Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Compost

Compost

Date: Aug 11 2009

Themes: Food, Hobbies, News

Grammar: Verbs with "-ing"

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Many of us want to do something to help protect the planet. But it’s hard to know what actions we can take to actually make a difference. Many people have started composting to help reduce the amount of waste they produce.

People who compost take their food waste, like banana peels, egg shells, and other meal scraps, and save it in a special container instead of throwing it away. Eventually, the compost turns into rich soil. This soil can be used in the garden to help make things grow.

Listen to Marni and Jason talk about composting. And find out which American city just passed a law that requires all of its citizens to compost!

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Marni

Jason

Jason

Marni:  So I just read that San Francisco, in California, just made it a legal requirement to compost.

Jason:  Yeah.

Marni:  What do you think of that?

Jason:  I really couldn’t believe it. I only started composting maybe six months ago or something. And so I was like, “Am I that behind the times, that they’re making a law to enforce something that I just started doing?” Like I thought of myself as kind of a green person in general.

Marni:  Sure. But composting was relatively new to you?

Jason:  Yeah. Are you a long-time composter?

Marni:  I am. And I just…It’s kind of one of those things where once you start doing it you realize how easy it is to do.

Jason:  Yeah.

Marni:  And if you do like to do any sort of gardening then it’s kind of a no brainer, you know?

Jason:  And it reduces the amount of waste I make by so much.

Marni:  It’s pretty drastic.

Jason:  Like half.

Marni:  Yeah. Exactly.

Jason:  It is kind of gross, though, keeping that little bit in the house until you take it out, and there’s like flies…

Marni:  Yeah. I think you have to be pretty diligent about actually emptying it.

Jason:  Yeah. I haven’t gotten into the gardening part though. Do you find that it makes the soil incredibly fertile?

Marni:  Exactly. I mean, when I get in that compost and I see worms everywhere, you know that you have really good soil. So you put that in your vegetables, and it’s like…It’s amazing.

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Verbs with "-ing"" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

San Francisco, California, has the strongest recycling and composting laws in the country. It now requires all homes and businesses to compost. The mayor of San Francisco wants his city to do its part to reduce pollution and protect the environment.

Jason has been composting for about six months. Marni has been doing it for a long time. She likes composting because it’s easy to do and it’s great for gardening. Jason thinks it’s a little gross saving his food scraps, but he’s impressed by how much less waste he produces now.

Do you compost, or do you know anyone who composts? Would you like your city to start a composting program like San Francisco’s? What else can we do to make a difference and help protect the planet?

To learn more about composting, read Marni’s blog on the subject!

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

ghost.w0506

Germany

it s really stupid, what “rich countries” do with food. They put lot of food into garbage bins and 4 hours from that country, ppl die, because they don t have something to eat.


same with food garbage. We should collect this and “re-use it” in an other way it s  really simple, but…........ you have to be intelligent to understand that


05:42 AM Aug 08 2014 |

hayatoo

hayatoo

Morocco

hi


06:14 PM Feb 11 2013 |

Melina M

Melina M

Argentina

I just started composting a few days ago, I hope to get in the habit. that program sounds great.


I do a lot of crafts with waste materials, and it doesn’t look like they’re made of that. Here’s a great page where I get lots of ideas: http://elmundodelreciclaje.blogspot.com/


(its in spanish, but most of the pages where it leads are in english)

11:14 PM Dec 23 2011 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

I believe that in Seattle( State of Washington)  households  are charged for any extra trash can   needed.  composting   is not only going green but a  intelligent  way  to avoid the necessity to apply for  an extra trash bin

12:45 PM Jun 20 2011 |

Ca__s

Brazil

I like composting, but I actually can't do it at all, just some times. I really hope that one day my city (and maybe the all country) start a composting program. It's magic when you can see the nature doing her job, with all the flies, worms and soil. It's good for you, for the people, for the planet, and for your vegetables :D

06:57 PM Feb 01 2010 |

1 person likes this

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

my family,a long time,adopted the compost idea and it is a great idea to help the enviroment ;)

09:45 AM Aug 17 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Yes Im my country and my city there a composing program…It is a form to help the enviroment and creating jobs ;)

09:41 AM Aug 17 2009 |

Marcelolic

Marcelolic

Brazil

Yes,In my country and my city there a composting program…It is a form to help the enviroment and creating jobs ;)

09:41 AM Aug 17 2009 |

dodo77

Saudi Arabia

I never tried one day to be composter J  

Composting system is not required in my country .Actually, I REALLY like

the idea of composting unwanted things , particularly, as we are

suffering in the rest of our meals . In my opinion, farmers are the one

who get  benefit to compost any thing  which it's  fade in the

garbage ;)) like dinner scraps , apple core , rotten vegetables ….. etc    

12:16 AM Aug 17 2009 |

andrespretty2

Colombia

In my city, there aren't a composting program, i'd like that implement it for improving our enviroment, i think that all countries should implement.

09:36 PM Aug 14 2009 |

M GH

M GH

Syrian Arab Republic

There is nothing makes life organic and living more than using natrual sources. for that reason compost is the best way to make a difference. It makes the unwanted things a huge treasure especially for those work farming and gardening

11:17 PM Aug 13 2009 |

M GH

M GH

Syrian Arab Republic

There is nothing makes life organic and living more than using natrual sources. for that reason compost is the best way to make a difference. It makes the unwanted things a huge treasure especially for those work farming and gardening

11:13 PM Aug 13 2009 |

sofree

sofree

China

I don't think many people in China compost, I mean unless you have a big garden or you live in countryside, it's hard to get any chance to compost by living in apartment.

 

I want to try compost, but we have a long way to go. Actually it's quite easy for Chinese to do something to protect our planet, just stop eating strange things, it gonna be a big difference here.

11:38 AM Aug 13 2009 |

1 person likes this

Madam Butt

Madam Butt

Pakistan

you all are correct at your places!!!!!!

12:55 PM Aug 12 2009 |

Ca_Brazil

Ca_Brazil

Brazil

Im not used to compost and i dont know anyone who does that. It would be good if my city had such a legal requirement about recycling and composting, like in San Francisco. I hope very soon all countries have programs to help to protect the enviromnent. Its no brainer that if we dont make anything about it we are going to have no space for so much garbage.

10:24 PM Aug 11 2009 |

kadir1969

Turkey

Well I 've working at the chemestry factory for 20 years.Nobody knows that gebage separating till e few years ago.Now we understood that is important for our life and our economy.But we took lot's of lesson about gerbage from factory.

 

09:50 PM Aug 11 2009 |

mayrelis

Dominican Republic

Well many people in my country they don´t know what is it mean compost.

The parents don´t procure that the children learn it. And the garbage is not separated.I learned it in Germany. And when I am in my country, I try to explicate my family that it is very important to do that, but they don´t understand it and mean, ha ha she is crazy? why two or three bags for the garbage?

It is frustraiting for me. But I am happy because I know what to do to help a little.Kiss

 

 

08:26 PM Aug 11 2009 |

Cool English Teacher

Brazil

I learned to compost with my mom when I was still a little kid. I used to think that composting didn't work for real and that my mom was wasting her time. After going through grade schools, I definitely learned how important composting is and that my mom wasn't nuts…She was just trying to go green Kiss

07:39 PM Aug 11 2009 |

rosendo

rosendo

Mexico

i agree with recicle garbage in order to protect the ozone layer bcs the pollution is distroying that in others words we are destroying the planet.

take care of it , pls.

07:30 PM Aug 11 2009 |

spike_dsl

spike_dsl

Philippines

We segregate those materials that can undergo process of decomposting. Some trash can be turn into something that can be useful to others. Like those banana peel, vegetable left overs, etc. can be used as a soil fertilizer and other scraps turned to other object with purpose or use. Those scraps undergo process of recycling. Filipinos are great inventors, we re-invent materials that are available in the area and turn it into a new product.

03:27 PM Aug 11 2009 |

Likes (33):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast