There is a big meeting in Dubai where people are talking about how to stop the Earth from getting too hot. They say we need to burn less coal, oil, and gas because these make the air dirty. We should use more clean energy from the sun and wind. But we also need other ways to make power when there is no sun or wind.

Cars that run on gas and diesel make the air dirty too. Cars that run on electricity are much better for the air. More and more people are buying electric cars. We also need to stop a gas called methane from getting into the air because it can make the Earth very hot very fast.

To keep the Earth from getting too hot, we need to take some of the bad air out. Trees and oceans help do this, but we are hurting them. We are trying to make machines that can take the bad air out too. But these machines are new and cost a lot of money. If we make too much bad air, we might not be able to take enough of it out.

Original news source: Are the solutions to fight climate change making progress? (BBC)

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Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– Charades
Instructions: Divide the class into two teams. Write down vocabulary words related to the article on small pieces of paper and put them in a hat. One person from each team takes turns picking a word from the hat and acting it out without speaking. Their team has to guess the word within a certain time limit.

– News Summary
Instructions: Have the students take turns summarizing the main points of the article in their own words. Encourage them to use as much vocabulary from the article as possible. After each summary, the class can discuss if anything was missed or if there are any different interpretations.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Create a list of statements related to the article, such as “Electric cars are the future” or “We should prioritize clean energy over fossil fuels.” Have the students go around the class and ask their classmates for their opinions on each statement. They can tally the responses and then present their findings to the class.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Write down vocabulary words from the article on individual slips of paper and put them in a hat. One student at a time picks a word and has to draw a picture of it on the board without using any words or letters. The rest of the class has to guess what word it is.

– Two Truths and a Lie
Instructions: Have each student come up with two true statements and one false statement related to the article. They can take turns sharing their statements with the class and the rest of the class has to guess which statement is the lie. This activity encourages students to think critically about the article and use their English skills to create and analyze statements.

Comprehension Questions:

1. What are people talking about at the big meeting in Dubai?
2. Why do we need to burn less coal, oil, and gas?
3. What kind of energy should we use more of?
4. Why are cars that run on electricity better for the air?
5. What gas do we need to stop from getting into the air?
6. How do trees and oceans help keep the Earth from getting too hot?
7. Why might it be difficult to take enough bad air out if we make too much of it?
Go to answers ⇩

Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

There is a big meeting in Dubai where people are talking about how to (1)______ the Earth from getting too hot. They say we need to burn less coal, oil, and gas because these make the air (2)______. We should use more (3)______ energy from the sun and wind. But we also need other ways to make (4)______ when there is no sun or wind.

(5)______ that run on gas and diesel make the air dirty too. Cars that run on electricity are much (6)______ for the air. More and more people are buying electric cars. We also need to stop a gas called methane from (7)______ into the air because it can (8)______ the Earth very hot very fast.

To (9)______ the Earth from getting too hot, we need to take some of the bad air out. Trees and oceans help do this, but we are hurting them. We are (10)______ to make machines that can (11)______ the bad air out too. But these machines are new and cost a lot of money. If we make too much bad air, we might not be able to take (12)______ of it out.
Go to answers ⇩

Discussion Questions:

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

1. What do you think about the idea of using more clean energy from the sun and wind?
2. How would you feel if you had an electric car instead of a car that runs on gas?
3. Do you like trees and oceans? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of using machines to take bad air out of the Earth’s atmosphere?
5. How do you think burning less coal, oil, and gas could help stop the Earth from getting too hot?
6. Do you think it’s important to stop a gas called methane from getting into the air? Why or why not?
7. How do you think trees and oceans help keep the Earth from getting too hot?
8. What are some other ways we could make power when there is no sun or wind?
9. How do you think burning less coal, oil, and gas could help make the air cleaner?
10. Do you think it’s important to find ways to take bad air out of the Earth’s atmosphere? Why or why not?
11. How do you think electric cars are better for the air than cars that run on gas or diesel?
12. What is clean energy?

Individual Activities

Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. coal
2. gas
3. clean energy
4. electricity
5. methane
6. trees
7. oceans
8. machines
9. cost
10. bad air
11. power
12. dirty

Meanings:
(A) Air that is not good for us to breathe
(B) Not clean; not good for us
(C) A substance that we burn to make heat or power
(D) Things we make that can help clean the air
(E) The ability to make things work or move
(F) Big bodies of water that help clean the air
(G) Energy that doesn’t make the air dirty
(H) A gas that can make the Earth very hot very fast
(I) A black rock that we burn to make power
(J) Big plants with leaves that help clean the air
(K) How much money something costs
(L) A type of energy that comes from lightning and can power our homes
Go to answers ⇩

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What are people discussing at the meeting in Dubai?
(a) How to make cars run faster
(b) How to build more coal power plants
(c) How to stop the Earth from getting too hot
(d) How to use more gas and oil

2. Why do people want to burn less coal, oil, and gas?
(a) Because they make the air clean
(b) Because they are cheap
(c) Because they make the air dirty
(d) Because they are easy to find

3. What kind of energy should we use more of?
(a) Energy from coal and oil
(b) Energy from gas and diesel
(c) Energy from trees and oceans
(d) Energy from the sun and wind

4. What kind of cars are better for the air?
(a) Cars that run on gas and diesel
(b) Cars that run on electricity
(c) Cars that run on coal and oil
(d) Cars that run on wind and sun

5. What gas do we need to stop from getting into the air?
(a) Methane
(b) Oxygen
(c) Carbon dioxide
(d) Nitrogen

6. What helps to take the bad air out and keep the Earth from getting too hot?
(a) Cars and machines
(b) Gas and diesel
(c) Coal and oil
(d) Trees and oceans

7. Why are machines that take the bad air out expensive?
(a) Because they are old
(b) Because they are new
(c) Because they are small
(d) Because they are easy to make

8. What might happen if we make too much bad air?
(a) We might not be able to take enough of it out
(b) We might be able to take all of it out
(c) We might not need to take any of it out
(d) We might not want to take any of it out

Go to answers ⇩

True or False Questions:

1. Methane is a gas that can make the Earth very hot very fast, so we need to stop it from getting into the air.
2. Trees and oceans help take the bad air out and keep the Earth from getting too hot.
3. Burning less coal, oil, and gas can help make the air cleaner.
4. Electric cars are not better for the air than cars that run on gas and diesel.
5. People in Dubai are having a big meeting to talk about how to stop the Earth from getting too hot.
6. Machines are not being made to take the bad air out, and they are not new and expensive.
7. Using clean energy from the sun and wind is not a good idea.
8. Less and less people are buying electric cars.
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 people talking about at the big meeting in Dubai?
2. Why do people say we should burn less coal, oil, and gas?
3. What kind of cars are better for the air?
4. What is the gas called that can make the Earth very hot very fast?
5. Why do we need trees and oceans to help keep the Earth from getting too hot?

Answers

Comprehension Question Answers:

1. What are people talking about at the big meeting in Dubai?
They are talking about how to stop the Earth from getting too hot.

2. Why do we need to burn less coal, oil, and gas?
We need to burn less coal, oil, and gas because they make the air dirty.

3. What kind of energy should we use more of?
We should use more clean energy from the sun and wind.

4. Why are cars that run on electricity better for the air?
Cars that run on electricity are better for the air because they don’t make it dirty like cars that run on gas and diesel.

5. What gas do we need to stop from getting into the air?
We need to stop methane gas from getting into the air.

6. How do trees and oceans help keep the Earth from getting too hot?
Trees and oceans help keep the Earth from getting too hot by taking some of the bad air out.

7. Why might it be difficult to take enough bad air out if we make too much of it?
It might be difficult to take enough bad air out if we make too much of it because the machines that can do this are new and expensive.
Go back to questions ⇧

Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) stop
(2) dirty
(3) clean
(4) power
(5) Cars
(6) better
(7) getting
(8) make
(9) keep
(10) trying
(11) take
(12) enough
Go back to questions ⇧

Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. coal
Answer: (I) A black rock that we burn to make power

2. gas
Answer: (C) A substance that we burn to make heat or power

3. clean energy
Answer: (G) Energy that doesn’t make the air dirty

4. electricity
Answer: (L) A type of energy that comes from lightning and can power our homes

5. methane
Answer: (H) A gas that can make the Earth very hot very fast

6. trees
Answer: (J) Big plants with leaves that help clean the air

7. oceans
Answer: (F) Big bodies of water that help clean the air

8. machines
Answer: (D) Things we make that can help clean the air

9. cost
Answer: (K) How much money something costs

10. bad air
Answer: (A) Air that is not good for us to breathe

11. power
Answer: (E) The ability to make things work or move

12. dirty
Answer: (B) Not clean; not good for us
Go back to questions ⇧

Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What are people discussing at the meeting in Dubai?
Answer: (c) How to stop the Earth from getting too hot

2. Why do people want to burn less coal, oil, and gas?
Answer: (c) Because they make the air dirty

3. What kind of energy should we use more of?
Answer: (d) Energy from the sun and wind

4. What kind of cars are better for the air?
Answer: (b) Cars that run on electricity

5. What gas do we need to stop from getting into the air?
Answer: (a) Methane

6. What helps to take the bad air out and keep the Earth from getting too hot?
Answer: (d) Trees and oceans

7. Why are machines that take the bad air out expensive?
Answer: (b) Because they are new

8. What might happen if we make too much bad air?
Answer: (a) We might not be able to take enough of it out
Go back to questions ⇧

True or False Answers:

1. Methane is a gas that can make the Earth very hot very fast, so we need to stop it from getting into the air. (Answer: True)
2. Trees and oceans help take the bad air out and keep the Earth from getting too hot. (Answer: True)
3. Burning less coal, oil, and gas can help make the air cleaner. (Answer: True)
4. Electric cars are not better for the air than cars that run on gas and diesel. (Answer: False)
5. People in Dubai are having a big meeting to talk about how to stop the Earth from getting too hot. (Answer: True)
6. Machines are not being made to take the bad air out, and they are not new and expensive. (Answer: False)
7. Using clean energy from the sun and wind is not a good idea. (Answer: False)
8. Less and less people are buying electric cars. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧