_____ 2/ _____ 3/ _____ 4/ _____ 5/ _____ 6/ _____ (23-28) CHOOSE THE WORD OR PHRASE THAT BEST FITS THE BLANK SPACE IN THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE

1/ _____ 2/ _____ 3/ _____ 4/ _____ 5/ _____ 6/ _____

(23-28) Choose the word or phrase that best fits the blank space in the following passage:

Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the world’s

climate. Many scientists put the blame for recent disasters on the increase (23)___________ the

world’s temperatures and are convinced that, more than ever before, the Earth is at risk from the

forces of the wind, rain, and sun.(24) ________ to them, global warming is making extreme

weather events, (25) ___________ as hurricanes and droughts, even more severe and (26)

________ sea levels all around the world to rise.

Environmental groups are putting pressure on governments to take actions to reduce the (27)

_________ of carbon dioxide which is given off by factories and power plants, thus attacking the

problem at its source. They are in favor of more money being spent on research into solar, wind and

wave energy devices, which could then replace existing power stations. Some scientists, (28)

__________, believe that even if we stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the

atmosphere tomorrow, we should have to wait several hundred years to notice the result.