Verbs used to describe trends:

fall

decline
decrease
drop
fall
slide

extreme fall

crash
collapse
plummet
plunge

rise

climb
rise
increase

extreme rise

soar
rocket

steady

recovery

flatten out
level off
stabilise

up and down

bounce back fluctuate

rally
recover

Adjectives and adverbs:

Degree of change:
slight/slightly

Speed of change:

considerable/considerably
significant/significantly
substantial/substantially
rapid/rapidly

quick/quickly

dramatic/dramatically
sharp/sharply
sudden/suddenly

swift/swiftly

Prepositions:

I Describe the following trends:

a) fluctuate b) plunge c) increase
f) recover
g) dip
h) peak

1.

2.

6.

7.

d) decline e) rocket
i) stabilise

3.

4.

8.

5.

9.

II Match the phrases and the trends:

a) sales peaked b) prices crashed
c) sales dipped
d) prices levelled off
e) sales bounced back
f) prices climbed
g) sales fluctuated
h) inflation soared

1.

5.

2.

6.

3.

4.

7.

8.

III Fill in the gaps using words from the following list:

demand (x2)

lowest

at (x2)

in

highest

consumption (x2)

twice

peaks

1. The daily ______ of electricity in England is about ______ as high in the winter compared to the summer.
2. During the winter, ______ for electricity ______ ______ around 45,000 units between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m.
3. During the summer, ______ of electricity is at its ______, at about 20,000 units, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
4. ______ for electricity is ______ its ______ between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. ______ both seasons.

IV Fill in the gaps:

fluctuated
derived

risen
shows
figure
stable
conclusion
steadily
increase

fluctuation
maintain rising
slightly
rising
dominant

The graph ______________ energy consumption in the U.S. from 1980 to 2012 and projected consumption to 2030.
Petrol and oil are the ______________ fuel sources through this period, with 35 quadrillion (35q) units used in 1980,
_______________ to 42q in 2012. Despite some initial ______________, from 1995 there was a steady
______________. This is expected to continue, reaching 47q in 2012.
Consumption of energy ______________ from natural gas and coal is similar over the period. From 20q and 15q
respectively in 1980, gas showed an initial fall and coal a gradual increase, with the two fuel equal between 1985 and
1990. Consumption has ______________ since 1990 but both now provide 2q. Coal is predicted to increase
______________ to 31q in 2030, whereas after 2014, gas will remain ______________ at 25q.
In 1980, energy from nuclear, hydro and solar/wind power was equal at only 4q. Nuclear has ______________ by 3q,
and solar/wind by 2. After slight increases, hydropower has fallen back to the 1980 ______________. It is expected to
______________ this level until 2030, while the others should rise ______________ after 2025.
In ______________, the US will continue to rely on fossil fuels with sustainable and nuclear energy sources remaining
relatively insignificant.

V The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia and France in 1980 and
2000. Complete the description using the expressions below.

approximately
accounted for
enormously
produced
under
significantly
dramatically
total
hand
charts
The pie _______________ show the amount of electricity that was _______________ from 5 different
sources in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000, together with the _______________ production of
electricity in those years.
Overall, there are two key points to note. First, the total production of electricity in both Australia and France
increased _______________ between 1980 and 2000, a rise of between 70% and 100% in a 20 year period.
Secondly, the source of the electricity was very different in the two countries.
Looking at the charts in more detail, we can see that in Australia the amount of electricity produced from coal
increased rapidly from 50 to 130 units, which _______________ more than 75% of the total production of
electricity in 2000. In France, on the other _______________, the amount of electricity produced from coal
remained stable at _______________ 25 units. This means that the percentage produced from coal declined
_______________.
It is also noteworthy that in France the production of electricity from nuclear power grew _______________
from 15 to 126 units, representing just _______________ 75% of the total production in 2000, whereas in
Australia no electricity was produced from nuclear power.

VI The diagram shows how electricity is generated by a hydroelectric dam. Complete the gaps.

reservoir
by-products
converted
renewable
distances
entirely
trapped
connected

illustrates
intake

powerhouse
penstock

The diagram _______________ the basic principles of hydroelectric power. The process requires the
construction of a large dam connected to a _______________. The dam creates a large _______________
and the powerhouse is where the electricity is generated.
First, water _______________ in the reservoir behind the dam is forced through an _______________. It
then flows into a narrow chamber called _______________, where the resulting high pressure turns a turbine.
The turbine is _______________ to a generator in the powerhouse above, and this is where the movement of
the turbine is _______________ into electricity. The resulting electricity leaves the powerhouse via cables
that carry it over long _______________ to where it can be used.
It is interesting to note that a hydroelectric dam creates no harmful _______________ and relies
_______________ on natural forces to produce electricity. After the turbine stage, water flows out through a
second channel and into a river. The process is _______________, thanks to the water cycle in nature.