Reading & Part 6

Use of English
geological time.Whichreferstor
of
ed whichareperiods 144 million years ago?
1 Look at ago?
0.01 million years
depositsof chall
years ago?
590 million
ofdinosaurs;
plants;the extinction
ago?
248 million years
Cretaceous (firstflowering ofinvertebratelife)
a ofmany forms
Cambrian the explosion
manylarge dinosaurs and the first birds) mammals)
oflarge
Jurassic(evidence of ofhuman development; extinction
b

and theWord.
d Holoscene (evidence paragraphs
C

gaps 1-7 for the

missing
below,ignoring
2 Read the text about?
text
in italics.
What is the

'human epoch'
Geologistspress for recognition of Earth-changing
Group of the International
Anthropocene Working charged with
Thereis now'compelling whichis the body
The
Theseareepoch-making
accordini tmes,literally. Commission on Stratigraphy, time periods, met
in Londonlast
to an influential.group of geologists, that
evidence",
humansnet according
impact on pa-odesolesiresth
ho
hadsuchanphaseof geologicaltime.
formallydesignating
geological
evidencefor the planet having crossed into a new
entering ahive
dramatis
new month todiscuss
geological epoch.

Now, the scientisns pushing for the newepochtobe oficialily centre ofour planet's activityrepresents
are Putting humans at the
usually specens
think ofourhave
to happen intha shiin the way geologists
the timescale ofEarth.But there
whatis going Anthropocenesays geographerto apardenblip
been
But weneed on long 6S million
University of Maryland. died outaround
the
Professor Erle Ellis of
isa mere dinosaurs
years
think
roven epochs sincethe
ago.

geologicalf oouprintwil be
Geologists our
that ge
predictinradia from the atomic
Misible,forexample, material
bomb

animalp acies,a nd asothescaleo/rimlamasspecies

human-induced extinction
hiblantand
University
commence' ne says. 'Theseare slow
with ofnationalian
byenoughtonel hitpicky debates,fraught actimonyandissues
probocalc hngeson sole
Anneputt meteorsuie
htt:/.w/impiamons.c/ppimed/re.hom
oraofcatastrophic lawyer might
things a
supervolcano
describe as acts God
4 bought it we ownit, Elik says. Now we'vegot to take responsibility
for it'

From The Guardian

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 Tip Exam practice
using the words in italics to help you,
the missing paragraphs and,
try to
The paragraph may link with words 3 Now read
paragraphs A-H
or information that come before or decide where the paragraphs belong in the text. Choose from the
extra paragraph which you do not
after the paragraph in the text. the one which fits each gap (1-7). There is one
need to use.

Missing paragraphs
A And the last time we passed a geological boundary, entering
the Holocene around 12,000 years ago at the end of the last
ice age, we were an insignificant species, just one of couple
of hominids struggling to survive in a world where SO many
of our cousins, like Homo erectus, had failed to make it.
B And there is plenty of geological proof to consider, for
example, industrial-scale mining, damming, deforestation
and agriculture, as well as the concentration of carbon
E. But this is not just a question of everyone agreeing
unanimously on an epithet. Formal recognition of the
epoch could have wider significance beyond the geology
community. By officially stating that human actions are
having an effect on the make-up of the Earth,
it may
have an impact on, say, the law of the sea or on people's
behaviour.
However, the end of the Jurassic period did not witness any
F

in the atmosphere and nitrates in the oceans. Even the major extinction event. The start and end of the period
are defined by carefully selected locations, rather than
presence of the first human-produced chemicals like PCBs,
radioactive fallout and the humble plastic bag could be specific dates.

measured millions of years hence.
C There is some friction because some members are very cautious
and think it's premature to define the Anthropocene,
because the Holocene has only been around for a short
period in geological terms. Other epochs have lasted
millions of years.
D Millions of years from now, these experts say, alien geologists
would be able to make out a human-influenced stripe in the
accumulated layers of rock, in the same way that we can see
the imprint of dinosaurs in the Jurassic, or the explosion
G The term for the new epoch was conceived in 2002 by
Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen. It means the Age of Man',
recognizing the ascent of our species to geophysical
force on a par with Earth-shattering asteroids and planet-
cloaking volcanoes.
H But nowadays, it is humans, not ecological disasters, that
have become the determining factor. We are the guiding,
controlling species - and many of our changes will leave a
permanent mark in the rocks.
of

life that marks the Cambrian.

Text analysis 4 Work through a-j, referring to the text (i-viif) and missing paragraphs (A-H).
a Why is the term compelling evidence in quotation marks? (i)
b What does the expression charged with mean? (v)
Explain in your own words the expressions a paradigm shift and a mere blip. (vi)
d Find expressions which mean: in a petty manner; full of bitterness. (vii)

e Why do you think the writer refers to hominids as an insignificant species? (A)
f What does the writer mean by the word epithet? (E)
g What does the writer mean by the expression on a par with? (G)
h Find two idiomatic compound adjectives the writer uses to make his point. (G)
i Why does the writer refer to the plastic bag as humble? (B)
Find a word which means: from this time on. (B)

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