A Simple Story About Global Warming

The Main Reading Text

Our Earth is like a big, cozy house for everyone – people, animals, and plants. The sun shines and gives us warmth, which is very nice. But lately, our Earth house has been getting a little bit too warm. This is sometimes called "global warming."

Why is this happening? Imagine there's an invisible blanket all around the Earth. This blanket is made of the air around us. In the air, there's a special kind of gas. We can call this gas CO2. A little bit of CO2 in the air is okay. It helps keep the Earth warm enough for us to live. We even breathe out a little CO2, and green plants love to use it to grow!

But, when we do things like drive cars a lot, or when big factories make many things, they often burn stuff like oil. Burning these things puts lots and lots of extra CO2 into the air. This extra CO2 makes the Earth's invisible "blanket" much thicker.

When the blanket gets thicker, it traps too much heat from the sun. So, our Earth starts to get warmer, and warmer, and warmer. If the Earth gets too warm, it can change things. The ice in cold places can start to melt. This can make the water in the sea go up higher. The weather can also become strange.

But don't worry, we can all be helpers! One great way to help is to plant more trees. Trees are like superheroes because they take CO2 out of the air. We can also try to save energy, like turning off the lights when we leave a room, or walking and riding bikes more. Every little bit helps keep our Earth happy and healthy!

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Key Learning Points

點擊下方的頁籤，切換不同的學習重點。

lately

adv.

[ˋletlɪ] — 最近；近來

In the near past; recently.

• But lately, our Earth house has been getting a little bit too warm.
  但最近，我們的地球家園已經變得有點太暖了。
• Have you seen any good movies lately?
  你最近有看什麼好電影嗎？

invisible

a.

[ɪnˋvɪzəbl] — 看不見的；無形的

Impossible to see.

• Imagine there's an invisible blanket all around the Earth.
  想像一下，地球四周有一層看不見的毯子。
• Germs are invisible to the naked eye.
  細菌是肉眼看不見的。

breathe

v.

[brið] — 呼吸

To take air into your lungs and let it out again.

• We even breathe out a little CO2.
  我們甚至會呼出少量二氧化碳。
• It's hard to breathe when the air is polluted.
  當空氣被污染時，呼吸會很困難。

extra

a.

[ˋɛkstrə] — 額外的

More than is usual, expected, or necessary.

• Burning these things puts lots of extra CO2 into the air.
  燃燒這些東西會將大量額外的二氧化碳排放到空氣中。
• I packed an extra sweater in case it gets cold.
  我多帶了一件毛衣以防天氣變冷。

trap

v.

[træp] — 困住；捕捉

To keep something in a particular place, especially so that it cannot escape.

• When the blanket gets thicker, it traps too much heat.
  當毯子變厚時，它會困住太多的熱量。
• The police trapped the thief in the building.
  警察將小偷困在大樓裡。

melt

v.

[mɛlt] — 融化

To turn from something solid into something soft or liquid.

• The ice in cold places can start to melt.
  寒冷地方的冰會開始融化。
• The snowman melted in the sun.
  雪人在陽光下融化了。

strange

a.

[strendʒ] — 奇怪的

Unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain.

• The weather can also become strange.
  天氣也可能變得奇怪。
• I heard a strange noise outside my window.
  我聽到窗外有奇怪的聲音。