(Because air pollution is very serious, therefore we need to ride bikes more.)
2. 为了…… / 為了…… (wèile... — In order to...):
• Example: 为了保护自然环境，我们应该随手关灯。(In order to protect the natural environment, we should turn off lights when leaving.)
C. Comparatives & Progressive Change
1. A 比 B + Adj (A is more [adjective] than B):
• Example: 坐公共汽车比开车更环保。(Taking the bus is more eco-friendly than driving.)
2. 越来越…… / 越來越…… (yuè lái yuè... — More and more...):
• Example: 世界上的环境污染越来越严重。(Environmental pollution in the world is becoming more and more serious.)
D. Conditionals
如果……就…… (rúguǒ... jiù... — If... then...):
• Example: 如果大家都节约能源，地球就会更美丽。(If everyone saves energy, then the earth will be more beautiful.)
Section Takeaway: Try pairing a "purpose" clause (为了……) with an "obligation" (我们应该……) to construct sophisticated, high-level sentences easily!
3. Putting It into Context: Talking About Green Habits
In your speaking and writing exams, you will be expected to talk about environmental habits from two angles: your own personal routine and wider global/community actions.
A. Personal / Local Habits (e.g., in the UK)
• At home: 随手关灯 (turn off lights), 节约用电 (save electricity), 分类回收垃圾 (sort and recycle rubbish).
• Going out: 少用塑料袋 (use fewer plastic bags), 自己带水瓶 (bring your own water bottle), 走路或骑自行车去学校 (walk or cycle to school).
B. Global & Community Actions (e.g., in Chinese-speaking communities)
• Using clean energy: 发展太阳能和风能 (developing solar and wind energy) instead of relying on 煤 (coal) and 石油 (petroleum).
• Community projects: 植树造林 (planting trees), 坐公共交通 / 地铁 (taking public transport / the underground) to reduce emissions.
4. Common Exam Pitfalls & Top Tips (Edexcel 1CN0)
Make sure you keep these exam-specific details in mind to avoid losing easy marks:
1. Speaking Exam Structure (Paper 2):
Under Pearson Edexcel rules, Theme 5 (International and global dimension) is never used in the Role Play task. You will only encounter this topic in the Picture-based task or the General Conversation. Be prepared to express your personal views and give reasons!
2. Character Set Inconsistency:
Do not mix Simplified and Traditional characters in the same piece of writing in Paper 4. For example, do not write "環境" (Traditional) in one sentence and "环境" (Simplified) in the next. Choose one script and stick to it.
3. Tone Pair Pronunciation:
Pay close attention to key tones during Paper 2 (Speaking):
• 环境 (huánjìng): 2nd tone + 4th tone.
• 污染 (wūrǎn): 1st tone + 3rd tone.
• 保护 (bǎohù): 3rd tone + 4th tone.
Practise saying these aloud so you sound confident and natural.
4. Always Justify Your Opinions:
Whenever you state a green action (e.g., "I take the bus"), always add why using 因为 (yīnwèi) or 为了 (wèile) to reach the higher mark bands.
5. Quick Review: Core Phrases
Test yourself on these 5 golden environmental sentences:
1. 为了保护地球，我们应该节约用水。 (In order to protect the earth, we should conserve water.)
2. 空气污染越来越严重了。 (Air pollution is getting more and more serious.)
3. 坐公共交通比开车更绿色。 (Taking public transport is greener than driving a car.)
4. 我们必须少用塑料袋，多回收垃圾。 (We must use fewer plastic bags and recycle more rubbish.)
5. 如果大家多植树，环境就会更好。 (If everyone plants more trees, the environment will be better.)