The Accidental Movie Star

 

Former Vice President of the U.S.A. Al Gore has made a film he hopes will help to change the way we view climate change. Al Gore has been concerned with climate change, or 'climate crisis' as he calls it, for the majority of his political career. As the years passed and he became more passionate about this issue, he started travelling the world in order to educate people about the effects of global warming using computer slideshows. Free of charge, he explained to his audiences that the world is facing a 'planetary emergency' and that it isn't too late to stop it if appropriate action is taken now.

 

It was during this time of touring and giving lectures that Gore was spotted by Hollywood producer Laurie David, who asked him to turn his slideshow into a documentary which he would play the starring role. ​ {1 ________} ​Eventually, though, David managed to persuade him. The result was a

 

fascinating documentary combining references to Gore's own life story with horrifying predictions about the future of our planet.

 

Little did Gore know that just one year later he would be walking along the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival and later collecting an Oscar for 'Best Documentary'. ​ {2 _______ } ​Advertised as 'the

 

scariest movie you'll ever see,' it concentrates on the potentially terrifying consequences of climate change.

 

'An Inconvenient Truth' certainly gives us much to consider. For example, is there a link between the frequency of strong hurricanes and global warming? Why was 2005 the hottest year ever recorded? Could whole cities such as San Francisco one day be submerged in water due to rising sea levels?

{3_______ } ​As the title of the film suggests, however, it may be inconvenient for us to have to think

about the future of the planet, but think we must.

 

Published at the same time as the release of the film, Gore's book of the same title contains additional information and scientific analysis to further support his claims. ​ {4 _______} ​Gore is

 

delighted that some schools are even using the DVD to help them teach awareness of environmental issues to their students.

 

As pessimistic as the film may seem, it ends on a positive note. ​ {5______} ​If Gore was going to

present a problem, he wanted to offer a potential solution, too. His main hope is that people accept the reality of the crisis and then turn that knowledge into action.

 

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Gore leads by example. ​ {6________ } ​He realises, however, that most people need a little more

help when it comes to changing their habits. For this reason, he has also been working hard to encourage large shops to sell more environmentally friendly products.

 

So can this one man's efforts really make a difference? ​ {7 ________ } ​It may not seem as if the

decisions of individuals can achieve very much, but put them all together and they may add up to something that will, literally, change the world.

 

 

A. The movie owes its success to its ability to hold our attention.

 

B. He insists on using biodiesel vehicles and has decided to become carbon neutral, which means that he reduces the amount of carbon dioxide he produces every day.

 

C. Well, according to Gore, if we are clear about what the problem is, then we are more likely to introduce changes into our daily lives, such as choosing the 'greenest' light bulbs or cars.

 

D. Whilst both the film and the book have largely been well received by critics, they have been criticised by some as being 'exaggerated' and 'over-the-top'.

 

E. The aim of the film certainly seems to be to 'shock' people into action, which may or may not be the best way to tackle the issue of global warming.

 

F. The profits from both the film and the book are now funding other campaigns to spread the message about global warming.

 

G. As Gore himself says, "It's not too late to solve this crisis, and solving it means avoiding the worst of the consequences and reversing this trend towards catastrophe."

 

H. At first, Gore was reluctant, as he has always been a very private person, despite being used to being in the public eye.

 

Correct: ________

 

 

End of Section II.

 

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