Read About Global Issues
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What you will learn
- 1Identify the problem, cause, and solution structure in global-issue texts
- 2Sort information about global issues into Problem, Cause, and Solution categories
- 3Match global issues to the regions most affected by them
Mini Lesson
Texts about global issues — such as climate change, water scarcity, or food insecurity (not having enough food) — are usually structured around three key ideas: the Problem (what is wrong), the Cause (why it is happening), and the Solution (what can be done). Recognizing this structure helps you read and remember complex nonfiction.
Problem → Cause → Solution
- Problem: describes the harmful situation or challenge the world faces.
- Cause: explains what has created or is driving the problem.
- Solution: describes actions, policies, or behaviors that can reduce or fix the problem.
How to Read a Global-Issue Text
- Find the headline or topic — what global issue does this cover?
- Identify who or what is most affected and where in the world.
- Sort the facts you read into Problem, Cause, or Solution.
- Ask: "Is this a fact about the damage, what caused it, or how to fix it?"
Words to know
Global issue
A problem affecting many countries or the whole world
e.g. Climate change, deforestation, and clean water access are global issues.
Problem
The harmful situation or challenge being described
e.g. Coral reefs are dying because ocean temperatures are rising.
Cause
The reason or driver behind a problem
e.g. Burning fossil fuels is a cause of rising temperatures.
Solution
An action or policy that reduces or fixes a problem
e.g. Switching to solar energy is one solution to fossil fuel use.
One issue can have many causes and many solutions. When reading, look for signal phrases: "is caused by", "leads to", "one solution is", "if we..." — they signal which category a statement belongs in.
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