Part 2 "Fossils Fuel"

• Engels
• Middelbare school
• mavo, havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 2

Part 2 - Fossil fuels

Grammar & Vocab

The orange colour shows a grammar subject from the Basics. You can click the Basics tab on the left to find the explanation.

The blue colour shows words that might be new or difficult. You can use an online dictionary to find the meaning. You can add these to your personal word list.

Questions in English will be answered in English. Questions in Dutch can be answered in English and Dutch.

Task 1 Basis

Read this text about fossil fuels and answer the questions.

Fossil Fuel

All the machines of modern life require energy to make them run. About 90 percent of that energy comes from burning fossil fuels. Fossil fuels include petroleum (oil), coal, and natural gas. These materials are called fossil fuels because, like fossils, they are the remains of organisms that ………. (1. to live) long ago. Organisms are plants, animals, and other living things.

How fossil fuels formed

Fossil fuels ………. (2. to form) in the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago. Dead organisms ………. (3. to sink) into mud and rock. Over time many layers of rock ………. (4. to build) up. The remains of the organisms slowly changed in form to become different kinds of fossil fuels. Coal ………. (5. to come) from plants. Petroleum and natural gas came mainly from microscopic organisms such as algae.

Task 1 Basis continue.....

Read this text about fossil fuels and answer the questions.

Users and producers

Fossil fuels and their products have many uses. Power plants use fossil fuels to produce electricity. People heat their homes and other buildings by burning fossil fuels. Gasoline, a product made from petroleum, fuels cars and other kinds of motorized equipment.

Many countries produce fossil fuels. The greatest producer of petroleum is Saudi Arabia. Russia has the largest reserves of natural gas. Major coal-producing countries include the United States and China. The United States uses more fossil fuels than any other country.

Task 1 Basis final part.....

Read this text about fossil fuels and answer the questions.

Disadvantages of fossil fuels

Since the late 1700s people have been using fossil fuels at a faster rate than ever before. But the planet’s supply of fossil fuels is limited. Fossil fuels are called non-renewable resources. Once they are used up, they will be gone forever.

The use of fossil fuels harms the environment as well. When petroleum and coal burn, they release harmful gases. These gases react with moisture to create acid rain, a dangerous form of pollution. Burning fossil fuels also increases the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere. This warming, called the greenhouse effect, may be harmful to living things.

For these reasons scientists and engineers have developed new ways to generate power without using fossil fuels. For example, some cars are now powered by electricity instead of gasoline. Homes can be heated by sunlight. Some electric power plants run on nuclear energy, water power, or wind power.

 

In the text there are some words that you need to put in the past tense. Write down the word between bracket in the correct form.

1. These materials are called fossil fuels because, like fossils, they are the remains of organisms that ………. (1. to live) long ago.

In the text there are some words that you need to put in the past tense. Write down the word between bracket in the correct form.

2. Fossil fuels ………. (2. to form) in the Earth hundreds of millions of years ago.

In the text there are some words that you need to put in the past tense. Write down the word between bracket in the correct form.

3. Dead organisms ………. (3. to sink) into mud and rock.

In the text there are some words that you need to put in the past tense. Write down the word between bracket in the correct form.

4. Over time many layers of rock ………. (4. to build) up.

In the text there are some words that you need to put in the past tense. Write down the word between bracket in the correct form.

5. The remains of the organisms slowly changed in form to become different kinds of fossil fuels. Coal ………. (5. to come) from plants.

1. Why are fossil fuels called fossil fuels?

2. How are fossil fuels created?

3. What are fossil fuels used for?

4. What are the problems with fossil fuels ?

Task 2 Basis

Watch this video how fossil fuels are created and used.

After watching, write a summary about what you have learned in the video. 

In your summary, make sure you use past tenses and answer these questions:

• What are fossil fuels?
• How are fossil fuels created?
• How are the different types of fossil fuels used?
• What is the problem with fossil fuels?

In your summary, make sure you use past tenses and answer these questions:

1. What are fossil fuels?
2. How are fossil fuels created?
3. How are the different types of fossil fuels used?
4. What is the problem with fossil fuels?

Task 3 Uitbreiding

Want to learn even more about the fossil fuel industry and how we are told lies about renewable energy? 

Watch this video and answer the questions on the next slides!

(I will review on your answers, so don't worry if your answer isn't the same. I can't fill in more than one answer.) 

1. What are the most important inventions of the first Industrial Revolution?

2. When did people start using oil on a large scale?

3. Why do they say we are now living in the third Industrial Revolution?

4. What happened in November 2018?

5. Who will be the leaders of the third Industrial Revolution?

6. Why are so many more electric cars being sold than a few years ago?

7. How can we build a power grid that is based on green energy?

8. What can we do to pay for this new system, according to the video?

9. Will it be a problem that people lose their jobs in the fossil fuel industry?

Task 4 Basis

Some people think we need to use more nuclear energy instead of green energy. 

Read this text about nuclear energy to learn more about it then answer the questions.

Task 4 Basis 

Read this text about nuclear energy to learn more about it.

What is Nuclear Energy?

Nuclear energy is a very powerful type of energy which is used to create electricity. It is created when the middle of an atom (or nucleus) changes. An atom is the smallest unit of matter and is made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. The nucleus is made up of protons and neutrons and when it is changed in some way, heat energy is created, which is what creates nuclear energy.

What is Nuclear Energy Used For?

We use nuclear energy for electricity, and we can even make bombs with it. Nuclear energy uses uranium as a fuel, which is a non-renewable resource, which means that we will eventually run out of this fuel.

We use uranium because we have much more of it in the world than fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. Nuclear energy also lasts much longer than traditional fossil fuel energy.

Task 4 Basis cont......

Read this text about nuclear energy to learn more about it.

How is Nuclear Energy Produced?

Atoms make up everything in the universe and are held together with strong forces. To make electricity, energy must be released from these atoms. This can be done in two ways: nuclear fusion and nuclear fission.

In “nuclear fission,” atoms are broken apart, and the energy released is used to generate electricity at power plants. It generates heat in a nuclear reactor. The heat is used to boil water into steam. The steam turns huge turbine blades, which drive generators that make electricity. Afterward, the steam is changed back into water and cooled down. The water can be used again and again. Additionally, nuclear-generated energy releases no carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Nuclear fission releases a lot of energy. For example, the fission of 0.5kg of uranium produces as much energy as burning 3 000 tons of coal!

Task 4 Basis cont......

Read this text about nuclear energy to learn more about it.

In “nuclear fusion,” energy is released when atoms are combined or fused together to form a larger atom. This is how the sun produces energy!

A nuclear reactor is the machine in a power plant where fission takes place. Tiny pieces of uranium get stacked up in long metal tubes, which form the core of the reactor. These rods are held under water to keep them cool and if they get too hot, they melt, causing radioactive material to be released. This is very dangerous to the environment and people and can make you very sick!

Task 4 Basis cont.....

Read this text about nuclear energy to learn more about it.

Is Nuclear Power Safe?

This question has been asked for many years. Nuclear power is very efficient; one small piece of uranium can produce as much electricity as 150 gallons of oil. Many see nuclear power as an alternative energy source, but solar and wind energy are far less dangerous.

Nuclear power plants must be taken care of properly to avoid a meltdown. The radioactive waste that is produced must be stored carefully so that it does not come into contact with the outside environment. Most nuclear fuel is stored under water, but a few reactors store their older and less radioactive fuel in dry storage facilities outside using special concrete or steel containers with air cooling.

Task 4 Basis final......

Read this text about nuclear energy to learn more about it.

Nuclear power plants are designed to be safe, but accidents have happened. In 1986, a very serious accident happened at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. Radioactive gases leaked out of the plant and into the air, which ruined crops and livestock and made people very sick. A similar accident happened when a tsunami damaged a power plant in northern Japan in 2011.

Did You Know? Even clothes can become contaminated when radiation is produced. Any material that becomes contaminated can remain radioactive for thousands of years!

1. Nuclear energy = kern energie. Waarom wordt deze vorm van energy kern energie genoemd?

2. Leg in je eigen woorden uit hoe kernenergie gemaakt wordt.

3. Geef twee voorbeelden van momenten waarop het mis ging met het produceren van kern energie.

Geef een overzicht van de voordelen van kern energie:

Geef een overzicht van de nadelen van kern energie:

What do you think? Should we make more use of nuclear energy?

Write a short text (in English) in which you explain what you think, and give arguments to support your opinion.

Task 5 Reading Uitbreiding 

Would you like to learn more about nuclear energy and are you up for a challenge? Read this text on the National Geographic website:

copy and paste this link in the web-browser:

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/nuclear-energy/

This might be a very good source to use for your upcoming Masterpiece assignment!

Task 6 Video Uitbreiding

Are you interested in nuclear energy? In how it can be a solution to the climate problem or would you like to know even more about its dangers? 

Watch this video and answer the questions on the next slides. 

Again, this is a very good source for you Masterpiece assignment!

1. Wat verstaan ze hier onder energie?

2. Waarom is het zo moeilijk om van fossiele brandstoffen af te komen?

3. Waarom is het nodig om meer gebruik te maken van elektriciteit?

4. De afgelopen 20 jaar is het gebruik van kernenergie hetzelfde gebleven. Hoe komt dat?

5. Hoe weten we dat kernenergie een goede oplossing kan zijn?

6. Wat zijn een aantal nadelen die genoemd worden met betrekking tot kernenergie?

7. Wat zijn de uitdagingen met betrekking tot zon, wind en water energie?

8. Wat zijn belangrijke vragen die we moeten beantwoorden om dit probleem op te lossen?

9. In het laatste deel van de video worden een aantal meningen weergegeven. Wat is jouw mening? Hebben we kernenergie nodig? Kunnen kernenergie en hernieuwbare energie (zon, wind, water) samen bestaan?

You're done! Up next is part 3.