Since 1970, Earth's temperature has risen about half a degree Celsius (about 1 degree Fahrenheit). That may not sound like a lot. But it can make a big difference in the weather. This tiny rise makes the ocean warmer. As a result, more water turns into steam and more moisture rises into the air. Today, the air holds 4 percent more water than it did 25 years ago. That means more rain can fall during a rainstorm. This is what probably happened recently in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, increased temperatures caused a big problem. Larger amounts of snow and ice began melting in the mountains. The water filled up rivers, making water levels rise. Then the rainy season began. This time, winds pushed the rains farther north than normal into the mountains. Giant storm clouds dumped 30 cm (12 inches) of rain in 36 hours. Already full rivers overflowed. It caused the worst flood in Pakistan's history. This shows how even a small increase in temperature can cause dangerous flooding.
114. What does it refer to in paragraph 1?
a. water
b. air
c. moisture
d. temperature
115. What causes more water to turn into steam?
a. faster wind
b. more flooding
c. warmer oceans
d. more rainstorms
116. What does this sentence from paragraph 2 mean?
"Already full rivers overflowed."
a. The rivers were full of snow and ice.
b. The rivers almost began to flood, but they didn't.
c. The rivers could not flow because of the temperatures.
d. The rivers had no more room for rain, so it began to flood.