The Reading / Listening - Fossil Fuels - Level 4

Pope Francis gave a warning to 50 top oil company executives about the dangers of fossil fuels. At a private meeting on Saturday, he asked oil companies to switch to renewable energies for the sake of our planet. He said global warming represented a challenge of "epochal proportions". He said companies must act and that there was no time to lose. He warned that: "With each month that passes, the challenge of energy transition becomes more pressing."

Pope Francis explained the importance of greener energy. He said: "The energy question has become one of the principal challenges...facing the international community. The way we meet this challenge will determine our overall quality of life." Francis said fossil fuels led to poverty and war and could either cause more wars or prevent them. He added: "Clean energy is a duty that we owe...generations yet to come."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Fossil Fuels - Level 5 or  Fossil Fuels - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2018/06/pope-francis-did-not-mince-words-with-oil-company-execs/
  • https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/pope-francis-warns-oil-execs-fossil-fuels-destroying-earth_us_5b1c5bbce4b0adfb826a0718
  • https://www.salon.com/2018/06/10/there-is-no-time-to-lose-pope-francis-warns-oil-executives-on-climate-change/


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. Pope Francis gave
  2. 50 top oil company
  3. the dangers
  4. At a private
  5. switch to renewable
  6. for the sake
  7. there was no time
  8. With each month that
  1. of fossil fuels
  2. to lose
  3. energies
  4. of our planet
  5. a warning
  6. executives
  7. passes
  8. meeting

Paragraph 2

  1. the importance of
  2. The energy
  3. one of the principal
  4. facing the international
  5. The way we meet
  6. determine our overall quality
  7. fossil fuels led to poverty
  8. generations yet
  1. and war
  2. this challenge
  3. greener energy
  4. of life
  5. question
  6. to come
  7. challenges
  8. community

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Pope Francis (1) ___________________ to 50 top oil company executives about the (2) ___________________ fuels. At a private meeting on Saturday, he asked oil companies to switch to renewable energies for the (3) ___________________ planet. He said global warning represented a challenge of "epochal proportions". He said companies (4) ___________________ that there was no time to lose. He warned that: "With (5) ___________________ passes, the challenge of energy transition (6) ___________________."

Pope Francis (7) ___________________ of greener energy. He said: "The energy question has become one of (8) ___________________...facing the international community. The way (9) ___________________ challenge will determine our overall (10) ___________________." Francis said fossil fuels led to poverty and war and could either (11) ___________________ or prevent them. He added: "Clean energy (12) ___________________ that we owe...generations yet to come."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

PopeFrancisgaveawarningto50topoilcompanyexecutivesaboutthed
angersoffossilfuels.AtaprivatemeetingonSaturday,heaskedoilcomp
aniestoswitchtorenewableenergiesforthesakeofourplanet.Hesaidgl
obalwarningrepresentedachallengeof"epochalproportions".Hesaidc
ompaniesmustactandthattherewasnotimetolose.Hewarnedthat:"Wi
theachmonththatpasses,thechallengeofenergytransitionbecomesm
orepressing."PopeFrancisexplainedtheimportanceofgreenerenergy.
Hesaid:"Theenergyquestionhasbecomeoneoftheprincipalchallenge
s...facingtheinternationalcommunity.Thewaywemeetthischallenge
willdetermineouroverallqualityoflife."Francissaidfossilfuelsledtopov
ertyandwarandcouldeithercausemorewarsorpreventthem.Headded
:"Cleanenergyisadutythatweowe...generationsyettocome."

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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