Unit 17
Crocodiles.
For centuries, people lived with and respected the all-powerful crocodile. Those snapping jaws and lethal teeth frightened all attackers away, whether human or animal. People were also fascinated by their characteristic calls, their beauty and their intelligence. Unfortunately, it was their beautiful skin which put them under treat. When explorers realized how valuable crocodile skin was, everything changed. Hunters risked their lives – and sometimes lost them – in order to satisfy the world’s demand for crocodile skin.
Worse was to come. The crocodiles’ homes began to disappear as new towns and industries were developed on the land near swamps and rivers. Luckily for the crocodiles, people realized that a world without them would just not be the same, and now they have been officially declared an endangered species. In some parts of the world, there are now parks where crocodiles may live safely, with laws to protect them.
“It’s illegal to kill crocodiles,” says conservationist Charles Swaby, who has spent the last thirty years protecting the Jamaican crocodiles. The problem is that when farm animals are killed by crocodiles, farmers ignore the law and kill them. This is what Charles is fighting against. “Crocodiles are much more scared of us than we are of them. They are scary but lovely to watch,” he adds. If Charles, and the others like him, can convince the world to share this opinion, crocodiles will be with us forever.
Wolves.
The big bad wolf eats the poor little pig or chases Little Red Riding Hood. The brave young hunter comes along and – Bang! – the wolf is dead. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world there are no more wolves living in the wild. And all because the wolf has traditionally been seen as an evil enemy, in fact, this misunderstood animal has many virtues.
Wolves are superb hunters. They prefer hunting wild animals to domestic ones. They do net over-populate, but keep their numbers at the level they can feed. As for killing people, conservationists insist this is simply not true. “Wolves avoid people. We have to teach the world that wolves only attack human beings in fairy tales.”
There are plans to bring wolves back to the wild areas of Scotland, but local people have doubts about the idea. “We want wolves back. They lived for thousands of years in Scotland – it’s their land – but we fear for our animals,” one farmer says. The government has announced that it will pay for any farm animals killed by wolves. People in favour of bringing the wolf back say this: “Let our children have the chance to hear a wolf howl at the moon on still, Scottish night, and let us be proud that we made it possible.”
Grammar:
1.A)They travelled by train because it was cheaper.
We camped near the river as it was safer.
Since she isn’t coming, we’ll go to the school without her.
Due to the fact that there was a fog, all plane departures have been cancelled.
1.B) Due to (Because of) the fog (N), all plane departures have been cancelled.
2) It was such a boring film that we almost fell asleep.
The film was so boring that we almost fell asleep.
We have spent thousands of years fighting for our survival. Yet now we have dis¬covered that our planet is under threat and, to make matters worse, it's all our fault.
The rainforests are dying,.rare plant and animal species are disappearing, rivers and seas are being contaminated, crops are failing to grow, people are dying of hunger and the air is being polluted. It's time we woke up to these problems and started repairing the damage.
One of the major problems is the destruction of the rainforests in South America. They are home to half the world's species, and to millions of people. Moreover, the rainforests clean the air by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen. The trees are being cut down for paper or to make room for cattle farms'. As a result, birds and animals lose their homes and die. This destruction is also bringing about changes in the climate, air pollution, flooding, drought and famine. If we continue to burn and cut down the rainforests as we are doing now, the earth will never be the same again.
Another big problem is water pollution. Do you like swimming in the sea or drinking a cool glass of water on a hot day? These simple pleasures may soon become a thing of the past. Factories are polluting our rivers and lakes with dan¬gerous chemicals. Oil tankers are releasing thick, black oil into our oceans. Tons and tons of industrial and domestic waste are poured into our seas. Consequently, sea life is threatened with extinction.
Air pollution is another important issue. The cars and factories in and around our cities are giving off dangerous fumes. In the past few years, more and more people than ever before have developed allergies and breathing problems. If we don't do something now, our cities will become impossible to live in.
Fortunately, it is not too late to solve these problems. We have the time, the money and even the technology to prepare the way for a better, cleaner and safer future. We can plant trees and adopt animals. We can create parks for endangered species. We can put pressure on those in power to take action. Together we can, save our planet. All we need to do is open our eyes and act immediately.
Threat
Fault
Species
Crops
Hunger
Damage
Destruction
Absorbing
Cattle farms
Flooding
Pollution
Releasing
Poured
Consequently
Sea life
Issue
Fumes
Adopt
Oil tankers
Survival
Act
Domestic waste
Dying
Climate
Famine
Breathing
You didn’t ask for it and you might not know about it. But you have probably already eaten some of it. It’s genetically engineered food. Perfectly round tomatoes all exactly the some size, long straight cucumbers and big fat chickens now a normal part of our diets. They are made that way by genetic engineering not by nature. Their genes have been changed.
Every living thing has genes. They are passed on from generation. They make sure that humans give birth to humans and cows give birth to cows. They also make sure that a dog cannot give birth to a frog, or an elephant to a horse. Genetic engineers take genes from on species for example a scorpion and transfer them to another for example corn. In this way a new life form is created. Genetic engineers put duck genes into chickens to make the chickens bigger. They put hormones into cows to make them produce more milk. They put genes from flowers into soya beans and from scorpions into corn. This thas not make them cheaper, tastier or healthier. It makes them easier and faster for the farmer to grow.
The effects of genetic engineering or our health are not known. Many of the genes which are used such as those of scorpions, rats, mice and moths are not part of our diet so we do not know low dangerous they maybe for example, people can develop allergies to ford which has been genetically engineered. The effects of genetic engineering on the natural world maybe disastrous. The engineering may create life forms, monsters that we cannot control. The new life forms have no natural habitat or home. They will have to find one fight for one or will for one. Moreover, the effects of these experiments can often be cruel. In American pigs were given human genes to make them bigger and less fatty. The pigs became very ill and began lose their eyesight.
Greenpeace is trying to prevent all such food experiments. Some but not all food companies are refusing to use genetically engineering foods. We must all be aware of what is happening. Some people believe, though, that genetic engineering could be the solution to the problem of famine. Plants which grow faster, or cows wich produce more milk, can save the lives of starring people. We would all like a better, healthier and longer life, and genetic engineering might give us this. On the other hand it maybe a dangerous experiment with nature. In the story, Frankenstein created such a terrible and dangerous monster that he had to destroy it. We must make sure that it remains a story and no more than that.
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