Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. harsh
    • ex. The harsh rain left the entire city in flood.
  2. the spotlight
    • ex. The celebrity has been in the spotlight recently because of her new movie.
  3. a standard
    • ex. Workers in the factory should wear proper clothes. That’s part of the factory’s work safety standards.
  4. expose
    • ex. Nurses and doctors are usually exposed to bacteria. They need to protect themselves.
  5. a warehouse
    • ex. The warehouse is full of used clothes, bags, and shoes. These items will be given to the fire victims.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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This summer, the Southwestern United States and other parts of the country experienced many days of harsh heat. And this put the spotlight on one of the effects of climate change. There is an increasing number of deaths and injuries among people who work in extreme heat. And the US government’s extreme heat protection policies aren’t enough, according to Ladd Keith, an assistant professor at the University of Arizona.

The country doesn’t have a heat standard. And most of the hottest US states don’t have heat standards either. What does this mean? Some types of employees are exposed to extreme heat, including people working outdoors and those in the kitchen and warehouses. But without a national standard, it’s hard to decide whether an employer is breaking the law or not.

In 2021, Biden’s administration introduced a plan to develop heat safety standards that needs several years of review. But thankfully, a group of Congress members created a law that will speed up the creation of heat safety standards. And when the national heat safety standards become available, all 50 states should comply.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Summer Heat

  • Do you enjoy the summer heat? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Imagine it’s summer the whole year. What do you think will happen? Discuss.
  • Imagine a person is exposed to extreme heat. What illnesses can he/she get? Discuss.

Safety Standards

  • Why are safety standards important? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, what temperature is too hot to stay outdoors? Discuss.
  • In creating a heat safety standard, do you think it’s important to ask for the public’s opinion? Why or why not? Discuss.