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B1 Intermediate English 5:41 685 words Animation

The trillion dollar paradox - George Zaidan

TED-Ed · 399,344 views · Added 5 months ago

AI Summary

This video uses the analogy of a village water supply to explain the economics of transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Learners will develop English vocabulary related to economics, energy, and climate, including terms like infrastructure, megawatt-hour, greenhouse contributors, and catastrophic events. The video is ideal for practicing comprehension of analogies, economic arguments, and persuasive explanations that compare costs and benefits.

Learning Stats

B1

CEFR Level

685

Total Words

345

Unique Words

5/10

Difficulty

Vocabulary Diversity 50%

Subtitles (34 segments)

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00:06

Imagine you live in a remote village where the only source of water is delivered monthly by truck.

00:13

This, of course, costs money. But then you discover a massive water source below the village: limitless water, but currently unreachable.

00:24

To access it, you’d need to dig a well. That would cost years’ worth of water trucking fees, But once built, you and all future generations would have unlimited water— for only the minor cost of maintaining the well.

00:41

So, what’s the best way forward? Continue trucking in water? Or build the well?

00:47

Is the trillion dollar price tag that comes with transitioning the world to clean energy worth the cost of investment?

00:55

Like the trucked in water, fossil fuels aren't free.

00:59

There are the costs of the actual fuels, which, adjusted for inflation, haven't changed much for 140 years.

Full subtitles available in the video player

Key Vocabulary (21)

costs B1 noun

The amount of money needed to buy, do, or make something, often used in the plural to refer to business expenses or legal fees. It can also refer to the third-person singular form of the verb 'cost', meaning to require a payment or sacrifice.

water A1 noun

H2O liquid

cost A1 verb

To have a specific price or require a certain amount of money to be paid for purchase. It describes the financial value required to acquire a good or service.

Grammar in This Video

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