PRUEBA: CLIMATE CHANGE

EXAM and ANSWERS – including SMART TIPS

In the past decade, warmer‐than‐average temperatures have been recorded around the globe, and
scientists warn that temperatures may climb by 1.8–4° C before the close of the century. It is believed
that this recent climate change has been caused by industrial pollution and other human activity.

Nearer the equator, the heat is making deserts expand, and putting water resources under tremendous
pressure. In some of the world’s poorest countries in Africa, desertification has already cost lives,
exacerbating the problems of drought and famine.

Climate change is affecting the coldest extremities of the world, too, melting the ice in the Arctic and
Antarctic. This is sadly having a damaging effect on local animal populations, such as polar bears, and it
is not yet known what the wider repercussions might be. One alarming theory suggests that the
melted ice will cause a rise in sea levels . This, in turn, could result in severe flooding in many countries,
including the UK and the USA, and make coastal areas vulnerable to an increased risk of tidal
waves and tsunamis.

One thing is certain: if we do not act now, the earth will continue to heat up, perhaps irreversibly. We must
take better care of our planet – before the problem gets too hot to handle.

I. Answer the following questions using your own words, but taking into account the
information in the text. (3 points: 1 point each)

a. How and why is the temperature of the earth changing?

Suggested answer: Over the past decade the temperatures around the world have been
increasing and this is thought to be due to pollution and other activities which harm the
environment.
b. Why is the hot weather a problem in Africa?
Suggested answer: The increased temperatures make deserts expand and so there is less
water available. This leads to problems such as drought and famine as people haven’t got
enough food or water.

TIP: giving full answers

Remember to include all the correct information in your answer. Students sometimes do not get the
SMART
full point because their answers are incomplete. The answer “It causes people to die” for question b
would not be given a full point because it is not a full answer.

c. According to the text, what are two possible effects of rising sea levels?
Suggested answer: Rising sea levels could create more tsunamis and tidal waves and some
countries may be badly flooded.

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 You should always try to use your own words when giving an answer, but sometimes it can be
difficult. For example, in question three it is hard to replace the words tidal waves, tsunamis and
flooding, because these are very specific nouns. However, you can still change the grammar and
word order of the sentence to make your answers different from the text. In the example answer,
the noun flooding has been changed into the passive verb form be flooded.

II. Fill in the gaps with the correct, most appropriate word in each case. (2 points: 0.25 points each)
Climate change is (A) an issue which affects (B) us all. It (C) has taken people a long time to
really take (D) the issue of climate change seriously. But, over the last few years people (E) have
become increasingly more concerned (F) about the damage that climate change is having (G)
on our environment. Many people say that we (H) are all responsible for climate change.

IV Rephrase the following sentences so that their meaning is as similar to the original as possible.

(1 point)
a. Greenhouse gases are heating up the earth.
The earth is being heated up by greenhouse gases. / The earth is becoming hotter due to
greenhouse gases.
b. I think that you should do more to help the environment.
If I were you, I’d do more to help the environment.

SMART TIP: checking verb forms in transformations

Remember, in conditional clauses we usually use the verb form “were” instead of “was” for the first and third person
singular. Remember to revise conditional forms and other major grammar points (including tenses, reported speech,
relative clauses, modal verbs, and the passive) in preparation for your examination. See your course book for more
information.

c. Climate change is a problem that started many years ago.

Climate change has been a problem for many years.

d. “Are you concerned about climate change?” she asked me.

I was asked if I was concerned about climate change.

V. Write a composition about the following topic:

How will global warming affect our lives in the future? (100–120 words). (4 points)
Many different answers are possible. Here is a suggested model.
Global warming
I believe that global warming will have a huge impact on our future lives.
The world will become hotter, and we will experience more extreme weather conditions, such
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 as hurricanes and tsunamis. As a result of the changing climate, some animals and plants may
lose their habitats and become extinct. Some parts of the world could become completely
uninhabitable.
Natural resources will become very expensive, and there may not be enough food and water
for everybody. Some people may die of disease, poverty or starvation.
Unless we do more to help the environment, I think that our lives will be very badly affected
in the future. Consequently, we need to take action now.

Before you write, think carefully about the grammar and tenses you need to use.
In this composition, you will need to use present tenses to express your opinion:
“I believe / think that ...”.
You will mainly need to use future tenses, especially will, to make predictions about the future.
Remember that you can also use some other modal verbs instead of will for variety, including might,
may, could to talk about a future possibility.
Always read your composition after you have finished and check that your grammar, spelling,
punctuation and word order are correct.