Our Environment – Endangered Species
Name:
Date:
1.Read the text and solve the following exercises.
Endangered Species
Every hour one animal is killed, risking the extinction of a
whole species. The Panda, for example, is a symbol of the fight for
endangered species. But it is becoming extremely rare: there are
only about 900 pandas in the whole world!
Pandas have been threatened over the years by illegal trade
but also by the destruction of bamboo forests, their main source
of food.
Conservationists say it is necessary to increase panda
reserves to guarantee enough food. Laws are being enforced,
especially in zoos and private organisations: a few years ago the
Chinese government found out that money from governmental
support to this species was being used for other purposes. Panda
poachers are also being severely punished for their crimes.
The tiger is another species on the edge of
extinction: when environmentalists finished their
studies a few years ago, three tiger subspecies had
already been destroyed. Nowadays there are only
5,000 tigers left in the wild. But this beautiful wild
animal is constantly poisoned, trapped and killed,
mostly due to illegal trade.
Strategies now tend to preserve tigers in the
wild: in the past countries were being helped only by
the United Nations to protect the habitats of this
species and, at the same time, encourage local
communities to support tiger conservation. Now
NGOs are helping and the struggle continues!
Polar bears are also on the list: a book was published last year by a British researcher
saying that this species will disappear within 100 years! A recent study was made estimating that
there are only 20,000 polar bears still in the wild.
But these majestic creatures are being threatened by pollution and global warming: ice is
melting, forcing polar bears to leave before they have eaten enough food. Not only is their food
destroyed, but also the access to feeding areas. That’s why strategies to preserve this species
include protecting their ecosystem, particularly their feeding areas and migration routes.
But there is still a lot to be done!
It’s up to us to do something to start reversing this situation before it is too late!
(adapted and abridged from www.un.org and
http://www.panda.org/about_wwf/what_we_do/species/our_solutions/endangered_species/index.cfm )
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Our Environment – Endangered Species
Name:
Date:
1. Go through the text and make a list of the dangers that each species has to face.
Threats Endangering Each Animal
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2. Now answer the following questions:
a) To protect the pandas three different measures need to be taken. What are those
measures?
b) “Strategies now tend to preserve tigers in the wild.” How is the United Nations
planning on doing this?
c) Why it is important to protect the polar bears’ feeding areas and migration routes?
Explain in your own words.
3. This text has many important words and expressions that we use when we talk
about animals risking extinction. Find in the text equivalents for the following
words/expressions:
a) disappearance
b) people that work to prevent endangered species from disappearing
c) illegal hunters
d) near extinction
e) a specific area in which climate, landscape, animals and plants depend on each other
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Our Environment – Endangered Species
Name:
Date:
The Passive Voice
Form: We build the passive voice with the verb to be in the same tense
of the main verb of the active sentence and the Past Participle of the main
verb.
is/are + Past Participle of the main verb
 E.g. Bamboo is eaten by pandas.
is being / are being + Past Participle of main verb
 E.g. Nowadays pandas are being protected.
was / were + Past Participle of main verb
 E.g. A rare tiger subspecies was found in India last year.
was being / were being + Past Participle of main verb
 E.g. Before the new laws pandas were being treated very badly.
has been / have been + Past Participle of main verb
 E.g. Polar bears have been saved in the last decades.
had been + Past Participle of main verb
 E.g. When the new laws were put into practice, millions of
endangered animals had already been killed.
Use: We use the passive voice when
 the action is more important than the subject who did it
e.g. Every hour one animal is killed and nothing is done!
 the subject is unknown
e.g. Yesterday a polar bear was stolen from a zoo. There are still no suspects.
 you want to be objective (for example in news reports or scientific documents).
e.g. Every year 50 pandas and polar bears are killed by hunger.
Agent:
To say who did the action we add by and the agent.
e.g. This tiger was saved by David!
We can omit the agent when the agent is not important or unknown.
e.g. Endangered species have been protected all over the world!
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Our Environment – Endangered Species
Name:
Date:
4. The following sentences are in the active voice. Write them in the passive voice,
making the necessary changes.
a) Present Simple – The local population protects the endangered species.
b) Present Continuous – The local population is protecting the endangered species.
c) Past Simple – The local population protected the endangered species.
d) Past Continuous – The local population was protecting the endangered species.
e) Present Perfect – The local population has protected the endangered species.
f) Past Perfect – The local population had protected the endangered species.
5. Rewrite the following sentences, starting as suggested below. Omit the agent
when it is not necessary.
a) Catherine found Kaki, a baby gorilla, a few years ago.
Kaki, a baby gorilla, _________________________________________.
b) Someone had killed Kaki’s mother.
Kaki’s mother _____________________________________________.
c) Since then Catherine has raised Kaki.
Since then Kaki ____________________________________________.
d) In the first years no one was helping Catherine.
In the first years Catherine ___________________________________.
e) But now the local community is protecting her.
But now she _______________________________________________.
f) Every hour someone kills an endangered animal like Kaki.
Every hour an endangered animal like Kaki ________________________.
6. Imagine that you are an environmentalist. Write a report on the situation of monk
seals to denounce (denunciar) it to a non-governmental organisation and to ask for
help, using the notes written by one of your colleagues. Use the passive voice!
Monk Seals
→For many years Monk Seals hunted for
food and pelts
→Now threatened – presence of humans
→Last year 200 seals killed in Caribbean
→During many months – chased
→When environmentalists got there - Caribbean Seal extinct
→Hundreds of monk seals protected daily - environmentalists
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