The Reading / Listening - Global Temperatures - Level 1

The world had its hottest year since records began. Every month in the past year was over 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial averages. The industrial period started around 1850. This is when we started to burn lots of fossil fuel. A climate scientist said there is a "large and continuing shift" in climate change. He warned that new records will be broken, "unless we stop putting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere".

Extreme heat hit many countries this year. In the past year, it was 1.64ºC hotter than 200 years ago. Extreme temperatures are everywhere. In Death Valley, it was 53.9ºC earlier this week. Meanwhile, Las Vegas broke its heat record with a temperature of 48.9ºC. Over 1,000 people died in Saudi Arabia because of the heat. Scientists say we will see more heat-related disasters. A climate scientist said Earth was in crisis.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Global Temperatures - Level 0 Global Temperatures - Level 2   or  Global Temperatures - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/environment/article/2024/jul/08/temperatures-1-point-5c-above-pre-industrial-era-average-for-12-months-data-shows
  • https://www.livescience.com/planet-earth/climate-change/the-last-12-months-have-broken-records-like-never-before-earth-exceeds-15-c-warming-every-month-for-entire-year
  • https://theconversation.com/extreme-heat-waves-broiling-the-planet-in-2024-arent-normal-how-climate-change-is-heating-up-weather-around-the-world-234249


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The world had its
  2. since records
  3. Every month in
  4. 1.5 degrees Celsius
  5. The industrial period started
  6. burn lots of fossil
  7. a large and continuing shift  
  8. putting greenhouse gases into
  1. in climate change
  2. the past year
  3. around 1850
  4. the atmosphere
  5. began
  6. warmer
  7. fuel
  8. hottest year

Paragraph 2

  1. Extreme heat hit
  2. In the past
  3. Extreme temperatures
  4. it was 53.9ºC
  5. with a temperature
  6. because of
  7. we will see more heat-
  8. Earth was in
  1. related disasters
  2. are everywhere
  3. of 48.9ºC
  4. year
  5. crisis
  6. many countries
  7. earlier this week
  8. the heat

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The world (1) ___________________ year since records began. Every month in the past (2) ___________________ 1.5 degrees Celsius warmer than pre-industrial averages. The industrial (3) ___________________ 1850. This is when we started to burn lots of fossil fuel. A climate scientist said there is a "large (4) ___________________" in climate change. He warned that new records will be broken, "(5) ___________________ putting greenhouse (6) ___________________ atmosphere".

Extreme (7) ___________________ countries this year. In the past year, it was 1.64ºC hotter than (8) ___________________. Extreme temperatures are everywhere. In Death Valley, it was 53.9ºC (9) ___________________. Meanwhile, Las Vegas broke its heat record with (10) ___________________ 48.9ºC. Over 1,000 people died in Saudi Arabia because of the heat. Scientists say we will see more (11) ___________________. A climate scientist said Earth (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Theworldhaditshottestyearsincerecordsbegan.Everymonthinthepa
styearwasover1.5degreesCelsiuswarmerthanpre-industrialavera
ges.Theindustrialperiodstartedaround1850.Thisiswhenwestartedto
burnlotsoffossilfuel.Aclimatescientistsaidthereisa"largeandcontinui
ngshift"inclimatechange.Hewarnedthatnewrecordswillbebroken,"u
nlesswestopputtinggreenhousegasesintotheatmosphere".Extreme
heathitmanycountriesthisyear.Inthepastyear,itwas1.64ºChotterth
an200yearsago.Extremetemperaturesareeverywhere.InDeathValle
y,itwas53.9ºCearlierthisweek.Meanwhile,LasVegasbrokeitsheatrec
ordwithatemperatureof48.9ºC.Over1,000peoplediedinSaudiArabia
becauseoftheheat.Scientistssaywewillseemoreheat-relateddisaster
s.AclimatescientistsaidEarthwasincrisis.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You