Climate varies from place to place. A desert, for example, is known as a dry climate 【小题1】 little water falls during the year. In polar regions, however, 【小题2】(rise) global temperatures mean that ice sheets and glaciers are melting at an alarming rate from season to season. This contributes 【小题3】 sea level rise in 【小题4】(variety) regions of the planet.

The cause of current climate change is larger human activities, like burning fossil fuels, such as natural gas, oil and coal. Burning these materials 【小题5】(give) off greenhouse gases into the Earth's atmosphere. It is these greenhouse gases 【小题6】 cause the Earth's average temperature to rise. The warming of the planet has 【小题7】(effect) on the local and regional climates. Throughout the Earth's history, climate has 【小题8】(continual) changed. When occurring naturally, this is 【小题9】 slow process that has taken place over hundreds or thousands of years. The human-influenced climate change that is happening now is occurring at a much 【小题10】(fast) rate.

(课文缩写)In the last few decades, there has been something beyond our control. 【小题1】 (we) planet is becoming hotter and hotter, which is a phenomenon called global warming. Global warming refers to an average increase in the Earth’s temperature that, in turn, leads to climate changes. It is believed 【小题2】 (be) one of the biggest problems facing the 21st century. Over the last 100 years, the global average temperature 【小题3】 (increase) by 1℉ and the blame for the global warming can mostly 【小题4】 (pin) on human activities. If we carry on 【小题5】 (produce) carbon dioxide in huge 【小题6】 (quantity) , we should expect severe consequences. There will be terrible climate changes. Serious diseases will spread and industries 【小题7】 rely on nature will be 【小题8】 (serious) affected. The polar ice will melt, raising sea levels and flooding many islands and cities. 【小题9】 , it is time for us to take action now. Small changes made by everyone could be the changes that save our future. After all, there’s no substitute 【小题10】 our Earth.

There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its 【小题1】 (surrounding). The town was surrounded by prosperous farms, with fields of grain and hillsides of orchards. Even in winter the roadsides were places of beauty, where countless birds came to feed 【小题2】 the berries. The countryside was famous for its rich bird life, and people traveled from great distances 【小题3】 (observe) them. Others came to fish the streams, 【小题4】 flowed clear and cold out of the hills.

Then everything began to change: mysterious illnesses swept the flocks of chickens; the cattle and sheep sickened and died. Everywhere was 【小题5】 shadow of death. There was a strange silence. The few birds 【小题6】 (see) anywhere were unhealthy. It was a spring without voices. Only silence 【小题7】 (lie) over the fields and woods. Even the streams were now lifeless. People no longer visited them, 【小题8】 all the fish had died.

No black magic, no enemy action had silenced the rebirth of new life in this stricken world. The people had done it 【小题9】 (them).

In fact, this town does not actually exist. I know of no community that has experienced all the things I describe. Yet every one of these disasters has actually happened somewhere. A dangerous threat has crept upon us almost unnoticed, and this imagined tragedy may 【小题10】 (easy) become a terrible reality we all shall know.