Climate Change

VOCABULARY

1. Below you will see groups of words. There are four words in each group.
One word in each group is different from the rest. Find the odd word.
a) destroy damage ruin restore
b) neglect preserve protect save
c) combat fight quit cope with
d) measures actions concerns steps
e) rubbish waste litter mess
f) contaminate affect pollute poison
g) adopt ban prohibit forbid

2. Complete the expressions below with words which were different in each
group in ex. 1.
1. your duties 2. an approach
neglect adopt
your family a strategy

the environment 4. the environment

3. affect restore
the way we live confidence

5. make a 6. public
mess concerns
be in a family

3. Discuss the statements below in pairs. Do you agree or disagree with them?
Justify your answer.
 Rich countries destroy the environment, while poor countries pay the price of their
actions.
 It’s too late to save the environment so we should focus on preparing for the
consequences.
 If everyone takes small steps to protect the environment, we can make a
difference globally.
 Banning the use of fossil fuels (coal/oil) globally is the best way to fight climate
change.
 Recycling waste is too expensive, so a lot of rubbish we sort ends up on a landfill.

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 Climate Change

READING

4. Read a short text about Greta Thunberg and match the highlighted words
with their meanings.

Greta Thunberg (born 3 January 2003) is a Swedish schoolgirl

who, at age 15, began protesting about the need for
immediate action to combat climate change outside the
Swedish parliament and has since become an outspoken
climate activist.

She is known for having initiated the school strike for climate
movement that formed in November 2018 and surged globally
after the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24)
in December the same year. Her personal activism began in
Greta Thunberg
August 2018, when her recurring and solitary Skolstrejk för (by Jain Ainali via Wikimedia Commons)
klimatet (“School strike for the climate”) protesting outside the
Swedish parliament in Stockholm began attracting media coverage, even though Sweden has
already enacted “the most ambitious climate law in the world” – to be carbon neutral by 2045.

On 15 March 2019, an estimated 1.4 million students in 112 countries around the world joined
her call in striking and protesting. Another event is scheduled for 24 May 2019.

Thunberg has received various prizes and awards for her activism. In March 2019, three
members of the Norwegian parliament nominated Thunberg for the Nobel Peace Prize. In May
2019, at the age of 16, she featured on the cover of Time magazine.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greta_Thunberg

Meanings of the words in bold:

a) to include someone or something as an important part: feature

b) done alone: solitary
c) to make something law: enact
d) in the present or as soon as possible: immediate
e) to increase suddenly and strongly: surge
f) expressing strong opinions very directly without worrying if other people are
offended: outspoken

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 Climate Change

VIDEO
5. Watch a speech by Greta Thunberg that she made during the 2018 United
Nations Climate Change Conference. (http://bit.ly/GretaOnClimateChange)

6. Read quotes from Greta’s speech and answer questions.

“You say you love your children above all else, and yet you are stealing their
future in front of their very eyes.”

 Do you consider your impact on the environment and how it will affect our
children’s future?

“I've learned that you are never too small to make a difference.”

 Do you think children can have a real impact on protecting the environment?

“You are too scared of being unpopular. You only talk about moving forward
with the same bad ideas that got us into this mess.”

 How seriously do you think politicians want to cope with environmental

issues?

“Our civilisation is being sacrificed for the opportunity of a very small number of
people to continue making enormous amounts of money.”

 Do you agree with this statement? Why/why not?

“Change is coming whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the
people.”

 As an individual, do you believe you can have an impact and change the
world?

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