full transcript
From the Ted Talk by Kate Slabosky: Can the ocean run out of oxygen?
Unscramble the Blue Letters
Human activity is similarly responsible for growing dead zones around the world. So what can be done? In the short term, countries can set ttiehgr regulations on industrial run-off, and ban the duimpng of untreated swgaee into ocean waters. On farms, we can plant buffer znoes composed of trees and sbhrus to absorb runoff. However, long term souointls will require radical changes to the way we grow food. Farmers are currently incentivized to use techniques that reduce the health of the soil and rely heavily on nitrogen-rich fertilizers. But there would be less need for these chemicals if we restore the soil’s natural nutrients by pilanntg diverse crops that manage soil erosion and fertility. Hopefully we can make these fundamental changes soon. Because if we don’t, the fruute of our marine ecosystems may be dead in the water.
Open Cloze
Human activity is similarly responsible for growing dead zones around the world. So what can be done? In the short term, countries can set _______ regulations on industrial run-off, and ban the _______ of untreated ______ into ocean waters. On farms, we can plant buffer _____ composed of trees and ______ to absorb runoff. However, long term _________ will require radical changes to the way we grow food. Farmers are currently incentivized to use techniques that reduce the health of the soil and rely heavily on nitrogen-rich fertilizers. But there would be less need for these chemicals if we restore the soil’s natural nutrients by ________ diverse crops that manage soil erosion and fertility. Hopefully we can make these fundamental changes soon. Because if we don’t, the ______ of our marine ecosystems may be dead in the water.
Solution
- tighter
- planting
- shrubs
- zones
- dumping
- sewage
- solutions
- future
Original Text
Human activity is similarly responsible for growing dead zones around the world. So what can be done? In the short term, countries can set tighter regulations on industrial run-off, and ban the dumping of untreated sewage into ocean waters. On farms, we can plant buffer zones composed of trees and shrubs to absorb runoff. However, long term solutions will require radical changes to the way we grow food. Farmers are currently incentivized to use techniques that reduce the health of the soil and rely heavily on nitrogen-rich fertilizers. But there would be less need for these chemicals if we restore the soil’s natural nutrients by planting diverse crops that manage soil erosion and fertility. Hopefully we can make these fundamental changes soon. Because if we don’t, the future of our marine ecosystems may be dead in the water.
Frequently Occurring Word Combinations
ngrams of length 2
collocation |
frequency |
dead zone |
4 |
dead zones |
2 |
algae growth |
2 |
coastal waters |
2 |
human activity |
2 |
Important Words
- absorb
- activity
- ban
- buffer
- chemicals
- composed
- countries
- crops
- dead
- diverse
- dumping
- ecosystems
- erosion
- farmers
- farms
- fertility
- fertilizers
- food
- fundamental
- future
- grow
- growing
- health
- heavily
- human
- incentivized
- industrial
- long
- manage
- marine
- natural
- nutrients
- ocean
- plant
- planting
- radical
- reduce
- regulations
- rely
- require
- responsible
- restore
- runoff
- set
- sewage
- short
- shrubs
- similarly
- soil
- solutions
- techniques
- term
- tighter
- trees
- untreated
- water
- waters
- world
- zones