Read the text and choose the correct parts of sentences (1-7) to complete gaps A-F

The Thieving SEA

Most people would consider it paradise: a remote South Seas chain of islands way off the beaten track. It has palm trees, golden beaches and clear blue sea for the less than 1,000 visitors it receives every year. The 11,800 inhabitants are a warm and welcoming people A)[1|2|3|4|5|6|7]. But there is a problem. Little by little, day by day, the sea is stealing the land and the island chain is shrinking.

Tuvalu is a series of islands in the Pacific Ocean that are no more than four metres above sea level at their highest point. As temperatures rise due to global warming, the polar ice caps will slowly melt, B)[1|2|3|4|5|6|7]. If these calculations are correct, then within half a century, the greater part of Tuvalu will find itself underwater.

Already the locals are facing problems that seriously affect the way of life on the islands. With Tuvalu measuring just 25 square km across all the islands, most properties are near the coast C)[1|2|3|4|5|6|7]. When the waves come ashore, the water can now reach people's doorsteps quite easily. The islands have had floods before, but they've never reached this far inland and never this frequently.

This doesn't only mean that islanders will have to movefurther inland. Tuvalu's economy is based to a large extenton farming and fishing; the high tides are saltwater and that gets into the soil that is used to grow food. This results in rotten crops D)[1|2|3|4|5|6|7]. Added to that is the problem of where the locals' animals graze now that the soil is unusable.

This is not just something that affects only this smallisland nation in the South Pacific; unfortunately, it ishappening all over the world. If you live on the coast,the coast is getting nearer. Take the east coast ofEngland, for example. House prices there have droppedconsiderably as the sea has flooded low-lying areas.Residents are finding it more and more difficult to selltheir properties. There is a real threat that not onlyhomes, E)[1|2|3|4|5|6|7].

Those with property at risk are asking what the government intends to do to protect its citizens. Unfortunately, beyond the usual statements about cutting emissions in a bid to reduce global warming, the government just doesn't have the funds to stop the sea's slow assault. Unofficially, there has even been talk of remapping the country's coastline to take account of the changes. It seems there is little for residents to do, but move to higher land, further away from the coast.

The cold reality of climate change refugees grows ever closer. For those in England, the move could be merely local F)[1|2|3|4|5|6|7]. However, for the Tuvalu islanders, it could mean an entirely new life in a different location. Many are already considering a move to nearby New Zealand. We don't really know what the future holds for them, but one thing is certain, and that is the fact that climate change is having real effects on real people and it is happening now.

1. which might mean an increase in sea levels of 88 cm over the next century
2. which are unfit to be eaten
3. but whole villages will no longer be there in fifty years.
4. who maintain the traditions of old and keep the customs of their forefathers
5. who try to keep them as far from the sea as possible
6. and are at the mercy of increasingly high tides
7. and might only be a matter of relocating a few miles away from the threatened areas