Worksheet A

1. The earth's climate has fluctuated in cycles of ice ages to warmer periods. T /F

2. The planet’s temperature hasn’t risen unusually fast. T /F

3. Factories, power plants, and eventually, cars have release huge amounts of

carbon dioxide. T /F

4. The greenhouse gases trap heat near the earth through a naturally occurring process

called the greenhouse effect. T /F

5. The greenhouse effect begins with the moon and the energy it radiates to the earth. T /F

6. Carbon dioxide and methane have hit their lowest levels in the past 420,000 years. T /F

7. Arctic sea ice is also shrinking. T /F

8. Temperatures will increase about 2 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the

century. T /F

Worksheet B

Harvests – the times of the year when the crops are brought in;

Extremes – conditions which are as different as possible from each other;

Droughts – periods of no rainfall and therefore shortage of water;

Continents – the seven large masses of the earth (Asia, Africa, North

America, South America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia).

Vapour – tiny drops of water, liquid or gas in the air;

Greenhouse gases – gases which cause global warming (e.g. carbon

dioxide);

Reservoirs – man-made or natural lakes for storing water.

Worksheet C

Match the questions to the answers about climate change:

1. What is climate change?2. What is the ‘greenhouse effect’?3. What is the evidence of global warming?4. How will the weather change?5. What is the international community doing?

A. Sea levels have risen by 15 to 96 centimeters – meaning that many low-lying islands like those in the Pacific and Carribean will be totally submerged. World temperatures are forecast to rise by 1.8 to 6.3 “C by the year 2100.

B. At the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, nations promise to cut their carbon dioxide emissions drastically by the year 2000, although the only country that looks on target is Sweden. The other nations seem to be counting on solutions like solar power to come to the rescue.

C. The world’s climate has been changed by mankind. The changes we see today may affect the stability of the climate on which much life on the planet depends.

D. The term refers to the role played by the layer of gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, which trap the heat from the sun in the earth atmosphere.

E. It is difficult to predict, but we can expect more extreme weather conditions like floods, storms and heat waves. Scientists believe there will be more rain but also a higher risk of drought in inland areas.