Text A

Global Warming 　　

　　
　　The world is getting hotter --- and the main cause is the burning of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. When fossil fuels are burned, carbon gas is released into the air. This is called a greenhouse gas, because in the Earth's atmosphere it has a similar effect to the glass in a greenhouse. The glass in a greenhouse allows sunlight and its heat energy to pass through the glass into the greenhouse. But it does not allow the heat to escape. This means that the temperature in side the greenhouse is higher than it is outside. In the same way, greenhouse gases allow heat to enter the Earth's atmosphere. But they do not allow it to escape.

　　It is important to keep some carbon in Earth's atmosphere. The gas formed from carbon --- carbon dioxide --- keeps many parts of the Earth at a temperature warm enough to live in. without natural greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide the Earth would be about 20 degrees cooler than it is.

　　However, burning fossil fuels releases too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. As the amount of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere increases, the temperature increases, too, because the heat cannot escape through the carbon dioxide. This is serious, because it causes global warming --- an increase in the temperature of the Earth's atmosphere. Although carbon dioxide is not the only greenhouse gas, over half of the greenhouse gases are caused by burning forests and fossil fuels.'

　　The effects on the world's environment are very serious. Humans have been building factories for about 200 years and in this time the earth has became almost 1 degree hotter. If we carry on putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the Earth will become even hotter. The climate in many parts of the world will begin to change. Many parts of the Earth will become drier. Plant and animal life will be seriously affected, and this means that human beings, too, will be seriously affected. Already deserts are spreading. As a result, there are fewer parts of the Earth to grow food. In addition, the sea levels are rising. By the year 2030 it is estimated that the temperature on Earth will be hotter by 1.5 to 4.5 degrees Centigrade.

　　So what can be done about the greenhouse effect? Some governments and companies now realize how serious global warming is. Others are acting far too slowly. For example, in many underground oil-fields, gas is found mixed with the oil. This natural gas can be a rich source of energy, and it is piped to factories and homes in many countries. However, In Nigeria in West Africa , over three quarter of the natural gas that is brought up with the oil is simply burned off. This is not only a waste of energy, but it also adds to global warming. Each year huge fires on the Nigerian oil-fields pour 34 million tons of carbon dioxide and 12 million tons of methane gas into the atmosphere. This is a terrible waste of energy --- and is also harming the environment. Either the Nigerian government, or the oil companies, should stop this practice.

　　There are other examples nearer home. For years, Indonesia and Malaysia have been an important source of timber from their rich rain forests. Timber companies have been burning forest in order to cut down big trees for export. Farmers have followed the timber companies, and they also have been burning the woodland. The fires they lit got out of control. The huge clouds of smoke that resulted seriously affected six countries in South-east Asia .

　　Forest fires and burning fossil fuels are not the only causes of global warming. Another cause of the greenhouse effect is the use of certain gases such as CFCs. These gases are used in refrigerators and aerosol sprays. Many countries have stopped using these gases, but in 1998, they were still used in a number of countries in the world including China .

　　Although it is already too late to stop global warming, the best we can do now is to slow it down. To do this we must all try to depend less on using fossil fuels to reduce gases caused by traffic, we should walk or bicycle. If this is not possible, then we should avoid using private cars. And use public transport instead. We should also try to avoid using CFCs.

Text B

Working for the Future

　　“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

　　You've probably heard that question a thousand times. You many even be one of the lucky ones with a definite plan for the future. But if you're like most teenagers, the question makes you want to leave the conversation --- and the room.

　　Think about a career is hard for everyone. There are hundreds of industries, thousands of professions, and millions of jobs to choose from. It may be seem too early ion your life to try to figure out where you belong. But now is actually a great time to experiment --- before you need that paycheck.

　　Interested? Then don't think about jobs. Think about yourself. What kind of things do you like to do? What are you good at? The answers may suggest some work possibilities. Are you patient and good with children? Maybe you would like teaching. Do you like physical activity and outdoors? Think about construction work, or being a traffic policeman.

　　With your brain filled with those questions, go to the library. Find the book What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles. It's a bible for many job-hunters today, and it can help you, too. There's a whole chapter full of ideas on how to figure out your skills and interests.

　　After this research, you should have a list of a few fields of interest--- and a lot of questions about them. What kinds of jobs are there in these fields? How do you train for them? What is the work really like? To find the answers, go to the source: people who hold those jobs.

　　Start by talking to the people you know best. Your family and family friends may be in the right field or know someone who is. So might your teacher or guidance counselor. Don't overlook the obvious. Are you interested in medicine? Talk to a family doctor or dentist. Are you crazy about cars? Make an appointment with the mechanic at the local gas station.

　　Most people like to talk about their work. The ones you approach should be happy to help with advice and information, if you treat the occasion seriously. Call first to arrange a convenient time. If you set up a meeting in person, arrive a few minutes early, looking net and well-groomed. Have clear and detailed questions ready: What exactly does the person do at work? What parts aren't so great? Does the job require a lot of contact with the public? With co-workers? Or does the person mostly work alone? What other jobs are there in this field? It's okay to come in with your questions written down, and to have pencil and paper ready to take notes on the answers.

　　Those answers should give a pretty good picture of a certain career. Do you belong in that picture? One way to find out is by putting yourself in it.

　　You can do that through internships and volunteer programs. (Internships are “trial jobs” run by many businesses, no-profit groups, and government agencies. They usually don't pay a salary, but they give you valuable experience that can help you get a paying job later, sometimes with the same organization.)

　　Once again, the local library is a good place to find out about these programs, check the latest edition of Internships , published by Writer's Digest. It lists internship programs available. Librarians receive all kinds of mailings and fliers and my know about opportunities for students.

　　If you're interested in working for a certain company, call that company and ask them if they use interns or volunteers. If you're interested in doing a particular kind of work, the United Way , the Volunteer Council, or a local group like the Kiwanis should be able to tell you about volunteer possibilities that come close to your interests. And the Chamber of Commerce is a good source of information on business internships. Call them and ask.

　　Don't give up if you can't find something just right. You may have to invent your own internship program. Call the boss you'd like to work fro. Explain how much you can do for the organization. If you state your case well, someone will listen.

　　Your main goal through all of this is to learn about working in a certain field. You're going to come away with more than information, though. Along the way, you're going to collect recommendations, experience, and practice in the fine art of getting a job.