UNIT 6C
ADDITIONAL READING
Global warming – global warning
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The Earth is our home. We are part of this world and its destiny is our own. That’s why people are worried about climate change and the fact that the Earth’s average temperature is rising. Thermometers show that the world is warmer now than at any time since measurements started. This is the reason why global warming, also known as the ‘greenhouse effect’, represents a serious threat to all living things on Earth. Although most scientists agree that the Earth’s climate is changing because of global warming caused primarily by human use of oil, coal, and natural gas, there are sceptics who claim that climate change is a natural phenomenon. The question we often ask is how fast the Earth is heating up, and what effects the warming may have on crops and weather conditions around the world. It is true that global warming is directly causing higher sea levels, the melting of icecaps, and major worldwide climatic changes. Studies show that ocean levels have risen by 10-25cm in the past 100 years. By 2050, it is predicted that ocean levels will rise another 20cm. With a large number of the world’s cities in coastal areas, this is a serious problem. Many countries will be unable to protect their residents from increasing sea levels, frequent and intense droughts, heavy rains, and violent hurricanes and tornadoes. Can we do anything about it? We should try to cut down on our demand for electricity and decrease car use. We should also try to follow the environmental policy of ‘Reduce.... Reuse... Recycle.’
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PRACTICE
a. b. c. d. e.
usual amount or quality to state that something is true to become smaller or less in amount or size reduce mainly
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1. primarily 2. average 3. claim 4. decrease 5. cut down (on)
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1F ind the highlighted words/phrases (1-5) in the text and study the context. Match the words with their definitions (a-e).
2E xplain the meaning of the words reduce, reuse, recycle in the context of environmental problems.
COLOURFUL ENGLISH 1 Learn some idioms with colours.
1. A person with green fingers grows beautiful plants/flowers. 2. When people are blue, they are sad and depressed. 3. A yellow person is afraid of everything. 4. In black and white means in writing or in print. 96
