English Test 2nd Bachillerato. September 2009 The greenhouse effect 1
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If you went on holiday last summer, was it hotter than in past years? If you went skiing last winter, did you notice that there was less snow than the year before? If the answer is ‘yes’ then you have been directly influenced by the global climatic change known as the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect, contrary to general belief, is in fact a very necessary natural phenomenon which balances the Earth’s cooling processes. If the atmosphere did not retain any of the heat we get from the sun, our planet would be far too cold for us, or any animals and especially plants, to live here. The problem is that we have added too many pollutants to the atmosphere in the last hundred years or so and this has caused the greenhouse effect to increase so much that now there is an imbalance.
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There have been many temperature rises and falls throughout the history of our planet, the ice age, for example but the big problem now is one of time. This temperature change is happening very quickly. Over the past century or so, the average global temperature has risen about half a degree Celsius. That might sound like a small change in a long time, but our planet and all its inhabitants are used to changes over millions of years. If we don’t take serious measures to stop it, many species of animals and plants will become extinct and it will be our fault.
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(A) COMPREHENSION (4 points) a) ANSWER QUESTIONS 1-2 ACCORDING TO THE INFORMATION GIVEN IN THE TEXT. USE YOUR OWN WORDS. (1 point per answer) 1) Why is the greenhouse effect necessary for the Earth? 2) What might happen if global temperatures continue to rise? b) ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT. (0.5 points per answer) 3) Last summer was hotter than in past years. 4) Pollutants have been added to the atmosphere throghout the history of mankind. 5) The temperature of the Earth has always been constant. 6) A lot of animal and plant species will die if we don’t do anything about the greenhouse effect. (B) USE OF ENGLISH (3 points) 7) Find in the text an opposite for SURVIVE (verb) (0.25 points) 8) Find in the text a synonym for OBSERVE (verb) (0.25 points) 9) Fill in the gap with a correct preposition: (0.25 points) We have to look ______________ the environment, or the Earth will be in trouble. 10) Give an adverb with the same root as SERIOUS (adjective) (line 14) (0.25 points) 11) Join the following sentences using a relative pronoun. Make changes if necessary.(0.5 points) The greenhouse effect is a very serious problem. Its main result is global warming. 12) Turn the following sentence into reported speech: (0.5 points) Michelle asked him: “Where did your parents go on holiday last summer? 13) Complete the following sentence: (0.5 points) If a lot of animal and plant species disappeared . . . 14) Use the words in the boxes to make a meaningful sentence. Use all and only the words in the boxes without changing their form. (0.5 points) the found
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(C) PRODUCTION (3 points) 15) Write a composition (80-100 WORDS) Choose ONE of the following options. Specify your option. a) What can we do to reduce pollution?
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b) Is global climate change a problem? Give reasons.