The Reading / Listening - Timber Shortage - Level 5

A worldwide timber shortage is causing major problems for the housing and construction industry. The shortage has caused a sharp rise in the price of newly built homes. In some countries, the price builders pay for timber has gone up by about 25 per cent. One reason builders are struggling to get supplies is because people have been reforming their homes during lockdown. Post-lockdown construction and DIY projects have created "extraordinary demand". Timber companies said suppliers were "working around the clock" but are "struggling to keep up".

Scientists say a major reason for the shortage is climate change. This is putting pressure on the sustainability of forests. An increase in wildfires is causing damage to forests. Many have been completely burnt to the ground. The warmer weather has also increased the number of pests that cause damage to trees and stunt tree growth. Sweden is a major supplier of timber wood. It has recorded its lowest timber stocks for 20 years. The UK said it is "committed to trebling tree planting rates". A builder joked that he didn't have time for those trees to grow.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Timber Shortage - Level 4 or  Timber Shortage - Level 6

Sources
  • https://indaily.com.au/news/2021/07/27/timber-shortage-threatens-to-send-builders-to-the-wall/
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57920510
  • https://www.natlawreview.com/article/pandemic-demand-causes-unprecedented-building-supply-shortage


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 :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. the housing and
  2. a sharp rise
  3. the price builders pay for timber
  4. builders are struggling
  5. reforming their homes during
  6. projects have created extraordinary
  7. suppliers were working
  8. struggling to
  1. has gone up
  2. demand
  3. keep up
  4. lockdown
  5. around the clock
  6. in the price
  7. construction industry
  8. to get supplies

Paragraph 2

  1. a major reason
  2. the sustainability of
  3. Many have been completely
  4. the number of pests that cause
  5. Sweden is a major supplier
  6. recorded its lowest timber
  7. committed to trebling tree
  8. he didn't have time for those
  1. stocks for 20 years
  2. burnt to the ground
  3. planting rates
  4. forests
  5. trees to grow
  6. for the shortage
  7. of timber wood
  8. damage to trees

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A worldwide timber (1) ___________________ major problems for the housing and construction industry. The shortage has caused a sharp rise in the (2) ___________________ built homes. In some countries, the price builders pay for timber has (3) ___________________ about 25 per cent. One reason builders are struggling to get supplies is because people (4) ___________________ their homes during lockdown. Post-lockdown construction and (5) ___________________ created "extraordinary demand". Timber companies said suppliers were "working around the clock" but are "(6) ___________________ up".

Scientists say a major reason for the shortage is climate change. This is (7) ___________________ the sustainability of forests. An increase in wildfires is causing damage to forests. Many have been (8) ___________________ the ground. The warmer weather has also increased the (9) ___________________ that cause damage to trees and stunt tree growth. Sweden is a (10) ___________________ timber wood. It has recorded its lowest timber stocks for 20 years. The UK said it is "committed (11) ___________________ planting rates". A builder joked that he didn't have time for those (12) ___________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aworldwidetimbershortageiscausingmajorproblemsforthehousinga
ndconstructionindustry.Theshortagehascausedasharpriseinthepric
eofnewlybuilthomes.Insomecountries,thepricebuilderspayfortimbe
rhasgoneupbyabout25percent.Onereasonbuildersarestrugglingtog
etsuppliesisbecausepeoplehavebeenreformingtheirhomesduringloc
kdown.Post-lockdownconstructionandDIYprojectshavecreated"e
xtraordinarydemand".Timbercompaniessaidsupplierswere"working
aroundtheclock"butare"strugglingtokeepup".Scientistssayamajorr
easonfortheshortageisclimatechange.Thisisputtingpressureonthes
ustainabilityofforests.Anincreaseinwildfiresiscausingdamagetofore
sts.Manyhavebeencompletelyburnttotheground.Thewarmerweathe
rhasalsoincreasedthenumberofpeststhatcausedamagetotreesandst
unttreegrowth.Swedenisamajorsupplieroftimberwood.Ithasrecord
editslowesttimberstocksfor20years.TheUKsaiditis"committedtotreb
lingtreeplantingrates".Abuilderjokedthathedidn'thavetimeforthoset
reestogrow.

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.

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You