Global warming – global warning

96 ADDITIONAL READING

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.’

PRACTICE

1 Find the highlighted words/phrases (1-5) in the text and study the context. Match the words with their definitions (a-e). 1. primarily 2. average 3. claim 4. decrease 5. cut down (on) a. usual amount or quality b. to state that something is true c. to become smaller or less in amount or size d. reduce e. mainly

2 Explain 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.

VOCABULARY

a cb

1 Replace the underlined word/s in the sentences with a word from the Key word list which is opposite in meaning. 1. Poverty often discourages crime. 2. During the ten-day march across the desert, their supply of water increased rapidly. 3. The loss he had suffered didn’t have an effect on him. 4. He was an arrogant man and often shy in the company of women.

GRAMMAR

2 Put the verbs in brackets into the correct form, active or passive.

1. The painting ______________ (show) to all of the potential buyers tomorrow. 2. All the buildings along the beach _____________ (destroy) by the hurricane last week. 3. My car _____________ (steal) when I went to the mall the other day. 4. She enjoys _____________ (go) to parties and _____________ (dance) at night clubs all night long. 5. That ring __________ (give) to my grandmother by my grandfather before she got married. 6. What ______________(happen) when she found out the truth? 7. Our capital city ___________ (visit) by many tourists every year. 8. The escaped prisoner __________ (see) recently in a supermarket. 9. I wouldn’t dream of ____________ (go) to visit her in hospital without ______________ (buy) some flowers.

3 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. 1. No one gave me any help with the homework. /not I _____________________________ any help with the homework. 2. No one has painted this house for ten years. /been This house ________________________ for ten years. 3. The police were interviewing people in the neighbourhood last night. /interviewed People in the neighbourhood _______________________ last night. 4. Peter said he hadn’t caused the accident. /denied Peter _________________________ the accident. 5. ‘Why don’t we all go to James’s party?’ Ann said. /suggested Ann _________________________ to James’s party.

KEY WORD LIST

Verbs

affect concern claim cause dump decrease encourage float increase heat reduce prevent

Nouns

environment community persecution (bicycle) lane

Adjectives

average modest holy rural

Phrasal verbs

hand over hand out hand in cut down on

Expressions

apart from acid rain oil spill

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