People all over the world use a lot of coal, oil, and gas for energy. But soon, we might start using less of these things. This is good for the Earth, but changing to new kinds of energy is not easy. Most of our energy still comes from coal, oil, and gas.

We are starting to use more energy from the wind and the sun. But this is still a small part of all the energy we use. We need to use more electricity because it can be cleaner. Clean electricity is getting cheaper, but it costs a lot of money to start using it, especially for countries that don’t have a lot of money.

People everywhere need to use clean energy fast because the Earth is getting too warm. We need to make big changes quickly. Some people are working hard to make these changes happen. Soon, leaders from different countries will meet to talk about how to use more clean energy.

Original news source: Fossil fuels: Can humanity really kick its addiction? (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

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📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups. Each group will take turns acting out different forms of energy (e.g. wind, solar, coal, oil, gas) without using any words. The other groups will try to guess the form of energy being acted out. The group with the most correct guesses wins.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students read the article individually or in pairs. Then, ask them to write a short summary of the article using their own words. Afterward, have a class discussion where students share their summaries and compare their answers.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a list of questions related to the article, such as “Do you think it is important to use clean energy?” or “Do you think it is worth the cost to switch to clean energy?” Each student should answer the questions individually, and then discuss their answers with their partner. Finally, have a class discussion where students share their opinions and reasons behind their answers.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Prepare a list of key vocabulary words from the article, such as “energy, coal, oil, gas, wind, solar, electricity, clean energy.” Divide the class into small groups. One student from each group will come to the front of the class and choose a vocabulary word from a hat. They must then draw a picture to represent the word, while their group members try to guess the word. The group with the most correct guesses wins.

– Think-Pair-Share
Instructions: Pose a question related to the article, such as “What are some challenges of switching to clean energy?” or “Why is it important to use clean energy?” Give the students a few minutes to think about their answer individually. Then, have them pair up with a partner and discuss their answers. Finally, have a class discussion where students share their thoughts and ideas.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. What are some things people use for energy?
2. Why is it important to use less coal, oil, and gas?
3. What are two new kinds of energy that people are starting to use more of?
4. Why is it important to use more electricity?
5. Why is it difficult for some countries to start using clean energy?
6. Why do we need to use clean energy quickly?
7. What are some people doing to make big changes for clean energy?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

People all over the (1)______ use a lot of coal, oil, and gas for (2)______. But soon, we might start using less of these (3)______. This is good for the Earth, but changing to new kinds of energy is not easy. Most of our energy still (4)______ from (5)______, oil, and gas.

We are starting to use more energy from the wind and the sun. But this is still a small (6)______ of all the energy we use. We need to use more electricity because it can be cleaner. Clean electricity is getting (7)______, but it (8)______ a lot of (9)______ to start using it, especially for countries that don’t have a lot of money.

People everywhere need to use clean energy fast because the Earth is (10)______ too (11)______. We need to (12)______ big changes quickly. Some people are working hard to make these changes happen. Soon, leaders from different countries will meet to talk about how to use more clean energy.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is coal, oil, and gas used for?
2. How would you feel if we started using less coal, oil, and gas?
3. Do you like using wind and solar energy? Why or why not?
4. What is clean electricity?
5. How do you think clean energy can help the Earth?
6. Do you think it’s important for countries to use more clean energy? Why or why not?
7. What do you think are some challenges of using clean energy?
8. How do you think clean energy can help to make the Earth cooler?
9. Do you know anyone who is working to make clean energy more available?
10. How would you feel if you could attend a meeting about clean energy? Why?
11. Do you think it’s important for leaders from different countries to talk about clean energy? Why or why not?
12. What changes do you think we need to make in order to use more clean energy?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. energy
2. Earth
3. changing
4. electricity
5. cleaner
6. cheaper
7. costs
8. countries
9. everywhere
10. quickly
11. leaders
12. meeting

Meanings:
(A) In all places or in many different places
(B) The planet we live on
(C) People who are in charge and make important decisions
(D) When people come together to talk about things
(E) Places where people live and have their own government
(F) More fresh and not dirty
(G) The amount of money you need to pay for something
(H) The power that makes things work, like lights or cars
(I) Making something different
(J) Not costing a lot of money
(K) A kind of power that we use to make lights and computers work
(L) Doing something very fast
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are some of the energy sources that people all over the world currently use?
(a) Wind and solar power
(b) Nuclear and hydroelectric power
(c) Coal, oil, and gas
(d) Wood and biomass

2. Why is it important for us to start using more clean energy?
(a) Clean energy is cheaper than fossil fuels
(b) We have run out of coal, oil, and gas
(c) The Earth is getting too warm
(d) Clean energy is more efficient than fossil fuels

3. Which type of energy is getting cheaper but still costs a lot to start using?
(a) Clean electricity
(b) Wind power
(c) Solar power
(d) Nuclear power

4. What is the main reason why some countries find it difficult to switch to clean energy?
(a) Lack of technology
(b) Lack of natural resources
(c) Lack of government support
(d) Lack of money

5. What is the main reason why we need to use more electricity?
(a) It is cheaper than other forms of energy
(b) It is more efficient than other forms of energy
(c) It is more readily available than other forms of energy
(d) It is cleaner than other forms of energy

6. What are some of the changes that need to happen quickly to address the Earth’s warming?
(a) Reducing energy consumption
(b) Using more clean energy
(c) Developing new technologies
(d) All of the above

7. Who is working hard to make the changes towards clean energy happen?
(a) Everyone
(b) Some people
(c) Only government officials
(d) None of the above

8. What will leaders from different countries do when they meet?
(a) Talk about how to use more clean energy
(b) Discuss the benefits of fossil fuels
(c) Debate whether clean energy is necessary
(d) None of the above

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. Many people around the world do not use coal, oil, and gas for energy.
2. Using more electricity can be cleaner for the environment.
3. It is not important to use less of these things because it is not good for the Earth.
4. We are not starting to use more energy from the wind and the sun, and it remains a large amount compared to what we use.
5. Switching to new types of energy is not easy.
6. Clean electricity is not becoming cheaper, and it is not expensive to start using it, especially for countries with less money.
7. People all over the world need to start using clean energy quickly because the Earth is getting too warm.
8. Most of our energy still comes from coal, oil, and gas.
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 are some things that people all over the world use for energy?
2. Why is it important for us to start using less coal, oil, and gas?
3. What are some new kinds of energy that we are starting to use more of?
4. Why is it difficult for some countries to start using clean electricity?
5. Why do we need to use more clean energy quickly?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are some things people use for energy?
People use coal, oil, and gas for energy.

2. Why is it important to use less coal, oil, and gas?
It’s important to use less coal, oil, and gas because they can harm the Earth and make it too warm.

3. What are two new kinds of energy that people are starting to use more of?
People are starting to use more energy from the wind and the sun.

4. Why is it important to use more electricity?
It’s important to use more electricity because it can be cleaner and better for the environment.

5. Why is it difficult for some countries to start using clean energy?
It’s difficult for some countries because it costs a lot of money to start using clean energy and they may not have a lot of money.

6. Why do we need to use clean energy quickly?
We need to use clean energy quickly because the Earth is getting too warm and we need to make big changes to stop it.

7. What are some people doing to make big changes for clean energy?
Some people are working hard to make big changes for clean energy and soon leaders from different countries will meet to talk about how to use more clean energy.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) world
(2) energy
(3) things
(4) comes
(5) coal
(6) part
(7) cheaper
(8) costs
(9) money
(10) getting
(11) warm
(12) make
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. energy
Answer: (H) The power that makes things work, like lights or cars

2. Earth
Answer: (B) The planet we live on

3. changing
Answer: (I) Making something different

4. electricity
Answer: (K) A kind of power that we use to make lights and computers work

5. cleaner
Answer: (F) More fresh and not dirty

6. cheaper
Answer: (J) Not costing a lot of money

7. costs
Answer: (G) The amount of money you need to pay for something

8. countries
Answer: (E) Places where people live and have their own government

9. everywhere
Answer: (A) In all places or in many different places

10. quickly
Answer: (L) Doing something very fast

11. leaders
Answer: (C) People who are in charge and make important decisions

12. meeting
Answer: (D) When people come together to talk about things
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are some of the energy sources that people all over the world currently use?
Answer: (c) Coal, oil, and gas

2. Why is it important for us to start using more clean energy?
Answer: (c) The Earth is getting too warm

3. Which type of energy is getting cheaper but still costs a lot to start using?
Answer: (a) Clean electricity

4. What is the main reason why some countries find it difficult to switch to clean energy?
Answer: (d) Lack of money

5. What is the main reason why we need to use more electricity?
Answer: (d) It is cleaner than other forms of energy

6. What are some of the changes that need to happen quickly to address the Earth’s warming?
Answer: (b) Using more clean energy

7. Who is working hard to make the changes towards clean energy happen?
Answer: (b) Some people

8. What will leaders from different countries do when they meet?
Answer: (a) Talk about how to use more clean energy
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. Many people around the world do not use coal, oil, and gas for energy. (Answer: False)
2. Using more electricity can be cleaner for the environment. (Answer: True)
3. It is not important to use less of these things because it is not good for the Earth. (Answer: False)
4. We are not starting to use more energy from the wind and the sun, and it remains a large amount compared to what we use. (Answer: False)
5. Switching to new types of energy is not easy. (Answer: True)
6. Clean electricity is not becoming cheaper, and it is not expensive to start using it, especially for countries with less money. (Answer: False)
7. People all over the world need to start using clean energy quickly because the Earth is getting too warm. (Answer: True)
8. Most of our energy still comes from coal, oil, and gas. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧