Netherlands, New York, Miami, New Orleans,

and Venice.

Greenhouse Effect
and Global
Warming
As you probably1 know already, the
Earth is heated by the sun's energy, and
without the sun, life as we know it would not exist.
However, it is not just the sun that keeps the Earth
warm. Have you ever walked into a greenhouse 2,
and noticed how hot the air is? This is because the
energy from the sun comes through the glass of the
greenhouse, heating the air inside. This hot air is
then trapped as it cannot escape through the
panels of glass. This is pretty much how the Earth is
kept warm.

What to do
1. Answer the following questions in your book!
1) What keeps the Earth warm?
2) What is the greenhouse effect

In the air around us, there are many different gases,

including oxygen (which we take from the air we
breathe in) and carbon dioxide (which we breathe
out). Some of these gases trap3 the heat from the
sun, much like the glass in a greenhouse, and hold
it against the Earth's surface4 much like the air in
the greenhouse. These gases are called
"greenhouse gases " and this is how the
"greenhouse effect " got its name.
So why is the greenhouse effect a bad thing?
As the Earth is now, the greenhouse effect is not a
bad thing, and it helps to keep us alive. However,
the way in which we are living today, means that a
lot more of the gases that trap the sun's energy are
being made. In a few years time, this may mean
that more hot air will be trapped by this extra gas,
which means that the temperature of the Earth will
increase. This is called the "enhanced5 greenhouse
effect ". If the temperature increases6 too much,
many changes will happen to the Earth and to the
creatures living on the Earth.

The effects of global warming

Firstly, some animals and plants that do not
like high temperatures may find that the
area that they live in starts to get hotter.
These animals move to another, cooler
environment, or they die. Then other
animals and plants that rely on each other to
survive have to move as well.
Another problem is that when
the temperature of the Earth
increases, glaciers7 and the
polar icecaps (huge blocks of
ice and snow at the North and
South Poles) start to melt. As they melt,
the sea and ocean levels rise, and some
areas of land get completely covered by
water, flooding coastal areas like the

wahrscheinlich
Glashaus
3
einfangen
4
Oberflche
5
Angreichert, verstrkt
6
ansteigen
7
Gletscher
2

An increase in temperature may cause health

problems in humans, for example
breathing problems like asthma, and
diseases8. Insects, such as mosquitoes can
carry9 diseases, and infect humans and
animals when they feed on them. The
number and range of disease carrying
insects may increase as the temperature
increases.

3) What two elements are most responsible for

causing the greenhouse effect?
4) Why is the greenhouse effect a bad thing?
5) What changes are likely to happen to plants
and animals if the temperatures get hotter?
6) What changes are likely to happen to the sea
levels as the greenhouse effect gets worse?
7) What problems is the greenhouse effect likely
to cause to the health of humans?
2. Choose 10 new words, copy them into your
book!
3. Put the following sentences in the correct
order!

This is called Enhanced Greenhouse effect.

An increase in temperature will change many
things on the Earth.

The way we are living produces extra

greenhouse gases which means that more hot
air will be trapped.

Earth is heated by the suns energy.

Natural gases called Greenhouse gases trap
the heat from the sun.

4. Order the sentences, copy them into your

book!
and plants Some higher temperatures. animals do
not like
environment another die animals These move to or.
8
9

Krankheiten
bertragen

of land get completely covered by areas water

Some.
diseases carry Insects can and new humans or
animals infect.
4. Future Tense: Form 10 sentences, write
them in your book!
e.g. Animals will die. It will get hotter.
5. Write a short summary about Greenhouse
Effect and Global Warming. ( 5 sentences)

Solution
1- Earth is heated by the suns energy.
2- Natural gases called Greenhouse gases
trap the heat from the sun.
3-

The way we are living produces extra

greenhouse gases which means that more
hot air will be trapped.

4- This is called Enhanced Greenhouse effect.

5- An increase in temperature will change many
things on the Earth.