Speed Reading — Coal Addiction - Level 3 — 300 wpm 

Now do this put-the-text-back-together activity.

This is the text (if you need help).

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has told world leaders to end their addiction to coal. He said the fossil fuel was a "major threat" to climate change and warned that the coal addiction "must be overcome". Mr Guterres was in Thailand for the ASEAN Summit. He said that many countries in danger from climate change are in Asia. He told the world leaders that: "Countries in these areas are countries that are in one of the most vulnerable areas to climate change." He added that: "Unless we are able to...defeat climate change, in 2050, the research has forecasted that 300 million people in the world will be flooded by sea water."

Mr Guterres said climate change was, "the biggest threat to the planet at the present moment". He said using coal was a big problem. "We have to put a price on carbon. We need to stop subsidies for fossil fuels." He urged, "stopping the construction of coal-power electricity plants in order to be able to defeat climate change." The UN chief was speaking on a day that saw "unbearable" and "hazardous" levels of air pollution in India's capital of Delhi. An Indian health ministry official, Varun Jhaveri, said pollution monitors did not have enough digits to accurately record the pollution. He tweeted: "I think we are heading towards Delhi recording the most polluted day in the history of the world!! This is a disaster!"

Comprehension questions
  1. Which person warned world leaders to end their coal addiction?
  2. What did the UN say was a "major threat"?
  3. Where was a summit held?
  4. Where are many countries in danger?
  5. How many people might be flooded by 2050?
  6. What did the UN say we have to put a price on?
  7. What must we stop giving subsidies for?
  8. What kinds of plants did the UN say we have to stop constructing?
  9. Where was there hazardous levels of air pollution?
  10. Who is Varun Jhaveri?

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