Comic : The greenhouse effect
【明報專訊】This is another bright, crisp day. The Smarties and Eason decided to go camping.
■Know more
The earth is surrounded by the atmosphere (大氣層). One of its layers consists of gases which maintain the temperature of our planet. This is done by letting in heat from the sun and allowing excess heat to escape. These heat-trapping gases are called greenhouse gases (溫室氣體) and the process is called the greenhouse effect (溫室效應). The most common greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide and methane (甲烷).
Without the greenhouse effect, the earth would not be warm enough for living things to survive. However, human activities such as burning fossil fuels (化石燃料) emit too many greenhouse gases. This leads to a more powerful greenhouse effect and more heat is trapped on the earth. Over the past centuries, the earth's surface temperature has increased by 1.1 ℃.
Global warming results in numerous devastating consequences such as melting glaciers, rising sea levels and more severe storms. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, scientists are looking into renewable energy sources.
■English highway
Many hands make light work
This is an idiom which means people can do things more quickly and easily when they work together.
e.g. This project is difficult, but many hands make light work.
■Glossary
emit (v) 發出
devastating (adj) 破壞極大的
glacier (n) 冰川
severe (adj) 非常嚴重的
(Criticisms on this publication, if any, are aimed at pointing out the errors or defects of certain systems or policies with a view to rectifying or eradicating such errors or defects, as well as prompting improvement or remedy for them via lawful means. There is absolutely no intention of inciting hatred, discontent or hostility towards the government or other classes of the community.)
[Smarties' Power English 第361期]
