EXPLORATION OF THE SOLAR SYSTEM IS CONTINUING, AND AT THE PRESENT...

30. Exploration of the Solar System is continuing, and at the present rate of progress all the planets will have been

A B

contacted within the near 50 years.

C D

III. READING COMPREHENSION

A. Read the text below and then decide which answer best fits each space.

Few people now question the reality of global warming and its effects on the world’s climate. Many scientists (31)

………the blame for recent natural disasters on the increase (32)………..the world’s temperatures and are convinced

that, more than ever before, the Earth is at (33)…………from the force of the wind, rain and sun. (34)……….to them,

global warming is making extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and droughts, even more (35)………and causing

sea levels all around the world to (36)………Environmental groups are putting (37)………..on governments to take

action to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide which is given (38)……….by factories and power plants, thus attacking

the problem at its source. They are in (39)……….of more money being spent on research into solar, wind and wave

energy devices, which could then replace existing power stations. Some scientists, (40)………., believe that even if we

stopped releasing carbon dioxide and other gases into the atmosphere tomorrow, we would have to wait several

hundred years to notice the results. Global warming, it seems, is to stay.