Opinion: Saving our planet together

Transcription

1 Opinion: Saving our planet together By Kevin Quinn, adapted by Newsela staff on Word Count 424 Level 550L A polar bear dries off after taking a swim in the Chukchi Sea in Alaska, June 15, Brian Battaile/U.S. Geological Survey via AP, File Many kinds of animals are in big trouble. They are in danger of dying out. They could soon be gone from our planet. Most animals have very particular needs. To live, they need things to be a certain way. Take polar bears, for example. They need the ice and freezing weather found in Antarctica. Unfortunately, the cold weather polar bears need is disappearing. It has been getting hotter all over the world. Global Warming Scientists call this change global warming. Many polar bears live on ice that is now melting away. Their homes are disappearing. Many of the animals polar bears hunt are also disappearing. The bears no longer have enough food to eat. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 1

2 Fish are being hurt by global warming, too. For example, salmon and trout need freezing water to live. They are starting to die off as waters get warmer. People are responsible for global warming. It is up to us to do something about it. There are two main reasons for global warming. One is all the coal and gas we burn. We burn these fuels to run our cars and to power our machines. Harmful Gases When fuels are burned, harmful gases are released. Scientists call these greenhouse gases. CO2 is the main greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases stay in the air after they are released. They trap heat from the sun. Over time, that makes the Earth hotter. There is a second main cause of global warming. People are cutting down too many trees. Scientists call this deforestation. Trees take in CO2. When there are fewer trees, there is more CO2 in the air. Then, it ends up getting hotter. Big Problems For Everyone Global warming is not just bad for animals. It is bad for people, too. In many places water is drying up. Soon, it will be hard to grow the food we need. These are huge problems. It might seem impossible for one person to make a difference. Yet, there are many small things we can do to help. For example, we can share cars. We can use buses more often. We can ride our bikes or walk whenever possible. If we do those things, a little less fuel will be burned. Then, a little less greenhouse gas will get released. If we all pull together, we can save our planet. We should do it not just for us, though. We should do it for our animal friends, too. Kevin Quinn is an American actor known for his starring role in the Disney Channel original series, "Bunk'd." This article is available at 5 reading levels at 2

3 Quiz 1 What is the MAIN idea of the section "Big Problems For Everyone"? In some places, water is drying up. Soon it will be hard to grow food. It might seem impossible for one person to make a difference. We can all share cars. We can ride bikes and walk. This will reduce greenhouse gases. Global warming is dangerous. We need act now to stop it. 2 Which selection from the article states a MAIN idea of the entire article? Many polar bears live on ice that is now melting away. Many of the animals polar bears hunt are also disappearing. People are responsible for global warming. It is up to us to do something about it. When fuels are burned, harmful gases are released. Scientists call these greenhouse gases. Global warming is not just bad for animals. It is bad for people, too. In many places water is drying up. 3 Which statement BEST describes the author's perspective on global warming? The author is concerned about how global warming affects animals and people. The author is disappointed that global warming is mostly affecting polar bears. The author is angry that people do not understand that global warming is dangerous. The author is hopeless because he does not think global warming can be solved. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 3

4 4 Read the following sentence from the section "Big Problems For Everyone." In many places water is drying up. Soon, it will be hard to grow the food we need. What is the author's MAIN purpose for saying this? to let the reader know what happens when we burn a lot of coal and gas to explain the importance of growing special crops that do not need much water to show that climate change will directly affect humans and their needs to make the reader feel sad about the effects of climate change on animals This article is available at 5 reading levels at 4

5 Answer Key 1 What is the MAIN idea of the section "Big Problems For Everyone"? In some places, water is drying up. Soon it will be hard to grow food. It might seem impossible for one person to make a difference. We can all share cars. We can ride bikes and walk. This will reduce greenhouse gases. Global warming is dangerous. We need act now to stop it. 2 Which selection from the article states a MAIN idea of the entire article? Many polar bears live on ice that is now melting away. Many of the animals polar bears hunt are also disappearing. People are responsible for global warming. It is up to us to do something about it. When fuels are burned, harmful gases are released. Scientists call these greenhouse gases. Global warming is not just bad for animals. It is bad for people, too. In many places water is drying up. 3 Which statement BEST describes the author's perspective on global warming? The author is concerned about how global warming affects animals and people. The author is disappointed that global warming is mostly affecting polar bears. The author is angry that people do not understand that global warming is dangerous. The author is hopeless because he does not think global warming can be solved. This article is available at 5 reading levels at 5

6 4 Read the following sentence from the section "Big Problems For Everyone." In many places water is drying up. Soon, it will be hard to grow the food we need. What is the author's MAIN purpose for saying this? to let the reader know what happens when we burn a lot of coal and gas to explain the importance of growing special crops that do not need much water to show that climate change will directly affect humans and their needs to make the reader feel sad about the effects of climate change on animals This article is available at 5 reading levels at 6