full transcript

From the Ted Talk by Sophia Kianni: Language shouldn't be a barrier to climate action

Unscramble the Blue Letters

because most people in the world don't speak English. In fact, 75 percent of them do not speak einslgh at all. Yet, according to a 2012 study on Scopus, the world's largest database for peer-reviewed journals, 80 percent of articles are written entirely in English. Even the United Nations' IPCC report, widely regarded as one of the most renowned pieces of camtile literature in the world, is only officially available in the six UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and ssiapnh. But these are languages that account for less than half of the world's speaking population. Meaning, the mijortay of people on our plnaet are unable to understand the documents and areemgntes being issued by the world's highest inannieatotrl political body. This lack of easily accessible documents and resources leads to mooistfamrinin and low pibulc interest around tackling issues such as climate canghe.

Open Cloze

because most people in the world don't speak English. In fact, 75 percent of them do not speak _______ at all. Yet, according to a 2012 study on Scopus, the world's largest database for peer-reviewed journals, 80 percent of articles are written entirely in English. Even the United Nations' IPCC report, widely regarded as one of the most renowned pieces of _______ literature in the world, is only officially available in the six UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and _______. But these are languages that account for less than half of the world's speaking population. Meaning, the ________ of people on our ______ are unable to understand the documents and __________ being issued by the world's highest _____________ political body. This lack of easily accessible documents and resources leads to ______________ and low ______ interest around tackling issues such as climate ______.

Solution

  1. majority
  2. spanish
  3. climate
  4. international
  5. misinformation
  6. agreements
  7. change
  8. public
  9. english
  10. planet

Original Text

because most people in the world don't speak English. In fact, 75 percent of them do not speak English at all. Yet, according to a 2012 study on Scopus, the world's largest database for peer-reviewed journals, 80 percent of articles are written entirely in English. Even the United Nations' IPCC report, widely regarded as one of the most renowned pieces of climate literature in the world, is only officially available in the six UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. But these are languages that account for less than half of the world's speaking population. Meaning, the majority of people on our planet are unable to understand the documents and agreements being issued by the world's highest international political body. This lack of easily accessible documents and resources leads to misinformation and low public interest around tackling issues such as climate change.

Frequently Occurring Word Combinations

ngrams of length 2

collocation frequency
climate change 9
climate education 3
speak english 3
severe lack 2
climate resources 2
translate climate 2
climate information 2
single person 2

Important Words

  1. accessible
  2. account
  3. agreements
  4. arabic
  5. articles
  6. body
  7. change
  8. chinese
  9. climate
  10. database
  11. documents
  12. easily
  13. english
  14. fact
  15. french
  16. highest
  17. interest
  18. international
  19. ipcc
  20. issued
  21. issues
  22. journals
  23. lack
  24. languages
  25. largest
  26. leads
  27. literature
  28. majority
  29. meaning
  30. misinformation
  31. officially
  32. people
  33. percent
  34. pieces
  35. planet
  36. political
  37. population
  38. public
  39. regarded
  40. renowned
  41. report
  42. resources
  43. russian
  44. scopus
  45. spanish
  46. speak
  47. speaking
  48. study
  49. tackling
  50. unable
  51. understand
  52. united
  53. widely
  54. world
  55. written