The Reading / Listening - Zero-Carbon Fuels - Level 5

The UK is playing its part in working towards a cleaner and greener planet. For the first time since the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, more of the UK's energy is from zero-carbon fuels than fossil fuels. In each of the first five months of 2019, fossil fuels produced less than half of the UK's electricity. A "tipping point" has been reached and the trend of using more zero-carbon energy sources than fossil fuels will continue. Power from wind, solar, nuclear and hydro sources will outstrip coal and gas. A decade ago, three quarters of the UK's electricity came from fossil fuels.

The UK's energy chief executive said the use of more renewables was a "key milestone on the journey towards net zero". He said the zero-carbon share should increase to 90 per cent by the 2030s. The UK's Prime Minister said the UK would reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The UK would be the first major economy to do this. An energy analyst told the BBC that the milestone was a tribute to technologists who solved the technical problems of climate change. He said net zero means jobs will be lost in fossil fuel industries and created in low-carbon industries.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Zero-Carbon Fuels - Level 4 or  Zero-Carbon Fuels - Level 6

Sources
  • https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/21/2019-first-year-zero-carbon-outstrips-fossil-fuels-10023149/?ito=cbshare
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-48711649
  • https://www.iflscience.com/environment/britain-now-generates-more-power-zero-carbon-sources-fossil-fuels/


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. working towards a cleaner and
  2. For the first time since the
  3. the UK's energy is from zero-
  4. In each of the
  5. produced less than half
  6. the trend
  7. hydro sources will outstrip
  8. A decade
  1. of the UK's electricity
  2. coal and gas
  3. first five months
  4. of using more
  5. ago
  6. carbon fuels
  7. greener planet
  8. Industrial Revolution

Paragraph 2

  1. the use of more renewables
  2. the journey
  3. increase to 90 per cent
  4. reach net zero carbon
  5. An energy
  6. technologists who solved the
  7. He said net zero means jobs
  8. low-carbon
  1. technical problems
  2. analyst
  3. industries
  4. by the 2030s
  5. towards net zero
  6. will be lost
  7. emissions by 2050
  8. was a key milestone

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UK is playing its (1) ___________________ towards a cleaner and greener planet. For the first (2) ___________________ Industrial Revolution in the 19th century, more of the UK's energy is from zero-carbon fuels than fossil fuels. In (3) ___________________ first five months of 2019, fossil fuels produced less than half of the UK's electricity. (4) ___________________ has been reached and the trend of using more zero-carbon energy (5) ___________________ fuels will continue. Power from wind, solar, nuclear and hydro sources will outstrip coal and gas. A decade ago, (6) ___________________ the UK's electricity came from fossil fuels.

The UK's energy chief executive said the use (7) ___________________ was a "key milestone on (8) ___________________ net zero". He said the zero-carbon share should increase to 90 per cent by the 2030s. The UK's Prime Minister said the UK would (9) ___________________ carbon emissions by 2050. The UK would be the (10) ___________________ to do this. An energy analyst told the BBC that the milestone was (11) ___________________ technologists who solved the technical problems of climate change. He said net zero means jobs will be (12) ___________________ fuel industries and created in low-carbon industries.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUKisplayingitspartinworkingtowardsacleanerandgreenerplanet.
ForthefirsttimesincetheIndustrialRevolutioninthe19thcentury,more
oftheUK'senergyisfromzero-carbonfuelsthanfossilfuels.Ineachofthe
firstfivemonthsof2019,fossilfuelsproducedlessthanhalfoftheUK'sele
ctricity.A"tippingpoint"hasbeenreachedandthetrendofusingmoreze
ro-carbonenergysourcesthanfossilfuelswillcontinue.Powerfromwi
nd,solar,nuclearandhydrosourceswilloutstripcoalandgas.Adecadea
go,threequartersoftheUK'selectricitycamefromfossilfuels.TheUK'se
nergychiefexecutivesaidtheuseofmorerenewableswasa"keymilesto
neonthejourneytowardsnetzero".Hesaidthezero-carbonshareshoul
dincreaseto90percentbythe2030s.TheUK'sPrimeMinistersaidtheUK
wouldreachnetzerocarbonemissionsby2050.TheUKwouldbethefirst
majoreconomytodothis.AnenergyanalysttoldtheBBCthatthemilesto
newasatributetotechnologistswhosolvedthetechnicalproblemsofcli
matechange.Hesaidnetzeromeansjobswillbelostinfossilfuelindustri
esandcreatedinlow-carbonindustries.

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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