Listening practice - Higher tier: Environmental issues
It's important to be able to understand about environmental problems and disasters.
Here is some vocabulary that will help:
| el agujero en la capa de ozono | hole in the ozone layer |
| el calentamiento global | global warming |
| la deforestación | deforestation |
| el desastre ecológico | ecological disaster |
| la destrucción de las selvas | destruction of the rainforest |
| el efecto invernadero | greenhouse effect |
| la escasez (de agua) | lack/shortage (of water) |
| el incendio forestal | forest fire |
| la inundación | flood |
| la lluvia ácida | acid rain |
| la marea negra | oil slick |
| la sequía | drought |
| las energías renovables | renewable energies |
| la energía eólica | wind power |
| la energía nuclear | nuclear energy |
| la energía solar | solar power |
| el gas de carbono | carbon gas |
| la gasolina | petrol |
| los grupos ecologistas | environmental groups |
| el mundo | the world |
| la ola | wave |
| la planta nuclear | nuclear power station |
| el reciclaje | recycling |
| la falta de recursos | lack of resources |
| renovable | renewable |
| el residuo nuclear | nuclear waste |
| sin plomo | unleaded |
| superpoblado | overpopulated |
| el terremoto | earthquake |
| La Tierra | Earth |
| las especies en peligro de extinción | endangered species |
| el derretimiento de las capas de hielo | melting of the ice caps |
| el agujero en la capa de ozono |
| hole in the ozone layer |
| el calentamiento global |
| global warming |
| la deforestación |
| deforestation |
| el desastre ecológico |
| ecological disaster |
| la destrucción de las selvas |
| destruction of the rainforest |
| el efecto invernadero |
| greenhouse effect |
| la escasez (de agua) |
| lack/shortage (of water) |
| el incendio forestal |
| forest fire |
| la inundación |
| flood |
| la lluvia ácida |
| acid rain |
| la marea negra |
| oil slick |
| la sequía |
| drought |
| las energías renovables |
| renewable energies |
| la energía eólica |
| wind power |
| la energía nuclear |
| nuclear energy |
| la energía solar |
| solar power |
| el gas de carbono |
| carbon gas |
| la gasolina |
| petrol |
| los grupos ecologistas |
| environmental groups |
| el mundo |
| the world |
| la ola |
| wave |
| la planta nuclear |
| nuclear power station |
| el reciclaje |
| recycling |
| la falta de recursos |
| lack of resources |
| renovable |
| renewable |
| el residuo nuclear |
| nuclear waste |
| sin plomo |
| unleaded |
| superpoblado |
| overpopulated |
| el terremoto |
| earthquake |
| La Tierra |
| Earth |
| las especies en peligro de extinción |
| endangered species |
| el derretimiento de las capas de hielo |
| melting of the ice caps |
Listen to this Spanish news broadcast.
What environmental problems do these items refer to?
Choose from this list:
| A | deforestation |
| B | a drought |
| C | a flood |
| D | a forest fire |
| E | the greenhouse effect |
| F | an oil slick |
| A |
| deforestation |
| B |
| a drought |
| C |
| a flood |
| D |
| a forest fire |
| E |
| the greenhouse effect |
| F |
| an oil slick |
Question
What incident is being referred to?
D - The word forestal on its own might have indicated answer A but in conjunction with incendio should have given you the correct answer. The word bomberos (firemen) was also a clue.
Transcript:
Según un portavoz del cuerpo de bomberos peruano, el incendio forestal que sigue activo en la provincia de Arequipa ya ha provocado dos muertes.
Translation:
According to a spokesman from the Peruvian fire brigade, the forest fire which continues burning in the province of Arequipa has already caused two deaths.
Question
What incident is being referred to?
B - Sequía was the word which gave the answer. Llover (to rain) is mentioned and might have indicated answer C, but here it is used negatively (no ha llovido.) Agricultura (agriculture) might also have been a pointer.
Transcript:
Hace ya más de dos meses que no ha llovido en la región de Almería y las autoridades han confirmado hoy que la sequía empieza a tener consecuencias graves para la agricultura.
Translation:
It hasn't rained for more than two months now in the Almería region and the authorities have confirmed today that the drought is beginning to have serious consequences for agriculture.
Question
What incident is being referred to?
F - La marea negra was the term that indicated the correct answer. Words such as barco (boat) and costa (coast) should also have pointed you in the right direction.
Transcript:
En México, el Ministerio de Comunicaciones y Transportes ha declarado que el barco estadounidense, que sufrió daños graves como consecuencia del huracán de anoche en el Golfo de México, ya ha perdido 3.000 toneladas de combustible y la marea negra ya está amenazando la costa de Veracruz.
Translation:
In Mexico, the Ministry of Communications and Transport has declared that the American boat, which suffered serious damage as a result of last night's hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, has now lost 3,000 tons of fuel and the oil slick is now threatening the coast of Veracruz.
