The Reading / Listening - Level 2

A new study says beef production damages the environment about ten times more than pork, lamb, or chicken production. Scientists said cows need 28 times more land and 11 times more water than pigs, sheep or chickens. They also produce a lot of greenhouse gas after they eat. Food like potatoes, wheat, and rice need 160 times less land and produce 11 times less greenhouse gases than beef. The scientists said the farming of animals and crops is a big cause of global warming. Farming causes 15 per cent of all greenhouse gases. About half of this is from animals.

One scientist said we could reduce our carbon footprint by eating less beef. Professor Mark Sutton said cutting down on beef is better for the environment than using the car less. He also said eating less beef means we could give the wheat that cows eat to feed starving people. This sounds simple, but many governments do not want to try it. Professor Sutton said governments should think about this carefully. He said consumers also needed to think more about what they eat. He said that eating less meat, especially less beef, is good for the environment.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28409704
  • http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/21/giving-up-beef-reduce-carbon-footprint-more-than-cars
  • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/21/beef-environmental-impact_n_5599370.html


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 :-)

The Activities

MATCHING

PARAGRAPH ONE:

1.

pork, lamb, or chicken

a.

and crops

2.

cows need 28 times

b.

gases

3.

greenhouse

c.

and rice

4.

potatoes, wheat,

d.

is from animals

5.

the farming of animals

e.

of global warming

6.

a big cause

f.

more land

7.

greenhouse

g.

production

8.

About half of this

h.

gas



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

PARAGRAPH TWO:

1.

reduce our carbon

a.

carefully

2.

eating less

b.

the environment

3.

better for

c.

what they eat

4.

the wheat that

d.

beef

5.

feed starving

e.

want to try it

6.

governments do not

f.

footprint

7.

think about this

g.

people

8.

think more about

h.

cows eat

LISTEN AND FILL IN THE GAPS

A new study says beef production (1) ___________________ about ten times more than pork, lamb, or chicken production. Scientists said cows (2) ___________________ land and 11 times more water than pigs, sheep or chickens. They (3) ___________________ of greenhouse gas after they eat. Food like (4) ___________________ need 160 times less land and produce 11 times less greenhouse gases than beef. The scientists (5) ___________________ animals and crops is a big cause (6) ___________________. Farming causes 15 per cent of all greenhouse gases. About half of this is from animals.

One scientist said we could reduce (7) ___________________ by eating less beef. Professor Mark Sutton (8) ___________________ beef is better for the environment than using the car less. He also said eating (9) ___________________ could give the wheat that cows eat to feed starving people. This sounds simple, but many governments (10) ___________________ it. Professor Sutton said governments should think about this carefully. He said consumers also (11) ___________________ about what they eat. He said that eating less meat, (12) ___________________, is good for the environment.

PUT A SLASH ( / )WHERE THE SPACES ARE

Anewstudysaysbeefproductiondamagestheenvironmentaboutte
ntimesmorethanpork,lamb,orchickenproduction.Scientistssaidc
owsneed28timesmorelandand11timesmorewaterthanpigs,shee
porchickens.Theyalsoproducealotofgreenhousegasaftertheyeat.
Foodlikepotatoes,wheat,andriceneed160timeslesslandandprodu
ce11timeslessgreenhousegasesthanbeef.Thescientistssaidthefa
rmingofanimalsandcropsisabigcauseofglobalwarming.Farmingc
auses15percentofallgreenhousegases.Abouthalfofthisisfromani
mals.Onescientistsaidwecouldreduceourcarbonfootprintbyeatin
glessbeef.ProfessorMarkSuttonsaidcuttingdownonbeefisbetterfo
rtheenvironmentthanusingthecarless.Healsosaideatinglessbeef
meanswecouldgivethewheatthatcowseattofeedstarvingpeople.T
hissoundssimple,butmanygovernmentsdonotwanttotryit.Profes
sorSuttonsaidgovernmentsshouldthinkaboutthiscarefully.Hesai
dconsumersalsoneededtothinkmoreaboutwhattheyeat.Hesaidth
ateatinglessmeat,especiallylessbeef,isgoodfortheenvironment.

WRITE QUESTIONS & ASK YOUR PARTNER(S)

Student A: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

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Student B: Do not show these to your speaking partner(s).

a)

________________________________________________________

b)

________________________________________________________

c)

________________________________________________________

d)

________________________________________________________

e)

________________________________________________________

f)

________________________________________________________

g)

________________________________________________________

h)

________________________________________________________

WRITING

Write about beef 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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