Topic 29: Endangered species (Phần 2)

The past fifty years or so have seen the gradual disappearing of animals from this earth, fishes from the sea, trees and plants from the land.

Many factors result in this unpleasant phenomenon. Among them, hunting is the main factor that endangers wildlife. Some people kill wildlife for sport. They take pleasure in collecting heads and hides. Yet others specialize in commercial hunting like killing whales.

Apart from this, the rapidly growing human population threatens wildlife on land, too. Towns expand and roads have to be built, so forests are burnt and trees are chopped down. It seems that man needs every inch of land within his reach, so he moves on to the natural habitat of wildlife. Tigers, lions and leopards slowly die off without the food and shelter that the forests provide.

In addition, rapid urbanization means industrial expansion. Very often, poisonous chemicals, industrial wastes and oil are dumped into the rivers and seas. Fish and birds are threatened.

Man depends greatly on animals for survival. He needs their flesh, hides and furs. Thus, man cannot do without wildlife; or he himself would become extinct. The public should be made aware that it would be better to shoot the animals with a camera than with a gun. In this way, they can preserve and help wildlife to continue living rather than to remove all signs of it.

Man must learn to farm the sea as he does the land. He should regulate the amount and the frequency of his catch. He should allow fish to breed and multiply before netting them. Man also needs to build forest reserves, and to pass laws prohibiting the killing of animals, especially those that are already rare. To retain the present animal kingdom, the least that man can do is to clean the seas and rivers and to prevent pollution.

The cycle of nature is such that it forms a vicious circle. The insecticides and pesticides that we spray on crops can kill the birds and animals that feed on them. When man eats these poisoned animals, he himself can die. We must therefore test the chemicals to be used before they are sprayed or it might mean the death of man!

(Source: http://fasterreading.com)

The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to __________ .

According to the passage, what has happened to the wildlife in the past fifty years or so?

According to the passage, the biggest threat to wildlife is________.

The growing human population threatens wildlife because____________.

The phrase “natural habitat of wildlife” in paragraph 3 refers to_________.

According to the passage, fishes are threatened by_________.

The last paragraph is mainly about_________.

The phrase “commercial hunting” in paragraph 2 refers to the kind of hunting for _______.