Module 3 · Unit 3 — Environment & Climate Change
Renewable Energy
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Lesson 3 of 5

Renewable Energy

Core 60 min
Pathway

Lesson 3.3 covers a British-accent academic lecture on renewable energy and an Academic Task 1 line graph.

What you'll be able to do
  • Take useful Section-4 notes
  • Describe a line graph clearly
  • Use 6 trend verbs accurately
Listening Skills

Listening · Section 4 academic lecture (UK)

Section 4 features

A single speaker, no pause in the middle, more abstract vocabulary, signposting throughout.

Example · Audio script — Renewable energy lecture (UK)

[Voice 1 — female, UK]: Good afternoon. Today I want to look at three trends reshaping renewable energy. Firstly, the cost of solar panels has fallen by roughly 90% since 2010 — a more dramatic decline than almost any other technology in recent history. Secondly, offshore wind, once dismissed as too expensive, is now competitive with gas in countries with long coastlines. And thirdly, battery storage — the missing piece for decades — has finally reached a price point where grid-scale projects are economically viable.

ElevenLabs audio

Tap play to generate and listen.

0:00--:--
Task 1 · table
QItemAnswer
1Fall in solar panel cost since 201090% (roughly)
2Where is offshore wind now competitive?countries with long coastlines
3Technology described as the 'missing piece'battery storage
Writing Task

Writing · Trend language

rise sharply
verb
go up steeply
fluctuate
verb
go up and down
plateau
verb
level off
plummet
verb
fall very fast
level off
verb
become flat
peak at
verb
reach a highest point of
Writing Task

Pathway focus · Academic Task 1 — line graph

Global solar capacity (GW), 2010–2023
Task 1 · line
20102013201620192023
Solar capacity
Sample answer skeleton
Paraphrase
The line graph illustrates the growth of global solar capacity, measured in gigawatts, between 2010 and 2023.
Overview
Overall, capacity rose continuously and dramatically across the period, with the steepest growth occurring after 2019.
Detail 1
Starting from just 40 GW in 2010, capacity climbed to 300 GW by 2016 — more than a sevenfold increase.
Detail 2
Growth then accelerated, reaching almost 1,200 GW in 2023 — roughly double the level recorded only four years earlier.
Exam Strategy

Exam Strategy

  • Exam Tip

    Always start Task 1 with a paraphrase + an overview.

  • Exam Tip

    Use a different trend verb every sentence.

Independent Practice

Independent Practice

Task 1 attempt

Write the full Task 1 using the chart above in 20 minutes.

Key Takeaways

Key Takeaways

Remember
  • Section 4 listening = signposting + abstract terms.
  • Task 1 = overview before detail, always.
When you're done, mark this lesson complete.
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