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Task 4 Read the text and answer the questions:

The effects of global warming are becoming more and more noticeable with the passing of the years. The number of floods, storms and heatwaves has increased as a result of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases that do not allow the sun’s heat to escape the Earth’s atmosphere. However, a simple and quite possibly effective idea has been suggested as a way to help lessen the consequences of climate change.
Professor Steven Chu, the US Energy Secretary and a Nobel Prize winner, suggests that painting our rooftops white will help the Earth’s temperature to drop. The idea is that if enough surfaces — rooftops, pavements, roads — are painted white, more sunlight will reflect off these surfaces and go back into space. This will help cool our planet down.
According to scientists, if rooftops and roads were painted white it would reduce the amount of CO2 by billions of tons. This would be the same as taking every car in the world off the streets for 11 years. Not only this, but homes with white rooftops and cars that are painted white wouldn’t absorb so much heat from the sun. This means that they would be cooler and people wouldn’t have to turn on their air conditioners as much. Consequently, we would save more energy and reduce the amount of CO2 released in the atmosphere.
Although the idea of white rooftops has been generally welcomed by the scientific and environmental communities, there appear to be a few problems. One of these is the fact that the colour white would be too bright if it was painted on too many large surfaces. Another concern is that keeping the white surfaces in good condition for a long period of time would be too expensive.
Pessimists feel that though painting rooftops and pavements in light colors is good in theory, it is just a very small step to take towards reducing the Earth’s temperature. What we must remember though, is that there is not one solution to global warming. It’s the combination of different methods that will help our Planet get back on its feet.

1. What doesn’t allow the sun’s heat to escape the Earth’s atmosphere?

2. Who suggests that painting rooftops white will help the Earth’s temperature to drop?

3. What would happen if rooftops and roads were painted white?

4. Are there any disadvantages of this idea?

5. What other way of cooling our Planet do you know?