Protecting the environment

Reading strategy

Grasp the text's purpose first from its title and type.
Do not stop at unknown words; follow the flow. Hover the underlined key words to jump to the vocabulary track.
Find the clue each question asks about directly in the passage.

Passage

最近几年，我们城市的环境越来越好了。

以前，马路上有很多垃圾，河里的水也不太干净，空气有时候让人觉得不舒服。那时候很多人并不知道，保护环境其实跟每个人都有关系。

后来，城市里开始进行各种活动，告诉大家应该怎么保护环境。学校也让学生从小就关心环境。慢慢地，越来越多的人开始注意这个问题。

现在，大家都在努力。出门的时候，很多人坐公共汽车或者骑自行车，少开车。买东西的时候，很多人自己带袋子。用过的东西，能再用的就再用，还要注意节约用水、用电。

经过大家几年的努力，马路上的垃圾减少了，河水变干净了，公园里的树和花也更多了。空气好的时候，还能看见蓝色的天空。

我相信，只要每个人都愿意帮忙，我们的城市一定会变得越来越美丽。保护环境不是一个人的事，而是我们大家的责任。

Hover the underlined words for their meaning and a link to the vocabulary track.

Sentence structure

Key sentences split into meaning units, showing the role of each part.

保护环境其实跟每个人都有关系。

Subject保护环境protecting the environment (verb phrase as topic)

Modifier其实actually (adverb)

Modifier跟每个人with everyone (gen = with)

Modifier都all (adverb, before verb)

Predicate有关系is related

"gen A you guanxi" is the frame "to be related to A". The adverb "dou" (all) must sit right before the verb, pointing back to "mei ge ren" (everyone). Here the verb phrase "baohu huanjing" itself serves as the topic, showing that Chinese can raise an action to be the theme of the sentence.

只要每个人都愿意帮忙，我们的城市一定会变得越来越美丽。

Connective只要as long as

Clause每个人都愿意帮忙everyone is willing to help (condition)

Subject我们的城市our city

Modifier一定会will surely (yiding + hui)

Predicate变得越来越美丽become more and more beautiful (biande + degree)

"zhiyao ... jiu/yiding ..." is a conditional ("as long as ..., (surely) ..."), with the condition clause first. "biande + adjective" expresses change of state ("become ..."), and "yuelaiyue meili" (more and more beautiful) supplies the degree. "hui" adds future likelihood.

Questions

Q1How was the city's environment in the past?

Q2To protect the environment, what does the text say to do?

Q3What does the author believe the city will become?