The Reading / Listening - Amazon Rainforest - Level 6

Environmental scientists have revealed shocking news that parts of the Amazon rainforest are emitting more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. The scientists said the forest is now producing over a billion tons of CO2 a year. They say the Amazon used to be a carbon "sink". This is where CO2 was sucked up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become a source of carbon dioxide. The forest is at risk of losing its moniker of being the lungs of the world. Researchers are predicting the rainforest will create more CO2 at an accelerating rate in the future. The biggest culprits for the Amazon's flipping from sink to source are logging, deforestation and a growing number of forest fires.

The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions has been published in the journal "Nature". Researchers analysed 600 profiles of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by fires at various sites in Brazil's Amazon between 2010 and 2018. They found that the fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while forest growth removed just 0.5 billion tons. The researchers said the difference of one billion tons left in the atmosphere is equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan, which is the world's fifth-largest polluter. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-source story is yet another stark warning that climate impacts are accelerating."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

    Amazon Rainforest - Level 4  or  Amazon Rainforest - Level 5

Sources
  • https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/14/amazon-rainforest-now-emitting-more-co2-than-it-absorbs
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2021/07/14/amazon-rainforest-areas-put-out-more-carbon-dioxide-than-they-absorb/7971749002/
  • https://www.commondreams.org/news/2021/07/14/biggest-story-world-right-now-humanity-has-flipped-amazon-carbon-sink-source


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Warm-ups

1. THE AMAZON RAINFOREST: Students walk around the class and talk to other students about the Amazon rainforest. Change partners often and share your findings.
2. CHAT: In pairs / groups, talk about these topics or words from the article. What will the article say about them? What can you say about these words and your life?
       environmental / scientists / carbon dioxide / sink / lungs / rainforest / forest fires /
       research / profiles / emissions / atmosphere / annual / polluter / climate / impacts
Have a chat about the topics you liked. Change topics and partners frequently.
3. NO LOGGING: Students A strongly believe logging should be banned for 10 years; Students B strongly believe otherwise. Change partners again and talk about your conversations.
4. REDUCING CO2 EMISSIONS: What are the pros and cons of these methods of reducing CO2 emissions? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

 

Pros

Cons

Reduce air travel

 

 

Walking, not driving

 

 

Plant more trees

 

 

Using more LED lights

 

 

Eating less red meat

 

 

Recycle everything

 

 

MY e-BOOK
ESL resource book with copiable worksheets and handouts - 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers / English teachers
See a sample

5. RAINFOREST: Spend one minute writing down all of the different words you associate with the word "rainforest". Share your words with your partner(s) and talk about them. Together, put the words into different categories.
6. CARBON FOOTPRINT: Rank these ways of reducing your carbon footprint with your partner. Put the best at the top. Change partners often and share your rankings.

  • Becoming vegetarian
  • Don't buy fast fashion
  • Reusable shopping bags
  • Use less water
  • Cycle more
  • Get politically active
  • Switch lights off
  • Compost food waste

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

      1. revealed a. A name.
      2. emitting b. Changing to take the opposite side, opinion or situation.
      3. absorbing c. Made previously unknown or secret information known to others.
      4. converted d. Producing and sensing out (something, especially gas, light or radiation).
      5. moniker e. Changed from one thing into another.
      6. culprit f. The cause of a problem or defect.
      7. flipping g. Taking in or soaking up (energy or a liquid or other substance) by chemical or physical action.

    Paragraph 2

      8. journal h. Unpleasantly or sharply clear.
      9. profile i. A person or thing responsible for dirtying the environment with harmful or poisonous substances.
      10. emissions j. A thing that is equal to or corresponds with another in value, amount, function, meaning, etc.
      11. equivalent k. A newspaper or magazine that deals with a particular subject or professional activity.
      12. polluter l. Increasing in amount, speed or extent.
      13. stark m. A record of the characteristics of something.
      14. accelerating n. Gasses or radiation that come off something.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

  1. The article says scientists revealed earth-shattering news.     T / F
  2. Parts of the Amazon produce over a billion tons of CO2.     T / F
  3. The Amazon has lost its nickname of being the "lungs of the world".     T / F
  4. The article says agriculture is the biggest culprit in flipping the Amazon.  T / F
  5. The research is published in a journal called "Nature".     T / F
  6. Forest fires produced around 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year.     T / F
  7. Japan is the fifth-largest polluter in the world.     T / F
  8. A professor said the sink-to-source story was a stark warning.     T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

  1. shocking
  2. emitting
  3. converted
  4. predicting
  5. culprits
  6. profiles
  7. various
  8. equivalent
  9. stark
  10. accelerating
  1. assorted
  2. forecasting
  3. offenders
  4. bleak
  5. appalling
  6. identical
  7. accounts
  8. releasing
  9. gaining momentum
  10. changed

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

  1. scientists have revealed
  2. emitting more
  3. producing over
  4. the lungs
  5. a growing number
  6. published in the
  7. forest
  8. equivalent to the annual
  9. the world's fifth-
  10. yet another stark
  1. a billion tons
  2. emissions of Japan
  3. of forest fires
  4. journal "Nature"
  5. carbon dioxide
  6. warning
  7. shocking news
  8. largest polluter
  9. of the world
  10. growth

Gap fill

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
sucked
predicting
emitting
logging
rate
revealed
number
source

Environmental scientists have (1) _____________________ shocking news that parts of the Amazon rainforest are (2) _____________________ more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. The scientists said the forest is now producing over a billion tons of CO2 a year. They say the Amazon used to be a carbon "sink". This is where CO2 was (3) _____________________ up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become a (4) _____________________ of carbon dioxide. The forest is at risk of losing its moniker of being the lungs of the world. Researchers are (5) _____________________ the rainforest will create more CO2 at an accelerating (6) _____________________ in the future. The biggest culprits for the Amazon's flipping from sink to source are (7) _____________________, deforestation and a growing (8) _____________________ of forest fires.

Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below.
growth
accelerating
profiles
stark
atmosphere
published
annual
monoxide

The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions has been (9) _____________________ in the journal "Nature". Researchers analysed 600 (10) _____________________ of CO2 and carbon (11) _____________________ emissions produced by fires at various sites in Brazil's Amazon between 2010 and 2018. They found that the fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while forest (12) _____________________ removed just 0.5 billion tons. The researchers said the difference of one billion tons left in the (13) _____________________ is equivalent to the (14) _____________________ emissions of Japan, which is the world's fifth-largest polluter. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-source story is yet another (15) _____________________ warning that climate impacts are (16) _____________________."

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  shocking news that parts of the Amazon rainforest are ______
     a.  emission more carbon
     b.  committing more carbon
     c.  remitting more carbon
     d.  emitting more carbon
2)  They say the Amazon used to be ______
     a.  a car bond sink
     b.  a carbon sin
     c.  a carb on think
     d.  a carbon sink
3)  This is where CO2 was sucked up and ______
     a.  convert it into oxygen
     b.  convert tin into oxygen
     c.  converted into oxygen
     d.  conversion into oxygen
4)  The forest is at risk of losing its moniker of being the ______ world
     a.  lungs of the
     b.  rungs of the
     c.  lounge of the
     d.  runs of the
5)  create more CO2 at an accelerating rate in the future. The ______...
     a.  biggest culprits
     b.  biggest coal pits
     c.  biggest cull pits
     d.  biggest cull prize

6)  The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions has been published in the ______
     a.  adjourn all "Nature"
     b.  journey "Nature"
     c.  journal "Nature"
     d.  germ all "Nature"
7)  600 profiles of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by fires ______
     a.  at varied sates
     b.  at various sites
     c.  at vary as sites
     d.  at vary ass sites
8)  fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while forest growth ______ billion
     a.  remove just 0.5
     b.  remove adjust 0.5
     c.  removed just 0.5
     d.  removal just 0.5
9)  equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan, which is the world's ______
     a.  fifth-largest pollutant
     b.  fifth-largest polluted
     c.  fifth-largest pollute a
     d.  fifth-largest polluter
10)  The south-east Amazon sink-to-source story is yet ______
     a.  another stark warning
     b.  another strict warning
     c.  another spark warning
     d.  another snark warning

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Environmental scientists have revealed (1) ____________________ parts of the Amazon rainforest are emitting more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. The scientists said the forest is now producing over a billion tons of CO2 a year. They say the Amazon used to (2) ____________________ "sink". This is where CO2 was sucked up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become (3) ____________________ carbon dioxide. The forest is at risk of losing its moniker of (4) ____________________ of the world. Researchers are predicting the rainforest will create more CO2 at an accelerating rate in the future. The (5) ____________________ the Amazon's flipping from sink to source are logging, deforestation and a growing number (6) ____________________.

The research on the Amazon's CO2 (7) ____________________ published in the journal "Nature". Researchers analysed 600 profiles of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by (8) ____________________ sites in Brazil's Amazon between 2010 and 2018. They found that the fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while (9) ____________________ just 0.5 billion tons. The researchers said the difference of one billion tons left in the atmosphere (10) ____________________ the annual emissions of Japan, which is the world's (11) ____________________. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-source story is yet (12) ____________________ that climate impacts are accelerating."

Comprehension questions

  1. Who revealed some shocking news?
  2. What did scientists say the Amazon used to be?
  3. What did scientists say the Amazon has now become?
  4. What moniker does the article say the Amazon has?
  5. How many culprits does the article list as reasons for the Amazon's flip?
  6. In which journal has the research been published?
  7. What profiles did scientists look at besides CO2?
  8. How much CO2 did forest growth remove?
  9. What country is the world's fifth-largest polluter?
  10. What kind of warning did the professor say this news is?

Multiple choice quiz

1)  Who revealed some shocking news?
a) Amazon tribes
b) environmental scientists
c) oxygen experts
d) CNN
2) What did scientists say the Amazon used to be?
a) tundra
b) a swamp
c) paradise
d) a carbon sink
3) What did scientists say the Amazon has now become?
a) a threat to our survival
b) a nightmare
c) a source of carbon
d) dangerous
4) What moniker does the article say the Amazon has?
a) the lungs of the world
b) the world's purifier
c) the green, green grass of home
d) a photosynthesis paradise

5) How many culprits does the article list as reasons for the Amazon's flip?
a) 5
b) 3
c) 1
d) 2

6) In which journal has the research been published?
a) Nature
b) Earth
c) Amazonia
d) Climate
7) What profiles did scientists look at besides CO2?
a) nitrogen
b) hydrogen peroxide
c) carbon monoxide
d) sodium nitrate
8) How much CO2 did forest growth remove?
a) 0.5 billion tons
b) 0.25 billion tons
c) 0.53 billion tons
d) 0.75 billion tons
9) What country is the world's fifth-largest polluter?
a) Ukraine
b) Brazil
c) Indonesia
d) Japan

10) What kind of warning did the professor say this news is?
a) local news
b) breaking news
c) a stark warning
d) regional news

Role play

Role  A – Becoming Vegetarian
You think becoming vegetarian is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): not buying fast fashion, cycling more or switching lights off.

Role  B – Not Buying Fast Fashion
You think not buying fast fashion is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): becoming vegetarian, cycling more or switching lights off.

Role  C – Cycling More
You think cycling more is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): not buying fast fashion, becoming vegetarian or switching lights off.

Role  D – Switching Lights Off
You think getting switching lights off is the best way to reduce your carbon footprint. Tell the others three reasons why. Tell them what is wrong with their ways. Also, tell the others which is the least useful of these (and why): not buying fast fashion, cycling more or becoming vegetarian.

After reading / listening

1. WORD SEARCH: Look in your dictionary / computer to find collocates, other meanings, information, synonyms … for the words...

'rain'

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • and 'forest'.

  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • ________________
  • • Share your findings with your partners.

    • Make questions using the words you found.

    • Ask your partner / group your questions.

    2. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.

    •Share your questions with other classmates / groups. •Ask your partner / group your questions.

    3. GAP FILL: In pairs / groups, compare your answers to this exercise. Check your answers. Talk about the words from the activity. Were they new, interesting, worth learning…?

    4. VOCABULARY: Circle any words you do not understand. In groups, pool unknown words and use dictionaries to find their meanings.

    5. TEST EACH OTHER: Look at the words below. With your partner, try to recall how they were used in the text:

    • shocking
    • used
    • risk
    • sucked
    • rate
    • growing
    • journal
    • 600
    • 0.5
    • annual
    • polluter
    • stark

    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 - Amazon Rainforest

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    1. What did you think when you read the headline?
    2. What images are in your mind when you hear the word 'Amazon'?
    3. How important is the Amazon rainforest?
    4. Why does the world just sit and watch the destruction of the Amazon?
    5. How dangerous is CO2?
    6. What are the dangers of the Amazon flipping?
    7. What stresses do you think environmental scientists have?
    8. How worried are you about the loss of rainforest?
    9. What three adjectives best describe this story?
    10. What advice do you have for loggers in the Amazon?

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    1. Did you like reading this article? Why/not?
    2. What do you think of when you hear the word 'rainforest'?
    3. What do you think about what you read?
    4. Should we all read the journal 'Nature'?
    5. Is it possible to return forests to their original states?
    6. What is your country doing to reduce CO2 emissions?
    7. What are you doing to reduce CO2 emissions?
    8. What will the environment be like in 100 years from now?
    9. Do you think governments will heed this latest warning?
    10. What questions would you like to ask the researchers?

    Discussion — Write your own questions

    STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

    (a) ________________

    (b) ________________

    (c) ________________

    (d) ________________

    (e) ________________

    STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

    (f) ________________

    (g) ________________

    (h) ________________

    (i) ________________

    (j) ________________

    Language — Cloze (Gap-fill)

    Environmental scientists have (1) ____ shocking news that parts of the Amazon rainforest are emitting more carbon dioxide than they are (2) ____. The scientists said the forest is now producing over a billion tons of CO2 a year. They say the Amazon used to be a carbon "sink". This is where CO2 was (3) ____ up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become a (4) ____ of carbon dioxide. The forest is at risk of losing its moniker of being the (5) ____ of the world. Researchers are predicting the rainforest will create more CO2 at an accelerating rate in the future. The biggest (6) ____ for the Amazon's flipping from sink to source are logging, deforestation and a growing number of forest fires.

    The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions (7) ____ been published in the journal "Nature". Researchers analysed 600 profiles of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced (8) ____ fires at various sites in Brazil's Amazon between 2010 and 2018. They found that the fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while forest (9) ____ removed just 0.5 billion tons. The researchers said the difference of one billion tons left in the atmosphere is equivalent (10) ____ the annual emissions of Japan, which is the world's fifth-largest (11) ____. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-source story is yet another (12) ____ warning that climate impacts are accelerating."

    Which of these words go in the above text?

    1. (a)     rebelled     (b)     revelled     (c)     revealed     (d)     bevelled    
    2. (a)     absorbing     (b)     absorption     (c)     absorbs     (d)     absorbed    
    3. (a)     sucked     (b)     sacked     (c)     socked     (d)     stocked    
    4. (a)     source     (b)     sauce     (c)     sausage     (d)     scourge    
    5. (a)     muscles     (b)     abs     (c)     kidneys     (d)     lungs    
    6. (a)     facts     (b)     volumes     (c)     subsidies     (d)     culprits    
    7. (a)     has     (b)     having     (c)     printing     (d)     printed    
    8. (a)     via     (b)     on     (c)     at     (d)     by    
    9. (a)     growth     (b)     stubble     (c)     canopy     (d)     tundra    
    10. (a)     at     (b)     to     (c)     on     (d)     in    
    11. (a)     pollution     (b)     polluter     (c)     pollutant     (d)     pollute    
    12. (a)     stark     (b)     mark     (c)     asterisk     (d)     stick

    Spelling

    Paragraph 1

    1. reedalve shocking news
    2. mntigeti more carbon
    3. they are bbngoisra
    4. veeocdrnt into oxygen
    5. at an atlcecrnaieg rate
    6. oetestriafodn and a growing number of forest fires

    Paragraph 2

    1. carbon oxdomeni
    2. fires at ouisvra sites
    3. one billion tons left in the etosamhepr
    4. iveqenulta to the annual...
    5. the world's fifth-largest euloprtl
    6. climate satcimp

    Put the text back together

    (...)  emitting more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing. The scientists said the forest is now producing
    (...)  2010 and 2018. They found that the fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while forest
    (...)  flipping from sink to source are logging, deforestation and a growing number of forest fires.
    (...)  polluter. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-
    (...)  growth removed just 0.5 billion tons. The researchers said the difference of one billion tons left in the atmosphere is
    (...)  create more CO2 at an accelerating rate in the future. The biggest culprits for the Amazon's
    (...)  equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan, which is the world's fifth-largest
    (...)  risk of losing its moniker of being the lungs of the world. Researchers are predicting the rainforest will
    (...)  over a billion tons of CO2 a year. They say the Amazon used to be a carbon "sink". This is where CO2 was sucked
    (...)  The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions has been published in the journal "Nature". Researchers analysed
    (...)  up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become a source of carbon dioxide. The forest is at
    1  ) Environmental scientists have revealed shocking news that parts of the Amazon rainforest are
    (...)  source story is yet another stark warning that climate impacts are accelerating."
    (...)  600 profiles of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by fires at various sites in Brazil's Amazon between

    Put the words in the right order

    1. more   of   Parts   carbon   .   Amazon   emitting   are   the
    2. producing   billion   The   a   forest   is   over   tons   .
    3. oxygen   .   into   and   sucked   was   converted   up   CO2
    4. now   has   CO2   .   source   It   become   of   a
    5. biggest   Amazon's   for   the   flipping   .   culprits   The
    6. produced   emissions   fires   by   CO2   sites   .   various   at
    7. 0.5   The   billion   just   tons   .   forest   removed   growth
    8. the   left   One   in   billion   tons   atmosphere   .
    9. annual   equivalent   the   That's   to   of   Japan   .   emissions
    10. stark   impacts   that   warning   climate   are   accelerating   .   Another

    Circle the correct word (20 pairs)

    Environmental scientists have revelled / revealed shocking news that parts of the Amazon rainforest are emitting / emoting more carbon dioxide than they are abrasive / absorbing. The scientists said the forest is now producing over a billion tons of CO2 a year. They say the Amazon used to be a carbon "sink". This is where CO2 was socked / sucked up and converted into oxygen. However, it has now become a source / sauce of carbon dioxide. The forest is at risk of losing its evolution / moniker of being the lungs / kidneys of the world. Researchers are predicting the rainforest will create more CO2 to / at an accelerating rate in the future. The biggest culprits for the Amazon's flipping / flipped from sink to source are logging, deforestation and a growing / growth number of forest fires.

    The research on the Amazon's CO2 emissions has been published in the journey / journal "Nature". Researchers analysed 600 profiles / profits of CO2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by fires at variety / various sites in Brazil's Amazon between 2010 to / and 2018. They found that the fires produced about 1.5 billion tons of CO2 a year, while / which forest growth removed just 0.5 billion tons. The researchers said the difference of one billion tons left on / in the atmosphere is equal / equivalent to the annual emissions of Japan, which is the world's fifth-largest polluter / pollutant. Professor Simon Lewis, from University College London, said: "The south-east Amazon sink-to-source fable / story is yet another stark warning that climate impacts are decelerating / accelerating."

    Talk about the connection between each pair of words in italics, and why the correct word is correct.

    Insert the vowels (a, e, i, o, u)

    _nv_r_nm_nt_l  sc__nt_sts  h_v_  r_v__l_d  sh_ck_ng  n_ws  th_t  p_rts  _f  th_  _m_z_n  r__nf_r_st  _r_  _m_tt_ng  m_r_  c_rb_n  d__x_d_  th_n  th_y  _r_  _bs_rb_ng.  Th_  sc__nt_sts  s__d  th_  f_r_st  _s  n_w  pr_d_c_ng  _v_r  _  b_ll__n  t_ns  _f  C_2  _  y__r.  Th_y  s_y  th_  _m_z_n  _s_d  t_  b_  _  c_rb_n  "s_nk".  Th_s  _s  wh_r_  C_2  w_s  s_ck_d  _p  _nd  c_nv_rt_d  _nt_  _xyg_n.  H_w_v_r,  _t  h_s  n_w  b_c_m_  _  s__rc_  _f  c_rb_n  d__x_d_.  Th_  f_r_st  _s  _t  r_sk  _f  l_s_ng  _ts  m_n_k_r  _f  b__ng  th_  l_ngs  _f  th_  w_rld.  R_s__rch_rs  _r_  pr_d_ct_ng  th_  r__nf_r_st  w_ll  cr__t_  m_r_  C_2  _t  _n  _cc_l_r_t_ng  r_t_  _n  th_  f_t_r_.  Th_  b_gg_st  c_lpr_ts  f_r  th_  _m_z_n's  fl_pp_ng  fr_m  s_nk  t_  s__rc_  _r_  l_gg_ng,  d_f_r_st_t__n  _nd  _  gr_w_ng  n_mb_r  _f  f_r_st  f_r_s.

    Th_  r_s__rch  _n  th_  _m_z_n's  C_2  _m_ss__ns  h_s  b__n  p_bl_sh_d  _n  th_  j__rn_l  "N_t_r_".  R_s__rch_rs  _n_lys_d  600  pr_f_l_s  _f  C_2  _nd  c_rb_n  m_n_x_d_  _m_ss__ns  pr_d_c_d  by  f_r_s  _t  v_r___s  s_t_s  _n  Br_z_l's  _m_z_n  b_tw__n  2010  _nd  2018.  Th_y  f__nd  th_t  th_  f_r_s  pr_d_c_d  _b__t  1.5  b_ll__n  t_ns  _f  C_2  _  y__r,  wh_l_  f_r_st  gr_wth  r_m_v_d  j_st  0.5  b_ll__n  t_ns.  Th_  r_s__rch_rs  s__d  th_  d_ff_r_nc_  _f  _n_  b_ll__n  t_ns  l_ft  _n  th_  _tm_sph_r_  _s  _q__v_l_nt  t_  th_  _nn__l  _m_ss__ns  _f  J_p_n,  wh_ch  _s  th_  w_rld's  f_fth-l_rg_st  p_ll_t_r.  Pr_f_ss_r  S_m_n  L_w_s,  fr_m  _n_v_rs_ty  C_ll_g_  L_nd_n,  s__d:  "Th_  s__th-__st  _m_z_n  s_nk-t_-s__rc_  st_ry  _s  y_t  _n_th_r  st_rk  w_rn_ng  th_t  cl_m_t_  _mp_cts  _r_  _cc_l_r_t_ng."

    Punctuate the text and add capitals

    environmental scientists have revealed shocking news that parts of the amazon rainforest are emitting more carbon dioxide than they are absorbing the scientists said the forest is now producing over a billion tons of co2 a year they say the amazon used to be a carbon sink this is where co2 was sucked up and converted into oxygen however it has now become a source of carbon dioxide the forest is at risk of losing its moniker of being the lungs of the world researchers are predicting the rainforest will create more co2 at an accelerating rate in the future the biggest culprits for the amazons flipping from sink to source are logging deforestation and a growing number of forest fires

    the research on the amazons co2 emissions has been published in the journal nature researchers analysed 600 profiles of co2 and carbon monoxide emissions produced by fires at various sites in brazils amazon between 2010 and 2018 they found that the fires produced about 15 billion tons of co2 a year while forest growth removed just 05 billion tons the researchers said the difference of one billion tons left in the atmosphere is equivalent to the annual emissions of japan which is the worlds fifthlargest polluter professor simon lewis from university college london said the southeast amazon sinktosource story is yet another stark warning that climate impacts are accelerating

    Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

    Environmentalscientistshaverevealedshockingnewsthatpartsofthe
    Amazonrainforestareemittingmorecarbondioxidethantheyareabsor
    bing.ThescientistssaidtheforestisnowproducingoverabilliontonsofC
    O2ayear.TheysaytheAmazonusedtobeacarbon"sink".ThisiswhereC
    O2wassuckedupandconvertedintooxygen.However,ithasnowbecom
    easourceofcarbondioxide.Theforestisatriskoflosingitsmonikerofbei
    ngthelungsoftheworld.Researchersarepredictingtherainforestwillcr
    eatemoreCO2atanacceleratingrateinthefuture.Thebiggestculpritsfo
    rtheAmazon'sflippingfromsinktosourcearelogging,deforestationand
    agrowingnumberofforestfires.TheresearchontheAmazon'sCO2emis
    sionshasbeenpublishedinthejournal"Nature".Researchersanalysed
    600profilesofCO2andcarbonmonoxideemissionsproducedbyfiresatv
    arioussitesinBrazil'sAmazonbetween2010and2018.Theyfoundthatt
    hefiresproducedabout1.5billiontonsofCO2ayear,whileforestgrowthr
    emovedjust0.5billiontons.Theresearcherssaiddifferenceofonebillio
    ntonsleftintheatmosphereisequivalenttotheannualemissionsofJapa
    n,whichistheworld'sfifth-largestpolluter.ProfessorSimonLewis,fro
    mUniversityCollegeLondon,said:"Thesouth-eastAmazonsink-to-so
    urcestoryisyetanotherstarkwarningthatclimateimpactsareaccelerat
    ing."

    Free writing

    Write about Amazon rainforest for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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    Academic writing

    All logging should stop for 10 years.  Discuss.

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    Homework

    1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google's search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
    2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find out more about this news story. Share what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
    3. THE AMAZON RAINFOREST: Make a poster about the Amazon rainforest. Show your work to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all have similar things?
    4. LOGGING: Write a magazine article about stopping logging around the world for ten years. Include imaginary interviews with people who are for and against this.
    Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Write down any new words and expressions you hear from your partner(s).
    5. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT? Write a newspaper article about the next stage in this news story. Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
    6. LETTER: Write a letter to an expert on the Amazon rainforest. Ask him/her three questions about them. Give him/her three of your ideas on how to get the Amazon back to normal. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your partner(s) will answer your questions.

    A Few Additional Activities for Students

    Ask your students what they have read, seen or heard about this news in their own language. Students are likely to / may have have encountered this news in their L1 and therefore bring a background knowledge to the classroom.

    Get students to role play different characters from this news story.

    Ask students to keep track of this news and revisit it to discuss in your next class.

    Ask students to male predictions of how this news might develop in the next few days or weeks, and then revisit and discuss in a future class.

    Ask students to write a follow-up story to this news.

    Students role play a journalist and someone who witnessed or was a part of this news. Perhaps they could make a video of the interview.

    Ask students to keep a news journal in English and add this story to their thoughts.

    Also...

    Buy my 1,000 Ideas and Activities for Language Teachers eBook. It has hundreds of ideas, activity templates, reproducible activities for:

    • News
    • Warm ups
    • Pre-reading / Post-reading
    • Using headlines
    • Working with words
    • While-reading / While-listening
    • Moving from text to speech
    • Post-reading / Post-listening
    • Discussions
    • Using opinions
    • Plans
    • Language
    • Using lists
    • Using quotes
    • Task-based activities
    • Role plays
    • Using the central characters in the article
    • Using themes from the news
    • Homework

    Buy my book

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    Answers

    (Please look at page 26 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

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