Write the words from the article into the crossword. The number of letters for each word and the paragraph number where the word appears are in brackets after each clue

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The year is 2080, and the world is a very different place. Sea levels have risen and flooded millions of homes. London, New York and many other cities are underwater. The Earth has become a lot warmer, and heatwaves are killing crops. People are fighting because they don’t have enough food or clean water. Malaria is common in Europe, and many of the animals and plants we know have disappeared forever. This sounds like the story of a Hollywood film. But it could really happen if we keep damaging the environment.

Many issues affect the environment but which ones could cause the biggest problems in the future? Claire Addison, 23, from Edinburgh, works for an organization called Envision in London, which teaches teens about environmental issues. “The biggest problem for our planet is climate change,” Claire explains. “Greenhouse gases are causing higher temperatures around the world, which is causing ice to melt and sea levels to rise.”

Many people talk about factories and industry but the truth is: we all cause climate change. Lots of our favourite things – like mobile phones, televisions and computers – need energy to work. Most of this energy comes from burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas, which releases carbon dioxide (CO2 ), methane and other gases into the air. These greenhouse gases trap the heat from the sun in our atmosphere, which makes our world warmer.

We all contribute to climate change whenever we:
• travel by car, by plane or on public transport.
• take a bath or shower with hot water.
• turn on the heating.
• use electricity that comes from fossil fuels.
• buy products that need lots of energy to make and/or come from far away.

What in the world is happening?

There are already signs that our climate is changing. “In Bangladesh there are more storms, which makes it difficult to grow crops,” says Claire. “Flooding is becoming worse, and people are dying of diseases found in the water.” Some scientists think the Earth could be six degrees warmer by 2100. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but it would have disastrous effects:

Wild weather: There could be more drought and desert in Australia and Africa, and dangerous heatwaves in Europe. Or the Gulf Stream, which normally keeps Northern Europe warm, may change and make Europe a lot colder. This is not only bad for us – it can also badly affectanimals and plants.

Wet wet wet: Sea levels could rise, covering low-lying areas like Bangladesh, the Netherlands and Florida. Even London and New York could be flooded.

Death and disease: Malaria and other tropical diseases could spread to Europe.

Using too much?

Do you throw things away even though they’re not really broken? Do you buy more food than you can eat, and use more water than you need? Most people don’t realize how much they waste. But we’re cutting down trees faster than they can grow back, using more energy than the planet can give us and producing more rubbish than
nature can deal with.

The facts

If we keep using more than nature can give us, there’ll soon be nothing left. Goodbye green: We’ve already lost two thirds of the world’s forests. Every year, we cut down
160,000 square kilometres – an area the size of England and Wales! This is also bad news for climate change because forests absorb a lot of CO2 .
Helpless habitats: When we cut down trees or build new things, we destroy the natural habitats of animals.
Dirty dumps: Our rubbish dumps pollute the air and land, and our plastic ends up in the sea. There are even rubbish dumps for old aeroplanes and ships. You can help!
Our homes produce around 30 per cent of CO2 emissions. Everyone knows we can save energy by turning off lights and using energy-efficient light bulbs. But there are lots of other simple things you can do:
- Unplug your television and laptop. They use energy even when they’re turned off. Always unplug your phone charger after your phone is charged.
- Turn down the heating by one degree. This can reduce your energy use by ten per cent!
- Take a short shower instead of a bath. A bath uses about 100 litres of hot water.
- Put the lids on pots and pans when you’re cooking.
- Keep your fridge full. Empty fridges need more energy to stay cool.
- Don’t boil more water than you need.How to use less! We need to use less. “We should live in a way that leaves enough for future generations,” says Claire from Envision. Recycling more and driving less are good ways to help. But try out these tips too:
- Use things for as long as possible. It takes energy to make new products.
- If your old stuff can still be used, give it to charity instead of throwing it away.
- Eat less meat! Meat production uses lots of energy, and rainforests are destroyed to make space for cattle.
- Wash fruit and vegetables in a bowl, then use that water for your plants.
- Turn off the tap while brushing yourteeth. Use a normal toothbrush instead of an electric one.
- Drink tap water instead of bottled water.
- Keep water in the fridge so you won’t have to run the tap until the water gets cold.
- Take your own travel mug to the coffee shop instead of using paper cups.

Did you know?
A running tap wastes around
six litres of water per minute!

Did you know?
Greenhouse gases aren’t
completely bad. Without them, the
sun’s warmth would escape and the
earth would be covered in ice!

Did you know?
People in Britain drink 165 million
cups of tea a day! If they boiled only
as much water as necessary, they’d
save enough electricity to power
300,000 homes for a whole year.

Did you know?
The energy used on a return
flight from Europe to Australia
could power your house for
six years!

Did you know?
A warmer climate means
giant snakes! Cold-blooded
animals grow much bigger
when the weather is warm.
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Across:

3. to make air, water or land too dirty and dangerous for people to use in a safe way (7, para 8)
4. places where large amounts of rubbish are taken, usually outside a town (7 + 5, para 8)
6. when land is underwater as a result of lots of rain or rising water levels (7, para 6)
10. a serious illness caused by being bitten by a mosquito, usually in a hot country (7, para 1)
11. subjects that people discuss or argue about, especially relating to the environment, politics, etc. (6, para 2)
12. do something to help make something else happen, even if you don’t want to (10, para 4)
13. to take in a gas, liquid or other substance (6, para 8)
14. causing a lot of damage or harm (10, para 5)

Down:

1. a long period of time when there is little or no rain and crops die (7, para 6)
2. something that is _______________ works well and uses the power supply (electricity, gas, oil, etc.) in the most effective way (6 + 9, para 9)
5. the air round the Earth or round another planet (10, para 3)
7. substances, especially gases, that go into the air (9, para 9)
8. to use more of something than you need (5, para 7)
9. places that particular animals usually live in or particular plants usually grow in, for example a desert,
forest or lake (8, para 8)