Listening Comprehension "Environmental protection"

Pre-Listening Task

What do you think a climate refugee is?

While-Listening Task 

1 Listen to the part 1of a radio programme, about the Carteret Islands. Write 1 next to the things below that the report mentions.

Mosquitoes and malaria

29 August 2005

Rising sea levels

A thousand people

Sick children

High temperatures

Relatives who died

Salty water

Expensive insurance

Help from government

Announcer: And now, a problem that will get worse in the future, the problem of climate refugees: people who have to leave their homes or even their country, because of climate change. First, Virginia Roberts reports from the Carteret Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Virginia: A thousand or so people live on the beautiful Carteret Islands. They seem very far from the problems of the modern world – there are no cars or shops on the islands and no electricity. People have lived on these islands for thousands of years. The islanders are doing nothing to harm the environment but still, they are the victims of climate change.

Because of global warming, the sea is rising every year in the islands. It is now impossible to grow food and the water is too salty to drink. Ursula Tobasi told us what life is like for the islanders.

Ursula: Every few months the islands fill with water – the water washes away houses and the children run around crying. It’s terrible. After the floods, the mosquitoes come and our children get malaria. We can’t give our children a good diet anymore because we can’t grow fruit – we can only give them fish and coconuts. They are getting ill.

Announcer: So what’s going to happen, Virginia?

Virginia: Well, the government is moving people away from the islands. By 2015, as the water gets higher, experts say it will be impossible for anyone to live on the islands. So these people will have to find new homes.

Announcer: Thank you, Virginia.

Listen to part 2 of the programme about New Orleans. Write 2 next to the things that the report mentions.

Part 2

Announcer: The South Pacific is not the only place with climate refugees. The USA has also experienced the problem. Jastin Andrews reports.

Justin: On 29 August 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of the USA and over a million people had to leave their homes. A quarter of those people have not come back – experts say they will never return to the New Orleans area. Bill Jackson is one of them. Why haven’t you gone back to New Orleans?

Bill: In August 2005 I lost everything - my home, my business – a sport shop – and three members of my family died. When I left on the 28^th of August, I planned tom go back. But I can’t start my business again because insurance is too expensive. So I’ve decided to stay here in Dallas and start again.

Announcer: I’m sure Bill’s story is very typical, but Justin, are all these problems because of global warming? Or are there other reason?

Justin: Well, we know that sea levels are rising – so there are more floods in the world. We also know that the temperature of the  sea is rising and this makes hurricanes worse. There were very high sea temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico in the days before Hurricane Katrina. So yes, most scientists believe that the hurricane was connected to global warming.

Announcer: Thank you very much for that, Justin. And now…

Listen to part 1 again and fill the gaps.

Announcer: And now, a problem that will get worse in the future, the problem of ____________: people who have to leave their homes or even their country, because of climate change. First, Virginia Roberts reports from the Carteret Islands in the ______ Ocean.

Virginia: __________ or so people live on the beautiful Carteret Islands. They seem very far from the problems of the modern world – there are no cars or shops on the islands and no ________. People have lived on these islands for thousands of years. The islanders are doing nothing to harm the ________ but still, they are the victims of climate change.

Because of _________, the sea is rising every year in the islands. It is now impossible to grow food and the water is too ______ to drink. Ursula Tobasi told us what life is like for the islanders.

Ursula: Every few months the islands fill with water – the water washes away houses and the children run around crying. It’s _______. After the floods, the ______ come and our children get malaria. We can’t give our children a good diet anymore because we can’t grow fruit – we can only give them _____ and _____. They are getting ill.

Announcer: So what’s going to happen, Virginia?

Virginia: Well, the _______ is moving people away from the islands. By 2015, as the water gets higher, experts say it will be ______ for anyone to live on the islands. So these people will have to find new ________.

Announcer: Thank you, Virginia.

Listen to both parts of the programme again. Tick V true and cross X false

1. The Carteret islanders have demaged their environment, so they have to leave.
2. The islanders cannot feed themselves properly.
3. Soon it will be impossible to live on the islands.
4. Most people who left New Orleans in 2005 have now returned.
5. Bill wanted to return to New Orleans but he couldn’t afford to.
6. Scientists don’t think Hurricane Katrina happened because of global warming.

Discuss these questions:

1. Whose problems are worse in your opinion, Ursula Tobasi’s or Bill Jackson’s?
2. Scientists believe global warming is happening because we use too much energy. Think of four things we can all do to save energy.

                                          Source:

Pearson Longman Real life p 79

Keys:

Pre-Listening Task

What do you think a climate refugee is?

People who have to leave their homes or even their country because of climate change

While-Listening Task

Listen to the part 1of a radio programme, about the Carteret Islands. Write 1 next to the things below that the report mentions.

Mosquitoes and malaria   1

29 August 2005        2

Rising sea levels    1,2

A thousand people     1

Sick children      1

High temperatures    2

Relatives who died    2

Salty water    1

Expensive insurance      2

Help from government  1

Fill the gaps.

Announcer: And now, a problem that will get worse in the future, the problem of _____climate refugees_______: people who have to leave their homes or even their country, because of climate change. First, Virginia Roberts reports from the Carteret Islands in the __Pacific____ Ocean.

Virginia: _A thousand_________ or so people live on the beautiful Carteret Islands. They seem very far from the problems of the modern world – there are no cars or shops on the islands and no ____cars____. People have lived on these islands for thousands of years. The islanders are doing nothing to harm the _____environment___ but still, they are the victims of climate change.

Because of _____global warming____, the sea is rising every year in the islands. It is now impossible to grow food and the water is too _salty_____ to drink. Ursula Tobasi told us what life is like for the islanders.

Ursula: Every few months the islands fill with water – the water washes away houses and the children run around crying. It’s terrible_______. After the floods, the mosquitoes______ come and our children get malaria. We can’t give our children a good diet anymore because we can’t grow fruit – we can only give them _fish____ and ___coconuts__. They are getting ill.

Announcer: So what’s going to happen, Virginia?

Virginia: Well, the ___government____ is moving people away from the islands. By 2015, as the water gets higher, experts say it will be __impossible____ for anyone to live on the islands. So these people will have to find new ___homes_____.

Announcer: Thank you, Virginia.

Tick V true and cross X false

1. The Carteret islanders have demaged their environment, so they have to leave.( x)
2. The islanders cannot feed themselves properly.( v)
3. Soon it will be impossible to live on the islands.(v )
4. Most people who left New Orleans in 2005 have now returned.(v)
5. Bill wanted to return to New Orleans but he couldn’t afford to.(v)
6. Scientists don’t think Hurricane Katrina happened because of global warming.(x)