1er janvier 2009

Sea Ice Ends Year at Same Level as 1979

Listening Comprehension
http://www.dailytech.com/Article.aspx?newsid=13834

LISTENING COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1. What have sea ice levels been like in 2008?

2. What started happening in September of
2008 and what is surprising about it?
3. How is the data gathered and who collects
it?
4. What is the seasonally-adjusted
seasonally difference
between the current value and the average
between 1979 and 2000 called?
5. What is the current anomaly average?
6. Does sea ice affect ocean levels?
7. What is sea ice useful for measuring? Why?
8. What didn’t happen in 2008 that was predicted? Why?
9. Why were the predictions wrong?
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10. What did the US do in 2008 in fear of sea ice melting? Did everyone agree and
why or why not?
VOCABULARY

a rebound – a recovery
to draw to a close (irregular verb – drew, drawn) – to come to an end
to track – to observe the progress of
a rate - a quantity measured with respect to another measured quantity
upwards (adv.) – toward a higher place, level or position
downwards (adv.) – toward a lower place, level or position
derived – obtained or received from a source; arrived at by reasoning
mean (noun & adj.) – average
to stand at – to be or show a specified figure or amount
bedrock – the solid rock that underlies loose material, such as soil, sand, clay or gravel
transient (adj.) – transitory, remaining in place only a brief time
rife (adj.) – widespread,
despread, abundant, numerous
a pattern - traits or characteristics
resilient (adj.) - marked by an ability to recover

Once you have finished listening to the text and completed the questions, you can read the article at
http://www.dailytech.com/Article.aspx?newsid=13834

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 1er janvier 2009

ANSWERS

1. Sea ice levels had been tracking lower.

2. Started increasing and at the fastest rate on record
3. By Satellite observations from the University of Illinois’s Arctic Climate Research Center
4. Mean ice anomaly
5. Just below 0, same as in 1979
6. No
7. Changing conditions in climate due to its transient nature (responds faster to
temperature and precipitation)
8. The ice cap at the North Pole was predicted to disappear in 2008. It didn’t due to colder
temperatures and weaker winds.
9. Thinner ice was thought to melt easier but in fact the thinner ice had less snow to
insulate it from the cold air.
10. The US place the polar bear on the endangered species list. Some didn’t disagree
claiming an increase in the polar bear population.

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