Minnesotans for Global Warming

By M4GW.

This Lower-Intermediate level English activity below is courtesy of M4GW, which is a duo of humorous pro-global-warming "activists" from Minnesota. Do the interactive activities in the order below.

  

1. Match the vocabulary in the interactive activity:

M4GW Matching. You can also see the words in a list below: Vocabulary List.

2. Watch the video and answer the question:

What does the composer say in the song?

A. The effects of Global Warming would be terrible.
B. The effects of Global Warming would be wonderful.
C. The effects of Global Warming would be bad for some people, but good for other people.

Check here for the answer.

3. Listen again and read the text:

If you prefer, fill in the gaps in the interactive activity: M4GW - Cloze.

Minnesotans for Global Warming

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
it wouldn’t be 20 below.
it wouldn’t be 20 below.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
I wouldn’t be shoveling snow.
I wouldn’t be shoveling that blasted snow.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
I wouldn’t have to drive this giant truck.
maybe I could drive a little commuter car.

If we had some global warming,
I’d set the flamingo free.

If we had some global warming,
we wouldn’t have any cares.

If we had some global warming,
we could turn our snow shovels into lawn chairs.

If we had some global warming,
we’d lose those nasty polar ice caps.

Sure, the oceans would rise and we would
lose parts of Florida and all, but we’d gain all
of Antarctica, and just think, North Canada would even be inhabitable, not to mention Northern Minnesota.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
we’d have some nice greenhouse effect.
Ever been in a greenhouse? It’s nice and hot.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
Maybe we’ve got palm trees.
Just think, 10,000 lakes and palm trees.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
maybe we’ve got alligators.
No, the muskies would eat them.

If we had some global warming,
I’d set the flamingo free.

If we had some global warming,
we could throw our windshield scrapers away.

If we had some global warming,
we could be outside for the whole day.

If we had some global warming,
we’d lose all those mean old polar bears.
I’m just kidding, we wouldn’t want to hurt any polar bears
But their so cute.
Yea, cute cold-blooded killers.
All I can say to the polar bears is one thing, “evolve!”

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
Well, I’d make you a fur coat.
Well, we got to do something with all them dead polar bears.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
maybe we’d use less fuel,
which would lessen our dependence on foreign oil.

If we had some global warming,
If we had some global warming,
we’d have a longer growing season,
which could stop world hunger.

If we had some global warming,
I’d set the flamingo free.

If we had some global warming,
way up here in Minnesota,
if we had some global warming,
I wouldn’t mind when I ought to.
If we had some global warming,
I’d be hotter.

M4GW t-shirts:

Answer to the question in number 2:

The effects of Global Warming would be bad for some people, but good for other people. (For example, "Sure, the oceans would rise and we would lose parts of Florida and all, but we’d gain all of Antarctica, and just think, North Canada would even be inhabitable, not to mention Northern Minnesota."

Vocabulary in English with the translations in Spanish (in this context)

If you like, do the interactive Vocabulary Matching Activity: M4GW Matching.

1. Minnesota = un estado de los E.E.U.U.
           Minnesotan = una persona de Minnesota
2. for Global Warming = en favor del calentamiento global
3. global warming = calentamiento global
4. If we had = si tuviesemos
5. 20 below = 20 grados bajo cero
6. to shovel = cavar con una pala
           shovel = pala / snow shovel = pala de nieve
7. blasted = maldito
8. truck = camión
9. maybe = quizás
10. commuter = persona que hace el viaje de casa al trabajo y de vuelta
            to commute = hacer el viaje desde casa al trabajo y viceversa
11. “set” an animal or somebody “free” = liberar a un animal o a alguien
12. cares = preocupaciones
13. turn something into = convertir a algo a
14. lawn chair = silla plegable
15. nasty = asqueroso, desagradable
16. ice cap = casquete de hielo
17. sure = seguro
18. rise = subir
19. gain = ganar
20. just think = imagínate
21. even = incluso
22. inhabitable = habitable (uninhabitable = inhabitable)
23. not to mention = por no decir
24. greenhouse = invernadero
            greenhouse effect = efecto invernadero
25. palm tree = palmera
26. lake = lago
27. alligator = caimán
28. muskie = un tipo de pez de la zona
29. windshield scraper = una espátula para limpiar parabrisas (no el limpiaparabrisas)
30. outside = afuera
31. the whole day = el día entero
32. mean = malo
            polar bear = oso polar
            “old” polar bear = (“old” aquí es un intensificador, no “viejo”)
            mean old polar bear = oso polar muy malo
33. I’m just kidding = estoy solo bromeando
34. hurt = dañar
35. cute = mono
36. cold-blooded killers = asesinos a sangre fría
37. evolve = evolucionar
38. fur coat = abrigo de piel
39. we got to do (we have to do) = tenemos que hacer
40. fuel = combustible
41. lessen = disminuir
42. dependence = dependencia
43. foreign = del extranjero
44. oil = petróleo
45. a “long” time = mucho tiempo
46. a growing season = un período de crecimiento
47. could stop = podría parar
48. hunger = hambre
49. way up here = aquí muy al norte
50. I wouldn't mind = no me importaría
51. ought to = debería
52. hotter = más caluroso, más caliente (por las risas me imagino que esto tiene doble sentido - imagínate)

Online Reference Dictionary, Encyclopedia & more Word: by: WordStarts withEnds withMentions Wordreference Spanish / English Dictionary.

More activities

See the Inconvenient Truth trailer also. Here is an activity for you to do when you watch the trailer: ITT.

Speaking about Global Warming

Global Warming Speaking - El calentamiento global - ¿Existe? ¿Cuales son las causas, soluciones, etc? (Avanzado)