Unit 4Animals in danger
By the year 2030, 25% of all animals, birds, fish and insects may
be extinct. there are three main reasons. The first is pollution. Millions of animals die every year because man has polluted their natural home or “habitat”.
Pollution and destruction change the balance of nature. Each species in a habitat – wood, jungle, marsh or forest – needs and helps the rest. Forests help to regulate water supplies. We all need the help of all living things to maintain chemical balance of the atmosphere.
After pollution or destruction, habitats take many years (sometimes hundreds or even thousands) to grow again. But the problem doesn’t stop there. The second reason is the environment itself. It is becoming smaller. Today, many more species are in danger not only because man hunts them. Man has always been a hunter. He still is. That is why so many rare and protected animals are still dying. Hunters like these are called poachers.
There is only, one way to save wild animals and wild habitat – conservation. If it doesn’t happen, many wild animals will soon have just one habitat – the zoo.
Vocabulary list
Panda – бамбуковый медведь
Insect – насекомое
Marsh – болото, топь
Jungle – джунгли
Rhino – носорог (сокр.)
Rhinoceros – носорог
Habitat – среда обитания, место распространения
Conservation – сохранение, создание заповедников
Profit – доход
Shelter – убежище, приют
Protect – защищать
Poach – незаконно охотиться
Poacher – браконьер
Maintain – поддерживать
Rare – редкий, необычный
Extinct – вымирающий
Be / become extinct – вымереть
Wild – дикий
Wildlife – дикая природа
Comprehension task
I. Fals or true?
1. “rare” means “underdone, cooked” so that soome bloof remained.
2. “extinct” means “dead, no longer in existence”.
3. “wild” is used in the text meaning “stormy, violent”.
4. “habitat” is a natural place, home.
5. “rainforest” is the place where it rains hardallyear round.
6. “species” means here a group having some common charecteristics.
7. “poacher” – a hunter having special legal permission to hunt animals.
II. Give a word for the definition
1. a group of animals having some common characteristics.
2. preservation of wildlife.
3. hunt illegally.
4. unusual, uncommon (animal).
5. natural place and condition of growth, home (fer animals and plants).
6. being no longer in existence.
7. a group of small flying animals.
8. make dirty, destroy purity of nature.
9. an animal, a symbol for wild life conservation.
10. Surroundings.
11. All the animals and plants living free in nature.
III. Complete the list, using the hints
Tourism around the world is so popular that in certain places it affects and even causes damage to the sights or environment that the tourists have come to see. So, before you go on vocation, it is important to think about and explain:
a) Use of puplic transport. If everyone uses their cars, pollution will become an anormous problem.
b) (litter / throw / collect) … .
c) (water / pollute) … .
d) (noise / make) … .
e) (cut trees) … .
f) (destroy nests) … .
g) (make fire) … .
IV. Complete the sentences using the correct form of the word from the right column
1. Man … an area of forest as big as Switzerland every year.
2. Since 1947 in Britain 50% of woods and 95% of meadows … .
3. Today, because of … the number of African elephant has fallen
dramatically.
4. Indian tiger cat, snow leopard are all in … because … kill them
for their … .
5. The law … animals in danger, but there are different laws in different countries and some hunters … the law.
6. In the USA 500 … of plants and animals have become … since the 1500s.
7. During the 1960s an era of newfound … awareness began.
8. Near the coast the level of … is very high. It kills dolphins and seals.
V. Translate the sentences.
1. Двадцать лет назад панда была занесена в Красную книгу.
2. Из-за загрязнения прибрежных вод дельфины могут исчезнуть (вымереть).
3. Загрязнение окружающей среды разрушает естественную среду обитания животных.
4. Ирригация (irrigation) осушает (drain) болота, вырубка (cut) леса уничтожает тропические леса – место обитания многих редких животных.
5. Люди строят дома, дороги, заводы, места обитания диких
животных сужаются (get narrow).
6. Сегодня многие животные в опасности, так как человек охотится на них.
7. Браконьеры убивают ценных животных для получения дохода.
8. Единственный способ сохранить диких животных и природу
– это организация заповедников.
9. Если мы не защитим животных, единственным местом их обитания будет зоопарк.
VI. Suggestions for writing
1. “Panda is a symbol for Wildlite Concervation”.
What other animal – symbols do you krow?
What things are usually colled after animals?
What features of the animals do they symbolize?
What are sport teams colled after anymals?
2. “Many other species have been less lucky than panda”.
Do you know what other species have become extinct?
Are they on the Endangered Species List?
Where do they live? What is their habitat?
What happened to their habitat?
What are people doing to save them?
3. Describe the place / region you live in.
Think of some species which live in gour avea.
Tell about the animals: their habitat and food.
Are they extinct or their number is growing?
4. Does your father hunt?
Do you know a person who hunts animals or fish?
Speak on the problem of poaching. Whot animals does the law
protect in your area?
Is there any poaching in your area? Why?