The Reading / Listening - Great Barrier Reef - Level 4

The Great Barrier Reef has been valued for the first time. The company Deloitte Access Economics has put a figure on one of nature's most spectacular wonders. It valued the reef at US$42.5 billion, and said it was worth US$4.9 billion a year to Australia's economy. The reef supports 64,000 full-time jobs in tourism, fishing, recreation and research. This is much more than Australia's national airline and many other major businesses employ.

Putting a value on the World Heritage-listed reef may help to conserve it. People will look after it better if they know how valuable it is. Deloitte said the reef is worth "more than 12 Sydney Opera Houses". A local businessman said it was "astounding" that a value was put on the reef. He questioned why people needed to link the reef with money. He said: "We have a social conscience to look after the Great Barrier Reef."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Great Barrier Reef - Level 5 or  Great Barrier Reef - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.whitsundaytimes.com.au/news/great-barrier-reef-worth-56-billion/3194692/
  • http://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/26/threatened-great-barrier-reef-worth-over-42-billion-says-deloitte-report.html
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/insideasia/2017/06/28/42b-great-barrier-reef-too-big-to-fail-whats-the-real-value-of-worlds-treasures/


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. valued for the first
  2. put a figure on
  3. nature's most spectacular
  4. worth US$4.9 billion a year
  5. 64,000 full-time jobs
  6. fishing, recreation
  7. Australia's national
  8. many other major
  1. wonders
  2. and research
  3. time
  4. in tourism
  5. businesses
  6. one
  7. to Australia's economy
  8. airline

Paragraph 2

  1. Putting a value on the World
  2. help to
  3. People will look
  4. they know how
  5. the reef is worth
  6. astounding that a value was
  7. We have a social
  8. look after the
  1. put on the reef
  2. conscience
  3. valuable it is
  4. Great Barrier Reef
  5. after it better
  6. Heritage-listed reef
  7. more
  8. conserve it

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The Great Barrier Reef (1) ___________________ for the first time. The company Deloitte Access Economics has (2) ___________________ one of nature's most spectacular wonders. It (3) ___________________ at US$42.5 billion, and (4) ___________________ US$4.9 billion a year to Australia's economy. The reef supports 64,000 (5) ___________________ tourism, fishing, recreation and research. This is much more than Australia's national airline and (6) ___________________ businesses employ.

Putting (7) ___________________ World Heritage-listed reef may help to conserve it. People will (8) ___________________ better if they know how valuable it is. Deloitte said (9) ___________________ "more than 12 Sydney Opera Houses". A local (10) ___________________ it was "astounding" that a value (11) ___________________ reef. He questioned why people needed to link the reef with money. He said: "We have a (12) ___________________ to look after the Great Barrier Reef."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheGreatBarrierReefhasbeenvaluedforthefirsttime.ThecompanyDe
loitteAccessEconomicshasputafigureononeofnature'smostspectacul
arwonders.ItvaluedthereefatUS$42.5billion,andsaiditwasworthUS$
4.9billionayeartoAustralia'seconomy.Thereefsupports64,000full-ti
mejobsintourism,fishing,recreationandresearch.Thisismuchmoreth
anAustralia'snationalairlineandmanyothermajorbusinessesemploy.
PuttingavalueontheWorldHeritage-listedreefmayhelptoconserveit.P
eoplewilllookafteritbetteriftheyknowhowvaluableitis.Deloittesaidth
ereefisworth"morethan12SydneyOperaHouses".Alocalbusinessma
nsaiditwas"astounding"thatavaluewasputonthereef.Hequestioned
whypeopleneededtolinkthereefwithmoney.Hesaid:"Wehaveasocial
consciencetolookaftertheGreatBarrierReef."

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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