Global Climate Change
Introduced| English | Meaning |
|---|---|
| climate change/ˈklaɪmət tʃeɪndʒ/ | A long-term change in the statistical patterns of temperature, rainfall or other aspects of climate. |
| sea level/siː ˈlevl/ | sea level |
| Weather/ˈweðə/ | Weather |
| Climate/ˈklaɪmət/ | The long-term average over many years. |
A warming world
- Extra greenhouse gases are warming the whole planet.
- This long-term shift is climate change 气候变化.
- It is more than a few hot days — it changes the whole system.
- Sea levels, storms, and habitats are all affected.
Weather is not climate
- Weather 天气 is what happens on a single day.
- Climate 气候 is the long-term average over many years.
- A cold day does not disprove a warming climate.
- Climate change is about the trend, measured over decades.
A glacier breaking apart into the sea. Warming melts land ice, which adds water to the ocean and raises sea level
What is the difference between weather and climate?
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Weather is what happens on a given day; climate is the long-term average over decades.
Rising seas and melting ice
- Warmer air melts glaciers and polar ice.
- Warmer water also expands, taking up more space.
- Both raise the global sea level 海平面.
- Rising seas threaten low-lying coasts and islands.
Cause or effect of climate change?
Sort each item into a cause of climate change or an effect of it.
The main cause of current climate change is…
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Today's rapid warming is driven mainly by human greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels.
As ice melts and warm water expands, global sea ____ rises.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Melting ice and expanding warm water both raise the sea level, threatening coastal cities.
More extreme weather
- A warmer climate fuels stronger storms and heatwaves.
- Droughts and wildfires become more common in dry regions.
- Heavy rain and floods hit harder in wet ones.
- Species must shift their ranges or die out.
Climate change can make extreme weather like heatwaves and storms more common.
Difficulty 1/5 · 100 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
A warmer climate loads the dice toward more heatwaves, droughts, and intense storms.
Select all effects of climate change.
Difficulty 2/5 · 140 coins + a small bonus on first completion today
Rising seas, melting ice, and extreme weather are effects. Burning fossil fuels is a cause.
Keep weather and climate straight — it's the most common confusion. Weather is today; climate is the decades-long average. A single snowstorm doesn't disprove global warming, just as one hot afternoon doesn't prove it. Climate change is about the long-term trend: the average is rising, even though any given day still varies.
One coastline over 50 years:
- The cause: decades of burning fossil fuels have raised CO2 and warmed the air.
- The effects pile up: nearby glaciers shrink, the warming sea expands, and the sea level creeps up the beach.
- Storms that once came every decade now come every few years, flooding streets that used to stay dry.
- No single storm "is" climate change — but the rising average is unmistakable.
Climate change is the long-term warming of the planet from extra greenhouse gases. Weather is day-to-day; climate is the decades-long average, so judge it by the trend. Effects include rising sea levels (from melting ice and expanding water), more extreme weather, and shifting habitats. The main cause is human greenhouse gas emissions.