ESL WORKSHEET - New York sinking

LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERS

NEW YORK CITY SINKING DUE TO SKYSCRAPERS

LinguaHouse

Jun. 5, 2023

Level: Mixed Levels (A2-B1 and B1-B2)
Type of English: General English
Tags: Breaking News; Homes and Buildings; Playing Games; 18+ Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; Article Based; Vocabulary Lesson
Publication date: 06/05/2023

A breaking news lesson about recent research showing that New York City is sinking due to the weight of its skyscrapers, with a news report detailing the story and an article examining five other examples of sinking cities. Students will learn related vocabulary, practice reading and listening skills and reinforce their new vocabulary with conversation practice (by David J. Marriott).

• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L3).
• CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L4).
• CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.

AUDIO TRANSCRIPT

Newsreader: New research has found that New York City, the biggest city in the US, appears to be sinking under the weight of its skyscrapers.
The sinking is making the effects of rising sea levels worse, putting residents at risk of flooding. New York City has been damaged by floods twice in recent history, with Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Hurricane Ida in 2021 resulting in several deaths and widespread damage.
The water surrounding the city has risen over 8 inches since 1950, due to a combination of global warming and the incredible weight of the buildings.
The team behind the research calculated that the city’s structures weigh 1.68 trillion pounds, equivalent to the weight of 140 million elephants.
There are concerns that repeated exposure to seawater, such as through flooding, could damage the foundations of New York City’s famous skyscrapers.
However, the problem is not limited to New York. Other large cities around the world are facing similar issues. Some parts of Jakarta in Indonesia, for example, are sinking at a rate of .7 to 3 inches per year.

Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/new-york-city-sinking-due-to-skyscrapers. Accessed on June 7, 2023. © 2008–2023 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.