Thinking the Unthinkable Today, it seems that no one is uninformed about the environment. Every day the media shows us more evidence of climate: (1) …………… weather, melting icecaps, and (2) ……………. seas. Most of us believe we can do something to (3) …………….. global disasters, such as (4) ……………. or conserving energy. It’s strange to recall that, before the 1960s, few people knew of the damage we were doing to the planet. However, one scientist had already realized the dangers ahead. And today, this same man believes it may be too late to (5) ……………. the world. In the 1960s, Professor James Lovelock came up (6) …………… one of the most famous theories on the environment – the Gaia hypothesis. According to this hypothesis, the earth’s atmosphere, soil, and oceans work in concert to (7) …………… an inhabitable environment for humans. If we disrupt these elements too severely, the earth may one day become uninhabitable. Is Lovelock right this time too? Surely can we prevent this nightmare, (8) …………… we all recycle, use renewable energy, and travel less by plane and car? Lovelock disagrees. According to him, it is now impossible to reverse global warming. We did not (9) ……………. quickly enough when we had the chance. Now over 90 years old, Lovelock may not live to (10) …………… if he is right or not. 1. A. extreme B. huge C. giant D. big 2. A. dropping B. falling C. rising D. raising 3. A. happen B. prevent C. cause D. invent 4. A. producing B. growing C. recycling D. handling 5. A. pull B. destroy C. prove D. save 6. A. at B. to C. with D. for 7. A. persuade B. take C. apply D. provide 8. A. whatever B. if C. unless D. whether 9. A. do B. create C. make D. act 10. A. find out B. look up C. take off D. go on