Collocation – Global Problems

Read this debate between two politicians and fill in the gaps with the correct words:

Jim: If I’m elected, my number one priority will be _____1______ poverty. A large portion of our country’s
population lives below the poverty _____2_______, and it’s a fact that young people from
_______3______ backgrounds are more likely to engage in criminal activity. My opponent, on the other
hand, wants to cut funding for the _____4_______ program and leave millions of people without help.

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George: I believe it is a mistake to focus on our country alone; we must remember that we are part of a
global community. Opening up more homeless ______1________ is not a long-term solution to help
those on the _____2_____ of society. However, investing in ______3_______ energy will enable us to
grow our economy without _____4_____ the environment. This will benefit our country and our world

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im: That’s a noble goal, but we have more pressing problems. I seriously doubt our citizens who are
dying of ______1_______ care about protecting _____2_______ species and preventing global
______3_____. Plus, it’s not scientifically proven that humans can even cause _______4_____ damage to
the planet.

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George: Don’t you see that the two issues are related? Due to _____1____ change, the rain patterns have
changed and our agricultural sector is not as strong as it once was. This results in food ____2______. It’s
only going to get worse unless we end our dependence on ____3______ fuels and start using
_______4_____ resources.

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