TED Magnus Larsson Dunes Worksheet SE 2010

1. マグナス・ラーソン：砂丘を建築に変える
Magnus Larsson: Turning dunes into architecture
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http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/magnus_larsson_turning_du
nes_into_architecture.html
PARAGRAPH 1 : It’s a bit funny…
What does MagnusLarsson want to build?
What will it be made of?
PARAGRAPH 2 : Now, as architects…
What does the speaker say that he believes in?
What is his response to the threat of desertification?
PARAGRAPH 3: Now, sand is a magical material…
Draw the sand cycle that Magnus describes.
PARAGRAPH 4 : In a way, the static, stone mountain…
How much of the Earth’s surfaces are dry land?
What does “Sahei” mean?
What happened there in the 1960’s and 1970’s?

2. PARAGRAPH 5 : This is a catastrophe waiting…
Where in the world is desertification a threat?
Why isn’t this issue in the news more often?
PARAGRAPH 6 : It seriously threatens…
What are some of the problems we have created through unsustainable use of scarce resources?
1) 2)
3) 4)
5) 6)
7) 8)
9) 10)
PARAGRAPH 7 : I went to Sokoto…
How quickly are the dunes near Sokoto moving south?
_________ meters per year
_________ meter per day
PARAGRAPH 8 : They had to move this village…
Why did this village have to move in 1987?
How long did it take to climb to the top of the dune where their town used to be?

3. PARAGRAPH 9 : Now, sand dunes cover only…
Four years ago, 23 African countries came together to make what?
What are some examples of sand catchers?
Why did the Great Green Wall fail?
PARAGRAPH 10 : Now, there’s an alternative to…
What does Magnus Larsson propose as an alternative to the Great Green Wall?
Give 2-3 reasons why he thinks his idea is really good.
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PARAGRAPH 11 : Sand dunes are almost like…
What does Magnus compare sand dunes to? (they’re almost like…)
How do you make architecture from sand?

4. PARAGRAPH 12 : But, by now, you’ve probably asking…
What creature can be used to solidify a sand dune?
Where does it usually exist in nature?
PARAGRAPH 13 : What happens is, you pour…
How long does it take for sand to become sandstone? (cementation process)
Who did he learn about this process from?
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PARAGRAPH 14 : So, hw much would this cost?
How much would it cost to produce a meter of bacterial sand?
PARAGRAPH 15 : How do we construct something like this?
What is one way that the bacteria can get into the sand?

5. PARAGRAPH 16 : The second alternative…
As a second alternative, what can be pushed down into the sand to release the bacteria and produce
sandstone?
Draw an example of this alternative here:
PARAGRAPH 17 : But what should they look like…
What architectural form does Magnus think might be good for structures?
Where did he find these in nature?
PARAGRAPH 18: Some people believe that…
What do some people believe (and worry about) the bacteria?
Why does Magnus say that this belief is not true?
How much of the world’s arable land will disappear by the end of the century if we don’t do
something about desertification?
PARAGRAPH 18: If nothing else…
What are some reasons that Magnus would really like to see this wall get built?

6. PARAGRAPH 19 and 20 : Borges said that…
What are some of the details that still need to be explored?
TANGO BOX
architecture ______________________________
build/construct __________________________
bacteria __________________________
sand _________________________
desertification ___________________________
solidified (solid) _______________________
material _________________________
cyclical process (cycle) ____________________
drought _____________________
catastrophe _____________________
unsustainable ____________________
firewood ____________________
excavate _____________________
micro-organism ______________________
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habitable environment _____________________ decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
arable land ___________________________