Unit 10: Nature in Danger - Reading

Exercise 1: Read the text below and decide which answer- a, b, c or d - best fits each space.  In the 1972 the Australian government (1) ...... a quota system which allowed a (n) (2) ...... number of kangaroos to be killed or 'culled' every year. Legislation was introduced because farmers claimed that the kangaroos were (3) ...... their crops. The problem is that (4) ...... two and a half million kangaroos can be killed legally each year, a futher two and a half million are killed illegally. The animals are killed for a variety of (5) ....... The main one, however, is that kangaroo meat is sold for human (6) ...... usually in the (7) ...... of steaks - or is used as pet fooD. There are also thousands of dollars to be made (8) ...... the sale of their skins. The environmental group Greenpeace and Australia's Animal Liberation (AAL) are now campaigning for a ban (9) ...... the sale of all kangaroo products. They (10) ...... that this will stop unscrupulous farmers killing the animal for (11) ....... A spokesperson for AAL said, ‘People aren't concerned because there are still (12) ...... six million kangaroos in Australia so they are (13) ...... an endangered species. People just don't care about (14) ...... like this unless there is a real threat. But we know certain types have already become extinct in some areas. We must act now (15) ...... it is too late.

Exercise 2: Read the text carefully then choose the correct answers. Since the world became industrialized, the number of animal species that have either become extinct or have neared extinction has increased. Bengal tigers, for instance, which once roamed the jungles in vast numbers, now number only about 2,300. By the year 2025, it is estimated that they will become extinct. What is alarming about the case of the Bengal tiger is that this extinction will have been caused almost entirely by poachers who, according to some sources, are not always interested in material gain but in personal gratification. This is an example of the callousness that is contributing to the problem of extinction. Animals such as the Bengal tiger, as well as other endangered species, are valuable parts of the world's ecosystem. International laws protecting these animals must be enacted to ensure their survival - and the survival of our planet.  Countries around the world have begun to deal with the problem in various ways. Some countries, in an effort to circumvent the problem, have allocated large amounts of land to animal reserves. They then charge admission prices to help defray the costs of maintaining the parks, and they often must also depend on world organizations for support. This money enables them to invest in equipment and patrols to protect the animals. Another response to the increase in animal extinction is an international boycott of products made from endangered species. This has had some effect, but by itself It will not prevent animals from being hunted and killed.