Security of a Man in the NatureSince ancient times Nature has served Man, being the source of his life. For thousands of years people lived in harmony with environment and it seemed to them that natural riches were unlimited. But with the development of civilization man’s interference in nature began to increase. Large cities with thousands of smoky industrial enterprises appear all over the world today. The by-products of their activity pollute the air we breathe, the water we drink, the land we grow grain and vegetables on. Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with about 1000 million tons of dust and other harmful substances. Many cities suffer from smog. Vast forests are cut and burn in fire. Their disappearance upsets the oxygen balance. As a result, some rare species of animals, birds, fish and plants disappear forever, a number of rivers and lakes dry up. The pollution of air and the world’s ocean, destruction of the ozone layer is the result of man’s careless interaction with nature, a sign of the ecological crises. The ways of life in many parts of the world have changed. This is the result of changes in the weather and the climate in many parts of the world. Besides this there are great numbers of large factories, plants, electric power stations and railways all over the world. And today there are millions of cars and lorries on the roads. So the water and the air are already not so clean. Fires also destroy the work of Nature. Big forests in many places have been burnt. People have always hunted valuable animals for their skins, their fur, and also for meat. People themselves have destroyed wildlife. Long ago different animals, birds and fish began disappear one after another. For a long time people did not see the danger. Now many people understand that they have wasted their national riches, and try to do their best to protect Nature. In our country people are not allowed to hunt rare animals. They must not pick the flowers of valuable plants. Special people take care of wild animals: they build feeding stations and grow rare, useful plants. In most countries today there are laws for the protection of Nature, but in some countries people don't yet obey these laws.
Exercise 2. Complete the sentences according to the text: 1. The ways of life in many parts … 2. There are great numbers of … 3. The water and the air … 4. … have been burnt. 5. People have always hunted … 6. … began long ago disappear … 7. Many people understand that … 8. … to hunt rare animals. 9. Today there are laws …
Exercise 3. Make up your own sentences with such words as: to protect, wild animals, national riches, to disappear, fur. Exercise 4. Put four types of questions to each sentence: 1. Fires destroy the work of Nature. 2. People are not allowed to hunt rare animals. 3. There are millions of cars and lorries on the roads. 4. People take care of wild animals. Exercise 5. Open the brackets and translate the sentences into Ukrainian: 1. If we don’t take care of wildlife, many animals ….(be) in danger. 2. If there were not forest fires, fertile soils …(not turn) into wastelands. 3. If people …(not destroy) forests, they would not change into deserts. 4. If people ….(pay) more attention to environmental protection, they would be happier and healthier. 5. If we …(not stop) ruining nature, we will not survive. 6. If people …(not contaminate) ([kən'tæmineit] забруднювати) air and soil, they would get better crops and be richer. 7. Unless we (fight) pollution, we cannot safeguard our children’s future. Exercise 6. Complete the sentences with the words from the box:
1. Since ancient times... has served Man. 2. For thousands of years people lived in... with environment. 3. Every year world industry pollutes the atmosphere with dust and other... substances. 4. Many cities suffer from.... 5. Vast forests are cut and burn in.... 6. The ways of life in many parts of the... have changed. 7. The water and the air are already not so.... 8. Fires also.... the work of Nature. 9. People are not allowed to hunt... animals. 10. People take care of wild animals: they build... stations and grow rare....
Exercise 7. Answer the questions: 7. How did people live for thousands of years? 8. What cities appear all over the world today? 9. What pollutes the air we breathe? 10. What upsets the oxygen balance? 11. Why have the ways of life in many parts of the world changed? 12. What destroys the work of Nature? 13. How do people protect Nature?
Exercise 8. Think over and express your ideas about the quotations. All ideas are greeted and discussed: 1. ‘Only when the last tree has died and the last river has been poisoned and the last fish has been caught will we realize that we can’t eat money.’ 2. ‘We haven’t inherited ([in'herit] успадковувати) the Earth from our fathers. We are both borrowing it from our children.’ Lesson 36. Environmental protection (Захист довкілля)
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