American English · C1 · Unit 9
Global questions
Global questions
By the end you can
- Discuss a global problem and its causes
- Weigh possible solutions against each other
- Understand a long analysis
Words and phrases
| American English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| the root cause | the deepest cause | Poverty is the root cause of many of these problems. |
| a trade-off | giving up one thing to get another | There's a trade-off between growth and emissions. |
| weigh | compare carefully | We have to weigh growth against the environment. |
| there's no silver bullet | there's no single easy solution | There's no silver bullet for climate change. |
| it remains to be seen | we don't know yet | It remains to be seen whether the deal will work. |
| on a global scale | worldwide | Change has to happen on a global scale. |
| carbon emissions | the CO2 that goes into the air | The US cut its carbon emissions last year. |
| renewable energy | energy from the sun, wind or water | Texas produces a lot of renewable energy. |
| exacerbate | make (a problem) worse | Droughts exacerbate food shortages. |
| the developing world | poorer countries | The developing world pays the highest price. |
| long-term | over a long period | We need long-term solutions. |
| a double-edged sword | something with both good and bad effects | Globalization is a double-edged sword. |
Then talk it through
A seminar about climate and economic growth. In the app you have this conversation out loud or typed, with the unit's goals to tick off and corrections at the end.