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PART 1. GLOBAL WARMING IS HUMAN MADE
Task 1. TRUE / FALSE: Predict whether the following statements about the article are true or false:
- Global warming is caused by human activity, not natural environmental factors. T / F
- Clear evidence of human-produced warming is in the world's rivers. T / F
- Global warming is not likely to impact water resources around the globe. T / F
- Many world leaders have closed their ears to global warming. T / F
- The US government doesn’t want to introduce expensive pollution controls. T / F
- Global warming is a natural phenomenon, caused by volcanoes and solar energy. T / F
- Scientists can simulate the likely future evolution of global warming. T / F
- Millions of people will be at risk of having inadequate water supplies. T / F
PART 2. ARCTIC SEA ICE SHRINKS TO RECORD LOW
Task 1. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if a-h below are true (T) or false (F).
| a. | The article says ice in Antarctica has shrunk to an all-time low. | T / F |
| b. | The article says there may be no Arctic ice in the summer in future. | T / F |
| c. | In 2012, there was 70,000 sq. km less ice than the previous low. | T / F |
| d. | An expert likened the Arctic ice to a giant frozen soft drink. | T / F |
| e. | Most of the Arctic e ice melts in the summer. | T / F |
| f. | The last six years have seen record falls in Arctic ice cover. | T / F |
| g. | The Arctic sea ice needs to absorb the sun's rays. | T / F |
| h. | A storm that hit the Arctic in early August made the ice stronger. |
Task 2. Listen and fill the gaps.
Scientists have announced (1) ______________________ covering the Arctic Ocean has shrunk to (2) ______________________. What's more, they say the ice could disappear (3) ______________________ summers. The area of ice recorded on August 26 covered just over four million square kilometres, which is 70,000 square kilometres less than the previous low in 2007. Experts said that record (4) ______________________ would not be repeated. However, conditions have changed quickly. The USA's National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said: "The (5) ______________________ thin and weak in the springtime that large parts of it can't survive the melt season…(6) ______________________ the Arctic have become a giant slushee at this time of year."