Protecting the lions

One member of the lion family, the Asian lion, is … in the world. Only about 200 of them survive in a … in the Gir Forest in India. As a result, there is now a special Asian lion … program at the San Diego Zoo. Two prides have been created, with almost twenty lions taken from other zoos.

It is extremely difficult to get an accurate count of lions. They moved about during the night, they shift from pride to pride, and they live across very large … . There are currently about 2,500 lions living in the Serengeti National Park.

Even on the game preserves, lions can be … . Lions have few natural enemies in the wild. But they are often caught in the poachers’ snares, and sometimes still … by hunters, although hunting lions has been … in most of Africa. When they leave the bounds of the preserve and roam into farming …, lions risk being … because they are a threat to cattle.

Because lions are able to live on the preserves in zoos, they are not in … of extinction. But they need continued … if their survival is to be ensured.

B

1)Dangerous, 2)feeding, 3)habitat, 4)survive, 5)feed, 6)inhabits, 7)food, 8)mixture, 9)mountains.

The animals of the Rocky Mountains

The animals of the Rocky Mountains are an interesting … of prairie, forest and arctic forms. Each has its own particular requirements and can only … where they exist. In summer, the large grazing animals range throughout the …, each seeking its own preferred … . Mountain goats and bighorn sheep prefer high alpine areas, elk and deer the lush forest meadows, while chipmunks, ground-squirrels and coyotes are not so particular where they … .The black bear, which may in fact be black, brown or even yellow, can be seen by park visitors as it looks for … in open meadows or on mountain slopes. The grizzly bear normally … the more remote regions of the Rocky Mountains. National Park regulations forbid … or molesting any wildlife; bears in particular are … and should be left alone.

10. Fill in the correct word derived from the words in brackets

One of the world’s … 1(danger) species, the rhinoceros, is still being hunted for its horn. The WWF supports … 2(organize) which try to stop the … 3(hunt) by providing vehicles and … 4(equip) for several national parks in Africa. Protected areas have a high fence around them, so rhinos can roam in … 5(safe). The WWF also helps in the … 6(transport) or rhinos from … 7(danger) areas into protected ones.

It is very important to lessen the demand for rhino horns. Rising … 8(aware) of the problem is one way to help the situation. Rhino … 9(conserve) is one of the WWF’s main task. … 10(hope) the WWF will be able to put a stop to the …11(acceptable) act of rhino hunting.

11. There are many environmental problems in the world today. Choose two or three of the ones that follow and express your attitude to them. Say whether you would like to join some pressure group. What particular area of work would you choose? Use the information below:

Ecological problems:

1. Air, river and sea pollution;

2. Overfishing;

3. The greenhouse effect;

4. The destruction of the ozone layer;

5. Battery farming;

6. Waste disposal;

7. Destruction of rainforests;

8. Overpopulation;

9. Some species of animals under extinction;

10. Recycling of rubbish.