2024年6月6日发(作者：)

Unit 8 Focus on Global Warming

Key to the Exercises

Text comprehension

I.

A

II.

1. T; 2. T; 3. F; 4. F; 5. F.

III.

1. Paragraph 2. Because global warming may be the single largest threat to

our planet（the earth）. Low-lying nations could be awash in seawater, rain and

drought patterns across the world could change, hurricanes could become more

frequent, and El Ninos could become more intense.

2. Paragraph 3. Our factories, power plants, and cars burn coal and gasoline

and spit out carbon dioxide, produce methane by allowing our trash to

decompose in landfills and by breeding large herds of methane-belching cattle,

and release nitrogen oxide by using nitrogen-based fertilizers.

3. Paragraph 4. The increased concentrations of greenhouse gases prevent

additional thermal radiation from leaving the Earth, so cause the global warming.

4. Paragraph 7. A slight increase in heat and rain in equatorial regions would

increase vector-borne diseases such as malaria; more intense rains and hurricanes

could cause more severe flooding and more deaths in coastal regions and along

riverbeds; even a moderate rise in sea level could threaten the low-lying islands;

hotter summers could lead to more cases of heatstroke, hospital admissions and

deaths among vulnerable people with heart problems or respiratory problems.

5. Paragraph 8 and 10. We can curb our consumption of fossil fuels and use

technologies to reduce the emission of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide,

methane, and nitrous oxides, and protect the forests in the world, and we can also

advocate policies that will combat global warming over the long term, things like

clean cars, environmentally responsible renewable energy technologies, and

stopping the clear-cutting of valuable forests.

IV.

1. Global warming will probably be the most serious threat to our Earth, if we

do not take into account of some other possible disasters, such as another world

war, collision of our Earth with some small orbiting planet, or spread of incurable

diseases.

2. In terms of human health, the people of the poorer countries will suffer

most, because their countries do not have money to protect them when climate

changes.

Structural analysis

Sub-ideas in the second part:

1) the causes of the rising concentration of greenhouse gases in the

atmosphere (Paragraphs 3 and 4)

2) the effect of such concentration on climate change (Paragraphs 5 and 6)

3) the potential threat of global warming to human health and survival

(Paragraph 7)

Vocabulary

I. Phrase

1. with the exception of: except, apart from 除……之外，不包括……在内

2. In essence = essentially, basically 本质上，根本上

3. wherever possible: whenever it is possible 只要可能

4. over the long term: over a long period 从长远看

5. alternative = substitutable, different, replaceable

II.

1. focus; 2. much the same; 3. consciousness; 4. threat;

5. deserved; 6. decomposed; 7. revealed; 8. frequent.

III. Word derivation

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate forms of the given words.

1. perusal 2. intensified 3. excessive 4. speculative

5. abundance 6. inclusive 7. emits 8. locally

IV.

1. A; 2. D; 3. B; 4. C;

5. D; 6. A; 7. C; 8. A.

V. Synonym / Antonym

Give a synonym or an antonym of the word underlined in each sentence in the

sense it is used.

1. Synonym: mainly, basically, firstly

2. Antonym: unfortunately, unluckily

3. Antonym: exclude

4. Synonym: part, division

5. Antonym: decrease, lowering

6. Antonym: unavailable

7. Synonym: weak, insecure, unsafe

8. Antonym: irresponsible

VI. Prefix

Write in each space one word that has the same prefix as underlined in each

given word.

1. centigrade centimeter

2. kilogram kilometer

3. synopsis synthetic

4. supervise superior

5. submarine submerge

6. astronaut astronomy

7. microbiology microwave

8. overwork overload

Grammar Exercises

I. Complete the following sentences using the appropriate verb forms.

1. began / / have had

2. A: Have // talked

B: Have talked // talked

3. has invented

4. have // telephoned // went

5. have been

6. has got (gotten)

7. has been

8. have forgotten

9. B: has gone

B: About ten minutes ago.

10. was // has disappeared.

III.

1. a. simple present form; b. “has obtained”.

2. synonymous a. the speaker’s point of view; b. the listener’s perspective.

3. a. definite; b. indefinite

4. a. still suffering; b. past

5. a. on the way or in Italy; b. left Italy.

6. a. in the morning; b. after the morning

7. a. today is not finished and he may drink more; b. simply happened today.

8. a. passed away; b. still living.

IV.

1. have had – have

2. have been – be

3. laying – lying

4. bore – bear

5. Rang – Rung

6. rised – risen

7. had – has

V. Fill in the blanks with

because, as, since, seeing that, for

or

because of

.

1. As / Since

2. because / as

3. As / Since / Seeing that

4. because

5. because of

6. As / Since

7. for

8. as / because

9. because of

10. for

Translation exercises

I.

1. 到因特网上查一查就可以证明，全球变暖这个主题在公众意识中已经和麦当娜和微

波炉一样根深蒂固了。

2. 如果我们不限制温室气体的排放，低地国家就可能会遭到海水的冲刷，全世界雨水

和干旱的规律就可能发生变化，飓风可能会更加频繁，厄尔尼诺现象也可能更为严重。

3. 我们还主张实施有关政策，与全球变暖现象进行长期斗争，如驾驶使用替代燃料的

清洁汽车、采用有利于环境保护的可再生能源技术，以及阻止滥伐宝贵的森林。

4. 这个问题需要所有的人——包括各国政府、工业界、社团，以及个人的协同合作，

才会有真正的改观。

II.

1. After months of negotiation, the two companies finally came up with a

solution, which was in essence our original proposal.

2. The people of that African tribe worship the moon in much the same way

that our ancestors worshipped the sun.

3. It is still a puzzle as to how the ancient Egyptian pyramids were built over

4,000 years ago. Some people speculate that they were built by supernatural

beings.

4. The illegal use of inferior building materials eventually resulted in the

collapse of the hotel.

5. At present, many countries are taking action to mitigate the impact of the

financial crisis on their economy.

6. The couple finally divorced after years of incessant quarrels, which had

resulted from a lack of understanding.

7. The governments of the two countries agreed to set up a military hotline to

reduce the risk of war due to incorrect information.

8. Some Chinese students were not very successful in American universities

because they failed to adapt to the new environment there.

Exercises for integrated skills

I. Dictation

It could be the title of a 21st-century horror movie: / “Death by Global

Warming.” / Instead, it is a real-life warning / from an American university

ecologist / who believes / global warming / may account for / millions of

human deaths from disease. / Right now / the evidence of / significant global

climate change / is minimal, / but there are already / noticeable increases / in

human diseases worldwide. / Most of the increase in disease / is due to numerous

environmental factors, / including infectious disease, / pollution by chemicals /

and biological wastes, / and shortage of food. / Global warming will only / make

matters worse. /

Global climate change / will result in a loss of available food. / Although there

may be some benefits / in crop production from warmer climates, / these

beneficial effects / will not be so great. / Crop losses from plant disease and weeds

/ will increase in a warmer climate. /

II. Cloze

(1) among (2) with (3) by (4) up (5) much

(6) not (7) to (8) as (9) whose (10) to

Writing Practice

Read and consider the following topic sentences and then think of or search

for famous quotable sayings on the Internet or from other sources. Develop each

paragraph using one or two quotes for each topic.

1. It is hard to overestimate the importance of friendship.

Ideas for reference:

Friends are an indispensable part of human’s life.

Friends are the very persons that we get comforts and encouragements.

Friends are our best fans whatever we do if it is good for us.

Sample:

As the saying goes “Whoever is delighted in solitude is either a wild beast or

a god”, friends are an indispensable part of human’s life. “A person without

friends is just like a spring without flowers, a dish without seasoning, and it is

absolutely meaningless”, as an ancient writer put it. Needless to say, friends play a

significant role in our life. To begin with, friends are the very persons that we get

comforts and encouragements we need to go on when our own store of willpower

has become depleted. No one is bound to be strong and happy all the time, for life

has its own up and down. And whenever we need them, friends will be with us, if

not always, at least most of the time. Moreover, friends are our best fans whatever

we do if it is good for us. When we put on a play, they will be our audiences; when

give a speech, they will be our listeners; when we write a book, they will be our

readers. In a word, friends are the very persons that we feel flattered and relaxed

no matter what stage we stand on. All in all, we have to say that it is hard to

overestimate the importance of friendship and having friends is beneficial. They

give us comforts and encouragements; strengths and confidences. Actually,

“Truly great friends,” said a writer, “are hard to find, difficult to leave, and

impossible to forget.” Therefore, we should cherish our friendship.

2. Setting oneself high goals in life is important.

Ideas for reference:

Aim plays a significant role in our life.

Setting high goals makes us clearer of life.

Setting high goals helps us use our time more efficiently.

Setting high goals turns us more confident.

Sample:

As the saying goes “Living without an aim is like sailing without a compass”,

aim plays a significant role in our life, especially when we want to make some

achievements. For our college students, it is needless to say that setting high goals

in life is important. To begin with, setting high goals makes us clearer of life. We

aren’t bound to succeed if we have no goal. Only when we have some idea of our

life, will we work harder for it. Furthermore, setting high goals helps us use our

time more efficiently. Having an aim in mind, we will take different actions at

different periods of our college life, thus making us approach our dream closer

and closer. Last but not the least, setting high goals turns us more confident. Just

as “Rome isn’t built in a day”, our success cannot be achieved overnight.

Bearing some goals in mind, we are easier to make progress every day, thus

bringing in more confidence for us. All in all, we have to say that setting high goals

is extremely necessary. It gives light to our future and makes us full of energy! If we

want to make a difference in life, setting high goals please, for a clear goal

determines our destiny!

Listening Exercises

A. You will listen to an award-winning speech on trees in which a girl explains

why she loves trees. What ideas would you expect to hear in such a speech? The

following words may give you some hints. Try to guess their meanings while

listening.

 commodity (noun) product

 nursery (noun) greenhouse, a place where plants are cultivated

 damp (adjective) slightly wet

 soil (noun) ground, dirt

 disturb (verb) bother, upset

 munch (verb) eat and chew noisily

 evergreen (noun) a plant that does not lose its leaves and stay green

throughout the year

 exterminate (verb) destroy, kill off

 lumber (noun) wood from trees

B. Listen to the speech again. Complete the following list which tells us why

the girl likes trees.

 She loves trees because they are very important to the environment .

 She loves trees because they have many different shades of green .

 She loves trees because they always smell so fresh and clean .

 She loves trees because they are fun to climb .

 She loves trees because they display beautiful colors in autumn .

 She loves trees because they make life possible .

 She loves trees because they make her feel peaceful and inspire her to make

the best of herself .

C. Answer the following questions.

1. What does the girl do when painting pictures of trees?

She uses many different colors of paint .

2. Which aspect of trees is the girl referring to when she says “it’s a glass of

cool water on a hot day”?

The smell .

3. Why does the girl like to climb her grandfather’s apple tree?

She likes to think and relax, or read a book in the tree while eating

apples .

4. According to the girl, how do trees make life possible?

They produce oxygen so we can

breathe .

5. How does the beauty of trees make the girl feel according to her closing

statement?

The girl believes that trees help her become a better

person .

D. What other problems can you think of with our environment (acid rain,

deforestation, water pollution)? What are the possible solutions to these

problems?