영어1 동아 박용예 3과 빈칸 변형

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

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

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

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

We ____ act immediately 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 low-tech, economical, and even long-lasting solutions ____

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

____ are amazing creatures.

They are enormous and ____ incredibly long lives.

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

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

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

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

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

This process is called a whale ____

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

____ is estimated that increasing 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 ____ the ocean.

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

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

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

These giant ____ migrate 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 travel up to 4,800 kilometers to breed in ____ warm waters near Hawaii.

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

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

This process ____ be thought of as a conveyor belt that moves nutrients from cold 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 ____ roles of whales in our environment, their lives are at serious risk.

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

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

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

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

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