How Whales Help Cool The Earth

EBAU TEST
How whales help cool the Earth
Whales are among the largest creatures on Earth. Their bodies are enormous stores of carbon, and
their presence in the ocean has a great influence on the ecosystems around them. From the depths
of the ocean, these creatures are also helping to determine the temperature of the planet – and that
is something that we have only recently started to appreciate.
Humans have been hunting whales for centuries, their bodies providing us with everything from
5 meat to oil. Tens of millions of whales have been killed, and experts believe that populations may
have declined from anywhere between 66% and 90%.
When whales die, they sink to the ocean floor – and all the carbon that is stored in their enormous
bodies is transferred to the deep sea, where it remains for centuries or more. But when their dead
body is prevented from sinking to the seabed, because they are killed and processed instead, that
10 carbon is released into the atmosphere. It is estimated that over the course of the 20th century the
practice of hunting whales added about 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
However, whales are not only valuable in death. The tides of excrement that these mammals
produce are also surprisingly relevant to the climate. Their iron-rich excrement creates the perfect
growing conditions for phytoplankton and these tiny organisms have an enormous influence on the
15 planet’s atmosphere, absorbing an estimated 40% of all CO2 produced –four times the amount
captured by the Amazon rainforest. What this means is that restoring whale populations could be an
important tool in tackling climate change. In 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
published a report looking at the benefits of putting whales back in the ocean. And they did it in a
way that politicians would understand: by putting a dollar value on it.
20 This study found that, when you add up the value of the carbon stored by a whale during its
lifetime, alongside other benefits like better fisheries and ecotourism, the average great whale is
worth more than 2 million dollars. The economists behind this study are now working on a project
to transform it into reality. The idea is to persuade carbon emitters to pay a certain amount of
money to protect whale populations, rather than invest in reducing their own emissions.
25 Whale protection must now become a top priority in the global effort to tackle climate change.
Later this year, the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference will take place in Scotland, a
country whose coasts regularly host whales. It is time to put these creatures on the agenda.
Fragment adapted from BBC, January 2021
1. Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. COPY the evidence
from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence. (1.5 points)
a)Experts have found that whale populations have grown considerably.

b)The economists working for the IMF have planned a strategy to make producers of CO2 emissions
contribute to protecting whales.
c)Whales can be found in the sea around Scotland.
2. ANSWER the questions below. COPY no more than 10 words and/or a number from the text to
answer each question. (1.5 points)
a)For how long does the carbon which has accumulated in a whale body stay on the ocean floor?
b)What happens to the CO2 that is not carried to the bottom of the sea by dead whales?
c)What amount of CO2 is removed from the atmosphere by phytoplankton?
3. FIND a word or expression in the text that means... (1 point)
a)supplying (lines 1-7)

b)the opposite of huge (lines 8-20)
c)resource (lines 8-20)
d)something that is very important (lines 21-28)
4. READ this conversation and COMPLETE your part. Write the numbers (1-6) and complete each
sentence on your exam paper. (1.5 points)
You’re telling your brother about a problem you had
You: Hi, Bob. (1) _______________________________?

Your brother: Same as usual. What about you?
You: (2)
_______________________________
Your brother: So, what happened this time?
You: (3) _______________________________
Your brother: What?! Do you mean the black Nirvana hoodie I bought in London! Did you lose it?
You: Not really. (4) _______________________________
Your brother: How could that happen? You’re so irresponsible.
You: (5) _______________________________
Your brother: And did you see who it was?
You: Of course not.
Your brother: But you reported it. Didn’t you?
You: (6) _______________________________
Your brother: Well, don’t forget to do it tomorrow. Maybe I can get it back. And stop borrowing my
clothes.
5. Read the following situations and WRITE what you would say in each one to show that you
understand the context of the situation. Write between 10 and 25 words. (1.5 points)
a)Your teacher’s computer isn’t working. Offer your help.

b)Your father’s old car has broken down again. Encourage him to buy a new one.
c)Your parents refuse to let you dye your hair. Try to convince them.
6. WRITE a composition of about 120-150 words on the following topic (3 points):
What can we do to protect wild animals? Give your opinion.

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EBAU TEST

How whales help cool the Earth

a)Experts have found that whale populations have grown considerably.

3. FIND a word or expression in the text that means... (1 point)

a)supplying (lines 1-7)

You’re telling your brother about a problem you had

You: Hi, Bob. (1) _______________________________?

a)Your teacher’s computer isn’t working. Offer your help.

6. WRITE a composition of about 120-150 words on the following topic (3 points):

What can we do to protect wild animals? Give your opinion.

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