Unit 8 Focus on Global Warming

Unit 8 Focus on Global Warming  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带菌媒介引起的 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二氧化碳 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)     Part one. Vocabulary 1 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. Her natural good sense was improved by the perusal (peruse) of the best books. 2. Efforts to reach the injured men have been intensified (intense) because of a sudden deterioration of weather conditions.  3. I knew he deserved to be punished but making him stay in every night for a year is a littleexcessive (excess). 4. Theories of the origin of life are partly speculative (speculate), since there is so little direct evidence available. 5. This is a book that contains an abundance (abundant) of valuable information. 6. The cost of the flights, accommodation and car rental is two thousand dollars inclusive(include). 7. When an iron object is heated in a fire, it glows red and emits (emission) radiation. 8. We hardly ever go into London. Whatever we need we can buy locally (local).   1. peruse v. 熟读，精读   perusal n. 熟读，精读；仔细研究 e.g. 他每天都要读各种报纸。 He perused the newspapers every day.   2. intense a. 强烈的，剧烈的，热烈的   intensify v. 增强，强化；加剧 intensive n. 强烈的；密集的   intensification n. 增强，加强，强化 e.g. 我的工作非常紧张，以至于我没有时间休息。 My work is so intense that I even have no time to take a rest. 我的初次失败更坚定了我成功的信念。 My first failure only intensified my desire to succeed. 我们有十天的强化训练。 We have ten days of intensive training.   3. excess a. 过量的，额外的   excessive a. 过多的，过分的 e.g. 这个胖男孩节制饮食以减轻过量的体重。 The fat boy went on a diet to get rid of his excess weight.   4. speculate v. 推测，好奇   speculation n. 沉思，推测；投机   speculative a. 推测的，推理的；投机的   speculator n. 投机者，投机商人 e.g. 我猜想的全错了。 My speculations proved totally wrong. 他是一个冷酷的投机者。 He is a ruthless speculator.   5. abundant a. 丰富的，充裕的   abundance n. 丰富，充裕   abundantly ad. 大量地，丰富地 e.g. 今年的农产品很丰富。 The agricultural commodities are abundant this year. 这个国家拥有丰富的资源。 This country has an abundance of valuable resources.   6. include v. 包括，包含   including prep. 包含，包括   inclusive a. 包含……在内的，包罗广泛的 e.g. 账单中包含服务费。 The bill includes service. 他们有很多宠物，狗就有三只。 They have many pets, including three dogs.   7. emission n. 散发；发射   emit v. 发出，放射；吐露 e.g. 干酪散发出强烈的气味。 The cheese was emitting a strong smell.   8. local a. 地方性的；当地的，局部的   locally ad. 在本地，在当地 e.g. 当地大多数的居民靠打渔为生。 Most of the local population depend on fishing for their income.   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. Global warming results primarily from human activities that release heat-trapping gases and particles into the air. Synonym: mainly, basically, firstly   2. Fortunately, we can take actions to slow down global warming. Antonym: unfortunately, unluckily   3. The most important causes include the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil, and deforestation. Antonym: exclude   4. Twenty-five years ago if you made a trip to the library and perused the periodical section for articles on global warming, you’d probably have come up with only a few abstracts from hardcore science journals or maybe a blurb in some esoteric geopolitical magazine. Synonym: part, division   5. That’s an increase of roughly 1°C every 4,000 years. Antonym: decrease, lowering   6. Much of the available climate data appear to back these fears. Antonym: unavailable   7. All across the globe, hotter summers could lead to more cases of heat stroke and deaths among those who are vulnerable, such as older people with heart problems. Synonym: weak, insecure, unsafe   8. … things like clean cars that run on alternative fuels, environmentally responsible renewable energy technologies, and stopping the clear-cutting of valuable forests. 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        1. Explanation:      centi-: one hundredth           e.g. centigram, centiliter, centimeter   2. Explanation: kilo-: one thousand e.g. kilowatt, kilobyte, kilohertz   3. Explanation:      syn-: synonymous         e.g. synonym, synonymy, synchronous   4. Explanation: super-: extremely, more or better than normal e.g. superhuman, supercomputer, superconductor, superego   5. Explanation: sub-: below; less than; under e.g. sub-zero, subway, subset   6. Explanation: astro-: connected with the stars or outer space e.g. astrophysics, astrology, astronomer   7. Explanation: micro-: small; on a small scale e.g. microchip, micro-organism, microbe, microcosm   8. Explanation: over-: more than usual; too much e.g. overconfident, overanxious, over-optimistic   II Grammar Exercises 1. The present perfect tense vs. the simple past tense The simple past refers to the definite past. The present perfect refers to “the past with present relevance.” The action or state denoted by the present perfect tense, though referring to some indefinite happening in the past, has some connection with the present. Hence, if an action or state happened in the past and has no connection with the present, it will have to be expressed by the simple past. Compare: His father has been a teacher all his life. (His father is still alive.)          His father was a teacher all his life. (His father is now dead.)   I. Complete the following sentences using the appropriate verb forms. 1.    began / / have had 2.    A: Have // talked B: Have talked // talked 3.    He __has invented__ (invent) hundreds of things. He is one of the most productive inventors of our generation. 4.    have // telephoned // went 5.    have been 6.    has got (gotten) 7.    has been 8.    have forgotten 9.    A: Is your father at home? B: No, I’m afraid he ___has gone____ (go) out. A: When exactly __did he go___ (he, go) out? B: About ten minutes ago.   10. was // has disappeared.   II.   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     2. Connectives (because, as, since, seeing that, for, because of) Because is generally used when the reason is the most important part of the sentence. As and since are used when the reason is already well known, or is less important than the rest of the sentence. Since is a little more formal than as. As and since clauses often begin the sentence. Clauses of cause-result are introduced by because or as. Seeing that means the same as since. It is used only in informal speech. For suggests that the reason is given as an afterthought. For clauses never come at the beginning of the sentence.  The phrase because of is a prepositional phrase, and should be followed by a noun or a noun phrase.   V. Fill in the blanks with because, as, since, seeing that, for or because of. 1.    As / Since 2.    I’m very sorry but I can’t come to work today __because / as___ I’ve caught a very bad cold. 3.    __As / Since / Seeing that____ there is considerable evidence that violence on television may be a contributory factor in the increase of hooliganism, the Independent Television Authority has withdrawn its serial on famous crimes. 4.    because 5.    because of 6.    As / Since 7.    for 8.    as / because 9.    because of 10.  In the past insurance companies were often criticized by the public ___for___ delaying payment on claims.   VI. 1. As far as … concerned, …. 2. According to ….   Part three. 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 快递公司问题件快递公司问题件货款处理关于圆的周长面积重点题型关于解方程组的题及答案关于南海问题 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. 经过几个月的讨价还价，这两家公司最后达成了一个解决 方案 气瓶 现场处置方案 .pdf气瓶 现场处置方案 .doc见习基地管理方案.doc关于群访事件的化解方案建筑工地扬尘治理专项方案下载 ，这个方案实质上就是我们最初的建议。（come up with） Translation: 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. 四千多年前古埃及金字塔是如何建成的至今还是个谜。有些人猜测它们是外星人造的。（speculate） Translation:    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. 非法使用劣质建筑材料最终导致了宾馆的倒塌。（result in） Translation:     The illegal use of inferior building materials eventually resulted in the collapse of the hotel.   5．当前，许多国家正纷纷采取行动，缓解金融危机对经济的冲击。（take action） Translation: 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.       VI Writing Practice Paragraph development — the use of quotes Discussion: Quotation is an effective strategy used for argumentation and other purposes. In arguing, a good quotation in your favor lends you force; one against your viewpoint can also, if you deal it a powerful and accurate blow, help your writing gain momentum. In other writing situations, well-chosen quotes can help you make an emphatic point.   Powerful as there are, quotes couldn’t prove everything. Therefore, you should keep it in mind that don’t overuse or abuse the quotation strategy. Employing too many quotes can halt the smooth flow of your paragraph. Make sure that your quotes fit well into your writing, instead of implicitly or even blatantly contradicting the main message that you intend to convey.   Exercises: 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 everyday, 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!