GLOBAL CHALLENGES  7

THINK AND DISCUSS

 Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. Rising sea levels may flood towns and cities built at or close to sea level. Many homes and habitats may be lost.

2. Due to rising temperatures from the effects of climate change, Arctic sea ice is melting, which is contributing to rising sea levels.

EXPLORE THE THEME

A 1. The size indicates the GDP of an area. The colors indicate the GDP dollar amount per person in a particular area. (Explanation: See map key.)

2. Answers will vary. Possible answer: In 30 years, some of the green and light orange areas might become dark orange as the economies of those

areas grow.

B currently; related to; worldwide

Reading 1

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. vanish

2. crucial

3. practical

4. generate

5. exceptional

6. focus on

7. shrink

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. One crucial problem in my hometown is that the population is shrinking. Because so many young people are moving to urban areas, many small towns in the countryside are starting to vanish.

2. My country needs to make small towns more appealing for people to live in. One practical solution is to generate job opportunities by

bringing more businesses to the countryside.

C Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. I think the most important environmental issue we face today is rising sea levels.

2. More stories, news reports, and videos about the problem may help educate people. Also, celebrities can help persuade people to take

action.

D Answers will vary. Correct answer: DiCaprio talks about his efforts to raise awareness of climate change—making a film to educate people. He

also shares his thoughts on why people should take the problem seriously and what they can do about it.

UNDERSTANDING THE READING

A 1. b (See Paragraph C: “We wanted to make a film that gave people a sense of urgency, [and] that made them understand what particular things are going to solve the problem.”)

2. a (See Paragraph B: DiCaprio became a climate activist after a 1998 meeting with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, an early advocate for climate change education.)

3. c (See Paragraph D: For the film we interviewed inspiring figures, from Pope Francis to President Obama, who both have the ability to galvanize

millions of people…)

B (See Seven Facts about Climate Change section.)

1. half-century

2. human, natural

3. scientists, carbon (dioxide)

4. speeding up / intensifying

5. weather, often / frequently

6. vanishing

7. cheaper / less expensive

C 1. T (See Paragraph G: …the heat in 2016 broke the historic record set in 2015, which broke the one from 2014.)

2. F (See Paragraph H: Carbon dioxide warms the planet, and we’ve increased the amount in the air by nearly half, mostly since the 1960s.)

3. NG

4. T (See Paragraph J: Together, these factors contribute to rising sea levels, which could rise by three feet by 2100—or maybe more.)

5. NG

6. T (See Paragraph L: A 2016 study showed that of 976

species surveyed, 47 percent had vanished from areas

on the warm edge of their range.)

7. F (See Paragraph M: By 2040, … solar power prices

may decrease by 500 percent.)

D a. 3

b. 5

c. (extra)

d. 2

e. 4

f. (extra)

g. 1

E b (Paragraph E: There is no issue this important—because the future of the planet is at stake.

Paragraph F: We can still prevent these crises from becoming a widespread challenge in the future of our country.)

F Answers will vary. Possible answer:

 I agree with DiCaprio because extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common. I’ve experienced bad typhoons, too. I think we need to do more to protect the future of our planet.

DEVELOPING READING SKILLS

A 1. Oscar-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio likes to say that he makes his living in made-up worlds.

2. DiCaprio became a climate activist after a 1998 meeting with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore, …

3. For the film we interviewed inspiring figures … like Sunita Narain, a tremendous voice in India who’s calling for her country to be part of a

global solution.

4. Events such as El Niño—a climate cycle in the Pacific Ocean—also affect global temperatures.

B 1. b

2. a

3. d

4. c

C 1. …Gross Domestic Product (GDP)—the amount of goods, services produced in one year…

2.…consumption, the using up of resources.

Video

BEFORE VIEWING

A Answers will vary. Correct answer:

 The video is about a man who lives in a remote mountain area and keeps a detailed record of yearly snowfall, and the weather trends he has observed.

B 1. Gothic was a silver-mining town, and after all the silver was gone, people left.

2. A research facility was opened in the town in 1928, which brought people back.

3. Answers will vary. Possible answer: Gothic is a suitable place for research on climate change and local wildlife because it is close to nature and has experienced little impact from human activity over the last hundred years.

C 1. curiosity

2. meticulous

3. reverse

WHILE VIEWING

A 1. a

2. c

B 1. snow pack

2. bare

3. 4–5, 36

4. dust

AFTER VIEWING

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

 Yes, I think working and living close to nature would be quite relaxing and stress-free compared to working in a city. / No, I wouldn’t want to

live there. I think that type of lifestyle is a little too extreme for me. It’s also inconvenient to go anywhere. Plus, I don’t like the cold!

B Answers will vary. Possible answers: The data is only for one small area. And since he is the only one recording the data, there is a chance that it

could be inaccurate. / Scientists have probably checked his data before deciding whether it was useful for studying climate change.

Reading 2

PREPARING TO READ

A 1. control

2. releases

3. change

4. use it up completely

5. use it up

6. an important

7. a decrease

8. use less of it

9. not a lot

10. put money into

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

 My electronic devices and air conditioner consume a lot of electricity because I often leave them plugged in or turned on. I need to cut

down on my energy consumption by turning off the devices when they are not in use.

C Answers will vary. Steps listed in the passage:

 create sustainable communities; reduce the effects of meat production; use renewable energy; invest money in businesses with good environmental practices; use LED light bulbs; regulate logging and create certified forests; employ more people in the renewable energy industry; lower carbon emissions

UNDERSTANDING THE READING

A 1. motivating

2. making

3. using

4. investing

5. using

6. regulating

7. increasing

8. reducing

B Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. a community in Senegal uses solar ovens that don’t require wood for cooking / public transportation reduces traffic congestion and

improves air quality

2. animal waste causes water pollution / risk of dangerous diseases spreading in cities

3. cutting down on landfill waste / creating alternative energy

4. causes water pollution / destroys animal habitats

5. renewable energy industry / wind industry / solar power industry

6. Brazil / India / Nigeria

C 1. a

2. 3

3. China, United States

4. United States

5. China

D Answers will vary. Possible answers:

1. tax break: something the government does that reduces the amount of taxes people or businesses need to pay

2. harvesting: using / gathering / collecting

3. market share: the percentage sales that a business has out of the total sales of a product

4. jointly: together / in collaboration with

E Paragraph F: One method is via the use of photovoltaic cells (PVs), cells that convert solar energy to electricity.

 Paragraph I: Logging—the cutting down of trees—has several negative effects on the environment.

F Answers will vary. Possible answers:

 Cleaner Power; Lower Emissions; Safer Production I think lowering carbon emissions would help a lot as carbon emissions are one of the major causes of global warming.

Writing

EXPLORING WRITTEN ENGLISH

A 2 (Explanation: The underlined clause is nonessential because it can be removed without affecting the main focus of the sentence.)

LANGUAGE FOR WRITING

B 1. Farms that are close to the city centers increase the risk of dangerous diseases—such as avian flu—spreading.

2. The Thai government placed a high tax on poultry farms that were within 100 kilometers of Bangkok.

3. Sun and wind power are two energy sources that are renewable.

C 1. Beef production, which requires a lot of water, contributes to climate change.

2. The city of Curitiba, which has an efficient bus system, has very little traffic congestion.

3. Leonardo DiCaprio, who is a UN Messenger of Peace, has produced a documentary on climate change.

WRITING SKILL

D 1. reducing the problem of climate change (See Thesis Statement.)

2. The writer says that vegetarianism saves resources and slows climate change. (See Thesis Statement.)

3. Vegetarianism saves water and cuts down on carbon emissions. (See Topic Sentences.)

4. First reason: statistics about meat production versus plant production

Second reason: an explanation of how meat production leads to a lot more greenhouse gas emissions

WRITING TASK

A Answers will vary. Possible answers:

 Individuals: go vegetarian, use LED lightbulbs, invest in socially responsible businesses

 Businesses: use renewable energy sources, increase “green” jobs

 Governments: set goals to lower carbon emissions, give tax breaks to “green” businesses, reward sustainable communities

B Answers will vary. Possible answer:

 Hook/Background Information: people are using more of Earth’s resources than nature can replenish, e.g. fresh water

 Thesis Statement: In my opinion, becoming a vegetarian is the best way to preserve our resources and slow down global warming because it saves water and cuts down on carbon emissions.

Topic Sentence 1: One reason that vegetarianism is a good way to reduce our use of resources is that it saves large amounts of water.

Details: 1kg of beef = 16,000L; 1kg of corn = 833L

Summary Statement: Not eating meat is a good way to ensure a sustainable future because it uses less water, and it also reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Final Thought: becoming a vegetarian keeps both the planet and people healthy

REVISING PRACTICE

1. a. Paragraph B

b. Paragraph D

c. Paragraph C

2. d. second blank in Paragraph A

e. first blank in Paragraph A

f. Sentence to cross out: Producing biofuels from corn and other plants also uses large amounts of water.

EDITING PRACTICE

1. Vegetarianism, which means not eating meat, is one way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

2. CFLs, which are popular in countries like Japan, use 75 percent less energy than traditional lightbulbs.

3. Logging that is done without regulation causes many types of environmental harm.

4. Costa Rica, which already generates 80 percent of its energy through renewable sources, has promised to have zero net carbon emissions by 2030.

5. DiCaprio, who is the founder of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, is working to make people aware of the effects of climate change.

6. DiCaprio made a film that gave people a sense of urgency.