Unit 5. Trees and the deforestation problem

PRE-TEXT EXERCISES

I. Memorize the pronunciation of the following words:

1. Earth – Земля (планета)

2. To evolve – розвиватися, еволюціонувати

3. Root – коріння

4. To create – створювати

5. Species – види

6. To enable – уможливити

7. Unique – унікальний

8. Mammals – ссавці

9. Fibre – волокно

10. Timber – лісоматеріал, ліс як об’єкт промислового використання

11. Fern – папороть

12. Approximately – приблизно

13. Extinction – вимирання

14. Expansion – розширення, збільшення використання

15. Deforestation – знищення лісу

16. Vital – життєво необхідний

17. Essential – необхідний

18. Biodiversity – біорізноманітність

19. Provision – забезпечення

20. To retain – затримувати

21. To shield – давати прихисток

22. Majestic – чарівний

II. Translate the following international words:

Million, evolution, unique, nation, massive, resources, civilization, ecosystem, function, material.

III. While translating the text keep in mind different meanings of the words:

Wood 1) ліс; гай;

2) дерево (як матеріал); деревина, лісоматеріал;

3) дрова;

4) (the woods) дерев’яні духові інструменти.

Forest 1) ліс;

2) мисливський заповідник.

Tree 1) дерево;

2) родовід (family tree);

3) шибениця.

Timber 1) лісоматеріал; будівельний ліс;

2) колода, брусок; балка.

IV. Words to remember:

1. To break up the rocky crust – розбивати кам’яний покрив

2. To be a much tougher, thicker and reinforced fibre – бути дуже щільним, товстим волокном підвищеної міцності

3. To look similar to – бути подібним до чогось

4. Buds and branch joints – бруньки та гілки

5. To resemble – нагадувати щось

6. To recover – видужувати; (тут) – поновлюватись

7. Key functions – ключові функції

8. The cycling and distribution of nutrients – обертання та розподіл поживних речовин

9. To cleanse the air – очищувати повітря

10. To be used to smth – звикати до чогось

11. To give way to smth – спричиняти, викликати щось

Trees and the deforestation problem

Trees first appeared and began to cover the land surface of the Earth some 370 million years ago. Today, we are so used to and dependent on trees that it's hard to believe that animals could have existed without them or that they did not at least evolve together in the beginning.

Trees, with their large and thick roots, helped break up the rocky crust of Earth's surface to create the soil that would allow the development of new plant species, including other trees. And it was the greater evolution of plants and trees that enabled the evolution of larger land animals, in­cluding mammals.

The most important thing that makes trees unique from all other plants is they all have wood. Wood is a much tougher, thicker and reinforced fibre necessary for trees to hold themselves up under the pressure of their weight.

The earliest known modern tree is the Archaeopteris, a tree that looked similar to a Christmas tree with buds, reinforced branch joints and wood similar to today’s timber. Its branches and leaves resembled a fern.

Today there are approximately 100,000 known species of trees that exist throughout the world. However over 8,000 species are threatened with extinction and 976 of those are in a critical state. The fact is that trees now cover only about 29.6 percent of Earth’s total land area. From 1990 to 2000 about two percent of the world’s forest cover was lost and not recovered.

For many nations the demands for resources from the forests are giving way to expansion and massive deforestation. Humans have cut forests for their resources to build cities and housing, and for agriculture. Industrialization has also been a significant contributor to the loss of our forest cover.

Human populations are growing; our demands are constantly increasing but in such developing of civilization we shouldn’t forget that trees are vitally important to world health on all levels. Globally, forests are essential to the health of ecosystems and their functions, biodiversity and economics. Some of the many key functions of forests include climate regulation, the cycling and distribution of nutrients, and the provision of raw materials and resources. Trees cleanse the air and provide oxygen, help soil retain water, shield animals and other plants from the sun and other elements, and provide habitat for animals and plants. And don’t forget the majestic beauty they give us throughout each year!

TEXT-BASED ASSIGNMENTS