The Reading / Listening - Doomsday Clock - Level 2

Scientists from the BPA have said the world has become more dangerous in the past year. BPA scientists are experts on nuclear weapons, energy, climate change, and new technologies. They set the Doomsday Clock, which was started in 1947 to show how close the world is to disaster. The BPA just moved the clock's minute hand from three minutes to midnight to two-and-a-half minutes to midnight. This is the closest it has been to midnight (the Apocalypse) since 1953. Then, the minute hand was at two minutes to midnight after hydrogen bomb tests by the USA and Russia.

The BPA's report said President Donald Trump's statements on climate change, nuclear weapons, immigration and terrorism have added to global risk. The BPA warned that: "The probability of global catastrophe is very high, and the actions needed to reduce the risks of disaster must be taken very soon." The BPA chief asked people to make sure their leaders do the right things. She said: "I hope the debate [created] by the 2017 setting of the Clock…helps citizens around the world hold their leaders responsible for delivering a safer and healthier planet."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Doomsday Clock - Level 0 Doomsday Clock - Level 1   or  Doomsday Clock - Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.com/news/world-38760792
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/26/the-doomsday-clock-just-moved-again-its-now-two-and-a-half-minutes-to-midnight/
  • http://thebulletin.org/sites/default/files/Final%202017%20Clock%20Statement.pdf


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. the world has become
  2. in the past
  3. BPA scientists are
  4. nuclear
  5. show how close the world is
  6. moved the clock's minute
  7. two minutes
  8. hydrogen bomb
  1. to midnight
  2. experts
  3. to disaster
  4. tests
  5. hand
  6. more dangerous
  7. year
  8. weapons

Paragraph 2

  1. The BPA's
  2. statements on climate
  3. The probability of global
  4. actions needed to reduce
  5. make sure their leaders do
  6. helps citizens
  7. hold their leaders
  8. a safer and
  1. the risks of disaster
  2. the right things
  3. healthier planet
  4. responsible
  5. change
  6. report
  7. catastrophe
  8. around the world

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Scientists from the BPA have said the world (1) ________________ dangerous in the past year. BPA scientists (2) _________________ nuclear weapons, energy, climate change, and new technologies. They set the Doomsday Clock, which was started in 1947 to (3) ___________________ the world is to disaster. The BPA just moved the clock's (4) ___________________ from three minutes to midnight to two-and-a-half minutes to midnight. This is (5) ___________________ has been to midnight (the Apocalypse) since 1953. Then, the minute hand was at two minutes to midnight after (6) ___________________ tests by the USA and Russia.

The BPA's report said President Donald Trump's (7) ___________________ climate change, nuclear weapons, immigration and terrorism have (8) ___________________ risk. The BPA warned that: "The (9) ___________________ global catastrophe is very high, and the actions needed to reduce the risks of disaster must be (10) ___________________." The BPA chief asked people to make sure their leaders do the right things. She said: "I (11) ___________________ [created] by the 2017 setting of the Clock…helps citizens around the world hold their leaders responsible for (12) ___________________ and healthier planet."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

ScientistsfromtheBPAhavesaidtheworldhasbecomemoredangerousi
nthepastyear.BPAscientistsareexpertsonnuclearweapons,energy,cl
imatechange,andnewtechnologies.TheysettheDoomsdayClock,whi
chwasstartedin1947toshowhowclosetheworldistodisaster.TheBPAj
ustmovedtheclock'sminutehandfromthreeminutestomidnighttotwo
-and-a-halfminutestomidnight.Thisistheclosestithasbeentomidnig
ht(theApocalypse)since1953.Then,theminutehandwasattwominute
stomidnightafterhydrogenbombtestsbytheUSAandRussia.TheBPA's
reportsaidPresidentDonaldTrump'sstatementsonclimatechange,nu
clearweapons,immigrationandterrorismhaveaddedtoglobalrisk.The
BPAwarnedthat:"Theprobabilityofglobalcatastropheisveryhigh,andt
heactionsneededtoreducetherisksofdisastermustbetakenverysoon.
"TheBPAchiefaskedpeopletomakesuretheirleadersdotherightthings
.Shesaid:"Ihopethedebate[created]bythe2017settingoftheClock…h
elpscitizensaroundtheworldholdtheirleadersresponsiblefordeliverin
gasaferandhealthierplanet."

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.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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