Course Title: Reading III

Theme: Lesson 3. Encyclopedic articles

Environmental issues. Text: Glacier Retreat
Global temperatures are rising as a result of carbon emissions, which trap
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. One of the first things to be affected by global
warming is the large masses of ice known as glaciers. The higher temperatures not only
cause the glaciers to melt, they reduce the snowfall as well. Glaciers are formed when
snow gets compressed under more snow and the lower layer of snow freezes, creating a
large mass of ice. If some of the surface of the glacier melts during warmer weather,
that’s okay as long as more snow falls to replace what was lost. But sustained warmer
temperatures mean that more ice is melting, and less snow is falling. So the glacier
cannot sustain its mass; in other words, it shrinks. We call this phenomenon glacier
retreat because as the mass gets smaller, it seems to be retreating.
Why do receding glaciers have scientists and environmentalists so concerned?
First of all, most of the Earth’s supply of fresh water comes from glaciers. The normal
melting of glaciers during seasons of warmer temperatures provides fresh water to
people, animals, and plants. If the glaciers are not able to sustain their mass, there will
be less fresh water available for people to drink and use for raising crops. This could
spell disaster for human populations around the world.
Furthermore, while the disappearance of glaciers would mean diminished fresh
water supplies, the process of this disappearance is causing floods and rising water
levels. Most glaciers are located at higher elevations because of the colder temperatures
found there. So when the ice melts, gravity propels the water downward via rivers and
streams. More melting means more water is entering the river system, which may be
unable to bear the increased volume, thus resulting in flooding. The ecosystem is out of
equilibrium, disrupting life for all of the people and animals reliant on the water
supply. Once the water reaches the sea, it raises the water level, threatening settlements
located in coastal areas. In addition, sea water can get into the ground water supply,
further diminishing fresh water supplies as the sea water contaminates the fresh water
with salt. Floods and rising water levels are displacing thousands of people, and the
trend is expected
to continue.
In addition to destroying settlements and forcing people to relocate, the melting
of glaciers will destroy the farms that once relied on them for irrigation. This presents a
looming problem for the world’s food supplies, as the disappearance of arable land
diminishes food supplies for millions. Furthermore, the disruption to the ecosystem
affects fish and other animals. For example, corals rely on sunlight, and as the water
level rises, their exposure to sunlight decreases. Fish that feed on the corals face
reduced food supplies, and their numbers decline, adversely affecting the fish, birds,
and animals that feed on them.
The accelerated loss of glaciers, itself caused by global warming, compounds the
effects of global warming. Glaciers absorb about 20 percent of the sun’s heat and reflect
the rest back. But when they disappear, the earth below that gets exposed, absorbing 80
percent of the sun’s heat and only reflecting 20 percent back. So the Earth’s temperature
increases, making the problem worse. Projections for the future are daunting, as demand
for water is expected to increase as population grows and as temperatures rise.
Glacial retreat is perhaps one of the most prominent indications that an
environmental catastrophe is on the horizon. It is likely in the next few decades,
according to experts.
carbon emissions --- pollutants entering the air as a result of burning fossil fuels
greenhouse gases --- pollutants that trap heat in the atmosphere
glacier --- a large mass of ice
retreat --- the moving back of something
equilibrium --- a state of balance
contaminate --- to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect
irrigation --- the use of water on crops
arable --- able to be farmed
prominent --- particularly noticeable
catastrophe --- a disaster; a terrible situation
Activity 1. Match each word with the correct definition.
1. compressed a. to move back or away
2. sustain b. to suck up or take up
3. recede c. packed tightly
4. looming d. to keep at the same size or rate
5. absorb e. overwhelming; intimidating
6. daunting f. difficult to avoid
Activity 2. Match each word or phrase with the correct definition.
1. alien a. specific kinds of plants or animals
2. extinct b. no longer existing
3. grim c. from another place
4. habitat d. belonging to a particular place
5. native e. gloomy; somber
6. species f. an environment where something lives and grows
Activity 3.
A. Mark each statement as either true (T) or false (F) according to the reading.
1. ____ Greenhouse gases trap carbon emissions in the atmosphere.
2. ____ Most of the fresh water on the Earth comes from glaciers.
3. ____ Receding glaciers are beneficial for farmers.
4. ____ Glaciers absorb about 80 percent of the sun’s heat.
B. Choose the best answer according to the reading.
1. What happens when a glacier cannot sustain its mass?
a. It melts.
b. It shrinks.
c. It advances.
d. It compresses.
2. Why are receding glaciers a concern?
a. They are the chief cause of global warming.
b. They will contaminate the world’s salt water.
c. They disrupt the equilibrium of the ecosystem.
d. They are making the Earth colder and colder.
3. When do experts predict that an environmental catastrophe will happen?
a. Within the next few decades
b. Sometime in the 22nd century
c. Within the next seven years
d. By the end of summer in 2012
C. For the next two questions, look for the answers in the book and write them on
the lines provided.
1. How will receding glaciers affect farms?
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
2. How would the disappearance of glaciers affect the Earth’s temperature?

Activity 3. Here are six words or phrases that are related to the topic but are not in
the reading. Fill in each blank with the best word or phrase from the list. Use each
word or phrase only once.

1. Greenhouse gases absorb __________, which is another name for sunlight.

2. ___________ is the most common type of greenhouse gas, released when we burn
many fossil fuels.
3. ___________ is the most dangerous type of greenhouse gas because it traps the most
heat in the atmosphere.
4. A ___________ is a measure of the effect human activities have on the environment.
5. The burning of ___________ releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
6. The ___________ is an international agreement that seeks to limit world greenhouse
gas emissions.

Activity 4. Writing a summary. Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief

summary of the passage is provided below. Select THREE answer choices to complete
the summary.
First Sentence: One of the first things to be affected by global warming is the large
masses of ice known as glaciers.
A. Glaciers absorb about 20 percent of the sun’s heat, but if they disappear, the Earth
will absorb 80 percent of this heat, posing a looming catastrophe.
B. Glaciers are formed when snow gets compressed under more snow and the lower
layer of snow freezes, creating a large mass of ice.
C. Melting ice from glaciers is propelled by gravity from high elevations downward
into rivers and streams that feed the oceans.
D. Sustained warmer temperatures cause the glaciers to melt and less snow to fall,
which causes glaciers to shrink or recede.
E. Receding glaciers threaten everything that depends on fresh water, since most of the
Earth’s fresh water comes from glaciers.
F. Melting glaciers dump more water into rivers and seas, which raises the water levels
and also the daunting threat of throwing the ecosystem out of balance.

VI. Hometask: Read the text and discuss the following questions below.
Text: Drowning Polar Bears
There is perhaps no place on Earth where the effects of global warming are more
evident than in the Arctic. Covered in ice, this region has been the first to feel the
effects of a looming environmental catastrophe as greenhouse gases trap heat in the
atmosphere, causing temperatures to rise and glaciers to melt. The large masses of ice
are home to polar bears, who hunt on the edges of the glaciers. They eat mainly seals,
who swim in the icy water beneath and are caught when they surface through holes in
the ice to breathe. In a normal summer, as the temperature rises, the glaciers retreat to
the north, but the polar bears do not follow them. Instead, they leave the glaciers for the
shore, where the temperatures are warmer and the seals are plentiful. They have to swim
to make this journey, and as the glaciers retreat further and further, the polar bears’
voyage from glacier to land gets longer. Though they are strong swimmers, the
increasing distance has resulted in polar bears drowning as they try to swim ashore for
the summer months.
Not only are polar bears drowning, they are also having trouble hunting because the
thinner ice tends to get deformed more easily, making hunting seals more difficult. The
polar bears’ lack of nourishment not only threatens their lives, but it also makes
reproduction less successful, so new generations of polar bears are not being born to
replace the dying ones. As polar bear populations decrease, the ecosystem is thrown out
of equilibrium. With fewer polar bears to eat seals, seal populations increase. They then
eat more fish, threatening those populations. As fish populations diminish, so do food
supplies for all the people,
birds, and animals that depend on them for nourishment.
Discuss the following questions.
1. Some people claim that the effects of global warming are exaggerated. Do you agree?
2. Besides harming the ecosystem, what are other potential adverse effects of melting
ice in the Arctic?