1. Study break
  2. Video zone
  3. A Plastic Ocean

A Plastic Ocean

A Plastic Ocean is a new documentary that looks at the problems that are caused when plastic waste goes into the sea. Watch the trailer and find out more about how plastic can be dangerous to sea animals and human health. 

Instructions

Do the preparation task first. Then watch the video and do the exercise. Remember you can read the transcript at any time.

Preparation

Transcript

Narrator: I remember the first time I saw a blue whale.

Man on boat: Look, look! (… Wow!)  

Narrator: I’d followed them since childhood.

Diver: Where do you think it’s from? Is it from a ship?

Narrator: I could see plastic everywhere.

  • Every year 8 million tons of plastic are dumped into our oceans

Presenter: We were in what we thought was a relatively pristine environment. I started to wonder what was happening in oceans elsewhere on the planet.

  • A journalist who loves the ocean

Narrator: Growing up, my world was the ocean. It’s where I feel the most spiritual.

  • And a champion who dives below

Diver: As a free diver, it was a place where I proved myself to myself. Finally have the opportunity to pay the sea back.

  • A crisis with global stakes

Narrator: Only a fraction of the plastic that we produce is recycled.

Man 2 on boat: This is never going to degrade. It’s got nowhere to go.

Narrator: It’s something that these animals are forced to endure because it was man-made and we put it into their environment.

Diver: The record is two hundred and seventy-six pieces of plastic inside one ninety-day-old chick. If the plastics are in the food chain for the dolphin then they're also in our food chain.

Woman on boat: Exactly!

Narrator: Communities are built on these landfill sites … So sweet potatoes, corn, sugar cane, all growing on forty years of garbage.

Do you have anything not wrapped in plastic?

… No!

… No!

  • To save our future

Narrator: We have to make our life better for our kids' children.

  • We need a wave of change

Narrator: Change is possible! It starts with us!

  • A Plastic Ocean

© Plastic Oceans

Worksheets and downloads

A Plastic Ocean - exercises207.07 KB
A Plastic Ocean - answers137.13 KB
Discussion

Do you use a lot of plastic? What do you think we can do, as individuals, to help improve the problem of having too much plastic in our oceans? 

Language level
B2 English level (upper intermediate)
C1 English level (advanced)
Topics
environment
films
nature
Average: 4.5 (2 votes)
Personal online tutoring
EnglishScore Tutors is the British Council’s one-to-one tutoring platform for 13- to 17-year-olds.
Find out more

Comments

Submitted by murzimalvonecerri on Thu, 05/25/2023 - 08:24

we think that our planet is slowly destroying itself due to the amount of plastic that pollutes the seas every year, but unfortunately it’s only one of many other problems. many young people/ adults should think more about what the future will be, be more responsible towards the environment and also think about the good of animals. we love people who help our world and we too will try to do our best for everyone.

Submitted by eliasardiacopini 1D on Thu, 05/25/2023 - 08:08

We think that the plastic in the oceans it’s a really important modern problem. The plastic and the pollution of oceans are killing a lot of animals and destructing their habitat. Our planet is in danger, we’re not respecting ti and the future generations. We have to do something right now. Please save our planet, we need to stay in a safe place; we don’t want to live breathing dangerous gases or eating fishes with plastic in their stomach. Respect us, the animals and the planet. Thank you.

Submitted by rebyyy on Thu, 05/25/2023 - 08:04

We think, me and my friend, that we use a loooot of plastic, we can't deny it. We all should try to use less plastic because it damages the Earth and all the things that live on it. But it's hard because almost everything around us is made out of plastic. We should try to use glass, paper, ect. and all the things that don't harm the world. One thing that could be useful to help might be using steel bottles instead of always buying the little plastic ones, then we could recycle more, it's easy!! In short please be careful of how much plastic you use on a daily basis and try to use less.

Submitted by PolinaLogvinenko on Mon, 08/15/2022 - 19:48

I think, that I use a lot of plastic. People should use less plastic. We should use other material, for example, glass or paper.

Submitted by user12345678 on Thu, 05/25/2023 - 08:06

I think in this last years plastic has became an addiction for everyone.This an important problem especially for us and animals.We should reduce plastic in our life.A lot of animals in the ocean are disappearing and my heart is crying for them.I think we must start worring and opening our hearts

Submitted by Rusty_Moose on Thu, 03/10/2022 - 03:33

I think that now people use really a lot of plastik. To avoid the pollution of the oceans first of all peoople should use less plastic in their lives or use biodegradeble plastik instead. We can also use other materials those are more recycble; for example glass or paper

Submitted by fibone on Thu, 03/10/2022 - 03:30

To help the enviroment we can use paper or biodegradable bags instead of plastic ones. If it's possible it's better to buy drinks in glass bottels because they are esier to recycle. And we can also go on a beach or a field and collect rubbish by ourselfs.

Submitted by N_RAJ on Tue, 12/22/2020 - 10:07

We as individuals can't eliminate plastc but we can reduce using it. We should also start thinking how to reuse plastic instead of dumping it.

Submitted by Wind on Sat, 06/06/2020 - 07:06

Unfortunately, there are a lot of plastic wastes in my daily life. Even though people in my nation know how harmful these materials are, some have to use them for their economic activities. However, I've just read great two news online. One is: The three largest toy manufactures are phasing out plastics plastic bit by bit The other is: 50 new plastic-eating mushrooms have been discovered in past two years I hope this initiative in the toy industry and the study on mushroom will be successful to save the ocean animals and preserve the environment.
Profile picture for user MyStudyCoachJonas

Submitted by MyStudyCoachJonas on Wed, 01/24/2018 - 23:17

I don´t use a lot of plastic. But sometimes the companies or stores give you one thing with a lot of platic and that is not good .
English courses near you