Read the following text.

Time to leave the comfort zone

VIEWPOINT
By Sir John Sorrell, Chairman of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)

Some people think that cutting carbon means denying ourselves the things that make life
enjoyable - no shopping, no fun - but I see it differently. Tackling climate change isn't about self-
denial, it's about reinvention; reinventing towns and cities, redesigning the way they work, and
changing the way we all manage our lives.
The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) reviews proposals for
significant new buildings and spaces every year. Out of all those homes, schools and health
centres, we have only seen a handful with any serious ambition for sustainability. Things may be
changing, but far too slowly, which is why we are organising a climate change festival with
Birmingham City Council centred on the way we build and use our cities.
We are not just asking people to see their city through new eyes; we are asking them to
dare to dream about the kind of place that could be created over the next 10 years through cutting
carbon. Which begs the question: how can you tell if you live in a sustainable city?
It currently costs Birmingham up to £ 1bn a year to import its energy, yet only a tiny
proportion of it is green. The trick is to harness and capture the energy that is already there from
the sun, ground and air, and decentralise the distribution of energy. This is a lost art; the Royal
Festival Hall was extracting energy from the River Thames to heat its building 50 years ago.
Buildings must change. Keeping an even temperature inside any building means serious
insulation. Homes in an average large city produce more than two million tonnes of carbon
dioxide (CO2) each year. This is because the vast majority of older houses leak heat . So if I were to
suggest three tests for a sustainable city, this would be my first: are there grants or local tax
incentives available to help people green their homes?
The second thing is about how we live our lives, not just how we live in our homes.
Cutting private car use generally means civic leaders being prepared to risk a few brave
decisions. For example, when a new suburb was built in the German city of Freiburg, they ran a
tram service from the moment the first resident moved in. This meant empty trams at first, but
now nearly half of its residents are car free. Not so foolish after all. So my second test for a
sustainable city is whether you have a genuine transport choice.
My third test is about greenery. Are a lot more big trees being planted; are acres of new
allotments coming on stream; are parks being properly maintained? Greenery is critical to
counterbalance the "urban heat island" effect from hotter, drier summers, when night-time
temperatures remain high because of heat retained by brick and tarmac. And greening a place
properly includes the roofs. In the northern English city of Sheffield, even bus shelters now sport
green roofs to filter pollution.
Whether you are looking at London leading on congestion charging, or S. Francisco
leading on solar power, it is clear that strong leadership matters most of all. We need that kind of
vision when it comes to planning and managing the towns and cities of towns of tomorrow.

BBC News 20/5/2008 (adapted and

abridged)
A. Reread the first five paragraphs of the text and say if the following statements are TRUE or
FALSE. Quote from the text to support your answer.

1. Sir John Sorrell thinks that in order to reduce pollution we must give up things that give us
pleasure.
2. Many new buildings are being designed to be "green".
3. It's important that the proposed solutions are innovative and creative.
4. Most of the energy used in Birmingham is extracted from fossil fuels.
5. Most old houses are well insulated.

B. Scan the 6th and 7th paragraphs of the text and find words or phrases which, in the context, are
similar in meaning to:

1. reducing
2. outer residential area of a city
3. without any people
4. essential
5. (to) show off

C. Answer the following questions on the text. Use your own words as far as possible.

1. Identify the three different areas that should be dealt with to "green" our cities
according to the author of the text.

2. Describe one way in which governments and politicians can promote the sustainability
of the cities.

3. Which of the measures referred to in the text will be more effective? Justify your
choice.

Dl. Complete the following text with words derived from the ones in brackets.

Last month Birmingham received an _____1____ (invite) to become a member of the

global Connected Urban Developments' Initiative, a project run by former US President Bill Clinton. It
brings together seven of the most ____2____ (success) and ______3_____(ambition) cities in
the world with regard to tackling issues related to _____4____(sustain).
D.2. Rewrite the following sentences starting as indicated without changing their
meaning. Make the necessary changes:

a) We will build a more beautiful and liveable environment by making our cities greener.

If_____________________________________________________________________________________
______

b) Birmingham has hosted the first Climate Change Festival. It is the 2nd largest city in the UK.
Birmingham
__________________________________________________________________

c) People think that going green involves a lot of sacrifice.

Going
green_______________________________________________________________________

E. Comment on the opening words of the leaflet of the Climate Change Festival (write about
150 words):

"Every age has its challenge. Ours is climate change."