Global warming may be one of the biggest issues in the world today. The lands are less fertile, the water is not as fresh as it used to be, and our sun seems getting hotter and hotter. However, global warming is viewed in two opinions whether it is seriously a big problem or a biggest lie of all time.
So, what is global warming? The rise in the Earths temperature that we refer to as global warming is most noticeably apparent as a rise in the ocean temperatures of the Earth. Since 1980, the global temperature of the sea and the atmosphere has increased by approximately one degree Fahrenheit. While this may seem like a small amount, the Earth is a fragile interconnected system, and even seemingly small changes can have huge impacts.
Effects of global warming vary depending upon where in the world you live. While global warming may mean increased rainfall for one area, it may mean a drought for another region. One of the global warming interesting facts which may seem confusing is that this phenomenon does not necessarily mean higher temperatures. In some areas of the world the temperatures may become cooler instead, and this can be just as devastating.
The greenhouse effect occurs when sunlight passes through the atmosphere and strikes the Earth. The suns energy warms the Earth, which is a good thing, as we couldnt survive without it. Like the glass roof of a greenhouse, which prevents heat from leaving, greenhouse gases prevent some of the suns energy escaping through the Earths atmosphere.
Due to the burning of large amounts of coal, oil, and natural gas, the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has dramatically increased over the last three hundred years. For instance, carbon dioxide has increased 30 % in the atmosphere since 1750. Trees remove CO2 from the air as a part of their natural processes. As people cut down forests, the capacity of trees to remove CO2 from the air is lowered.
Scientists are concerned that if we continue to burn large amounts of fossil fuels and cut down our forests, an exaggerated greenhouse effect will occur resulting in an increase of the worlds surface temperature known as global warming. A warming of only a few degrees can cause a number of environmental problems including the melting of polar ice caps, flooding coastal areas and causing ocean levels to rise.
Despite a lot of evidence, the debate over climate change and global warming continues. Do you believe in global warming?
Comprehension
3. Match up the following half-sentences.
| 1. In the last century | a) by using their cars less. |
| 2. This rise of temperature | b) making hurricanes more frequent. |
| 3. Factories, power plants and cars have burnt fossil fuels such as oil and coal | c) to reduce the impact of global warming. |
| 4. These greenhouse gases trap heat near the Earth | d) releasing CO2 and other gases into the atmosphere. |
| 5. According to NASA the extend of Arctic Sea Ice | e) could become more common in warm areas. |
| 6. Continued consumption of energy and fossil fuels | f) the planets temperature has risen unusually fast. |
| 7. Rising temperatures could mean rising sea levels | g) has declined about 10 % over the last 30 years. |
| 8. Weather patterns could change | h) is known as global warming. |
| 9. Severe droughts | i) could face extinction. |
| 10. Species, unable to adapt to the changing conditions, | j) through a process called the greenhouse effect. |
| 11. Many organizations advocate cutting greenhouse gas emissions | k) which could flood coastal areas around the world. |
| 12. Consumers can help by saving energy around the house and | l) will increase the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. |
|
|
|
4. Which of the following factors contribute to global warming?
| factories, bikes, driving cars, flying planes, smoking, watching TV, cooking, using a computer, reading, watering plants, exercising, having a barbecue, solar panels, deforestation, wind mills, aerosol cans, landfills, power stations, exhaust fumes |
5. Which of the following are the results of global warming?
| animal extinction, rise of sea levels, price of petrol, lower temperatures, heat waves, floods, deforestation, skin cancer, droughts, damage to the wildlife, smog, hurricanes, temperature rise, lack of oxygen, ozone holes, loss of habitat for animals |
Vocabulary
6. Find the words in the text which mean the following.
1. The problem caused by increased quantities of gases in the air.
2. Gradual rise in the Earth's average surface temperature.
3. To be filled or covered with water.
4. Thick layers of ice and snow that cover the North and South Poles.
5. Coal or oil that is formed from the decayed remains of plants or animals.
6. A mixture of gases around the Earths surface.
7. To get away, to find a way out; to get free.
8. A chemical compound that consists of simple molecules, each of which has one carbon and two oxygen atoms.
Reading
7. Read the text and enumerate the environmental problems mentioned in it.
