reading comprehension : climate change

8/18/2019 Reading Comprehension : Climate Change

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Reading Comprehension.

Read the following text:

Climate change is linked to mass extinctions of

the past

Climate change could wipe out half of all species of animals and plants, according to a

study that has found a link between past climate change and some of the greatest mass

extinctions in the Earth's history.

Scientists said it was the rst time they had established a close association

between the Earth’s climate oer the past !"# years and mass extinctions. $uture

pro%ections for rising temperatures are likely to trigger the same sort of eents, said

&rofessor im (enton of the )niersity of *eeds. +n a study published in &roceedings of the

oyal Society, (enton and his colleagues show that four out of e mass extinctions can be

linked to climate change. $or instance, of the -/ species of primates from South 0merica

to +ndonesia, " per cent are now in danger of disappearing due to climate change.

1he long2term association has not been seen before, as preious studies hae

largely been conned to relatiely short geological periods, limited geographical areas an

few groups of organisms. (ut the eidence is striking3, (enton said.

he rises in temperatures expected to occur oer coming centuries are within the same

range seen in the past when many species became extinct, said &eter 4ayhew, a

population ecologist at *eeds.


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15ur results proide the rst clear eidence that global climate may explain substantial

ariation in the fossil record in a simple and consistent manner3, 4ayhew said. 1+f our

results hold for current warming, the magnitude of which is comparable with the long2term

6uctuations in the Earth’s climate, they suggest that extinctions will increase3, he added.

I. Answer the following questions using your own words but taking into

account the information in the text

a. 7hy hadn’t the link between climate change and mass extinctions been found

before8

9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

b. Can rising temperatures lead to another mass extinction8 7hy8

99999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999

II. Are the following statements true (! or false ("!# Identify the part of the text

that supports your answer.

a. wenty2nine per cent of the species of primates hae disappeared due to climate

change.

b. he temperatures expected for the future resemble the ones that led to extinctions

in the past.

c. Climate change may explain how fossils hae changed in history.

III. "ind a synonym for each of the four words below from these six

options

wipe out close rising trigger striking fuctuations

a. increasing

::::::::::::::::::

..

b. destroy

::::::::::::::::::

:..

c. prooke::::::::::::::

:::::.

d. surprising:::::::::::::

:::::


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I$. Choose a% b% or c% in each question below. &nly one choice is correct

'. +t is the rst time that...

a! a connection has been found between climate and extinctions, but only in the past !"#

years

although it is an unlikely connection in the future.

b! a connection has been found between climate and extinctions in the past !"# years and

it is a

probable connection in the future.

c! a connection has been found between climate and extinctions in the past !"# years, but

it is

only applicable to limited geographical areas.

. he expected rises in temperatures for the coming centuries...

a! are within the same geographical area.

b! are the same as the ones that led to extinctions in the past.

c! are similar to the ones that led to extinctions in the past.

). he results of the study...

a! proe that extinctions will increase in the future.

b! indicate that extinctions are more likely in the future.

c! suggest that extinctions will take place in the next !"# years.

reading comprehension : climate change

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