2017-11-30
611It was washed up by the early tide
I wonder how it died
Down by the river
Down by the river
Down by the river
Silver fish lay on its side
Down by the river
Doctor put us both to bed
He dosed us up and he shook his head
Only foolish people go, he said
Down by the river
Why do willows weep, said he
Because they're dying gradually
From the waste, from the factories
Down by the river
Down by the river
Down by the river
Why do willows weep, said he
Down by the river
In time, the river banks will die
The reeds will wilt and the ducks won't fly
There'll be a tear in the otter's eye
Down by the river
The banks will soon be black and dead
And where the otter raised his head
Will be a clean white stone instead
Down by the river
Down by the river
Down by the river
Will be a clean white stone instead
Down by the river
The song can be accessed via YouTube by clicking on this link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE3xS_Q0VDM&feature=fvsr
2a. Match the words from the song with their nearest meaning.
| Word | Meaning |
| 1. weep | H. crying |
| 2. waste | G. rubbish |
| 3. gradually | F. slowly |
| 4. willow | E. tree |
| 5. strangest | D. unusual |
| 6. wilt | C. droop |
2b. Match the phrasals with their nearest meaning.
| Phrasal | Meaning |
| 1. Getting us down | H. We were quite depressed |
| 2. Pitched the tent | F. Put up a shelter |
| 3. Didn't feel too good | E. Didn’t feel well |
| 4. Silver fish lay on its side | G. The marine life was destroyed. |
| 5. Dosed us up | C. He gave us some medicine |
| 6. Why do willows weep | B. Why are the willows crying |
| 7. The reeds will wilt | A. The plant life is dying |
| 8. The banks will be black and dead | D. An ecological disaster has occurred. |
3a. Whyare the willows crying?
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3b. The banks will soon be black and dead. Explain this line in your own words.
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4.What happens to the household waste in your native country? What happens to the household waste in the UK? Discuss.
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Elicit the words ‘recycle, reuse and reduce’
5. Note down 10 eco-friendly ways to deal with household waste.
1. Compost kitchen waste.
2. Reuse glass bottles, jars, envelopes, cardboard boxes.
3. Join www.freecycle.org
4. Sell ‘waste’ on eBay.
5. Hold a car boot sale.
6. Donate clothes, books to a charity shop.
7. Mend clothes. Don’t throw away your favourite pair of jeans.
8.
9.
10.
5. Design an eco friendly poster.
