Name: ______________________
Class: _______________________
VOCABULARY TEST
UNIT 2: ENVIRONMENT
Based on Reading 1, 'Our Changing Planet' (Prism RW, p. 41), fill in the blank with NO MORE
THAN TWO WORDS.
The Upsala Glacier in ArgenAna was once among the largest in South America. Back in 1928, it
was completely covered in ice and snow. However, the glacier is now melAng at an annual (1)
___________ of around 650 feet (about 200 meters), leaving the area mostly (2) ___________in
water. This serves as evidence of (3) _____________.
Over the past century, the (4) _______________ has gone up by approximately 1.33 degrees
Fahrenheit (0.75 degrees Celsius). While this may seem minor, even a slight rise is causing sea
levels to rise and threatening the (5) _____________ of various species of plants and animals. If
the global temperature increases by 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), it could lead to
the (6) ____________ for 30% of the world's land species.
The Northwest Passage is a mariAme route along Canada's northern coast, connecAng the
AtlanAc and Pacific Oceans. Historically, it was oaen difficult to navigate due to frozen waters.
However, (7) _____________ has made it easier to sail through this route, thanks to increasing
temperatures. The downside is that the melAng of the ice will result in a (8) ___________ of
habitat for polar bears and other wildlife in the region.
ScienAsts predict that by the end of the century, (9) ______________ could rise by 12 to 48 inches
(30.5-122 cenAmeters). This means that areas once on land a few centuries ago are now
submerged, and many low-lying islands could be underwater in the near future.
Due to the (10) ______________, ecosystems worldwide are evolving at an unprecedented pace.
Over the past few decades, more than one-third of mangrove forests and around 20% of coral
reefs have been destroyed. Forests are being cleared to make space for agriculture, as the human
populaAon conAnues to grow rapidly. Currently, about one-quarter of the Earth's surface is used
for food producAon. With higher temperatures and increased levels of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere, plants are producing more (11) ______________, which might lead to more cases
of (12) _______________.
What, then, is the root cause of climate change? The primary cause is the vast quanAty of (13)
_________________ like carbon dioxide (C02) and methane in the (14) ______________. This is
largely due to the growing human populaAon, which demands more land for food and energy.
Burning (15) _____________ for heaAng, transportaAon, electricity, and manufacturing releases
C02. AddiAonally, humans exhale C02, while trees absorb it and produce oxygen. By cuhng down
trees, we’re raising C02 levels while reducing oxygen. As a result, C02 levels are now at their
highest in 800,000 years due to human acAvity.
