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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)
Listen first — the transcript stays hidden so this works like the real exam.
Listening audio
Tap play to generate and listen.
0:00--:--
Task 1 · table
| Q | Item | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fall in solar panel cost since 2010 | 90% (roughly) |
| 2 | Where is offshore wind now competitive? | countries with long coastlines |
| 3 | Technology described as the 'missing piece' | battery storage |
Writing Task
Writing · Trend language
rise sharply
go up steeply
fluctuate
go up and down
plateau
level off
plummet
fall very fast
level off
become flat
peak at
reach a highest point of
Writing Task
Pathway focus · Academic Task 1 — line graph
Global solar capacity (GW), 2010–2023
Task 1 · line
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.
Need more practice?
Extra Practice — practise this exam skill
- Tense choice under pressure20 fast decisions between present simple, present perfect and past simple.
- True / False / Not Given decisionsTen statements — the question type students lose most marks on.
- Trend language workoutDescribe movement precisely — verbs, adverbs and noun phrases.
Optional — this doesn't affect your lesson or course progress.
When you're done, mark this lesson complete.