Listening

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. dense
    • ex. Cities usually have a dense population because people from smaller towns move to find jobs there.
  2. consumption
    • ex. Consumption of food and drinks that have a lot of sugar is bad for one's health.
  3. import
    • ex. The small country imports rice from other countries since it doesn’t have enough land to plant rice.
  4. exacerbate
    • ex. The hot weather exacerbated my headache.
  5. a reservoir
    • ex. The city gets its drinking water from a large reservoir nearby.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

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Singapore is a Southeast Asian country with a dense population. It has a fast-growing economy. However, despite its success, Singapore is experiencing challenges due to the lack of natural water resources and increasing water consumption. In fact, the country imports water from Malaysia. According to Singaporean government research, climate change will exacerbate water problems, so Singapore is focusing on solutions like collecting rainwater and recycling water waste to make sure they have enough water.

Singapore has become known globally for its advanced water technology. The country has several reservoirs that collect rainwater. It has plants that change saltwater into clean water that people can use for drinking and cooking. It is home to nearly 200 water companies and over 20 research centers. Moreover, the country regularly hosts the International Water Week.

But despite Singapore’s progress with water technology, there are still some concerns. Harry Seah, deputy chief executive of operations at Singapore’s National Water Agency, says that more work is still needed for the country. “After more than two decades we are still constantly analyzing the water,” he said.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Water Problems

  • Why is it a big problem for a fast-growing economy like Singapore when there are not enough water resources? Discuss.
  • Do you think your country has the same water problems as Singapore? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • According to Singaporean government research, climate change will exacerbate water problems. How do you feel about this? Discuss.

Singapore

  • Singapore is a Southeast Asian country with a dense population. Do you think Singapore is a good country to live in? Why or why not? Discuss.
  • Imagine that you're living in Singapore. What would you do to conserve water? Discuss.
  • Singapore has become known globally for its advanced water technology. Do you think your country should work with Singapore to learn about its water technology? Why or why not? Discuss.