photo Tara Benwell Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.

dateline: 16 November 2017

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15,000 Scientists Issue ‘Warning to Humanity’

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

  • issue: to distribute officially
  • humanity: all people
  • catastrophic: causing great damage
  • vast: very large
  • misery: suffering and sadness
  • ozone layer: a high layer of the atmosphere that blocks ultraviolet rays from entering the lower atmosphere
  • extinction: the complete loss of a species
  • dead zone: an area in the water where life cannot exist due to lack of oxygen
  • phase out: to slowly stop using or offering

15,000 Scientists Issue ‘Warning to Humanity’

Over 15,000 have signed a letter to humanity that warns of catastrophic consequences for the earth, including vast human misery for our rapidly growing population. This is a follow-up letter to an original that scientists issued exactly 25 years ago. Every threat to the earth has worsened since the original letter except the hole in the ozone layer which has improved. The letter warns that it will soon be too late to prevent extinction, dead zones in the ocean, and a lack of fresh food and water. In addition to the warning, the letter offers for preventing this fate, including phasing out the investment and use of fossil fuels and eating more plant-based foods.

Comprehension Questions

  1. Who is the letter to and from?
  2. Why does the report mention the ozone layer?
  3. What recommendations are made for preventing this catastrophe?

Discussion Question

Does this warning worry you personally? What changes could you and your family make to reduce your personal impact on climate change?

show Answers

Written and recorded by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub
Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.
© EnglishClub.com
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