Step 83: Our Planet
Global issues — Environment vocabulary; cause and effect
📖 Read — Saving the Colorado River
Texas summers are getting hotter, and the Colorado River is feeling it. Long droughts lead to water shortages in small towns. Because of the heat, farmers use more water — and as a result, the river grows lower every year. Pollution from factories makes the problem worse.
But Austin is fighting back. The city has planted thousands of trees, which protect the river banks. Schools teach children to recycle, and new buildings use renewable energy from the Texas sun. “Every action is a drop,” says Mayor Carter, “but drops fill rivers. If we protect the river, the river protects us.”
🧩 Grammar — Cause and Effect — Because Of, Lead To, As a Result
Build cause chains like a scientist: because + clause (because it was hot) but because of + noun (because of the heat). Due to + noun is its formal twin. Forward direction: X leads to Y, X results in Y, X causes Y. And the bridge word for results: as a result / therefore / consequently (Step 80). One chain is good English; three links are B2.
- Because of the drought, the river is low.
- Plastic pollution leads to sick oceans.
- The factory closed. As a result, the air got cleaner.
- Cutting trees results in hotter cities.
🏗️ Key structures
- Because of ___, ___ — Because of the storm, school closed.
- ___ leads to / results in ___ — Less rain leads to dry farms.
- ___. As a result, ___ — We recycled more. As a result, the park stayed clean.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
One bottle recycled is a drop in the ocean — but drops add up!
🔤 New words
the usual weather of a place over a long time
The desert climate is hot and dry.
use old things again to make new things (paper, plastic, glass)
We recycle bottles and cans.
energy that never runs out (sun, wind, water)
Solar power is renewable.
things we throw away; also using more than you need
Don't waste water in a drought.
a long time with almost no rain
The drought lasted two years.
too much water covering land that is usually dry
The flood damaged many homes.
keep something safe from harm
Trees protect the river banks.
the natural world around us — air, water, land, animals
We must take care of the environment.
🎧 Say it with me
Because of the drought, the river is low. Pollution leads to sick water — but as a result of our work, the park is cleaner. Every drop counts!
🎤 Your turn to speak
Build one cause chain about your town: a because-of sentence, a leads-to sentence, and an as-a-result sentence.
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write 5 sentences about an environmental problem and its solutions. Use because of, lead to, and as a result.
See a model answer
Because of the growing number of cars, our city's air is getting worse. Traffic leads to stress and pollution in every neighborhood. The city has built more bike lanes. As a result, thousands of people now ride to work. Small changes, multiplied by millions, can protect our planet.
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
🎉 Saved in your progress!