English Unlimited HAK/HUM 4/5, Schulbuch mit Audio-CD und CD-ROM (mit Handelskorrespondenz)

22 Global issues 02 LANGUAGE SKILLS EXPLORE EXTRAS Imagine you have to prepare a presentation about the world’s wealth in 2050 for your classmates. In pairs, speculate about the future wealth of the following continents:   North America    South America    Europe    Africa    Asia Also decide which areas will be the most and least populous ones. Use expressions from 2a. Mini research project. Research one of the following topics or one of your own. Take notes.   countries producing the most greenhouse gases   countries using the internet most   countries with the highest rates of teenage pregnancies   countries with the highest rate of obesity Try to draw a map that illustrates your findings and write a short description. Present your maps in class and explain which countries or regions would be the biggest and which the smallest. Look at the text and underline the different ways to talk about the future. SPEAKINg 5 a WRITING AND SPEAKING 6 b LANguAgE FOCuS 7 Talking about the future By 2050, the Earth’s population is due to reach 9.07 billion. In Africa, Southern Asia and Eastern Asia, there will be 62% of people – numerically this is the same as if all the world’s current population lived just in these regions. In addition, another 3,000,000,000 are set to spread across the rest of the world. The world’s population in the year 2050 “The choices that today’s generation of young people aged 15–24 make about the size and spacing of their families are likely to determine whether Planet Earth will have 8, 9 or 11 billion people in the year 2050.” (United Nations Population Fund, 2005) Which expressions in the table indicate: 1 something that will happen soon? 2 something that will certainly happen? Note: Is due to, is set to and is to are used for planned or predictable events. The project is due to be completed this year. (This is the plan.) The CEO is to step down tomorrow. The expenses are set to double by the end of next year. (If the current trend continues.) On the verge of /On the brink of mean “it could happen at any minute.” I’m so exhausted, I’m on the verge / on the brink of giving up. Rewrite these sentences. 1 The order will arrive very shortly. (point) 2 The meeting will take place on 23 May. (due) 3 I think I’m going to turn down that job. (verge) How can you talk about the future when you are less certain? Example: Life is unlikely to be so different in 2050. a 8 b a 9 + infinitive + noun or verb + -ing is due to is sure to is set to is to is about to on the point of on the verge of on the brink of Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv