Animals are in danger in kazakhstan

Our Republic’s fauna and flora are very rich. There are 500 kinds of plants and animals in the taiga, the steppe [step], the semi-desert (полупустыня) and in the mountainous areas. They are Caspian seals [si:lz] and desert tortoises, the ancient steppe antelope saiga (сайгак) and the taiga bear, the pink flamingo and snow leopard. There are many types of fish in Kazakhstan too.

The antelope’s horns are used in medicine and many years ago thousands of them were killed in Kazakhstani steppes. That’s why antelopes are disappearing. Nowadays, wild animals are also in danger because foreign hunters often come to our country for hunting roe-deer, wild donkeys (архар), wild goats (горный козел) and other animals.

To organize hunting for foreign hunters is a very profitable (выгодный) business. But it is not well organized in our country. Only sick and weak animals may be hunted at a special license, and only in the areas where there are a lot of such animals. We are sorry, but the hunting rules are often broken, and we try to protect our animals. There are eight law protected territories (заповедники), 2 national parks and dozens (десятки) of specialized farms.

1. Plants and animals in the taiga, the steppe, the semi-desert and the forest zones.

2. Only sick and weak animals and birds may be hunted, and only in he areas where there are a lot of such animals.

3. Nowadays wild and domestic animals are in danger.

• According to the passage:

a. (little, many, poor) kinds of plants grow in the taiga, the steppe, the semi-desert and the mountain zones.

b. Only (sick, healthy, strong, big) animals may be hunted and only in the areas where there are a lot of such animals.

c. There are many (schools, prides, flocks) of fish in our seas and lakes.

d. Hunting is a very (poor, advantageous, rich) business.

Some interesting facts about east kazakhstan animals live “barometers”

Plenty of animals are very sensitive to the changes of weather.

Our saygaks (a kind of mountain elk), for example, are famous as live “barometers”. Their difficult nomadic life made them unusually adapted. It isn’t a surprise, that thousands of cattle-breeders composed a lot of legends about these animals.

Different shepherds often look at their behavior. If in winter they start migrating to the desert, a hard snowstorm will start soon. But if they go to the south, it will be a drought. If they are in the north for a long time, autumn will be late. In spring people don’t let their cattle go to the north, till saygaks don’t start moving there.

These wild animals can do unbelievable things in summer, when they are looking for winter. Saygaks often spend summers in deserts, where the weather is hot, and the sky is clear. There seems to be not a cloud on the horizon, and suddenly all these animals disappear. In a few days we find out that ten kilometers from that place, where saygaks had been recently been, it started to rain.

WHAT A GOOD SENSE THEY HAVE TO FEEL WATER 40-50 KILOMETRES AWAY!

Believe me, it is not a fairy tale. These are true facts, the result of long standing observation.

Now the scientists have a very interesting idea to have a flock of these live “barometers” nearby in order to forecast the weather by observing their behavior. They are sure that this forecast will be accurate.

• True, false or don’t know:

• Only weather forecast can predict the weather.

• Saygaks are considered to be live barometers.

• Saygaks were very helpful for the weathermen.

• Summers are spent by saygaks in deserts.

• If saygaks stay long in the south, autumn will be late.

• The drought will be if saygaks go to the south.

• Complete the sentences with one word from the text:

- Plenty of __ are sensible to the change of weather.

- A lot of __ are composed about saygaks.

- Different __ often look at their behavior.

- In spring cattle is not taken to the north till __ go there.

- Saygaks have a good __ to feel water 40 -50 kilometres away.

- The scientists are sure of having accurate forecast if __ live nearby.

• Make up 5 questions of different types to the text (general, disjunctive, alternative, special, to the subject).

• Write a short summary of the text.

• Give other examples how to predict the weather in your area.