News Article

Scientists say New York City is sinking by up to four millimetres a year under the weight of all its skyscrapers. A team of geophysicists from the United States Geological Survey calculated that there are 1,084,954 buildings in the city, weighing around 764 billion kilograms. This weight does not include fixtures and fittings in buildings, the transport infrastructure, or the weight of the city’s 8.5 million inhabitants. Lead researcher Dr Tom Parsons said the gradual subsidence, coupled with rising sea levels, could make New York prone to natural disasters. He warned that “every additional high-rise building could contribute to future flood risk,” especially along coastal and riverfront areas.

The researchers compared what is happening to New York to the problems Venice and Jakarta are having. Venice is experiencing more floods despite the construction of a $5.3 billion system of sea walls.

Indonesia is building a new capital city from scratch because Jakarta is sinking. The United Nations has forecast that 70 per cent of the world’s population will inhabit cities by 2050. Parsons said: “When you build a city and it gets full of people, you end up with subsidence.” He warned that New York City was “emblematic of a place that people migrate to and that obviously has a high concentration of construction.” Increasing urbanisation will exacerbate problems for cities

VOCABULARY MATCH

Paragraph 1

1. skyscraper                    a.    The   basic   physical   and   organizational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings,  roads)needed for town , city
2. geophysicist                 b.    Relating to the study of the earth’s physical  structure and substance.
3. geological                    c.    Someone who studies the physics of the earth.
4. fixtures and fittings      d.     Likely   or   liable   to   suffer  from,  do,   or experience    something unpleasant        
5. infrastructure                e.     A very tall building of many storeys.
6. subsidence                 f.     Things that are attached to a house and equipment needed to make a house a home.
7. prone                        g.     The gradual sinking of an area of land.

Paragraph 2

8. floods                       h.     From the very beginning.

9. from scratch              i.      Of a person moving to a new area or

                                                country in order to find work or better living conditions.

10. inhabit                       j.     The process of making an area into a town or city.
11. emblematic               k.     Of a person, animal, or group living in a

                                                place or environment.

12. migrate                     l.      The    relative    amount    of    a    particular

                                               substance contained within a solution or mixture or in a particular volume

                                               of space.

13. concentration            m.    Serving as a symbol of a particular quality

                                                 or concept; symbolic.

14. urbanisation              n.     Overflows of large amounts of water beyond

                                                 its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land.

 TRUE / FALSE: Read the news article. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).

1. New York City’s buildings are causing the city to sink.    T / F
2. New York City has over one million buildings.    T / F
3. New York City’s weight of 764 billion kilograms includes its inhabitants.  T / F
4. A scientist said every new building increases the risk of floods.    T / F
5. The cities of Venice and Jakarta are also sinking.    T / F
6. Jakarta is being replaced by a new city that is being built.    T / F
7. Half of the world’s population will live in the countryside by 2050.    T / F
8. Increased migration to the countryside will bring problems for cities.    T / F

 SYNONYM MATCH: (The words in bold are from the news article.)

1. weight
2. fittings
3. inhabitants
4. gradual
5. contribute
6. from scratch
7. forecast
8. emblematic
9. migrate
10. exacerbate

1. residents
2. from the beginning
3. slow
4. relocate
5. mass
6. worsen
7. typical
8. furnishings
9. play a part in
10. predict

COMPREHENSION

1. What kind of scientists conducted this study?

2. How much do all the buildings in New York City weigh?

3. How many people live in New York City?

4. What did a scientist say could contribute to the flood risk?

5. Where is the risk of floods greatest in New York City?

6. What other cities does the article say are sinking?

7. What cost Venice $5.3 billion?

8. How much of the world’s population will live in cities by 2050?

9. What did a scientist say you end up with if you fill a city with people?

10. What will exacerbate problems for cities?

PUT THE WORDS IN THE CORRECT ORDER

1. under   of   the   Sinking   skyscrapers   .   all   its   weight

2. does   include   and   not   This   fittings   .   weight   fixtures

3. 8.5   million   The   the   inhabitants   .   weight   city’s   of

4. natural   disasters   .   to   prone   It   could   New York   make

5. future   building   risk   .   to   could   contribute   High-rise   flood

6. experiencing   the   more   construction   .   Venice   is   despite   floods

7. new   from   It’s   a   city   scratch   .   capital   building

8. gets   and   a   build   full   .   You   city   it

9. people   Emblematic   migrate   to   .   of   that   a   place

10. for   cities   .   urbanisation   problems   Increasing   will   exacerbate

SPELL CHECK

Paragraph 1

1. A team ofsypeighsicsot

2. the United StatesoglilecGao Survey

3. This weight does not includeirfxuets and fittings

4. the transportnatirrursctufe

5. the city’s 8.5 millioninahbnttisa

6. especially alongacoltas and riverfront areas

Paragraph 2

7. Venice is experiencing moreflosod

8. The United Nations hasartefsoc that 70 per cent

9. you end up withsbncuiseed

10. alebtiemmc of a place that people migrate to

11. a hightearicocnntno of construction

12. Increasing urbanisation willaetxbaceer problems