The Reading / Listening - Level 5

Tech giant Google is investing $1billion in renewable energy, such as solar energy and wind farms. It wants to make its operations and its data centres around the world totally green. Google's Director of Energy and Sustainability (DES) told reporters: "We've invested over a billion dollars in 15 projects that have the capacity to produce two giga-watts of power." He added it was necessary for Google to invest in energy. He said: "Investing in…renewable power plants…all make business sense. They make sense for us as a company to do. We rely on power for our business."

Google still has a long way to go before all its operations are fuelled by renewable energy. About 34 per cent is sourced from renewables. The DES said: "Our goal is to be 100 per cent renewable powered. There are lots of challenges in getting there, not the least of which is operating in many [legal systems] that are in different parts of the world." The DES added: "At Google we invest in innovative renewable energy projects that have the potential to transform the energy landscape and help provide more clean power to businesses and homes around the world."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 4 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://www.cnbc.com/id/101417698
  • http://rt.com/usa/google-billion-solar-power-457/
  • http://guardianlv.com/2014/02/google-attempts-to-power-all-its-operations-with-renewable-energy/


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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

Tech giant

a.

giga-watts of power

2.

solar energy and

b.

sense

3.

data centres

c.

on power for our business

4.

director of energy and

d.

around the world

5.

capacity to produce two

e.

Google is investing $1billion

6.

Investing in renewable

f.

wind farms

7.

make business

g.

power plants

8.

We rely

h.

sustainability



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ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
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PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

Google still has a long

a.

by renewable energy

2.

fuelled

b.

landscape

3.

34 per cent is sourced from

c.

provide more clean power

4.

Our goal is to be 100 per cent

d.

renewable energy projects

5.

There are lots of challenges

e.

renewables

6.

we invest in innovative

f.

way to go

7.

the potential to transform the energy

g.

in getting there

8.

help

h.

renewable powered

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

Tech giant Google is investing $1billion (1) ___________________, such as solar (2) ___________________. It wants to make its operations and its data centres around (3) ___________________. Google's Director of Energy and Sustainability (DES) told reporters: "We've invested over a billion dollars in 15 projects that have (4) ___________________ two giga-watts of power." He added it was necessary for Google to invest in energy. He said: "Investing in…renewable power plants…(5) ___________________. They make sense for us as a company to do. We (6) ___________________ our business."

Google still has a long way to go before all its (7) ___________________ by renewable energy. About 34 per cent is (8) ___________________. The DES said: "Our goal is to be 100 per cent renewable powered. There are lots of (9) ___________________, not the least of which is operating in many [legal systems] that are in different parts of the world." The DES added: "At Google we invest (10) ___________________ energy projects that have the potential to transform (11) ___________________ and help provide more clean power to businesses (12) ___________________ world."

RENEWABLE ENERGY SURVEY

Write five GOOD questions about renewable energy 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.

 

STUDENT 1

_____________

STUDENT 2

_____________

STUDENT 3

_____________

Q.1.

 

 

 

 

Q.2.

 

 

 

 

Q.3.

 

 

 

 

Q.4.

 

 

 

 

Q.5.

 

 

 

 

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

FREE WRITING

Write about renewable energy for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner's paper.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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