HEAAADERLOGORIGHT

GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

UK TO
BREAK HEAT
RECORD
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1 Warm up

Discuss the questions in pairs or small groups.

1. Was July 2022 hotter than usual in your country?

2. Do you prefer hot weather or cold weather?
3. How do you deal with extreme heat? Have you ever had to work in a very hot environment?
4. Have you ever become unwell because of hot weather?
5. Do you think companies should make employees come to work in extreme heat, or should they
be allowed to work from home?

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2 Focus on vocabulary
Part A: Match words with the correct definitions.
Group 1

1. record-breaking (adj.) a. having achieved a better result or higher level than has
ever been achieved before
2. declare (v) b. the basic systems and services that are necessary for a
country or an organisation to run smoothly
3. aspect (n) c. officially stop something for a period of time
4. infrastructure (n) d. say something officially or publicly
5. suspend (v) e. a particular part or feature of a situation, an idea, a
problem etc.
Group 2

1. runway (n) a. the state of being crowded and full of traffic

2. melt (v) b. describing something that is planned for the future
3. projected (adj.) c. in a way that lasts or is intended to last or be used only
for a short time
4. temporarily (adv.) d. become or make something become liquid as a result of
heating
5. congestion (n) e. a long narrow piece of ground with a hard surface that a
plane takes off from and lands on
Group 3

1. heatwave (n) a. a very big fire that spreads quickly and burns natural
areas like forests and grassland
2. wildfire (n) b. very great, very strong
3. intense (adj.) c. describing something extremely bad or serious
4. frequent (adj.) d. a period of unusually hot weather
5. severe (adj.) e. happening or doing something often
Part B: Complete the sentences with eight of the missing words and phrases from Part A. You may
need to change the form of the word.

1. I left the box of chocolates I had bought for my wife in the car, and they .
2. Bus services were this morning because of heavy snow. By lunchtime, things were
back to normal.
3. During a , it is important to try not to do too much physical activity.
4. In some cities, has been blamed for breathing difficulties and long-term illnesses.
5. are harder to control than fires in cities and towns because winds can cause them
to spread quickly.
6. Last winter was – there were more snow days than ever before.
7. Some scientists think that we should be focusing on preparing the of our cities
for climate change.
8. The profits were so low that the company decided to fire most of its employees.

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3 Listening for specific information

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

Video

Audio

10 1.1 18 20 23.5 38.7 41

a. The expected temperature, in Celsius, that parts of the UK will reach.

b. The current highest recorded UK temperature in Celsius (at the time of the
report).
c. The percentage by which road congestion in London fell.

d. The percentage by which the number of passengers using the London

Underground fell.
e. The average high, in Celsius, for London in July.

f. The number of fires that remain out of control according to Spanish

authorities.
g. The amount (in Celsius) of degrees by which the global temperature has
increased since the Industrial Age began.

4 Listening for comprehension

Listen to the report again. Answer the questions true, false or not given.

1. If a high of 41 degrees Celsius is recorded in the UK, it won’t be the first time.

2. All aspects of daily life are expected to be affected by extreme temperatures.

3. Flights at Luton Airport were cancelled after the runway melted.

4. The projected temperatures would see London becoming hotter than Western Sahara and the
Caribbean for a while.

5. Other European countries are also being affected by extreme heat.

6. Some North African countries have had to deal with wildfires.

7. The extreme weather has resulted in some European events being cancelled.

8. Experts are confident that the intense heatwave currently affecting Europe won’t happen again.

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5 Reading: general vocabulary

Part A: Match the words and phrases in bold with the correct definitions.

1. My neighbours asked me to check on their house while they are on holiday, just to make sure
everything is okay. (phr. v)

2. Periods of prolonged heat can have negative effects on the human body. (adj.)

3. According to the newspaper, the blaze lasted for two days and completely destroyed the factory.
(n)

4. During the storm, the government had to set up shelters for people who weren’t safe in their own
homes. (n)

5. If you can’t find a job after university, you might want to consider working for a charity for a few
months. (n)

6. I wish I had become a climatologist. I find the field very interesting. (n)

a. a very large fire, especially a dangerous one

b. continuing for a long time

c. a building designed or used to give protection from bad weather, danger or attack

d. an organisation for helping people in need

e. an expert in the scientific study of climate

f. make sure that there is nothing wrong with somebody/something

II

1. The drought lasted for years and caused a lot of damage to the land. (n)

2. My sister says I have an alternative lifestyle, but I just try to live in a healthy way and be aware of
the environment. (adj.)

3. My school is asking for donations to help with repairs after the fire. (n)

4. At the moment, I’m dependent on my parents, but I hope to move out soon and have my own
place. (adj.)

5. My aunt had a heatstroke when we were on holiday in Greece. She spent two days in the hospital.
(n)

6. If you’re lost when on holiday, it might be a good idea to ask a passer-by for directions. (n)

a. someone who is going past a particular place, especially when something unusual happens

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b. describing something that is different from the usual or traditional way in which something is done

c. a long period of time when there is little or no rain

d. needing somebody/something in order to survive or be successful

e. an illness with a high temperature, caused by being in very hot conditions for too long

f. an amount of money or helpful objects such as clothes, food etc. given to a person or organisation
in order to help them

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Part B: Complete the dialogue below with the words and phrases from the above exercise. You may
need to change the tense of the word or phrase.

After completing the dialogue, read it out with a partner, focusing on pronouncing the key vocabulary
correctly.

1
Laura: I’m a bit worried about Natalie. She had last week and she’s
still not feeling very well, apparently.
2
Josh: I’m not surprised, I had it last year. Some found me walking
around the beach wearing a suit. I was feeling very confused! I spent three
days in hospital.
Laura: You’ve got to be careful in this weather! Being under the sun for a
3
time can be quite dangerous.
Josh: I know, but some people don’t have much of a choice. I just started working
4
for a that looks after homeless people. It’s especially hard
5
for them during the summer. We’re on public support and
6
, I don’t think politicians really care.
Laura: I suppose things are going to get worse. My friend Maria is from Spain, and all
7
the homeless people have been moved to there. It’s worse
8
outside the cities, with huge destroying forests and farms.
9
Josh: I saw an interview with a yesterday. Apparently, there might
10
be a in parts of southern Europe. It’s scary!
Laura: It is, but I still think there are things we can do to fight climate change. I’ve
11
been looking at lifestyles – I want to sell my car and buy
an electric one, and travel by train instead of plane when I go on holiday.
12
Anyway, I should go and Natalie. I hope she’s feeling a bit
better.

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Discuss these questions in pairs.

1. Has a friend ever asked you to check on their house or pet while they were away?
2. Why do you think some people don’t seem to believe climatologists?
3. Have you ever made a donation to a charity?
4. Do you know anyone who has had heatstroke? Were they working outdoors?
5. In the future, will governments have to set up shelters to help people during heatwaves?
6. Could switching to alternative lifestyles help to fight climate change?
7. How can we help countries affected by drought?

6 Reading for general understanding

You are going to read a text about people’s experiences with the recent European heatwave. Scan the
text and match the statement with the correct speaker. One statement cannot be matched to any of
the four speakers in the text and should be marked ‘Not given’.

a. Somebody who lives in Spain:

b. Somebody who lives in Portugal:

c. Somebody who lives in Iran:

d. Somebody who lives in France:

e. Somebody who lives in the Netherlands:

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The European Heatwave

Four people share their experiences

A. Jules, 26

I was due to take part in a bicycle race here in Brittany, but with temperatures reaching 40 degrees, the event was
cancelled. I’m disappointed – last year I came fifth, and I felt like this might be my year – but I understand that the
safety of everyone involved is the most important thing. Right now, my family and I are just trying to stay cool.
I’m worried about my grandmother, who lives alone. I’m going to cycle over to her house later on to check on her.
Heatwaves can be really dangerous for elderly people, so I want to make sure she’s alright. Although it’s very hot
here, it’ll cool down soon enough. In other parts of France, prolonged high temperatures have caused forest fires!

B. Pilar, 49

We’re staying in a shelter that a local charity set up. We had to leave our homes on Saturday, when the fires
started spreading and the forest began to burn. Other parts of the country have received more attention in the
news, especially the regions near Madrid, but here in Galicia there aren’t enough firefighters to put out the blaze.
We don’t know if our home has been destroyed; we can only hope our village is safe. My daughter is upset about
her toy collection, but we couldn’t take many things with us. According to my sister, who is a climatologist, things
are going to get worse and worse as the planet heats up. She says that the extreme weather, when combined with
drought, means that we can expect to see wildfires much more frequently than before. If our house is still there
when we come back, maybe we should sell it and move somewhere colder.

C. Zahra, 21

I try to stay positive. In my generation, there is a lot of anger towards older people for allowing the climate crisis to
happen, and for preventing us from changing things for the better. I think this anger is understandable, but some
young people just don’t seem to care about it. There’s definitely a bit of "if it’s too late already, what’s the point
in trying" going around. Well, maybe it is too late, but I think it’s important to try anyway. That’s why I started
my charity. We are dependent on donations, for the moment, but the idea is that we promote greener ways of
living. We want to draw attention to the meat industry, and help people make the switch to alternative lifestyles.
Eventually, we want to take on the big oil companies that are killing our planet. I’m no stranger to hot weather –
I grew up in Iran – but here in Amsterdam, people are starting to realise just how unpleasant it can be, especially
if you have to wear a suit and work in an office without air conditioning. Maybe these heatwaves will encourage
people to join organisations like mine!

D. Holly, 31

I moved to Lisbon in 2015, and at first, I loved the hot weather. It made a nice change from England! I work as a
teacher, and two years ago I met my boyfriend, João. He’s from Portugal, but he doesn’t deal with the heat very
well. He’s very pale, and a little overweight. He also has some health issues that can become more serious in hot
weather. Last weekend, João was walking home from work when he suddenly started feeling very ill. He had a
bad headache that came on quickly, and told me later that he felt very confused. Fortunately, a passer-by noticed
that he was having difficulties and called an ambulance. I came to see him later that night, and the doctor told me
he was lucky to be alive – he was suffering from heatstroke. He’s doing okay now, although he still feels a little
weak. We talked about moving somewhere colder before, and this was the last straw. We’re thinking of moving
to the UK together, and we have started looking for apartments already.

Sources: BBC, The Guardian, Met Office

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7 Reading comprehension

Part 1: Read the article again. Match statements with the correct speakers. Some statements can be
matched to more than one speaker. One of the statements cannot be matched to any of the speakers
and should be marked ‘Not given’.

a. They are considering moving to a colder country.

b. They know somebody who became ill because of the heatwave.

c. They spent their childhood outside Europe.

d. Somebody they know died because of the heatwave.

e. They mention fires caused by the heatwave.

Part 2: For each question, choose the answer you believe best suits the speaker.

1. Why is Jules worried about his grandmother?

a. She has health problems that may become worse in the heatwave.

b. She lives alone and heatwaves can be dangerous for elderly people.

c. She likes to cycle a lot, even when it’s really hot.

2. Why is Pilar’s daughter upset?

a. She is worried that her house won’t be there when they return.

b. She couldn’t take her toy collection with her when they left the village.

c. She doesn’t want to move to a colder country and leave her friends behind.

3. Who does Zahra think is responsible for the damage caused by climate change?

a. Younger people, who she thinks don’t seem to care about climate change.

b. Older people, for allowing the crisis to happen.

c. Big oil companies – she believes that they are killing the planet.

4. How does Holly feel about hot weather?

a. She loved it when she first moved to Portugal, but now she’s worried about it.

b. She has always hated hot weather.

c. She enjoys being out in the sun with her boyfriend.

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8 Talking point

In pairs or small groups, discuss the following questions.

1. Were you surprised by the heatwave in the UK?

2. Do you think that the heatwave was caused by human activity?
3. Is there anything we can do to prevent further damage to our planet because of climate change?
4. Do you think governments around the world are doing enough to fight climate change?
5. Have you ever voted for a green political party? Would you consider it?
6. Has climate change affected your decisions in life? Would you like to move to a colder country if
possible?
7. How do you think future generations will feel about the people who have allowed climate change
to happen?

9 Extended activity/writing homework

Write an opinion essay on the topic below. Your essay should agree or disagree with the statement
and should be between 240 – 280 words long.

"We should stop trying to prevent climate change, and focus on preparing for the negative
effects that will change our lives in the future."

Alternative extended activity:

In groups, think of some ways in which we can change our lifestyles and behaviour in order
to deal with the effects of climate change. In particular, focus on changes we may need to
make to houses, working life and cities.

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