Two big countries, the United States and China, have made a deal to work together to help the Earth’s climate. They want to work on cutting down a bad gas called methane and to make more clean energy by 2030. But they didn’t say they would stop using coal or oil, which are not good for the air. People who care about the Earth think this deal is a good start, especially before a big meeting about the climate.
Some important people from the United States and China talked and made this deal. They both said they want to make more energy that doesn’t hurt the air and to make less bad air from power plants. They didn’t talk about using less coal or stopping oil use, which many people at the climate meeting will talk about. But experts still think this deal is good because it talks about methane, which is a really bad gas for the Earth, and clean energy.
Methane is a very strong bad gas that can hurt the Earth quickly. China makes a lot of this gas but didn’t join a promise to cut it down before. Now, the deal says both countries will plan to cut methane and other bad gases soon. They will also have a special meeting about methane at another big climate meeting. This deal makes people hopeful that countries will work together to protect the Earth.
Original news source: Climate change: US and China take ‘small but important steps’ (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Students will be divided into groups of three to four. Each group will be given a few minutes to read the article and summarize it in their own words, focusing on the main points: the deal between the United States and China, the focus on methane and clean energy, and the upcoming climate meeting. After preparing their summaries, one student from each group will present it to the class.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down key vocabulary words from the article (e.g., climate, methane, clean energy, deal, power plants) on separate pieces of paper. Divide the class into two teams. One student from each team will come up to the front and pick a word. Without speaking, they must draw it on the board, and their team must guess the word. Each correct guess earns a point.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements based on the article, such as “Cutting down methane is important for the climate” or “Countries should stop using coal and oil.” Students will walk around the room and ask their classmates whether they agree or disagree with each statement. Afterwards, discuss the class’s opinions as a group, allowing students to explain their reasoning.
– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Pair up students and give them a topic to discuss related to the article, like “Why is international cooperation important in addressing climate change?” or “What are some clean energy sources you know?” After a few minutes of discussion, bring the class back together and have pairs share their ideas with everyone.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Ask students to imagine the outcomes of the deal between the United States and China. In pairs or small groups, they will discuss and write down their predictions for the Earth’s climate by 2030. Encourage them to use new vocabulary from the article and to explain how the deal might change the environment. Share and discuss the predictions as a class.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What two big countries made a deal to help the Earth’s climate?
2. What bad gas do the United States and China want to cut down?
3. By what year do they want to make more clean energy?
4. What did the countries not agree to stop using, even though it’s bad for the air?
5. Why do people think this deal is a good start?
6. What is methane, and why is it bad for the Earth?
7. What new thing will China and the United States plan to do about methane?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Two big (1)______, the United States and China, have made a deal to work together to help the Earth’s climate. They want to work on cutting down a bad gas called methane and to make more (2)______ energy by 2030. But they didn’t say they would stop using coal or oil, which are not good for the air. People who (3)______ about the Earth think this deal is a good start, especially before a big meeting about the (4)______.
Some important people from the (5)______ States and China talked and made this deal. They both said they want to make more energy that doesn’t (6)______ the air and to make less bad air from power plants. They didn’t talk about using less coal or stopping oil use, which (7)______ people at the climate meeting will talk about. But experts still think this deal is good because it talks about methane, which is a really bad gas for the (8)______, and clean energy.
Methane is a very strong bad gas that can hurt the Earth quickly. China (9)______ a lot of this gas but didn’t join a promise to cut it down before. Now, the (10)______ (11)______ both countries will plan to cut methane and other bad gases soon. They will also have a special (12)______ about methane at another big climate meeting. This deal makes people hopeful that countries will work together to protect the Earth.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What is climate change?
2. Why do you think clean energy is important?
3. How would you feel if your country made a deal to help the Earth?
4. Do you like the idea of countries working together? Why or why not?
5. What is methane and why is it bad for the Earth?
6. Can you think of any clean energy sources?
7. Do you think it’s important to stop using coal and oil? Why or why not?
8. How do you think we can make less bad air from power plants?
9. What could you do to help the Earth’s climate?
10. Do you think this deal between the United States and China will help the Earth a lot? Why or why not?
11. How do you feel about the future of our planet?
12. Do you talk about the Earth’s climate in school? What have you learned?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. countries
2. deal
3. methane
4. clean energy
5. coal
6. oil
7. air
8. Earth
Meanings:
(a) Energy that doesn’t hurt the air
(b) Places with their own governments and people
(c) An agreement between two or more people or groups
(d) A very bad gas that can hurt the Earth quickly
(e) The invisible stuff around us that we breathe
(f) The planet we live on
(g) A black rock that is burned to make electricity
(h) A thick, black liquid that is used to make fuel
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What are the two big countries that made a deal to help the Earth’s climate?
(a) United States and Russia
(b) China and Russia
(c) United States and China
(d) United States and Germany
2. What is the bad gas that the United States and China want to cut down on?
(a) Oxygen
(b) Methane
(c) Carbon dioxide
(d) Nitrogen
3. What is the main goal of the deal between the United States and China?
(a) To make more clean energy
(b) To stop using coal and oil
(c) To reduce carbon emissions
(d) To protect the Earth’s climate
4. What did the United States and China not mention in their deal?
(a) Using less coal
(b) Stopping oil use
(c) Cutting down on methane
(d) Making more clean energy
5. Why do experts think this deal is good?
(a) Because it mentions using less coal
(b) Because it talks about cutting down on methane
(c) Because it includes all countries
(d) Because it promises to stop using oil
6. Why is methane a bad gas for the Earth?
(a) It is harmful to humans
(b) It causes earthquakes
(c) It destroys the ozone layer
(d) It can hurt the Earth quickly
7. Which country makes a lot of methane?
(a) United States
(b) Russia
(c) China
(d) Germany
8. What does the deal between the United States and China make people feel?
(a) Angry
(b) Confused
(c) Worried
(d) Hopeful
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The deal mentions stopping the use of coal or oil, which are good for the air.
2. The deal focuses on cutting down a bad gas called methane and increasing clean energy by 2030.
3. People who care about the Earth think this deal is a bad start.
4. Important people from both countries talked and made this deal.
5. The deal aims to make more energy that doesn’t hurt the air and reduce bad air from power plants.
6. The deal talks about methane, which is a really good gas for the Earth.
7. The United States and China have made a deal to help the Earth’s climate.
8. The deal makes people doubtful that countries will work together to protect the Earth.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What two big countries made a deal to help the Earth?
2. What kind of bad gas do the United States and China want to cut down?
3. By what year do they want to make more clean energy?
4. Why do people who care about the Earth think the deal is good?
5. What is methane, and why is it bad for the Earth?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. What two big countries made a deal to help the Earth’s climate?
The United States and China made the deal.
2. What bad gas do the United States and China want to cut down?
They want to cut down methane.
3. By what year do they want to make more clean energy?
They want to make more clean energy by 2030.
4. What did the countries not agree to stop using, even though it’s bad for the air?
They did not agree to stop using coal or oil.
5. Why do people think this deal is a good start?
People think it’s a good start because it’s before a big climate meeting and it’s about cutting down methane and making clean energy.
6. What is methane, and why is it bad for the Earth?
Methane is a very strong bad gas that can hurt the Earth quickly.
7. What new thing will China and the United States plan to do about methane?
They will plan to cut methane and other bad gases soon and have a special meeting about methane at another big climate meeting.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) countries
(2) clean
(3) care
(4) climate
(5) United
(6) hurt
(7) many
(8) Earth
(9) makes
(10) deal
(11) says
(12) meeting
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. countries
Answer: (b) Places with their own governments and people
2. deal
Answer: (c) An agreement between two or more people or groups
3. methane
Answer: (d) A very bad gas that can hurt the Earth quickly
4. clean energy
Answer: (a) Energy that doesn’t hurt the air
5. coal
Answer: (g) A black rock that is burned to make electricity
6. oil
Answer: (h) A thick, black liquid that is used to make fuel
7. air
Answer: (e) The invisible stuff around us that we breathe
8. Earth
Answer: (f) The planet we live on
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What are the two big countries that made a deal to help the Earth’s climate?
Answer: (c) United States and China
2. What is the bad gas that the United States and China want to cut down on?
Answer: (b) Methane
3. What is the main goal of the deal between the United States and China?
Answer: (a) To make more clean energy
4. What did the United States and China not mention in their deal?
Answer: (a) Using less coal
5. Why do experts think this deal is good?
Answer: (b) Because it talks about cutting down on methane
6. Why is methane a bad gas for the Earth?
Answer: (d) It can hurt the Earth quickly
7. Which country makes a lot of methane?
Answer: (c) China
8. What does the deal between the United States and China make people feel?
Answer: (d) Hopeful
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The deal mentions stopping the use of coal or oil, which are good for the air. (Answer: False)
2. The deal focuses on cutting down a bad gas called methane and increasing clean energy by 2030. (Answer: True)
3. People who care about the Earth think this deal is a bad start. (Answer: False)
4. Important people from both countries talked and made this deal. (Answer: True)
5. The deal aims to make more energy that doesn’t hurt the air and reduce bad air from power plants. (Answer: True)
6. The deal talks about methane, which is a really good gas for the Earth. (Answer: False)
7. The United States and China have made a deal to help the Earth’s climate. (Answer: True)
8. The deal makes people doubtful that countries will work together to protect the Earth. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧
