The World Needs Too Much Sand

May 12, 2026, 12:58
AsiaEnvironment

Introduction

The United Nations has a new report. It talks about the problems with taking too much sand from the earth.

Main Body

People use 50 billion tonnes of sand every year. They use it to make glass and concrete for buildings. Some sand is 'dead' and some is 'alive'. 'Alive' sand protects the ocean and animals. Now, people take sand faster than nature can make it. In the Maldives, the government took a lot of sand to build land. This killed many coral reefs. In the Philippines and Indonesia, people took sand for airports. Now, the fish are gone and local people have less money. The UN says we must change the rules. Countries need a better plan to protect the earth. They must be honest about where they take the sand.

Conclusion

People take too much sand. This hurts nature and poor people living by the sea.

Learning

🟒 The "Action" Word

In this text, we see words that tell us what people do. These are the building blocks of A2 English.

Simple Actions (Present Tense):

  • Use β†’ People use sand.
  • Talks β†’ The report talks about problems.
  • Protects β†’ Sand protects the ocean.

πŸ› οΈ Making "The Past"

When the story moves from now to before, the words change. Look at how we add -ed to the end of the word to show it already happened:

Now β†’\rightarrow Past

  • Take β†’\rightarrow Took (Special change!)
  • Kill β†’\rightarrow Killed

Example from text: "The government took a lot of sand... This killed many coral reefs."

🌍 Words for Places

Notice how we use In when talking about a country or a city:

  • In the Maldives
  • In the Philippines
  • In Indonesia

Tip: Use In + [Place] to tell someone where something is happening.

Vocabulary Learning

world (n.)
the planet we live on
Example:The world is very big.
sand (n.)
tiny grains of stone used for building
Example:Sand is used to make glass.
earth (n.)
the planet that surrounds the sun
Example:The earth is our home.
people (n.)
human beings
Example:People need clean water.
use (v.)
to employ or utilize
Example:We use sand to build houses.
make (v.)
to create or produce
Example:We make concrete from sand and water.
glass (n.)
a clear, brittle material
Example:Glass windows are made from sand.
concrete (n.)
a strong building material
Example:Concrete floors are strong.
buildings (n.)
structures where people live or work
Example:Buildings need strong foundations.
alive (adj.)
living, not dead
Example:Alive sand protects the ocean.
protect (v.)
to keep safe from harm
Example:We protect the sea by saving sand.
ocean (n.)
a large body of salt water
Example:The ocean is home to many fish.
animals (n.)
living creatures that are not humans
Example:Animals need clean water.
nature (n.)
the natural world
Example:Nature needs care.
build (v.)
to construct
Example:We build houses with sand.
land (n.)
solid ground
Example:They built land with sand.