Pre-reading questions:
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- When was the last time you traveled by plane? Could you tell me about it?
- What do you like to do during a flight?
Vocabulary:
I will read the words, meanings, and sample sentences. Then, repeat after me.
- consume /kuhn-SOOM/
- economy /ih-KON-uh-mee/
- reduction /ri-DUHK-shuhn /
- agreement /uh-GREE-muhnt/
- long-term /LAWNG-turm/
[verb] – to use fuel, energy, time, or a product, especially in large amounts
A smaller vehicle will consume less fuel.
[noun] – the system of trade and industry by which the wealth of a country is made and used
Our economy must be restructured as soon as possible.
[noun] – the act of making something, or of something becoming, smaller in size, amount, degree, importance, etc.
They suffered a severe reduction in income.
[noun] – a decision or arrangement, often formal and written, between two or more groups or people
When does your trade agreement with Japan expire?
[adjective] – continuing a long time into the future
The company has set itself some long-term organizational goals.
Article reading:
Please read the whole article. Then, I will check your pronunciation and intonation.
Airlines are looking for ways to decrease their environmental impact, such as by cutting back on the fuel they use or changing flight paths to create fewer contrails.
Aircraft consume large amounts of fuel. This explains why air travel, whether for passengers or cargo, is so inefficient and harmful to the environment. One flight can emit as much CO2 as many people do in a whole year, and it’s expected that over the next few decades, there will be a startling rise in the number of flights globally. Compared to other industries, aviation has one of the fastest expanding economies but produces very little of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The number of flights increased by 5% per year on average between 2000 and 2019. This all suggests that we need to start taking aviation emissions far more seriously. However, despite the fact that airplanes are becoming increasingly efficient, little has been done to date to actually decarbonize them.
If the world wants to accomplish the significant reductions in carbon emissions stated in the Paris Agreement on climate change, long-term aviation must completely switch away from fossil fuels. Can we make our airplanes run on alternative fuels or possibly change the way they fly to make them less detrimental to the environment?
Aircraft consume large amounts of fuel. This explains why air travel, whether for passengers or cargo, is so inefficient and harmful to the environment. One flight can emit as much CO2 as many people do in a whole year, and it’s expected that over the next few decades, there will be a startling rise in the number of flights globally. Compared to other industries, aviation has one of the fastest expanding economies but produces very little of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. The number of flights increased by 5% per year on average between 2000 and 2019. This all suggests that we need to start taking aviation emissions far more seriously. However, despite the fact that airplanes are becoming increasingly efficient, little has been done to date to actually decarbonize them.
If the world wants to accomplish the significant reductions in carbon emissions stated in the Paris Agreement on climate change, long-term aviation must completely switch away from fossil fuels. Can we make our airplanes run on alternative fuels or possibly change the way they fly to make them less detrimental to the environment?
Comprehension questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them based on the article.
- What do airlines do to decrease their environmental impact?
- Why is air travel harmful to the environment?
- How much of a percentage did the number of flights increase per year on average between 2000 and 2019?
- What has been done to decarbonize air travel?
- What should be done to accomplish the significant reductions in carbon emissions stated in the Paris Agreement on climate change?
Discussion questions
I will read each question. Then, please answer them.
- How often do you travel by plane? Could you tell me about it?
- Do you enjoy traveling by plane? Why or why not?
- If you were to travel to another city in your country, which kind of transportation would you choose: bus, train, or airplane? Why?
- Do you agree that we can develop alternate fuels for our aircraft?
- What do you think of hydrogen fuel as an alternative to aircraft fuel?