Advanced English Conversations (2) - Robert Allans, Matt Edie, A. Mustafaoglu 2020

Set 68 - Renewable energy can make the difference

Presenter: Sir; how serious is the issue of climate change?

Scholar: Well; the changing weather patterns across the world are truly concerning and extreme weather conditions are getting very common. Parts of Europe which used to be cooler now experience intense, searing heat, and temperatures soar above the average. Other areas suffer widespread flooding, droughts, blizzards and heat waves on a regular basis.

Presenter: So what can people do in the face of this irreversible climate change?

Scholar: It’s indispensable to reduce our carbon footprint by flying less, and buying local produce. Governments can also consider imposing carbon tax on companies that burn fossil fuels and offering incentives to encourage eco-friendly design in architecture.

Interviewer: What about carbon vehicle emissions?

Scholar: We can buy a hybrid car, develop alternative energy sources for homes, solar heating for instance, and build more offshore wind farms. Renewable energy can make the difference.

Presenter: Thank you for giving up your time for this interview.

Vocabulary;

weather pattern: weather that is the repeated or regular way.

extreme weather: unexpected, unusual, severe, or unseasonal weather.

searing: (adjective) increasing rapidly above the usual level.

blizzard: a severe snow storm with strong winds.

heat wave: a period of days during which the weather is much hotter than usual.

indispensable: (adjective) absolutely necessary.

carbon footprint: a measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the activities of a person, company, organization, etc.

impose a tax: to set an amount of money that has to be paid.

incentive: (noun) a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something.

eco-friendly: designed to do the least possible damage to the environment.

hybrid car: a vehicle with an engine that uses both petrol and electricity.

solar heating: refers to the renewable energy system that collects energy from the sun.

offshore: (adjective) away from or at a distance from the coast.

renewable energy: energy that is produced using the sun, wind, etc., or from crops.

make a/the difference: to improve a situation (a lot).

Exercise;

Fill in the gaps with the appropriate phrases or words;

1. We have partnered with nearby farms, hoping to reduce the carbon ... of our delivery trucks.

2. With sky-high energy prices and increased demand for .......... energy, developers are taking another look at tidal power.

3. Temperatures will remain above seasonal norms in Southern California on Saturday as .......... gradients relax.

4. Solar .......... systems used for heating water implement collectors for capturing the sun's rays.

5. The .......... vehicle is largely being outpaced by more advanced electric vehicles, as well as internal combustion engines.

6. Putting up some new wallpaper has made all the .......... to the place.

7. Using .......... detergents is the least we can do to save the environment.

8 . ......... conditions made the main roads almost impassable.

9. There is little .......... for people to leave their cars at home when public transport remains so expensive.

10. Frequent heat .......... this summer has killed half of the animals in the farms.

11. There is evidence that human activities such as agriculture and industry have modified .......... patterns.

12. His long experience at the United Nations makes him .......... to the talk.

13. Most players were immediately out of breath as the race took place in the .......... heat.

1. footprint 2. renewable 3. offshore 4. heating 5. hybrid 6. difference 7. eco-friendly 8. Blizzard 9. incentive 10. waves 11. weather 12. indispensable 13. searing