Unit 13
Focus on Global Warming
Contents
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Pre-reading questions
Background information
Structure analysis
Comprehension questions
Language points of Text I
Grammatical items
Exercises
Comprehension questions of Text II
Oral activities
Writing practice
Text I Focus on Global Warning
• Pre-reading questions
• 1. what do you know about global warming?
What is the cause of global warming?
• 2. What changes could the greenhouse effect
create in the earth’s climate?
• 3. Can you give some suggestions for tackling
the greenhouse effect?
Background information (1)
• John Weier
• John Weier was born in Winnipeg and grew up near
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. After graduating from
high school, he studied anthropology and history of
religions at the University of Manitoba. In 1975 he
began work as a luthier in Winnipeg, making banjos,
violas and violins. He has since built about a hundred
stringed instruments.
Background information (2)
• John Weiehas studied in India and England. He
has worked in the Canadian book publishing
industry and as a musician with the Duck
Mountain Bluegrass Band. He coached for ten
years in the Manitoba Fastball program and
has been awarded the Manitoba Order of Sport
Excellence. He is a past president of the
League of Canadian Poets and past Creator
Co-chair of the Access Copyright Board of
Directors.
Background information (3)
• Currently a member of the CANCOPY Board
of Directors. John works freelance as a violin
restorer and writer. He is an avid birdwatcher.
He has two children and lives in Winnipeg
with his wife Susan. John began writing in his
teens and has pursued this vocation
professionally since 1983. His first book, a
collection of poems entitled After the
Revolution, was published in 1986; his tenth,
Stand the Sacred Tree, a work of creative nonfiction, was published in 2004.
Background information (4)
• The Greenhouse Effect: Scientists are sure
about the greenhouse effect. They know that
greenhouse gases make the Earth warmer by
trapping energy in the atmosphere.
Background information (5)
• Climate Change: Climate is the long-term
average of a region's weather events lumped
together. For example, it's possible that a
winter day in Buffalo, New York, could be
sunny and mild, but the average weather – the
climate – tells us that Buffalo's winters will
mainly be cold and include snow and rain.
Climate change represents a change in these
long-term weather patterns. They can become
warmer or colder. Annual amounts of rainfall
or snowfall can increase or decrease.
Background information (6)
• Global Warming: Global warming refers to
an average increase in the Earth's temperature,
which in turn causes changes in climate. A
warmer Earth may lead to changes in rainfall
patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of
impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. When
scientists talk about the issue of climate
change, their concern is about global warming
caused by human activities.
Background information (8)
• What Causes Global Warming?
There is general consensus in the scientific
community that global warming is mainly
caused by the burning of fossil fuels, which
increases the levels of greenhouse gases in our
atmosphere. The United States is the world's
largest producer of greenhouse gases that
cause global warming, producing 25% of
worldwide emissions.
Background information (9)
• According to the EPA, the main causes of U.S.
Global Warming pollution are:
Electricity Generation: 33.9%
Transportation: 26.8%
Industry: 18.8%
Agriculture: 7.6%
Residential: 7.6%
Commercial: 4.7%
Background information (10)
• What Are Greenhouse Gases?
• Some greenhouse gases occur naturally in the
atmosphere, while others result from human
activities. Naturally occurring greenhouse
gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous
oxide, ozone and water vapor. Certain human
activities, however, add to the levels of most of
these naturally occurring gases:
Background information (11)
• Global Warming Impacts and Effects
• Effects of Global Warming can already be
seen
The IPCC's Third Assessment Report finds that
in the last 40 years, the global average sea
level has risen, ocean heat content has
increased, and snow cover and ice extent have
decreased, which threatens to inundate lowlying island nations and coastal regions
throughout the world.
Background information (12)
• Predicted Impacts
 More Floods: "Projected adverse impacts
based on models include . . . a widespread
increase in the risk of flooding for human
settlements (tens of millions of inhabitants in
settlements studied) from both increased heavy
precipitation events and sea level rise."
 Increased spread of infectious diseases: "an
increase in the number of people exposed to
vector borne diseases (e.g. cholera) and an
increase in heat stress mortality."
Background information (13)
• Degraded water quality: "Projected climate
change will tend to degrade water quality
through higher water temperatures and
increased pollutant load from runoff and
overflows of waste facilities."
• More frequent and more intense heat waves,
droughts, and tropical cyclones: "The
vulnerability of human societies and natural
systems to climate extremes is demonstrated
by the damage, hardship, and death caused by
events such as droughts, floods, heat waves,
avalanches, and storms."
Background information (14)
• Common Sense Solutions
• Fuel-efficient vehicles. Renewable energy.
Protecting threatened forests. These common
sense solutions won't only reduce global
warming, many will save us money and create
new business opportunities.
• Best of all, these solutions exist now. We just
need to insist that business and government
take the necessary steps to make them
available and affordable. Then we have to let
consumers know what to do and provide
incentives to help all of us make better choices.
Background information (15)
• What You Can Do about Global Warming
• Scientists are convinced that human actions are
causing global warming. If this is so, it stands
to reason that our own actions can also help
reduce this threat.
Background information (16)
• Take Personal Action
• You can reduce your personal contribution to
global warming and set an example for others
by using less gasoline, natural gas, oil, and
electricity in your daily life. Your choices
about energy and transportation are especially
crucial.
Background information (17)
• The next time you buy a car, choose one that is
highly fuel efficient. Your choice of vehicle is
probably your single most important
environmental decision: for every single gallon
of gasoline burned, 20 pounds of carbon
dioxide go into the atmosphere.
• Instead of driving alone in your car, join a
carpool, take mass transit, walk, or ride a bike
-- anything that reduces the amount of gasoline
you burn.
Background information (18)
• The next time you buy an appliance, purchase
a highly efficient model. You can tell by
looking for the Energy Star, awarded by the
Environmental Protection Agency.
• Ask your local electric or gas utility to perform
an energy audit of your house or apartment.
Then put the recommendations into practice.
• Develop a plan to reduce daily electricity use
around your home. Ask each member of your
household to take responsibility for a different
electricity-saving action.
Background information (19)
• When it comes time to replace appliances, look
for the Energy Star label on new appliances
(refrigerators, freezers, furnaces, air
conditioners, and water heaters use the most
energy). These items may cost a bit more
initially, but the energy savings will pay back
the extra investment within a couple of years..
Background information (20)
• Household energy savings really can make a
difference: If each household in the United
States replaced its existing appliances with the
most efficient models available, we would
save $15 billion in energy costs and eliminate
175 million tons of heat-trapping gases
Background information (21)
• Unplug a freezer.
One of the quickest ways to reduce your global
warming impact is to unplug the extra
refrigerator or freezer you rarely use (except
when you need it for holidays and parties).
This can reduce the typical family's carbon
dioxide emissions by nearly 10 percent.
Background information (22)
• Plant a tree.
You can also make a difference in your own
backyard. Get a group in your neighborhood
together and contact your local arborist or
urban forester about planting trees on private
property and public land. In addition to storing
carbon, trees planted in and around urban areas
and residences can provide much-needed
shade in the summer, reducing energy bills and
fossil fuel use.
Background information (23)
• Let policymakers know you are concerned
about global warming.
Our elected officials and business leaders need
to hear from concerned citizens. Sign up for
the Union of Concerned Scientists Action
Network to ensure that policymakers get the
timely, accurate information they need to make
informed decisions about global warming
solutions.
Structure analysis of the text (1)
• As the text itself indicated, the whole passage
naturally falls into three parts. The first part is
an introduction in which the author tells the
reason why people are now increasingly
concerned about the global warming problem.
The second part covers five paragraphs under
the subtitle “ Our Warming Planet”. In the last
part the author puts forward some suggestions
on what to be done.
Structure analysis of the text (2)
• PARAGRAPHS 1-2
• These two paragraphs make up the first part
which serves as the introduction of the whole
passage. In this part the author mentions how
global warming, which used to be a topic of
academic journals, has become a matter of
increasing public concern. This concern is
justified by public fears about the
consequences of global warming.
Structure analysis of the text (3)
• The phrase “a giant asteroid” literally refers to
one of the small planets moving around the sun
between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. In the
text it suggests the possible collision of the our
Earth with one of such planets which, though
tiny in the distance, are actually “giant”
compared with the Earth.
Structure analysis of the text (4)
• To understand why “all this attention is
deserved”, the following question could be
asked:
• Why have people shown increasing concern
about global warming?
• The answer lies in the second paragraph: it is
the harbinger of what is to come – the threat to
low-lying nations, change of rain and drought
patterns, frequent hurricanes and intense EL
Niño’s.
Structure analysis of the text (5)
• PARAGRAPH 3
• As the beginning of the second part, this
paragraph introduces a number of causes that
lead to the rising concentration of greenhouse
gases.
• Ask students to identify these causes.
• They include emission of carbon dioxide from
our power plants and cars, production of
methane from our trash decomposition and
cattle-breeding, and release of nitrogen oxide
from our fertilizers.
Structure analysis of the text (6)
• PARAGRAPH 4-5
• Paragraph 4 explains how the rising
concentration of greenhouse gases results in
climate change.
• To support his explanation, the author cites
some records and information from IPCC and
paleoclimate readings.
• The following question could be asked:
• How does the rising concentration of
greenhouse gases cause the change in climate?
Structure analysis of the text (7)
• PARAGRAPH 6-7
• In Paragraph 6 the author depicts the variation
of climate changes in different geographic
areas. Then in Paragraph 7 he pinpoints one of
the consequences of global warming: the threat
to human health. Many health problems would
occur according to the degrees of the climate
change, varying from slight increase in heat
and rain to intense rain and hurricanes.
Structure analysis of the text (8)
• PARAGRAPH 8-10
• In these three paragraphs the author brings out
his suggestion – what to be done to slow
global warming. His suggestion includes some
immediate actions (Paragraph 8), some
strategies to reduce the impact (Paragraph 9)
and some long-term policies (Paragraph 10).
Structure analysis of the text (9)
• PARAGRAPH 11
• The last paragraph is the conclusion in which
the author invites the participation of
everybody to combat global warming and to
“make a real difference”.
Comprehension questions (1)
• 1. Why are people increasingly concerned
about global warming?
• The answer to this question can be found in
Paragraph2. People’s concern with global
warming is based on fear of low-lying nations
being awash in seawater, frequent hurricanes
and change of rain and drought patterns
Comprehension questions (2)
• 2. How have humans contributed to the rising
concentration of greenhouse gases?
• Refer to Parapgrph3. humans are responsible
for the rising concentration of greenhouse
gases for the emission of carbon dioxide from
their power plants and cars , the decomposition
of their trash, their breeding of cattle and use
of fertilizers.
Comprehension questions (3)
• 3. Data from different sources indicate that
there has been a drastic increase in temperature,
sea level and glaciers.
• The concentration of greenhouse gases will
trap excessive heat and prevent it from leaving
the Earth, hence the global warming.
Comprehension questions (4)
• 4. In the process of global warming, the
temperature would rise at the same rate
worldwide.
• The change of climate would bring disastrous
consequences to humans. An increase in heat
and rain would cause more diseases in
equatorial regions. More intense rains would
bring about severe flooding and more deaths.
And even a moderate rise in sea level could
threaten the low-lying islands and nations. And
high temperature could lead to more cases of
heart disease and respiratory problems.
Comprehension questions (5)
• 5. To combat global warming, we have to depend on
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new technologies to produce clean cars.
A number of actions should be taken. In the short
term, we should reduce the emission of heat-trapping
gases, mitigate the impacts of global warming
through careful planning. In the long run, we should
adopt policies that encourage the use of alternative
and clean fuels, and stop deforestation.
Language points of Text I (1)
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1. peruse: to read through carefully
Applicants should peruse the instructions before
completing the forms.
2. global: existing in or affecting the whole world
Something must be done to reverse the effects of
global pollution.
A nuclear war would end in global destruction.
Language points of Text I (2)
• 3. attest: to declare to be true
• The luxurious furnishings attested to the
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family’s wealth.
4. rooted: firmly fixed and unchangeable
He had a deeply-rooted belief in free trade.
Language points of Text I (3)
• 5. deserve: to be worthy of
• I’m glad she got the first prize in the English
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Speech Contest—she thoroughly deserves it.
I said some cruel things to him, but he
deserved it for the way he treated me.
deserving a.
The money is only given to the most
deserving cases—to the people who need it
most.
Language points of Text I (4)
• 6. threat: a strong possibility that something
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very bad will happen
With so many new offices being built in the
city, a lot of archaeological remains are under
threat.
Language points of Text I (5)
• 7. spew: to pour out, esp. quickly and
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violently
One engine of the plane caught fire and
spewed black smoke.
He spewed forth what he had recently
learned about the true facts
Language points of Text I (6)
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8. harbinger: something that indicates or
foreshadows what is to come
The crowing of the rooster is a harbinger of
dawn.
9. curb: to stop something that is harmful
This government has made pioneering strides
towards curbing air pollution.
The only way to curb the spread of the
disease is by immunizing the entire
population.
Language points of Text I (7)
• 10. concentration: the direction of
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attention on something
concentrate (on) v.
School science courses, I remember,
concentrated on the unimportant parts of
science, leaving major insights almost
untouched.
Language points of Text I (8)
• 11. abundant: more than enough
• There is abundant evidence of continuing
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racial prejudice in society.
abundance n.
Timber was one commodity which the
country possessed in great abundance.
The country has an abundance of skilled
workers, but not enough jobs.
Language points of Text I (9)
• 12. recession: the act of receding; a period of
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reduced trade and business activity
The economy is in recession and will remain
so for at least another year.
In times of severe recession companies are
often forced to make massive job cuts in
order to survive.
Language points of Text I (10)
• 13. speculate: to guess
• We don’t know why the prehistoric stone
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circles were built. We can only speculate.
14. result in: to have as a result, to lead to , to
cause
Americans believe if you are not moving
ahead, you are falling behind. This attitude
resulted in a nation of people committed to
researching, experimenting and exploring.
Language points of Text I (11)
• 15. exceed: to be greater than, as in quantity
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or degree
America’s chemical exports are to exceed
imports this year.
According to the law of this country, working
hours must not exceed 42 hours a week.
Language points of Text I (12)
• 16. spark (off): to give out sparks; to
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stimulate or activate
Even the smallest diplomatic incident can
spark (off) a major international conflict.
Riots, sparked off by the arrest of seven
student leaders, have spread to other
universities.
Language points of Text I (13)
• 17. take action: to begin to act
• If you have already paid the amount shown
on this bill, you need take no further action.
Language points of Text I (14)
• 18. result from: to happen as a result of
• The organizers of the party are being held
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legally responsible for damages resulting
from the fire.
Culture shock is caused by the anxiety that
results from losing all our familiar signs and
symbols of social intercourse.
Language points of Text I (15)
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19. mitigate: to make an unpleasant situation or its
effect less serious and less difficult to bear.
Their extreme poverty is mitigated slightly by the
fact that Rosa has a part-time job.
20. impact: a strong influence or effect produced by
an idea, invention, etc.
Development in microelectronics has had a major
impact on industrial processes.
The full impact of changes in computer technology
has been felt over the past few years.
Language points of Text I (16)
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21. occur: to happen
Tornadoes occur when a warm weather front meets
a body of very cold air.
22. occurrence n.
The drug is being tested to asses the occurrence of
the side effects.
advocate: to support
Some extremists are now openly advocating
violence.
Language points of Text I (17)
• 23. combat: to fight against
• The president emphasized the importance of
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combating international terrorism.
The government sees price controls as a way
to combat inflation.
Grammatical items
• Use of present perfect
Exercises (1)
Translation exercises
全球性的气候变化也许是造成恐龙灭绝的原
因。（global）
• Global climate change may have been
responsible for the extinction of the dinosaur.
• 患有不治之症的病人经常会寻求不同的疗
法，诸如顺势疗法。(incurable)
Patients with incurable illness often seek
alternative treatments such as homeopathy.
Exercises (2)
经济理论预言，商品降价会引起消费上升。
(lead to )
Economic theory predicts that a fall in the
price of a commodity will lead to an increase
in consumption.
对于集团犯罪问题，人们要求国会采取有
力的行动（take action）
The congress is expected to take strong actions
on the problem of organized crime
Exercises (3)
• 始终存在的失业威胁使得工人不太愿意罢
工。(threat)
• The ever-present threat of unemployment
makes workers less willing to go on strike .
• 老年人会面临一些由于失去了独立性而产
生的心理问题。(result from)
• Elderly people may face some psychological
problems that result from their loss of
independence.
Exercises (4)
• 汽车业和绝大多数其他工业一样正在感受
到衰退的影响。(effect)
• The car industry, like most other industries, is
feeling the effects of the recession.
• 在大学能否成功部分取决于你如何适应新
的环境。(adapt to )
• Your success at college partly depends on how
well you can adapt yourself to the new
environment.
Exercises (6)
• Fill in the blank in each sentence with a word or
phrase taken from the box in its appropriate form.
emission
peruse
make a trip
consciousness threat
curb
deserve come up with
focus
fend
Exercises (7)
• 1. You must try to _______
focus your mind on work
and study.
• 2. If you were asked to list people who are
generally admired by society, who somehow
seem bigger than life , you might
come up with
________________
an entirely different list.
• 3. Heroes and heroines are men and women
recognized for shaping our nation’s
_______________and
development as well as
consciousness
the lives of those who admire them.
Exercises (8)
• 4. The most serous __________
to European
threat
unity is the tendency of some states to pursue
their own national interest.
• 5. The Chinese team ___________
deserved to win the
championship--- they play much better than
any of the other teams.
Comprehension questions of Text II
• 1. What does the word “villain” in the title
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refer to ? why does the author use the word
for such a reference?
2．What is greenhouse effect?
3. Do you think China is doing a good job of
protecting its environment? Explain your
opinions.
Oral activities
• Organize yourselves into groups of five or six
and discuss the following issues.
• 1. we used to think of climate as the
unchanging weather patterns of an area. But
ample evidence shows that global warming has
become a great threat to our planet. What does
the global change in climate mean to us?
Oral activities
• 2. To reduce global warming some people
stress the importance of nuclear power, which
is one of the most cost-effective ways of
achieving a reduction in carbon dioxide
emission. But most people are increasingly
concerned about nuclear power waste and the
danger of an atomic explosion. Are there any
possible solutions to that?
Writing practice
• Write a 250-word composition about the
environment in China. In the first part, make
clear what you think is the most serious
environmental problem in this country. In the
second part, analyze the causes of this problem.
In the last part, make some suggestions as to
how to solve the problem.