Article ( 6/12/12)

 

Incorrect battery disposal causes needless fires   (5th December, 2022)

Our lifestyles are increasingly dependent on batteries. These ubiquitous sources of energy power everything from our cars and smartphones, to watches, remote controls and many other devices. However, these essential sources of power can be hazardous. A report from the Environmental Services Association (ESA) in the U.K. discovered that the incorrect disposal of batteries causes around 700 fires in Britain each year. This costs fire services $195 million. The financial loss is considerably higher for those whose property has burnt down. A leading fire expert said: "These fires can be challenging for fire services to deal with.…Everyone can do their bit…by ensuring they dispose of batteries correctly."
       The biggest culprits for fires starting are lithium-ion batteries. These can explode and start fires if they are crushed or they get wet. An ESA spokesperson told the BBC that, "more and more people are putting devices containing these batteries in with household waste". He said: "That causes a real problem because they have a tendency – when damaged – to explode or ignite.…They're likely to be crushed, compacted, smashed or they might get wet.". He added: "That can cause them to short-circuit. And of course, they're then in the presence of other flammable material like plastic, paper and card and that can lead to quite big fires." The ESA encouraged people to be mindful of the potential hazards of batteries.

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LIFE: How dependent are you on these things? What could we use instead of them? Complete this table with your partner(s). Change partners often and share what you wrote.

	How Dependent	Alternatives
Batteries
Smartphones
TV
Cars
A knife and fork
Jeans

 

Vocabulary

    Paragraph 1

1.	dependent	a.	Requiring someone or something for financial or other support.
2.	ubiquitous	b.	By a notably large amount or to a notably large extent; greatly.
3.	device	c.	Present, appearing, or found everywhere.
4.	hazardous	d.	The action or process of getting rid of something.
5.	disposal	e.	A thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment.
6.	considerably	f.	Risky; dangerous.
7.	property	g.	A building or buildings and the land belonging to it or them.

    Paragraph 2

8.	culprit	h.	Catch fire or cause to catch fire.
9.	explode	i.	A trend towards a particular characteristic or type of behaviour.
10.	waste	j.	The cause of a problem or defect.
11.	tendency	k.	An electrical flow in device that accidentally touches something inside the device and closes it down or causes a fire.
12.	ignite	l.	Burst or shatter violently and noisily as a result of rapid combustion, excessive internal pressure, or other process.
13.	short-circuit	m.	Easily set on fire.
14.	flammable	n.	Unwanted or unusable material, substances, or by-products.

 

Before reading / listening

1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if 1-8 below are true (T) or false (F).

1. The article says batteries depend on our lives.     T / F
2. The article says batteries power remote controls and cars.     T / F
3. Batteries are the cause of over 7,000 fires each year in the U.K.     T / F
4. The article says not everyone can dispose of batteries correctly.     T / F
5. Lithium-ion batteries can explode and start fires.     T / F
6. Increasing numbers of people throw batteries in the garbage at home.     T / F
7. Batteries can short-circuit and start fires.     T / F
8. An environmental agency said we should understand battery hazards.    T / F

2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1. dependent
2. ubiquitous
3. hazardous
4. disposal
5. expert
6. culprits
7. explode
8. crushed
9. flammable
10. potential

1. offenders
2. getting rid of
3. squashed
4. ever-present
5. blow up
6. reliant
7. possible
8. combustible
9. dangerous
10. specialist

3. PHRASE MATCH: (Sometimes more than one choice is possible.)

1. Our lifestyles are increasingly dependent
2. These ubiquitous
3. the incorrect disposal
4. for those whose property
5. Everyone can do their
6. household
7. explode
8. That can cause them to short-
9. flammable
10. The ESA encouraged people to

1. bit
2. be mindful
3. circuit
4. sources of energy
5. or ignite
6. material
7. on batteries
8. waste
9. has burnt
10. of batteries

Listening — Guess the answers. Listen to check.

1)  Our lifestyles are increasingly ______
     a.  depend dent on batteries
     b.  deep end dent on batteries
     c.  deepen dent on batteries
     d.  dependent on batteries
2)  the incorrect disposal of batteries causes around 700 fires in ______
     a.  Britain each year
     b.  Britain all year
     c.  Britain whole year
     d.  Britain for year
3)  considerably higher for those whose property ______
     a.  has burnt drown
     b.  has burnt up
     c.  has burnt down
     d.  has burnt in
4)  These fires can be challenging for fire services ______
     a.  towed eel with
     b.  toad eel with
     c.  to deal with
     d.  towed deal with
5)  Everyone can do their bit...by ensuring they ______ correctly
     a.  displays of batteries
     b.  this pose of batteries
     c.  this posse of batteries
     d.  dispose of batteries

6)  The biggest culprits for fires starting are ______
     a.  lithium-iron batteries
     b.  lithium-in batteries
     c.  lithium-ion batteries
     d.  lithium-on batteries
7)  These can explode and start fires if they are crushed or ______
     a.  they get what
     b.  they get wet
     c.  they get whet
     d.  they get welt
8)  people are putting devices containing these batteries in ______
     a.  with household waste
     b.  with household waist
     c.  with household vast
     d.  with household wattle
9)  That causes a real problem because they ______
     a.  have a tend dents sea
     b.  have attendant see
     c.  have a tend antsy
     d.  have a tendency
10)  And of course, they're then in the presence of ______
     a.  other flappable material
     b.  other flammable material
     c.  other flan marble material
     d.  other flammable material

Comprehension questions

1. What are our lives increasingly dependent on?
2. How many fires do batteries start each year in the UK?
3. How much do the fires cost fire services?
4. Who can fires be challenging for?
5. Who does an environmental agency say can do their bit?
6. What are the biggest fire-starting culprits?
7. Where are more and more people throwing away batteries?
8. What might crushed batteries do besides explode?
9. Why might batteries short-circuit?
10. What did the ESA encourage people to be mindful of?

Multiple choice quiz

1)  What are our lives increasingly dependent on?
a) money
b) batteries
c) remote control
d) smartphones
2) How many fires do batteries start each year in the UK?
a) exactly 700
b) just fewer than 700
c) over 700
d) around 700
3) How much do the fires cost fire services?
a) $195 million
b) $185 million
c) $175 million
d) $165 million
4) Who can fires be challenging for?
a) neighbours
b) hospital staff
c) fire services
d) insects
5) Who does an environmental agency say can do their bit?
a) drill makers
b) everyone
c) battery makers
d) fire fighters

6) What are the biggest fire-starting culprits?
a) broken glass
b) arsonists
c) lithium-ion batteries
d) children
7) Where are more and more people throwing away batteries?
a) out of car windows
b) in rivers
c) on roads
d) into the household waste
8) What might crushed batteries do besides explode?
a) ignite
b) leak
c) burn surfaces
d) poison people
9) Why might batteries short-circuit?
a) if they get wet
b) if they heat up
c) if the device is overused
d) if the wifi drops
10) What did the ESA encourage people to be mindful of?
a) their oneness
b) potential hazards of batteries
c) Earth
d) the environment

Spelling

Paragraph 1

1. Our lifestyles are increasingly etdenepdn on batteries
2. These ibiusuqtuo sources of energy
3. sources of power can be hdauosrza
4. The financial loss is sadocerbilyn higher
5. A leading fire teperx
6. ensuring they sdopies of batteries correctly

Paragraph 2

7. The biggest ctsirlup for fires
8. These can xledeop and start fires
9. they have a yctdnene
10. cause them to shrot-tiriucc
11. other efbmmalla material
12. The ESA udgeraocen people to be mindful