Cimate change

First click here for a brief, nice to look at definition.

Now read the following text, pay extra attention to the words in bold.

What is Climate Change?

The climate of the Earth is always changing. In the past it has altered as a result of natural causes. Nowadays, however, the term climate change is generally used when referring to changes in our climate which have been identified since the early part of the 1900's. The changes we've seen over recent years and those which are predicted over the next 80 years are thought to be mainly as a result of human behaviour rather than due to natural changes in the atmosphere.

The greenhouse effect is very important when we talk about climate change as it relates to the gases which keep the Earth warm. It is the extra greenhouse gases which humans have released which are thought to pose the strongest threat.

Impacts

Scientists in the UK and across the World are looking at the evidence of climate change and are also using computer models to come up with predictions for our future environment and weather.

However, the next stage of that work, which is just as important, is looking at the knock-on effects of potential changes.

Water is an enormous consideration. As we are likely to see an increase in precipitation and sea level rises, does that mean an increase in flooding? What can we do to protect ourselves from that and how will it affect us financially?

Also, how will our health be affected by global warming, how will agricultural practices change, how will wildlife cope and what will the effects on coral be?

As for opportunities, well there will certainly be some positives of climate change as well as negatives so it is worth us considering those too.

Adaptation

The list of things we need to think about which will be affected by climate change is endless. In this section we give you a few examples of how we will need to change the way we live in order to cope with changes to our climate.

The regular use of renewable energy is becoming increasingly popular. Have a look at the possibilities for alternative energy sources, including solar power, wind power, geothermal, water power and even nuclear energy.

Policies

Car fumes Bonn Conference

In 1997 the Kyoto treaty was set-up to consider what can be done to reduce Global warming. The treaty was established by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) involving most world countries with the exception of America.

Almost one decade later, as climate change increases and global warming continues to worsen, a number of nations have approved an addition to the treaty the Kyoto Protocol, in order to standardise a number of more powerful and legally binding measures.

In May 2006 the Bonn Conference saw delegates from 165 countries meet to discuss how to further strengthen international cooperation to reduce emissions of heat-trapping gases and to respond to climate change impacts.

Much emphasis has been put on the promotion of economic incentives to promote action to reduce emissions - for both industrialized and developing countries.

The wide-ranging presentations of possible approaches included incentives for developing countries to mitigate climate change, ensuring cooperation on research and development and the transfer of cleaner technologies. Delegates expressed strong support for the role of the carbon market and the need to find new ways to involve the private sector in climate protection.

The Conference also highlighted issues faced by less industrialised countries who also face problems related to climate change. In Canada's Arctic region, the changes noted by the Inuit community - such as melting permafrost, changes in sea ice and the arrival of new migratory animal species - has raised the need to address adaptation measures.

It is crucial that such measures are introduced if we are are to cope with Global warming. The latest evidence collated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that the global average temperature will rise by between 1.5C and 4.5C if human activities double the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere.

Fortunately talks on Climate Change between the 165 countries involved are set to continue until at least 2012 when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol ends.

Persepolis

Persepolis is, first of all, a comic on fundamentalism, and secondly, a French animated film that represents France in the best foreign film category, though it's also a candidate as best animated film, competing for the Oscar with films such as Ratatouille. The author is a woman: Marjane Satrapi, she is Irani and explains how she had to flee her country. In the link you've got a comic version of an interesting interview, so, what are you waiting for? Click here

And to learn more here

Language development 3 & exam practice 2: Key

Click on the images to enlarge and check your results.

Year 4: Key to previous use of English, language development..

Use of English 1 p.46

1a course book p.218
2c 1- have
2- them(selves)
3- to
4- by
5- more
6- of
7- had
8- too
9- the
10- in
11- since
12- for
13- it
14- which/that
15- be

Language development 2 p.47

1b 1- to settle
2- sleeping
3- fly
4- noticing
5- solving
6- go
7- not bringing
8- feel
9- to talk
10- not to drive

2a- 1a- He remembered that he needed to wear them, and then put them on.
1b- " " " " had worn them at some point before then.
2a- She experimented with using one to see if it would work or was a good idea.
2c- She physically attempted to do it. Maybe she didn't succeed.
3a- He stopped doing sth in order to look at the lights.
3b- He was looking at the lights and then he didn't look at them.
2b to buy
to get
drinking
to post
calling
adding
3b of seeing
to going
in getting
on putting up
for not helping
to go
to her going
on walking
her from doing
of getting lost

Use of English 2 p. 48

2b- b, c, b, c, a, b, b, c, a, d, a, b, a, c

Language development 3 p.48

3a 1- c e g
2- b c e g
3- a f
4- b c e g
5- f
6- a b e f
7- d
8- f
9- e
10- r
11- f
+ chilly cool faint fresh gentle (s)light strong (breeze)
+ cool electric heavy (shower)
+ distant (thunder)
+ light (rain)
+ chill cold icy ill offshore prevailing (wind)
+ big electrical fierce freak great terrible violent (storm)
4a- d c e a b
+ bad friendly good normal impeccable professional (manner)
+ brief detailed full informal open public serious (discussion)
+ casual close direct good persona special strong (relationship)
+ back blindly fixedly hard blankly (stare)

Module 3 review p. 50

1- commercial shrink fragile affordable growth cope remarkable achiement
2a- surprisingly interestingly hard late fast
2b- 1- (a) quite...a large 2- a fairly (a) large 3- extremely 4- (a) pretty
5- (very) freezing
5- in of to of from on
6- clear gentle heated high heavy torrential loud

Click on image to enlarge.

My favourite music: The Sound of Music

In italics American English spelling.

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens,
bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens,
brown paper packages tied up with strings,
these are a few of my favorite things.

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels,
door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles.
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings.
these are a few of my favorite things.

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes,
snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes,
silver white winters that melt into springs,
these are a few of my favorite things.

When the dog bites, when the bee stings,
when I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember my favorite things,
and then I don't feel so bad.

free ringtones of endangered species

To get them click here