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Level A2

Improving Indoor Air Quality: Reducing Microplastics Exposure

Lesson overview

Indoor air is often contaminated with microplastics, tiny particles from plastic breakdown and synthetic fibers. To reduce exposure, choose natural materials, improve ventilation, use eco-friendly products, and incorporate plants.

Reading text

READING TEXT

The air in our homes is not very clean. It often has microplastics. Microplastics are tiny plastic pieces. They are smaller than five millimeters. They come from many sources. For example, they can come from big plastic items like bottles. They can also come from clothes made of polyester or nylon. When we wash these clothes, tiny pieces go into the air. People can breathe in millions of these tiny particles every year. This can be bad for our health.

We spend a lot of time in our homes. We think of our homes as safe places. But our homes can have pollution. Microplastics are part of this pollution. Imagine sitting in your living room. You drink coffee while tiny plastic pieces float around you. This is not a nice thought.

What can we do about this? There are ways to reduce microplastics in our homes. First, we can choose natural materials. For example, we can use cotton or wool instead of polyester. This helps limit microplastics when we wash our clothes.

Second, we can improve ventilation. Good airflow helps reduce microplastics in the air. We can open windows and use fans. This can make our homes feel fresher.

Third, we can change our cleaning products. Some cleaners have microplastics. We can use eco-friendly products. This is good for our health and the environment.

Also, we can use indoor plants. Some plants help clean the air. They can filter out microplastics. Plants make our homes look nice and help us breathe better.

Microplastics can cause health problems. They may lead to breathing issues. Children are more sensitive to these problems. They spend a lot of time indoors.

We need to think about our use of plastic. We use many plastic products. We must find better ways to use less plastic. We can talk about plastic use in our communities. We can support local projects that reduce plastic waste. Every small action counts. It is important to care for our health and the planet.

In conclusion, microplastics are a problem in our homes. We can make better choices. We can choose natural materials, improve ventilation, use eco-friendly products, and add plants. These steps can help us breathe cleaner air. It is worth the effort to make our homes healthier.

Discussion prompts

DISCUSSION PROMPTS

  • 1. What do you think about the air quality in your home?
  • 2. How can we encourage others to reduce plastic use?
  • 3. What are some eco-friendly products you use?
  • 4. Why is it important to have plants in our homes?
  • 5. How do you feel about the amount of plastic in our lives?

Key vocabulary

Match each numbered word with the correct lettered definition.

Words

  • 1. microplastics
  • 2. ventilation
  • 3. pollution
  • 4. eco-friendly
  • 5. breathe
  • 6. natural
  • 7. health
  • 8. clean

Definitions

  • a. Tiny plastic pieces that are less than five millimeters.
  • b. The state of being free from illness.
  • c. Products that are good for the environment.
  • d. Made from nature, not artificial.
  • e. To take air into the lungs.
  • f. Free from dirt or pollution.
  • g. The movement of air in a space.
  • h. Harmful substances in the environment.

MULTIPLE CHOICE

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Question 1

What are microplastics?

  • a) A) Big plastic pieces
  • b) B) Tiny plastic pieces
  • c) C) Natural fibers
  • d) D) Air pollutants
Question 2

Where do microplastics come from?

  • a) A) Only from bottles
  • b) B) From many sources
  • c) C) Only from clothes
  • d) D) From food
Question 3

Is good ventilation important?

  • a) A) Yes, it helps reduce pollution
  • b) B) No, it does not matter
  • c) C) Yes, but only in summer
  • d) D) No, it is not useful
Question 4

Can plants help clean the air?

  • a) A) Yes, they filter pollutants
  • b) B) No, they do not help
  • c) C) Yes, but only outside
  • d) D) No, they make it worse
Question 5

Are children more sensitive to microplastics?

  • a) A) Yes, they are more vulnerable
  • b) B) No, they are not affected
  • c) C) Yes, but only in summer
  • d) D) No, they are stronger

TRUE / FALSE

TRUE / FALSE QUESTIONS

Question 1

Microplastics are good for health.

  • ☐ True
  • ☐ False
Question 2

We can use eco-friendly products to help the environment.

  • ☐ True
  • ☐ False
Question 3

Improving ventilation is not important.

  • ☐ True
  • ☐ False
Question 4

Microplastics can come from washing clothes.

  • ☐ True
  • ☐ False
Question 5

Indoor plants can make the air worse.

  • ☐ True
  • ☐ False

SHORT ANSWER

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

Question 1

What is one way to reduce microplastics in our homes?

Question 2

What can good ventilation do?

Question 3

What type of products should we use for cleaning?

Question 4

Why are children more vulnerable to microplastics?

Question 5

What can we do to help the environment?

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

GRAMMAR

Grammar Point: Present Simple vs Present Continuous

Why this point appears in the article: The article discusses ongoing issues related to microplastics and pollution in our homes, using the present simple to describe facts and the present continuous to describe actions happening now or regularly. What learners need to understand: The present simple is used for routines, facts, and general truths, while the present continuous describes actions that are happening at the moment of speaking or ongoing actions. Common errors include using the present simple for actions currently in progress or confusing the two forms.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verb in parentheses (present simple or present continuous).

  1. The air in our homes ___ (not be) very clean.
  2. People ___ (breathe) in millions of tiny particles every year.

Error correction
Find and correct the mistake in the sentences below.
3. We think of our homes as safe place.
4. Microplastics is part of this pollution.

Sentence transformation
Rewrite the sentences using the present continuous form.
5. We choose natural materials. → We ___ natural materials.
6. Some plants help clean the air. → Some plants ___ clean the air.

Fill in the blank open
Write the correct form of the verb in parentheses (present simple or present continuous).
7. Right now, I ___ (drink) coffee while tiny plastic pieces float around me.
8. Microplastics ___ (come) from many sources.

Short guided paragraph with multiple gaps
Fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verb in parentheses (present simple or present continuous).
9. Microplastics ___ (be) tiny plastic pieces. They ___ (come) from big plastic items and clothes. When we wash these clothes, tiny pieces ___ (go) into the air.

Answer key

KEY VOCABULARY

  • 1. microplastics → a
  • 2. ventilation → g
  • 3. pollution → h
  • 4. eco-friendly → c
  • 5. breathe → e
  • 6. natural → d
  • 7. health → b
  • 8. clean → f

MULTIPLE CHOICE

  • 1. B) Tiny plastic pieces
  • 2. B) From many sources
  • 3. A) Yes, it helps reduce pollution
  • 4. A) Yes, they filter pollutants
  • 5. A) Yes, they are more vulnerable

TRUE / FALSE

  • 1. False
  • 2. True
  • 3. False
  • 4. True
  • 5. False

SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS

  • 1. Choose natural materials.
  • 2. It helps reduce pollution.
  • 3. Eco-friendly products.
  • 4. They spend a lot of time indoors.
  • 5. Support local projects that reduce plastic waste.

GRAMMAR EXERCISES

Answer Key:

  1. is not — The present simple is used here to state a fact about the air in our homes.
  2. breathe — The present simple is used to describe a general truth about people breathing in particles.
  3. place → places — "Place" should be plural to agree with "homes."
  4. is → are — "Microplastics" is plural, so the verb should be "are."
  5. are choosing — This changes the sentence to present continuous to indicate an ongoing action.
  6. are helping — This changes the sentence to present continuous to indicate an ongoing action.
  7. am drinking — The present continuous form is used to describe an action happening right now.
  8. comes — The present simple is used to describe a fact about microplastics.
  9. are — The present simple is used to describe a fact about microplastics. come — The present simple is used to describe a fact. go — The present simple is used to describe a fact.

Grammar Point: Countable vs Uncountable Nouns

Why this point appears in the article: The article discusses microplastics and pollution, which includes both countable and uncountable nouns, such as "items" (countable) and "air" (uncountable). What learners need to understand: Countable nouns can be counted (e.g., "bottles," "items"), while uncountable nouns cannot be counted individually (e.g., "air," "pollution"). Common errors include using plural forms with uncountable nouns or using "much" with countable nouns.

Exercises:

Fill in the blank
Complete the sentences with "much" or "many" based on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

  1. There are too ___ microplastics in the air.
  2. How ___ bottles do you have at home?

Error correction
Find and correct the mistake in the sentences below.
3. We can use much natural materials.
4. There are a lot of pollution in our homes.

Matching
Match the countable nouns with their uncountable counterparts.
5.
a) bottles

b) air

c) items

d) pollution

Fill in the blank open
Write the correct form of the noun in parentheses (countable or uncountable).
6. We need to reduce ___ (plastic).
7. There are many ___ (plant) in the living room.

Sentence completion
Complete the sentences with the correct form of the noun.
8. I see many ___ (microplastic) floating in the air.
9. We should care about our ___ (health).

Answer Key:

  1. many — "Microplastics" is countable, so we use "many."
  2. much — "Bottles" is countable, so we use "much."
  3. much → many — "Materials" is countable, so it should be "many."
  4. a lot of → much — "Pollution" is uncountable, so it should be "much."
  5. a) bottles -
    b) air -
    c) items -
    d) pollution — "Bottles" and "items" are countable, while "air" and "pollution" are uncountable.
  6. plastic — "Plastic" is uncountable in this context.
  7. plants — "Plants" is countable, so it should be in the plural form.
  8. microplastics — "Microplastics" is countable, so it should be in the plural form.
  9. health — "Health" is uncountable, so it should remain in its singular form.

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