UNIT 6 SPECIES IN DANGER

A
a. What precautions have been taken to save the endangered animals and plants so far in the
world? What can be done more?
b. Read the text and fill in the table. An example is given for you.
FACT FILE
African Elephant Mediterranean Monk American Alligator
Grizzly Bear Facts
Facts Seal Facts Facts

- the most dangerous

mammal in North
America
- creamy yellow on the
back, brownish legs
- more so quickly
- threatened with
extinction

The grizzly bear has the reputation of being the most dangerous mammal in North America.
The tundra grizzly is creamy yellow on the back with brownish legs and under parts. Grizzlies avoid
contact with humans. They can move so quickly that even horses find it difficult to escape from a
rushing grizzly. This powerful animal once inhabited almost all of Western North America but with
the arrival of Europeans on a new continent, their numbers decreased. Now they are restricted
chiefly to the Canadian Rockies and Alaska. Unfortunately, they are under the threat of extinction.
The African elephant is the largest living land animal and weighs up to 5,400 kg. It inhabits the
savannah, brush, forest, river, valleys and semi-desert regions of Africa, south of the Sahara Desert.
As vegetarians, they require much food, sometimes consuming more than 225 kg of plants a day.
Their trunks are used for smelling, touching and drinking, greeting or throwing dust for dust baths.
Their tusks are used in the manufacture of piano keys, billiard balls and other objects. Hunters have
slaughtered thousands of these magnificent animals, so they’re a threatened species now.
Once common along the Mediterranean and Black Sea coasts, the Mediterranean monk seal
now probably numbers fewer than 1,000 and continues to decline. They are among the endangered
species. Although legally protected, they have been killed for many centuries by fishermen because
they damage the nets and eat the fish. In more recent times, the growth of tourism and human
disturbances led to their loss in great numbers.
The American alligator, reptile of the coastal marshes and inland waters of the South-eastern
United States are considered to be endangered species. In the 1960s, their numbers reduced
severely because of overhunting.There are now import and export restrictions controlling trade in
alligators and their skins. Although poaching is a threat, they are recovering in the wild. There are
also thousands of them in zoos, where they breed successfully.

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c. Guess the words from the text which mean the same as;
1. land covered by small trees .................................................
2. fame, the state of being well-known .................................................
3. to eat .................................................
4. to occupy, to live in .................................................
5. to kill animals in big numbers .................................................
6. to hunt without permission .................................................
7. to keep animals or plants in order to produce babies .................................................
d. Can you name some of the animals or plants in danger of extinction in Turkey? Are there any
laws to protect them?

B
a. Complete the sentences using Future Perfect and the verb given in parentheses. Passive is
also possible.
1. By the time people get aware of the fact that they don’t have the right to exploit nature,
............................................................ (they / ruin / completely).
2. By the time people stop chopping down trees, ............................................................ (all the
forests / deforest).
3. By the time cosmetic companies stop testing their products on animals, ..................................
.................................. (they / wipe out).
4. ............................................................ (fish / become) extinct by the time precautions are taken.
5. More and more species are becoming extinct. By the time you do this exercise, ..........................
.................................. (one more species / disappear).
6. ............................................................ (the locals / organize) a demonstration by the time the
government passes the law on animal trade.
7. I hope ............................................................ (more sanctuaries / create and preserve) for rare
animals by the next century.

b. Make sentences by using the adverbial in the parentheses and Future Perfect Tense.
when before by the time

1. we / reach / the year 2050 / one million plant and animal species / be extinct (by the time)
2. most of the endangered species / already die / people / be aware of the importance of the
environment (before)
3. the species in danger / save / the government / take all the precautions to prevent overhunting
(when)

c. Fill in the blanks with Present Perfect, Present Perfect Continuous or Future Perfect.
Passive is also possible.
1. A hundred years ago, there were 100,000 tigers in the wild. Now there are less than 7,000. Two
types of tiger, the Bali and the Caspian tiger ................................ (already / become) extinct. The
South China tiger ................................ (struggle) to survive.
2. The Mekong giant catfish is one of the world’s largest freshwater fishes. Numbers ........................
(drop) by 80 per cent in just 13 years because of humans. If that carries on, they .........................
(disappear) by 2050.
3. Extinct means that a species ................................ (not see) in the wild for 50 years.
4. We ................................ (lose) 1 in 10 animals and plants by the end of this century.

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C
a. Complete the puzzle using the information below.

1. in danger of becoming extinct

2. a group of animals or plants within a family

3. to have no members left alive

4. to continue to live or exist

5. elephants are hunted to make this

6. the outer covering of the body of a person or an animal

7. the natural environment of a plant or an animal

8. to keep animals or plants for producing young animals

9. animals that give birth to babies and feed their young on milk from the breast

b. Fill in the blanks with the correct words.

reserve - conservationist - breeding - ecosystem - survive

1. “_______________” defines all the living things in a particular area and the way they affect each

other and the environment.

2. A(n) _______________ is someone who works to protect animals, plants and the natural
environment.

3. _______________ is putting animals to settle to produce babies.

4. A(n)_______________ is a protected area for animals and plants.

5. If you _______________ , you continue to live or exist usually in spite of danger or difficulty.

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D
a. In which ways do human beings and animals affect each other?
b. Listen and tick the reasons why Sue doesn’t like zoos. Because ...

K 1. the animals are in cages.

K 2. they receive extensive medical care.
K 3. they are protected from dangerous animals.
K 4. they are not in their natural habitat.
K 5. they look sad and lonely.
c. Choose the correct answer.
1. In zoos the animals are given medical care ... 4. Animals feel lonely in zoos because ...
a) by experts. a) they are not in their natural habitat.
b) by trainers. b) there aren’t enough vets.
c) by specially trained vets. c) they want to have more visitors.
d) by doctors. d) they want to be surrounded by people.

2. In zoos the animals are not free but they’re ... 5. Although they’re not happy in zoos,
a) protected from hunters. a) they don’t feel bored.
b) happier. b) they are satisfied with the conditions.
c) in danger of being slaughtered. c) they are given the food they like.
d) in their natural habitat. d) They are out of reach of hunters.

3. The animals in zoos never die of starvation

because ...
a) they can eat whatever they want.
b) they’re provided with plenty of food and water.
c) they drink a lot of water.
d) they eat whenever they want.

d. Match the words with their meanings.

K 1. captive a) threatened
K 2. provide b) hunger
K 3. starvation c) supply
K 4. slaughter d) caged
K 5. endangered e) kill ruthlessly

LEAVE NATURE AS IT IS

Every participant in an ecosystem has an important role and if one becomes more dominant
than the others, there may be some problems in the ecosystem. For instance, DDT, which is an
insecticide, was used to protect crops from insects during the World War II. Since it is a powerful
poison, it killed so many insects wherever it was applied. Now it is banned in most countries. What
possible threats has it made to nature? Make a list of these possible dangers.

1. .....................................................................
2. .....................................................................
3. .....................................................................

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