Nature and the environment 

Texts in graded English on subjects concerning nature, ecology and the environment

Texts about nature and the environment are liable to interest and motivate a large number of students, as well as being topical. The texts listed below are designed as private reading texts or classroom resources for students of English at intermediate and advanced levels. Each text has been graded according to the CEF (Common European Framework) benchmark for language learning.
  Some intermediate texts are classed "C1" - which makes them technically texts for advanced learners. However the C1 ranking in these cases is deceptive, being notably due to the technical vocabulary used;  the texts have quite a few long words.  In actual fact much of this vocabulary does not make the documents harder to understand for non-native speakers, as these "complicated" technical words will often be similar if not identical to the terms used in the learner's own language – thus making understanding of the text easier, not harder. For example, words like filter, aerodynamics, recycling or physicist are similar in many other languages, and will not cause any difficulty for speakers of these languages, unless they don't understand the term in their own language... which is a different problem altogether !
 As for other new long words that are not international or easily guessable, their meanings  are explained in the vocabulary guides.
 

1. Intermediate English texts - CEF levels B1 - B2 - C1

• Topical  Will there be life after oil and gas?  - B2 with audio - What will happen when the oil and gas runs out ?
• NEW   Storing electricity - the big challenge. The sun doesn't shine at night, and sometimes the wind stops blowing....
  
• NEW   Black taxis going green.  London's iconic black taxis are changing.
  
• NEW  Climate change: can we stop it ? -  Or are we heading for disaster?  with audio
• Polluting for pleasure ? - B1 - a dialogue in simple English.
•  Short text: The car of the future?    with audio  B1-  An easy text in semi-technical English
• Pollution - someone else's problem - B1 - a humorous dialogue on a serious subject.
•  London in the Sea ? - B1 - Britain's capital city is at serious risk from rising sea levels. With interactive  missing words
• America's oil - a love affair  B1 - Americans use a lot of energy; but this is going to change.
• The wind farm controversy - C1 - Conservationists oppose plans to modernise a wind farm.
• Short text: Living without energy  C1 - A short text in semi-technical English 

• NEW   (Technical) The electric car revolution, realistic or optimistic?  With interactive worksheet. Can the world really convert to electric vehicles by the middle of the century?
• NEW   Aeroponics. Agriculture for tomorrow's world.
• Mighty Mississippi - C1 - the river that links and divides the USA
• Nature and the environment crossword puzzle themed vocabulary crossword
• California's Water Wars - C1 - Larry Wood reports on a critical issue facing Californians.
• America's bald eagles - a story of success .C2 - How the emblematic bird of the USA has been saved from extinction.
• Save the Everglades - C2 - Florida's unique wetlands are in serious danger.
• Deserts of America - C2 - A large part of the western USA is covered by desert, and it is getting larger.
• Nature / wildlife: the Bird Man of the Isles - C1 -an interview from the Scottish isle of Skye.
• GM crops: Frankenstein food?  C2 -Are genetically modified crops a huge risk, or the future of agriculture?

Beyond the environment..... Ideas for teachers

• NEW ! Essential English sentence structure - a lesson plan.  Maria Hirschi presents practical ideas for teaching about the essential features of sentences in English
• Teaching grammar - problems and solutions -  Article and podcast - Grammar, the framework that allows series of words to express meaning, is a vital element of language learning, but one with which many teachers are not at ease. Why is this?
• Successful grammar teaching  Six fundamental  considerations to bear in mind
• NEW ! Business English idioms for turbulent times.  David Cox has some suggestions.
• The 30 essential terms of grammar - Short clear explanations of the thirty most important grammar terms that all teachers need to be familiar with.
• Reading comprehension - a model lesson plan - This text explains the five stages that are key to deriving the maximum benefit from reading comprehension texts in the EFL / ESL classroom.
• No, teaching grammar is not elitist - Andrew Rossiter explains the value of formal grammar in language teaching.
• More....

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