I'M SORRY I CAN'T GO TO THE MOVIES WITH YOU THIS WEEKEND- I'M...

I'm sorry I can't go to the movies with you this weekend- I'm up to my ears in work

very busy

very scared

very bored

very idle

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct

answer to each of the questions

Plants and animals will find it difficult to escape from or adjust to the effects of global warming. Scientists

have already observed shifts in the lifecycles of many plants and animals, such as flowers blooming earlier and

birds hatching earlier in the spring. Many species have begun shifting where they live or their annual migration

patterns due to warmer temperatures.

With further warming, animals will tend to migrate towards the poles and up mountainsides towards higher

elevations. Plants will also attempt to shift their ranges, seeking new areas as old habitats grow too warm. In

many places, however, human development will prevent these shifts. Species that find cities or farmland blocking

their way north or south may become extinct. Species living in unique ecosystems, such as those found in polar

and mountaintop regions, are especially at risk because migration to new habitats is not possible. For example,

polar bears and marine mammals in the Arctic are already threatened by dwindling sea ice but have nowhere

farther north to go.

Projecting species extinction due to global warming is extremely difficult. Some scientists have estimated

that 20 to 50 percent of species could be committed to extinction with 2 to 3 Celsius degrees of further warming.

The rate of warming, not just the magnitude, is extremely important for plants and animals. Some species and

even entire ecosystems, such as certain types of forest, may not be able to adjust quickly enough and may

disappear.

Ocean ecosystems, especially fragile ones like coral reefs, will also be affected by global warming. Warmer

ocean temperatures can cause coral to "bleach", a state which if prolonged will lead to the death of the coral.

Scientists estimate that even 1 Celsius degree of additional warming could lead to widespread bleaching and

death of coral reefs around the world. Also, increasing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere enters the ocean and

increases the acidity of ocean waters. This acidification further stresses ocean ecosystems.

(From "Global Warming" by Michael Mastrandrea and Stephen H.Schneider)