The Reading / Listening - Heatwaves - Level 1

The UN has warned that extreme heat is "the new normal". There are more heatwaves and they are longer and hotter. In the past week, parts of the USA and China were over 50ºC. In Death Valley, it was 53.9ºC; and in Xinjiang, it got up to 52.2ºC. Japan has issued a heat alert. It asked people to stay in the shade and drink plenty of water. The UN warned the heatwaves could continue for another month.

The UN warned we need to cut greenhouse gas emissions. It said heatwaves are having, "a major impact on human health…and water supplies." It said society needs to "adapt to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal". The heat is making people change their travel plans. They are going to cooler countries. A woman tried to "escape the heat" by going to Rome, but said that was hotter than her hometown in Texas.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Heatwaves - Level 0 Heatwaves - Level 2   or  Heatwaves - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-66229057
  • https://www.cbsnews.com/news/heat-wave-europe-italy-expects-record-temperature-greece-wildfire/
  • https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12309835/Fewer-tourists-plan-visit-Europe-temperatures-soar-heatwave-abandoning-holidays.html


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. extreme
  2. There are more
  3. they are longer
  4. in the past
  5. Japan has issued
  6. stay in
  7. drink plenty
  8. continue for another
  1. and hotter
  2. month
  3. heat
  4. of water
  5. heatwaves
  6. a heat alert
  7. week
  8. the shade

Paragraph 2

  1. we need to cut greenhouse
  2. heatwaves are having a
  3. society
  4. The heat is making people
  5. travel
  6. They are going to
  7. A woman tried to escape
  8. hotter than her
  1. needs to adapt
  2. the heat
  3. change
  4. hometown in Texas
  5. major impact
  6. plans
  7. gas emissions
  8. cooler countries

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UN has (1) ___________________ heat is "the new normal". There are more heatwaves and they are (2) ___________________. In the past week, parts of the USA and China were over 50ºC. In Death Valley, it was 53.9ºC; and in Xinjiang, it (3) ___________________ 52.2ºC. Japan has issued (4) ___________________. It asked people to stay in the shade and (5) ___________________ water. The UN warned the heatwaves could continue (6) ___________________.

The UN warned we (7) ___________________ greenhouse gas emissions. It said heatwaves are having, "(8) ___________________ on human health…and water supplies." It said society (9) ___________________ to what is unfortunately becoming the new normal". The heat is making people change (10) ___________________. They are going to cooler countries. A woman tried to "(11) ___________________" by going to Rome, but said that was (12) ___________________ hometown in Texas.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUNhaswarnedthatextremeheatis"thenewnormal".Therearemor
eheatwavesandtheyarelongerandhotter.Inthepastweek,partsofthe
USAandChinawereover50ºC.InDeathValley,itwas53.9ºC;andinXinji
ang,itgotupto52.2ºC.Japanhasissuedaheatalert.Itaskedpeopletost
ayintheshadeanddrinkplentyofwater.TheUNwarnedtheheatwavesc
ouldcontinueforanothermonth.TheUNwarnedweneedtocutgreenho
usegasemissions.Itsaidheatwavesarehaving,"amajorimpactonhum
anhealth…andwatersupplies."Itsaidsocietyneedsto"adapttowhatisu
nfortunatelybecomingthenewnormal".Theheatismakingpeoplechan
getheirtravelplans.Theyaregoingtocoolercountries.Awomantriedto"
escapetheheat"bygoingtoRome,butsaidthatwashotterthanherhome
towninTexas.

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