‘A lifeline for dirty cars’: EU backs new air pollution limits, but not until 2035
Level 3: Advanced – Teacher’s notes
3. Comprehension check
Article summary: The article talks about the
EU’s agreement on pollution limits a. Students answer the questions based on the
information in the article. They may do this in
Time: 60 minutes different ways, e.g., in item 1, they may say,
‘The European Parliament agreed to limit the
Skills: Reading, Speaking, Writing concentration of several dangerous substances in
the air’ or similar.
Language focus: Word families (-tion)
Key (suggested answers):
Materials needed: One copy of the 1. limit the concentration of several dangerous
worksheet per student substances in the air
2. in five years
3. that it was great news and an important step
1. Warmer forward, even though it will happen later
4. 5 micrograms (µg/m3)
a. This activity aims to get students to think about our 5. because they are small enough to pass into
planet’s significant environmental issues. To help the bloodstream, spread through the body and
them rank these issues, ask them to consider how damage organs
they impact their lives, families, communities, and 6. 300,000
beyond. Encourage students to cite examples and 7. a slow-moving pandemic
give reasons to back up their opinions. 8. He says there is a risk of driving bans, closing
construction sites, and closing industrial plants.
2. Key words 9. 90 billion Euros at 15 µg/m3; 123 billion Euros
at 5 µg/m3
a. Ask students to do the exercise individually and 10. blood pressure, smoking, diet, air pollution
compare their answers in pairs or small groups.
4. Key language
Key:
1. pollutant 9. bloodstream a. Students could be asked to do this exercise
2. concentration 10. slow motion individually and then compare their answers in
3. backlash 11. compensation pairs. The nouns (and some of the verbs) are used
4. epidemiologist 12. comply in the article. As an extension activity, you could
5. alignment 13. accelerate ask students to go back to the text and find where
6. particle 14. rollout they appear.
7. breach 15. lifeline
8. guideline Key:
Verb Noun
b. Before reading the article carefully, students pollute pollution
use some of the key words to fill the gaps in the
administrate administration
sentences to ensure that they understand and know
how the words are used in other contexts. negotiate negotiation
construct construction
Key: misinform misinformation
1. backlash 6. rollout oppose opposition
2. slow motion 7. comply
compensate compensation
3. compensation 8. pollutants
direct direction
4. accelerate 9. bloodstream
5. guidelines 10. breach
D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA
Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.
M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC
Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS
T
O
H
AN
•P
C
‘A lifeline for dirty cars’: EU backs new air pollution limits, but not until 2035
Level 3: Advanced – Teacher’s notes
b. Students could be asked to do this exercise
individually and then compare their answers in pairs.
Key:
1. pollute
2. administration
3. negotiate
4. construction
5. misinformed
6. oppose
7. compensated
8. directions
5. Discussion
a. Students discuss the statements related to the
article and give their reasons and justifications for
each answer, referring to their own experiences
wherever possible.
6. In your own words
a. Ask students to research air pollution. They can do
this more generally, or you can ask them to focus on
the WHO’s research and guidelines, the EU’s stance
or any other aspect they’re interested in.
b. Students could then present their reports to the
class. Encourage students to share the information
they’ve gathered and their opinions about the
issue. Encourage students to use a few of the
phrases given. D •
TE E E
SI AD L
EB LO B
W N IA
Published by Macmillan Education Ltd. © Macmillan Education Limited, 2023.
M W P
O DO O
FR BE OC
Home >> Adults >> General English >> NEWS LESSONS
T
O
H
AN
•P
C
