King Abdul Aziz University
Faculty of Sciences and Arts
English Language Department
ELCA 100
Reading
Facts you should know about global warming
Fact 1
In 1996, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), representing 2,500
scientists, released a major assessment on climate change. The 3600-page report reduces
many of the uncertainties surrounding the issue. Scientists are now more confident than ever
that the emission of greenhouse gases through human activities is contributing to global
warming. This will lead to climate change next century, with potentially disastrous impacts on
biodiversity, coasts, agriculture, water and health.
Fact 2
The greenhouse effect is a natural phenomenon – if it weren’t for the natural greenhouse
effect the Earth would be some 33°C cooler than it is at present. The planet is warm enough
for complex life because naturally occurring gases (including carbon dioxide and water
vapor) trap heat which would otherwise escape into space. The problem is that human activity
– including combustion of fossil fuels and land clearing – is adding to these gases faster than
oceans, plants and soil can absorb them. This is unnaturally ‘enhancing’ the greenhouse
effect. Since the industrial revolution, the concentration of carbon dioxide, the main
greenhouse gas, has increased by 30 per cent. Long-substantiated laws of physics tell us that,
given we are altering the energy balance of the atmosphere; this will impact on the world’s
temperature and climate.
Fact 3
The measured increase in temperature of about 0.3-0.6°C this century is consistent with the
latest climate model predictions. The 1980s was the warmest decade on record, with 1990,
1991 and 1995 the three warmest years on record. This is not to say that the warming trend is
the consequence of the enhanced greenhouse effect. However, recent studies show that the
warming trend this century is unlikely to be due to natural phenomena such as increased solar
output. The IPCC has now stated that ‘the balance of evidence suggests that there is
discernible human influence on global climate’.
Questions:
1. What is the main point of Fact One?
A. Most scientists believe that global warming is caused by human activity.
B. Scientists write a lot of reports.
C. The situation has changed a lot since 1996.
D. Our health will be damaged in the next century.
2. Essentially, what does the 3600-page report do?
A. It does not say anything new.
B. It uses a lot of paper.
C. It helps make the global warming problem clearer.
D. It shows how the problem can be fixed next century.
3. Which statement about the greenhouse effect is true?
A. There was no greenhouse effect until humans created it.
B. Oceans, plants and soil created the greenhouse effect.
C. The greenhouse effect is not important for the planet.
D. The greenhouse effect occurs naturally.
4. Which statement is closest to what the text says?
A. The main greenhouse has increased by thirty times since the Industrial revolution.
B. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is thirty times higher than it was before the industrial
revolution.
C. There is no evidence to show that there have been any changes in carbon dioxide levels
since the industrial revolution.
D. Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by almost one-third since the Industrial
Revolution.
5. Which is the best paragraph heading for Fact Three?
A. The Earth's temperature increase could be predicted
B. There is not enough evidence.
C. The Sun's heat causes the most problems.
D. The temperature increase is too small.
Bath
The City of Bath gets both its name and fame from its natural hot springs, or thermal water,
(these are the only hot springs in all of Britain). There is a well-known historical story, or
legend, which explains the first discovery of the hot springs. The legend tells of a Celtic
prince named Bladud, who lived around 600 B.C.. Bladud caught a terrible skin disease,
called leprosy. In order to prevent other people from catching the disease, he had to leave
everyone, including his family and friends, to live in isolation.
Questions:
1. Find the word 'thermal' in the reading. What does 'thermal' mean?
A. dangerous
B. hot
C. special
2. Find the word 'well-known' in the reading. What does this word mean?
A. many people know it
B. many people don't like it
C. it is very old
3. Find 'prevent' . What does it mean?
(* 'prevent...from ...')
A. make sure
B. stop
C. give
4. Find 'in isolation'. What does it mean?
A. in a place with people he did not know
B. far away from other people
C. in a foreign country
What is Chemistry?
Human beings have always been fascinated by natural materials such as wood, water, air and
have investigated their transformations. One example of a transformation is burning, also
called combustion, where a substance burns reacting with oxygen in the air. Another example
is the rusting, where the metal iron reacts with oxygen and water in the air to form iron oxide,
a red coloured material.
Although there are many millions of materials around us, during the 19th and 20th centuries,
it became clear that all these substances are constructed from just 83 different elements.
Some of these elements are metals such as iron (Fe) or copper (Cu) or aluminium (Al) or and
some are non-metals such as carbon (C) or phosphorus (P) or the gases hydrogen (H), oxygen
(O) or chlorine (Cl). Chemistry is the study of these different elements and how they combine
to form compounds such as water (H2O) or salt (sodium chloride - NaCl).
In addition to the 83 naturally-occurring elements, another 27 new elements have been
created in the laboratory, bringing the total to 110, known at the present time.
Questions:
1) Choose the correct answer for each question.
1. Burning is also known as
A rusting
B combustion
C reacting
D composition
2) Match the items on the right with the items on the left.
1. Substances
A. Formed when 2 or more elements react
2.Combustion
B. Conduct heat and electricity
3.Iron oxide
C. A basic substance - 83 occur naturally
4.Element
D. Materials
5.Compound
E. Burning
6.Metal
F. Chemical name for rust