Carbon dioxide emission

Some gases in the atmosphere allow visible light to pass through, but they block much of the heat which is reflected from Earth's surface— in the same way as the glass windows in a greenhouse. Without this greenhouse effect, temperatures in the world would be lower by 35 degrees Celsius, most of the oceans would freeze, and life would cease or be totally changed. According to the theory of global-warming increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere will produce too high temperature increases.

Aside from¹ water vapour, the main greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide², methane, nitrous oxide³ . Of these, carbon dioxide is the most important.

The most dramatic consequence of the warming would be a rise sea level from the melting of polar ice and glaciers, a rise that the Environmental Protection Agency projects to be 20 feet in the year 2300. And then large parts of territories along sea and ocean coasts will be under water.

Scientists don't think that mankind alone is responsible for the melting of glaciers and the rise of sea levels up to 25 centimetres this century. But we have created conditions that accelerate the process.

A majority of climatologists feel that a risk of global warming exists, although there is much disagreement about the extent and timing. At the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, more than 150 countries signed the Convention oil Climate Change for the control of emissions of greenhouse gases.

In the early 1990s, the United States produced 23 per cent of global emission, Western Europe 14 per cent, Japan 5 per cent and China 12 per cent. Although emissions have grown much during the past 40 years, they began leveling off in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In December 1997 about 160 nations took part in the conference in Japan which was to limit emission of carbon dioxide and other green-house gases in the future.

Notes to the text:

¹aside from – кроме, за исключением

²carbon dioxide — углекислый газ

³nitrous oxide — окись азота

Listening and Speaking.

Task 1. Fill in the gaps in this text. Each gap represents one word. Compare your answers with your partner. More than one answer is possible for many of the gaps.

In the United Kingdom, you study electronics at a college of further education or a university.

A college of further education will students who have completed a minimum of four years secondary school. Most students study full-time colleges also offer day release classes people employed by local businesses who are given time work to attend courses. Colleges also provide evening for full-time workers and members of the local community want to study in their spare time.

Most university students will have completed six years of secondary . Some will have completed four years and taken a course at a college of further education.

From a college you can a certificate or diploma. A diploma usually requires a longer period of study a certificate.

Universities give degrees. A Bachelor's degree takes three to four years of

A Master's degree usually requires a further .

Task 2. Listen to the text and note the words used on the tape for each gap.

Task 3. Find out the courses your local college or institute offers in information technology. List them and try to translate the course titles into English.

Task 4. Study this list of courses. Do any match the courses offered by your local college?