Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. a glacier
    • ex. Pieces of ice broke off the glacier and floated into the sea.
  2. income
    • ex. They rely on fishing for their income.
  3. unpredictable
    • ex. The weather in the mountains is unpredictable, so hikers must be careful.
  4. accelerate
    • ex. Heavy rain can accelerate flooding in low-lying areas.
  5. overfishing
    • ex. Overfishing in the lake has caused the fish population to decrease.

Article

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

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Fishing in Greenland is becoming more difficult because of climate change. Fisherman Helgi Áargil spends many days on his boat in the cold waters. Last year, his boat got stuck in ice that broke off a nearby glacier. This year, there have been heavy rains instead. His income is also unpredictable. One trip may earn about 100,000 Danish kroner (about ¥2.4 million), but another may bring nothing.

Scientists say the northernmost region is warming faster than other parts of the world because of burning oil, gas, and coal. These changes may accelerate problems for Greenland’s fishing industry. Fishing is extremely important for the island’s economy and makes up to about 95% of the products sold to other countries. Many fish are sold to countries such as China, the United States, and Japan.

Traditional fishermen are seeing the biggest changes. In the past, many people fished on thick sea ice, but much of that ice has disappeared since the late 1990s. Now, more fishermen use boats to reach wider areas. However, experts warn that if too many boats fish in the same places, it could lead to overfishing and smaller fish in the future.

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

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Fishing and Overfishing

  • Do you think fishing will be easier or harder in the future? Why? Discuss.
  • Fishing is extremely important for Greenland’s economy. How important is fishing to your country’s economy? Discuss.
  • In your opinion, how serious is the problem of overfishing? Discuss.

Traditional Jobs in a Country

  • Traditional jobs are seeing the biggest changes because of climate change. Besides fishing, what other traditional jobs do you think could change because of climate problems (ex. farming)? Discuss.
  • Helgi’s income is unpredictable; sometimes a lot, sometimes nothing. Would you prefer a job with a fixed salary or a job where you can earn a lot at once? Why? Discuss.
  • In Greenland, 95% of the products sold to other countries are fish. Do you think it’s a good idea for a country to depend on only one industry? Why or why not? Discuss.