Unit 1 Climate Change

“Climate change poses clear, catastrophic threats.

We may not agree on the extent, but we certainly

can't afford the risk of inaction.”

~ Rupert Murdoch

Warm up

- Do you sometimes feel that each summer seems to be hotter than the last or that each winter is warmer than the previous one?

Here are the facts:

An international scientific consensus has emerged that our world is getting warmer. Abundant data demonstrate that global climate was warmed during the past 150 years. The increase in temperature was not constant, but rather consisted of warming and cooling cycles at intervals of several decades. Nonetheless, the long-term trend is global warming.

Corresponding with this warming, alpine glaciers have been retreating, sea levels have risen, and climatic zones are shifting. The 1980s and 1990s were the warmest decades on record and the 20^th century was the warmest globally in the last 600 years.

Vocabulary

1. experience испытывать

2. humidity влажность

3. noticeably заметно, значительно

4. settle in поселиться, устроиться

5. obvious очевидный

6. worry беспокоиться, волноваться

7. nitrogen азот

8. remainder остаток, остальные

9. greenhouse теплица, парник

10. vapour пар, испарение

11. nitrous oxide окись азота

12. blanket одеяло, покров

13. ray луч

14. regard рассматривать, считать

15. pollen пыльца

16. drift дрейф

17. tilt наклон(ное положение)

18. rural сельский

19. trend направление, тенденция

20. by leaps and bounds очень быстро

21. consumption потребление

22. waste отходы, мусор

23. to an incredible extent в невероятной степени

24. contribute to содействовать, способствовать

25. vehicle транспортное средство

26. flood наводнение

27. drought засуха

28. crop посев, урожай

29. dense густой, плотный

30. storehouse кладовая, сокровищница

31. latitude широта

32. bleaching обесцвечивание

33. a great deal много

34. entire полный, совершенный

Word Study

1. Give the Russian equivalents to the following words:

period, location, temperature, statistical, distribution, extreme, limit, specific, adapt, naturally, human activities, methane, act, ultra violet, controller, dynamic, continental, volcano, comet, meteorite, phenomena, electricity, energy sector, chemical cycle, aspect, condition, accelerate, genetic, sensitive, tundra, polar regions, interior

2. Guess the meaning of the underlined words. Translate the sentences.

1) The ability of the atmosphere to capture and recycle energy emitted by the Earth surface is the defining characteristic of the greenhouse effect. 2) The greenhouse effect is a process by which radiative energy leaving a planetary surface is absorbed by some atmospheric gases, called greenhouse gases. 3) Greenhouse gases transfer heat to other components of the atmosphere, and also re-radiate the energy in all directions. 4) An increase in global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the amount and pattern of precipitation, probably including expansion of subtropical deserts. 5) Most national governments have signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 6) Temperature is believed to have been relatively stable over the one or two thousand years before 1850. 7) The Kyoto Protocol, which came into force in 2005, sets legally binding emission limitations for most developed countries.

3. Translate the following word combinations:

come into being; the average weather; statistical distribution of weather; across the whole Earth; suddenly and noticeably; throughout the earth's history; a cause of worry; act as a blanket; tree rings; pollen samples; sea sediments; factors responsible for climate change; the large-scale use of fossil fuels; covered with vegetation; mountains of waste; a threat to mankind; the earth's average surface temperature; regular instrumental records; weather patterns; extreme weather conditions; melting of glaciers; densely populated parts of the world

4. Match the word from list A with its definition in list B.

A

B

humidity settle in nitrogen greenhouse ray regard waste weather climate latitude

a) (degree of) moisture (in the air) b) distance north or south of the equator measured in degrees c) consider, look upon mentally d) gas (symbol N) without colour, taste or smell, forming about four-fifth of the atmosphere e) that can not be used, no longer of use f) building with sides and roof of glass, used for growing plants that need protection from the weather g) weather conditions of a place or area; conditions of temperature, rainfall, wind, etc h) line of radiant light, heat, energy i) conditions over a particular area and a specific time with reference to sunshine, wind, rain, etc j) move into a new house, job, etc and put things in order