The Reading / Listening - Level 4

India's cities now have such hazardous air pollution that it is difficult to believe. The standard for normal air is set at a level of 50 according to the Air Quality Index (AQI). A level of 300 means the air is hazardous and a health alert. The AQI website says, "everyone may experience more serious health effects". Chandrapur reached an AQI level of 824, to become India's most polluted city. Environmentalists say many cities are now full of gas.

Poisonous fog covers India's capital. Schools closed for three days. New Delhi is polluted due to the nine million vehicles on its streets. Most of these break emissions standards. The situation is now worse because chemical pollution is blowing in from nearby states, farmers are setting fire to straw, and there is a lack of wind. To cut pollution, people are watering the streets to stop dust from rising. There is a ban on diesel-powered electricity generators.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 5 or  Level 6

Sources
  • http://qz.com/829182/this-one-chart-shows-delhis-apocalyptic-pollution-compared-to-the-rest-of-india/
  • https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/world/2016/11/07/other-indian-cities-join-delhi-air-pollution-emergency/dcNRuzrY9VyJXMZf8uKroM/story.html
  • http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/delhi-air-pollution-most-polluted-city-air-quality-index-aqi-3830971/


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. such hazardous
  2. it is difficult
  3. The standard for normal air is
  4. according
  5. A level of 300 means
  6. health
  7. become India's most
  8. many cities are now full
  1. to believe
  2. the air is hazardous
  3. to the Air Quality Index
  4. of gas
  5. alert
  6. polluted city
  7. air pollution
  8. set at a level of 50

Paragraph 2

  1. Poisonous fog
  2. Schools closed
  3. due to the nine million
  4. Most of these break emissions
  5. The situation is now
  6. farmers are setting
  7. watering the streets to stop
  8. diesel-powered electricity
  1. vehicles on its streets
  2. fire to straw
  3. worse
  4. for three days
  5. dust from rising
  6. covers India's capital
  7. generators
  8. standards

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

India's cities (1) ___________________ hazardous air pollution that it is difficult to believe. The standard for normal (2) ___________________ level of 50 according to the (3) ___________________ (AQI). A level of 300 means the air is hazardous (4) ___________________. The AQI website says, "everyone may experience more serious health effects". Chandrapur (5) ___________________ of 824, to become India's most polluted city. Environmentalists say many cities are (6) ___________________.

(7) ___________________ India's capital. Schools closed for three days. New Delhi is polluted (8) ___________________ million vehicles on its streets. Most of these break (9) ___________________. The situation is now worse because chemical pollution is blowing in from nearby states, farmers (10) ___________________ to straw, and there is a lack of wind. To cut pollution, people are watering the streets (11) __________________ rising. (12) ___________________ diesel-powered electricity generators.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

India'scitiesnowhavesuchhazardousairpollutionthatitisdifficulttobel
ieve.Thestandardfornormalairissetatalevelof50accordingtotheAirQ
ualityIndex(AQI).Alevelof300meanstheairishazardousandahealthal
ert.TheAQIwebsitesays,"everyonemayexperiencemoreserioushealt
heffects".ChandrapurreachedanAQIlevelof824,tobecomeIndia'smo
stpollutedcity.Environmentalistssaymanycitiesarenowfullofgas.Poi
sonousfogcoversIndia'scapital.Schoolsclosedforthreedays.NewDel
hiispollutedduetotheninemillionvehiclesonitsstreets.Mostofthesebr
eakemissionsstandards.Thesituationisnowworsebecausechemicalp
ollutionisblowinginfromnearbystates,farmersaresettingfiretostraw,
andthereisalackofwind.Tocutpollution,peoplearewateringthestreets
tostopdustfromrising.Thereisabanondiesel-poweredelectricitygene
rators.

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