Unit10-Reading-Listening
Unit10: CONSERVATION
A. The loss of forest is destroying the earth’s plant and animal variety. Scientists say about 5,000 species of plants and animals are eliminated each year. This is especially worrying as many of those plants and animals could be used as medicines against cancer, AIDS, heart disease and many other sicknesses. We may never know the true cost of this destruction.
B. Man and most animals need a constant supply of water to live. Farmers need water for their crops. Hydroelectric dams hold back needed water and provide power for homes and industries. Trees, grasses, and other plant life play an important part in the natural circulation of water, and thus help conserve it. Without plants, most water would run off as soon as it falls, taking away valuable soil. Rapid run-off would cause frequent floods and leave little water during dry seasons.
C. These days it is impossible to open a newspaper without reading about the damage we are doing to the environment. The earth is being threatened and the future looks bad. What can each of us do? We cannot clean up our polluted rivers and seas overnight. Nor can we stop the disappearance of plants and animals. But we can stop worsening the problem while scientists search for answers, and laws are passed in nature's defence.