Sea ice the size of Greenland is missing. This and collapsing ice shelves are just some of the problems Antarctica is facing due to climate change. Scientists have met this week to discuss how important the Southern Ocean is to the health of the planet. They say more funding is urgently needed.
1, Antarctic Extremes Are Now Virtually Assured, with Global Ramifications
At first, I introduce these new words in this headline. Extreme means very hot and very cold temperatures. Assured means guaranteed. Global ramifications means the whole world will be impacted. But I'm looking at a word 'virtually', which is very often used with technology. I went on a virtual tour of the Taj Mahal. I was at home in London, but I felt as if I were almost there. Like I was virtually there in India. In this headline, virtually means almost or nearly just like you’re almost nearly sort of the Taj Mahal. These extremes are virtually assured - that means almost guaranteed.
And we can also use virtually in a more casual everyday way. For example, I was late for work in this morning. I was virtually on the bus when it left without me. In another situation, I had a bad journey to work because I had left my headphone at home. I wanted to listen to music. So I was virtually in tears, almost crying.
2, I’ve spent 40 years in Antarctic research. Right now it’s facing a climate energy so we must not put vital science on ice
Put on ice means delay or postpone. This story describes about Antarctic ice. So we mustn’t put vital science on ice that means we shouldn’t wait until we need the science because we need it now.
And we can express in many situations. For example, there’s a project at work. You think it’s going to go ahead, but you don’t have enough money. So the project is put on ice. And I was thinking of moving house, but the timing s not good. So we have put that plan on use. It means we’ll save it for later and think about it again in the future.
3, World scientists call for more research on the Southern Ocean and climate change
Call for is phrasal verb. With phrasal verbs,they have particles like for in this case and it can change the meaning. Call for means to public ally ask for something, so in this headline scientists are writing, speaking and asking governments and the world of scientists and the public for a change. And call for is quite formal and often used in headlines and reports. So we don’t really use in common conversations.
