LISTENING SCRIPT SECTION 4 EXERCISE (8 NOVEMBER)

1. Listen and answer these questions

A. What are the three human-related activities that produce nitrous
oxide?

B. How many people are estimated to be at risk of flooding if the sea

level rises by one metre?

C. What is the name of the disease that is carried by mosquitoes and

thrives in warmer regions?

D. What is the name of the process that turns fertile land into desert?

2. Listen and fill in the gap

This lecture in Environmental Studies is on the topic of human

influence on climate change. First, (1)___________ some of the factors
affecting climate, then go on to discuss what has already occurred, and
(2)__________ by speculating on the effects.

Previously, we’ve covered how factors such as ocean (3)___________

and (4)__________ winds affect climate change naturally. However, the
influence of human activity on climate is what I’ll talk about today. At
first, the effect on the climate was relatively small; trees were cut down
to provide (5)________________, and, as we know, trees (6)________
carbon dioxide and produce oxygen so the amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere would have increased – but not noticeably.

So, in what ways has human activity really impacted on the climate? A
major contributor was the (7)________ of the Industrial Revolution at
the end of the 18th century, combined with the invention of
the (8)___________________. In addition, (9)____________________
population has had a marked effect on climate. The first two factors saw
increased amounts of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere
from the burning of (10)____________, such as coal and oil.
The final one, human expansion, has resulted in deforestation on such a
(11)______ that the extra carbon dioxide in the air cannot be
(12)______________ and converted into oxygen by the remaining
trees.

Okay – so what has already happened? Well, global temperatures have

risen by 0.6 degrees Celsius in the last 130 years. Levels of carbon
dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide gases have (13)___________.
Carbon dioxide concentrations have climbed by 30% and methane
levels have increased by 145% since the beginning of the Industrial
Revolution. Gas produced by fossil fuel (14)__________, livestock and
paddy fields is primarily responsible for the growth of methane levels.
Nitrous oxide, or N2O, comes from natural sources – wet tropical
forests, for instance – but it is also produced by human-related activities
such as agriculture, which uses (15)_____________________, rubbish
disposal systems and vehicle emissions.

How do gases like carbon dioxide and methane affect the climate? Well,
this is what we call the Greenhouse Effect. Under normal conditions,
the (16)___________ hit the earth and some are reflected back into
space. However, these gases (CO2 and methane) create a barrier in the
atmosphere which prevents a proportion of the sun’s rays from being
reflected back into space – and, instead, the gases become (17)_______
in the atmosphere. It’s simple really – because the sun’s rays can’t
escape, the Earth heats up.

What are the possible effects? Firstly, a rise in sea levels: we already
know that the Arctic ice cap has (18)________ and (19)_________
considerably and great (20)__________________ have been lost from
Antarctica. In 1998, it was reported that 46 million people lived in areas
at risk of flooding ... and the number of people at risk will increase
significantly if sea levels rise. (21)_______________ that a rise of only
50 centimetres would put that number at 92 million. Further projections
would see a rise of one metre put 118 million people in danger of losing
their homes and livelihoods – not to mention the loss of
(22)________________________. Experts predict a rise of at least 50
centimetres over the next 50 years or so.
Secondly, there (23)_____________________________________ with
changes in the boundaries between grassland, shrub land, forest and
desert. This is already causing famine in arid areas of north-eastern
Africa, and has instigated – and will continue to instigate – mass
movements of people away from dry regions. What we are seeing now
is only the first stage, with (24)________________for climate
(25)________ already at overcapacity; in the future, there will be
significant migration resulting in extreme overcrowding of towns and
cities.

Another potentially (26)______________ of climate change is an

increase in the range and distribution of pests which could bring about
an increase in the (27)___________ of certain diseases. If we think of
the malaria-carrying mosquito, for example, which (28)________in
warmer regions – at the moment, about 45% of the world’s population
is exposed to malaria – but with an increase in temperature, there will be
many millions more cases of malaria a year.

The last effect I’m going to mention today is the change in ecosystems.
Global warming will influence (29)_________________ – for both
(30)___________________ – such that some animal species will
disappear and others will multiply; and it’ll be the same for plants and
trees. It is predicted that around two-thirds of the world’s forests will
undergo major changes of some kind. Scientists also expect
(31)__________ will become hotter and, of course, (32)____________
will continue at an increasingly worrying rate and will become harder, if
not impossible, to reverse.