The Reading / Listening - Wind Turbines - Level 0

Wind farms provide green energy. However, wind-turbine blades kill thousands of birds. Researchers have an answer. Painting one blade black helps birds see the blades. This cut bird deaths by 70 per cent. A researcher said bird deaths was "one of the main environmental concerns related to wind energy".

Researchers tried to make wind turbines safer. They painted one blade of four turbines black. The turbines with one black blade reduced bird deaths. A bird protection group was happy. It said wind farms must be "in harmony with nature". It added: "We find the right places for them." It said they should not harm wildlife.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Wind Turbines - Level 1,  Wind Turbines - Level 2   or  Wind Turbines - Level 3

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53909825
  • https://www.cnet.com/news/10-generators-to-keep-your-lights-on/
  • https://bgr.com/2020/08/26/wind-turbine-birds-death/


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. Wind
  2. provide green
  3. wind-turbine blades kill
  4. Researchers have
  5. Painting one blade
  6. helps birds
  7. the main environmental
  8. related to wind
  1. see the blades
  2. thousands of birds
  3. energy
  4. black
  5. concerns
  6. energy
  7. an answer
  8. farms

Paragraph 2

  1. make wind turbines
  2. They painted one
  3. turbines with
  4. reduced bird
  5. A bird protection
  6. be in harmony
  7. find the right
  8. they should not harm
  1. with nature
  2. one black blade
  3. wildlife
  4. blade
  5. places
  6. safer
  7. group
  8. deaths

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

Wind farms (1) ___________________. However, wind-turbine blades (2) ___________________ birds. Researchers (3) ___________________. Painting one blade black helps birds (4) ___________________. This cut bird deaths by 70 per cent. A researcher said bird deaths was "one (5) ___________________ environmental concerns (6) ___________________ energy".

Researchers (7) ___________________ wind turbines safer. They painted one (8) ___________________ turbines black. The turbines with one black (9) ___________________ deaths. A bird protection (10) ___________________. It said wind farms must be "(11) ___________________ nature". It added: "We find the right places for them." It said they (12) ___________________ wildlife.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Windfarmsprovidegreenenergy.However,wind-turbinebladeskil
lthousandsofbirds.Researchershaveananswer.Paintingonebladebla
ckhelpsbirdsseetheblades.Thiscutbirddeathsby70percent.Aresearc
hersaidbirddeathswas"oneofthemainenvironmentalconcernsrelate
dtowindenergy".Researcherstriedtomakewindturbinessafer.Theyp
aintedonebladeoffourturbinesblack.Theturbineswithoneblackblader
educedbirddeaths.Abirdprotectiongroupwashappy.Itsaidwindfarms
mustbe"inharmonywithnature".Itadded:"Wefindtherightplacesfort
hem."Itsaidtheyshouldnotharmwildlife.

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.

Back to the top

Help Support This Web Site

  • Please consider helping Breaking News English.com

Sean Banville's Book

Thank You