What things do you think your country is better at than other countries?

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1 What things do you think your country is better at than other countries? B Say which of these statements you think are true and then read the first part of the article and check your ideas: The United States eats the most meat, has the most guns per capita and has the most airports, roads, railways, billionaires and volcanoes. Petrol in Venezuela costs $0.01 a litre. Venezuela has produced six Miss World winners. The UK and the US come second with five each. More people (as a percentage of total population) smoke marijuana in the US than in any other country. Iceland consumes the most electricity per capita. Costa Rica is the most cheerful country on Earth. More people visit Spain than any other country on Earth. India is the cheapest country in the world. Japan is the hardest-working country in the world. Telegraph February 2017 What each country is number one for We examine what various countries around the world are number one for. United States - Eating meat, owning guns and making billions The US tops countless tables. It eats the most meat (120kg per person, per year, putting it clear of Kuwait, Australia, the Bahamas and Luxembourg), owns the most guns (112.6 for every 100 residents; Serbia comes next with 75.6), and has the most airports (13,513), flight departures (9,553,214 in 2014), roads (6,586,610km), railways (224,792km), billionaires (540), and volcanoes (173). Venezuela - Cheap petrol and Miss World winners Thanks to a policy of heavy subsidisation, petrol costs just $0.01 a litre in Venezuela, according to the fuel analyst website globalpetrolprices. com. That s just one per cent of the global average, $0.97. The country has produced six Miss World winners, putting it ahead of the UK (5), India (5) and the US (3). Iceland - Smoking weed and electricity consumption An estimated 18.3 per cent of Iceland s population smokes marijuana, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, putting it ahead of the US (16.2 per cent) and Nigeria (14.3 per cent). Iceland also consumes the most electricity per capita, pipping Norway and Bahrain. 1/4

2 Costa Rica - Happiness Costa Rica is the most cheerful country on Earth according to the annual Happy Planet Index. Released last summer, it ranks 140 destinations according to what matters most - sustainable wellbeing for all. Costa Rica took the top spot for the second year running - ahead of Mexico and Colombia. France - Michelin stars and tourism More people visit France (84.5 million in 2015) than any other country on Earth (the US comes next, followed by Spain, China and Italy). Why? It s got everything, including mountains for skiing and hiking, beaches to lie on, chateaux and cultured cities to explore, and more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other nation. India - Cheap living India is the cheapest country in the world according to a Numbeo survey of around 50 items, including a wide variety of accommodation, food and drink from both supermarkets and restaurants, clothing, taxi fares, leisure activities, utility, internet and mobile phone bills. Mexico - Hard work The hardest working country of all is Mexico, according to the OECD. The average citizen of the Central American country works 2,246 hours a year, or 43.2 hours a week - more than any other. In second place is Costa Rica; South Korea, Greece and Chile complete the top five. Furthermore, Mexico observes fewer bank holidays (just seven) than any other nation. B b Which of the facts do you find the most surprising? How does your country rate on each of the facts? For example, how many hours a week does the average person work in your country? Discuss these questions and then read the second part of the article and check your ideas: 1 Suriname is the country with the highest percentage of forest area. What percentage of the country is covered in trees? 2 Which country has the tallest people and what are the average heights of men and women there? 3 Which country has the shortest people? 4 Which country belches out more CO2 per capita and at the same time is the place where a natural disaster is least likely to strike? 5 Which country, popular with honeymooners, has the highest divorce rate? Suriname - Trees The country with the highest percentage of forest area, according to World Bank, is Suriname, 95 per cent of which is covered in trees. The top five is completed by Micronesia, Seychelles, American Samoa (the most obese place on Earth) and Palau. 2/4

3 b Number One For What? The Netherlands - Height A typical Dutchman is 1.838m tall, while its ladies average 1.699m, making it the tallest nation on the planet. Montenegro, Denmark and Norway come next. The shortest? Indonesia. Qatar - CO2 emissions and safety Qatar belches out more CO2 per capita than anywhere else (35.73 tonnes annually). It is followed by Curacao and Latvia (the planet s most polluted country, however, is Pakistan). It is also the country on Earth where a natural disaster is least likely to strike. The most dangerous? Vanuatu, followed by Tonga and the Philippines. The Maldives - Divorce Ironically, given that it s so popular with honeymooners, the Maldives has a divorce rate of 10.97, earning it recognition in the Guinness Book of Records. The UN even estimates that the average Maldivian woman, by the age of 30, has been divorced three times. What do you think is behind the Maldives high divorce rate? Discuss other countries and say what you think they are number one at. For example England. V Choose the best definition for the highlighted words in these extracts from the article: 1 The US tops countless tables. a) very many b) a few c) some 2 Thanks to a policy of heavy subsidisation, petrol costs just $0.01 a litre in Venezuela a) small in amount b) great in amount c) moderate in amount 3 Iceland also consumes the most electricity per capita, pipping Norway and Bahrain. a) uses b) buys c) produces 4 It s got everything, including mountains for skiing and hiking a) jogging b) running c) walking 5...taxi fares, leisure activities, utility, internet and mobile phone bills. a) important services (such as water, electricity, or gas) b) insurance c) tax 6 The UN even estimates that the average Maldivian woman, by the age of 30, has been divorced three times. a) unluckiest b) typical c) native V Write sentences of your own with the words above. e.g. There are countless ski resorts in the Alps. 3/4

4 E Look at this extract from the article: Telegraph February 2017 Furthermore, Mexico observes fewer bank holidays (just seven) than any other nation. = Furthermore is a linking word. Which box would you put it in below? expressing contrast summarising giving examples generalising highlighting reformulating ordering stating the obvious adding information expressing alternatives describing results comparing V V Now write these words and expressions in the correct boxes. as a rule on the whole for instance however in conclusion in particular in brief for example namely generally particularly especially in other words rather to put it more simply firstly similarly secondly obviously clearly naturally finally also moreover in addition alternatively on the other hand another possibility is so therefore as a result equally likewise Write sentences of your own with the linking words you would like to learn. 4/4

5 Teacher s notes 1 student pages 4 week of low-intermediate+ (A2+) V Choose the best definition for the highlighted words in these extracts from the article: 1 a) 2 b) 3 a) 4 c) 5 a) 6 b) V Now write these words and expressions in the correct boxes. expressing contrast summarising giving examples but although however overall in conclusion in brief for example for instance namely generalising highlighting reformulating generally on the whole as a rule in particular particularly especially in other words rather to put it more simply ordering stating the obvious adding information firstly secondly finally obviously clearly naturally furthermore moreover in addition expressing alternatives describing results comparing alternatively on the other hand another possibility is so therefore as a result equally likewise similarly also