Hands-on English current events activity for December, 1997
Note: You are welcome to print, copy and use this activity with your students. However, this material is copyrighted, so please don't re-publish it anywhere without permission.
This
topic is very interesting and very important for everyone in the
world, but it seems difficult to deal with in an English class
because the issues are complex and the vocabulary is difficult. Here
we have attempted to reduce the issue to a few simple sentences with
simple vocabulary. Your students can use the exercise as a starting
point that will help them with other, more difficult readings about
the global warming issues.
Here
are some suggestions for using this material with your students:
For BEGINNERS, you could read the full text aloud first (explaining
the meaning where necessary), then give them a copy of the
Choose-an-answer version. Have them listen to the text again, and
circle the correct answer as they listen. As a follow up, they could
search the text of a newspaper story for these vocabulary items and
circle them. For INTERMEDIATE students, read the full text aloud
first, but then give them the Fill-in-the-blank version and have them
write in the missing words as they listen again to the full text. You
could follow this up later with a dictation of the same material but
have the students write on a blank sheet of paper.For ADVANCED
students, you can use the exercise as a guide to scanning newspaper
articles for information. Do not read the text aloud to them, but
instead just give them a copy of the Fill-in-the-blank version to
work on. They should search for the answers in newspapers or magazine
articles and report back what they have found--there may be several
possible correct answers in some cases. For even MORE ADVANCED
students, they could read an article (or articles) about the treaty
talks from an English language newspaper first, then use the
Fill-in-the-blank version of this exercise as a comprehension quiz or
as discussion material.
1. There is an important meeting going on in
Japan, in the city of KYOTO.
2. People from 160 different countries are meeting there.
3. They are worried about changes in the CLIMATE.
4. They are trying to agree about controlling pollution in the
AIR.
5. Many scientists think the earth will get WARMER if the pollution
continues.
6. The air pollution is caused partly by AUTOMOBILES.
7. If the climate changes in the future, there will be more
FLOODS.
8. For some countries, it may be difficult to reduce pollution
because it is EXPENSIVE.
9. When the meeting is finished, everyone hopes the countries will
sign a TREATY.
1. There is an important meeting going on in
Japan, in the city of __________.
TOKYO,
KYOTO, SEOUL
2. People from _________ different countries are
meeting there.
16,
160, 1600
3. They are worried about changes in the _________
.
CLIMATE,
GOVERNMENT, STOCK MARKET
4. They are trying to agree about controlling
pollution in the ___________.
WATER,
HAIR, AIR
5. Many scientists think the earth will get
___________ if the pollution continues.
COLDER,
WARMER, DARKER
6. The air pollution is caused partly by
_______________.
AUTOMOBILES,
DOCTORS, GUNS
7. If the climate changes in the future, there
will be more ____________.
COMETS,
HIGHWAYS, FLOODS
8. For some countries, it may be difficult to
reduce pollution because it is __________.
EXPENSIVE,
BORING, UNHEALTHY
9. When the meeting is finished, everyone hopes
the countries will sign a _______.
LEASE,
MONUMENT, TREATY
1. There is an important meeting going on in Japan, in the city of __________.
2. People from _________ different countries are meeting there.
3. They are worried about changes in the _________ .
4. They are trying to agree about controlling pollution in the ___________.
5. Many scientists think the earth will get ___________ if the pollution continues.
6. The air pollution is caused partly by _______________.
7. If the climate changes in the future, there will be more ____________.
8. For some countries, it may be difficult to reduce pollution because it is __________.
9. When the meeting is finished, everyone hopes the countries will sign a _______.
Editor's
note: I'd be very interested to hear what you and your students
thought of this activity! Thank you! We welcome teaching
suggestions.--Anna Silliman. 
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