Question 17-20: Read and choose the correct answer
CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change (or global warming) is the process of our planet heating up. Earth has warmed by an average of 10C
in the last century, and although that might not sound like much, it means big things for people and wildlife around
the globe. Unfortunately, rising temperature don’t just mean that we’ll get nicer weather- if only! The changing
climate will actually make our weather more extreme and unpredictable.
As temperature rise, some areas will get wetter and lots of animals (and humans) could find they are not able to
adapt to their changing climate. What cause climate change?
1. Burning fossil fuels
Over the past 150 years, industrialized countries have been burning large amounts of fossil fuels such as oil and gas.
The gases released into the atmosphere during this process act like an invisible “blanket”, trapping heat from the sun
and warming Earth. This is known as the “greenhouse effect”
2. Farming
Believe or not, cow’s eating habits contribute towards greenhouse gases. Just like us, when cows eat, methane gas
builds up their digestive system and is released in the form of a fart! This might sound funny, but when you imagine
that there are about 1.5 billion cows releasing all that gas into the atmosphere, it sure adds up!
3. Deforestation
Forest absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide- a greenhouse gas- from the air, and release oxygen back into it. The
Amazon rainforest is so large and efficient at doing this that it is often called “the lungs of the earth”. Sadly, many
rainforests are being cut down to make wood and palm oil, and to clear the way for farmland, roads, oil mines and
dams.
How will climate change affect the planet?
Earth has had many tropical climates and ice ages over the billions of years that it has been in existence, so
why is now so different? Well, this is because for the last 150 years, human activity has meant we are releasing a
huge amount of harmful gases into Earth’s atmosphere, and records show that global temperatures are rising more
rapidly since this time
17. What is climate change?
18. How does climate change affect the weather?
19. What are the three factors that cause climate change?
20. What have human beings done for the last 150 years?
17. It is the process of our planet heating up.
18. It makes the weather more extreme and unpredictable.
19. They are: burning fossil fuels, farming and deforestation.
20. They have released a huge amount of harmful gases into Earth's atmosphere.
17. What is climate change?
Climate change (or global warming) is the process of our planet heating up.
18. How does climate change affect the weather?
some areas will get wetter and lots of animals (and humans) could find they are not able to
adapt to their changing climate.
Burning fossil fuels, Farming and Deforestation
20. What have human beings done for the last 150 years?
human activity has meant we are releasing a
huge amount of harmful gases into Earth’s atmosphere, and records show that global temperatures are rising more
rapidly since this time
