영어1 동아 박용예 3과 빈칸 변형

Over the ____ two centuries, human activities have generated a significant amount of carbon dioxide, commonly referred to as CO₂.

This gas itself is not dangerous when we encounter it in everyday ____.

However, excessive amounts of this gas in the atmosphere have contributed to the greenhouse ____, resulting in a gradual increase in the Earth’s surface temperature.

To make matters worse, this increase has sped up in recent years and is seriously threatening ____ on our planet.

We must act ____ to stop any further climate change.

While many ____ solutions such as carbon capture have been proposed, they are often too expensive to be used widely.

Fortunately, there are also ____, economical, and even long-lasting solutions available.

In this report, we will focus on one of the most powerful nature-based solutions to climate change: whales, the giant helpers living ____ the sea.

____ are amazing creatures.

They are enormous and live incredibly ____ lives.

The largest blue whales can grow as long as 30 meters and weigh over 200 tons, and some whales ____ been known to live for more than 100 years.

These giants do extremely beneficial things for the environment throughout their long ____ and even after death.

According to scientists, a single whale can absorb about 550 kilograms of CO₂ per year, while a tree ____ absorb only 22.

Moreover, after they die, whales sink to the ocean floor with all the CO₂ they absorbed ____ their lives.

Their ____ then become food and habitats for deep-sea creatures.

This ____ is called a whale fall.

Whale falls permanently bury about 145,000 tons of CO₂ under the sea ____ year.

This achievement is basically what expensive carbon capture technologies aim to do—capture carbon and ____ store it underground.

In addition to their direct absorption and burial of CO₂ through whale falls, whales ____ make a significant indirect contribution to reducing CO₂ through an act called a whale pump.

This refers to the vertical movements of whales that ____ circulate nutrients across different depths of the ocean.

Whales dive deep ____ the ocean to feed on prey such as krill and small fish, and they occasionally swim up to the surface to breathe.

When they near the surface, they release an enormous ____ of waste.

This waste is rich in nutrients that are essential for ____ living in that area.

Specifically, it creates the perfect growing conditions for some microscopic creatures floating at the ____ of the ocean.

These ____, called phytoplankton, may look tiny and insignificant, but when taken together, they play a significant role in reducing CO₂.

They absorb about 40% of the carbon in the atmosphere and produce ____ 50% of the atmosphere’s oxygen.

They do this through photosynthesis, a process that creates energy using carbon, water, and ____.

It is estimated that ____ the world’s phytoplankton by 1% is equivalent to planting 2 billion new trees.

Whale pumps deliver nutrients not only to the ocean surface but also to deeper areas of the ____.

As ____ swim back down to feed at the ocean’s bottom, their movements stir up the water and bring nutrients down to the creatures living below.

Whale pumps promote the growth of marine life at various ____ throughout the ocean.

Whales spread nutrients in the ocean not only vertically but also horizontally through a process called the great whale conveyor ____.

These giant mammals ____ over long distances at certain times of the year.

For example, in the summer, humpback whales tend to stay near Alaska, ____ the water is cold but rich in nutrients and prey for them to feed on.

As winter approaches, they ____ up to 4,800 kilometers to breed in the warm waters near Hawaii.

Nutrients are relatively scarce in warm waters, which ____ it difficult for phytoplankton to survive.

Fortunately, when the whales arrive in Hawaii after eating their ____ in Alaska, they release a large amount of nutrient-rich waste.

This process can be thought of as a conveyor belt that moves nutrients from ____ waters to warm waters.

These nutrients support the life of many marine animals and, importantly, encourage the growth of phytoplankton even in ____ waters.

The spread of phytoplankton ____ to increased carbon absorption throughout the entire ocean.

Whales circulate ____ and nutrients to every corner of the ocean, helping to combat climate change.

Despite the important roles of whales in our ____, their lives are at serious risk.

The number of whales had dramatically dropped until killing them for commercial ____ was officially banned in 1986.

It is estimated that the global whale population fell from 4 to 5 million to just over 1 million during the decades ____ the ban.

Today, whales are still threatened by various ____ dangers, such as fishing nets, ship strikes, and microplastic pollution in the ocean.

It is important to recognize that ____ are valuable partners in our fight against the climate crisis and that protecting them is an effective and cost-efficient way to address this global challenge.

Let’s ____ action to help more whales live longer and healthier lives.