Weather Becomes More Extreme As Temperatures Rise

Weather Becomes More Extreme As Temperatures Rise

An increase of 0.5 degrees Celsius in average temperature is enough to cause extreme weather more frequently and possibly the extinction of some coral reefs.

by Jason Grenier, special correspondent

With industrialization and burning fossil fuels, global warming started slowly in the early 19th century but has rapidly accelerated over the last 50 years. According to weather researchers, an increase of half a degree Celsius in average temperature really does matter, and it has led to heat waves and extreme rainfalls around the globe.

Researchers compared the weather of two periods—1960 to 1979 and 1991 to 2010—and found that the temperature rose by 0.5°C on average. This average increase over the world can mean so much more in some regions, where the hottest temperature in summer has risen by more than 1°C and the coldest winter is now 2.5°C warmer. This increase in temperature has boosted many types of extreme weather in duration and intensity.

Across a quarter of the globe, intense precipitation grew nearly 10 percent. This causes destructive flooding in places that had not been flooded for centuries. Crop failure is becoming more severe, and governments are struggling to find ways to shed excess water and protect people’s homes and businesses.

Periods of extremely hot weather is extended by a week in half the lands across the world. In addition to increasing the risks of forest fires, water shortage, and famine, it also causes discomfort to people. Heat waves can lead to health problems and even death, and they hit vulnerable groups such as children and senior citizens especially hard.

If we hold the temperature rise to 1.5°C, there is a chance that coral reefs can survive and adapt to the high temperatures and acidity of the seas. However, an extra half degree would lead to the extinction of most reefs by the end of the century.

Reading Comprehension

( ) 1. According to the passage, how much did the temperature increase on average between the two periods the researchers have studied?

(A) Half a degree. (B) More than one degree.

( ) 2. Who is more likely to meet health problems during a heat wave?

(A) Fire fighters. (B) Health care providers.
(C) Children and old people. (D) Government workers.

( ) 3. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

(A) If the temperature continues to rise, most coral reefs may face extinction.

(B) Forest fires and water shortage accelerate global warming.

(D) The lowest temperature in winter is two and a half degrees higher than before in some regions.

Vocabulary and Phrases

1. fossil fuel [] n. [C][U]化石燃料
2. accelerate  vi.; vt. 加速
3. rainfall  n. [C][U] 降雨量
4. boost vt.促進
5. duration  n. [U] 持續時間
6. intensity [] n. [U] 強烈，劇烈
intense [] adj. 強烈的 SYN extreme / 7. destructive [] adj. 毀滅性的
8. severe [] adj. 十分嚴重的
9. excess [k] adj. (only before noun) 過量的
10. shortage  n. [U][C] 短缺，不足
11. famine  n. [U][C] 饑荒
12. vulnerable adj. 脆弱的
13. coral reef n. [C] 珊瑚礁

Words for Recognition

1. extinction [] n. [U] 滅絕，絕種
2. industrialization [] n. [U] 工業化 / 3. heat wave [`] n. [C] 熱浪，酷熱期
4. precipitation [] n. [U] 降水
5. acidity [] n. [U] 酸度

More on global warming…

A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought people’s attention to climate change, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Former Vice President of the United States Al Gore continues to put effort into influencing international climate policy and persuading leaders to invest in renewable energy. Cameras follow him as he pursues the inspirational idea that humans can overcome the danger of global warming with ingenuity and passion.

Trailer: youtu.be/huX1bmfdkyA or scan the movie poster with COCOAR2.

Social Media Causes Fear and Anxiety in Young People

As bullying moves from real life to the Internet, one in three teenagers said they were afraid of being cyberbullied.

by Jason Grenier, special correspondent

Nowadays, online interactions can greatly affect one’s image, and youngsters spend a lot of time and effort __1__ the impressions they want to present to the world on the Internet. A research by Ditch the Label, an anti-bullying charity, suggests social media and cyberbullying are the source of anxiety for youngsters.

More than 10,000 people aged 12 to 20 took part in the survey, with nearly 70 percent of them confessing to having said mean words to another person online, and 17 percent claiming to have been bullied online. According to the results, 40 percent said they would feel upset if nobody liked their selfies, and 35 percent said their confidence was __2__ to the followers they had. As more and more people judged a person by the life he or she led online, 47 percent of the teenagers __3__ discussing negative things in their lives on social media. Instead, many preferred presenting an edited version of their lives.

“There is a trend __4__ people augmenting their personalities online and not showing the reality,” said Liam Hackett, Ditch the Label’s chief executive. “Not only is the Internet redefining the climate of bullying, but also it is having clear impacts upon the identity, behaviors, and personality of its young users.”

Anne Longfield, the children’s commissioner for England, called for “compulsory digital citizenship classes” in schools and suggested that a government organization be established to help cyberbullied children. One expert also pointed out that adults and teens __5__ should think about their usage of social networks, and that there is more to life than the glossy pictures on the Internet.

Fill in the Blanks

(A) connected / (B) towards / (C) cultivating / (D) alike / (E) avoided
(1)______/ (2)______/ (3)______/ (4)______/ (5)______

Vocabulary and Phrases

1. anxiety [] n. [U][C] 焦慮
2. bully [] vt. 霸凌，欺凌
cyberbully [] vt. 網路霸凌
3. interaction  n. [C][U] 互動
4. cultivate  vt. 建立，培養
5. impression  n. [C][U] 印象
6. charity [`] n. [C] 慈善組織
7. confess [] vi.; vt. 承認 SYN admit / 8. edit  vt. 編輯，剪輯
9. version  n. [C] 版本，說法
10. climate  n. [C]風氣，趨勢
11. impact  n. [C] 巨大影響
12. identity  n. [U] 身分認同
13. behavior  n. [C] 行為模式，習性
14. usage  n. [U] 使用，用法

Words for Recognition

1. selfie [] n. [C] 自拍照
2. follower [] n. [C] (社群網路)追蹤者
3. augment [] vt. 擴大，加強
4. redefine [] vt. 重新定義 / 5. compulsory [] adj. 義務的
6. citizenship [] n. [U] 公民身分或義務
7. glossy [] adj. 虛有其表的

Music to Your Ears

Placebo – Too Many Friends

Can you have too many friends? What is the definition of “friendship” today? “Too Many Friends” is a song by the alternative rock band Placebo, included in their album Loud Like Love. When Placebo’s lead singer Brian Molko heard his friends talking about having to stop taking friend requests due to having too many friends on the Internet, he started to wonder how the virtual world affected the way we interact with each other. The song depicts disconnection and loneliness of the modern world, where people are much closer to friends on the Internet than to people in the real world.

Music video: youtu.be/p21YfobjaVA

閱讀測驗解答：1. A 2. C 3. B

綜合測驗解答：1. C 2. A 3. E 4. B 5. D

Translation

氣溫上升，氣候更極端

平均氣溫升高攝氏0.5度就足以造成極端氣候更常發生，並可能導致部分珊瑚礁滅絕。

由於工業化和燃燒化石燃料，全球暖化於19世紀初期漸漸開始，但在過去50年間急遽加速。根據氣象研究者所說，平均氣溫升高攝氏0.5度事關緊要，而且已經導致全球熱浪和極端降雨。

研究人員比較1960到1979年、1991到2010年兩個時期的氣候，發現氣溫已平均升高攝氏0.5度。對某些地區來說，這不僅僅是升溫而已，那些地區的夏季最高溫上升逾攝氏1度，而冬季的最低溫現在暖和了攝氏2.5度。氣溫升高已促成各種極端氣候更持久而且更劇烈。

在全球四分之一區域，強烈降雨增加近10%。這在數世紀以來沒有淹過水的地區都造成毀滅性洪災。農穫歉收變得更嚴重，各國政府正苦於找出解決過多的降水、保護民眾家園和商家的方法。

極端炎熱氣候期間在全球一半的地區延長了一週之多。除了增加森林大火、缺水和饑荒的風險外，也造成人類不適。熱浪會導致健康問題甚至致命，並尤其衝擊弱勢群體，如孩童及老人。

如果我們將升溫控制在攝氏1.5度，珊瑚礁還有機會存活下來，適應海水高溫和酸度。然而，再升高攝氏0.5度，則將在本世紀結束前導致大部分珊瑚礁滅絕。

社群媒體造成年輕人憂心焦慮

當霸凌從現實生活搬到網際網路，每三個青少年就有一個害怕受到網路霸凌。

今日，線上互動大大地影響一個人的形象，而青少年花大量時間及精力，經營他們想在網路上想對世界呈現出來的印象。反霸凌慈善組織「撕掉標籤」的研究顯示，社群媒體和網路霸凌是青少年焦慮來源。

逾1萬名12至20歲間的人參與這項調查，其中近70%的人承認曾在網路上對另一個人說過惡毒的話，而17%的人聲稱曾遭受網路霸凌。根據調查結果，40%的人會因為沒人對他們的自拍照按讚感到沮喪，35%的人說他們的自信與擁有的追蹤人數有關。隨著愈來愈多人藉由在網路上的生活來評斷一個人，47%的青少年會避免在社群媒體上討論他們生活中負面的事情。許多人煩而偏好呈現經過編輯的生活版本。

「撕掉標籤」的執行長連恩・哈克特表示：「現在流行在網路上美化人格，不展露現實。網際網路不僅重新界定霸凌風氣，對年輕用戶的自我認同、行為模式和人格也有明顯的影響。」

英國兒童專員安・朗菲爾德呼籲學校開設「義務數位公民課程」，並建議成立政府組織幫助遭受網路霸凌的兒童。一位專家也指出，成人和青少年都該思考社群網路的使用，生活中還有比網路上亮麗的照片更重要的事。