2.1 MAKING A DIFFERENCE: ISSUES Words & phrases

issue

a subject or problem that people discuss

report

a written or spoken description of a situation or event

outbreak

when something bad such as a serious disease or a war starts

deadly

very dangerous and likely to cause death

virus

a very small living thing that causes diseases, or an illness caused by this

pickpocket

someone who steals things from people’s pockets or bags in public places

square

an open area with buildings around it in the middle of a town

income

the money that you earn or receive regularly, for example from your work

spokesperson

someone who has been chosen to speak officially for a group, organization, or government

smog

unhealthy air in cities that contains a lot of smoke

even

even numbers can be divided exactly by two. {OPP} odd

What are the majors news stories in your country now?

The Budget, the mess hall case in Air Force, the case of Pedro Dias.

A report out today says that over 800 million people in the world don’t have enough to eat. The report, which was published...

hunger. a severe lack of food, especially for a long period of time

Twenty people have died in an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus. The virus, which has resulted in over...

disease.

If you’re travelling to the city centre today, be careful of pickpockets especially around the central square. Our reporter Will Nakama is there in...

street crime.

The government has promised that their changes to income tax will help the poorest people in the country. A spokesperson said...

poverty.

The number of people out of work has risen in the last quarter to seven percent and is now reaching three million. The situation is worst...

unemployment.

After four days of smog, only cars with even number plates can enter the city today. It is hoped that this move will improve the air quality after the levels of...

pollution.

This is a purely domestic issue

and has nothing to do with any other country.

It's not about money. It's an ethical question.

a question of right or wrong.

It's a rural problem which involves people in the countryside

not people living in cities.

The decision on the election date is a political question

and depends on the government.

The country has serious economic problems,

so taxes will double next year.

The typhoid epidemic started here in the city as an urban problem

but has spread to the countryside.

It's a global issue and affects the whole world,

not just one or two countries.

These are typical industrial questions and affect most factories

from food to car production.

Word stress Mach the syllable patterns to the adjectives in bold.

1. rural, urban, global. 2. ethical. 3. domestic. 4. political, industrial. 5. economic.

Which three nouns often follow the adjectives in bold?

issue, question, problem

Which adjectives relate to your news stories.

economic - the Budget. ethical - the mess hall case. rural crime - the case of Pedro Dias.

Mach the words in the box to the photos: flood, volcanic eruption, earthquake, homelessness, drought, landslide, drug abuse, domestic violence, debt, obesity

Photo A flood. Photo B landslide. Photo C drought. Photo D volcanic eruption.

Which words are not in the photos?

earthquake, homelessness, drug abuse, domestic violence, debt, obesity

Obesity.

A recent report has put the number of overweight adults at one in every three.

Debt

The amount of money owed by each household in the country has more than doubled in the last ten years.

Homelessness

The number of people sleeping out on the streets has gone down in recent years.

Drug abuse

A new rehabilitation centre has opened to help people to overcome their addiction.

Domestic violence

One incident is reported to police every minute but many women are too frightened to come forward.

Earthquake

In schools all over the region, children are taught what to do when they feel the ground begin to shake.

Write natural disaster, social issue or health issue next to each item.

natural disaster: earthquake, social issue: debt, homelessness, domestic violence or health issue: obesity, drug abuse

What's the worst delay you've ever experienced on a flight?

delay - the act of delaying, procrastination

Do you have an exam at the end of the course or does your teacher test your English every week?

test - to subject to a test of any kind

Do you ever shout when you are angry or do you take a deep breath and count to ten?

Shout - to call or cry out loudly and vigorously - a loud call or cry

Would you ever queue overnight for a product you've seen in a sale?

Queue - a file or line, especially of people waiting their turn - to form in a line while waiting

When you're cooking, do you weigh everything exactly or do you just make a guess?

Guess - to think, believe, or suppose - the act of forming an opinion.

Is the best cure for a headache to take a pill or just to relax?

Cure - a means of healing or restoring to health - to restore to health.

Do you think people should get a fine for driving too fast or should they lose their licence?

Fine - a penalty of any kind - punish by a fine

In a restaurant, do you complain if the service is bad? Do you always tip the waiter if it's good?

Tip - the act of tipping - to give a gratuity

Would you ever lie or do you always tell the truth?

Lie - a false statement made with deliberate intent to deceive, an intentional untruth, a falsehood - to speak falsely or utter untruth knowingly, as with intent to deceive

When you compare yourself to other people, are you quite calm or are you often in a hurry?

Compare - to consider or describe as similar - comparison. Hurry.

The environmental group Ocean _ has _ that sea levels will rise on metre in...

The environmental group Ocean Project has projected that sea levels will rise one metre in the next fifty years.

Fortunately, malaria has _ in recent years, and the _ is due to the use of nets and pesticides.

Fortunately, malaria has decreased in recent years, and the decrease is due to the use of nets and pesticides.

When a major charity _ for donations to help the deaf, their _ was broadcast mainly via radio.

When a major charity appealed for donations to help the deaf, their appeal was broadcast mainly via radio.

Bonnie Tyler _ her song Total Eclipse of the Heart in 1983, and in 2008 it set a _ for the most popular karaoke track ever.

Bonnie Tyler recorded her song Total Eclipse of the Heart in 1983, and in 2008 it set a record for the most popular karaoke track ever.

ourists in a well-known site were given _ to take photos, but they were not _ to take in their cameras.

Tourists in a well-known site were given permits to take photos, but they were not permitted to take in their cameras.

Which country imports more Japanese cars than any other? Canada, Brazil or Russia?

Russia.

In India, which colours are unlucky to wrap a birthday present in? Black and white, red and green or purple and yellow? start learning

Black and white.

Which fruit do some plant experts suspect was the earth's first? The apple, the banana or the pear?

the banana

Which is the largest subtropical desert? The Arabian, the Kalahari or the Sahara? start learning

the Sahara.

Research shows what percentage of homemade dinners in the USA include vegetables? 43%, 63% or 93%? start learning

43%.