Global Warming (Inam-Ur-Rehman)
An English lesson by
CHANDER UDAY SINGH
Class 8th English
Lesson 3
WORKING WITH TEXT
Q1. Why has the earth’s average surface temperature increased?
Ans. The earth’s average surface temperature has increased due to the global warming which has increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere produced by the human activities such as deforestation and burning of fossil fuels.
Q2. Why the Himalayan region is called the ‘Water Tower of Asia’?
Ans. The Himalayan Region is covered of about 33000 sq km by glaciers which act as a mother to several streams and rivers and support economy and livelihood to millions of people in several countries of Asia, so it is called the ‘Water Tower of Asia’.
Q3. What are the main sources of water in the Kashmir valley?
Ans. Flood-plain lakes, high altitude Himalayan lakes, perennial rivers of Indus system, wet lands of different dimensions, ponds, snow-fed streams, springs, reservoirs are the main source of water in the Kashmir Valley.
Q4. Why is water the most precious natural resource?
Ans. Water is the most precious natural resource because it saves our lives in many ways, such as, we drink it because we cannot live without it, it helps in the economy, development, livelihood and mainly it keeps us clean from dust and dirt. It is used to generate electricity, in other words, it brights up our dark rooms. It is used for agriculture so that we can get two time meals. It is really a precious natural resource.
Q5. How has Kashmir been influenced by global warming?
Ans. Kashmir has been badly influenced by the global warming. Since last two decades many changes have been seen and witnessed in the valley Kashmir. Water is becoming scarce day by day due to the melting of Kolhai Glacier, the main source of water in Kashmir. The climate has totally been changed. It is difficult to distinguish between spring, summer and winter. Wet lands that were a part of water for irrigation in Kashmir, have been concretized. It has also reduced the production of crops
.
Q6. How is global warming the largest threat to the humanity?
Ans. Global Warming is the largest threat not only to the humanity but also to all living organisms. Due to global warming, largest glaciers are melting, which will cause the rise in the sea level and the change in the precipitation in air and certainly seasonal change. The weather will change from moderate to hot. This will lead to droughts and lesser production of agricultural yields. It will also lead to natural disasters. It has affected the livelihood of human. It has adversely affected the humanity and will continuously affect it, if not controlled in time.
Q7. What do you think is the cause of decrease in snowfall in Kashmir?
Ans. As we know that global warming changes the precipitation in the air, this leads to change in weather and climate to extreme weather. So we think that global warming is the cause of decrease in snowfall in Kashmir.
Q8. What has been the impact of global warming on J & K so far?
Ans. Global warming has adverse impact on J & K, because the demarcation between seasons that was well defined a decade ago, has vanished. It is now difficult to distinguish between autumn and winter. Its impact can be seen on the glaciers that are continuously melting. High velocity storms are another factor of global warming in Jammu & Kashmir.
Q9. What role do the scientists play in J & K to deal with the problem of global warming?
Ans. Scientists have considered the Kolhai glacier as one of the index glacier in the Lidder Valley. It has been selected for long term monitoring. This Glacier is the water resource of whole community in this valley, so they have indexed a glacier in this region for assessing water resource availability for them. Scientific studies conducted on the glacier will last for five years after which TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute J&K) will recommend measures to bring down the glaciers recession rate.
Q10. What do we, as individuals, need to do deal with the problem of global warming?
Ans. As individuals, we should try to make awareness among the people about the drastic effects of global warming. Even individual should try to minimize the exhaust of the greenhouse gases.
LANGUAGE WORK
I. Fill the blanks in the following sentences with appropriate compound word/s or phrases from the box below:
White House/white house, Green House/greenhouse, Black box/black box, Strong hold/stronghold, White-collar/whitecollar
1. a) We live in a beautiful Green House.
b) My uncle has built a greenhouse next to his house, where he grows vegetables in winter.
2. a) Most PhD’s only prefer white-collar jobs.
b) He was wearing a pink shirt with a whitecollar.
3. a) We live in the white house near the mosque.
b) The president of America lives in the White House.
4. a) My wife keeps her jewellery in a black box.
b) The black box has been found. It will now be possible to find out why the plane crashed.
5. a) He has strong hold on his wife.
b) The southern part of the state is a stronghold of the robbers.
II. Use the following phrases or expressions from the lesson in your own sentences;
Ans. In progress: The game was already in progress when I tuned in.
Uncontrollable rate: The birth rate in the state is increasing at uncontrollable rate.
Across the globe: Global warming is a major threat across the globe.
In the backdrop of: State employees are not well satisfied in the backdrop of state economy.
At an alarming rate: Glaciers are receding at an alarming rate.
An irritating change: Pollution leads to an irritating change in environment.
Bereft of: People, are bereft of the cause of global warming.
Dried up: Most of the springs in the valley have dried up due to the global warming,
At the global level: We should find the measures at the global level to control the global warming.
Heavy burden: If global warming is not controlled at an earliest, it will be a heavy burden on the shoulders of every individual in near future.
III. Choose the synonym of the word from the four options given:
1. Sporadic rise in his temperature has caused us much worry.
a. Frequent b. irksome c. irregular d. scattered
Ans. c. Irregular
2. Reading of poetry is not congenial to his state.
a. Suited b. Beneficial c. Helpful d. Preferable
Ans. a. Suited
3. The weavers have to do monotonous work.
a. Repetitive b. exhaustive c. irksome d. autonomous
Ans. a. Repetitive
4. The fishing pulled away from the wharf and chugged smoothly down the bay.
a. harbor b. shore c. quay c. ager
Ans. c. Quay
GRAMMAR WORK
In the following sentences, use either infinitive or gerund in order to make them correct:
1. Laughing is good for health. (to laugh / laughing)
2. Our turn being over, we left the library. (be / being)
3. The old woman tried to go to the hospital alone. (to go/ going)
4. Being late for school is his habit. (to be / being)
5. Hina, having completed her work, left home. (to have / having)
6. Listening music is her hobby. (to listen / listening)
7. I liked to read Arabic literature. (to read / reading)
8. His only aim was to cheat. (to cheat / cheating)
9. Fishing is not allowed here. (to fish / fishing)
10. Children love to make mud houses. (to make / making)