Match the words 1-5 from the text to their definitions A-E to make sure that you know them.

1 wildfire A when paper, glass, plastic, etc. is put through a process so that it can be used again
2 gale B when gas, heat, light, etc. is sent out

3 recycling C the very large area of land where it is cold and trees do not grow
4 emission Da fire which is burning strongly and out of control in the countryside

5 tundra Ea very strong wind

9 Fill the gaps 1-5 with the missing sentences A-G. There is one option which you don’t need to use. The example is given for you.(0) D

WHAT IS GOING ON?

Jerome K.Jerome said that we are never happy with the weather. The weather, like the government, is always in the wrong. But something has been really wrong with it lately. Droughts, wildfires, tornadoes, gales, floods... (0)_______D__________.

According to the National Academy of Sciences, the Earth's surface temperature has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century, with accelerated warming during the past two decades. There is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming over the last 50 years is caused by human activities. The industrial revolution broke this balance. Because of human activities the amounts of CO2 and other gases have increased by 30%.The weather is definitely getting worse and the so-called extreme weather events are becoming more and more frequent. Scientists have noticed it too. Their explanation is short: the cause is global warming.

“Greenhouse effect” is actually a nature feature of our atmosphere. (1) _____________________.

Energy from the sun drives the earth’s weather and climate, and heats the earth’s surface; in turn, the earth radiates energy back into space. Atmospheric greenhouse gases (water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other gases) trap some of the outgoing energy, retaining heat somewhat like the glass panels of a greenhouse.

Northern regions will be wetter and warmer, southern regions will be drier and hotter. Forest will grow instead of tundra in Siberia. It’ll be possible to grow grapes in Britain. (2)_______________________.

But parts of Spain, Italy and Greece will turn as dry as a desert. Snow will melt in the Alps and other mountains, and the water will cause floods. Sea level will rise and a lot of coastal areas will disappear under water.

(3)__________________________.

Moreover, some experts argue that the global warming will lead to a more catastrophic global cooling. As the arctic ice cap melts, a flow of fresh water will change currents, including the Gulf Stream, which now keeps Europe warm. Certainly we can cheer ourselves up with the idea that this forecast is far from proven.

(4) __________________________.

The climatologic history is long and man’s knowledge is short.

But it doesn’t mean that we can just sit and wait. Since the global warming is the result of air pollution, the main thing is to lower greenhouse gases emissions. (5) ___________________________.

If we recycle cans and paper, take public transport, switch off unused lights, insulate our homes, we’ll reduce the threat of global climate change.

The question is: will mankind succeed in making such radical changes in attitudes and lifestyles in time?

A People should use clean energy, such as wind, solar and wave power.

B It sounds gloomy

C Certain atmospheric gases work as a kind of blanket, keeping the Earth warm.

D All over Europe it’s the same story.

E Not so bad so far.

F After all, people began to measure temperature not so long ago.

G It doesn’t seem much.