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Global warming always reminds us of rising sea levels and extreme weather, but it may actually bring other less obvious, long-term changes. How might they influence our lives in the future? Let’s take a look.
Making food less nutritious
The more serious global warming is, the more greenhouse gases the atmosphere contains. According to Science Advances, foods are found to contain low levels of key nutrition when they’re exposed to high levels of greenhouse gases. “If we do nothing, there is potential for negative impacts on human health,” US health researcher Kristie Ebi told the Washington Post.
Ending racial differences
With rising temperatures, more lands in the world will turn into deserts. Many people will be forced to leave their homelands and live elsewhere. In turn, this could mean that the appearance of people could become more similar. “In just 125 years, there may be far fewer people with really dark skin or pale skin,” US biologist Scott Solomon told the Daily Mail. “More and more people will have olive and brown-colored complexions (肤色).” More importantly, this could mean racism may become a thing of the past.
Making insects hungrier
Human beings or other mammals can keep a stable body temperature, while insects usually adapt their body temperature based on the environment. According to Science Daily, insects will become hungrier and need more food in warmer surroundings. That’s because a higher body temperature can increase insects’ metabolism (新陈代谢). “In addition, warmer temperatures will increase the reproductive rates of insects,” Curtis Deutsch, a professor at Washington University in the US, told Science Daily.
Helping scientists find historic sites
Due to global warming, the UK experienced an extremely hot and dry summer last year. As a result, many grassy areas in the country turned yellow or even dried out completely. Because of this, many unusual and interesting patterns hidden in some of these areas were exposed. After studying some of these patterns, scientists found Neolithic (新石器时代的) monuments and a Roman farm, which are believed to date back to around 5,000 years ago.
1. What is this passage mainly about?
A. The harmful effects of global warming.
B. The possible causes of global warming.
C. Some ways to slow down global warming.
D. The influences of global warming on our lives.
2. Which skin color will be more common in the future according to Solomon?
A. Brown. B. Pale. C. White. D. Dark.
3. What was found in Britain because of the hot and dry weather?
A. An ancient farm with patterns.
B. Unusual patterns in some areas.
C. New landscapes with monuments.
D. Grassy areas with different colors.
