British 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
| British English | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| a global issue | a problem for the whole world | Water shortage is a global issue. |
| carbon emissions | the CO2 that goes into the air | We need to cut carbon emissions fast. |
| economic growth | an increase in the size of an economy | Can we have economic growth without more emissions? |
| weigh up | consider carefully | We have to weigh up the costs and the benefits. |
| a trade-off | a balance between two things you can't both have | There's always a trade-off between growth and the environment. |
| at the expense of | harming (something else) | Growth at the expense of the planet isn't real progress. |
| developing countries | poorer countries that are growing their economies | Developing countries pay the highest price. |
| a knock-on effect | an indirect result (British) | It has a knock-on effect on food prices. |
| a double-edged sword | something with both good and bad effects | Cheap flights are a double-edged sword. |
| irreversible | impossible to undo | Some of the damage may be irreversible. |
| there's no silver bullet | there's no simple solution | There's no silver bullet for climate change. |
| on a global scale | across the whole world | It has to be tackled on a global scale. |
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.