Воронежский государственный университет

ФЕДЕРАЛЬНОЕ АГЕНТСТВО ПО ОБРАЗОВАНИЮ РФ

WORLD AROUND US

ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS

Учебное пособие по английскому языку по специальности:

Геоэкология 020802 (013400)

ОПД 020802

ВОРОНЕЖ 2006

Утверждено научно-методическим советом факультета романо-

германской филологии протокол №1 от 23 января 2006 г.

Составители: Высочина О. В.

Черникова С.Н.

Пособие подготовлено на кафедре английского языка факультета романо-

германской филологии Воронежского государственного университета

Рекомендуется для студентов первого курса факультета географии и

геоэкологии

Данное учебное пособие подготовлено на кафедре английского языка

факультета романо-германской филологии Воронежского государственно-

го университета. Оно предназначено для студентов первого курса дневного

отделения факультета географии и геоэкологии, обучающихся по специ-

альности геоэкология.

Цель пособия – развитие умения говорения на основе чтения текстов

по специальности. Данная цель достигается в процессе решения следую-

щих задач: совершенствование умений читать иноязычный спецтекст, ис-

пользуя различные стратегии чтения (просмотровое, поисковое, детальное);

развитие лексических навыков; развитие навыков диалогической речи и

профессионально-ориентированных умений монологической речи на мате-

риале текстов по профессиональной тематике.

Пособие состоит из восьми разделов. Семь разделов имеют одинако-

вую структуру, каждый из них состоит из следующих частей: предтексто-

вые упражнения; тексты по профессиональной тематике; упражнения, вы-

полняемые в процессе чтения; послетекстовые упражнения, направленные

на проверку понимания прочитанного; блок лексических упражнений, на-

правленных на овладение профессиональной терминологией; а также блок

упражнений на обсуждение информации, полученной из текста. Восьмой

раздел представляет собой ряд упражнений, направленных на повторение и

закрепление пройденного материала.

UNIT I POLLUTION: A LIFE AND DEATH ISSUE

Text

Question Time

Quiz: What do you know about pollution? Answer the following

questions choosing a, b, c or d. Then count your score and see the results of

the quiz.

1) Which of the following 4) Many detergents and laundry

chemicals are not contained in an powders contain phosphates - why

ordinary computer and monitor? are environmentalists trying to get

a) lead; these phased out?

b) mercury; a) they may create antibiotic

c) arsenic; resistance;

d) dioxins. b) they can over-stimulate plant

2) The use of chlorine to bleach growth;

paper has been criticised as being c) they can cause the salinisation

highly polluting - but what envi- of farm land;

ronmental drawback does "totally d) they are poisonous to bird and

chlorine-free" paper have? plant life

a) it uses different chemicals - 5) Leaded petrol is one of the

but they create similar levels world's major sources of urban air

of pollution; pollution. What does lead poison-

b) it takes twice as much water ing cause?

to make it; it can't be made a) brain damage;

using recycled paper; b) liver damage;

d) it can’t be made using recy- c) hearing loss;

cled paper; d) all of the above.

3) Gold jewellery remains popular 6) A pesticide once widely used

- but which of these harmful on US lawns and gardens is cur-

chemicals is not a pollutant rently being phased out - to which

commonly associated with mining type of chemical weapon is it

the precious metal? chemically similar?

a) mercury; a) blister agents such as mustard

b) benzene; gas;

c) sulphuric acid; b) nerve agents such as sarin;

d) cyanide. c) blood agents such as hydrogen

cyanide;

d) none - no pesticides are similar

to chemical weapons.

Count your score and see the results of the quiz.

You got 5-6 right!

Well done - you must be an eco-saint, a chemistry expert, or both.

You got 3-4 right!

Not bad - your tank's only half full, but at least it's unleaded.

You got 0-2 right!

Poor - but lets face it, not a lot of people know this stuff.

Time for Reading

Read the text and complete the table below.

Environmental Problem

# Date/ Place Causes Consequences

etc

Can you add some other facts besides mentioned in the text?

POLLUTION HOTSPOTS

(i) Pollution is a worldwide problem which does not respect national

boundaries and is likely to intensify as the spread of industrial development con-

tinues. BBC News looks at some of the places around the world which are hard-

est hit by pollution.

(ii) The Arctic has a severe problem with persistent organic pollutants

(POPs). POPs are chemical substances which accumulate in the food chain,

threatening both human and animal health as well as the environment. Accord-

ing to researchers, dangerous levels of POPs have been found in the Arctic's air,

snow, water and wildlife.

(iii) It is thought that POPs, like the pesticide

DDT, are carried on air currents from the mid-

latitudes of North America, Europe and Asia.

Once they reach the Arctic, the harsh climate

causes them to freeze into the snow and ice,

where they accumulate and concentrate up the

food chain. These pollutants can harm many

animals, especially those higher up the food chain. According to some research-

ers, they may be weakening the immune function of mammals like polar bears

as well as causing reproductive problems.

(iv) The Prestige oil tanker sank near northern Spain on 19 November

2002, polluting about 3,000 km of coastline. The spill is estimated to have killed

300,000 seabirds, making it one of Europe's worst wildlife disasters. The eco-

nomic cost of the accident to fishing and tourism has been put at about 5 billion

euros (£3.4 billion). The polluting effects of the Prestige oil spill could still be

an issue today. Although a clean-up operation has removed most of the oil on

coastal land, there are concerns about the large quantity which sank to the sea

bed. WWF says it may release contaminants which could enter the food chain,

including into commercially caught species such as sea bass, octopus, shrimps

and crabs.

(v) A huge dead zone of deoxygenated water spreads across the Gulf of

Mexico every summer because of severe nitrate pollution. This dead zone is

completely uninhabitable for most marine animals, and in the Gulf of Mexico it

can cover an area of about 15,000 sq km. The Gulf of Mexico's dead zone has

been an annual problem for the last 30 years, because farmers in the Mississippi

watershed are using large quantities of nitrate-based fertilisers. These cause an

algal bloom in the water, which guzzles oxygen, suffocating other forms of

marine life. At the moment little is being done to solve the problem, and

according to conservationists, some locals actually welcome the dead zone's

arrival because crabs and lobsters are easy prey as they flee the deoxygenated

water.

(vi) The world's worst nuclear accident occurred

in what is now the Ukraine on 26 April 1986. A

reactor exploded in Chernobyl's nuclear power

station, killing at least 30 people and forcing the

evacuation of 135,000 more. The radioactive

cloud spread north over Belarus, where 70% of

the radiation fell in the form of contaminated

rain, resulting in the long-term pollution of 32% of its territory. More than two

million people used to live in this area - about a fifth of the population of Bela-

rus. The disaster led to a dramatic rise in cancer, leukaemia and birth defects in

the surrounding area, especially Belarus.

(vii) The shrinking Aral Sea is a trouble spot in

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, because of over-

irrigation and pollution. It has shrunk from a vol-

ume of about 1,000 cubic km 40 years ago to 110

cubic km today. The mineral content of the water

is now seven times higher than it was four dec-

ades ago. The water is being severely polluted by

pesticides and fertilisers, which local farmers use on their cotton crops. Where

the water has retreated completely there is a vision of environmental apocalypse

- vast stretches of desert laden with heavy doses of salt and burdened with a

toxic mix of chemical residues washed down over the decades from the farms

upstream. Not only has this devastated natural ecosystems in the area, it has also

affected the health of the local human population. Malnutrition and conditions

like anaemia and TB are increasing. The rate of cancer of the oesophagus is

higher near the Aral Sea than anywhere else in the world.

(viii) According to the WWF, there are high con-

centrations of accumulated dioxins in whale and

dolphin meat sold in Japan. Dioxins are common

pollutants - produced as the result of many indus-

trial processes. They are unintentional by-

products formed by chemical reactions and com-

bustion processes. Dioxins are extremely toxic.

They can trigger cognitive disorders, immune suppression, endometriosis and

other problems in both humans and animals. These chemicals are an issue in

several parts of the world, and they can be what are known as Persistent Organic

Pollutants (POPs) which become more concentrated up the food chain. They are

stored in animal fat, which can pose a health risk to humans who eat meat in

problem areas. The WWF claims that dioxin levels up to 172 times the tolerable

daily intake were found in marketed whale and dolphin meat in Japan.

(ix) The enormous gas leak from a chemical factory in the Indian city of

Bhopal in 1984 was one of the world's worst industrial accidents. Nearly 3,000

people died in the first few days and tens of thousands suffered terrible side-

effects. A dense cloud of lethal gas escaped from the pesticide plant on the out-

skirts of the city and rolled into the homes of the nearby shanty town. Then

winds moved it onwards into Bhopal, a city of 90,000 people. The atmosphere in

Bhopal was declared free of the gas after eight hours. But the physical and psy-

chological ramifications of that short space of time on 3 December 1984 will

continue for a long time to come.

(x) China's rapid economic growth and soaring energy demand has caused

it to suffer from some major pollution problems. At the moment about two-

thirds of the country's power comes from coal and coal products - the cheapest

and dirtiest forms of energy. According to the World Bank, air pollution costs

the Chinese economy $25bn a year in health expenditure and lost labour produc-

tivity - largely because of the use of coal. Official figures say 400,000 Chinese

citizens die a year from diseases related to air pollution, and, according to the

World Bank, 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in China.

(xi) According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, over 100,000

tonnes of old and unused toxic pesticides have been abandoned in sites around

Africa and the Middle East. These chemical leftovers - including the DDT,

which is banned in many countries - can harm the environment as well as human

health. The scope of the problem is dramatically illustrated in Ethiopia, where

some 3,400 tonnes of obsolete pesticides - some of which are over 20 years old -

are stored at 1,000 sites throughout the country. In the western Ethiopian village

over five tonnes of DDT have been found. The residents had long complained of

nausea, respiratory ailments and headaches.

Did You Get It?

I.Which paragraph contains information about

Aa vision of environmental apocalypse?

Ba place where old and unused toxic pesticides are stored?

Cconsequences of economic growth and energy demand?

Dlocals who make profits out of natural disaster?

II.Answer the following questions.

1) Why is pollution a worldwide problem?

2) How do POPs get to the Arctic?

3) Where do POPs accumulate?

4) What are the possible dangers of persistent organic pollutants?

5) The main damage of the Prestige oil spill was to the wildlife, wasn’t

it?

6) Why could the polluting effects of the Prestige oil spill still be an issue

today?

7) How big is the dead zone water in the Gulf of Mexico?

8) Who is to blame for the dead zone?

9) Why is little being done to solve the problem of the dead zone?

10) When and where did the world's worst nuclear accident occur?

11) How did the volume of the Aral Sea change over times?

12) What threat do dioxins pose to humans and to the environment?

13) What was one of the world's worst industrial accidents?

14) What is the main environmental problem in China?

15) What disorders do people living close to the sites of toxic pesticides

storage suffer from?

III.What is the significance of the following numbers and statistics?

a) 100,000 b) 30

c) 90,000 d) 172

e) 110 f) 1/5

IV.Say if the following statements true or false. Correct false state-

ments.

1) The Arctic has a severe problem with DDT.

2) Persistent organic pollutants threaten humans, animals and the envi-

ronment.

3) POPs are carried from the low-latitudes of North America, Europe and

Asia.

4) The economic benefit of the oil spill near Spain to fishing and tourism

is about 5bn euros.

5) The large quantity of oil sank to the sea bed.

6) At the moment a lot is being done to solve the problem of the dead

zone in the Gulf of Mexico.

7) The radioactive cloud spread over Ukraine.

8) The volume of the Aral Sea is about 1,000 cubic km.

9) The water in the Aral Sea is being severely polluted by pesticides and

fertilisers.

10) Dioxins are found in low concentrations in whale and dolphin meat

sold in Japan.

11) The atmosphere in Bhopal was declared free of the gas after few days.

12) Coal and coal products are the cheapest and dirtiest forms of energy.

13) 16 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world are in India.

14) Africa and the Middle East are used as places for storage of the old

and unused toxic pesticides.

Words, Words, Words...

I.Match up the words to make collocations and explain the meaning.

• pollution • chain

• dangerous • rain

• food • apocalypses

• oil • pesticides

• dead • cloud

• nuclear • accident

• radioactive • hotspots

• contaminated • demand

• environmental • leak

• gas • zone

• energy • level

• toxic • spill

II.Find in the text the following.

a) a noun meaning “an area where there is some form of trouble” (para

i);

b) an adjective meaning “lifeless” (para v);

c) a noun meaning “illness” (para xi);

d) a noun meaning “a place, location” (para xi);

e) a noun meaning “implication” (para ix);

f) a verb meaning “to contract” (para vii);

g) an adjective meaning “unsuitable for living” (para v);

h) a noun meaning “a small amount of something that remains after

most of it has disappeared” (para vii);

i) an adjective meaning “no longer needed” (para xi).

III.Match up the words (column A) with their definitions (column B)

A B

1) to pose a) to cause something to happen, to provoke;

2) side-effect b) parts of a city that are farthest away from its center;

3) to flee c) to move away from something or someone, to with-

draw;

4) outskirts d) a substance that pollutes the environment;

5) to trigger e) to present;

6) to retreat f) to escape, especially because of danger or fear;

7) contaminant g) some amount of substance that remains after you

have finished using it;

8) leftovers h) the unplanned things that happen in addition to the

main results.

IV.Put these words and phrases in the correct order to form sen-

tences.

a. of; is dramatically illustrated; the scope; the problem; in Ethiopia.

b. the city; escaped from; the pesticide plant; a dense cloud; of; lethal

gas; on the outskirts; of.

c. chemicals; dioxins; extremely; in several parts; are; toxic; which; an

issue are; of the world.

d. levels; researchers; and wildlife; dangerous; of POPs; have been

found; air, snow, water; ; in the Arctic's; according to.

V.Choose the correct word.

1) Greenpeace is going to release a (n) ..............on water pollution.

A edition B issue C publicity D report

2) The tropical.............of Africa need to be protected from destruction.

A regions B states C places D sites

3) To improve the...............of the water, use a water purification tablet.

A standard B amount C quantity D quality

4) Acid rain has caused a lot of............ to Europe’s trees.

A wreck B ruin C damage D disaster

5) The ............. levels in this city are the highest in Europe.

A contamination B pollution C dirty D infection

VI.Choose the correct word to fit into each sentence. Make necessary

changes.

1.to pollute, pollution

1) The water _________ here. You cannot swim.

2) This factory ________ the air.

3) Fish die because of water _______.

2.to protect, protection

1) You can _________ animals if you send money to the World Wildlife.

2) The _________ of animals is the aim of the World Wildlife.

VII.Put the remarks of the dialogue in the correct order. The first two

have been done for you.

Leila Markham is an environmentalist. She is being interviewed on the

radio by Tony Hunt, a journalist.

Tony: One of the most important issues faced by the people is the ques-

tion of pollution. So tell me, Leila, what exactly is pollution?

Leila: Well, I would say that pollution is the accumulation, to a level in-

tolerable to the ecosystem, of undesirable elements in any one of the diverse as-

pects of the physical environment. Pollution becomes especially important when

it significantly alters the natural environment or when it threatens normal growth

and reproduction or the normal functioning of all life forms, including human

beings.

Tony: In conclusion I would like to say that the problem of pollution con-

cerns all people living on the Earth. Ask not for whom the bell tolls - it tolls for

thee, and for me. Thank you, Leila, and good luck in your campaign.

Leila: Actually, the scientists distinguish between natural pollution and

man-made one. Natural pollution is for instance lime, iron, or sulphur in water

supplies, smoke from forest fires, or dust from the eruption of volcanoes.

Tony: Those are terrifying figures. It looks like developing countries are

suffering from the pollution more than developed countries.

Leila: Man-made pollution includes those wastes in the water, air, or

other aspects of the environment for which humans are responsible. I have got

some statistics which I would like to share with you.

Tony: Well, chemicals seem to be a frequent pollutant. When we think of

chemical contamination it is often images of events like Bhopal that come to

mind.

Leila: It is true. For example, developing countries are sometimes used

for dumping pesticides. But on the other hand, the developed countries are also

paying the price. For example, contaminated land is a problem in industrialised

countries, where former factories and power stations can leave waste like heavy

metals in the soil. Agriculture can pollute land with pesticides, nitrate-rich fertil-

isers. And when the contamination reaches rivers it damages life there, and can

even create dead zones off the coast, as in the Gulf of Mexico.

Tony: The pesticide DDT, for example, does great damage to wildlife and

can affect the human nervous system, but can also be effective against malaria.

Where do you think, Leila, the priority lies?

Leila: Oh, yes. That was a horrible disaster. But the problem is wide-

spread. One study says 7-20% of cancers are attributable to poor air and pollu-

tion in homes and workplaces. Some man-made chemicals are blamed for affect-

ing some animals. And the chemicals climb the food chain, from fish to mam-

mals - and to us. About 70,000 chemicals are on the market but at least 30,000

are thought never to have been tested for their possible risks to people. The snag

is that modern society demands many of them, and some are essential for sur-

vival.

Tony: I see. Are there any classifications of pollution?

Leila: I am convinced it is up to us, the public, to solve the problem. As

far as the problem of pollution is concerned “there is no such place as “away” -

and there is no such person as the “other”. You can start by taking your un-

wanted waste to a recycling center, instead of just throwing it away. A good way

to influence big companies is to boycott any products which are harmful to the

environment. This forces the companies to change their method of production.

Also, try to use unleaded petrol because the exhaust fumes given off are less

harmful to the environment. If you are traveling in the city, don’t use the car, but

take public transport instead.

Tony: And man-made?

Leila: According to the World Health Organization 3 million people are

killed worldwide by outdoor air pollution annually. Most are in poor countries.

Diseases carried in water are responsible for 80% of illnesses and deaths in de-

veloping countries, killing a child every eight seconds.

Tony: OK. And last, but not the least question. Who should pay for pollu-

tion?

Leila: The industrialised world has not yet cleaned up the mess it created,

but it is reaping the benefits of the pollution it has caused. It can hardly tell the

developing countries that they have no right to follow suit. Another complica-

tion in tackling pollution is that it does not respect political frontiers. Perhaps the

best example to illustrate this - is climate change. The countries of the world

share one atmosphere, and what one does can affect everyone.

Tony: That will be great.

Leila: Thanks for attention.

Tony: That is quite reasonable if it is obvious who is to blame and who

must pay the price. But it is not always straightforward to work out who is the

polluter, or whether the rest of us would be happy to pay the price of stopping

the pollution. Do you think that there are any solutions of the problem?

Leila: One of the principles that is to be applied here is simple - the pol-

luter pays.

VIII.Read the dialogue again and write down the key points of the con-

versation. Act the dialogue out.

Time to Talk

I.Tell about one of the environmental disasters mentioned in the text

above.

II.Work in pairs. Use the information from the text, the dialogue and

your background knowledge to prepare an interview “Pollution.

What are we doing to our Home?”

Check your answers to the quiz.

1-D 3-B 5-D

2-C 4-B 6-B

UNIT II ENDANGERED SPECIES

Text 1

Question Time

Quiz: Species and extinction.

Scientists warn that human activities may be bringing about the sixth

mass extinction of species in the world's history. Test your knowledge of the

web of life.

A. There are 13-14 million spe- a) Resistance to pesticides

cies in the world. How many b) High levels of vitamin

of those have been recorded A

and described? c) Resistance to plant

a) 1.75 million disease

b) 5 million F. The Sumatran tiger is at risk

c) 11 million of extinction. Which

B. What is the biggest threat to everyday product is behind

species? the threat?

a) Habitat loss a) Hamburgers - the

b) Hunting, fishing and tiger’s rainforest home

collecting is being cut down to

c) Alien invasive species make way for cattle.

C. How many plant species are b) Paper – logging

used in medicines companies are

worldwide? exploiting the forests

a) 1,000 – 2,000 for paper pulp.

b) 10,000 – 20,000 c) Toothpaste – workers

c) 100,000 – 200,000 collecting an ingredient

D. Which country has the from the sap of a

most endangered plants in certain tree are

the world? disturbing the tigers’

a) Indonesia breeding cycle.

b) Ecuador G. Dinosaurs were wiped out in

c) Brazil the mass extinction 65

E. Wild wheat varieties found million years ago - or were

in Turkey have a genetic they? Which modern day

property valued at $US50 group of animals do many

million a year. What is it? experts say are technically

dinosaurs?

a) Crocodiles

b) Frogs

c) Birds

Count your score and see the results:

You got 6-8 right!

Species-swot - you fall asleep mumbling about invertebrates.

You got 3-5 right!

Not bad - you've visited a few zoos in your time.

You got 0-2 right!

Embarrassing - you barely know you're a hominoid.

Time for Reading

Read the text and match the paragraph with the heading.

i.Exploitation and disturbances.

ii.Why preserve endangered plants and animals?

iii.Habitat loss.

iv.Species’ categories as defined by the Red List.

v.What are endangered species?

vi.How many species are in danger?

THE RARE ONES

(A) Rare, endangered, or threatened plants and animals are elements of our

natural heritage that are declining rapidly or are on the verge of vanishing. They

are plants and animals that exist in small numbers that may be lost forever if we

do not take quick action to stop their (i) decline. If we cherish these species, like

we do other rare and beautiful objects, these living organisms become treasures

of the highest magnitude.

(B) The scale of the extinction threat facing animals and plants is made

clear in the Red List from the World Conservation Union. The Red List divides

all species into the following categories:

Extinct - Last known individual has died

Critically Endangered - Extreme high risk of extinction

Endangered - Species at very high risk of extinction

Vulnerable - Species at high risk of extinction

Near Threatened - May soon move into above categories

Least Concern - Species is widespread and abundant

(C) Estimates for the total number of species on Earth vary widely; there

may be 10 million, there could be 100 million. What is certain is the limited

number of species catalogued by science - barely two million. According to the

latest Red List, 15,589 species - 7,266 animals and 8,323 plants and lichens are

Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable. In other words, an eighth of

all birds and a quarter of all mammals are in jeopardy, also a third of amphibians

and almost 50% of turtles and tortoises are on the brink, too.

(D) Preservation of plants and animals is important, not only because

many of these species are beautiful, or can provide economic benefits for us in

the future, but because they (ii) already provide us many valuable services.

These organisms clean air, regulate our weather and water conditions, provide

control for crop pests and diseases, and offer a vast genetic "library" from which

(iii) we can withdraw many useful items. Extinction of a species could poten-

tially mean the loss of a cure for cancer, a new antibiotic drug, or a disease-

resistant strain of wheat. There are many examples of a species' value to society.

A new species of corn was found in Mexico; it (iv) is resistant to several dis-

eases of corn. An insect was discovered that when frightened produces an excel-

lent insect-repelling chemical.

(E) Loss of habitat or the "native home" of a plant or animal is usually the

most important cause of endangerment. Nearly all plants and animals require

food, water, and shelter to survive, just as humans do. Humans are highly adapt-

able, however, and can produce or gather a wide variety of foods, store water,

and create their (v) own shelter from raw material or carry it on their backs in

the form of clothing or tents. Other organisms cannot. Some plants and animals

are highly specialized in their (vi) habitat requirements. Some animals are de-

pendent on more than one habitat type and need a variety of habitats near each

other to survive.

(F) Direct exploitation and disturbances caused by human activity can

lead to extinction of some species. People exploited animals for food and fur. As

a result, some animals were hunted to extinction, others (vii) such as the grizzly

bear, maintain remnant populations. The presence of man and his machines may

cause some animals to abandon an area, even if the habitat is not harmed. Dis-

turbance during the nesting period is especially harmful. Disturbance combined

with exploitation is even worse.

Did You Get It?

I.Match the beginning of a sentence in column A with an ending in

column B to produce a statement which is true according to the text.

a) Rare plants and animals may i.are those facing a high risk of

be lost forever extinction;

b) Loss of habitat or the "native ii.more than one habitat type and

home" of a plant or animal need a variety of habitats near

each other to survive;

c) Direct exploitation and distur- iii.a species' value to society;

bances caused by human activ-

ity

d) Endangered plants and animals iv.divides all species into differ-

ent categories;

e) Some animals are dependent v.can lead to extinction of some

on species;

f) Vulnerable species vi.if we do not take quick action

to stop their decline;

g) There are many examples of vii.are elements of our natural

heritage that are declining rap-

idly or are on the verge of van-

ishing;

h) The Red List published by the viii.is usually the most important

World Conservation Union cause of endangerment.

II.What is the significance of the following numbers and statistics

found in the text

a) 2 million e) 1/8

b) 15,589 f) ¼

c) 7,266 g) 1/3

d) 8,323 h) 50

III.Say what statements are true and what ones are false. Comment on

the true statements and correct the false ones.

1) The scale of the extinction threat facing animals and plants is ex-

plained in the Red List published by the United Nations.

2) Least Concern species are those widespread and abundant.

3) Scientists know the exact number of species that exist on the Earth.

4) According to the latest Red List, it is the animals that are mostly

Critically Endangered, Endangered or Vulnerable.

5) A half of amphibians are on the brink.

6) Preservation of plants and animals is important because they already

provide us many valuable services.

7) A new species of wheat resistant to several diseases of wheat was

found in Mexico.

8) Humans are more adaptable than animals and plants.

9) All animals are dependent on one habitat type one.

10) People exploited animals for food and fur.

11) Some animals can abandon their habitat area because of the human

activity.

12) Disturbance combined with exploitation makes the situation worse.

IV.Complete the sentences below according to the information in the

text.

a) Rare, endangered, or threatened plants and animals are those

__________.

b) The Red List divides all species into _____________.

c) The number of species catalogued by science is ________.

d) In other words, _____________ are in jeopardy.

e) Preservation of plants and animals is important because they

__________.

f) The valuable services provided by these organisms are ___________.

g) Extinction of a species could potentially mean __________.

h) Nearly all plants and animals require ______________.

i) Some plants and animals are highly specialized in __________.

j) Direct exploitation and disturbances can lead to ___________.

k) Disturbance during __________.

V.Put the following words and phrases in the correct order to form

sentences.

a) in their (vi) habitat requirements, some plants and animals, are highly

specialized;

b) and, exploited, people, animals, for food, fur;

c) all, divides, into, categories, the Red List, species, several;

d) important, of, preservation, and, plants, animals, is.

VI.Text Organization.

What do the following words stand for?

their (i) paragraph A their (v) paragraph E

they (ii) paragraph D their (vi) paragraph E

which (iii) paragraph D others (vii) paragraph F

it (iv) paragraph D

Words, Words, Words...

I.Which animal ...?

Example: wags its tail and fetches sticks

a dog

1) has fur and whiskers and catches mice;

2) has a beak and feathers and builds nests;

3) has horns and is dangerous;

4) is supposed to be the King of the Jungles;

5) has a reputation for being stubborn;

6) has gills and fins;

7) can imitate human voices;

8) is the emblem of peace;

9) sometimes poisons, and sometimes squeezes to death its victims;

10) is the largest in the world;

11) lives in a stable and wears a saddle;

12) eats honey and is a popular soft toy for children

II.Match each animal with the sound it makes.

1. monkey a) roar 10. sheep j) bleat

2. lion b) cluck 11. elephant k) bray

3. dog c) meow, purr 12. pig l) hiss

4. cat d) chatter 13. donkey m) trumpet

5. horse e) crow 14. frog n) grunt, squeal

6. hen f) bark, growl 15. snake o) squeak

7. cock g) moo 16. duck p) howl

8. bee h) neigh 17. wolf q) quack

9. cow i) buzz 18. mouse r) croak

III.Match up the words to make collocations and explain their mean-

ing.

• natural • material

• endangered • endangered

• genetic • period

• habitat • heritage

• nesting • concern

• least • population

• remnant • loss

• critically • species

• raw • library

IV.Match up the words and word combinations with their definitions.

a) dependent on 1) keeping insects away;

b) a cure 2) to be on the edge, close to something;

c) insect-repelling 3) an animal that is able to live on land and in

water;

d) nesting period 4) a large reptile that has a thick shell around its

body and lives in the sea most of the time;

e) to be on the 5) not alive any more, dead;

brink

f) an amphibian 6) needing the help or support of something or

someone;

g) a tortoise 7) to terrify;

h) a turtle 8) time when birds build nests and settle there

to lay eggs;

i) a lichen 9) being not affected or harmed by diseases;

j) extinct 10) a remedy;

k) disease-resistant 11) a cluster of tiny plants that looks like moss

and grows on rocks, trees, walls, etc.;

l) to frighten 12) a slow-moving animal that has a hard shell

around its back.

V.Find in the text the following:

a) a verb meaning “to care for tenderly” (para A),

b) a noun meaning “ importance” (para A),

c) a noun meaning “danger; the risk of loss, defeat, harm, etc.” (para C),

d) a noun meaning “medicine” (para D),

e) an adjective meaning “able to change so as to be suitable for new

needs, different conditions, etc.” (para E),

f) a verb meaning “to leave completely and forever” (para F),

g) a verb meaning “to take away or take back” (para D),

h) an adjective meaning “very large and wide” (para D) ,

i) a verb meaning “to continue to live or to exist” (para F),

j) an adjective meaning “more than one, plentiful” (para B).

VI.Put the words in brackets into the correct form to fill the gaps in

the sentences.

a. Many scientists across the globe believe the threat facing global bio-

diversity is _______. (escalate)

b. _________ and habitat loss are pressures working against many spe-

cies. (exploit)

c. Human-induced climate change is _______ to be an increasingly sig-

nificant problem. (think)

d. There are many examples of species being ______ back from the

brink including the southern white rhino and black-footed ferret.

(bring)

e. According to estimates, amphibians are the most _______of all ver-

tebrate groups. (threat)

f. In total, 21% of amphibians are Critically Endangered or Endan-

gered, whereas the proportions for mammals and birds are only 10%

and 5% _______. (respective)

g. While most threats to biodiversity are human ______, human actions

alone can prevent many species from becoming extinct. (drive)

VII.a) Use the words from the box to complete the gaps in the texts.

A)

The project, which seeks to _(i)___ lion populations in Zimbabwe, is led

by the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, working with

the Zimbabwe wildlife department. Professor David Macdonald, director of

WildCRU, told BBC News Online: "People think lions are __(ii)___, but a

survey to which we contributed came up with a very different picture. There

may be as few as 20,000 lions left across Africa - a terrifyingly small number,

and a __(iii)____ one. The lions are killed by farmers, and by __(iv)____, and

it's mainly males who die. The situation is __(v)____ by the fact that lions live

in extremely complex societies. If you kill one male, the lion who replaces him

will usually kill his __(vi)___. And we found males serving three, four or five

__(vii)___ of females, not just one. So the take is completely unsustainable

because the consequences of one kill just cascade. We've managed to get the

__(viii)___ halved. Another project is trying to save the guanaco, an animal of

the high Andes which is thought to be the ancestor of the llama. Other species to

benefit include __(ix)___ in Malaysia, __(x)____ penguins, and fruit bats in

Madagascar.”

• prides • trophy hunters • plausible • South African

• protect • cubs • hunting quota • complicated

• common • orang-utans

B)

The Sumatran orang-utan and the Bornean orang-utan are the only great

__(i)___ to live outside Africa. These solitary apes require a huge amount of

__(ii)__ to survive. The fruits that they live on are ___(iii)___. The lowland for-

est __(iv)___ they inhabit are disappearing to make way for agriculture and oil

palm plantations by logging and fire. Less than 2% of the orang-utan's original

habitat remains. Sadly, even the national parks that should be safe __(v)___ are

now reportedly being __(vi)____ illegally. Consequently populations have de-

clined by more than 90% in the past century. There are thought to be less than

30,000 individuals, a decline of 30-50% in the last decade. Unless they are con-

served in well-managed and __(vii)____ areas, in forests connected by corridors,

they may well be facing extinction in the wild. Conservation organisations are

trying to help orang-utans by preserving sufficient habitat, but also by fighting

the commercial and economic needs that result in forest __(viii)____. In addi-

tion, action is needed to stamp out a widespread trade in orang-utans as

__(ix)____.

• well-protected • habitats • few and far between

• pets • havens • logged

• destruction • space • apes

Time to Talk

I.Using on-line resources make a presentation (10-12 sentences) of

some endangered species. Mention what is being done by people to

stop the extinction of a species.

II.Opinion Survey.

In your group organize a survey "What measure is the best way to protect

endangered species? Complete the table below and summarize the results of the

survey. Share the results with the teacher and the group mates. What measures

are the most popular/the least popular in your group?

Possible Answers Great idea, Pretty Only a fair Bad idea, I

I’d use it good idea idea wouldn’t

Measures use

a) Captive breeding

programmes in zoos

and aquariums

b) Creating wildlife

reserves

c) Fund-raising for

organizations

dedicated to saving

wildlife

d) Banning pesticides

and encouraging

traditional methods

of farming

e) Encouraging tour-

ism in countries

with endangered

wildlife habitats

f) Political campaigns

III.Question for further thought...

Can you think of a time when the human race becomes endangered?

Check your answers to the quiz.

A-a; B-a;

C-b; C-b;

D-b; E-c;

F-b; G-c;

Text 2

Species are being wiped out so fast that scientists say humanity may be

triggering the sixth mass extinction in history. How much does it matter and

what should we do? Should we protect all species or just the ones that are use-

ful? Can we demand that the world's poor to stop exploiting the ecosystems they

survive on?

Question Time

I.Discuss the following questions in pairs.

1) What animals you know of are in danger of extinction? Why are they

in danger?

2) Do you think that animals in danger of extinction should be saved?

Why, or why not?

Time for Reading

Look at opinions from different sides of the debate concerning the

protection of species. Read the text and say who the following statements

belong to.

a. Sustainable hunting has often turned out be a highly effective conser-

vation measure.

b. We have to prioritise how much we spend, and how to spend it to pre-

serve the most.

c. Creepy crawlies are the unsung heroes of the natural world, and we

know next to nothing about them.

d. It is downright silly to say we should preserve the world's biodiversity

in toto.

e. We are mucking about with our life support system - that doesn't strike

me as sensible.

VIEWPOINTS: SAVING SPECIES

1) Mark Smith, Species Officer, WWF.

“Animals do not exist for our benefit. They exist because they

evolved to do a certain job within nature. But if a species does

not benefit people directly, they often don't see a reason to

conserve it. We at the WWF are looking at it from an ecologi-

cal point of view: All species are doing a job, even if we don't

know what that job is. Removing a species from the ecosystem

is like removing a rivet from an aeroplane without knowing its

(i) function. Nobody would want to fly in that aeroplane - but that is what we are

doing to our environment. We (ii) are causing species to go extinct without

knowing what they do. As far as we know, this is the only planet we can live on.

We are stuck here (iii) and we are mucking about with our life support system.

That doesn't strike me as sensible.”

2) Ian Parker, author and game hunter.

“As many life forms are harmful to human well-being, it is

silly to say we should preserve the world's biodiversity in toto.

We want to exterminate Aids viruses, bacteria that cause tuber-

culosis, malaria that kill millions of children annually, and

countless other harmful pathogens. Our welfare relates directly

to eliminating harmful forms of life and we are unavoidably committed to modi-

fying our environments to suit our particular needs. Common sense calls for ac-

cepting that in many cases, this means exterminating some of its elements. The

challenge conservationists face is to keep them (iv) as few as possible, and

avoiding dogmatic claims that all must be preserved.”

3) Helen Saxe, Environmental Assessment Institute.

“If we want to conserve every species on Earth starting with

bacteria and virus and ending with the African elephant, we are

saying that humans should not inhabit this Planet. Civilisation

comes with a price. And few of us would do without the com-

fort of modern life. When we choose to preserve nature - and

we should - we have to prioritise how much we will spend, and how to spend it

to preserve the most biodiversity. This takes knowing the greatest threats

(agriculture, forest clearing, toxic pollution, climate change, etc), and putting

our money where it works. As we see it at the Environmental Assessment

Institute, it is all about prioritisation.”

4) Dr David Hutton, Chair of the Sustainable Use Specialist

Group, IUCN.

“One way to make conservation gains is to capitalise on the

importance of wild species in human livelihoods - and para-

doxically the sustainable harvesting of plants and hunting of

animals has often turned out be a highly effective conservation

measure. When we think of biodiversity we tend to think of the

obvious elements - all the species of animals and plants that we can see and

identify around us. Should we conserve lions? Most people would say yes, but

people in Africa are happy to see the back of them (v) if it means their children

can walk to school in safety. Conservation is a difficult business, involving

tough decisions and trade-offs. Ultimately it (vi) hinges on the goodwill of the

people who live with the “biodiversity” being conserved.”

5) Professor John Lawton, Natural Environment Research

Council.

“Beyond mammals, birds and plants, we remain remarkably

ignorant of how many species there are on the planet - let alone