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GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSIES · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SOLAR
FLOWERS TO
REPLACE COAL
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1 Warm up

Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Have you noticed your energy bills increasing recently?

2. Are there any power plants near your home?
3. Would you consider putting solar panels on your house? Why/why not?
4. Why do you think we still depend on fossil fuels like oil or gas?
5. Can you think of any advantages and disadvantages to solar power?

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SOLAR FLOWERS TO REPLACE COAL

2 Vocabulary focus

Match words with the correct definitions.

1. reservoir (n) a. the basic systems and services, such as transport or power
supplies, that a country or organisation uses in order to work
effectively
2. arrange (v) b. feel or express opposition to or dislike of something or
someone
3. float (v) c. accept or start to use something new

4. generate (v) d. stay on the surface of a liquid and not sink

5. carbon-neutral (adj.) e. in which the amount of carbon dioxide produced has been
reduced to nothing or is balanced by climate protection
actions
6. resident (n) f. produce energy in a particular form

7. object (v) g. a person who lives or has a home in a place

8. infrastructure (n) h. a natural or man-made lake where water is stored before

being used by people
9. adopt (v) i. put a group of objects in a particular order

3 Listening for specific information

Listen to the report. Match the numbers mentioned with the things they relate to.

12 17 21 375 41 600 92,000

a. : the number of solar panels on the surface of a reservoir in South Korea

b. : the number of giant flower shapes the panels have been arranged into

c. : the length in miles of the reservoir

d. : the amount of energy in megawatts that the floating panels can generate

e. : the amount of energy in gigawatts that South Korea will need to produce to
become carbon-neutral
f. : the amount of energy in gigawatts that solar power is currently responsible
for in South Korea
g. : the amount of energy in megawatts that a solar power plant in India hopes
to generate

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4 Listening for comprehension

Listen to the report again. Mark the statements as true, false or not given.

1. The panels South Korea has placed on a reservoir have allowed the country to meet its renewable
energy targets.

2. The solar panels can be seen from the air.

3. The flower-shaped panels are in danger of floating away.

4. The Green Energy Institute has said that there are many benefits to investing in floating solar
power.

5. Residents may object to power plants being built in their area for various reasons, including tourism
being damaged.

6. Floating solar power panels can help to avoid problems with residents.

7. The technology is only being adopted by Asian countries.

5 Reading: general vocabulary

Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. During the pandemic, many clubbers have been unable to go out as much as they used to.
2. My city is adding more cycle lanes in an effort to be more eco-friendly.
3. Some tennis players wear pieces of cloth around their heads in order to absorb sweat.
4. We went camping during winter once, and had to huddle around a fire because of the cold.
5. Some scientists are trying to work out how to harness the power of the sea in order to generate
energy.
6. Having a good ventilation system is important if you aren’t able to open your windows and doors.
It can help to prevent viruses from spreading.

a. collect and control something so that it can be used effectively

b. come close together in a group, for example, to stay warm
c. parts of the road that only bicycles are allowed to use
d. people who go to nightclubs
e. take something in, especially gradually
f. the movement of fresh air around a closed space

Now, complete the short text with the correct words from Part A. You may need to change the form
of the words.

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My city is becoming greener every day, and I love it! I used to commute to work by car, and
sometimes it would take hours. The roads were full of vehicles and the air was thick with
1
pollution. Offices needed to have good systems to deal with the poor air
quality. A few years ago, the local government changed and things started to improve.
2
They started to add and even a special type of train which
3
the power of the sun rather than using traditional fuel. A few months ago,
I sold my car, and now I walk to work instead. As well as being the healthier option, it allows
4
me to the sights, sounds and smells of the city.
On my way to the office, I can smell fresh coffee beans from the little cafés on street corners.
5
Over the winter, I would see people together outside bars on my way home.
6
Sometimes, early in the morning, I walk past returning to their apartments.
We share a look, and I smile and remember my younger days.

Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. Has your workplace changed its ventilation system due to the pandemic?
2. Does your city have many cycle lanes? Would you rather cycle to work, or drive?

6 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text about strange ways of generating energy. Scan the text quickly and
match the methods mentioned with the correct heading. One method cannot be matched to any of
the headings in the text and should be marked ‘Not given’.

a. Using leftover food material

b. Using the power of the sun

c. Using energy created by movement

d. Using the power of the ocean

e. Using something similar to a plant

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
SOLAR FLOWERS TO REPLACE COAL
Strange energy
Unusual ways of generating energy
Dancing
1. A popular way of keeping fit and having fun around
the world, dancing could also help to solve the energy
crisis. Clubs in Japan have experimented with special
dance floors that generate a type of kinetic energy
using crystals. While this sounds a little strange, there
has already been a success in creating lighting effects
through the movement of clubbers as they enjoy a
Saturday night out. Imagine being able to create your
own disco lights with your dance moves!
Glowing roads
2. Also known as smart roads, this technology involves
covering roads and bicycle paths with a special light-
sensitive material. The technique has been used in
the Netherlands, in which cycle lanes absorb solar
energy during the day and, using the collected power,
glow at night, reducing the need for street lights.
Smart road tech could also power electric cars with
glass solar panels, although replacing road surfaces
around the world could take quite a while!
Body heat
3. Human bodies let off a lot of heat. Just think of the
last time you were feeling cold, and huddled with
a loved one for warmth. A crowd of people can
turn a nightclub in winter into a sweaty, unpleasant
experience. In Stockholm, engineers have figured out
a way to harness the body heat of people commuting
to work. The city’s railway station has been fitted
with a special ventilation system that captures this
collected heat and transfers it to a nearby office
building.
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Fuel from waste
4. Biofuel is one of the more promising alternatives to
traditional fossil fuels, such as oil or gas. By using
waste material, for example, leftover coffee beans
or fat from chocolate production, vehicles can be
powered and homes can be heated. Using leftover
materials from food production is a good way to avoid
some of the disadvantages of biofuel production,
including the high cost of growing special crops and
associated pollution. However, most kinds of biofuel
will contribute to global warming, even if they are less
destructive than traditional fuel sources.
Algae
5. A tiny organism that can be found in sea and
freshwater around the world, algae could be a
potential solution to our energy problems. With a
high heat content compared to food sources such as
sugar or corn, algae could have many applications,
including use as biofuel to power planes or cars.
These plant-like organisms use a natural process to
convert sunlight into energy, creating fatty acids and
nutrients which, in turn, can be converted into fuel.
This alternative energy source has been studied for
over 50 years, and could offer a reliable method
of generating power. Drawbacks include additional
ingredients, like fertilisers, which may not be easy to
get hold of, and a large amount of land and water
that is necessary in order to grow the organism at an
industrial level.
6. Sources: Bloomberg, BBC, goodnewsnetwork.com
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7 Reading comprehension

Read the article again. Complete the sentences with between ONE to THREE words from the article.

1. As well as being popular as a method of keeping fit, dancing could help the energy
crisis.

2. Clubbers enjoying a Saturday night out have been able to create by moving.

3. Smart road technology can involve roads and cycle lanes with a special light-
sensitive material.

4. The technology could also allow to be powered with glass solar panels.

5. Too many people can make a trip to a nightclub a sweaty, experience.

6. A method of harnessing commuters’ body heat has been discovered by in Stockholm.

7. By using from coffee or chocolate production, homes can be heated and vehicles
powered.

8. Most kinds of biofuel tend to be less than traditional fuel sources.

9. Found in both environments, algae could be a solution to the energy crisis,

10. There are some , such as the need for additional ingredients like fertilisers.

8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Which method of generating energy do you think was the most unusual from the list?
2. Which of the methods on the list do you think would be the most/least successful as an energy
solution?
3. Can you think of any other strange methods of generating energy that should be on the list?
4. Should we focus more on reducing our energy needs, rather than looking for solutions to the
problem?
5. Do you think that all of our energy will come from renewable sources in 100 years, or will we still
be using fossil fuels?
6. Is your country becoming more green, or less?
7. Do you think that people, in general, are more interested in environmental issues than they were
30 years ago?

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9 Extended activity: post-reading/scientific vocabulary

Complete the definitions of the words below by filling in the gaps with the correct words from the
list.

added to soil animal sources electricity extremely small

found moving need water

1. biofuel (n): fuel made from plant and and used in engines

2. fatty acid (n): an acid that is in fats and oils

3. organism (n): a living thing, especially one that is

4. fertiliser (n): a substance to make plants grow more successfully

5. kinetic energy (n): energy that an object or system has because it is

6. algae (n): very simple, usually small plant-like organisms that grow in or near

7. nutrient (n): any substance that plants or animals in order to live

and grow

8. solar panel (n): a device that changes energy from the sun into

Part B: Complete the sentences with the correct word from Part A.

1. In some countries, sugar is used as a to power cars.

2. It’s important to make sure that your diet contains all the necessary .

3. Fitting to your home can be expensive, but may save you money in the long run.

4. Some electronic devices use to recharge themselves as you walk or run.

5. Some very small fish eat to survive.

6. can be found in many garden centres.

7. Some are so small that you can only see them with a powerful microscope.

8. can be found in fish, fruit and nuts, among other food groups.

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