Discuss with your partner

UN - We can control Global Warming

A United Nations committee on climate change has said we can control global warming. The panel, made up of representatives from over 120 countries, believes we can limit the harm greenhouse gases do to the atmosphere. The panel said that we can keep our Earth safe by changing the way we use energy around the world. Most important is to introduce more fuel- efficient vehicles and household goods. For this to happen, individuals need to change their lifestyles and spending patterns.

The committee calculated that it would cost less than three percent of world economic output by 2030. The “big problem” is the damage rising temperatures are doing to the Earth. Increased floods, droughts, rising sea levels, more violent and destructive storms and extinctions of species are just a few things threatening the life of our planet. The report stressed the urgent need for introducing a wide variety of clean technologies. Harlan Watson, head of the U.S. team, warned: “If we continue to do what we are doing, then we are in deep trouble.”

Vocabulary

1. Committee                                a. the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth

2. Panel                                         b. someone who has been chosen to speak, vote, or make decisions

3. Representative                          c. the money, goods or work made 

4. Greenhouse gas                         d. a group of people chosen to do a job, make decisions etc

5. Atmosphere                               e. things that are made to be sold, products

6. Efficient                                    f. very important and needing to be dealt with immediately

7. Goods                                       g. a gas, such as carbon dioxide, that traps heat above the Earth

8. Output                                      h. a group of experts who answer questions about a topic

9. Drought                                    i. when a particular type of animal or plant stops existing

10. Extinction                               j. to work well without wasting time, money, or energy

11. Urgent                                     k. dry weather, not enough water for plants and animals to live

 

Questions

UN - We can control Global Warming

A United Nations committee on climate change has said we can control global warming. The panel, made up of representatives from over _____ countries, believes we can ______ the harm greenhouse gases do to the atmosphere. The panel said that we can keep our Earth safe by changing the way we use _______ around the world. Most important is to __________ more fuel- efficient vehicles and household goods. For this to happen, individuals need to change their _________ and spending patterns.

The committee ____________ that it would cost less than ___________ of world economic output by 2030. The “big problem” is the damage rising temperatures are doing to the Earth. Increased floods, droughts, rising sea levels, more violent and destructive storms and extinctions of _________ are just a few things threatening the life of our planet. The report _________ the urgent need for introducing a wide variety of _________ technologies. Harlan Watson, head of the U.S. team, warned: “If we continue to do what we are doing, then we are in ____________.”

Vocabulary

1. Committee                                a. the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth

2. Panel                                         b. someone who has been chosen to speak, vote, or make decisions

3. Representative                          c. the money, goods or work made 

4. Greenhouse gas                         d. a group of people chosen to do a job, make decisions etc

5. Atmosphere                               e. things that are made to be sold, products

6. Efficient                                    f. very important and needing to be dealt with immediately

7. Goods                                       g. a gas, such as carbon dioxide, that traps heat above the Earth

8. Output                                      h. a group of experts who answer questions about a topic

9. Drought                               i. when a particular type of animal or plant stops existing

10. Extinction                               j. to work well without wasting time, money, or energy

11. Urgent                                     k. dry weather, not enough water for plants and animals to live

 

Questions

1. What is this article about?

2. What is global warming? What are some of the causes?

3. What did the UN committee decide? Why is their decision important?

4. What is the “big problem”?

5. What did Harlan Watson say about global warming?

6. What do you think about global warming?

UN - We can control Global Warming

A United Nations committee on climate change has said we can control global warming. The panel, made up of representatives from over 120 countries, believes we can limit the harm greenhouse gases do to the atmosphere. The panel said that we can keep our Earth safe by changing the way we use energy around the world. Most important is to introduce more fuel- efficient vehicles and household goods. For this to happen, individuals need to change their lifestyles and spending patterns.

The committee calculated that it would cost less than three percent of world economic output by 2030. The “big problem” is the damage rising temperatures are doing to the Earth. Increased floods, droughts, rising sea levels, more violent and destructive storms and extinctions of species are just a few things threatening the life of our planet. The report stressed the urgent need for introducing a wide variety of clean technologies. Harlan Watson, head of the U.S. team, warned: “If we continue to do what we are doing, then we are in deep trouble. ”

Vocabulary

1. Committee D                           a. the mixture of gases that surrounds the Earth

2. Panel      H                           b. someone who has been chosen to speak, vote, or make decisions

3. Representative B                     c. the money, goods or work made 

4. Greenhouse gas G                d. a group of people chosen to do a job, make decisions etc

5. Atmosphere A                           e. things that are made to be sold, products

6. Efficient J                             f. very important and needing to be dealt with immediately

7. Goods    E                            g. a gas, such as carbon dioxide, that traps heat above the Earth

8. Output   C                            h. a group of experts who answer questions about a topic

9. Drought K                           i. when a particular type of animal or plant stops existing

10. Extinction I                            j. to work well without wasting time, money, or energy

11. Urgent F                            k. dry weather, not enough water for plants and animals to live

 

Questions

1. What is this article about?

2. What is global warming? What are some of the causes?

3. What did the UN committee decide? Why is their decision important?

4. What is the “big problem”?

5. What did Harlan Watson say about global warming?

6. What do you think about global warming?

Write a Quiz

Write 2 challenging quiz questions and answers about the article with a partner then test us!

EX: Who was on the UN committee?         | a) Monkeys b) Presidents c) Representatives

1.                                                | a)                b)           c)

2.                                                | a)                b)           c)

4) Rank – What do you think the most serious effect of global warming will be? Rank these effects from 1 (most serious) to 8 (least serious). Use each number once.

_____ Water wars. _____ Some animals will become extinct. _____ Some fish will become extinct. _____ Less clean water for drinking.

_____ More cockroaches and mosquitoes. _____ More natural disasters will occur. _____ Some countries/cities will sink. _____ Colder winters and warmer summers.

Discuss with your partner.

Ask your partner:“What do you think the most/least serious effect of global warming will be?” “Why”

Answer: “I think______will be the most/least serious effect because_____.”

 

5) Brainstorming – Work with your partner to think of as many environmental problems as you can. Share your ideas with the class.

EX:

-overfishing         -                               -                             -                             -

-cutting down trees -                                          -                             -                             -

-                       -                              -                             -                             -

6) Role-play  - Choose one of the problems above and prepare a short role-play with your partner about it. Explain what it is, why it is a problem, and what you can do to help.

EX: 

A: I think we should eat fish again tonight. 

B: That's a bad idea, the world fish population is really decreasing because of overfishing. We shouldn't eat so much fish until fish populations recover. If we eat fish every day then soon there won't be any fish! 

A: Yeah, you're right. We should eat something more renewable. Let's make a soup from vegetables from my garden.

B: Great idea! I'll help!