In the estuary of the lena

The delta of the Lena, a major Siberian river, is a labyrinth of channels and islands whose territory totals 32,000 sq. km. Since 1985, a part of it has been declared a wildlife preserve. Together with the neighbouring Kharaulakh Ridge the preserve’s area amounts to 14,330 sq km.

The Yakutian coast of the Arctic Ocean, where the preserve is located, is known for its severe climate; people rarely settle there. Yet, few as they are, hunters’ and fishermen’s communities have done much to ruin the environment for the indigenous delta inhabitants. As a result, not only food-fish, game-birds and fur animals but other species, too, have dramatically decreased in number. The total of swans and geese in the past two decades has been cut down by 600 and 300 per cent respectively; at present the Lena can boast 156-fold less whitefish than half a century ago. Small wonder that experts in tundra studies insisted upon making the delta of the Lena a wildlife preserve, and the authorities responded to their reasoning.

Almost half of the preserve’s territory is covered by plain and mountainous tundra – shrubby, grassy and rocky. There are many swamps, some of them typical of coastal areas of northern Asia – from a helicopter they look like enamel polygons separated from each other by rollers of clay and peat; they owe their existence to the ground ice.

The preserve is criss-crossed with channels and branches of the river; in summer, together with numerous lakes on the islands, they attract diverse water-fowl.

Winters are as cold and long, as everywhere else north of the Arctic Circle; only a hundred days a year there is no snow. By average indications the weather in the delta of the Lena is even more unwelcoming than in the “freezers” of the Northern Hemisphere – Yakutia’s Verkhoyansk and Oimyakon. Summers are cool and short, yet sufficient for the green and vibrant celebration of life: yellow polar poppies, carpets of pinkish-lilac carnations…The strength of life is indomitable: the stems of the blossoming pasque-flower struggle their way even through the snow.

Few people know that the tundra is home for some trees, too. There are even groves of one of the larch species in some places. The maximum height for such trees is three metres. Nearly 400 species of higher plants (86 among them are rare ones) grow in the preserve.

As for fauna, the preserve is inhabited by 94 species of birds and 29 – of mammals (five of them live in the sea). The preserve has given shelter to such rare animals as the polar bear, Laptev’s walrus, unicorn fish, sea hare, beluga, and in the mountainous part of it – to the polar ram and black marmot.

Nesting in the preserve are pink sea-gulls, black brants and smaller swans – birds which have been taken under special protection. To restore the former number of fish, birds and animals entered in the Red Books of all ranks is one of the major objectives of the preserve.

Experts are studying the valuable whitefish, nelma and other fishes of the same species, the biology of frostfish and the Pacific herring all the year round. The preserve is a vintage treasure-trove for ornithologists and botanists.

5.24. Complete the sentences about pets with the words from the box.

lick / tank / stroke / kittens / mess / size / the litter tray / dry food / aggressive / looking after

1. I keep it outside / in a cage / in a ….

2. They’re quite demanding / poisonous /……/ playful / smelly.

3. She had six babies /……/ puppies / eggs.

4. You can’t hold /……/ play with them.

5. They need a lot of / exercise /food / …… /attention.

6. You can feed them tinned food / leftovers /…… /mice.

7. You have to clean them /……/ the cage regularly.

8. They grow big / to about a metre / to an enormous ……

9. They often scratch /jump on /……you.

10. They can make an awful noise /…….

5.25. Work in pairs. Which animal do you think makes the best pet? Choose one of the alternatives, compare and contrast. Use as much of the language from activity 5.24 as you can.

1. Cat or Dog?

2. Snake or Hamster?

5.26. Read the dialogue and decide if the statements below are true or false. Then explain the meaning of the words and phrases in bold.

1. Al is going to keep the puppies.

2. Suzie prefers cats to dogs.

3. Suzie’s previous pet died.

4. The snake is not dangerous.

5. Al wants to have his picture taken with the snake.

S=Suzie, A = Al

S: Oh wow! They’re so cute!

A: I know. They are great! They’re only three weeks old.

S: What breed are they?

A: Siberian Huskies.

S: Really? So what are you going to do with them?

A: Well, I wish I could keep them, but it’s too much. The grow so big. I guess we’ll sell them or give them away. Do you want one?

S: Er … no! I’m actually more of a cat person.

A: Really? And I can’t stand cats!

S: Why?!

A: I just find them annoying. They’re only interested in people when they are hungry. You know what I mean? Most of the time, they’re out of the house. They only come back when they want to be fed.

S: Oh, come on! They’re not so bad. They like to be stroked! And people like to stroke them. And cats are so independent. Don’t get me wrong – I do like dogs, but they are so demanding! They always expect you to play with them or take them to walks. And they are always jumping on top of you and licking you! I could do without it.

A: So, have you got a cat, then?

S: No, we had one when I was younger. In fact, my parents still have him, but it’s not fair to have a cat in my flat. Cats need some freedom. And the litter tray is so smelly!

A: I can imagine. So you don’t have any pets?

S: Well, actually I have a snake.

A: A snake! You’re joking! I’m terrified of snakes.

S: My snake isn’t poisonous.

A: How big is it?

S: About a metre.

A: That’s big enough. Do you ever take it out?

S: Yeah, of course! I’ve taken it to the university to show people. People like to have their photo taken with a snake around their neck.

A: Not me!

S: It’s fun!

A: Forget it.

5.27. Work in pairs. What reason do Al and Suzie give for NOT having a cat / a dog / a snake? Do you agree with their reasons?

5.28. Put the words in the correct order to make questions about pets.

1. poisonous / is / it

2. it / breed / what / is

3. it / do / where / keep / you

4. I / him / stroke / can

5. it /if /is / pick him up / I /OK

6. it / long / you / have /had / how

7. you / do / it / what / feed

5.29. Work in pairs. Describe a pet you have. Show a picture if you have one. Then talk about your pet using the questions from activity 5.28.

5.30. Work in pairs. Discuss these questions.

● Have you heard any stories about animals escaping from anywhere?

● Would you ever save or kill an animal? In what situation?

● Do you like the idea of going trekking through the jungle? Why? / Why not?

UNIT 6 BIODIVERSITY