Climate Change Speeds Up Sea Level Rise

July 6, 2011

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. steepest (adj.) [steepist] – highest (usually of price or amount of something)
Example: The steepest rise in oil has been experienced by many countries recently.

2. reside (v.) [v. ree-sahyd; n. ree-sahyd] – to live in a place permanently or for a long period of time
Example: I resided in my hometown for 23 years before I decided to move to a bigger city.
   
3. fossil (n.) [fos-uhl] – any remains, evidence, or trace of a living thing from the past
Example: Skeletons or skeletal patterns in stones are types of fossils.

4. mysterious (adj.) [mi-steer-ee-uhs] – refers to something that is unknown or is not fully understood
Example: I am interested to read more information about the mysterious case.

5. medieval (adj.) [mee-dee-ee-vuhl, med-ee-, mid-ee-, mid-ee-vuhl] – refers to something related or in the style of the Middle Ages
Example: We can learn more about medieval life by visiting museums.

Article
Read the text below.


Sea levels are at the steepest increase in 2,000 years according to a recent research done in the US. The unexpected rise poses a threat to coastal cities or cities near the sea, where 50% of the US’ population resides. Researchers suggest that climate change may be the cause of such rate.

According to researchers from University of Pennsylvania, the sea level has been rising 0.08 inches every year since the 19th century. Previous data from fossils show that levels of water remained stable during the early years of the 2,000 period, specifically around 200 BC to AD 1,000.

Furthermore, the researchers say that based on historical records, global temperatures affect sea levels. For instance, the rise of sea level during the 11th century happened at the same time as the mysterious climate change during the medieval age. As the data suggest, sea levels rise when temperatures rise.

This data can help researchers understand the effect of global temperature to the sea level.  If they are able to accurately predict the changes in sea level based on the data from the past, they can predict how much the sea level will rise in the future.





Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 


Discussion A 

·         Do you think people can control nature? Explain your answer.
·         Can you give more examples of the effect of climate change?

Discussion B
 
·         What environmental protection laws exist in your country?
·         If you were to come up with a law on protecting the environment, what law would that be?

July 6, 2011