I. Try to identify the part of speech of the following words according to the word-building elements:

the beginning, greater, to enable, tougher, thicker, pressure, critical, deforestation, industrialization, contributor, vitally, globally, majestic, regulation.

II. Find the antonyms to the following words:

1. beginning a) reduction, lessening

2. to cleanse b) small

3. to forget c) forestation

4. larger d) found

5. thicker e) different

6. similar f) thinner

7. lost g) smaller

8. deforestation h) to remember

9. massive i) to dirty

10. expansion j) end

III. Give Ukrainian equivalents:

to cover the land surface, to depend on trees, to evolve together, thick roots, to enable the evolution, reinforced branch joints, to threaten with extinction, to be lost and not recovered, massive deforestation, a significant contributor, the loss of forest cover, to be essential to the health, climate regulation, the distribution of nutrients, to shield animals, to provide oxygen.

IV. Translate the following word combinations into English:

вкривати поверхню Землі, залежати від дерев, розвиток нових видів рослин, еволюція ссавців, під тиском ваги дерева, нагадувати різдвяну ялинку, бути під загрозою зникнення, значне руйнування лісу, ключові функції, забезпечувати сировиною, затримувати воду.

V. Complete the following sentences:

1. Some of the many key functions of forests include….

2. Globally, forests are essential to ….

3. For many nations the demands for resources from the forests are giv­ing way to ….

4. The earliest known modern tree is ….

5. Wood is a much tougher, thicker and reinforced fibrе necessary for trees to ….

6. The most important thing that makes trees unique from all other plants is ….

7. Today, we are so used to and dependent on trees that ….

VI. Correct the statements if necessary using the phrases of agreement or disagreement:

1. Trees first appeared and began to cover the land surface of the Earth some 170 million years ago.

2. The most important thing that makes trees unique from all other plants is they all have leaves.

3. The earliest known modern tree is apple tree.

4. For many nations the demands for resources from the forests are giv­ing way to expansion and massive deforestation.

5. Human populations are growing; our demands are constantly falling down.

6. Globally, forests are not essential to the health of ecosystems and their functions, biodiversity and economics.

7. 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.

VII. Answer the following questions:

1. When did the first trees begin to cover the land surface of the Earth?

2. What helped the first trees to break up the rocky crust of Earth’s surface?

3. What thing makes trees unique from all other plants?

4. What is the earliest known modern tree?

5. How many species are threatened with extinction nowadays?

6. What is deforestation?

7. What are trees and forests essential to?

8. What are the key functions of forests?