Heads Up English | ESL Lessons - World Wonders Threatened

World Wonders Threatened

User Rating:

/ 5

Details: Parent Category: Advanced News Lessons; Category: Environment Lesons; Written by Chris Cotter

With winters growing increasingly warm, and summers hot and dry, extreme weather will become commonplace in future years. Water shortages in regions around the world will be the norm, because glaciers and glacial runoff will shrink. This will affect more than one billion people, as rich and poor alike clamor for water. And according to new information, the news gets direr. Global warming now threatens to destroy some of the Earth's natural wonders, too.

The news comes at a time when world governments and environmental organizations are becoming somewhat more receptive to frank discussions on the changing climate. Evidence continues to mount on how much damage we have done to the environment. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in Brussels recently issued its harshest words yet. It stated in a report that humankind's activities are cause number one for the warming experienced around the globe during the past half decade.

So just what will the impact of today be on the world of tomorrow? If the climate models hold true, then coral reefs everywhere will begin to lose their color and die, and that's with only a rise in water temperature of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit (or a little more than 1 degree Celsius). As such, Australia's Great Barrier Reef, one of the world's natural wonders, will utterly disappear. In the Amazonian rain forest, much of the trees will die, as 60% of the area becomes dry savannah. The temperatures of the Amazon River will increase by 3.6 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit (about 2 to 3 degrees Celsius). In Chile and Argentina, melting glaciers will mean a drier climate, which will lead to increased forest fires in the region. And that is only the tip of the iceberg.

As the report also indicates, some of the damage is irreversible. Yet destruction of the coral reefs, as well as other ecosystems, could be limited, if not prevented.

Preview some of the lesson material:

Title: Speculate and/or discuss the contents of today's article from its title: "World Wonders Threatened."

Fill in the Blanks: Fill in the blank with the correct word.

( ) weather will become commonplace in future years.
Water shortages around the world will be the ( ), because glaciers and glacial runoff shrink.
Environmental problems will affect one billion people, as rich and poor alike ( ) for water.
According to new information, the news gets ( ).
World governments and environmental organizations are becoming somewhat more ( ).
They have ( ) discussions on the changing climate.
Evidence continues to ( ) on how much damage we have done to the environment.
If the climate models hold ( ), then coral reefs everywhere will begin to lose their color and die.
In the Amazonian rain forest, much of the trees will die, as 60% of the area becomes dry ( ).
As the report also indicates, some of the damage is ( ).

post-Comprehension: Talk about the following questions in pairs/groups. Remember to support your answers!

Are you concerned about the environment?
What should you do to protect the environment? Why?
How has the environment changed since you were a child?
What do you think the Earth will be like in the future? Please explain.
Have you ever seen any of the natural wonders? Do you want to see them (again) before they are gone?

Google Search: Type "world wonder" into Google. Look at the websites, and/or read additional articles on this topic. Discuss or write an essay about your findings.