Level/难度等级: Level 3 CEFR ,B1,B2;国内:高中 词汇：297个
Global warming is a slow steady rise in Earth’s surface temperature. Temperatures today are 0.74 °C (1.33 °F) higher than 150 years ago. Many scientists say that in the next 100–200 years, temperatures might be up to 6 degrees Celsius higher than they were before the effects of global warming were discovered.
Of the greenhouse gases, the basic cause seems to be a rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, as predicted by Svante Arrhenius a hundred years ago. When people use fossil fuels like coal and oil, this adds carbon dioxide to the air. When people cut down many trees (deforestation), this means less carbon dioxide is taken out of the atmosphere by those plants.
As the Earth’s surface temperature becomes hotter the sea level becomes higher. This is partly because water expands when it gets warmer. It is also partly because warm temperatures make glaciers melt. The sea level rise causes coastal areas to flood. Weather patterns, including where and how much rain or snow there is, will change. Deserts will probably increase in size. Colder areas will warm up faster than warm areas. Strong storms may become more likely and farming may not make as much food. These effects will not be the same everywhere. The changes from one area to another are not well known.
People in government and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have talked about global warming. They do not agree on what to do about it. Some things that could reduce warming are to burn less fossil fuels, adapt to any temperature changes, or try to change the Earth to reduce warming. The Kyoto Protocol tries to reduce pollution from the burning of fossil fuels. Most governments have agreed to it. Some people in government think nothing should change. (Source: net 免责声明)
Quiz/测验:
Global warming is caused only by natural factors.
True fause
fause .Changes in the climate are partially due to natural forces and partially due to human
activities. Scientists now believe that most of the planet’s warming in the last few
decades has been due to our emissions of greenhouse gases.
Which planet’s poisonous（有毒的，有害的） atmosphere has been described as the product of a “runaway greenhouse(温室效应) effect”?
Venus(金星) Earth Marth
Venus(金星).参考资料：金星上大气的逃逸，被认为是造成金星上缺水而被富含二氧化碳的稠密大气所笼罩，从而导致严重温室效应的原因。温室效应使金星表面温度各处相差无几，始终是足以熔化锡、铅、锌之类金属的高温。
金星表面几乎不存在大气层，太阳辐射能够毫无忌惮地照射地面，昼夜温差极大，最低温度与最高温度可相差两百多度。另外，金星的空气中有毒气体浓度极高，比如二氧化硫，可轻易地使得生物患上重病。而且金星经常会下酸雨，其地面被腐蚀得坑坑洼洼。
How many human deaths per year does the World Health Organization attribute to climate change?
1500 150,000 10,500
150,000.The World Health Organization blames 150,000 global deaths per year on the
effects of global warming, including extreme weather, drought, heat waves,
decreased food production, and the increased spread of vector-borne diseases like
malaria.
世界卫生组织(World Health Organization)将全球每年15万人的死亡归咎于全球变暖的影响，包括极端天气、干旱、热浪、粮食减产以及疟疾等媒介传播疾病的增加。
Why Are Sea Levels Rising?
water expands when it gets warmer.
warm temperatures make glaciers melt.
both