2. Reading Comprehension

1. General Comprehension

Read the article and say whether these statements are true or false. Give reasons.

1. Within 100 years all the world’s ice fields will disappear.

2. Chinese scientists studied mountain glaciers in China for a quarter of a century.

3. Global warming influences only the melting of the polar ice-caps.

4. The scientists come to the conclusion that glaciers had become smaller in size.

5. In recent years the glacial melt has caused flooding followed by tremendous devastation.

6. The reduction of the volume of ice fields in China will be a disaster to the ecosystem of the whole planet.

7. The scientists who scaled the highest peak of Everest in 1953 were mistaken. In reality the peak is 1.3 metres shorter.

8. Scientists think they should restore the glaciers to improve the ecological situation.

2. Detailed Comprehension

Read the article another time and answer the following questions.

1. What can the world’s largest ice fields melting lead to?

2. What is the result of the detailed study of China’s glaciers undertaken by Chinese scientists?

3. What changes did the scientists notice in the volume of the glaciers?

4. What disasters can these changes cause?

5. What might happen if the mountain ice melted?

6. How long can it take the glaciers to collapse?

7. What can be done to ease the impact of the glacial melt?

8. Can the scientists stop the glacial melt and bring the glaciers to their former state?

3. Making up a summary

Divide the article into 4 logical parts and sum up the contents of each one in 2 – 3 sentences.

Make use of the following key words.

1. Chinese scientists, to warn, the world’s highest ice fuield, to melt quickly, to disappear, 100 years.

2. 25 years of exploration, China and Tibet, to result in, the Glacier Inventory, to heighten alarm at; global warming. Global warming; to cause, melting, polar ice-caps, decline; Himalayan glaciers; to be a disaster for; ecosystem of China; neighbouring states.

3. The water from the melting ice; to fill reservoirs; to lead to flooding; to devastate downstream areas. The end of the glaciers; to change the mountain ecology; to turn; mountain slopes; deserts.

4. To ease the impact of; glacial melt; government; to build more reservoirs; hydro-electric dams. But; no one; reverse; changes; a glacier.

4. Reviewing the Article

Now, using the scheme of reviewing newspaper articles (App. 2), useful vocabulary and clichés (App. 1 – 2) and the summary you have just made up, review the article. Do not forget to give your opinion of the material.

Unit 7 adopt me as a grandad

1. Before Reading Tasks

1. What is your idea of a family? How many members should there be in a family? Do you think it’s a good idea when several generations of the family live together? Is it OK for an elderly person to live alone? Give reasons and, if possible, examples.

2. Words in Context

Choose the meaning of the underlined word or expression based on its use in the sentence.

1. The elderly man was inundated with inquiries from around the world.

a. was hurt b. got very few c. got a lot of.

2. He offered to contribute & 500 a month towards their household expenses.

a. to give b. to loan c. to live on

3. The country is traditionally noted for its tightly knit extended families.

a. big b. small c. friendly.

4. The Rivas have a beagle called Pablo and a pair of singing canaries.

a. a parrot b. a cat c. a dog.

5. The plight of Signor Angelozzi struck a chord in the country.

a. article b. request c. (sad) situation

6. The local policeman stopped the old man now and then to make sure he was all right.

a. sometimes b. all the time c. every day

7. The man is prepared to return home if his experiment doesn’t work out.

a. to be successful b. to be over c. to help

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