2021 not as bad as 2020, says think tank

An influential think tank has suggested that the year 2021 wasn't as bad as 2020. The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is a United States not-for-profit body of experts specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs. It celebrated its centenary in 2021. It stated that 2021 "wasn't as tumultuous as 2020, which put in a claim to be the worst year ever". However, there was still plenty of dreadful news.

Number one on the bad news list was the world's failure to properly address the climate change challenge. This led to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres declaring "a code red for humanity". Other top-ten stories included the mutating of the coronavirus, mass migration, the supply chain crisis, and the Taliban returning to power.

 

The CFR asserted that 2021 did bring some good news. It said: "For a moment in early summer, it seemed that COVID-19 was in the rearview mirror." On the brighter side, more than 9 billion covid-19 vaccinations were administered globally. Many notable achievements occurred in 2021.

NASA's Perseverance rover successfully "drilled, extracted and stored a sample of Martian rock" for the very first time. In health news, "after decades of targeted and sustained action," the WHO declared China free of malaria. There was also good news regarding sustainability as United Airlines flew the first passenger aircraft with 100 per cent sustainable fuel. And… cheese lovers were guaranteed there is "no evidence that cheese causes weight gain".


Source: Breaking News English 
 

Comprehension

What is the name of the think tank?
How old is the think tank mentioned in the article?
What was number one on the bad news list?
What did the UN declare?
Who does the article say returned to power?
When did it seem that COVID-19 was "in the rearview mirror"?
What did NASA extract a sample of?
Which country was declared malaria-free?
What did an aircraft fly with 100 per cent of?
What food was dissociated with weight gain?

Discussion

What do you think about what you read?
What do you know about think tanks?
What did you think of 2021?
How does last year compare to 2020?
What was good and bad about 2021 for you?
What do you know about code red for humanity?
What do you think 2022 will be like?

Vocabulary

think-tank - a group of experts who are gathered together by an organization, especially by a government, in order to consider various problems and try and work out ways to solve them.
centenary - the hundredth anniversary of a significant event; a centennial.
tumultuous - very loud, or full of confusion, change, or uncertainty:
dreadful - causing or involving great suffering, fear, or unhappiness; extremely bad or serious.
sustainable - able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.
notable - worthy of attention or notice; remarkable.