Passive Tenses Environmental Quiz

Passive tenses environmental quiz

From your general knowledge or just by guessing, fill the gaps of at least ten of the sentences below, starting with the easiest ones if you like. Some words can be used in more than one place below. The data comes from Wikipedia and online environmental quizzes.

1. 2 million people die early each year in _________________________________ because of air pollution.
2. 137 species in tropical forests become extinct every ______________________.
3. 27,000 trees are cut down each day to make _____________________________.
4. 3,590,984,325 cubic meters of _____________ has been produced so far this year.
5. 35% of the world’s rubbish (= trash = garbage) landfills consist of materials from ___________________________________________________________________.
6. 40% of the world’s drinking water comes from ______________________________.
7. 80 _________ aluminium cans are used by humans every year. All could be recycled.
8. A study of 70-year old citizens in Tokyo over five years showed that the presence of ______________________________ in a neighbourhood means a lower death rate.
9. All ______________ in the United Kingdom are made from 100% recycled materials.
10. Americans throw away two billion disposable _______________________ every year.
11. Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every _______________________________.
12. An automatic dishwasher uses ______________ hot water than doing dishes by hand.
13. By recycling paper and cardboard, the United Kingdom saves 11 _________________ tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
14. California spends $300 million on cleaning ___________ from its beaches every year. 
15. Californians have recycled over 120 billion bottles and _________________________, enough to circle the Earth 375 times.
16. China, United States, Russia, India, Mexico, and _____________________________ lead the world in air pollution emissions.
17. During the Great Smog of 1952 in London at least 4000 people were _____________ by air pollution.
18. Europe spent €406 __________________________ on importing fossil fuels in 2011.
19. Fossil fuels provided 79.6% of worldwide ____________________________ in 2002.
20. Glaciers in Greenland show signs of increases in ____________________________ because of ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production.
21. Hurricanes often cause water _________________________________ from sewage.
22. In 2000, about 17 _______________________________________________ tonnes of radioactive material such as uranium were released worldwide from burning coal.
23. In 2007, China overtook _____________________________________________ as the world's biggest producer of CO2.
24. Japan’s Cool Biz program encourages setting _______________________________ at 28-degrees Celsius and allows employees to dress casually in the summer.
25. _________________ has the most green space of any large capital city in the world.
26. Lord Northbourne first used the term _______________________________________ farming in his book Look to the Land in 1939.

 

27. More than seven billion rolls of ___________________________________________ are sold every year in the United States.
28. One fleece can be made from just 25 recycled _______________________________.
29. One million creatures are killed by plastic materials in ________________ every year.
30. Only 1% of our planet’s _________________________________ supply can be used.
31. Only 1% of plastic shopping bags are _____________________________________.
32. Organic products accounted for 11.4% of all fruit and vegetables that were sold in ______________________________________________________ in the year 2009.
33. ____________________ takes 450 years just to begin decomposing.  It takes another 50 to 80 years to be completely decomposed.  This also means that every single piece ever made in the history of the world has not even started to decompose yet.
34. Air pollution first became a problem in London in the ____________________
35. Rainforests are cut down at a rate of 100 acres per __________________________.
36. Recycled ____________________________________________________________ only creates 25% of the pollution that making it from new would.
37. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a light bulb for four ____________________________________________________________________. 
38. Roll-based __________________________________________ was first sold in 1883.
39. Since 2000, Italian schools and hospitals have had to use __________________
40. The burning of _____________ produces around 21.3 billion tonnes of CO2 per year.
41. The _________________________________ buy the most organic milk in the world.
42. The EU has promised to cut its annual _______________________ by 20% by 2020.
43. The modern lightweight plastic shopping bag was invented by the Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin in the early 19________________________________________
44. The planet’s population ________________________________ by 77 million a year.
45. The U.S. produces about _____________________________% of the world's waste.
46. Up to 1 __________________________ plastic bags are used each year worldwide.
47. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per _____________________.
48. When a newspaper is recycled, it takes seven _______________________________ to become a brand new one.

Choose one of the questions above which you are very sure about the answer of and read out the whole sentence. Continue around the class until your teacher tells you to stop. You can’t write anything when you are checking the answers, but try to remember all the correct answers for the next stage. 

Use the mixed words on the next page to fill all the gaps above.

 

Mixed answers

Use the mixed-up answers below to fill all the gaps above, then check with the answer key on the next page. Some words need to be used more than once.

• 13^th
• 40
• 60
• air conditioners
• billion
• cans
• China
• Chinese
• day
• days
• energy
• energy consumption
• fossil fuels
• green space
• grows
• hour
• hours
• Japan
• killed
• less
• London
• million
• minute
• newspapers
• organic
• packaging
• paper
• plastic
• plastic bottles
• pollution
• razors
• recycled
• rubbish
• the sea
• the United States
• thousand
• toilet paper
• trillion
• water
• wood

 

Suggested answers

1. 2 million people die early each year in China because of air pollution.
2. 137 species in tropical forests become extinct every day.
3. 27,000 trees are cut down each day to make toilet paper.
4. 3,590,984,325 cubic meters of wood has been produced so far this year.
5. 35% of the world’s rubbish (= trash = garbage) landfills consist of materials from packaging.
6. 40% of the world’s drinking water comes from plastic bottles.
7. 80 trillion aluminium cans are used by humans every year. All could be recycled.
8. A study of 70-year old citizens in Tokyo over five years showed that the presence of green space in a neighbourhood means a lower death rate.
9. All newspapers in the United Kingdom are made from 100% recycled materials.
10. American throw away two billion disposable razors every year.
11. Americans use 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour.
12. An automatic dishwasher uses less hot water than doing dishes by hand.
13. By recycling paper and cardboard, the United Kingdom saves 11 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
14. California spends $300 million on cleaning rubbish from its beaches every year. 
15. Californians have recycled over 120 billion bottles and cans, enough to circle the Earth 375 times.
16. China, United States, Russia, India, Mexico, and Japan lead the world in air pollution emissions.
17. During the Great Smog of 1952 in London at least 4000 people were killed by air pollution.
18. Europe spent €406 billion on importing fossil fuels in 2011.
19. Fossil fuels provided 79.6% of worldwide energy in 2002.
20. Glaciers in Greenland show signs of increases in pollution because of ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production.
21. Hurricanes often cause water pollution from sewage.
22. In 2000, about 17 thousand tonnes of radioactive material such as uranium were released worldwide from burning coal.
23. In 2007, China overtook the United States as the world's biggest producer of CO2.
24. Japan’s Cool Biz program encourages setting air conditioners at 28-degrees Celsius and allows employees to dress casually in the summer.
25. London has the most green space of any large capital city in the world.
26. Lord Northbourne first used the term organic farming in his book Look to the Land in 1939.
27. More than seven billion rolls of toilet paper are sold every year in the U.S.
28. One fleece can be made from just 25 recycled plastic bottles.
29. One million creatures are killed by plastic materials in the sea every year.
30. Only 1% of our planet’s water supply can be used.
31. Only 1% of plastic shopping bags are recycled.
32. Organic products accounted for 11.4% of all fruit and vegetables that were sold in the US in the year 2009.
33. Plastic takes 450 years just to begin decomposing.  It takes another 50 to 80 years to be completely decomposed.  This also means that every single piece ever made in the history of the world has not even started to decompose yet.
34. Air pollution first became a problem in London in the 13th
35. Rainforests are cut down at a rate of 100 acres per minute.
36. Recycled paper only creates 25% of the pollution that making it from new would.
37. Recycling one glass bottle saves enough energy to power a light bulb for four hours. 
38. Roll-based toilet paper was first sold in 1883.
39. Since 2000, Italian schools and hospitals have had to use organic
40. The burning of fossil fuels produces around 21.3 billion tonnes of CO2 per year.
41. The Chinese buy the most organic milk in the world.
42. The EU has promised to cut its annual energy consumption by 20% by 2020.
43. The modern lightweight plastic shopping bag was invented by the Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin in the early 1960s.
44. The planet’s population grows by 77 million a year.
45. The U.S. produces about 40% of the world's waste.
46. Up to 1 trillion plastic bags are used each year worldwide.
47. Water pollution causes approximately 14,000 deaths per day.
48. When a newspaper is recycled, it takes seven days to become a brand new one.

Ask about any sentences which you don’t understand, think could also be completed with different words, etc.

 

Passive tenses grammar practice

Without looking above, put the verbs in the right tenses into the gaps below. Some may not need to be changed to be correct.

1. 2 million people ___________(die) early each year in China because of air pollution.
2. 137 species in tropical forests ______________________(become) extinct every day.
3. 27,000 trees ________________________(cut down) each day to make toilet paper.
4. 3,590,984,325 cubic meters of wood __________________(produce) so far this year.

Check your answers above or as a class.

Why is the passive voice or active voice used in each example above? How do you make different passive tenses?

Do the same with the examples below:

5. 35% of the world’s rubbish landfills _____________________________________ (consist) of materials from packaging.
6. 40% of the world’s drinking water ___________________(come) from plastic bottles.
7. 80 trillion aluminium cans ________________________(use) by humans every year.
8. A study of 70-year old citizens in Tokyo over five years showed that the presence of green space in a neighbourhood ____________________(mean) a lower death rate.
9. All newspapers in the United Kingdom _______(make) from 100% recycled materials.
10. American ____________________________________________________________ (throw away) two billion disposable razors every year.
11. Americans __________________________(use) 2,500,000 plastic bottles every hour.
12. An automatic dishwasher _____________________________________________ (use) less hot water than doing dishes by hand.
13. By recycling paper and cardboard, the United Kingdom _______________________ (save) 11 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
14. California ___________________________________________________________ (spend) $300 million on cleaning rubbish from its beaches every year. 
15. Californians ______________________________________________________ (recycle) over 120 billion bottles and cans, enough to circle the Earth 375 times.
16. China, United States, Russia, India, Mexico, and Japan _____________________ (lead) the world in air pollution emissions.
17. During the Great Smog of 1952 in London at least 4000 people _________________ (kill) by air pollution.
18. Europe ____________________(spend) €406 billion on importing fossil fuels in 2011.
19. Fossil fuels _______________________(provide) 79.6% of worldwide energy in 2002.
20. Glaciers in Greenland ______________________________(show) signs of increases in pollution because of ancient Greek, Roman and Chinese metal production.
21. Hurricanes often _________________________(cause) water pollution from sewage.
22. In 2000, about 17 thousand tonnes of radioactive material such as uranium ____________________________________ (release) worldwide from burning coal.
23. In 2007, China _______________________________________________________ (overtake) the United States as the world's biggest producer of CO2.
24. Japan’s Cool Biz program ______________________________________________ (encourage) setting air conditioners at 28-degrees Celsius and allows employees to dress casually in the summer.
25. London _____________________________________________________________ (have) the most green space of any large capital city in the world.
26. Lord Northbourne first _________________________________________________ (use) the term organic farming in his book Look to the Land in 1939.
27. More than seven billion rolls of toilet paper ________________________________ (sell) every year in the U.S.
28. One fleece can ______________________________________________________ (make) from just 25 recycled plastic bottles.
29. One million creatures __________________________________________________ (kill) by plastic materials in the sea every year.
30. Only 1% of our planet’s water supply can ______________________________ (use).
31. Only 1% of plastic shopping bags _________________________________ (recycle).
32. Organic products accounted for 11.4% of all fruit and vegetables that __________________________________________ (sell) in the US in the year 2009.
33. Plastic ____________________________________________________________ (take) 450 years just to begin decomposing. 
34. Air pollution first ______________________________________________________ (become) a problem in London in the 13th
35. Rainforests __________________________________________________________ (cut down) at a rate of 100 acres per minute.
36. Recycled paper only __________________________________________________ (create) 25% of the pollution that making it from new would.
37. Recycling one glass bottle _____________________________________________ (save) enough energy to power a light bulb for four hours. 
38. Roll-based toilet paper __________________________________ (first sell) in 1883.
39. Since 2000, Italian schools and hospitals __________________________________ (have to) use organic
40. The burning of fossil fuels ____________________________________________ (produce) around 21.3 billion tonnes of CO2 per year.
41. The Chinese ________________________ (buy) the most organic milk in the world.
42. The EU ________________________________________________________ (promise) to cut its annual energy consumption by 20% by 2020.
43. The modern lightweight plastic shopping bag _______________________________ (invent) by the Swedish engineer Sten Gustaf Thulin in the early 1960s.
44. The planet’s population ___________________________ (grow) by 77 million a year.
45. The U.S. ___________________________(produce) about 40% of the world's waste.
46. Up to 1 trillion plastic bags ________________________(use) each year worldwide.
47. Water pollution _______________________________________________________ (cause) approximately 14,000 deaths per day.
48. When a newspaper ___________________________________________________ (recycle), it takes seven days to become a brand new one.

Check back with the first worksheet.

Make similar quiz questions from your own knowledge or some research.