WATCHING THE WORLD

( A supplementary reading for IELTS Speaking & Writing)

Spain
A group of scientists believe that human activity may have influenced the 2011
earthquake at Lorca, in southern Spain, which killed nine and injured dozens. The
geologists found a correlation between the deadly quake and locations from which
huge quantities of underground water had been extracted for irrigation.

China
Tourists from China spent $102 billion (U.S.) on international travel in 2012. According
to the UN World Tourism Organization, this figure for the first time ranks China top
among spenders in international tourismahead of Germany and the United States.
International tourists from each of these two countries spent about $84 billion (U.S.).

Japan
A study reported on in BMJ, a British medical journal, followed almost 68,000 people
in Japan for an average of 23 years. Researchers found that women born between
1920 and 1945 who began smoking before age 20 lived an average of ten years less
than women who had never smoked; men lived eight years less.

Mauritania
The importation, manufacture, and use of plastic bags have been banned in order to
protect the lives of marine and land animals, which can die after ingesting them. The
government is promoting the use of biodegradable alternatives instead.

World
Insurance losses resulting from weather disasters average about $50 billion (U.S.) a year. Such losses, adjusted for
inflation, have more than doubled every decade since the 1980s.
1
Quality English Clinic
Note2

WATCHING THE WORLD

( A supplementary reading for IELTS Speaking & Writing)

World
Every year, nearly 3 million babies die within the first month of life, most from preventable
causes. More than a third of these babies die on their first day of life.Save the Children
International.

Britain
In 2011, according to Public Health England, in 15 London boroughs, there was an increase in
deaths from particulate-matter air pollution. Ironically, diesel has been promoted as green
because it is more fuel efficient and emits less carbon dioxide. However, 91 percent of particulatematter air pollution in that area comes from diesel vehicles.

Russia
According to a 2013 survey conducted by Russias Public Opinion Foundation, about 52 percent of Russians who identified themselves
as Orthodox Christians said that they have never read even a part of the Bible, and 28 percent said that they rarely prayed.

Africa
Confusion over who owns farmland is hindering agricultural production and perpetuating poverty,
notes a World Bank report. Half the worlds uncultivated usable landsome 500 million acres
(202 million ha)is in Africa, where agricultural productivity is said to be at a quarter of its
potential.

United States
A number of schools and universities are replacing textbooks with electronic tablets that are
loaded with the necessary reading material, software, apps, and other media. Whether this is
more cost-effective, however, has been questioned.

2
Quality English Clinic
Note2