Unit 8 Focus on Global Warming
Key to the Exercises
Text comprehension
I.
A
II.
1. T; 2. T; 3. F; 4. F; 5. F.
III.
1. Paragraph 2. Because global warming may be the single largest threat to our planet（the earth）. Low-lying nations could be awash in seawater, rain and drought patterns across the world could change, hurricanes could become more frequent, and El Ninos could become more intense.
2. Paragraph 3. Our factories, power plants, and cars burn coal and gasoline and spit out carbon dioxide, produce methane by allowing our trash to decompose in landfills and by breeding large herds of methane-belching cattle, and release nitrogen oxide by using nitrogen-based fertilizers.
3. Paragraph 4. The increased concentrations of greenhouse gases prevent additional thermal radiation from leaving the Earth, so cause the global warming.
4. Paragraph 7. A slight increase in heat and rain in equatorial regions would increase vector-borne diseases such as malaria; more intense rains and hurricanes could cause more severe flooding and more deaths in coastal regions and along riverbeds; even a moderate rise in sea level could threaten the low-lying islands; hotter summers could lead to more cases of heatstroke, hospital admissions and deaths among vulnerable people with heart problems or respiratory problems.
5. Paragraph 8 and 10. We can curb our consumption of fossil fuels and use technologies to reduce the emission of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxi
des, and protect the forests in the world, and we can also advocate policies that will combat global warming over the long term, things like clean cars, environmentally responsible renewable energy technologies, and stopping the clear-cutting of valuable forests.
IV.
1. Global warming will probably be the most serious threat to our Earth, if we do not take into account of some other possible disasters, such as another world war, collision of our Earth with some small orbiting planet, or spread of incurable diseases.
2. In terms of human health, the people of the poorer countries will suffer most, because their countries do not have money to protect them when climate changes.
Structural analysis
Sub-ideas in the second part:
1) the causes of the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere (Paragraphs 3 and 4)
2) the effect of such concentration on climate change (Paragraphs 5 and 6)
3) the potential threat of global warming to human health and survival (Paragraph 7)
Vocabulary
I. Phrase
1. with the exception of: except, apart from 除……之外，不包括……在内
2. In essence = essentially, basically 本质上，根本上
3. wherever possible: whenever it is possible 只要可能
4. over the long term: over a long period 从长远看
5. alternative = substitutable, different, replaceable
II.
1. focus; 2. much the same; 3. consciousness; 4. threat;
5. deserved; 6. decomposed; 7. revealed; 8. frequent.
III. Word derivation
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.
1. perusal 2. intensified 3. excessive 4. speculative
5. abundance 6. inclusive 7. emits 8. locally
IV.
1. A; 2. D; 3. B; 4. C;
5. D; 6. A; 7. C; 8. A.
V. Synonym / Antonym
Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the sense it is used.
1. Synonym: mainly, basically, firstly
2. Antonym: unfortunately, unluckily
3. Antonym: exclude
4. Synonym: part, division
5. Antonym: decrease, lowering
6. Antonym: unavailable
7. Synonym: weak, insecure, unsafe
8. Antonym: irresponsible
VI. Prefix
Write in each space one word that has the same prefix as underlined in each given word.
1. centigrade centimeter
2. kilogram kilometer
3. synopsis synthetic
4. supervise superior
5. submarine submerge
6. astronaut astronomy
7. microbiology microwave
8. overwork overload
Grammar Exercises
I. Complete the following sentences using the appropriate verb forms.
2. A: Have // talked
B: Have talked // talked
3. has invented
4. have // telephoned // went
5. have been
6. has got (gotten)
7. has been
8. have forgotten
9. B: has gone
B: About ten minutes ago.
10. was // has disappeared.
III.
1. a. simple present form; b. “has obtained”.
2. synonymous a. the speaker’s point of view; b. the listener’s perspective.
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