READING COMPREHENSION
A. Match the words with their meaning.
1. climate a) happening fast
2. speeding up b) weather conditions
3. fossil fuels c) enormous
4. huge d) coal or oil
What causes climate change?
Scientists are not completely sure about what causes climate change. Most scientists
interested in the subject believe that human activity is speeding up climate change.
When sunlight enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it passes through a layer of greenhouse
gases. Greenhouse gases occur naturally, but humans also create them by burning fossil
fuels.
What are the effects of climate change?
It is very difficult to predict exactly what will happen as the Earth’s temperature rises.
However, scientists believe the world’s glaciers will melt into the ocean, causing sea levels
to rise drastically. Most people are terrified of the terrible effects this could have on the
world we live in.
Higher sea levels could cause flooding of coastal lands. Warmer ocean water can increase
storm activity on the coast and areas away from the coast may experience droughts.
Floods and droughts
The basic cause of all droughts is not enough rain. The land can
become starved of nourishment which makes it impossible to grow
anything. Farmers are terrified of droughts because they can be
disastrous for their livelihood. Floods can be just as bad, too.
Hurricanes, cyclones and typhoons
Tropical storms are called hurricanes over the North Atlantic Ocean,
cyclones over the Indian Ocean and typhoons over the north-west
Pacific.
A hurricane is one of the most powerful of all weather systems.
Coastal regions can also get hit by huge waves. Plus there can be
serious flooding in other areas because of the rain that these storms bring.
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B. TRUE or FALSE? Quote from the text to justify
your choice.
1- Scientists are certain that human beings cause global
warming and climate change.
2- Changes in the climate can cause two opposite effects:
too much water and not enough water.
3- The water in the sea will freeze and make larger glaciers
at the North and South Poles.
4- The coast is never destroyed by waves.
C. Answer the questions.
1- What are the main causes of global warming?
2- What will happen as the Earth’s temperature rises?
3- What is a drought? What problems can it cause?
4- What are some of the problems that hurricanes can
cause?
D. What do the underlined words refer to in the text.
1. it
2. them
3. they
4. their
LANGUAGE STUDY
A. Build passive sentences. B. Complete the sentences with the Present
perfect or Present Perfect Continuous.
1. Higher sea levels cause floods in the 1. John ... (clean) his garden for 2 hours. He is
coastal land. tired.
2. A hurricane destroyed this city last year. 2. They ... (just/ do) the Maths exercise.
3. People recycle paper, glass and plastic 3. John ... (never /recycle) paper.
every day. 4. These factories (send) fumes into the
4. They don’t buy environmentally-friendly atmosphere. Their chimneys don’t have filters.
bulbs. 5. ... (ever /plant) a tree?
5. We didn’t ride our bikes yesterday.
WRITING
Write a text of about 70 words on what we all can do to protect
and preserve our planet.
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