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English Refresher · CEFR B2 · Unit 8

Society & Global Issues

Compare trends and societies with comparatives and superlatives. Practice, check your answers, and study the flashcards.

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Speaking

Compare & Discuss

What to do: Work in pairs. Talk about society and global issues. There is no score — just speak and listen.
Audio 1Listen to an example
Listen to someone describe an issue they care about, then describe yours.

Talk about it

  • What is the biggest global issue today? Why is it more urgent than others?
  • Is your country better or worse than fifty years ago? Compare it.
  • Use a superlative: "The most important thing we can do is…"
Featured Reading

The World in Numbers

Read the full interactive article of global statistics and do the comprehension quiz.

Read it →
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Reading

A World of Cities

What to do: Read this short extract from the unit article. Then answer the questions and tap Check Answers. (Read the full article using the link above!)

About 8.2 billion people now share the Earth — more than at any point in history. One of the biggest changes is where we live: today, more than half of humanity (about 56%) lives in cities.

We are also more connected than ever. Around 6 billion people — roughly three-quarters of the planet — now use the internet, although the poorest still have the least access.

1. About how many people now share the Earth?
2. More than ______ of humanity now lives in cities.
3. About how many people use the internet?
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Listening

The Class Project

What to do: Listen two times. Then complete the sentences and answer the questions.
Audio 2Maya and Leo discuss world facts

Maya: Did you know more than half the world now lives in cities?

Leo: Really? That's higher than I thought. It's much more crowded than in our grandparents' time.

Maya: Exactly. And there are more internet users than ever — about six billion.

Leo: That's almost three-quarters of everyone! The world has never been more connected.

Maya: True, but inequality is still one of the biggest problems. The gap between rich and poor is wider in some places.

Leo: Yeah. Poverty is lower than it was twenty years ago, though.

Maya: That's the most hopeful fact. Fewer people live in extreme poverty than a generation ago.

Leo: So things are getting better and more complicated at the same time.

1. More than ______ the world now lives in cities.
2. There are about ______ billion internet users.
3. Poverty is ______ than it was twenty years ago. (comparative of "low")
4. How does Leo describe the world's connection?
5. What does Maya call the most hopeful fact?
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Grammar

Comparatives & Superlatives

What to do: Put the adjective in brackets into the correct comparative or superlative form.
1. Cities are ______ than villages. (crowded)
2. This is ______ problem in the world. (big — superlative)
3. Poverty is ______ than it was before. (low)
4. The internet has made the world ______ than ever. (connected)
5. Education is one of ______ ways to fight poverty. (good — superlative)
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Word Order

Build the Comparison

What to do: Tap the words in the correct order. Tap a word in your answer to put it back. Then tap Check Answers.

1.

2.

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Writing

An Opinion Paragraph

What to do: Write an opinion paragraph (about 80–100 words) about a global issue. Use comparatives and superlatives. There is no automatic score — use the checklist.
Example: "In my opinion, inequality is the biggest challenge our world faces. The gap between the richest and the poorest is wider than ever, even though the world is far richer than it was a century ago. Education is one of the most powerful tools we have: the more children who go to school, the fairer society becomes. We are more connected than any generation before us, so we have no excuse. The most important thing is to act, not just to talk."
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Vocabulary

Flashcards

What to do: Tap a card to reveal the meaning and an example. These are the key words for this unit and the reading.
inequalitynountap to reveal
an unfair difference in wealth or opportunity"Inequality is a major global issue."
povertynountap to reveal
the state of being very poor"Education helps people escape poverty."
discriminationnountap to reveal
treating people unfairly because of who they are"Laws aim to stop discrimination."
a refugeenountap to reveal
a person forced to leave their country for safety"The charity supports refugees."
literacynountap to reveal
the ability to read and write"Literacy rates are rising worldwide."
urbanizationnountap to reveal
the move of people into cities"Urbanization is speeding up."
sustainable developmentnountap to reveal
growth that doesn't harm the future"Sustainable development protects the planet."
to raise awarenessphrasetap to reveal
to help more people learn about an issue"The campaign raised awareness of poverty."
a charity (NGO)nountap to reveal
an organization that helps people in need"She works for a children's charity."
living standardsnountap to reveal
how comfortable and wealthy daily life is"Living standards have improved."

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