The Reading / Listening - Arctic Wildfires - Level 0

There are hundreds of fires all across the Arctic Circle, in Greenland, Siberia, Scandinavia and Alaska. Smoke is visible from space. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as anywhere on Earth. It is also having its worst wildfire season ever. In Alaska, there are 400 fires out of control. People say the fires are unheard of in history.

The fires could affect global warming. A scientist said: "Temperatures in the Arctic have been increasing at a much faster rate than the global average. Warmer conditions encourage fires to grow." Dry ground, lightning and strong winds are spreading the fires. The fires are releasing CO2 and killing animals.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Arctic Wildfires - Level 1,  Arctic Wildfires - Level 2   or  Arctic Wildfires - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49125391
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/26/unprecedented-more-than-100-wildfires-burning-in-the-arctic-in-worst-ever-season
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/unprecedented-wildfires-are-ravaging-the-arctic-and-the-images-from-space-are-astonishing


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. There are hundreds
  2. all across the
  3. Smoke is visible
  4. The Arctic is
  5. twice as
  6. anywhere on
  7. having its worst wildfire season
  8. there are 400 fires out
  1. fast
  2. from space
  3. ever
  4. Earth
  5. Arctic Circle
  6. warming
  7. of control
  8. of fires

Paragraph 2

  1. The fires could affect
  2. increasing at a much
  3. the global
  4. Warmer conditions encourage fires
  5. Dry
  6. strong winds are spreading
  7. The fires are
  8. killing
  1. to grow
  2. releasing CO2
  3. global warming
  4. animals
  5. faster rate
  6. ground
  7. average
  8. the fires

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

There are (1) ___________________ all across the Arctic Circle, in Greenland, Siberia, Scandinavia and Alaska. (2) ___________________ from space. The Arctic (3) ___________________ as fast as anywhere on Earth. It is also (4) ___________________ wildfire season ever. In Alaska, there are 400 fires (5) ___________________. People say the fires are unheard (6) ___________________.

The (7) ___________________ global warming. A scientist said: "Temperatures in the Arctic (8) ___________________ at a much faster rate than (9) ___________________. Warmer conditions encourage (10) ___________________." Dry ground, lightning and (11) ___________________ spreading the fires. The fires are releasing (12) ___________________ animals.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TherearehundredsoffiresallacrosstheArcticCircle,inGreenland,Siber
ia,ScandinaviaandAlaska.Smokeisvisiblefromspace.TheArcticiswar
mingtwiceasfastasanywhereonEarth.Itisalsohavingitsworstwildfire
seasonever.InAlaska,thereare400firesoutofcontrol.Peoplesaythefir
esareunheardofinhistory.Thefirescouldaffectglobalwarming.Ascient
istsaid:"TemperaturesintheArctichavebeenincreasingatamuchfaste
rratethantheglobalaverage.Warmerconditionsencouragefirestogro
w."Dryground,lightningandstrongwindsarespreadingthefires.Thefir
esarereleasingCO2andkillinganimals.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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