English for natural sciences lecture

University of Science and Education - The University of Danang Faculty of Chemistry -o0o- Lecturer: Nguyen Thi Thu Hong (Ph.D.) Email : ntthong@ued.udn.vn Danang, August 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS Unit CHEMISTRY OF MATTER Unit MOTION, FORCES AND ENERGY 18 Unit PHYSICAL INTERACTION 35 Unit EARTH’S PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE 49 Unit BASIC OF LIFE 57 Unit HUMAN BODY SYSTEMS 74 Unit THE ENVIRONMENT 88 Unit CHEMISTRY OF MATTER MINI GAME Things you know about Chemistry [Link] What is Chemistry Fundamental concepts in Chemistry Physical and chemical properties Physical and chemical changes LISTEN AND PRACTICE Watch the video and the exercises to improve your English vocabulary [Video] Do this exercise while you listen Complete the gaps with the correct word(s) a All is made from some kind of chemicals, so b When we cook something, a cooked meat so that our bodies can is the study of everything occurs, the raw meat turns into the nutrients better c Another common aspect where chemistry is through cleaning chemicals are created to target areas like dishes, laundry, and your body d The pills and medicines we use are all made from body stronger and to kill e cleaning ourselves that are there to make our and bacteria , we can see now that we're all from cooking food to Vocabulary in focus Nouns: matter, chemistry, chemicals, chemist, chemical formula, chemical equation, proton, neutron, element, electron, atomic nucleus, molecule, cation, anion, chemical compound, chemical reaction, chemical bonds, ion, molecule, atomic number Verbs: occur, absorb, adsorb, react, mix, change, to be made up, create, form, consist of Practice Read the text and fill in the gaps with the following expressions in the text box in appropriate forms Use each expression only once chemical formula, chemical equation, proton, neutron, element, electron, atomic nucleus, molecule, cation, anion, chemical compound, chemical reaction, chemical bonds, ion, molecule, atomic number (Sources: The World Book Encyclopedia Volume 1992 Chicago: World Book Inc, 1992, pp 366-7 http://www.onpedia.com/encyclopedia/chemistry; http://www.wikipedia.org) Grammar focus Present Tense The present tense is one of three verb tenses used to describe situations in the present Sometimes we also use it to talk about future and past activities Present tenses use auxiliary verbs, suffixes and special irregular forms of verbs That’s the reason why we need to learn the present tenses, otherwise we would not be able to construct sentences There are in general four different present tenses: Present simple Present continuous Present perfect Present perfect continuous It is really important to generally know all the tenses, but the most common and frequently used tense is the present simple It is used in almost 50% of spoken English, so that’s why we need to at least learn this tense perfectly Regardless, all of the tenses are important All of the present tenses have their own special sentence structures and all of them are used in different situations Supplementary Laboratory Equipment MINI GAME [Link] Fill the following schemes with suitable expressions f Vocabulary in focus READ AND PRACTICE Preparation Do this exercise before you start -> What words come to your mind in connection with the periodic table and chemical elements Write down at least 10 words, please! Read the text below and then match the words in bold (1-9) in the text with the given definitions (a-i) The Periodic Table The Periodic Table of Elements categorizes like elements together Dmitri Mendeleev, a Russian scientist, was the first to create a widely accepted arrangement of the elements in 1869 Mendeleev believed that when the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic mass, certain sets of properties recur periodically Although most modern periodic tables are arranged in eighteen groups (columns) of elements, Mendeleev's original periodic table had the elements organized into eight groups and twelve periods (rows) On the periodic table, elements that have similar properties are in the same groups (vertical) From left to right, the atomic number (z) of the elements increases from one period to the next (horizontal) The groups are numbered at the top of each column and the periods on the left next to each row The main group elements are groups 1,2 and 13 through 18 These groups contain the most naturally abundant elements, and are the most important for life The elements shaded in light pink in the table above are known as transition metals The two rows of elements starting at z=58, are sometimes called inner transition metals and have that have been extracted and placed at the bottom of the table, because they would make the table too wide if kept continuous The 14 elements following lanthanum (z=57) are called lanthanides, and the 14 following actinium (z=89) are called actinides Elements in the periodic table can be placed into two broad categories, metals and nonmetals Most metals are good conductors of heat and electricity, are malleable and ductile, and are moderate to high melting points In general, nonmetals are nonconductors of heat and electricity, are nonmalleable solids, and many are gases at room temperature Just as shown in the table above, metals and nonmetals on the periodic table are often separated by a stairstep diagonal line, and several elements near this line are often called metalloids (Si, Ge, As, Sb, Te, and At) Metalloids are elements that look like metals and in some ways behave like metals but also have some nonmetallic properties The group to the farthest right of the table, shaded orange, is known as the noble gases Noble gases are treated as a special group of nonmetals mass a one of a group of metallic elements in which the members have the filling of the outermost shell to electrons interrupted to bring the penultimate shell from to 18 or 32 electrons properties b gases in group of the periodic table; they are monatomic and, with limited exceptions, chemically inert 3.atomic number c elements whose properties are intermediate between those of metals and non-metals 4.abundant d the amount of material in sg 5.transition metals e existing or available in large quantities so that there is more than enough 6.malleable f sg that can be pressed or pulled into shape without needing to be heated 7.ductile g sg that is easy to press or pull into a new shape 8.metalloids h the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom 9.noble gases i a quality or power that belongs naturally to sg (Source: The National Geographic Society’s Education Division (2008), “Science Level Blue”, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill) Vocabulary development It is very useful to know how we can form different parts of speech Insert the missing forms of the words in the table All the words are taken from the text above VERB NOUN ADJECTIVE ADVERB categorizes - periodic - naturally conductor - electricity - metalloid - Grammar focus Past Tense The past tense is one of three general English grammatical tenses whose function is to place an action or event in the past All of the past tenses are really important to know Without knowing them, you will not be fully prepared to understand sentences and you might misuse words We begin this section with the four main tenses These are: Past simple tense Past continuous tense Past perfect tense Past perfect continuous tense Some of these tenses use auxiliary verbs and some of them use past tense verb forms Fortunately, one past tense is used more than others – it is the most important one: the past simple Without knowing the past simple, you will not be able to understand most sentences In other words, an abstract includes points covering these questions What is your paper about? Why is it important? How did you it? What did you find? Why are your findings important? To see the specific conventions in your field/s, have a look at the structure of a variety of abstracts from relevant journal articles Do they include the same kinds of information as listed above? What structure they follow? You can model your own abstract on these conventions Source: https://www.anu.edu.au/students/academic-skills/research-writing/journal-articlewriting/writing-an-abstract A Types of abstracts To begin, you need to determine which type of abstract you should include with your paper There are four general types Critical abstract A critical abstract provides, in addition to describing main findings and information, a judgment or comment about the study’s validity, reliability, or completeness The researcher evaluates the paper and often compares it with other works on the same subject Critical abstracts are generally 400-500 words in length due to the additional interpretive commentary These types of abstracts are used infrequently Descriptive abstract A descriptive abstract indicates the type of information found in the work It makes no judgments about the work, nor does it provide results or conclusions of the research It does incorporate key words found in the text and may include the purpose, methods, and scope of the research Essentially, the descriptive abstract only describes the work being summarized Some researchers consider it an outline of the work, rather than a summary Descriptive abstracts are usually very short, 100 words or less Informative abstract The majority of abstracts are informative While they still not critique or evaluate a work, they more than describe it A good informative abstract acts as a surrogate for the work itself That is, the researcher presents and explains all the main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper An informative abstract includes the information that can be found in a descriptive abstract [purpose, methods, scope] but it also includes the results and conclusions of the research and the recommendations of the author The length varies according to discipline, but an informative abstract is usually no more than 300 words in length 85 Highlight abstract A highlight abstract is specifically written to attract the reader’s attention to the study No pretense is made of there being either a balanced or complete picture of the paper and, in fact, incomplete and leading remarks may be used to spark the reader’s interest In that a highlight abstract cannot stand independent of its associated article, it is not a true abstract and, therefore, rarely used in academic writing B Writing style Use the active voice when possible, but note that much of your abstract may require passive sentence constructions Regardless, write your abstract using concise, but complete, sentences Get to the point quickly and always use the past tense because you are reporting on a study that has been completed Formatting Abstracts should be formatted as a single paragraph in a block format and with no paragraph indentations In most cases, the abstract page immediately follows the title page Do not number the page Rules set forth in writing manual vary but, in general, you should center the word "Abstract" at the top of the page with double spacing between the heading and the abstract The final sentences of an abstract concisely summarize your study’s conclusions, implications, or applications to practice and, if appropriate, can be followed by a statement about the need for additional research revealed from the findings Composing your abstract Although it is the first section of your paper, the abstract should be written last since it will summarize the contents of your entire paper A good strategy to begin composing your abstract is to take whole sentences or key phrases from each section of the paper and put them in a sequence that summarizes the contents Then revise or add connecting phrases or words to make the narrative flow clearly and smoothly Note that statistical findings should be reported parenthetically [i.e., written in parentheses] Before handing in your final paper, check to make sure that the information in the abstract completely agrees with what you have written in the paper Think of the abstract as a sequential set of complete sentences describing the most crucial information using the fewest necessary words The abstract SHOULD NOT contain: Lengthy background or contextual information, Redundant phrases, unnecessary adverbs and adjectives, and repetitive information; Acronyms or abbreviations, References to other literature [say something like, "current research shows that " or "studies have indicated "], 86 Using ellipticals [i.e., ending with " "] or incomplete sentences, Jargon or terms that may be confusing to the reader, Citations to other works, and Any sort of image, illustration, figure, or table, or references to them (Source: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/abstract) Examples Bad abstract: Good abstract: This paper will look at the human genome project and its goals I will prove that scientists have ethical and moral questions about genetic engineering because of this project Begun in 1988, the human genome project intends to map the 23 chromosomes that provide the blueprint for the human species The project has both scientific and ethical goals The scientific goals underscore the advantages of the genome project, including identifying and curing diseases and enabling people to select the traits of their offspring, among other opportunities Ethically, however, the project raises serious questions about the morality of genetic engineering To handle both the medical opportunities and ethical dilemmas posed by the genome project, scientists need to develop a clear set of principles for genetic engineering and to continue educating the public about the genome project (The examples above are taken from Form and Style (10th ed.), by Carole Slade; The Scott, Foresman Handbook for Writers (5th ed.); and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).) HOMEWORK https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEUu-A2wfSE 87 Unit THE ENVIRONMENT MINI GAME Consequences of climate change [Link] READ AND PRACTICE Read the text below and make your essential assignments Climate Change The weather is a common conversation for many people each day The weather can change day-to-day or even from hour-to-hour On the other hand, the climate in an area usually takes a long time to change It is the average temperature and conditions in a specific place over a long period of time, in years Climate does not change day-to-day or even month-to-month, but usually takes hundreds, thousands, or millions of years to change The climate in one place on Earth is different than another place For example, the climate in a desert may be hot and dry, but in a rainforest, it is usually warm and humid, and in some mountain areas and other places it will be cold all year long In the world today, the words climate change is often heard, and it usually refers to the process of the Earth heating up, which is often called global warming Most people can agree on the weather, but sometimes climate change or global warming leads to disagreement The Earth is about 4.5 billion years old, and during its life, the climate has changed quite often and has experienced an Ice Age, warming, and everything in between All scientists agree that the climate changed often during the first 4.5 billion years However, it is also a proven fact that the Earth's average temperature has increased about 1.33°F over the past 100 years between the 1900s and 2000s Reviewing the past 200 years it has increased about 1.8°F It may not sound like a big change, but it will influence the Earth The Earth is covered like a greenhouse, which is used by some farmers, florists, and others to grow plants, it is a 'glass-covered' building that absorbs the heat from the Sun Greenhouses are very hot Of course, the Earth is not covered with glass, but the greenhouse effect refers to the retention of the Sun's warmth in the Earth's lower atmosphere by greenhouse gases The greenhouse gases include mostly carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide These gases (instead of glass) act as a blanket for the Earth, helping to keep the Earth warm enough to support life, an average of about 59°F An increase in the greenhouse gases causes the Earth to become warmer Think of it as a heavier blanket There may be some causes of climate change that cannot be prevented and have very little to with people, but there are things related to climate change, which are most likely caused by human behaviors Fossil fuels are natural fuels found in and on the Earth, such as oil, coal, and 88 natural gas When they are burned, the gases released into the atmosphere are added to the 'blanket' that is covering the Earth Farming also contributes to the greenhouse effect Methane gas is released into the atmosphere when a cow releases its gas - or farts There are over 1.5 billion cows in the world releasing methane gas daily, further adding to the 'blanket' covering the Earth One of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, is absorbed by the trees and forests throughout the world, and then released as oxygen Unfortunately, deforestation, the cutting down of trees and forests to make way for farms, roads, oil mines, and dams further leads to the greenhouse effect and a thicker 'blanket' A warmer climate can affect the planet negatively It could lead to heavier precipitation, unusual season changes, heat waves, etc Polar animals' natural habitats are melting because of warmer temperatures, affecting polar bears, and seals Orangutans in the rainforests are losing their homes, and sea turtles are losing nesting beaches because of rising sea levels Farming in developing countries face increased rain, floods, and droughts; plus, certain kinds of food items may become scarce, unavailable, or more expensive for people to purchase In summary, there has been climate change before humans began living on Earth, but the average temperature has increased over the past 200 years Many scientists believe it is a result of human behavior, and changing some of those behaviors will have a positive effect on climate change and global warming (Source: https://www.softschools.com) Practice Discuss with your partner: a What does climate mean? b How is the climate getting warmer? c What is making Earth's climate get warmer? d What are consequences of climate change? Find the main idea(s) of each paragraphs Answer the following questions a Which of the following best explains the difference between climate and weather as it relates to the temperature, precipitation, etc in an area of the world? A: Climate is daily change and weather is change over a long-time period B: Climate and weather is basically the same C: Climate cannot be measured daily but weather can 89 D: Climate does not change day-to-day, weather can change day-to-day b Which of the following does climate change usually refer to? A: The process of the Earth getting colder B: The process of the Earth getting warmer C: The process of the changing climate of the Earth, whether cooler or warmer D: None of the above c Approximately, how much warmer has the Earth become over the past 200 years? A: Plus 1.8°F B: Plus 1.3°F C: Plus 4.5°F D: Plus 1.5°F d Which of the following refers to the retention of the Sun's warmth in the Earth's lower atmosphere by greenhouse gases? A: Deforestation B: Global warming C: Greenhouse effect D: Methane release e Which of the following is released into the air when a cow farts? A: Oxygen B: Carbon C: Methane gas D: Nitrogen f Which of the following may be an effect of global warming and climate change? A: Heavier precipitation B: Unusual seasonal changes 90 C: Heat waves D: All the above Language use -> Writing a research proposal What is a research proposal? A research proposal is a concise and coherent summary of your proposed research It sets out the central issues or questions that you intend to address It outlines the general area of study within which your research falls, referring to the current state of knowledge and any recent debates on the topic It also demonstrates the originality of your proposed research The proposal is the most important document that you submit as part of the application process It gives you an opportunity to demonstrate that you have the aptitude for graduate level research, for example, by demonstrating that you have the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, concisely and critically The proposal also helps us to match your research interest with an appropriate supervisor What should be included in my research proposal? All research proposals should cover the four basic elements below The research topic addresses a significant problem and, therefore, advances the state of knowledge in that field Identification of an appropriate methodology and underlying theory to address the problem, including data collection methods and equipment (if required) Details of how the collected data will be analyzed in such a way that useful conclusions can be drawn An organized plan for any proposed work, including a timeframe What is the possible structure of the research proposal? The structure of your research proposal will vary depending on the requirements of your discipline Nevertheless, certain structural elements will be expected by your reader and these may be presented in the following order Check with the Research Coordinator in your area for specific requirements  Title or Cover Identifies the title of the project, your full name, the institution, department, and supervisor details The title should be brief and descriptive and may use a colon (:) to separate the topic from the focus (i.e Stormwater Harvesting: Managing the hazards of surface water pollution by run-off) 91 This is just a tentative title for your intended research You will be able to revise your title during the course of your research if you are accepted for admission  Table of Contents Lists the sections of the Research Proposal (headings and indented sub-headings) and corresponding page numbers  Abstract Outlines the essence of the research project It describes the purpose and motivation for the study, the problem, the data collection methodology and analysis, significant results and implications of the research  Introduction Provides background information for the research (i.e the problem being addressed) and is typically structured from general information to narrow or focused ideas with your research question/s or hypotheses at the narrow end The Introduction should be about 10% of your proposal Imagine you are writing for a general reader rather than an expert audience The Introduction includes a brief review of relevant literature or knowledge in the field, so that you are able to present a gap in existing knowledge and, therefore, the significance and originality of your research Finally, articulate the scope of your research (or what you will not be doing) to limit your task Your research question/s should encapsulate the primary question/s you aim to solve  Literature Review Synthesizes the literature in your field Some disciplines will expect to see this in the Introduction but others will want it placed in this ‘stand-alone’ section (especially in more Humanities-based fields) Again, it could be structured from broad to narrow, so literature on the more general aspects of your topic could come first, narrowing down to published work on your particular area of interest You might end this section by including a short summary of the main themes you have identified from the literature  Research Design or Methodology The proposal should outline your research methods, explaining how you are going to conduct your research It includes a description and rationale for the methods of data collection and analysis, and the materials you will use in your research Use subheadings if possible (i.e Data Collection, Data Analysis, Ethical Considerations etc.) and write with a future aspect, (i.e The 92 research will initially examine water treatment processes in ) To be specific, the research method should cover: - The theoretical resources to be drawn on - The research approach (theoretical framework) - The research methods appropriate for the proposed research - A discussion of advantages as well as limits of particular approaches and methods If your proposed research is library-based, you should explain where your key resources (e.g law reports, journal articles) are located (in the Law School’s library, Westlaw etc) If you plan to conduct field work or collect empirical data, you should provide details about this (e.g if you plan interviews, who will you interview? How many interviews will you conduct? Will there be problems of access?) This section should also explain how you are going to analyse your research findings  Preliminary Results Details any results that you may already have resulting from previous Honours or Masters’ research work, or perhaps from a pilot study It is important to relate these results to the critical framework of your intended new research project  Timetable / Plan/ Time schedule Lists the stages of the research project in timeline, spreadsheet or tabular format, and the deadlines for completion of these stages or tasks You should include any anticipated challenges to completion  Thesis Outline or Structure Outlines the proposed chapters of the thesis and the content of each chapter in several lines or a paragraph, including a Table of Contents  Significance and Implications of the Study Relates the expected outcomes of your research to the aims expressed in the Introduction so that the need for the study and the contribution to knowledge is clear The proposal should demonstrate the originality of your intended research You should therefore explain why your research is important (for example, by explaining how your research builds on and adds to the current state of knowledge in the field or by setting out reasons why it is timely to research your proposed topic)  Reference List/ Bibliography Provides all the resources cited in your resource proposal using a referencing format favoured by your faculty or discipline Do not list resources that are not directly referred to in your proposal 93 How long should the research proposal be? A research proposal is usually quite a bit longer than other written academic genres In the Humanities, it could be around 10,000 words or even longer (excluding the Reference List); whereas those from more Science-oriented disciplines may be shorter, usually be 2,000-3,500 words (4-7 pages) long Tips for writing - Avoid language that is overly hesitant or tentative (i.e ‘It seems that…’, ‘It is hoped that …’) Instead, use confident language when you feel able to (i.e ‘It is clear that…’, ‘I assert that …’) - Break up large blocks of text into smaller sections using sub-headings and bullet-points - Anticipate possible problems with, or limitations of, your research Address these issues directly for your own benefit as well as to improve the entire proposal - Make your proposal is easy for readers to skim read Never assume your readers will read your work in a ‘logical’ order Use sub-headings and restate key ideas to guide the reader through your writing - Find copies of other Research Proposals in your field and study the way they: devise titles structure their proposal use discipline-specific language - Take a note of anything else you notice You might ask your potential supervisor/s for models of previously submitted proposals or search for relevant examples online (look for examples from reputable edu or org web addresses) - Remember, your research proposal should demonstrate: the feasibility and logical foundations of your project a well-focussed research question, set of research objectives, or hypothesis the width and depth of the academic literature on your topic understanding of current issues or debates on your topic justification of your project through the literature a match between the methodology and / or methods and your research question/s (Sources: https://www.birmingham.ac.uk; https://www.westminster.ac.uk; https://students.unimelb.edu.au/academic-skills/ ) 94 LISTEN AND PRACTICE Watch the video and the exercises to improve your English vocabulary [Video] Preparation Do this exercise before you listen-> Discuss with your partner, what is the greenhouse effect? Practice Complete the gaps with the correct word(s) Earth is a comfortable place for The greenhouse effect keeps Earth in pretty much the same way These heat-trapping gases are called Carbon dioxide, water vapor and are all examples of greenhouse gases Earth needs a balance of greenhouse gases to maintain just the right things Burning atmosphere for living like coal and oil releases more carbon dioxide into our HOMEWORK Read the text below and make your essential assignments Global Warming in New Zealand For many environmentalists, the world seems to be getting warmer As the nearest country of South Polar Region, New Zealand has maintained an upward trend in its average temperature in the past few years However, the temperature in New Zealand will go up 4°C in the next century while the polar region will go up more than 6°C The different pictures of temperature stem from its surrounding ocean which acts like the air conditioner Thus, New Zealand is comparatively fortunate Scientifically speaking, this temperature phenomenon in New Zealand originated from what researchers call “SAM” (Southern Annular Mode), which refers to the wind belt that circles the Southern Oceans including New Zealand and Antarctica Yet recent work has revealed that changes in SAM in New Zealand have resulted in a weakening of moisture during the summer, and more rainfall in other seasons A bigger problem may turn out to be heavier droughts for agricultural activities because of more water loss from soil, resulting in poorer harvest before winter when the rainfall arrives too late to rescue 95 Among all the calamities posed be drought, moisture deficit ranks the first Moisture deficit is the gap between the water plants need during the growing season and the water the earth can offer Measures of moisture deficit were at their highest since the 1970s in New Zealand Meanwhile, ecological analyses clearly show moisture deficit is imposed at different growth stage of crops If moisture deficit occurs around a crucial growth stage, it will cause about 22% reduction in grain yield as opposed to moisture deficit at vegetative phase Global warming is not only affecting agriculture production When scientists say the country’s snowpack and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate due to global warming, the climate is putting another strain on the local places For example, when the development of global warming is accompanied by the falling snow line, the local skiing industry comes into a crisis The snow line may move up as the temperature goes up, and then the snow at the bottom will melt earlier Fortunately, it is going to be favorable for the local skiing industry to tide over tough periods since the quantities of snowfall in some areas are more likely to increase What is the reaction of glacier region? The climate change can be reflected in the glacier region in southern New Zealand or land covered by ice and snow The reaction of a glacier to a climatic change involves a complex chain of processes Over time periods of years to several decades, cumulative changes in mass balance cause volume and thickness changes, which will affect the flow of ice via altered internal deformation and basal sliding This dynamic reaction finally leads to glacier length changes, the advance or retreat of glacier tongues Undoubtedly, glacier mass balance is a more direct signal of annual atmospheric conditions The latest research result of National Institute of Water and Atmospheric (NIWA) Research shows that glaciers line keeps moving up because of the impacts of global warming Further losses of ice can be reflected in Mt Cook Region By 1996, a 14 km long sector of the glacier had melted down forming a melt lake (Hooker Lake) with a volume Melting of the glacier front at a rate of 40 m/yr will cause the glacier to retreat at a rather uniform rate Therefore, the lake will continue to grow until it reaches the glacier bed A direct result of the melting glaciers is the change of high tides the serves the main factor for sea level rise The trend of sea level rise will bring a threat to the groundwater system for its hyper-saline groundwater and then pose a possibility to decrease the agricultural production Many experts believe that the best way to counter this trend is to give a longer-term view of sea level change in New Zealand Indeed, the coastal boundaries need to be upgraded and redefined There is no doubt that global warming has affected New Zealand in many aspects The emphasis on the global warming should be based on the joint efforts of local people and experts who conquer the tough period For instance, farmers are taking a long term, multi- generational approach to adjust the breeds and species according to the temperature Agriculturists also find ways to tackle the problems that may bring to the soil In broad terms, going forward, the systemic resilience that’s been going on a long time in the ecosystem will continue 96 How about animals’ reaction? Experts have surprisingly realized that animals have unconventional adaptation to global warming A study has looked at sea turtles on a few northern beaches in New Zealand and it is very interesting to find that sea turtles can become male or female according to the temperature Further researches will try to find out how rising temperatures would affect the ratio of sex reversal in their growth Clearly, the temperature of the nest plays a vital role in the sexes of the baby turtles Tackling the problems of global warming is never easy in New Zealand, because records show the slow process of global warming may have a different impact on various regions For New Zealand, the emission of carbon dioxide only accounts for 0.5% of the world’s total, which has met the governmental standard However, New Zealand’s effort counts only a tip of the iceberg So far, global warming has been a world issue that still hangs in an ambiguous future (Source: IELTS Recent Actual Test) Practice Choose the correct letter A, B, C or D What is the main idea of the first paragraph? A The temperature in the polar region will increase less than that in New Zealand in the next century B The weather and climate of New Zealand is very important to its people because of its close location to the polar region C The air condition in New Zealand will maintain a high quality because of the ocean D The temperature of New Zealand will increase less than that of other region in the next 100 years because it is surrounded by sea What is one effect of the wind belt that circles the Southern Oceans? A New Zealand will have more moisture in winds in summer B New Zealand needs to face droughts more often in hotter months in a year C Soil water will increase as a result of weakening moisture in the winds D Agricultural production will be reduced as a result of more rainfall in other seasons What does “moisture deficit” mean to the grain and crops? A The growing condition will be very tough for crops B The growing season of some plants can hardly be determined 97 C There will be a huge gap between the water plants needed and the water the earth can offer D The soil of the grain and crops in New Zealand reached its lowest production since 1970s What changes will happen to skiing industry due to the global warming phenomenon? A The skiing station may lower the altitude of skiing B Part of the skiing station needs to move to the north C The snowfall may increase in part of skiing station D The local skiing station may likely to make a profit because of the snowfall increase Cumulative changes over a long period of time in mass balance will lead to A alterations in the volume and thickness of glaciers B faster changes in internal deformation and basal sliding C larger length of glaciers D retreat of glacier tongues as a result of change in annual atmospheric conditions Why does the writer mention NIWA in the sixth paragraph? A To use a particular example to explain the effects brought by glacier melting B To emphasize the severance of the further loss of ice in Mt Cook Region C To alarm the reader of melting speed of glaciers at a uniform rate D To note the lake in the region will be disappear when it reaches the glacier bed Complete the summary below Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer Research date shows that sea level has a close relation with the change of climate The major reason for the increase in sea level is connected with The increase in sea level is also said to pose a threat to the underground water system, the destruction of which will lead to a high probability of reduction in have to improve the In the long run, New Zealand may if they want to diminish the effect of change in sea levels 98 Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in above Reading Passage? Write YES if the statement agrees with the views of the writer NO if the statement contradicts the views of the writer NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this Farmers are less responsive to climate change than agriculturists Agricultural sector refuses to take actions to deal with climate change Turtle is often unaffected by climate change Global warming is going slowly, and it may have different effects on different areas in New Zealand New Zealand must cut carbon dioxide emission if they want to solve the problem of global warming 99 ... using a formula The formula for speed is s = d/t This formula shows the relationship between each of these terms defined so far: s = speed, d = distance, and t = time So if you traveled for a half... to exert a greater force than gravity, and so you leave the ground This is called an unbalanced force Unbalanced forces occur when one force is greater than the other When forces are unbalanced,... planets have forces that will cause them to move; otherwise they would sit still forever Living things move because energy from food is transformed into chemical energy, which can change into forces