Unit 23: Climate Change Debates
Warm-up and Vocabulary
Hello, Earth Defenders! Welcome to Unit 23. Is it getting hotter in Indonesia lately? Today, we are reading about a very hot topic: Climate Change. But we are not just reading for fun; we are training to be editors. In the TOEFL test, you will see very long, confusing sentences. Your job is to cut the ‘fat’ and find the ‘meat’ (the core meaning). Don’t worry about big, difficult words. We will learn how to ignore them and focus on the main message. Let’s cool down these complex sentences!
Vocabulary List
Read the list below carefully. You will need these words to understand the context of the reading.
- Climate Change: A long-term change in the earth’s weather patterns (getting hotter or colder).
- Debate: A discussion where people express different opinions.
- Evidence: Facts or objects that make you believe something is true.
- Fossil Fuel: Coal, oil, or gas (energy sources that pollute).
- Emission: Gas/smoke sent out into the air.
- Predict: To say what will happen in the future.
- Essential: The most important part; necessary.
- Omit: To leave out or delete.
- Cause: The reason something happens.
- Effect: The result of an action.
Activity 1: Let’s Discuss
Look at the questions below. Think about your answers or discuss them with a partner.
- Do you think the weather in your city is hotter now than it was when you were a child?
- Who is responsible for climate change? Is it factories, cars, or just nature?
- If you see a very long English sentence with difficult words, do you panic or try to find the subject?
Don’t Panic! Just Find the Core.
In the TOEFL Reading section, you will be asked: “Which sentence best expresses the essential information in the highlighted sentence?”
Long sentences are like sandwiches. They have Bread (Essential Info) and Pickles/Sauce (Extra Info). You need the Bread.
Strategy 1: Find the S-V-O (Subject – Verb – Object)
Ignore the difficult adjectives. Ask: Who did What to Whom?
- Complex Sentence: “The massive, ancient volcano, which had been sleeping for centuries, suddenly erupted with great force, covering the sky in ash.”
- Simplify it: The volcano erupted.
Strategy 2: The Trap Detector (Elimination)
When choosing the right answer, look out for these 3 Traps:
- The Liar (Contradiction): The answer says the opposite of the original sentence.
- The Ghost (Missing Info): The answer leaves out the most important fact.
- The Gossip (Wrong Focus): The answer focuses on the small details (the pickles), not the main idea (the bread).
Example:
- Original: “Although electric cars are expensive, they are becoming popular because they help reduce pollution.”
- Core Meaning: Electric cars are popular because they are clean, even if they cost a lot.
- Trap (The Ghost): “Electric cars are very expensive.” (Missing the part about popularity and pollution).
- Trap (The Liar): “Electric cars increase pollution.” (False).
Skill Practice
Complete the following 4 exercises.
Exercise 1: Word Search
Exercise 2: Matching Definitions
Exercise 3: Find the Core
Exercise 4: Simplification
Choose the sentence that best expresses the essential information of the bold sentence. Beware of traps!