Greenpeace co-founder, Dr. Patrick Moore, on Net Zero

Climate change vocabulary quiz

You can do this quiz online or print it on paper. It tests some of the terms covered on the page about Climate Change in our Vocabulary section.

1. What has been caused by burning huge quantities of coal, oil and natural gas since the early-1800s?

global cooling
global warming
global biodiversity
a) global cooling b) global warming c) global biodiversity

2. What kind of fuels are coal, oil and natural gas?

sustainable fuels
renewable fuels
fossil fuels
a) sustainable fuels b) renewable fuels c) fossil fuels

3. What do we call gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and warm the earth's surface when fossil fuels are burned?

greenhouse gases
carbon neutral gases
climate impact gases
a) greenhouse gases b) carbon neutral gases c) climate impact gases

4. What is the process by which an increase in greenhouse gas levels can cause an increase in global temperatures called?

the greenhouse process
the greenhouse effect
the greenhouse result
a) the greenhouse process b) the greenhouse effect c) the greenhouse result

5. Which of the greenhouse gases emitted by fossil fuels has the greatest impact on global warming?

carbon dioxide
nitrous oxide
methane
a) carbon dioxide b) nitrous oxide c) methane

6. The Kyoto Protocol was a 1997 international treaty that aimed to limit anthropogenic climate change by reducing carbon emissions. What does “anthropogenic” mean?

natural
man-made
global
a) natural b) man-made c) global

7. How is anthropogenic climate change causing sea levels to rise around the world?

by raising the ocean floor
by increasing global rainfall
by melting glaciers and ice sheets
a) by raising the ocean floor b) by increasing global rainfall c) by melting glaciers and ice sheets

8. Which generates electricity by burning fossil fuels and releasing greenhouse gases?

a solar power plant
a coal-fired power station
a wind farm
a) a solar power plant b) a coal-fired power station c) a wind farm

9. Which generates electricity without burning fossil fuels?

a natural gas power plant
a hydroelectric power station
a diesel engine with a generator
a) a natural gas power plant b) a hydroelectric power station c) a diesel engine with a generator

10. What do we call recent weather events such as heatwaves, hurricanes, floods, and droughts that are thought to be more intense than usual due to climate change?

greenhouse weather
man-made weather
extreme weather
a) greenhouse weather b) man-made weather c) extreme weather

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Correct answers:

Contributor: Matt Errey. Matt is the author of several books including 1000 Phrasal Verbs in Context and Common English Idioms for learners, and Matt's ESL Games and Quizzes for teachers.