New York City sinking four millimetres a year

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Simply English

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New York City sinking four millimetres a year

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.

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Vocabulary Matching Paragraph One.

The basic physical and organisational structures and facilities (e.g. buildings, roads, power supplies) needed for a town, city or country.

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Relating to the study of the earth's physical structure and substance.

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Someone who studies the physics of the earth.

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Likely or liable to suffer from, do, or experience something unpleasant or regrettable.

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A very tall building of many storeys.

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Things that are attached to a house and equipment needed to make a house a home.

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The gradual sinking of an area of land.

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Vocabulary Matching Paragraph Two.

From the very beginning.

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Of a person moving to a new area or country in order to find work or better living conditions.

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The process of making an area into a town or city.

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Of a person, animal, or group living in a place or environment.

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The relative amount of a particular substance contained within a solution or mixture or in a particular volume of space.

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Serving as a symbol of a particular quality or concept; symbolic.

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Overflows of large amounts of water beyond its normal limits, especially over what is normally dry land.

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Multiple Choice

New York City's buildings are causing the city to sink.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

New York City has over one million buildings.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

New York City's weight of 764 billion kilograms includes its inhabitants.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

A scientist said every new building increases the risk of floods.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

The cities of Venice and Jakarta are also sinking.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Jakarta is being replaced by a new city that is being built.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Half of the world's population will live in the countryside by 2050.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Increased migration to the countryside will bring problems for cities.

• True

• False

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Synonym Match.

weight​

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fittings​

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inhabitants​

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gradual​

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contribute​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

mass

furnishings

residents

slow

play a part in

Drag and Drop

Synonym Match.

from scratch​

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forecast​

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emblematic​

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migrate​

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exacerbate​

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Drag these tiles and drop them in the correct blank above

from the beginning

predict

typical

relocate

worsen

Missing Prepositions