Ever
since humans began to talk, people have been predicting the
end of the world.
In many primitive societies, people were
often afraid that the end of the world was coming. The Apocalypse;
Armageddon... it has had several names. Kings, priests
and other important people
used "the end of the
world" as a threat,
to keep people and followers under control. Today some gurus,
politicians and influencers do the same.
So has anything changed?
In primitive societies, people did not
know a lot about the Earth, and they knew even less about the Universe.
Until modern times, most people thought that the earth was flat. Some
still do!
Yet today, scientists know a great deal
about the Earth and about the Universe. They can study and understand
the problems that we face,
they can explore the past, and they can look into the future. And they
understand that the Earth is now facing some very big problems.
There are four big problems: population,
climate change, war, and diseases.
Any one of them could cause a global catastrophe, and the "end of the
world", or at least the end of civilisation.
Some people talk about a fifth problem -
asteroids! If a big asteroid hits the Earth, this could destroy most
life on the planet. It has happened before. We now know that the age of
the dinosaurs ended after a massive asteroid hit the Earth. But
scientists also know that no massive asteroids will hit the earth in
the 21st century. A medium asteriod, called Apophis, will
perhaps hit the earth in 2029.... or 2046. If it does, it will cause
damage, but it
won't cause the end of the world.
Population, disease, war and climate
change are much bigger problems.
In the year 2000 the world's population
was "just" 6.2 billion. In 2080, it will be over 10 billion!
We all know that Earth's climate is
changing. Climates have changed before, but today's climate change is
faster than in the past, and is largely due to human activity. More
people create more activity, more waste,
more CO², and more risk for the planet. Governments are trying to slow
down climate change, but they are not being very successful. As for
disease, we know all the problems that COVID created. The next pandemic
could be much more serious than COVID.
So the question is not: "Is the end of
the world coming?", but "How much longer can civilisation survive?" Or
"When will civilisation collapse, and why?" Nobody knows the answers to
these questions, but it could be sooner than we imagine. Or later.
WORDS
priest : religious
leader - threat: warning,
danger,
risk - to face: to
confront, to be up against - disease:
illness, sickness - waste: rubbish,
garbage, things that we throw away.
Copying
permitted for personal study, or by teachers for use with their
students
Student
Worksheet
The end of the world
Interactive
exercise -
use on screen or on paper:Missing words Fifteen words
have been left out of this copy of a part of
the text. Below you will find an alphabetical list of
twenty-one words. Put
fifteen of these back into the text, in the
correct places.
There
are four big problems: population, climate change, war, and
diseases.
one of them could cause a global catastrophe, and the "end of the
world",
or at the
end of civilisation.
Some people talk
a problem
- asteroids! If a big asteroid
hits the Earth, this
destroy
life on the planet. It has
happened .
We now know that the age of the dinosaurs ended
a massive asteroid hit the Earth. But scientists know that
massive asteroids
hit the earth in the 21st century. A medium
asteriod, called Apophis,
will hit
the earth in 2029.... or 2046. If it does, it will cause damage, but it
won't cause
the end of the world.
Population, disease, war and climate
change are
bigger problems.
In the year 2000 the world's population
was "just" 6.2 .
In 2080, it will be
10 billion!
True/False
Comprehension Questions: After you've read the
text, say which of the following statements are true, and which are
not.
Write true
or false in
each "answer" box
1. In ancient societies,
people
were not afraid of the end of the world.
2. The biggest danger for modern civilization is a large asteroid.
3. The world's population is
expected to reach 10 billion by 2080.
4. Climate change is solely due
to natural causes.
5. The COVID-19 pandemic was
the first and only global pandemic.
6. Scientists now know more or less when civilization will end.
7. Governments are highly
successful in slowing down climate change.
8. The threat of the end of the
world has been used as a means of control throughout history.
This exercise is a little bit more challenging - and therefore more
effective in teaching terms - than ordinary missing word exercises
where ten words are given to fill ten spaces. With more words than
spaces, students need to think a bit more, and more thinking means
better learning. The six extra words are all similar to, or confusable
with, one or more of the missing words.
Grammar - the future
Look
at the different ways in which future events are presented in this
article. There are some simple examples using will, but others using a
present tense,or a modal verb. Note in particular the conditional
sentence If a big
asteroid hits the Earth, this could destroy most
life on the planet. This open conditional expresses a
potential event in the future... but does not use will or going to to
do so.
Oral expression
The subject of this short article should be of interest to all learners
(and teachers) everywhere. The questions affect us all; so may
the answers.
Divide your class into pairs or groups of three students, and ask them
to argue among themselves on what the future may bring. Are they
optimistic or pessimistic? Can they explain their positions. Each pair
/ group should try to come to a consensus, and then explain what they
think to the rest of the class. If no consensus is possible, they
should explain why.
Other
ideas?
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