The Big Thaw

Exercise 1. Read the text and answer the following questions.

GIST
1. What would be the best alternative title for the passage?
a. The Myth of Global Warming
b.
c. The Ice Sheets of Greenland

PURPOSE
2. The purpose of paragraph A is to ______.
a. give an example of the main point of the passage
b. explain why the ski industry is in decline
c. propose ways to slow temperature increases

REFERENCE
3. In paragraph B, line 8, the word it refers to ______.
a. the Arctic Ocean
b. the loss of ice
c. human activity

DETAIL
4. How many meters is sea level likely to rise in the next few hundred years?
a. one
b. two
c. three
INFERENCE
5. Which of these statements would Leonardo DiCaprio probably NOT agree with?
a. We need leaders who recognize climate change.
b. Everyone needs to join the fight against global warming.
c.

Exercise 2. Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. What does debate mean in paragraph B?

a. think about
b. research about
c. study about
d. argue about
2. In paragraph C, what is NOT mentioned as a cause of melting glaciers?
a. fewer clouds in the sky
b. warmer air temperatures
c. glacier water from melting ice
d. higher temperatures of the sea

3. What is paragraph E mainly about?

a. how glaciers are formed
b. what heat waves and droughts do to people
c. how global warming is making some water disappear
d. why glaciers in the Himalayas and the Andes are disappearing

4. In paragraph E, what does change the face of the world mean?

a. that the surface of water will be higher
b. that life on Earth will be very different
c. that people's faces will look different
d. that people will change how they feel

5. What is Before the Flood?

a. an organization that wants to save the planet
b. a song about rising sea levels
c. a movie about climate change
d. a time in Earth's history when sea levels were low

Exercise 1. Read the text and answer the following questions.

Climate Change: Will We Still Be Hitting the Slopes?1

[A] For people who love winter sports, one of the most exciting feelings is speeding down a
snow-covered hill on skis or a snowboard. Because of this, one of the most terrifying thoughts
for winter sports lovers is the possibility of not having enough snow. Unfortunately, as climate
change continues, this is becoming more and more common for those who love alpine sports.2

[B] According to scientists, many European ski resorts have already suffered the consequences
of global warming. With winter being 10 to 30 days shorter than in the 1960s, there has not
been enough snow for many ski resorts to make a profit. As a result, outside of the high
mountainous zones of Austria, France, and Switzerland, many ski resorts have given up on the
business. The situation in the United States has been similar. Between 2010 and 2016, some of
the warmest years ever recorded, many American ski resorts were left with empty ski lifts 3 and
grassy hills. As a result, resorts were forced to close in many American states.
 [C] Based on the predictions of climate scientists, the future does not look encouraging. Recent
studies have shown that the number of "snow reliable" resorts will decrease dramatically in the
near future. In the ski business, a resort is "snow reliable" if it can ensure three things. First, the
resort must be able to provide a 100-day ski season. Second, during the ski season, there must
be at least 30 centimeters of snow on the ski slopes. Finally, the resort must meet these two
requirements in seven out of ten seasons. In the late 1990s in the Swiss Alps, these conditions
were possible at resorts located above 1,200 meters. If the Earth's temperature continues to
rise, however, these conditions will only be possible on mountains exceeding 1,500 meters. As
a consequence, 300 Swiss ski resorts may be forced to close their doors forever.

[D] Because winter sports are a big business, the economic costs of these changes will be
significant. Unfortunately, it is ordinary people who will suffer the most from this dramatic shift.
This includes the owners of smaller, less expensive ski resorts at lower altitudes4 who will see
their businesses slowly disappear. It also includes young people who would like to learn to ski,
but cannot afford lessons at more expensive resorts at higher altitudes. As a result, less snow
could mean more than lost businesses. In the future, if young people have nowhere to learn to
ski or snowboard, the world might even forget what it means to "hit the slopes."

1 Hit the slopes is an informal expression that means to go skiing or snowboarding.

2 Alpine sports are sports that are done in the mountains.
3 A ski lift is a machine that brings skiers to the top of a hill.
4 Altitude describes how high something is above sea level.

_ 1. What is this passage is mainly about?

a. Global warming is making winter sports more dangerous.
b. Climate change is having a big effect on alpine sports.
c. people cannot afford to go skiing.

2. According to the author, the situation for ski resorts in the United States is ________.
a. worse than the situation in Europe
b. about the same as the situation in Europe
c. better than the situation in Europe

3. Ski resorts need to meet ________ conditions to be considered "snow reliable."

a. two out of three
b. three
c. seven out of ten

4. In the last paragraph, what does the author mean by big business?
a. creates many jobs as well as business opportunities
b. controlled by a few large companies
c. important to many countries' cultures
_ 5. In the last paragraph, what does the following sentence imply?

"The world might even forget what it means to 'hit the slopes.'"

a. The language of skiing might change over time.

b. People in the future will find a different way to ski.
c. People in the future might not know what skiing is.

Exercise 2. Choose TWO correct answers for each question.

1. Which of the following move by sliding across the ground?

a. a bicycle
b. skis
c. a car
d. a snowboard

2. Which of the following have a similar meaning to consequence?

a. result
b. cause
c. effect
d. reason

Exercise 3. Complete each sentence with the correct word from the box.

absorbs critical hosted terrifying

1. The reports about rising global temperatures are ____________________ when we think about
the planet's future.

2. This is a very important problem. It is ____________________ that we clean up our polluted

rivers.

3. Athletes wear clothing that ____________________ wetness so they stay dry while they play
sports.

4. The city prepared a year in advance for the celebration. It is the first time the city has
____________________ anything like this.
Exercise 4. Match each word with its definition.

a. surprising
b. to break open
c. change slightly
d. to go beyond, to pass

1. exceed ______
2. crack ______
3. shift ______
4. unexpected ______

Exercise 5. Read the text and answer the following questions.

Is Global Warming Real?

What Is Happening?
The Earth is showing many signs of climate change. It is a fact that average temperatures around
the world have climbed 0.8 degrees Celsius since 1880. The speed of warming is also increasing,
with the years from 1980 to 2000 being the hottest in 400 years. The ice in the Arctic region is
melting rapidly, and this area may experience its first completely ice-free summer by 2040.
Further south, coral reefs, which are affected by tiny changes in water temperature, suffered
the greatest losses ever recorded in 1998. In some places, as much as 70 percent of the reef
area died. Scientists predict that as temperatures continue to rise in the next 50 years, these
sorts of events will also increase.
Are Humans Causing It?
A group of more than 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries released a report in 2007
saying that humans have caused all or most of the current warming. For example, the growth of
industrial operations, the loss of forest lands, and increased quantities of air pollution all cause
global warming. We are putting so much pollution into the environment that plants and oceans
cannot handle it. Even if we can stop all the activities that cause this pollution, the problems
would still continue for many years.
What Is Going to Happen?
Although no one knows for sure what the future holds, researchers expect that there will be
serious problems if we do not stop global warming. The sea level could rise between 18 and 58
centimeters by the end of the century. This would mean that large parts of Southeast Asia and
other low-lying coastal lands would be covered with water. Increased temperatures could make
it difficult for farmers to grow a sufficient amount of food, causing critical problems and possibly
leading to starvation in some areas. Damage from heat waves, wildfires, and other extreme
weather events would likely increase. This will cause financial loss as well as the loss of human
lives. It is clear that global warming is a serious problem. Many governments and individuals are
using all the resources they can to try to save the environment and solve the problem of global
warming.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

a. how global warming started
b. the disap
c. some good ways to stop global warming
d. the causes and effects of global warming

2. What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

a. Global warming should be stopped.
b. Global warming is causing a variety of changes.
c. The speed of global warming is increasing every year.
d. Temperatures are going to continue to rise for the next 50 years.
3. In the first paragraph, what does the word rapidly mean?
a. evenly
b. occasionally
c. quickly
d. noisily

4. According to the passage, what is true about the problems of global warming?
a. They will probably be solved in less than 10 years.
b. They were probably just as bad 30 years ago as they are now.
c. r.
d. People have been trying to solve them since 1880.

5. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT a result of global warming?
a. The sea level is rising around the world.
b.
c. Some farmers may have difficulty growing enough food.
d. Extreme weather events are increasing.
 Life on the Edge

Exercise 1. Read the text and answer the following questions.

GIST
1. What would be the best alternative title for the reading?
a. Greenland, Going Through Changes
b. The Effects of Losing Population
c. Uummannaq: Island or Peninsula?
DETAIL
2.
a. working on a cruise ship
b. taking care of his grandmother
c. playing in a rock band
DETAIL
3. There are currently ______ people living in Niaqornat.
a. 20
b. 50
c. 1,000
VOCABULARY
4. The word instability (paragraph B, line 4) is closest in meaning to ______.
a. poverty
b. calmness
c. unsteadiness
DETAIL
5. The man who moved to Nuuk (paragraph D) wants to ______.
a. live a more modern life
b. hunt and fish
c. work in a museum

Exercise 2. Read the text and answer the following questions.

1. What does one refer to in the last sentence of paragraph C?

a. a settlement
b. a town
c. a meeting
d. a future
2. What is one of Malik Lovstrom's interests?
a. hunting
b. fishing
c. music
d. cruise ships

3. What is paragraph B mainly about?

a. the decline of small towns in Greenland
b. the importance of big cities in Greenland
c. the population increase in Greenland
d. the loss of cultural traditions in Greenland

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

a. The population will likely increase in the next ten years.
b. There are still some people who want to live in the settlements.
c. City life is better for everyone.
d. No one will want to work in the power plants.

5. Where would the following sentence fit best?

"Unfortunately, following traditions doesn't pay well enough here."

a. at the end of paragraph A

b. at the end of paragraph C
c. at the end of paragraph D
d. at the end of paragraph F

Exercise 1. Read the text and answer the following questions.

The Melting Arctic: Who Wins and Who Loses?

[A] The Arctic is the area of our planet that has been the most affected by climate change.
According to experts, the speed at which the Arctic has warmed up has been unexpectedly quick
- twice as fast as the rest of the world.

[B] The result of this temperature increase, both in the atmosphere and in the Arctic Ocean, has
been the critical loss of Arctic ice. Since the 1980s, more than a million square kilometers of ice
have been lost. This is an area larger than France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom
combined. As climate change continues, the ice will shrink1 even more. Some scientists have
said that, by the year 2050, only 518,000 square kilometers of permanent ice will remain.
[C] There is no debate about the consequences that climate change and melting2 ice will bring
to the region's animal population. The number of polar bears, seals, walruses, cod, and certain
types of whales will all shrink as their home is changed forever.

[D] Less ice in the Arctic also means that climate change in other parts of the world will speed
up. There are several reasons for this. First, Arctic ice reflects sunlight and thus helps to cool the
Earth. Without it, the Earth will absorb more of the sun's heat. Second, because methane gas is
trapped3 under the ice, the gas will go into the air as soon as the ice melts. More methane gas
in the atmosphere will also cause the Earth to heat up more quickly.

[E] In the short term, however, there may actually be some groups who benefit from the loss of
Arctic ice. The Arctic contains 30 percent of the world's undiscovered gas and 13 percent of the
world's undiscovered oil. Because of the melting ice, governments of countries around the Arctic
region will now be able to access these resources for economic gain. Private shipping companies
will also benefit since the melting ice will allow ships to access routes that were inaccessible
before. For the same reason, cruise ships will also have greater access within the region. The
number of tourists visiting the Arctic, including the small towns and villages in Greenland,
Northern Canada, and Scandinavia, could grow in large numbers. In total, because of these new
economic activities, investment in the Arctic could reach 100 billion dollars within the next 10
years.

[F] Ultimately, of course, any benefits of climate change are far outweighed by the threat it
poses to the very existence of our planet. Without increased efforts to halt rising global
temperatures, the long-term losers will be future generations of human beings.
1 To shrink means to become smaller in size.
2 To melt means to change from a solid to a liquid (e.g., ice to water).
3 To be trapped means that something or someone cannot move because of another object or
person.

1. Another title for this passage could be __________

a. Will Anyone Benefit from Climate Change?
b. Why Is the Arctic Ice Melting So Fast?
c. Big Business in the Arctic.

2. Which of the following is NOT an effect of the melting Arctic ice?

a. The number of animals in the Arctic will decrease.
b. Less ice in the Arctic means the sea will reflect more heat.
c. Harmful methane gas will be released into the atmosphere.
3. The word routes in paragraph E means __________.
a. resources like oil and gas
b. ships that can help carry resources
c. ways to get from one place to another

4. The purpose of the final paragraph is to __________.

a. summarize the main arguments within the passage
b. provide new information on the Arctic's future
c. provide the author's opinion on the melting of Arctic ice

5. Which of the following statements would the author agree with?

a. The benefits of the melting Arctic are greater than the costs.
b. The costs of the melting Arctic are greater than the benefits.
c. The costs and benefits of the melting Arctic are about equal.

Exercise 2. Complete each sentence with the correct word or phrase from the box.

manage appealed give up encouraged economic

1. Hunters in Greenland are provided with ____________________ support for continuing their
old way of life.
2. The students have ____________________ to their principal to ban plastic straws in the
school.
3. More tourists were ____________________ to visit the town after it started offering fishing
tours.
4. To ____________________ a restaurant successfully, you have to have the respect of your
staff.
5. They decided to ____________________ on the business idea when they realized they did
not have enough funds to get started.

Exercise 3. Match each word with its definition.

a. gathering
b. debate
c. government
d. lifestyle
e. exception

1. a discussion or argument about an issue

2. a group that controls a country or community
3. something or someone that is treated differently than most
4. a meeting of a group of people
5. the way that someone lives
Exercise 4. Read the text and answer the following questions.

Will Polar Bears Survive?

Wild polar bears ar
region sits in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. Although it is an ocean, you could walk across it. It
is so cold the surface freezes into ice. Most polar bears live and hunt on the ice. The ice is strong

In the southern regions of the Arctic, the ice melts in the summer. When this happens, polar
bears move onto land. Land is not the best place for polar bears because they are cut off from
their main food supply: fish and seals. Hunting on land is hard work. Polar bears need to use
twice as much energy as other animals to walk. Just 12 seconds of running can burn more energy
than a polar bear would get from eating a whole seal!

Scientists measuring arctic temperatures have discovered an alarming trend. The Arctic is
heating up. As it becomes warmer, ice melts earlier in the year. This gives the bears less time to
hunt on the ice, forcing them onto land sooner. Many polar bears cannot find enough food on
land.

For polar bears, warmer weather could mean disaster. They have to find enough food to survive
the warmest months. Already in some areas, the bears must eat enough in only three or four
months to last the rest of the year. That means they go for months eating nothing at all.
Polar bears have a history of survival. Their eating habits change depending on where they can
find food: on ice or on land. They adapt to survive. Scientists are not sure what will happen to
polar bears. But there is hope that polar bears will survive despite the challenges they face in a
warmer world.

1. What is the purpose of the passage?

a. to describe a problem
b. to talk about history
c. to argue a point
d. to tell a story

2. In the second paragraph, what does the phrase cut off mean?
a. cut into pieces by something sharp
b. separated, cannot get to something
c. hunt for a long time
d. eat too much
3. In the fourth sentence of the third paragraph, what does the word them refer to?
a. food
b. polar bears
c. scientists
d. temperatures

4.
a. They will likely survive because they have survived up until now despite climate changes.
b. They will only survive if people help them.
c. They will not survive because their food supply is gone.
d. They will not survive because Earth will only get hotter.

5. In the final paragraph, what does the sentence They adapt to survive mean?
a. The live off of no food during the summer months.
b. They change how they live in order to stay alive.
c. Some polar bears live to be 100 years old.
d. They change the way they look to stay alive.

Exercise 1. Complete the sentences with the correct words from the table given and make the
necessary changes. There are two extra words.

1. One of the possible ___________________ of not wearing a seatbelt in a car accident is

serious injury. It may really have serious results.
2. He tried to fix the window ___________________ before the rain started pouring in.
3. It's always important to receive ___________________ feedback to improve your work.
4. Her grades this semester __________________ her own expectations, and she was thrilled.
They were far beyond what she anticipated.
5. The car started to ___________________ down the icy hill, causing panic among the
passengers. Luckily, no one was injured.
6. It was a(n) __________________ experience for her to speak in front of such a large audience
since he has had a stage phobia.
7. The sudden and ___________________ news of her promotion left her speechless. It was a
great shock and a lovely surprise for her.
8. There was a lively __________________ about the benefits of recycling in the community.
9. Going vegan was a big ___________________ from her usual meat-heavy diet. What caused
this change was her deteriorating health condition.
Exercise 2. Match each word with its definition.

Exercise 3. Fill in the chart with the correct word forms. Use a dictionary if necessary. An X
indicates there is no form in that category or it is not asked.
Exercise 4. Complete the sentences with the correct form of the word from the chart above.

1. She looked at the situation ___________________ (adverb), checked every detail and
realized the importance of the decision.
2. Eating ___________________ (adjective) amounts of sugar can lead to health problems.
All kinds of nutrients must be taken in moderate quantities.
3. The horror movie was so frightening, it managed to ___________________ (verb) even
the bravest of viewers.
4. We didn't ___________________ (verb) the heavy traffic on the road. It was much more
crowded than anticipated.
5. The new art exhibit was so ___________________ (adjective) that it attracted visitors
from all over the city.
6. The company had to make some tough financial decisions to stay balanced
___________________ (adverb).
7. She performed __________________ (adverb) well on the exam which surprised
everyone.
8. The task seemed challenging at first, but with a plan, it became quite
___________________ (adjective).
9. Friends and family will ___________________ (verb) at their house for Thanksgiving
dinner. They all see it as a chance to meet and catch-up in their busy schedules.
10. His coach's words of ___________________ (noun) and support motivated him to train
harder.
11. Whether or not the new policy will work is ___________________ (adjective) and
questionable among the team. They decided to have a meeting to discuss about its pros
and cons.