Unit 10 The world around us

When farmers cut down trees,tigers Can no longer hide and hunt. many tigers are killed by people who want to sell their fur and use their bones for medicine. There are few areas left where Pandas can live. The beautiful Tibetan antel- opes are hunted For their wool.

Warming up Many of the world’s animals and plants are in danger,. Read about the endangered animals above And discuss the following questions. Do you know of any other endangered animals Why are they in danger? Why is it important to make sure that animals Do not die out? What can we do to help endangered animals.

Answers to question 1 Many species of wildlife are endangered; some have become extinct due to the destruction of the animals' habitats from agricultural, industrial, and urban developments, as well as having to compete with humans for food. Several hundred species of animals still face the danger of extinction. Such wildlife include the cheetah, the grizzly bear, the jaguar, the panda, the squirrel monkey, the fox, the crocodile, the tiger, the bald eagle, and the whale…

Bald eagle Black rhino Grizzly bear Blue whale Manatee Crocodile Polar bear Giraffe Cheetah

Possible Answers To Question 2 If animals and plants are die out, we will not be able to survive. All animals and plants have spec- ific functions and necessary if we want healthy ecosystems. We need the animals and plants for me- dical and commercial purposes.We also have a moral responsibility to make sure that we do not cause other animals to die out because of our dominance on the planet. Possible Answers To Question 2

We can help endangered animals by protecting their habitats, protecting the environment ( by recycling and reusing), controlling export and import of animals and plants and by learning more about animals and the environment. Possible Answers To Question 3

The time will come when men such as I will look upon the murder of animals as they now look upon the murder of human beings. ---- Leonardo Da Vinc Atrocities are not less atrocities When they occur in laboratories and are called medical research. ----George Bernard Shaw The question is not, Can they reason? Nor Can they talk? But, Can they suffer? ----Jeremy Bentham Nature teaches beasts to know their friends. ----William Shakespeare A oneness with all mankind, A oneness with all creatures, A oneness with the universe. This is the way to contentment. This is the way to peace. ----Lao Tze Can we petition God for mercy. And then, in turn, be merciless to Creatures who are weaker than us . ----Isaac Basheuis Singer

Pre-reading The earth's bounty is an infinite variety of fascinating life forms: animals, insects and plants, all co-existing in a delicate balance of interdependency. Unfortunately, through carelessness and greed, humans have radically disrupted nature's harmony; ruthless hunting, chemical poisoning, and habitat destruction have forced many plant and animal species into extinction and are threatening the survival of countless others.  

reading Summary to each paragraph 1.An environmental expert says that the way we are treating animals and the environment is threatening our existence- by endangering other animals and plants we may ourselves become endangered. 2.A species can become endangered if its habitat is destro- yed or changed.Most species are able to adapt to small cha- nges,but if the changes are too large or sudden, a species may become endangered. 3.We can help by learning more about the environment,by expanding and protecting habitats and by reducing pollution.

Post-reading Answer the following questions Why do animals and plants become endangered? A species can become endangered when its habitats is changed or destroyed.Can you think of things human beings do that may destroy or cause changes in a habitat? What can we do to protect animals and plants that are being endangered?

Possible answers Animals and plants become endangered when their habitat is destroyed or when conditions in the habitat change too quickly or too drastically .the text lists three main re- asons:habitat change, the arrival of new species in the habitat,and the overuse of the species itself or the res- ources in the habitat. Try to think of human behavior that can cause problem. For example:pollution, land use,hunting,farming,etc. Try to think about ways we can change the behavior in question 2 and think about ways we can repair the damage we have done,e.g.clean up the environment,create new habitats,etc.