The Reading / Listening - E-waste Catastrophe - Level 5

The UN has issued a warning to consumers worldwide. The amount of electronics we are throwing away is at record levels and is creating an "environmental catastrophe". The UN defines electronics as anything with a plug or a battery. They often contain toxic chemicals, such as lead and mercury. E-waste includes cellphones, refrigerators and e-cigarettes. The UN reported that in 2022, the world generated 62 million tons of e-waste. CNN said this could, "fill more than 1.5 million 40-ton trucks which, if placed bumper-to-bumper, could…wrap around the Equator".

Most e-waste comes from developed countries. A lot of it is sent for recycling to poor countries. These often lack the resources to recycle in a way that minimizes environmental damage. E-waste is creating many health problems. It is poisoning rivers and seas. Worryingly, 58 tons of mercury entered the environment last year. Some of this got into the food chain. The UN blamed manufacturers for failing to accept responsibility for what happens to their products. It also blamed consumers, saying, "it's just a few clicks" to buy electronics, but "it's far more difficult to dispose of them".

Try the same news story at these levels:

    E-waste Catastrophe - Level 4 or  E-waste Catastrophe - Level 6

Sources
  • https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/20/climate/electronic-waste-recycling-climate-un/index.html
  • https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/3/20/un-says-e-waste-is-piling-up-worldwide-as-recycling-rates-remain-low
  • https://www.foxnews.com/world/un-warns-mounting-e-waste-crisis-trashed-electric-devices


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 UN has issued
  2. The amount of electronics we are
  3. anything with a plug
  4. toxic chemicals, such as lead
  5. the world generated 62 million
  6. fill more than 1.5 million
  7. if placed
  8. wrap around the
  1. or a battery
  2. tons of e-waste
  3. Equator
  4. a warning
  5. 40-ton trucks
  6. bumper-to-bumper
  7. and mercury
  8. throwing away

Paragraph 2

  1. developed
  2. recycle in a way that minimizes
  3. It is poisoning
  4. Some of this got into the food
  5. failing to accept
  6. It also blamed
  7. it's just a few clicks
  8. it's far more difficult to
  1. chain
  2. to buy electronics
  3. countries
  4. dispose of them
  5. environmental damage
  6. responsibility
  7. rivers
  8. consumers

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

The UN has (1) ___________________ to consumers worldwide. The amount of electronics we are throwing away is (2) ___________________ and is creating an "environmental catastrophe". The UN defines electronics (3) ___________________ a plug or a battery. They often contain toxic chemicals, such as (4) ___________________. E-waste includes cellphones, refrigerators and e-cigarettes. The UN reported that in 2022, (5) ___________________ 62 million tons of e-waste. CNN said this could, "fill more than 1.5 million 40-ton trucks which, if placed (6) ___________________, could…wrap around the Equator".

Most e-waste comes from developed countries. A (7) ___________________ is sent for recycling to poor countries. These often lack the resources to recycle (8) __________________ that minimizes environmental damage. E-waste is creating many health problems. It (9) ___________________ and seas. Worryingly, 58 tons of mercury entered the environment last year. Some of this got into (10) ___________________. The UN blamed manufacturers for failing to accept responsibility for what happens to their products. It (11) ___________________, saying, "it's just a few clicks" to buy electronics, but "it's far more difficult to (12) ___________________".

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

TheUNhasissuedawarningtoconsumersworldwide.Theamountofelec
tronicswearethrowingawayisatrecordlevelsandiscreatingan"enviro
nmentalcatastrophe".TheUNdefineselectronicsasanythingwithaplu
gorabattery.Theyoftencontaintoxicchemicals,suchasleadandmercu
ry.E-wasteincludescellphones,refrigeratorsande-cigarettes.TheUNr
eportedthatin2022,theworldgenerated62milliontonsofe-waste.CNN
saidthiscould,"fillmorethan1.5million40-tontruckswhich,ifplacedbu
mper-to-bumper,could…wraparoundtheEquator".Moste-wastecom
esfromdevelopedcountries.Alotofitissentforrecyclingtopoorcountrie
s.Theseoftenlacktheresourcestorecycleinawaythatminimizesenviro
nmentaldamage.E-wasteiscreatingmanyhealthproblems.Itispoison
ingriversandseas.Worryingly,58tonsofmercuryenteredtheenvironm
entlastyear.Someofthisgotintothefoodchain.TheUNblamedmanufac
turersforfailingtoacceptresponsibilityforwhathappenstotheirproduc
ts.Italsoblamedconsumers,saying,"it'sjustafewclicks"tobuyelectron
ics,but"it'sfarmoredifficulttodisposeofthem".

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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