An ominous warning from above.
- Go through the article and number the paragraphs. It will save time later!
- Look at the source of this article. What does this suggest about the target readership?
- Which words in the headline suggest threat?
- What is the implication of the words �from above�?
- The picture of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first men to scale Everest, and the reference to their sons, gives a sense of continuity against which the changes to the mountain can be contrasted. Which words in paragraph 1 work together to achieve the same contrast?
- When linked to the words �timely� and �rapidly�, these act as a subtle reminder of the pace of change.
- The words �threatening the survival of billions� can be described as------- language.
- Make 2 columns, 1 for facts and 1 for emotive language. Use the material from paragraphs 3 & 4 to fill these columns.
- There is an ironic contrast between the name of the mountain, meaning Mother of the World, and its potential state by 2050. Which word in paragraph 3 enforces that irony?
- Peter Hillary is cited as an authoritative source. What 2 things form the basis of his authority as regards Everest?
- Which words in paragraph 5 highlight the powerlessness of the sherpas?
- Paragraph 6 tells us that �terrorism, crime, graffiti and even dog mess are more pressing issues for the UK.� What is the impact of �even dog mess�?
- In paragraph 7, 51% is represented as �just over half�. Why do you think Milmo and Relph presented it in this way?
- In the same paragraph, what is the effect of the word �admitted�?
- The article ends, in paragraph 9, with a striking and alarming contrast between the current size of glaciers �between half a mile and more than three miles in length�, which will be �reduced to small patches of ice�. There is, however, the slight suggestion that this is not inevitable in the words �if trends continue.� Since the whole article is couched as a warning, using conditionals such as �could�, this is appropriate, though the hope is muted by references to the damage which has already been done.
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