The Reading / Listening - Insect Apocalypse - Level 2

Scientists say global warming isn't the only threat to humans. Another big threat is the falling numbers of insects. Scientists say half of all insects worldwide have been declining since the 1970s. They warn that over 40 per cent of insect species could die out in our lifetime. The number of insects is decreasing by 2.5 per cent every year. Scientists are calling it an "insect apocalypse". Many species of butterflies, bees and other bugs are now extinct. The scientists say the apocalypse could trigger, "a catastrophic collapse of Earth's ecosystems".

A professor said pesticides used for farming and gardening are killing insects. He said fewer insects mean we cannot feed people. He told reporters: "Three quarters of our crops depend on insects....Crops will begin to fail. We won't have...strawberries. We can't feed 7.5 billion people without insects." A worrying trend is the decline of honeybees. In the USA, the number of honeybee groups dropped from six million in 1947 to 2.5 million in 2014. The professor warned people that: "We can't wait another 25 years before we do anything because it will be too late."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Insect Apocalypse - Level 0 Insect Apocalypse - Level 1   or  Insect Apocalypse - Level 3

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/13/europe/insect-apocalypse-report-scn/index.html
  • https://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/42563/20191114/insect-apocalypse-coming-heres-what-during-breakout.htm
  • https://www.businessinsider.com/insect-apocalypse-ecosystem-collapse-food-insecurity-2019-11


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. Global warming isn't the
  2. Half of all insects
  3. insect species could die
  4. The number of insects
  5. Many species
  6. bees and other
  7. a catastrophic
  8. Earth's
  1. is decreasing
  2. bugs are now extinct
  3. worldwide
  4. ecosystems
  5. in our lifetime
  6. collapse
  7. only danger
  8. of butterflies

Paragraph 2

  1. Pesticides used on farms
  2. our crops depend
  3. We can't feed 7.5 billion people
  4. A big worry is the decline
  5. the number of honeybee
  6. dropped from six million in 1947
  7. We can't wait
  8. it will be too
  1. another 25 years
  2. without insects
  3. late
  4. on insects
  5. of honeybees
  6. and gardens
  7. to 2.5 million in 2014
  8. groups

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Global warming isn't (1) ___________________ to humans. The falling numbers of insects (2) ___________________. Half of all insects worldwide have (3) ___________________ the 1970s. Over 40 per cent of insect species could die in our lifetime. The number (4) ___________________ decreasing by 2.5 per cent a year. It is an "insect apocalypse". (5) ___________________ butterflies, bees and other bugs (6) ___________________. Scientists say this could cause, "a catastrophic collapse of Earth's ecosystems".

Pesticides (7) ___________________ and gardens are killing insects. Fewer insects mean we (8) ___________________. Three quarters of our (9) ___________________ insects. We can't feed 7.5 billion people without insects. A big worry is (10) ___________________ honeybees. In the USA, the number of honeybee (11) ___________________ six million in 1947 to 2.5 million in 2014. A professor warned that: "We can't wait another 25 years before we do anything because it (12) ___________________ late."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Globalwarmingisn'ttheonlydangertohumans.Thefallingnumbersofin
sectsisalsodangerous.Halfofallinsectsworldwidehavebeendyingsinc
ethe1970s.Over40percentofinsectspeciescoulddieinourlifetime.The
numberofinsectsisdecreasingby2.5percentayear.Itisan"insectapoc
alypse".Manyspeciesofbutterflies,beesandotherbugsarenowextinct
.Scientistssaythiscouldcause,"acatastrophiccollapseofEarth'secosy
stems".Pesticidesusedonfarmsandgardensarekillinginsects.Fewerin
sectsmeanwehavelessfood.Threequartersofourcropsdependoninse
cts.Wecan'tfeed7.5billionpeoplewithoutinsects.Abigworryisthedecli
neofhoneybees.IntheUSA,thenumberofhoneybeegroupsdroppedfro
msixmillionin1947to2.5millionin2014.Aprofessorwarnedthat:"Wec
an'twaitanother25yearsbeforewedoanythingbecauseitwillbetoolate
."

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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