English Learning for Beginners: Global Issues Vocabulary

Dialogue

Alice: Hey Bob, guess what I heard on the news this morning? My brain felt super global!

Bob: Oh, Alice? Tell me! Was it about how my coffee machine is globally warming my kitchen?

Alice: Haha, almost! It was about climate change. They said the ice is melting! Like, really melting, not just my ice cream.

Bob: Oh, climate change! So that’s why my socks are always wet when it rains? I thought it was just bad luck.

Alice: Well, it’s a bit more than wet socks, Bob. It means the Earth’s weather is getting a bit… confused. Hotter here, colder there.

Bob: Confused weather, I get that! My hair is like that some mornings. What about pollution? Is that why the sky sometimes looks a bit… grey? Like my mood before coffee.

Alice: Exactly! Pollution is when there’s too much rubbish in the air or water. Like when I accidentally drop my entire snack bag in the ocean. Oops.

Bob: You dropped your snack bag in the ocean? Alice! That’s a serious environmental issue!

Alice: It was a very small snack bag! But yes, it’s an environmental issue. And what about people not having enough food? What’s that called?

Bob: Ah, that’s food insecurity. My fridge sometimes suffers from that after a long weekend. But for people, it’s serious.

Alice: Right! And when lots of people move from one country to another, what’s that big word?

Bob: That’s migration! Like when all the birds fly south for winter, but with suitcases and passports.

Alice: Ha! Good one. And what about when people don’t have enough money or homes?

Bob: That’s poverty, Alice. A very serious problem. It’s like not having any pizza money, but for your whole life.

Alice: Wow, these global issues are… surprisingly simple when you put them like that!

Bob: They are! But they’re big problems that need big solutions. Maybe we should start with my wet socks.

Alice: Agreed, Bob. Small steps!

Current Situation

Global issues are problems that affect people and the planet around the world. These are not just local problems but challenges that require cooperation from many countries to solve. For example, climate change refers to the long-term shift in global weather patterns, leading to more extreme weather events. Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances into the environment, damaging air, water, and land. Poverty means a lack of money, food, and basic needs for a large number of people. Food insecurity is when people do not have reliable access to enough affordable, nutritious food. Lastly, migration is the movement of people from one place to another, often to find a better life or escape difficult situations. Understanding these terms helps us talk about important topics.

Key Phrases

• Climate change: The long-term change in Earth’s climate.

  Example: We need to do more about climate change.

• Pollution: Harmful things in the air, water, or land.

  Example: Car fumes cause air pollution.

• Environmental issue: A problem related to the natural world.

  Example: Saving endangered animals is an important environmental issue.

• Food insecurity: Not having enough food to eat regularly.

  Example: Many families face food insecurity in some parts of the world.

• Migration: When people move from one place to another.

  Example: Bird migration happens every year. Human migration is more complex.

• Poverty: The state of being very poor.

  Example: Reducing poverty is a global goal.

• Global issue: A problem that affects the whole world.

  Example: Global warming is a serious global issue.

Grammar Points

1. The Present Simple Tense

   We use the Present Simple to talk about facts, habits, and things that are generally true. Global issues are often discussed using this tense because they are ongoing facts.

   Example from dialogue: “It means the Earth’s weather is getting a bit… confused.”

   Example: “Pollution is when there’s too much rubbish…”

2. Using “Too much” and “Enough”

   • Too much: Means more than what is needed or good.
   • Enough: Means the right amount, or sufficient.

   Example from dialogue: “Pollution is when there’s too much rubbish in the air or water.”

   Example from dialogue: “People don’t have enough food.”

3. Asking Questions for Information (Wh-questions)

   We use “What…?” and “What about…?” to ask for information or to change the topic to something related.

   Example from dialogue: “What about pollution?”

   Example from dialogue: “What’s that called?”

Practice Exercises

Exercise 1: Match the word with its meaning.

1. Climate change
2. Pollution
3. Poverty
4. Food insecurity
5. Migration

• a. Not having enough food to eat regularly.
• b. When people move from one place to another.
• c. Harmful things in the air, water, or land.
• d. The long-term change in Earth’s climate.
• e. The state of being very poor.

Exercise 2: Complete the sentences using “too much” or “enough”.

1. There is _______ plastic in the ocean. It’s bad for fish.
2. I don’t have _______ money for a new phone right now.
3. We need _______ clean water for everyone.
4. Don’t put _______ sugar in your coffee! It will be very sweet.
5. He has _______ food to share with his friends.

Exercise 3: Answer the questions.

1. What is one global issue mentioned in the dialogue?
2. What does “food insecurity” mean?
3. What happens when there is “too much” rubbish in the air or water?