Direction: The passage below is accompanied by a set of questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Climate change is the long-term alteration of the Earth’s climate system, which includes changes in temperature, precipitation, wind, and ocean currents. Climate change is caused by various factors, both natural and human-induced. Natural factors include variations in the Earth’s orbit, solar activity, volcanic eruptions, and plate tectonics. Human-induced factors include greenhouse gas emissions, land use changes, deforestation, and urbanization.
Climate change has various impacts on the environment, such as melting glaciers and ice caps, rising sea levels, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, shifting seasons and habitats, and reducing biodiversity. Climate change also has various impacts on human society, such as affecting food security, water availability, health, migration, conflict, and economy. Climate change poses a serious threat to the sustainability of life on Earth, especially for the most vulnerable and marginalized populations.
One of the main ways to address climate change is through mitigation, which refers to the actions that aim to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions or enhance their removal from the atmosphere. Mitigation can be achieved by various means, such as switching to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, adopting low-carbon technologies, implementing carbon pricing and trading schemes, and promoting afforestation and reforestation.
Another way to address climate change is through adaptation, which refers to the actions that aim to cope with or adjust to the actual or expected impacts of climate change. Adaptation can be achieved by various means, such as building resilience and adaptive capacity, improving disaster risk management, enhancing early warning systems, diversifying livelihoods and income sources, and strengthening social protection and safety nets.
Q1: According to the passage, what is one of the natural factors that can cause climate change?
(a) Variations in the Earth’s orbit
(b) Greenhouse gas emissions
(c) Land use changes
(d) Urbanization
Ans: (a)
Sol: The passage states that climate change is caused by various factors, both natural and human-induced. Natural factors include variations in the Earth’s orbit, solar activity, volcanic eruptions, and plate tectonics. Variations in the Earth’s orbit are an example of a natural factor that can cause climate change. The other options are examples of human-induced factors that can cause climate change.
Q2: According to the passage, what is one of the impacts of climate change on human society?
(a) Melting glaciers and ice caps
(b) Shifting seasons and habitats
(c) Reducing biodiversity
(d) Affecting food security
Ans: (d)
Sol: The passage states that climate change has various impacts on human society, such as affecting food security, water availability, health, migration, conflict, and economy. Affecting food security is an example of an impact of climate change on human society. The other options are examples of impacts of climate change on the environment.
Q3: According to the passage, what is one of the means to achieve mitigation of climate change?
(a) Switching to renewable energy sources
(b) Improving disaster risk management
(c) Diversifying livelihoods and income sources
(d) Strengthening social protection and safety nets
Ans: (a)
Sol: The passage states that mitigation refers to the actions that aim to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions or enhance their removal from the atmosphere. It also states that mitigation can be achieved by various means, such as switching to renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, adopting low-carbon technologies, implementing carbon pricing and trading schemes, and promoting afforestation and reforestation. Switching to renewable energy sources is an example of a means to achieve mitigation of climate change. The other options are examples of means to achieve adaptation of climate change.
Q4: According to the passage, what is one of the aims of adaptation of climate change?
(a) To reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions or enhance their removal from the atmosphere.
(b) To cope with or adjust to the actual or expected impacts of climate change.
(c) To protect, conserve, restore, and enhance the quality and diversity of the environment.
(d) To foster environmental literacy and citizenship.
Ans: (b)
Sol: The passage states that adaptation refers to the actions that aim to cope with or adjust to the actual or expected impacts of climate change. It also states that adaptation can be achieved by various means, such as building resilience and adaptive capacity, improving disaster risk management, enhancing early warning systems, diversifying livelihoods and income sources, and strengthening social protection and safety nets. Coping with or adjusting to the actual or expected impacts of climate change is an example of an aim of adaptation of climate change. The other options are not mentioned as aims of adaptation in the passage.
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