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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr6PFWSlxzg

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Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie

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Wie wird der Selbsttest von Siemens durchgeführt?

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Tsunami 2004 BBC  2014

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2004 indian ocean earthquake and tsunami (disaster)

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Subscribe to BBC News www.youtube.com/bbcnews Andrew Harding returns to Aceh 10 years after the devastating tsunami struck. Subscribe to BBC News HERE http://bit.ly/1rbfUog Check out our website: http://www.bbc.com/news Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/bbcworldnews Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bbcworld Instagram: http://instagram.com/bbcnews

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What to include in your CV and how to write it

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How to find out what your skills are for your CV and job hunting

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How to figure out your skills to help you identify your career options.

Figuring out all the skills you have can increase your career options. This will also identify any skill or knowledge gaps.

Why you need to figure out your skills

Figuring out the skills you have will help you:

decide what sort of job you might like

decide what areas you need to focus your study or training on

write your CV if you're applying for a job

Figure out your skills in three steps

Brainstorming can help you figure out your skills. Follow these three steps to create a skills list.

1. List all your paid and unpaid jobs

Make a list of the jobs or positions or responsibility you've had and any voluntary work you've done.

I've never had a job. What are my skills?

If you've never had a job, focus on the skills you've gained from your interests or activities.

You can get skills from activities such as:

playing sports or belonging to teams

helping with hospitality or leadership on your marae

taking part in events such as debates or drama productions

belonging to organisations such as Scouts, Girl Guides, Air Training Corps or Student Volunteer Army

earning awards such as Duke of Edinburgh

having a school leadership role or being a student representative.

You can also learn skills from the subjects you study.

If you study maths, for example, you can learn:

analytical skills

problem-solving skills.

2. List your main tasks or duties for each job

For each job or role, write five or six sentences describing your main tasks, duties or responsibilities.

For subjects you studied at school, think about the assignments and projects you did.

3. List the skills you used or developed for each task or duty

For each task, duty or responsibility, write a sentence describing the skills you used or developed to do them. As you go through your list, ask yourself how advanced you are in that skill.

Get inspiration from job adverts and our job profiles

If you're having trouble figuring out your skills, you can get ideas by checking job adverts to find out what skills employers say they're looking for.

You can also find out more about the types of skills needed for jobs by checking our job profiles

Ask yourself:

Do I have any of these skills?

How can I show that I have this skill?

How to find out your skills - video
How to find out what your skills are for your CV and job hunting - 2.49 mins.
Matt: Need some help getting some skills down, eh? Don't worry your magical guide Matt is here to help! All jobs will expect you to bring some skills with you. Your skills are kind of what make you who you are and they're also your biggest advantage. Skills are what employers are most interested in.

Girl: But I don't know what to put down here.

Matt: That's OK. Don't freak out, even if you don't think you have the skills - you do. Let's go see. So you got a licence? Well, that's a skill - it's a technical one, like knowing a language or a computer program - like Photoshop. There's a whole range of other skills like this that you probably have that you didn't even realise. Hold on, wait for me! So, let's have a look at some of these other types of skills that we can see in this job description, skills you can transfer from other areas of your life. Hmmm ... must be able to work in a team. Hey, heads up! Netball! You show up every week to the game, don't you? You train hard, you work as a group.

Girl: Yeah, but ...

Matt: Well, this is teamwork! This is dedication! In order to find out what skills you do have,you need to look at all areas of your life.

Girl: Mmm.

Matt: And don't be shy, promote yourself! Everyone else does. You gotta put your best foot forward. Ha!

Girl: Thank you.

Matt: Awesome! This volunteer work shows us how well you can manage your time in your weekends, by balancing sport, study and volunteer work. And hey, you're a natural at talking to people, and that shows you've got great communication skills as well! Here you go.

Girl: So the trick is to think about different areas of my life: being in a young enterprise scheme at school, volunteering, after-study activities, sports ... that kind of thing?

Matt: Exactly. Think about the skills the employer is looking for and an example from your life that demonstrates that. Then, describe the activity on your CV and the skill it taught you. It doesn't have to be perfect at this stage, the important thing is you get something down and give it a go.

Girl: Thank you. Bye!

Matt: You may think you don't have any skills, but you do - you just need to know how to spot them. Letting people know what those skills are lets them know just how good you are.

Updated 3 Apr 2020

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How to figure out your skills to help you identify your career options. Figuring out all the skills you have can increase your career options. This will also identify any skill or knowledge gaps.

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Jobseeker Action Verbs: By Skills Categories | LiveCareer

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jobseeker Action Verbs by skills categories

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jobseeker Action Verbs by skills categories

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Remember to use the below action verbs when describing your skills and accomplishments in a resume or cover letter-by doing so, you'll maximize the effectiveness of your accomplishments, and make potential employers take notice. Be sure to use the verbs in their proper context.

Always use action verbs in the when describing responsibilities and accomplishments from a previous job.

Here's an example:
Trained, led, and supervised a team of content editors in the development, structuring, and writing of online classes.

Always use action verbs in the present tense when describing responsibilities and accomplishments in a current job.

Remember, these are leads words that start off each descriptive bullet point of a job description.

Here's an example:
Train, lead, and supervise a team of content editors in the development, structuring, and writing of online classes.

Know that when it comes time build skills into your resume, LiveCareer is here to help. You can get skills building assistance by using our Resume Builder, which offers step-by-step guidance in creating a resume, or by using our resume templates, which are organized by job industry and title.

Action Verbs: Communication/People Skills

Action Verbs: Creative Skills

Action Verbs: Data/Financial Skills

Action Verbs: Helping Skills

Action Verbs: Management/Leadership Skills

Action Verbs: Organizational Skills

Action Verbs: Research Skills

Action Verbs: Teaching Skills

Try it yourself! Add these skills to your resume by using the many tools that LiveCareer offers jobseekers.

Additional Job-Seeker Resources

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Jobseeker Action Verbs: By Skills Categories | LiveCareer

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Remember to use the below action verbs when describing your skills and accomplishments in a resume or cover letter-by doing so, you'll maximize the effectiveness of your accomplishments, and make potential employers take notice. Be sure to use the verbs in their proper context.

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by Michael Cheary
OK, so putting a personal statement together is never easy...
But even if you've written one before, how you write a personal statement will always depend on your current situation. In other words, what you write as a school leaver will look a lot different to someone who has many years of previous work experience.

To help you find the right one for you, here are some real personal statement examples - and how you can use them to make your CV stand out:

Free CV Template

University personal statement

First things first: personal statements aren't just for your CV.

They're also a key part of the UCAS application process, and a way to sell yourself to prospective universities. However, they will be much more detailed - and longer - than the one you write for a job application.

We've covered everything you need to know about personal statements for university here.

School leaver personal statement example

All personal statements should be tailored to the role in question. No exceptions.

Start by answering the following three questions: Why do you want to work in this industry? What skills make you right for the role (hint: use the job description)? And where do you want to go in your career?

However, school leavers should always focus on the latter - and what you can bring to the business, as well as focusing on the knowledge and skills gained through education, rather than employment history. Soft skills are also a great place to start.

Example:

A highly motivated and hardworking individual, who has recently completed their A-Levels, achieving excellent grades in both Maths and Science. Seeking an apprenticeship in the engineering industry to build upon a keen scientific interest and start a career as a maintenance engineer. Eventual career goal is to become a fully-qualified and experienced maintenance or electrical engineer, with the longer-term aspiration of moving into project management.
School leaver CV template
Graduate personal statement example

Similar to a school leaver personal statement, but with extra attention paid to specific things you've studied during higher education.

Once again, try and explain why you're applying and where you'd like to go in your career, as well as the specific skills or knowledge you can offer. But try and drop in a few more details on your degree (projected grades are fine), as well as particular modules that have inspired you to work in this profession - if possible.

And remember: a personal statement written for a CV differs greatly from one written for a university application. If you haven't written one before, you should start by reading our tips on how to write a personal statement.

Example:

A recent business economics graduate with a 2:1 honours degree from the University of X, looking to secure a Graduate Commercial Analyst position to use and further develop my analytical skills and knowledge in a practical and fast-paced environment. My career goal is to assume a role which allows me to take responsibility for the analysis and interpretation of commercial data for a well-respected and market-leading leading company.
Graduate CV template
Unemployed/redundancy personal statement example

Dealing with redundancy is never easy. But when dealt with in the right way, it needn't be a hindrance when making applications.

Put the main focus on your employment history, and provide further information for your break in your cover letter. You don't even necessarily need to mention it again, if you've already explained it elsewhere.

Remember, your personal statement is intended to sell yourself. So emphasise your positives rather than apologising for a negative.

Driven Retail Manager with over ten years' experience in the fashion industry. Proven track record of success, including managing the top performing store in the region, and having the lowest staff turnover rate of all UK outlets. Currently out of work due to company closure, looking for the right opportunity to bring my expertise to a well-established fashion brand in an upper management position.
How to: Deal with redundancy Redundancy CV template
Career break personal statement example

There are many good reasons someone may need to take a career break.

Some possible examples could include parental leave, caring for a family member, plans to travel or long-term illness. However, whatever the reason for your own break, it's never something you should feel the need to justify to a prospective employer.

In fact, knowing how to explain a gap in your CV is mostly about confidence. So leave any extra explanation for your cover letter and focus your personal statement on your career before the break - and any skills learned during your time off which may be applicable to the role.

Example:

A highly motivated and experienced PA, currently looking to resume my professional career after dedicating the last five years to raising a family. Excellent admin skills, thorough knowledge of all Microsoft Office programs, as well as proficiency in minute-taking and extensive experience liaising with clients. After volunteering for one day a week with a local charity to refresh my skills, now fully committed to continuing my career on a full-time basis.
Career break CV template
Career change personal statement example

If you're changing industry completely, think about any transferable skills and applicable to the sector you're moving into.

Any numbers you can give to demonstrate your success could be crucial - even if you're moving into an area where your expertise may seem slightly different. So always aim to back up your claims with real examples.

Focus on one or two achievements, demonstrate the impact they had, and you'll instantly start adding value to your application.
Example:
As an experienced sales manager, my tenacious and proactive approach resulted in numerous important contract wins. My excellent networking skills have provided my team with vital client leads, and my ability to develop client relationships has resulted in an 18% increase in business renewals for my current organisation. After eight years in sales, currently seeking a new challenge which will utilise my meticulous attention to detail, and friendly, professional manner.

Final thoughts

If you're still not sure of what to write, don't panic.

Crafting a winning personal statement will take time, especially if you haven't written one before. Use these examples as a loose structure to follow, and you'll be able to add to them as your experience grows.

And remember: you should always aim to edit your personal statement for each role you apply for. That way, you can ensure you're really selling yourself to their role, rather than simply sending the same generic statement for each application.

It should only take a few more minutes to complete. But if it's enough to attract an employers interest, it will be time well spent in the long run.
How to write a personal statement Personal statement dos and don'ts Still searching for your perfect position? View all available jobs now.

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Personal statement examples | reed.co.uk

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Not sure if you're going in the right direction with your personal statement? Here are some personal statement examples to inspire you.

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How to write a CV (front page)

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Recruitment software now scans your CV for key words and skills used in the job advertisement. This software is used by recruitment agents and many employers. This means that you should change your CV for each job application, using key words from the job advertisement.

Our CV builder helps you change your CV for each job application:

Two types of CV

There are two main types of CV.

1. Skills-focused CV - useful for career changers, school leavers or people with gaps in work history.

2. Work-focused CV - useful for showcasing work experience and for people progressing to the next stage in their career.

Make your CV easy to read

Recruiters take 15-20 seconds to scan your CV the first time. If you make a good impression, they'll read your CV more closely.

To make your CV look good:

use a black, easy-to-read font in one size

use short sentences and break up blocks of text

use bullet points to list information

keep the tone formal

avoid abbreviations, slang or jargon

avoid photos or images

have strong headings and lots of white space

keep your CV to two pages.

Save your CV as a Word document and a PDF

Save your CV as both a Word document and a PDF. An employer may need either one of these file formats.

Label your CV files with your name, the application date, and the job you're applying for.

If you update your Word document, remember to also create a new PDF .

What to put in your CV

A CV must include:

your name and contact details

technical and personal skills

work, and community and volunteer experience

qualifications and education

referees (you can include referees or note that referees are available on request).

A CV could also include:

What not to put in your CV

Don't put:

a photo or images

coloured or fancy fonts or design

your date of birth or age

your marital status, religion or bank account details

too much text and bad spelling

a funny or rude email address

work experience or interests that are not relevant to the job

lies about your experience and skills.

Name and contact details

Include:

Optional:

job hunting profile link, such as LinkedIn or Behance

your professional website or Youtube channel link.

Make sure that:

your email address is work-appropriate, for example, kowhaijoneswork@email.com

your phone voicemail message only gives your name and a request to leave a message.

Objective and personal statement

An objective gives brief details about the type of work and role you would like and the industry you want to work in.

A personal statement gives the employer an idea of who you are in three or four sentences.

You can include:

Both an objective and a personal statement are optional and sit under your contact details.

The skills you put in your CV should be the same skills listed in the job advertisement.

Technical skills

Include a technical skill section in your CV to list skills such as:

driver's licences

languages

computer programmes.

Examples of writing about personal skills in your CV

In a skills-focused CV, list the skills from the job advertisement with examples of how you've used those skills. This should be at the top of your CV.

Strong communication skills

member of Southwest High School debating team

chaired the Mount Gibson Neighbourhood Support committee for two years.

In a work-focused CV, describe your skills in your work history.

2015-2017 Customer Services Representative, Beluga Rental Cars

Demonstrated strong communication skills when advising customers on car insurance.

Find out more about putting skills in your CV.

Work history and work or volunteer experience

List your most recent jobs or work and volunteer experience first. Your work history needs to include:

Beneath this, list the tasks you performed. Also list any achievements.

If you change jobs in the same organisation, include both job titles/roles.

You don't need to list all your work history - keep your CV short.

Examples of work history

If you choose a skills-focused CV:

July 2017-August 2018 Counter assistant Sione's Bakery, Auckland

customer service

increased sales of large coffees by 10%.

If you choose a work-focused CV, describe your skills more:

July 2017-August 2018 Counter assistant Sione's Bakery, Auckland

Responsible for food and drink and customer service in bakery.

demonstrated excellent customer service skills when taking customer's orders

lead sales of large coffees, increasing sales to 10%.

Use action verbs to describe your work history

Use action verbs to describe your work history and skills. These are words like demonstrated, managed, lead, developed, organised.

Gaps in your work history?

If you have gaps where you haven't been in paid work:

Qualifications

List your qualifications or education in the qualifications section of your CV. You can include:

NCEA levels or other school qualifications

school subjects with grades

certificates, diplomas or degrees

micro-credentials and short work-related courses

work-based training

professional development courses, conferences and workshops

online courses.

Format of qualifications section

List the newest or most relevant qualification first. Include:

Achievements

Include an achievements section in your CV if you have important achievements that aren't covered in the skills or work history sections.

You can include such things as:

For each example, note what the achievement was, and when and where you achieved it.

Including your interests on your CV is optional. If you do, make sure you:

include interests that show skills that employers are looking for such as leadership skills

avoid common interests such as watching TV or going out with friends.

Referees talk to employers about your skills, work history and personality.

You need at least two referees. One referee should be your current manager, team leader or work experience supervisor.

Other referees could be a:

Referee contact details should include their:

first and last names

job title

organisation they work for

phone number

email address.

CV templates and examples

See examples of school leaver, skills-focused and work-focused CVs and try our CV templates.

Updated 8 Nov 2021

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How to write a CV employers will want to read.

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describe your skills in a CV
https://www.careers.govt.nz/job-hunting/cvs-and-cover-letters/how-to-describe-skills-in-your-cv/

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The skills in your CV should include skills from the adverts that interest you.

Look at this example:

"We're looking for a conscientious self-starter, proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop, who works well with others and can learn new computer systems easily."

The key words are:

conscientious

self-starter

proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop

teamwork

willingness to learn.

Show how you used skills

For each skill on your CV, include an example that shows how you used or developed it.

You could write:

Conscientious
I collected and managed money from my school's 40 Hour Famine fundraiser.

Self-starter
Ran a coffee kiosk. Managed and counted the till takings, opened and closed kiosk.

Teamwork
Worked with the school trustees to make decisions about school issues. I played netball on a school team for four years and was captain in Year 13.

Willingness to learn
I updated my Microsoft skills (Excel and Word) through online courses.

Make your experience stand out

Employers may get many job applications from people who have, for example, 'good communications skills' or who are 'flexible'.

By showing how you can communicate well and be flexible, your CV can make a stronger impression.

You could write:

Good communication skills
Can follow instructions and ask questions when I need to. I'm confident in front of an audience. I was a member of my school's debating team, took part in school drama productions, and won a regional speech competition.

Flexibility
I usually work after school, but I've taken on later shifts to cover staff shortages.

List technical skills

Employers may be looking for specific skills and recruiters may search for keywords in databases. Be specific when you list your technical skills.

For example, write:

Expert knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Microsoft Office.

Good knowledge of social media platforms and WordPress.

Class 2 driver's licence with F endorsement.

Choose strong words

When you write your examples:

Use 'action' words such as achieved, awarded, organised, led, assisted, managed, increased, developed, built or won

Use positive words to describe yourself and your achievements such as accurate, willing to learn, organised, hardworking, dependable, motivated or creative.

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Make your CV stand out to employers by showing them your skills and how you've used them.

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DSW is a global development organisation

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Discover DSW
We are committed to achieving our vision of a healthy and sustainable world in which all young people, especially girls and young women, can fully realise their true potential. To unleash their power, DSW works hand-in-hand with young people, promotes an enabling environment, and fosters meaningful and inclusive participation. Central to our mission is championing young people's access to youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, supporting sustainable and rights-based population growth.

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Home | DSW is a global development organisation

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We are committed to achieving our vision of a healthy and sustainable world in which all young people, especially girls and young women, can fully realise their true potential. To unleash their power, DSW works hand-in-hand with young people, promotes an enabling environment, and fosters meaningful and inclusive participation.

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Oxford University -Wissenschaftliche Datenbank zu wichtigen Probleme der Gegenwart

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Oxford University -Wissenschaftliche Datenbank zu wichtigen Probleme der Gegenwart

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Research and data to make progress against the world's largest problems

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- Geomedien
- Materialien für den Unterricht z.B. Höhenkarten erstellen, Klimadiagramme verstehen...

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Digitale Geomedien

In dieser Rubrik finden Sie zahlreiche Geo-Werkzeuge von der Geländeanalyse über das Vergleichen lokaler Klimadiagramme bis hin zur Darstellung globaler Bevölkerungsentwicklung. Zusätzlich bieten wir passende Unterrichtsmodule an.

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ZPG-Geographie

Die Zentrale Projektgruppe Geographie (ZPG) stellt Ihnen hier einige Fortbildungsmaterialien zum kompetenzorientierten Unterricht in den Fächern der allgemeinbildenden Gymnasien zur Verfügung.

Mehr erfahren

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Digitale Geomedien In dieser Rubrik finden Sie zahlreiche Geo-Werkzeuge von der Geländeanalyse über das Vergleichen lokaler Klimadiagramme bis hin zur Darstellung globaler Bevölkerungsentwicklung. Zusätzlich bieten wir passende Unterrichtsmodule an. Mehr erfahren ZPG-Geographie Die Zentrale Projektgruppe Geographie (ZPG) stellt Ihnen hier einige Fortbildungsmaterialien zum kompetenzorientierten Unterricht in den Fächern der allgemeinbildenden Gymnasien zur Verfügung.

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vereinfachte und detaillierte Statistiken und Studien der Sozialwissenschaften - von Wissenschaftlern oder unseren Redakteuren verfasst.

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Barrierefreiheit
Barrierefreie Websites sind in Norwegen Pflicht

Unternehmen werden vom staatlichen "Digitaliseringsdirektorat" stichprobenartig kontrolliert. Erfüllt eine norwegische Website die gesetzlichen Kriterien nicht, folgen Sanktionen. Von JOHANN SCHOPPLICH

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Barrierefreiheit Barrierefreie Websites sind in Norwegen Pflicht Unternehmen werden vom staatlichen "Digitaliseringsdirektorat" stichprobenartig kontrolliert. Erfüllt eine norwegische Website die gesetzlichen Kriterien nicht, folgen Sanktionen. Von JOHANN SCHOPPLICH

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China creates a global infrastructure network

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Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS) ist ein unabhängiger Thinktank mit Sitz in Berlin und führendes europäisches Institut der gegenwartsbezogenen China-Forschung. MERICS ist eine Initiative der Stiftung Mercator. MERICS analysiert die politischen, wirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Entwicklungen in China und deren Bedeutung für Europa.

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MarineTraffic: Global Ship Tracking Intelligence | AIS Marine Traffic

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MarineTraffic Live Ships Map. Discover information and vessel positions for vessels around the world. Search the MarineTraffic ships database of more than 550000 active and decommissioned vessels. Search for popular ships globally. Find locations of ports and ships using the near Real Time ships map. View vessel details and ship photos.

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The Power of Youth in Shaping Food Systems

About image

Photo: Laura Thiesbrummel/ Welthungerhilfe, 2018; Melanie (age 18) works in a plant that processes pepper and ginger in Farafangana, Madagascar. Many of the plant employees are single mothers, and this employment provides them with a stable income to feed their children. Hide

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Global Hunger Index 2023: Food Systems Transformation and Local Governance

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The Global Hunger Index is a peer-reviewed annual report, jointly published by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at the global, regional, and country levels. The aim of the GHI is to trigger action to reduce hunger around the world.

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Karten zu Erdbeben - erstellt vom US Geological Survey

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Karten zu Erdbeben - erstellt vom US Geological Survey

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Javascript must be enabled to view our earthquake maps. To access USGS earthquake information without using javascript, use our Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes, Past Day ATOM Feed or our other earthquake feeds.

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Javascript must be enabled to view our earthquake maps. To access USGS earthquake information without using javascript, use our Magnitude 2.5+ Earthquakes, Past Day ATOM Feed or our other earthquake feeds.

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Smithsonian Institution | Global Volcanism Program

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Database updated (4.8.8). General updates to volcano data. Current eruptions updated through 17 April 2020.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, GVP staff will be on work-at-home assignments for an indefinite period. It is expected that the Weekly Report will still be produced on time, but other services such as Bulletin reports and database updates will be delayed.

Database updated (4.8.7). General updates to volcano data. Current eruptions were not updated.

Database updated (4.8.6). General updates to volcano data. Current eruptions updated through 20 February 2020.

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The Global Volcanism Program (GVP) seeks better understanding of all volcanoes through documenting their eruptions--small as well as large--during the past 10,000 years. The range of volcanic behavior is great enough, and volcano lifetimes are long enough, that we must integrate observations of contemporary activity with historical and geological records of the recent past in order to prepare wisely for the future.

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Explore the dynamics of our changing planet over the past three and a half decades.

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Wir helfen Ihnen gern. Mithilfe der unten aufgeführten einfachen Suchfilter können Sie ausführliche Leitfäden und Anleitungen zu den Geo-Tools von Google aufrufen sowie inspirierende Touren samt Unterrichtsplänen, Produktinformationen und vieles mehr.

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Wir helfen Ihnen gern. Mithilfe der unten aufgeführten einfachen Suchfilter können Sie ausführliche Leitfäden und Anleitungen zu den Geo-Tools von Google aufrufen sowie inspirierende Touren samt Unterrichtsplänen, Produktinformationen und vieles mehr.

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Aktuelle Satellitenbilder auswählen und auswerten

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NASA's Visible Earth catalog of NASA images and animations of our home planet

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...zwei Zeitschnitte nebeneinander vergleichbar z.B. Dubai, tropischer Regenwald, Aralsee, Braunkohletagebau, Gletscher

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This page contains archived content and is no longer being updated. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science.

How to Interpret a Satellite Image:
Five Tips and Strategies

By Holli Riebeek Design by Robert Simmon

Satellite images are like maps: they are full of useful and interesting information, provided you have a key. They can show us how much a city has changed, how well our crops are growing, where a fire is burning, or when a storm is coming. To unlock the rich information in a satellite image, you need to:

1. Look for a scale

2. Look for patterns, shapes, and textures

3. Define the colors (including shadows)

4. Find north

5. Consider your prior knowledge

These tips come from the Earth Observatory's writers and visualizers, who use them to interpret images daily. They will help you get oriented enough to pull valuable information out of satellite images.

Look for a Scale

One of the first things people want to do when they look at a satellite image is identify the places that are familiar to them: their home, school, or place of business; a favorite park or tourist attraction; or a natural feature like a lake, river, or mountain ridge. Some images from military or commercial satellites are detailed enough to show many of these things. Such satellites zoom in on small areas to collect fine details down to the scale of individual houses or cars. In the process, they usually sacrifice the big picture.

NASA satellites take the opposite approach. Earth science researchers typically want a wide-angle lens to see whole ecosystems or atmospheric fronts. As a result, NASA images are less detailed but cover a wider area, ranging from the landscape scale (185 kilometers across) to an entire hemisphere. The level of detail depends on the satellite's spatial resolution. Like digital photographs, satellite images are made up of little dots called pixels. The width of each pixel is the satellite's spatial resolution.

Commercial satellites have a spatial resolution down to 50 centimeters per pixel. The most detailed NASA images show 10 meters in each pixel. Geostationary weather satellites, which observe a whole hemisphere at a time, are much less detailed, seeing one to four kilometers in a pixel.

Depending on the image resolution, a city may fill an entire satellite image with grids of streets or it may be a mere dot on a landscape. Before you begin to interpret an image, it helps to know what the scale is. Does the image cover 1 kilometer or 100? What level of detail is shown? Images published on the Earth Observatory include a scale.

You can learn different things at each scale. For example, when tracking a flood, a detailed, high-resolution view will show which homes and businesses are surrounded by water. The wider landscape view shows which parts of the county or metropolitan area are flooded and perhaps where the water is coming from. A broader view would show the entire region-the flooded river system or the mountain ranges and valleys that control the flow. A hemispheric view would show the movement of weather systems connected to the floods.

Look for patterns, shapes, and textures

If you have ever spent an afternoon identifying animals and other shapes in the clouds, you'll know that humans are very good at finding patterns. This skill is useful in interpreting satellite imagery because distinctive patterns can be matched to external maps to identify key features.

Bodies of water-rivers, lakes, and oceans-are often the simplest features to identify because they tend to have unique shapes and they show up on maps.

Other obvious patterns come from the way people use the land. Farms usually have geometric shapes-circles or rectangles-that stand out against the more random patterns seen in nature. When people cut down a forest, the clearing is often square or has a series of herring-bone lines that form along roads. A straight line anywhere in an image is almost certainly human-made, and may be a road, a canal, or some kind of boundary made visible by land use.

Geology shapes the landscape in ways that are often easier to see in a satellite image. Volcanoes and craters are circular, and mountain ranges tend to run in long, sometimes wavy lines. Geologic features create visible textures. Canyons are squiggly lines framed by shadows. Mountains look like wrinkles or bumps.

These features can also affect clouds by influencing the flow of air in the atmosphere. Mountains force air up, where it cools and forms clouds. Islands create turbulence that results in swirling vortices or wakes in the clouds. When you see a line of clouds or vortices, they provide a clue about the topography of the land below.

Occasionally, shadows can make it hard to tell the difference between mountains and canyons. This optical illusion is called relief inversion. It happens because most of us expect an image to be lit from the top left corner. When the sunlight comes from another angle (especially from the lower edge), the shadows fall in ways we don't expect and our brains turn valleys into mountains to compensate. The problem is usually resolved by rotating the image so the light appears to come from the top of the image.

Define Colors

The colors in an image will depend on what kind of light the satellite instrument measured. True-color images use visible light-red, green and blue wavelengths-so the colors are similar to what a person would see from space. False-color images incorporate infrared light and may take on unexpected colors. In a true color image, common features appear as follows:

Water

Water absorbs light, so it is usually black or dark blue. Sediment reflects light and colors the water. When suspended sand or mud is dense, the water looks brown. As the sediment disperses, the water's color changes to green and then blue. Shallow waters with sandy bottoms can lead to a similar effect.

Sunlight reflecting off the surface of the water makes the water look gray, silver, or white. This phenomenon, known as sunglint, can highlight wave features or oil slicks, but it also masks the presence of sediment or phytoplankton.

Frozen water-snow and ice-is white, gray, and sometimes slightly blue. Dirt or glacial debris can give snow and ice a tan color.

Plants

Plants come in different shades of green, and those differences show up in the true-color view from space. Grasslands tend to be pale green, while forests are very dark green. Land used for agriculture is often much brighter in tone than natural vegetation.

In some locations (high and mid latitudes), plant color depends on the season. Spring vegetation tends to be paler than dense summer vegetation. Fall vegetation can be red, orange, yellow, and tan; leafless and withered winter vegetation is brown. For these reasons, it is helpful to know when the image was collected.

In the oceans, floating plants- phytoplankton-can color the water in a wide variety of blues and greens. Submerged vegetation like kelp forests can provided a shadowy black or brown hue to coastal water.

Bare ground

Bare or very lightly vegetated ground is usually some shade of brown or tan. The color depends on the mineral content of the soil. In some deserts such as the Australian Outback and the southwestern United States, exposed earth is red or pink because it contains iron oxides like hematite (Greek for blood-like). When the ground is white or very pale tan, especially in dried lakebeds, it is because of salt-, silicon-, or calcium-based minerals. Volcanic debris is brown, gray, or black. Newly burned land is also dark brown or black, but the burn scar fades to brown before disappearing over time.

Cities

Densely built areas are typically silver or gray from the concentration of concrete and other building materials. Some cities have a more brown or red tone depending on the materials used for rooftops.

Atmosphere

Clouds are white and gray, and they tend to have texture just as they do when viewed from the ground. They also cast dark shadows on the ground that mirror the shape of the cloud. Some high, thin clouds are detectable only by the shadow they cast.

Smoke is often smoother than clouds and ranges in color from brown to gray. Smoke from oil fires is black. Haze is usually featureless and pale gray or a dingy white. Dense haze is opaque, but you can see through thinner haze. The color of smoke or haze usually reflects the amount of moisture and chemical pollutants, but it's not always possible to tell the difference between haze and fog in a visual interpretation of a satellite image. White haze may be natural fog, but it may also be pollution.

Dust ranges in color, depending on its source. It is most often slightly tan, but like soil, can be white, red, dark brown, and even black due to different mineral content.

Volcanic plumes also vary in appearance, depending on the type of eruption. Plumes of steam and gas are white. Ash plumes are brown. Resuspended volcanic ash is also brown.

Colors in Context

Looking at a satellite image, you see everything between the satellite and the ground (clouds, dust, haze, land) in a single, flat plane. This means that a white patch might be a cloud, but it could also be snow or a salt flat or sunglint. The combination of context, shape, and texture will help you tell the difference.

For example, shadows cast by clouds or mountains can be easy to mistake for other dark surface features like water, forest, or burned land. Looking at other images of the same area taken at another time can help eliminate confusion. Most of the time, context will help you see the source of the shadow-a cloud or mountain-by comparing the shape of the shadow to other features in the image.

Find North

When you get lost, the simplest way to figure out where you are is to find a familiar landmark and orient yourself with respect to it. The same technique applies to satellite images. If you know where north is, you can figure out if that mountain range is running north to south or east to west, or if a city is on the east side of the river or the west. These details can help you match the features to a map. On the Earth Observatory, most images are oriented so that north is up. All images include a north arrow.

Consider your Prior Knowledge

Perhaps the most powerful tool for interpreting a satellite image is knowledge of the place. If you know that a wildfire burned through a forest last year, it's easy to figure out that the dark brown patch of forest is probably a burn scar, not a volcanic flow or shadow.

Having local knowledge also allows you to connect satellite mapping to what's happening in everyday life, from social studies, economics, and history (for example, population growth, transport, food production); to geology (volcanic activity, tectonics); to biology and ecology (plant growth and ecosystems); to politics and culture (land and water use); to chemistry (atmospheric pollution); and to health (pollution, habitat for disease carriers).

For example, land ownership and land use policy is contrasted in the pair of images below. In Poland, small parcels of privately owned land surround the Niepolomice Forest. The government has managed the forest as a unit since the thirteenth century. While the canopy isn't a solid, unbroken green, the forest is largely intact. The lower image shows a checkerboard combination of private and public land near Washington's Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. The U.S. Forest Service manages the forest under a mixed use policy that preserves some forest, while opening other sections to logging. Lighter green areas indicate that logging has occurred on federal, state, or private land. Parcels of private land are much larger in this part of the western United States than in Poland.

If you lack knowledge of the area shown, a reference map or atlas can be extremely valuable. A map gives names to the features you can see in the image, and that gives you the ability to look for additional information. Several online mapping services even provide a satellite view with features labeled. Historic maps, such as those found at the Library of Congress or in the David Rumsey Map Collection, can help you identify changes and may even help you understand why those changes occurred.

Whether you are looking at Earth for science, history, or something else, also consider the Earth Observatory as a key resource. The site hosts a rich, deep archive of more than 12,000 interpreted satellite images covering a wide range of topics and locations. The archive includes images of natural events as well as more diverse featured images. If the Earth Observatory does not have an image of an area or topic that interests you, please let us know. We're always looking for new ways to explore our world from space.

Additional articles and educational activities about interpreting satellite images are available on the NASA Earth Science Week web site, Mapping Our World.

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How to Interpret a Satellite Image: Five Tips and Strategies

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This page contains archived content and is no longer being updated. At the time of publication, it represented the best available science. By Holli Riebeek Design by Robert Simmon Satellite images are like maps: they are full of useful and interesting information, provided you have a key.

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KS2 History Vikings learning resources for adults, children, parents and teachers.

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On 23 June 2016, UK adults made a historic decision. They voted for the UK to leave a group of countries called the European Union (EU).

This is called Brexit, made up of the words 'Britain' and 'exit'.

The vote was over three years ago, but it is still a massive issue in UK politics at the moment.

The UK was first due to leave the EU at 11pm on Friday 29 March 2019, but this didn't happen. The UK is still a member of the group and Brexit is now scheduled for the 31 October 2019, although a letter requesting an extension to this date has been requested.

That's because UK and EU politicians are still trying to make the final arrangements for Brexit to happen. Members of Parliament (MPs) have recently shown some support for Boris Johnson's current deal for the arrangements by which the UK will leave the EU, but weren't happy with the amount of time the government was giving them to discuss it.

No country has ever left the EU before, so Brexit is a significant moment in European history.

Read on to find out more about what has happened since the vote in June 2016 and where we're up to now.

How did the Brexit vote happen?

For many years, UK politicians have argued about whether it is better for the UK to be in or out of the EU.

There are many different arguments both for and against being a part of the group, and lots of people have different opinions about it.

Back in 2013, Conservative MP David Cameron promised that if his party won the next general election, he would let UK voters have their say on whether or not the UK should stay in or leave. In 2015, the Conservative Party won that election.

When the Conservative Party won the general election, David Cameron became prime minister and dedicated a lot of his time to renegotiating the UK's relationship with the EU.

Then in February 2016, he set a date for the vote to take place on Thursday 23 June, 2016.

The issue divided many people, as politicians and voters across the UK all chose which side they would choose - remain or leave.

David Cameron said: "The choice is in your hands, but my recommendation is clear. I believe that Britain will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union."

Why was the Brexit vote important?

The UK has been a member of the EU for more than 40 years, so it's a big deal to leave it.

Not only that, but no country has ever left the EU before, so it was - and still is - completely new territory for everyone involved.

What was the Brexit referendum result?

More than 33 million UK adults voted in the referendum. Around 52% of them - just over half - chose to leave the group of 28 countries, while 48% wanted to stay in it.

It was close, but the result was declared - the UK wanted to leave the EU.
Here you can watch the moment that the final result of the referendum was announced.
What happened after the Brexit vote?

Once the result of the vote was announced, David Cameron - who didn't get the result he'd campaigned for - said he was going to resign, and so the UK needed a new prime minister before anything else could happen.

Theresa May took over the job the following month in July 2016.

She spent her time as leader of the UK government trying to sort out what the UK's relationship with the EU would be like when it left.

Why did the UK not leave the EU when Theresa May was prime minister?

Theresa May was prime minister from 13 July 2016 to 24 July 2019, when Boris Johnson took over.

During this time, there was a lot of backwards and forwards between the UK government and the EU about how Brexit would work.

On 29 March 2017, Mrs May officially started the two-year process for the UK to leave the EU by triggering Article 50 - the name given to an agreement between EU members about how a country can leave the group.

Nobody had ever put Article 50 into practice before - until then - so this was a significant moment in the Brexit story.

From when Article 50 was triggered, the UK was left out of making big EU decisions, but still remained a member of the group and had to follow EU rules and agreements.

Mrs May set to work to organise a Brexit deal, which was agreed by EU leaders in November 2018 - four months ahead of the deadline for the UK to leave.

But MPs would not approve her deal and, in the end, it was rejected three times by Parliament.

The March 2019 Brexit deadline was then delayed, as Mrs May struggled to get everyone to agree.

Eventually, unable to get her deal over the finish line, she stepped down as leader of the Conservative Party to make way for somebody else to become prime minister to try to sort out how Brexit would work.

On 24 May 2019, Theresa May officially announced her resignation as Conservative leader, saying: "It will always remain a matter of deep regret for me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit. It is now clear to me that it is in the best interest of the UK for a new (prime minister) to lead that effort," she said.

After a Conservative Party leadership contest, on 24th July 2019 Boris Johnson was chosen to lead the party and also the country as prime minister.

He then set about trying to get a new Brexit deal with European leaders.

But as with Mrs May's deal, one of the most difficult issues to resolve has been the situation with Northern Ireland - the only part of the UK which would have a land border with the EU - as the Republic of Ireland is, and will continue to be, part of the EU.

Why has Brexit taken so long?

UK and EU leaders have had lots of discussions over the last three years about how Brexit will work.

Some of the issues which the Brexit deal will need to cover include:

Immigration and people - With around three million people from other EU countries living, working or studying in the UK, and around two million British people living in other EU countries, politicians have needed to decide what will happen with those in countries where they aren't citizens. They have also needed to decide how immigration will work in the future between the EU and the UK once it is no longer a member, as people would not automatically be able to move across borders as freely as they could before.

Buying and selling - One of the main reasons the EU was set up was to make it easier for EU countries to buy and sell products and services to each other. The UK has needed to work out how it will do trade with EU countries if it is no longer part of something called the single market, which is designed to make doing this easier between EU member countries.

- Countries in the EU share some laws between them. At the moment, British laws and European laws are closely connected. The UK has needed to decide which bits of EU law it wants to keep, and which bits it doesn't. Given how connected EU and British laws are, it's a big job to separate them. The UK might have to keep some rules if it wants to have certain relationships with the EU after leaving.

'Brexit bill' - The UK will need to pay the EU a sum of money when it leaves, although this has been a big point of discussion. This money will cover anything which the UK has already agreed to give funding for, as well as any ongoing payments for certain benefits once it's left. Politicians have needed to agree what this sum of money would be.

Irish border As part of the UK, Northern Ireland is also due to leave the EU, but the Republic of Ireland will remain a member of the EU. Currently, many people move freely across the invisible border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. But once Northern Ireland has left the EU along with the rest of the UK, the border will need to be carefully managed , so politicians have needed to work out how they will do this.

What's the Brexit latest?

What the deal between the EU and the UK should look like is a very complicated issue, and although most MPs want a deal, some think the UK would be better off leaving without any arrangements at all - what's known as a "no-deal" Brexit.

When he became prime minister, Mr Johnson said that the UK would leave the EU on 31 October 2019, "no ifs, no buts" - whether or not a deal has been agreed.

However, because his deal hasn't been passed into law so far, and to avoid a no-deal situation, Mr Johnson has been forced by MPs to ask the EU for another extension of the Halloween Brexit deadline.

EU leaders haven't yet responded to that request.

Boris Johnson has said he'll push for a general election if the European Union (EU) supports a Brexit delay until January.

AFP/Getty Images

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Brexit: What is it and where are we up to? - CBBC Newsround

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On 23 June 2016, UK adults made a historic decision. They voted for the UK to leave a group of countries called the European Union (EU). This is called Brexit, made up of the words 'Britain' and 'exit'. The vote was over three years ago, but it is still a massive issue in UK politics at the moment.

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Brexit is a movement that promotes that the United Kingdom (UK) leave the European Union (EU). The name "Brexit" is a portmanteau (merging two words together) of "British" and "exit".

On 23 June 2016, the UK made a referendum that asked whether the UK should leave the EU. The result was that 51.9% of the UK electorate (the main region of the UK) voted that the UK should leave the EU. The rest wanted the UK to stay in the EU. On 29 March 2017, the UK government said that they will definitely be leaving the EU. This started the procedure of Article 50 of the Treaty on European Union, a law that deals with countries that leave the EU. The UK was expected to fully leave the EU on 29 March 2019 at 11p.m. UTC. The deadline to leave was later changed to 31 October 2019.

In 2019, the House of Commons three times rejected agreements to leave. After new elections, the United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January, 2020.

Below is a timeline of major events relating to Brexit.

24 January: The Parliament must pass legislation (approve of this rule) before Article 50 can be accepted as a law. The UK Supreme Court says that the Parliament must follow this new rule, as explained by the Miller case.

26 January: The UK Government introduces a 137-word bill in Parliament. This ensures that Theresa May can enforce Article 50. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn instructs his MPs to support it.

16 March: The bill receives Royal Assent (royal approval).

29 March: A letter from Theresa May is handed to President of the European Council Donald Tusk to convince him to approve Article 50. Starting from 29 March 2017, the UK will begin to leave the EU by 29 March 2019, a two-year process.

8 April: Theresa May announces that a general election will take place on 8 June.

8 June: A general election is held in the UK. The Conservative Party remains the largest single party but loses its majority. They form a minority government with a confidence-and-supply arrangement with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) of Northern Ireland.

19 June: Brexit negotiations begins.

25 November: All EU members accept a withdrawal agreement.

15 January: The UK House of Commons reject the agreement.

21 March: The UK House of Commons reject it again. Instead, they decided to extend the due date to 31 October instead of 29 March.

24 July: Boris Johnson becomes the prime minister of the United Kingdom.

19 October: The UK House of commons reject Boris' deal and force the prime minster to write to the EU asking to extend the due date to 31 January 2020 instead of 31 October 2019.

28 October: The European Council agrees to extend the Brexit deadline until 31 January 2020.

6 November: Parliament is dissolved as a general election is announced to take place on 12 December.

12 December: A general election is held in the UK. The Conservative party remains the largest party and gains a majority of 80 seats. Labour suffers their worst election since 1935.

20 December: The withdrawal agreement is passed meaning the UK will leave the EU on 31 January.

31 January: At 11 p.m. GMT the United Kingdom officially left the EU.

Images for kids

The Inner Six (blue) and Outer Seven (green) of European integration in 1961

Comparison of results of 1975 and 2016 referendums

Border crossing at Killeen (near Newry), marked only by a speed limit in km/h (Northern Ireland uses mph).

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Brexit is a movement that promotes that the United Kingdom (UK) leave the European Union (EU). The name "Brexit" is a portmanteau (merging two words together) of "British" and "exit". On 23 June 2016, the UK made a referendum that asked whether the UK should leave the EU.

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If you are searching for information, take a look here. It is much easier and better for kids than wikipedia.

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Look at these examples to see how the past continuous and past simple are used.

When I woke up this morning, it was snowing.
I was sleeping when you called me.

Try this exercise to test your grammar.

Grammar test 1

Past continuous and past simple: Grammar test 1

Read the explanation to learn more.

Grammar explanation

The past continuous and the past simple help us to show how two past actions or situations are connected.

Past simple

The past simple shows us that an action was in the past, not in the present. Regular past simple verbs have - ed at the end (e.g. called, played, arrived). Irregular verbs have a different form, usually with a different vowel sound (e.g. wake → woke, break → broke, feel → felt).

My parents called me yesterday.
I woke up early this morning.
Sam played basketball when he was at university.

We make the negative with didn't and the infinitive verb.

My parents didn't call me yesterday.
I didn't wake up early this morning.

We make the question form with did and then the subject and infinitive verb.

Did you wake up early this morning?
Did Sam play basketball when he was at university?

Past continuous

The past continuous shows us that the action was already in progress at a certain time in the past.

What were you doing at 8 p.m. last night? I was studying.

This means that I started studying before 8 p.m. and I continued after 8 p.m.

The past continuous can also show that an activity was in progress for some time, not just for a moment.

We were cleaning the house all morning.

We make the past continuous with was or were and the - ing form of the verb.

She couldn't come to the party. She was working.
Three years ago, we were living in my home town.
I tried to give him some advice, but he wasn't listening.
What were you doing this time last year?

Past continuous and past simple

When we use these two tenses together, it shows us that the past simple action happened in the middle of the past continuous action, while it was in progress.

While I was studying, I suddenly felt sleepy.

We often use these tenses to show an action interrupting another action.

I broke my leg when I was skiing.
As I was going to work, I saw an old friend.
We were watching television when the power went off.

Can you see a difference in the meaning of these two sentences?

When the guests arrived, Jane was cooking dinner.
When the guests arrived, Jane cooked dinner.

In the first one, Jane started cooking dinner before the guests arrived. We know that because it uses the past continuous. In the second sentence, the guests arrived first and then Jane started cooking.

Do this exercise to test your grammar again.

Grammar test 2

Past continuous and past simple: Grammar test 2

Language level

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Do you know how to use the past continuous and past simple? Test what you know with interactive exercises and read the explanation to help you.

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How To Write a Professional Email | For Students, By Students

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EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) | Climate Action

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Aluminium overtakes fish in Iceland - Nordregio

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The 185 000 tonne Rio Tinto Alcan plant in Straumsvík just south of Reykjavík saw the beginning of aluminium production in Iceland. The plant was originally owned by Alusuisse and began production in 1970 with a 33 000 tonne capacity which was gradually increased to 100 000 tonnes ( http://www.riotintoalcan.is/). The 210 MW power-plant at Búrfellsvirkjun in South Iceland was built to provide the necessary energy (now 270 MW). In relative terms this was a megaproject of similar importance to the national economy as the Kárahnjúkar power plant (690 MW) and Alcoa Fjarðaál in East Iceland ( www.sedlabanki.is).

In 1998 Columbia Ventures opened the now Norðurál-owned plant in Hvalfjörður 49 km north of Reykjavík. Its original annual production was 60 000 tonnes but this was gradually increased to 260 000 tonnes in 2007. Century aluminium has owned the plant since 2004 ( www.nordural.is).

There are plans to build one more aluminium plant in Iceland and to enlarge one of the existing plants. Construction work on the Helguvík aluminium plant (owned by Norðurál) started in 2008 in the Sudurnes peninsula some 50 km west of Reykjavík. The credit crisis which hit Iceland in 2008 and problems with delivering the necessary energy have however delayed completion of the project which is planned to have a production capacity of 360 000 tonnes.

Furthermore, Rio Tinto Alcan have decided to enlarge their plant to a capacity of around 230 000 tonnes and, in 2010, made contracts with Landsvirkjun, the national power company, to deliver an additional 75 MW of energy. This energy will come primarily from a new hydro power station in South Iceland.

Finally, Alcoa also has plans to build a new aluminium plant in Húsavík in North Iceland. The capacity here is planned to be up to 346 000 tonnes or similar to that of Reyðarfjörður. This new plant should receive energy from geothermal fields in the vicinity of Húsavík (steam turbines) as it is located in the active volcanic zone which crosses Iceland diagonally SW-NE. This would be the first aluminium plant in the world to receive energy entirely of this type.

Today aluminium companies in Iceland produce in total around 800 000 tonnes annually and if all these projects materialise annual production would almost double!
In 2010, the association of aluminium companies in Iceland was founded to represent Alcoa Fjarðaál, Rio Tinto Alcan and Norðurál. The objective here is to work together for the common interest of the Icelandic aluminium industry (see: www.samal.is).

The companies are also quick to stress here their important position in the Icelandic labour market. At present, the number of workers is around 1 800 and with a multiplier effect of 1.4 some 4 300 persons earn their income, either directly or indirectly, from aluminium production. That is approximately 2.5% of the total Icelandic labour market ( http://www.statice.is/). It is estimated that these companies buy goods and services from 700 Icelandic businesses.

Traditionally Iceland has been very dependent on fish exports. Aluminium production which makes use of renewable energy sources, primarily hydro power, though in recent years also power from geothermal energy, has however increasingly been seen as a good way to diversify the economy.

Doubts have however recently emerged in respect of whether a continuing emphasis on megaprojects in the aluminium industry is a good strategy or whether Icelanders should instead aim at further diversifying their economy by using their energy sources for other purposes. In 2010, fish products and aluminium were almost equally important export products with 39.3% and 39.6% respectively of the total export value ( http://www.statice.is/).

Aluminium plants have become by far the largest of Landsvirkjun's clients and the company wants to diversify by selling energy to other types of industries. Interest from other industries has indeed increased and in 2009 a plant owned by Becromal opened in Akureyri in North Iceland making aluminium foils for electrolytic capacitors using around 80 MW of energy ( www.becromal.is). Furthermore a ferro-silicon factory which will use 65 MW of energy will be built in the Sudurnes peninsula. In respect of future energy use potentials the export of electricity, via sub-sea cable, to the European continent has even been discussed.

See also the Journal of Nordregio no 2-2007
By Hjalti Jóhannesson, M.A. landfræðingur / geographer, University of Akureyri Research Centre

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The 185 000 tonne Rio Tinto Alcan plant in Straumsvík just south of Reykjavík saw the beginning of aluminium production in Iceland. The plant was originally owned by Alusuisse and began production in 1970 with a 33 000 tonne capacity which was gradually increased to 100 000 tonnes ( http://www.riotintoalcan.is/).

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Die Seite wurde nicht gefunden | Diercke 2023

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ISAL Alcan á Íslandi hf. bei Hafnarfjörður

Zu den energieintensiven Industrien gehören vor allem Unternehmen der Siliziummetall- und der Aluminiumproduktion. Unternehmen dieser Art sind in Island aufgrund der günstigen Produktion bei geringen Strompreisen sesshaft geworden, obwohl der zur Aluminiumherstellung nötige Rohstoff Bauxit von Australien und Brasilien nach Island gebracht werden muss. Dieser logistische Aufwand zeigt, wie attraktiv die günstige Energie Islands für diese Branche ist.

Einige gescheiterte Projekte zu Beginn der 1990er Jahre sind auf Exportsteigerungen von Metallen aus der zerfallenden Sowjetunion zurückzuführen, die die Weltmarktpreise für solche Produkte stark sinken ließen. Nachdem Island aber in der Mitte der 1990er Jahre seine Inflation bei einem gesunden Wirtschaftswachstum im Griff hatte, zeigten sich wieder Interessenten am Standort Island:

Ende 1995 erweiterte die Allusuisse-Lonza ihre bereits bestehende Aluminiumhütte ÍSAL von 100.000 auf 162.000 Tonnen Jahreskapazität.

1997 erfolgte die Gründung der Aluminiumhütte Norðurál als Tochtergesellschaft der amerikanischen Columbia Ventures Corporation. Sie erreicht eine jährliche Produktionsmenge von 60.000 Tonnen Aluminium.

Ende der 90er Jahre wurde die bereits bestehende Ferro-Siliziumhütte der Icelandic Alloys Ltd. erweitert. Dadurch wurde die bisherige Jahreskapazität von 70.000 Tonnen um 40.000 Tonnen gesteigert.

Gegenüber der Siliziumhütte hat die Aluminiumindustrie mit siebenmal höherem Export eine wesentlich bedeutendere Position in der isländischen Wirtschaft. Sie erzielt mittlerweile rund zwölf Prozent aller isländischen Exporterlöse. Der Energieverbrauch ist durch die Ansiedlung dieser Unternehmen in den 90er Jahren stark gestiegen. Die Industrieanlagen benötigen heute rund 64 Prozent des gesamten Stromverbrauchs Islands.

Energie-Verbrauch in Island in Gigawattstunden.
Die energieintensive Industrie verbaucht schon seit den 1990er Jahren mehr Elektrizität als der Rest des Landes

Diese Entwicklung wird sich voraussichtlich noch verstärken. Es ist geplant, die Aluminiumproduktion in den nächsten Jahren noch weiter zu fördern. Im Juli 2002 unterzeichneten die isländische Regierung, der isländische Energieversorger Landsvirkjun und die Aluminium Company of America (Alcoa) eine Vereinbarung über den Bau einer neuen Aluminiumhütte im Osten Islands. Der größte Aluminiumhersteller der Welt Alcoa baute daraufhin im Osten des Landes die größte Aluminiumfabrik Europas, die rund 1.000 Arbeitsplätze schaffen und jährlich rund 322.000 Tonnen Aluminium produzieren sollte. Die Kapazität des Kraftwerks sollte bei rund 500 Megawatt. Um diese Leistung erbringen zu können, war allerdings eine entsprechende Energieversorgung notwendig, die durch den Bau eines großen Staudamms im östlichen Hochland der Insel gewährleistet wurde. Der Bau dieses Staudamms ist bis heute umstritten, da weite Teile des Hochlands unter Wasser gesetzt wurden und einzigartige Landschaften verloren gingen. Inzwischen ist der Staudamm jedoch fertig gestellt und die Aluminiumschmelze in den Ostfjorden in Betrieb genommen worden. Dadurch hat sich der Anteil des Energieverbrauchs der Aluminiumindustrie deutlich erhöht.

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Zu den energieintensiven Industrien gehören vor allem Unternehmen der Siliziummetall- und der Aluminiumproduktion. Unternehmen dieser Art sind in Island aufgrund der günstigen Produktion bei geringen Strompreisen sesshaft geworden, obwohl der zur Aluminiumherstellung nötige Rohstoff Bauxit von Australien und Brasilien nach Island gebracht werden muss.

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Island verkauft erneuerbare Energien und «importiert» dreckigen Strom | NZZ

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Islands Energiekonzerne verdienen gut an Wasserkraft und Erdwärme: Sie liefern nicht nur Elektrizität an Haushalte und Industrie, sondern verkaufen die erneuerbare Energie auch als grüne Zertifikate. Doch für jede saubere Energieeinheit, die virtuell ins Ausland geht, steigt in Islands Energiebilanz der Anteil an fossilen Brennstoffen und Kernkraft.

L. Karagiannopoulos / Reuters

Island hat, wovon die meisten Staaten träumen: Energie aus 100% erneuerbaren Quellen. Der Standort auf der Nahtstelle zwischen nordamerikanischer und eurasischer Kontinentalplatte ist Fluch und Segen zugleich: Auf der Insel rumpelt immer wieder der Boden, und es speien die Vulkane, dafür schenkt die Erde Energie und Wärme im Überfluss. Das Gros der Elektrizität stammt aber aus den Wasserkraftwerken entlang der enormen Flüsse.

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Island verkauft erneuerbare Energien und "importiert" dreckigen Strom | NZZ

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Islands Energiekonzerne verdienen gut an Wasserkraft und Erdwärme: Sie liefern nicht nur Elektrizität an Haushalte und Industrie, sondern verkaufen die erneuerbare Energie auch als grüne Zertifikate. Doch für jede saubere Energieeinheit, die virtuell ins Ausland geht, steigt in Islands Energiebilanz der Anteil an fossilen Brennstoffen und Kernkraft.

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Die wesentlichste Kennzahl im Energiehaushalt von Island ist der Gesamtverbrauch von

elektrischer Energie pro Jahr. Pro Einwohner ist dies also ein Verbrauch von rund 48.933 kWh.

Island kann sich vollständig selbst mit Energie versorgen. Die Gesamtproduktion aller Anlagen zur Elektrizitätsgewinnung liegt bei 18 Mrd kWh, also 103% des Eigenbedarfs. Den Rest des selbst erzeugten Stroms exportiert Island in andere Länder oder nutzt ihn gar nicht. Neben dem reinen Verbrauch spielen aber auch die Produktion, Import und Export eine Rolle. Auch weitere Energieträger wie Erdgas oder Rohöl werden verwendet.

Zurück zur Übersicht: Island
Energiebilanz
Entwicklung der CO2-Emissionen von 1979 bis 2016 in Millionen Tonnen
CO2-Emissionen

Produktionskapazitäten nach Energiequellen

Die hier aufgeführten Produktionskapazitäten für elektrische Energie sind theoretische Werte, die nur unter Idealbedingungen erreicht werden könnten. Sie geben die generierbare Energiemenge an, die bei permanenter Vollauslastung aller Energieerzeuger erreicht werden würde.

In der Praxis ist dies jedoch nicht möglich, da z.B. Solaranlagen unter Wolken kaum Strom erzeugen. Auch laufen Wind- und Wasserkraftanlagen nicht dauerhaft unter Volllast. Diese Angaben sind also nur im Vergleich zu anderen Energiequellen und Ländern hilfreich.

Anteil Erneuerbarer Energien

Unter den Erneuerbaren Energien werden die Energiequellen Wind- und Sonnenenergie, Biomasse und auch Erdwärme zusammengefasst. Also alle Energieträger, die sich innerhalb kurzer Zeit selbst erneuern oder permanent zur Verfügung stehen. Energie aus Wasserkraft ist nur zu Teilen eine Erneuerbare Energie. Bei Strömungs- oder Gezeitenkraftwerken, ist dies durchaus der Fall. Zahlreiche Staudämme oder Talsperren produzieren jedoch auch Mischformen, indem sie z.B. nachts Wasser in ihre Speicher pumpen und hieraus tagsüber bei erhöhtem Strombedarf wieder Energie gewinnen. Da sich die Menge der gewonnenen Energie nicht eindeutig erfassen lässt, werden alle Energien aus Wasserkraft getrennt ausgegeben.

Im Jahr 2015 betrug der Anteil der Erneuerbaren Energien am tatsächlichen Gesamtvertrauch in Island rund 77,0 Prozent. Im folgenden Chart wird der prozentuale Anteil von 1990 bis 2015 dargestellt:

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Die wesentlichste Kennzahl im Energiehaushalt von Island ist der Gesamtverbrauch von elektrischer Energie pro Jahr. Pro Einwohner ist dies also ein Verbrauch von rund 48.933 kWh. Island kann sich vollständig selbst mit Energie versorgen. Die Gesamtproduktion aller Anlagen zur Elektrizitätsgewinnung liegt bei 18 Mrd kWh, also 103% des Eigenbedarfs.

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The Farmer Growing Bananas in Iceland - BBC Newsround

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https://youtu.be/v9rZOa3CUC8

Industrial Revolutions  - Industries 4.0

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Our School students on ... selfies | LearnEnglish Teens - British Council

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How often do you take selfies? In this video, students at a UK secondary school share their views on selfies and self-image.

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Social media influencers | Reading - Intermediate B1 | British Council

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Read a blogpost about the impact of social media influencers in the business world to practise and improve your reading skills.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and do the exercises.

It is estimated that about 40 per cent of the world’s population use social media, and many of these billions of social media users look up to influencers to help them decide what to buy and what trends to follow.

So what is an influencer and how do we become one?

An influencer is a person who can influence the decisions of their followers because of their relationship with their audience and their knowledge and expertise in a particular area, e.g. fashion, travel or technology.

Influencers often have a large following of people who pay close attention to their views. They have the power to persuade people to buy things, and influencers are now seen by many companies as a direct way to customers’ hearts. Brands are now asking powerful influencers to market their products. With some influencers charging up to $25,000 for one social media post, it is no surprise that more and more people are keen to become influencers too. If you are one of them, then here are five tips on how to do it.

1. Choose your niche

What is the area that you know most about? What do you feel most excited talking about? Find the specific area that you’re most interested in and develop it.

2. Choose your medium and write an interesting bio

Most influencers these days are bloggers and micro-bloggers. Decide which medium – such as your own online blog, Instagram or Snapchat – is the best way to connect with your followers and chat about your niche area. When you have done that, write an attention-grabbing bio that describes you and your speciality area in an interesting and unique way. Make sure that people who read your bio will want to follow you.

3. Post regularly and consistently

Many influencers post daily on their social media accounts. The more you post, the more likely people will follow you. Also, ensure that your posts are consistent and possibly follow a theme.

4. Tell an interesting story

Whether it is a photo or a comment that you are posting, use it to tell a story that will catch the attention of your followers and help them connect with you.

5. Make sure people can easily find your content

Publicise your posts on a variety of social media, use hashtags and catchy titles and make sure that they can be easily found. There is no point writing the most exciting blogposts or posting the most attractive photographs if no one is going to see them.

Most importantly, if you want to become a social media influencer, you need to have patience. Keep posting and your following will gradually increase. Good luck!

Do you need to improve your English reading skills?

Join thousands of learners from around the world who are improving their English reading skills with our online courses.

Discussion

Language level

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Read a blogpost about the impact of social media influencers in the business world to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Tech addicted? Self test

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Smartphone addiction

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Are you a phubber? Do you suffer from FOMO? These are words associated with smartphone addiction. 6 Minute English describes these words and discusses how you can kick the habit.

This week's question:

In what year did the term 'smartphone' first appear in print? Was it:

a) 1995
b) 2000
c) 2005

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

FOMO
(acronym) Fear of Missing Out

phubber
person who ignores the real people around them because they are concentrating on their phones

addicted (to something)
having a physical or mental need to keep on doing something

compulsively
unable to stop doing something again and again

keep in touch with
stay in contact with

in person
actually meeting someone face-to-face

Transcript

Note: This is not a word for word transcript

Rob
Hello, welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Rob.

Catherine
And I'm Catherine.

Rob
So, Catherine, how long do you spend on your smartphone?

Catherine
My smartphone? Not that long really, only about 18 or 19 hours.

Rob
No, sorry, I meant in a day, not in a week.

Catherine
Er, that's what I meant too, Rob - a day.

Rob
Oh wow, so you've even got it right here...

So we could call you a phubber... Hello... I said, so you're a phubber? Someone who ignores other people because you'd rather look at your phone.

Catherine
Oh, yeah, that's right.

Catherine
Sorry, Rob, yes, well I think if I went more than a minute, I'd probably get sort of sweaty palms and I think I'd start feeling a bit panicky.

Rob
Oh dear! Well, if I can distract you for a few minutes, can we look at this topic in more detail please? Let's start with a quiz question first though. In what year did the term 'smartphone' first appear in print? Was it:

a) 1995
b) 2000
c) 2005

What do you think?

Catherine
OK, you've got my full attention now, Rob, and I think it's 2000, but actually can I just have a quick look on my phone to check the answer?

Rob
No, no, that would be cheating - for you - maybe not for the listeners.

Catherine
Spoilsport.

Rob
Right, Jean Twenge is a psychologist who has written about the damage she feels smartphones are doing to society. She has written that smartphones have probably led to an increase in mental health problems for teenagers. We're going to hear from her now, speaking to the BBC. What does she say is one of the dangers of using our phones?

Rob
So what danger does she mention?

Catherine
Well, she said that we can get so involved in our phones that we don't notice the time passing and when we finally look up, we realise that maybe an hour has gone. And I must say, I find that to be true for me, especially when I'm watching videos online. They pull you in with more and more videos and I've spent ages just getting lost in video after video.

Rob
Well that's not a problem if you're looking at our YouTube site, of course - there's lots to see there.

Catherine
Yes, BBC Learning English, no problem. You can watch as many as you like.

Rob
So, does she think it's a good idea?

Catherine
Well, she doesn't say so directly, but we can guess from her answer that she does, because she says these timers will make people spend more time in face-to-face interaction, which a lot of people think would be a good thing.

Catherine
I think I said 2005, without looking it up on my phone, Rob!

Rob
That's good to know, but maybe looking at your phone would have helped because the answer was 1995. But well done to anybody who did know that.

Catherine
Or well done to anyone who looked it up on their phone and got the right answer.

Rob
Mmm, right, before logging off let's review today's vocabulary.

Catherine
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Smartphone addiction

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Are you a phubber? Do you suffer from FOMO? These are words associated with smartphone addiction. 6 Minute English describes these words and discusses how you can kick the habit. In what year did the term 'smartphone' first appear in print? Was it: a) 1995b) 2000c) 2005 Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

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Create no hate

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Fake News 🕵️‍♂️

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Can you spot fake news? Watch this video from Common Sense Media to learn how to check out news to see if it's true or not. It's not always easy to tell!

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Spotting fake news

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Read some tips for spotting fake news to practise and improve your reading skills.

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Change of communication

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How often do you check your phone? According to some stats, it's a minimum of 85 times a day. Neil and Sophie discuss how social media is interrupting our lives and may be changing our physiology too!

This week's question

Which word describes a situation where you're talking to someone and they suddenly look down at their phone or answer it? Is it...

a) phobbing?

b) phibbing?

c) phubbing?

You can hear the right answer at the end of the programme.

Vocabulary

etiquette
rules of polite behaviour in society or among people in a certain group

wind someone up
say or do something deliberately in order to annoy someone

have a connection with someone
engage emotionally

physiology
the way a living thing works or functions

interact
engage

intimacy
closeness

snub
deliberately ignore someone you know

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript

Sophie
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Sophie...

[pause]

Sophie
Neil? ... [sound of a smartphone] Neil!

Neil
Oh, sorry! ... And I'm Neil.

Sophie
Neil, please put down your phone. We're doing the show!

Neil
Yeah, I know. Hang on a minute. I just need to tweet something and... Done!

Sophie
And the subject of today's show is social media and its impact on our daily lives.

Neil
Hmm, well, I suppose it has had quite a big impact on mine.

Sophie
That's all too clear. Now, perhaps we can move on to today's quiz question?

Neil
Of course - I'm all ears. [sound of a smartphone] Oh, hang on, wait a second...

Sophie
There's a word to describe what you're doing, you know. Answer me this: Which word describes a situation where you're talking to someone and they suddenly look down at their phone or answer it? Is it...

a) phobbing?
b) phibbing?
Or c) phubbing?

Neil
Well, you've got me there, Sophie! I have no idea! But I'll guess that it's c) phubbing!

Neil
Well... interrupting conversations to check your phone has become a social norm, hasn't it, Sophie?

Sherry Turkle, American clinical psychologist and professor of the social studies of Science and Technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
I interviewed hundreds of college students and what they talked about was what some of them called 'the rule of three'. And what the rule of three is which is that if you go to dinner with friends, you don't want to look down at your phone until you see that three people, let's say you're six at dinner, are looking up in the conversation. So there's a new etiquette where you don't look down unless three people are looking up kind of to keep a little conversation alive.

Neil
Professor Sherry Turkle.

Sophie
Why don't you try out the rule of three once in a while?

Neil
There are only two of us here, Sophie - do the math! And I'm listening to you... mmm... let me just send a text message here on my phone ... hang on...

[pause]

Sophie
Neil... NEIL! I'm not going to carry on with the show unless you pay attention!

Neil
Sorry, Sophie. Actually I was just doing that to wind you up. I wasn't really using my phone... Sorry.

Neil
But you can have moments of connection using your devices, you know?

Neil
Exactly. I was on the train this morning and there were a couple sharing a tablet. They were looking at the screen, and talking about what they saw there. It was very intimate, and they were... well... very connected. Let's hear from Ian Sinclair, British poet and filmmaker, talking about a new generation of connected humans.

Iain Sinclair, British writer, poet, and filmmaker
Physiologically we're changing, that almost the neck muscles are tipped over to look down. We're getting a new kind of human being. And I think - maybe I'm not getting it - but there is actually a different kind of intimacy emerging in which these instruments are very important.

So Iain Sinclair says our physiology is changing - our bodies, our neck muscles are changing - to make it easier to look down all the time at our devices! But it isn't only muscles that might change as a result of our techie habits - it's the way we interact - or engage with each other too. Ian Sinclair talks about a different kind of intimacy emerging - what does he mean, Neil?

Sophie
What a horrible thought!

Neil
Let's have the quiz question again Sophie to take your mind off it.

Sophie
OK. I asked: Which word describes a situation where you're talking to someone and they suddenly look down at their phone or answer it? Is it...a) phobbing? b) phibbing? Or c) phubbing?

Neil
And I said c) phubbing.

[Silence, as Neil is concentrated on his phone]

Neil? OK! I'll say the words myself:
etiquette
wind someone up
have a connection with someone
physiology
interact
intimacy
snub

Sophie
Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Don't forget to connect with us again soon! Come on Neil, connect with us! Come on!

Neil
Oh, yeah, hang on, just got to...

Sophie
Goodbye!

Neil
Hang on... I'll be with you in a second... Yes. OK. Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / Is social media a distraction?

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How often do you check your phone? According to some stats, it's a minimum of 85 times a day. Neil and Sophie discuss how social media is interrupting our lives and may be changing our physiology too! Which word describes a situation where you're talking to someone and they suddenly look down at their phone or answer it?

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Emojis

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In this programme, Neil and Dan will be discussing why emojis and emoticons have become so popular, and teaching you six items of vocabulary.

This week's question:

When was the first emoticon used?

a) 1606

b) 1862

c) 1982

Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

Vocabulary

empathy
the ability to understand other people's feelings

interaction
when two or more people or things communicate with and react to each other

non-verbal
without using spoken language

cue
a signal to do something

clumsy
physically awkward

typo
a mistake you make when you type something

Transcript
Note: This is not a word for word transcript
Dan
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English- the show that brings you an interesting topic, authentic listening practice and six new items of vocabulary. I'm Dan...

Neil
And I'm Neil. We'll be discussing the rise of those little graphics we call emojis and emoticons.

Dan
You know, I think emojis are a vital tool for communication. And actually, they're not that new, either.

Neil
Oh really?

Dan
Well, that's the perfect opportunity to ask this week's question. When was the first emoticon used? Was it?

a) 1606

b) 1862

c) 1982

Neil
It must be 1982. I'll go with c).

Dan
We'll find out if you're right or wrong later in the programme.

Neil
You know, I think we should clear one thing up before we go any further: what's the difference between an emoticon and an emoji?

Dan
Good point. Emoticons came first. They're the images made using normal keys on a keyboard - usually punctuation, letters and numbers. For example a colon - two dots - followed by the curved line of a close brackets is a...

Neil
A smiley face. Something you use in way too many of your emails!

Dan
Well, thanks! Whereas an emoji is something completely different. It's an actual image. It could be a simple, yellow, smiley face; or something like a dancing lady; or even a bowl of noodles...

Neil
Ah yes, all those little images we have in our phones. But you'll have to convince me - why do people use them so much?

Dan
Well, let's listen to Professor Vyv Evans. He wrote a book called The Emoji Code:

Professor Vyv Evans, Author of 'The Emoji Code'
They enable us to express emotion and empathy in digital communication. Increasingly, what we're finding is that digital communication is taking over from certain aspects of face-to-face interaction. In the UK today, for example, adults spend 22 hours online on average each week. One of the reasons emojis are so interesting is that they really do enable us to express our emotional selves much more effectively.

And non-verbal means 'without using spoken language'. So, here in the studio there are lots of other non-verbal signals about how we're feeling - non-verbal cues. For example my facial expression, my body language, the look in my eyes, Dan.

Dan
There's a glint of rage in there somewhere, Neil. Ok, so let's apply this to digital communication. Imagine I sent you a text saying I hit my finger with a hammer - how would you respond?

Neil
Well, it depends. Did you hurt yourself badly?

Dan
If I followed it with a sad face emoji, then...?

Neil
Then I guess I'd know you hurt yourself. Poor you.

Dan
But if I followed it with a laughing emoji - the one with the tears coming out because I'm laughing so much?

By the way, is there an emoji meaning clumsy? Clumsy, means 'physically awkward' - someone who's clumsy falls over a lot and drops things.Anyway, you were saying emoticons aren't as new as I think?

Dan
Yes, I asked when they were invented. Is it a)1606, b)1862 or c)1982?

Neil
I said 1982.

Dan
Well, in fact, a witty speech Abraham Lincoln reprinted in a newspaper as far back as 1862 included a semi colon with a close brackets.

Neil
Like a winking face?

Dan
The official birth of emoticons is usually given as 1982, when a US professor instructed his students to use smiley faces to indicate jokes - in a digital communication.

Neil
Wow, so they're over 30 years old. Maybe I should start using them. Let's round up with another look at today's words.

Next word... that is my cue to say the next word - which is in fact - cue. A cue is a signal to do something. A commander could give his officer a cue to attack. Or I could give you a cue to... sing a song?

Neil
And we are on social media too - Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. See you there.

Both
Bye!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / The rise of the emoji

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In this programme, Neil and Dan will be discussing why emojis and emoticons have become so popular, and teaching you six items of vocabulary. When was the first emoticon used? a) 1606 b) 1862 c) 1982 Listen to the programme to find out the answer.

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News

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Free, digital news is threatening traditional newspapers around the world, so why do they survive and what is their future? Sophie and Neil discuss the pros and cons of news in print.

This week's question

How many national print newspapers are currently sold in the UK a day? Is it...

a) 70,000?

b) 700,000?

c) 7 million?

You'll hear the answer at the end of the programme.

Vocabulary

fake
pretend

circulation
number of copies (of a newspaper) distributed per day

chronicles
written accounts

Transcript

Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.

Sophie
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English. I'm Sophie...

Neil
And I'm Neil.

Sophie
What are you reading?

Neil
A news blog - it says here that the fossil of a two-headed dinosaur has been discovered in Greece. Look! Look at this picture!

Sophie
Honestly, Neil, you shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet! This story is from one of those fake news websites that float about on social media. And you aren't the only one to get taken in - even serious news channels report these types of stories as if they were true.

Taken in means fooled by something. Well, I must admit, I did believe it. And I didn't know that fake - or pretend - news sites existed. How am I supposed to know what's fake and what's real? So many extraordinary things happen!

That's a good question, and actually, digital news and its effect on traditional newspapers is the subject of today's show. The thing is, if you read a traditional print newspaper like I do, you'd find stories that are more reliable - ones you can trust.

Neil
Well, enjoy your traditional print newspaper while you can, Sophie, because they're going to disappear pretty soon - the same way as the dinosaurs!

Hmm. It is true that print newspapers are feeling the pinch these days - and that means not making enough money. But I will miss them if they go. Which brings me on to today's quiz question. Neil, how many national print newspapers are currently sold in the UK a day? Is it...
a) 70,000?
b) 700,000?
Or c) 7 million?

Neil
Well, I'll go for a) 70,000. It can't be much more than that, surely.

Sophie
Well, we'll find out whether you got the answer right or not later in the show. But moving on now, we've discussed one disadvantage of digital news - that it can be hard to distinguish a real story from a fake one - given the mass of information available on the web. So maybe you should tell us about the advantages, Neil.

Neil
Well, you can access news 24/7 - and search for it on your phone or tablet without having to flip through pages of stuff you aren't interested in. It isn't all in black and white, it isn't all about reading - you can watch and listen too. And make comments of your own.

Sophie
OK. Well, let's listen to Tim Luckhurst, Professor of Journalism at Kent University, to see what he thinks is important in journalism nowadays.

Tim Luckhurst, Professor of Journalism at Kent University
It doesn't matter whether your local journalist produces news on a tablet, on a mobile phone, in print, online, on television, or on radio. What matters is that there should be a diversity of journalism available and that it should be provided by professional reporters whose job is to do an honest objective job, impartially, in the public interest, not simply to rant or express opinions.

Tim Luckhurst there. He says that news will be successful on any platform - digital or traditional - so long as reporters are honest and objective in their pursuit of a good story. If you're objective it means you aren't influenced by personal feelings or opinions. If you rant you speak in an angry opinionated way about something.

Neil
Now, newspapers need to make money in order to pay their journalists. And with circulation falling dramatically, they need to find other ways to make newspapers pay.

A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes per day. Well, selling more advertising space is one way, isn't it?

Neil
Yes, but many advertisers are choosing to use digital platforms because they reach a wider and more targeted audience. And this is one reason why digital news is taking over - it can pay for itself through advertising.

Sophie
I wouldn't mind paying more for a newspaper if I knew the quality of journalism is good.

Neil
But increasingly people are expecting good quality journalism for free.

Newspapers have been around since the invention of the printing press, and as chronicles - or written accounts - of people's lives, are an important historical resource. Let's listen to Alex Cox, researcher at genealogy website, findmypast.co.uk talking more about this.

Alex Cox, researcher at genealogy website, findmypast.co.uk
During the First World War local papers always printed In Memoriam columns where they'd list local dead. What a lot of them also did was they allowed relatives to submit short poems about their deceased loved ones and some of them were five or six lines - not very long - but they're really, really quite powerful. And the paper dedicated page space to print not just one of these, but multiple, and I don't know whether a modern paper would even consider doing that today.

Deceased is another word for dead - in this case, it refers to the British soldiers who died in the First World War.

Neil
Local papers, at the time, printed poems written by the families of the dead men. Those poems, captured in print, are an important historical record of the time.

Sophie
Indeed. Now, remember, Neil, I asked you: How many national print newspapers are currently sold in the UK a day? Is it... a) 70,000, b) 700,000 or c) 7 million?

Neil
Yes, I remember. And I said 70,000.

Sophie
Well, I'm sorry Neil, but you are wrong. The answer is actually c) 7 million. But the numbers are falling.

Well, that's still a few million more than I thought. Now, I think it must be time to hear the words we learned today.chronicles
They are:
taken in
fake
reliable
feeling the pinch
objective
rant
circulation

deceased

Sophie
Well, that's the end of today's 6 Minute English. Please join us again soon!

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BBC Learning English - 6 Minute English / How do you read your news?

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Free, digital news is threatening traditional newspapers. Sophie and Neil discuss the pros and cons of news in print

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material in progress 🚧 🏗

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Cyberbullying Mock Exam Task 1 2020 blanco

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The internet does not forget

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Many of us share selfies and photos online. But how do other people see you based on these photos, and could this somehow affect your future? This video was created for Safer Internet Day. Watch it to learn more about how important it is to take care with what you share online.

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The evolution of technological devices

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Past and Present | Technology Then and Now

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Agroforesty
https://youtu.be/MZ6No1mL1QM

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TAGESZEITENKLIMA IN DEN TROPEN - Wolkenbildung, Jahres-/Tageszeitenklima, Passatkreislauf & ITC

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / The Amazon and climate change

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The Amazon and climate change

Learn language related to...

Climate change

Need-to-know language

carbon dioxide - gas produced when things containing carbon are burned

heating up -making something hotter

global warming - increase in Earth's temperature caused by gases preventing heat leaving

deforestation - destruction of forests by people

fossil fuels - remains of long-dead animals and plants to be burned for energy

Answer this...

What happens to the Earth's climate if trees are cut down and burned?

Transcript

This must be the hardest way to investigate why the trees of the Amazon are so important - climbing right up into them. Down on the ground a scientist, Erika Berenguer, is asking for samples of the leaves.

Erika has studied the same batch of trees for ten years now, measuring exactly how they're growing and how they affect the climate. This matters to the whole world because of sheer size of this forest.

We've used graphics to show how the billions of leaves are breathing in carbon dioxide - a gas which is heating up the planet.

As human activity keeps adding more and more carbon dioxide to the air, magnificent trees like this pull a lot of it in. But chop it down and burn it, and all the carbon that's been stored inside over the many years is suddenly released back to the atmosphere, which of course increases the speed of global warming.

In the last few months, the rate of deforestation here has suddenly increased. The new government of Brazil wants to encourage development. So Erika's research is all the more urgent.

In this lab, she studies the leaves collected from the forest, to work out how much carbon the Amazon holds. It's the equivalent of America burning fossil fuels for nearly a century.

Dr Erika Berenguer, Oxford Environmental Change Institute
We're never going to be able to build an Amazon. It's going to be gone forever. So once it's gone, it's just gone.

All that's left where forest once stood. A stark reminder of what's vanishing, and of consequences for the rest of the world.

Did you get it?

What happens to the Earth's climate if trees are cut down and burned?

The carbon stored inside the trees will be released back to the atmosphere and speed global warming.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / The Amazon and climate change

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Learn today's words: carbon dioxide, heating up, global warming, deforestation, fossil fuels

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Deep-sea mining

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Deep-sea mining

Learn language related to...

mining

Need-to-know language

excavating - digging up

sources - places that things come from

rich in - containing large amounts of (something)

on the brink - at a point in time when great change is about to happen

ventures - new businesses

Which metal is needed for batteries that power electric cars?

Transcript

In the waters off Malaga, an experiment with a strange looking machine - lowered underwater to test a new and controversial kind of mining - on the ocean floor.

A camera on the machine monitors its advance over the seabed. A soft coral stands in its path.

Mining would involve excavating rocks down here and no one knows the implications.

The project is run from this Spanish research ship - funded by the EU to find new sources of important metals.

What this project shows is how the technology is advancing in a way that makes deep-sea mining seem much more plausible, which confronts us with a very difficult question - is it the right thing to do given how little we know about the potential impact it could have on life on the ocean floor?

Operating underwater, mining the seabed has never been tried before. It would destroy whatever is directly in front of the machines and they'd create clouds of sand and silt which could smother marine plants and creatures even a long way away.

But there's growing pressure for mining to start. Rocks like these - billions of them - are the target. Because, they're amazingly rich in important metals, especially cobalt, which is needed for batteries. So the boom in electric cars means there's growing demand for cobalt. And mining companies think the deep ocean could provide it. So if mining goes ahead, can the damage be limited?

Henko de Stigter, Chief scientist
We're on the brink of a new time that we will go down to the deep sea and start changing the landscape of the deep sea and the deep-sea life. And then we have to consider, is it worth it? Do we want to do that in the same way as we did already with [the] land?

This is a trial device - the machines that will actually do mining will be about ten times bigger. Dozens of ventures are planning to open mines on the seabed. This is a glimpse of how they might look.

Did you get it?

Which metal is needed for batteries that power electric cars?

Cobalt.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Deep-sea mining

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Deep-sea mining mining excavating - digging up sources - places that things come from rich in - containing large amounts of (something) on the brink - at a point in time when great change is about to happen ventures - new businesses Which metal is needed for batteries that power electric cars?

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Australia fires: Farmers face losses

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Australia fires: Farmers face losses

Learn language related to...

fire

Need-to-know language

flames - bright, burning streams of gas from a fire

bush fire - uncontrolled fire that happens in areas of wild vegetation

burnt out - describes a building or structure destroyed by fire

tinder-dry - something that is extremely dry and might catch fire easily

Answer this...

What happened to the nine injured cattle found by the Attree family?
Transcript
Neil Clydesdale takes a hay bale past his dead cattle to feed the rest of his herd. He thinks he's lost thirty in all. And he has to buy hay for the remainder, because the pastures they usually feed on have been burnt black.

The Attree family had to make a hasty retreat when the fires appeared suddenly on New Year's Day.

Belinda Attree, farmer
Probably for a good hundred metres or so we were driving through the flames on both sides of the road.

When they returned, they were faced with eleven dead cattle and another nine were so badly injured they had to be euthanised.

Belinda Attree, farmer
They must've just been in so much pain and that's... that's what's really, really hard. Really, really hard.

They're relying on donated hay for the rest of the herd. They've vowed to rebuild, but, to get up and running again, they'll need rain.

2019 was Australia's hottest and driest year on record and the bush fire itself is likely to stretch water resources even further.

There's good reason to think that damage could get even worse because even though huge areas have been burnt out, there are still plenty of tinder-dry places that could go up between now and the end of the bush fire season.

Did you get it?

What happened to the nine injured cattle found by the Attree family?

They had to be euthanised, meaning killed humanely.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Australia fires: Farmers face losses

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Australia fires: Farmers face losses fire flames - bright, burning streams of gas from a fire bush fire - uncontrolled fire that happens in areas of wild vegetation burnt out - describes a building or structure destroyed by fire tinder-dry - something that is extremely dry and might catch fire easily What happened to the nine injured cattle found by the Attree family?

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Changing Antarctica

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Changing Antarctica

Learn language related to...

survival

Need-to-know language

challenge - (here) physical effort needed to survive

compensated - physically changed to survive in a particular situation

thrive - exist or grow successfully

adapt - change to enable something to survive in a new situation

to their max - as much as they can / to their limit

Answer this...

What is the temperature of the ocean around Antarctica?

Transcript

Antarctica is the most extreme continent on Earth. Few animals can survive the bitter cold. But one Antarctic environment is surprisingly stable - the ocean. But it is cold - minus two degrees centigrade.

Like everywhere else in the world, the Antarctic environment is changing. In some places the water is already warming - a huge challenge for animals that have never experienced any change.

Justin Rowlatt, BBC correspondent
So some of the incredible Antarctic animals are in this tank. Now Anne Todgham is a marine biologist; you've been studying these animals for years...

Dr Anne Todgham, Associate Professor, University of California Davis
So they have anti-freeze proteins inside that keep them from freezing. They have different red blood cells that are in fact not red. They have compensated for the cold, so they can go about their daily lives and actually thrive in an environment that most animals will find very stressful.

The big question for Anne is how well these extraordinary creatures will be able to adapt. The results so far are not promising.

Dr Anne Todgham, Associate Professor, University of California Davis
I am actually pretty worried, I wish the data was wrong, I wish I didn't have to be worried. But you know there are lots of things that are going to change in the ocean, and these animals are being stressed to their max.

You may wonder why we should worry about the fate of a few unusual species, but the scientists here say we should think of what's happening as a warning. If these animals can't survive in our changing world, what does that say about our future?

Did you get it?

What is the temperature of the ocean around Antarctica?

It's a cold, minus two degrees centigrade.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Changing Antarctica

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Changing Antarctica survival challenge - (here) physical effort needed to survive compensated - physically changed to survive in a particular situation thrive - exist or grow successfully adapt - change to enable something to survive in a new situation to their max - as much as they can / to their limit What is the temperature of the ocean around Antarctica?

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Electrifying Africa

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Electrifying Africa

Learn language related to...

Environmentalism: resources and solutions
Need-to-know language

sustainability - not damaging the environment, allowing it to continue as long as possible

convert - change something into something else

surplus - amount that is more than needed

small-scale - limited in size and output

solar system - electrical system generating power from the sun

Answer this...
What does an electric vehicle in the savannah help people see?
Transcript
Sneaking up on a rare black rhino has never been easier. An electric car can negotiate the savannah in silence. But improving the chances of seeing the 'Big Five' is just the beginning for the Swedish start-up company that's set its sights much wider.

Filip Gardler, Opibus co-founder
Safari vehicles was a perfect entry market, more or less, to enter. They had the need of the tourists visiting having high requirements on sustainability.

Filip Lovstrom, Opibus co-founder
All across the world, we have 1.1 billion vehicles, so why should we replace all of those with the new electric cars when we instead, can convert them?

But these are the big prize. Converting Nairobi's Matatu mass-transport minibuses to electric would have a huge impact... and there's currently a surplus of electricity here.

But a huge number of Kenyans are not on the national grid and so are turning to small-scale solutions.

Leah pays a dollar a day for her solar system and can now charge her phone, her torch and watch TV. And having a light at night means Samuel can do his homework.

That's what Ethiopia's trying to do by building this vast dam across the Blue Nile.

And the waters of the Congo River could power Africa. There are multi-billion dollar plans to extend this Inga project, but miles from any industry it will need to build power lines too.

Erik Granskog, renewable energy consultant
So, the future of power in Africa is going to be a patchwork, between residential solar, distributed generation, mini-grids and there will be large hydroelectric dams.

Small and silent steps could be the best way to electrify Africa. And like mobile phone technology, leapfrog the need for vast power grids spanning the continent.
Did you get it?
What does an electric vehicle in the savannah help people see?

It helps them see the 'Big Five' - lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and Cape buffalo.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Electrifying Africa

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Electrifying Africa Learn language related to... Environmentalism: resources and solutions Need-to-know language sustainability - not damaging the environment, allowing it to continue as long as possible convert - change something into something else surplus - amount that is more than needed small-scale - limited in size and output solar system - electrical system generating power from the sun Answer this...

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How does fracking Work?
https://youtu.be/Tudal_4x4F0

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Oil Sands Mining How ist works!

https://youtu.be/cxiA40XHF0I

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Mobility according to Google worldwide

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As global communities responded to COVID-19, we heard from public health officials that the same type of aggregated, anonymized insights we use in products such as Google Maps would be helpful as they made critical decisions to combat COVID-19.

These Community Mobility Reports aimed to provide insights into what changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID-19. The reports charted movement trends over time by geography, across different categories of places such as retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, parks, transit stations, workplaces, and residential.

The Community Mobility Reports are no longer being updated as of 2022-10-15. All historical data will remain publicly available.

Community Mobility Reports

No results available. Try searching for another country or region

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See how your community moved differently due to COVID-19

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Sir Ian Kellen -Sir Thomas More Shakespeare on Refugees

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Sir Ian Kellen -Sir Thomas More Shakespeare on Refugees

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https://youtu.be/kJM6Xd7F4FE

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For more on this and other topics visit our website http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/english/features/lingohack