E1: Listen to a presenter talking abour a phenomenon in the nature.
NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLbDbmmV6Qc&t=26s
(16)_____nitrogen or nutrients____ are the building blocks of plant life. Plants naturally absorb nutrients
from the soil through their root system. However, farmers turn to (17)____fertilizer_____ when facing poor soil
or massive erosion or leaching. Farmers tend to overuse fertilizer as a precautionary measure because it is
difficult to (18)____engage gauge_____ the amount of fertilizer needed. Excess fertilizer can runoff into bodies
of water causing (19)____algae bloom final pane_____, characterized by the rapid accumulation in the
population of algae in marine water systems. Dense layers of algae form an (20)____impedable impenetrable
roof_____ on the surface of the water, blocking other plants in the water from getting the sunlight they need to
survive. Because water cannot support aquatic life, plants die off and sink to the bottom of the water body, where
(21)____decomposures decomposers_____ feast ont the dead bodies. This decomposition process consumes
plenty of (22)____dissolved oxygen_____ and animals that rely on oxygen to breathe can, in fact, suffocate. A
vicious cycle of degradation in aquatic life can be observed and a (23)___decomposition positive feedback
loop______ is created. If this process occurs in lakes, native species can be (24)___suppressed______ and
give way to invasives. If this happens in the ocean, the incidence of coral bleaching is inevitable.
(25)___nutrients recaptured_eutrophication_____ and farming activities can lead to nutrient-rich runoff, also
known as clear-cutting.
E2: NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS and/or A NUMBER
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/06/09/1181139404/staying-safe-in-smoky-air-is-particularly-
important-for-some-people-heres-how
Staying safe in smoky air
Wildfire smoke from Canadian wildfires is causing air pollution in various regions, including the Eastern U.S., the
Midwest, Cleveland, Detroit, and notably, New York City. Besides health hazards of long-term smoking, (11)
___________short-term exposure_____________ to wildfire smoke also poses health risks, particularly for
individuals with preexisting lung conditions such as asthma or COPD (12) _________chronical
operative__chronic obstructive_____________ pulmonary disease). Symptoms can range from itchy eyes, sore
throats, headaches, and (13) __________nausea______________ to more severe complications like
hospitalization. Fine particles, measuring (14) __________2.5 microns______________ or less, are the most
dangerous, as they can enter the lungs and trigger a (15) ___________block flare-up_____________ in lung
conditions. People who are also at increased risk are those with cardiovascular disease and (16) ________lung
disease___pregnant_____________ individuals, especially children with asthma. Studies show that exposure to
particle pollution increases hospitalizations for (17) _________asthma rise__cardiovascular_____________
events. To minimize exposure, individuals are advised to check (18) ____________air out-duck curb
quality____________ ratings, stay indoors with closed doors and windows. To filter the indoor air, use (19)
____________masks____air purifiers________ or create DIY versions with HEPA filters and box fans, avoid
activities that worsen indoor air quality, stay hydrated, avoid outdoor exercise, and wear proper masks like N95 or
(20) ___________un-N95_KN95 (respirators/ masks) ____________ to filter out smoke particles effectively.
E3: NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhiWSsKUWEg
Are solar panels worth it?
In the spring of 1954, the press excitedly gathered around Bell Laboratories’ latest invention - a (1) ____silicon-
based solar shell cell_________ that could efficiently convert the sun's energy into electrical current. The creation
was celebrated as the dawn of a new era, as reporters touted that civilization would soon run on the (2)
_____sun’s limitness energy________. Today in many countries solar is the cheapest form of energy to produce,
(3) ______suppressing surpassing fossil fuel_______ alternatives like coal and natural gas. The pay rate for this
electricity was (4) _______highly subsidized______, at times reaching four times the market price. Several other
countries soon implemented (5) ______similar policies and incentives_______ to drive their country’s solar use,
which created (6) _____unprecedented demand________ for solar panels worldwide. Today, a 46-square-meter
rooftop solar unit is often efficient enough to (7) _____fully power________ a home. Several companies have
adopted (8) ____solar leasing models_________, where they finance the material costs, installation, and upkeep
of the rooftop systems. The appeal of solar goes beyond just savings. Homes equipped with it are (9)
______more clinic feasiline_climate resilient______, because they can be protected from utility grid outages and
brownouts. Not to mention solar’s key role in (10) _____combinizing_decarbonizing_______ the energy grid.
E4: Listen to a report on scooters. Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2YInNlzMDQ
Over 100 years ago, the first purpose of building sidewalks was to (16) _________accommodate
pedestrians_____________. Then, the (17) _________prevailation_proliferation____________ of the cars
occurred, which pushed cities to widen their streets.
On sidewalks, there are two parts: the (18) ___________fronting frontage zone___________ and the furniture
zone. While there are signs or a café in the former, street lights, (19) __________new tree bracks __newspaper
racks __________ and benches are set in the latter. These lessen the area of the sidewalks.
Despite the exceptional level of public transportation, a “last mile” is still challenging the commuters. Hence, the
(20) ________cash influx inflation______________ for scooters is considered a game of chance. E-scooters are
hoped to (21) _________curb the capture demand_____________ in the underserved area. According to a
survey, e-scooter is regarded as a substitute for (22) ______short-driving trips________________.
More modes of transportation should be put into use. However, bike, (23)
__________cyquaisings__segways__________, scooters only become useful when city managers can create
space for them. “Complete street”, a new term that (24) __________reduces space_entered the
lexicon___________ of transportation planning recently, should be encouraged. This can make scooters more
realistic when people travel the last mile, together with bus bulbs, buffered bike lanes and so on. Cities now are
(25) __________drafting standards____________ for this innovation in transportation to make streets safer and
more convenient for their users.
16. accommodate pedestrians
17. proliferation
18. the frontage zone
19. newspaper racks
20. cash influx
21. capture demand
22. short driving trips
23. segways
24. entered the lexicon
25. drafting standards
E5: NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS
• China is proposing a wide-scale (16) ___________system_____________ which generates individual
rankings based on behaviour. The aim of this tool is to strengthen law-enforcement, forcing citizens and collective
organizations to (17) ________________________ their conduct.
• The idea of a credit system that decides (18) ___________how … attitudes_____________ to certain
things is, however, not foreign to the U.S. Financial credit systems, for example, help banks decide if certain
people are worth trusting.
• China put forward a social credit system that will construct a (19) ___harmonious ___. Because China
considers itself to be a low-trust society, this system might serve as (20) _________proposed disobediment
_______________ for the deterioration of mutual trust in Chinese society.
• The proposed system will include comprehensive monitoring of all aspects, such as excess of recreational
activities or distribution of (21) ________________________ content on social sites.
• Due to their uncertainty about the implementation methods, China has (22)
_______designated_________________ certain areas as experimental zones. Some of these experiments are
(23) ________________________, tracking social media engagement and daily conduct through camera, while
some others are not.
• People who exhibit good behaviours get high scores and are eventually given (24)
___________preferential treatments_____________. Nonetheless, the system might be easily misused; the
country might enforce ambiguous laws that can harm citizens. Ethnic Uighur Muslims have been detained and put
in (25) ________________________ as a result of such laws.
• Despite the admittedly dramatization of Western media, the implications of a credit system might be far-
reaching.
KEYS AND TRANSCRIPT
E1:
16. Nutrients
17. ferlilizer
18. gauge
19. algal bloom
20. impenetrable roof
21. decomposers
22. dissolved oxygen
23. positive feedback loop
24. suppressed
25. eutrophication
Part 4.
Plants require several things to grow. Most of us know that they need things like water, sunlight, and CO2, but
plants also need a variety of nutrients as well: things like nitrogen and phosphorus. Usually, plants will get all the
required nutrients from the soil through their roots. But, when the soil is bad, or there's been a lot of erosion or
leaching, farmers--or even just people trying to make their lawns green--will put down something called "fertilizer."
What makes fertilizer so "fertile" is that it's been enriched with these nutrients that the plants need--again, mostly
fixed nitrogen and phosphorus.
But plants aren't the best at soaking up every last nutrient in the soil, and it's also hard to gauge just how much
fertilizer a field needs, as soil quality can vary drastically
over short distances. To be safe, farmers will usually apply excess fertilizer to a given plot of land. Better safe
than sorry, y'know? But, instead of staying in the soil for years, most of the excess nutrients will be carried away
by the rain or other forms of
irrigation. These nutrients mix with the water and find their way into bodies of water--like ponds, lakes, reservoirs,
and even the oceans sometimes. With all these nutrients added, the algae, phytoplankton, and even plants in the
water do the same thing the crops in the field do: they grow. Well, actually they *explode* in numbers.
This is called an "algal bloom," and entire lakes can become covered in layers of plant growth like this. To some,
this might seem like a good thing. Plants are good for the environment, right? Well... not always. First off, this
floating layer of algae forms basically an impenetrable roof on the water, not allowing sunlight through to the
bottom of the lake.
Without the presence of sunlight, all plants below the surface cannot partake in photosynthesis-- You know--
metabolize, make glucose, live, that sort of stuff? But, not even this is the bad part of it all. Many plants can store
enough energy in their bodies to wait out these conditions. The real problem comes when all the nutrients are
used up and the water can no longer support so much life. When this happens, the excess algae, phytoplankton,
and plants die off and sink to the bottom of the body of water. Here, bacteria and other decomposers feast on the
dead bodies in a chemical process of decay which consumes oxygen.
Now, in a usual ecosystem the amount of dead matter is relatively constant, so oxygen levels stay relatively
constant as well. But, when a bloom occurs, far more organic matter is ready to decompose, and so nearly all the
oxygen in the water is used in the process of decomposition, and none is left for the animals living in the water.
Without this, animals that use the dissolved oxygen to breathe (so, things like fish), can actually suffocate. This
causes even more death, leading to more decomposition and more oxygen usage. Basically, at this point, a
positive feedback loop has been created. It can take a body of water a very long time to recover, though each
one is different, and recovery depends on a lot of things, like: how many nutrients leaked into the water, how big
the body of water is, what organisms are present there, and so on. When this happens in lakes, native species
can be suppressed and allow invasives to come in while the environment is still disturbed. If this happens in the
ocean, the lack of oxygen can cause corals to bleach and possibly even die. All around, this can greatly damage
many ecosystems and leads to a decrease in biodiversity globally. Nutrient-rich runoff can also be caused by
things like clear-cutting (which releases the nutrients which were kept in the soil by the plants) or also by things
like animal farms (where nutrient-rich waste materials can leak into local bodies of water). And that's
eutrophication, simply put! I hope you enjoyed the video and maybe think twice before using fertilizer or clearing a
forest. If you want more people to see this video, give it a like, and if you want to see more videos like this,
subscribe to this channel. I'll be back next week with another one... Thanks! :)
E2:
11. short-term exposure
12. chronic obstructive
13. nausea
14. 2.5 microns
15. flare-up
16. pregnant
17. cardiovascular
18. air quality
19. air purifiers
20. KN95 (respirators/masks)
Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to spread from the Eastern U.S., to the Midwest. Cleveland and Detroit
are now experiencing unhealthy air pollution. But some of the poorest air quality in the world this week has been
in New York City. Pulmonologist Dr. Ravi Kalhan of Northwestern Medicine likened it to New Yorkers smoking
a pack of cigarettes a day.
The health hazards of long-term smoking are well understood, but what are the dangers of short-term exposure to
wildfire smoke?
"I think that everyone has some degree of risk when air pollution levels are to this extent," says Dr. Keith Brenner,
a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Hackensack University Medical Center.
But it's people with preexisting lung conditions like asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease) who are most at risk.
Smoky skies can cause itchy eyes, sore throats, headaches and even a little nausea. But it's the fine particles
— particulate matter that's 2.5 microns or less in diameter — that are the biggest health hazard. These particles
can get into your lungs, and for people with lung conditions they can trigger a flare-up. "Worst case scenario you
might even have to be admitted to the hospital," Brenner says.
Poor air quality can also be a problem for people with cardiovascular disease.
Research by the Environmental Protection Agency and others has found exposure to particle pollution increases
hospitalizations for serious cardiovascular events like heart failure, strokes, heart attacks and death.
Pregnant people and children — especially children with asthma — are also at increased risk of harm from
exposure to wildfire smoke. Kids breathe faster and take in more polluted air, says Dr. Lisa Patel, a pediatrician at
Stanford Medicine Children's Health. "Kids are more susceptible to begin with because their airways are even
smaller. So even a smaller amount of inflammation can hit a kid harder as well," Patel says. This is especially true
for children under age 5.
Inhaling polluted air can also impact the development of the fetus. "So I think that pregnant women should do all
they can to avoid exposure on days when the levels are so high," Brenner says. And he points to several
studies that show hospitalization rates for children with asthma flare-ups increase when air pollution levels are
high.
WEATHER
When will air quality improve? A lot is riding on the wind
MAIN CHARACTER OF THE DAY
Spare a thought for Gustavo, the guy delivering your ramen in the wildfire smoke
So what's the best way to minimize exposure to dangerous air pollution?
First, check the air quality where you live by going to the EPA website airnow.gov, which has a color coded
meter showing the air quality in your area. If the air is rated unhealthy, the best advice is to stay inside as much as
possible and keep the doors and windows closed.
If you have cracks under the doors where the air is coming in, Linsey Marr, an aerosols expert at Virginia Tech,
suggests rolling up a towel to block it. If you have an air purifier, "run it on high so that you are filtering your
indoor air as much as possible," Marr says.
Air purifiers can be expensive, so if you don't have one, Patel suggests, making one yourself. Get a HEPA
filter "and attach it to a box fan and get about a 50% reduction in the air pollution indoors," she says. And try to
avoid anything that makes the indoor air quality worse. "If you have a gas stove, try to avoid using it," Patel says.
Don't vacuum or burn candles because that will just add more particles to your indoor air.
And drink lots of water. The fluid keeps your eyes, nose and throat moist which helps alleviate irritation. Also,
avoid outdoor exercise when the air is bad. Exercise makes you breathe more deeply, bringing any particles in the
air deeper into your airways.
And finally, if you do go outside — mask up! "Just like with COVID, the best mask is going to be a high quality,
well-fitting, what we call a respirator mask, an N95 or KN95," Marr says. Surgical masks or cloth masks are
better than nothing, but they don't offer great protection. N95 masks can filter out 95% of smoke particles, if fitted
properly and dirty air doesn't leak around the sides.
And you know the drill: Cover your nose and your mouth.
E3: Are solar panels worth it?
In the spring of 1954, the press excitedly gathered around Bell Laboratories’ latest invention - a silicon-based
solar cell (1)that could efficiently convert the sun's energy into electrical current. The creation was celebrated as
the dawn of a new era, as reporters touted that civilization would soon run on the sun’s limitless energy (2). But
the dream had a catch, as this first commercially sold solar cell cost around $300 per watt, meaning at its current
rate, it would cost well over a million to buy a unit large enough to power a single home. But today in many
countries solar is the cheapest form of energy to produce, surpassing fossil fuel (3) alternatives like coal and
natural gas. Millions of homes are equipped with rooftop solar, with most units paying for themselves in their first
7 to 12 years and then generating further savings.
So how did solar become so affordable?
A turning point in solar’s price history occurred on the floor of Germany’s parliament, where in 2000, Herman
Scheer introduced the Renewable Energy Sources Act. This legislation laid out a vision for the country’s energy
future in solar and wind. It incentivized citizens to personally invest in rooftop solar panels by guaranteeing
payment to homeowners for the renewable energy they generated and sold to the grid. The pay rate for this
electricity was highly subsidized (4), at times reaching four times the market price. Several other countries soon
followed Germany’s example, implementing similar policies and incentives (5) to drive their country’s solar use.
This created unprecedented demand (6) for solar panels worldwide. Manufacturers were able to scale up
production and innovate in ways that cut costs. As a result, solar panel prices dropped, while efficiency grew.
Today, a 46-square-meter rooftop solar unit is often efficient enough to fully power (7) a home, and this
residential unit no longer costs millions—in the US in 2022, the average consumer cost of a rooftop solar unit
ranged from around $17,000 to $23,000. These prices dropped by over 60% between 2010 and 2020 alone.
So how much money can you save by switching to solar?
US solar equipped homeowners can save around $1,500 per year on their energy bills, equating to a net savings
of $10,000 to $30,000 during the unit’s lifetime. Month-to-month savings tend to vary, based on the amount of
direct sunlight your panel receives, weather conditions, and the price of electricity where you live. But not
everyone can get solar. Adopting solar can be difficult for renters, and in many countries, more than 25% of
adults don’t own their own homes. Even if you do, your roof must meet certain orientation and tilt requirements to
make solar a worthwhile investment. And while units often pay for themselves through offset energy costs, the
initial purchase and installation price for solar can be expensive. But several companies have adopted solar
leasing models (8), where they finance the material costs, installation, and upkeep of the rooftop systems.
Homeowners can then buy the panel’s generated electricity at a fixed rate that’s generally lower than the local
utility’s price. Still, many are working towards community-based solutions, which would enable entire
neighborhoods to profit from solar use. Europe is home to more than 7,000 community energy associations,
where local members collectively invest in wind turbines and solar panels to power their local grid. In 2005, the
German town of Wolfhagen created an 800 member citizens co-op, which communally invested $2.84 million to
buy up 25% of the local energy company and expand its renewables program. Today, its turbines and panels
generate enough energy to meet the town’s needs and then some. Surplus energy is sold to neighboring towns,
and profits are reinvested back into the community. For many, the appeal of solar goes beyond just savings.
Homes equipped with it are more climate resilient (9), because they can be protected from utility grid outages and
brownouts. Not to mention solar’s key role in decarbonizing (10) the energy grid. By working together with larger-
scale wind and solar farms, rooftop solar units help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, paving the way for a
cleaner and more reliable energy future.
E4:
16. accommodate pedestrians
17. proliferation
18. the frontage zone
19. newspaper racks
20. cash influx
21. capture demand
22. short driving trips
23. segways
24. entered the lexicon
25. drafting standards
You’ve seen them. Zipping through the streets. Blocking the sidewalks. Dockless electric scooters have appeared
virtually overnight in dozens of cities. So far this year, millions of rides were taken on little machines just like this.
And their operators have raised billions in investments. So if you haven’t yet, chances are you're going to see
stuff like this pretty soon.
We see the scooters navigating through pedestrians. We see them being left anywhere. And this creates
problems for a number of people. Problems indeed. If people on dockless scooters or bikes keep using the
sidewalks … it’s going to get crowded.
the purpose of the sidewalk has changed considerably over the last 100 years. when cities first started building
sidewalks, the reason for them was to accommodate pedestrians on the street. But this was not the only use of
sidewalks. A lot of that happens before the automobile. This is a street scene from San Francisco in 1906. Notice
the man, holding a baby, just, walking straight through traffic. Nobody seems too concerned. they are quite
relaxed about it and they also know how to navigate the street.
But, eventually cars got bigger and faster. Traffic had to separate. We start seeing with the proliferation of the
cars, many cities start widening their streets. and of course this happens at the expense of the sidewalk because
a lot of times the buildings were pretty much set. So a sidewalk that was 12 — 15 feet becomes 6 - 8 feet. Which
is pretty unfair for pedestrians. Because there is a lot more happening on sidewalks than walking. There’s the
frontage zone — in cities, a business might put a cafe or signs there. Then there’s the furniture zone, full of
streetlights, newspaper racks, and benches. Because sidewalks have frontage and furniture zones, pedestrians
have smaller space to travel than it might seem. Some vigilantes have taken the space issue into their own hands
And many cities have used pilot programs to really get the scooters under control. These pilots are likely to
extend. After all, cities need alternative modes of transportation. First it takes vehicles off the street Because
people who might be using ride hail, or taxis, or another personal vehicle, might instead opt for this other solution
if a person takes a subway or a bus to a certain station or stop, and they still live a mile away from that station,
they have to figure out how to get there
Even in cities with exceptional levels of public transportation, many residents have to travel a ‘last mile’
If dockless vehicles are deployed in areas like this, residents could make better use of public transportation. And
not just rely on cars. Because what many people will do is say ‘I don’t have a last mile option that works for me.
I’m just going to drive the whole way. The cash influx for scooter-share is a really a bet. Investors hope that e-
scooters can capture demand in underserved transportation deserts, without adding congestion And the scooters
might pull that off. One survey found robust support for e-scooters as a substitute for short driving trips. But the
scooters won’t work if their riders have to compete for space with pedestrians and cars.
We’re reaching a point in cities across America, where it’s time to get people out of their cars and allow people
more modes. Smaller transportation — bikes, segways, scooters — they only work when cities make space for
them. Planners can do this by designing ‘complete streets’. So complete streets is a new term that entered the
lexicon of planning and transportation planning relatively recently. but basically it is inspired by earlier streets
where you used to have all these different sorts of uses social uses of the streets and sidewalks not only street
for cars vehicular users
Complete streets start by reducing the amount of space given to cars. Making space for protected bus bulbs,
wider sidewalks, street level plazas, and buffered bike lanes.
Scooters will be a more realistic last mile option when cities build networks of complete streets.
So, worry not, dear pedestrians — even if the scooters are here to stay…Cities are drafting standards for this
brave new world of alternative transportation. With any luck, the love for scooters just might push cities to invest
in safer, more accommodating streets.
E5:
16. state-sanctioned 17. self-police 18. access 19. harmonious 20. a cure-all
system Socialist society
21. inappropriate 22. designated 23. digital-based 24. preferential 25. government re-
treatment education camps
