Is it fair to keep animals in zoos?

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The world around us

This week, Janet Baxter gives her opinion

The biosphere is the region of the Earth’s crust and atmosphere where life exists. It includes our physical environment and a biological community of interacting organisms. We are among these organisms that cannot survive without the environment. The environment is an everyday topic in our schools and homes, but we aren’t doing much about it.

2. There are many examples of our destruction of the planet. Thousands of lakes are already lifeless and we continue putting toxic substances into the atmosphere. These pollutants (acidic particles and solutes) end up on the land and in the water and become part of our daily diet. Every year we lose about 7 million hectares of fertile land. We are also destroying millions of hectares of forests that produce the oxygen we breathe. Our cities consume and contaminate the natural environment – they are like enormous parasites that need to eat everything around them to survive. We produce rubbish, consume rubbish and are surrounded by rubbish. We don’t know what to do with it: we bury it, throw it in the seas, and we even send it to outer space!

3. We continue ignoring these facts, or blaming one another. And every day we decide on the lives of millions of creatures that share the planet with us. According to the United Nations, by 2025 there will be around 8,300 million people on Earth (around 40% more than today).

4. We have the means and the technology to restore the ecological balance. We also have the ability to research into ways of living without damaging our environment: energy sources, synthetic food, potable water and so on. To solve these problems we need to leave behind our superficial differences and lifestyles. The Earth is a unit of life. What we do to our planet and to others shows what we are doing to ourselves. Our collective future depends on how we assume our individual responsibilities.

What do YOU think?

Environmental problems

Environmental problems have become exceptionally acute in the modern world and environmental protection has become a vital necessity for all people.

Our planet is in serious danger. One of the most important environmental problems in the world today is the shortage of clean water. Industrial pollution has made many sources of water undrinkable. Rivers, lakes and even seas have become poisonous. Thousands of fish die every year as a result of the illegal dumping of waste in rivers by industrial enterprises all over the world.

Lake Baikal is one of the world’s largest and most beautiful lakes. It contains a rich variety of fish and plants, including 1,300 rare species that do not exist anywhere else in the world. However, they are being killed by the massive industrial waste, which some factories still pour into the lake every day. A few years ago people thought that the supply of clean water was limitless. Now clean water is scarce, and we are beginning to respect this precious resource. We must protect the clean water that remains for the sake of our descendants.

Air pollution is another important problem. In hundreds of cities and towns the concentration of harmful substances in the air is over ten times the admissible level. Every day a huge number of plants and factories emit lots of harmful substances into the atmosphere of big cities. The great increase in the use of motor cars in the last quarter of the 20^th century has caused an increase in a new kind of air pollution. Pollution from factories and exhaust fumes poison the air we breathe and are the main reasons for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.

The acid rain can damage life in lakes and rivers and destroy forests. Greenhouse effect may also have disastrous consequences for our planet. It is already affecting several areas of the world with unusual weather causing droughts or heavy storms. The world’s temperature is going up and the climate is changing. Cutting down on emissions from large plants and exhaust fumes from vehicles could help solve the problem. I think we should try and use alternative energy such as solar energy and wind energy, and design plants and cars that run on electricity, a much cleaner fuel than petrol.

One of the most alarming environmental issues is depletion of the ozone layer, which protects the Earth from the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun. Because of the ozone holes the dangerous rays get through the atmosphere, causing skin cancer and other serious diseases. CFCs are the chemicals responsible for much of the damage to the ozone layer.

In my opinion, the most urgent ecological problem today if the environmental safety of nuclear power stations. Nuclear pollution can’t be seen but its effects can be terrible. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are. Nuclear waste also endangers people’s lives. People all over the world protest against nuclear tests and nuclear weapons. If we do not take any action, the possibility of a global nuclear disaster might become very real.

Of course, we can’t help mentioning such burning issues as deforestation and destruction of wildlife, overpopulation and shortage of natural resources. The list of serious ecological problems could be continued.

In short, people have destroyed our environment by building huge cities and power stations, developing industries, cutting down trees and excavating mountains. In pursuit of new inventions and discoveries, as well as higher and higher profits, man has forgotten about nature, and it has led him to the edge of ecological catastrophe. Ignorance about ecology may lead to further destruction of nature and worsen living conditions for all living beings.

Match the natural disasters 1-8 with their definitions in A-H.

1 global warming 5 drought

2 flood 6 deforestation

3 hurricane 7 tidal wave

4 earthquake 8 volcano

A a mountain which produces hot rocks and steam

B a sudden, violent movement of the earth’s surface

C cutting down trees over a large area

D a large amount of water in an area which is usually dry

E a wall of sea water, often caused by an earthquake

F a storm with very strong winds

G a long period of very dry weather

H rising temperatures which affect the world’s climate

Complete the conversation with these words and phrases.

A I think it’s shocking that

B are governments doing about it

C what is global warming exactly

D dreadful

E all because of pollution

F because of global warming

G and affects the weather

H but unfortunately not enough

Mark: Did you know that last year was the hottest on the record!

Sarah: Really? Is it __(1)__?

Mark: That’s right.

Sarah: __(2)__?

Mark: It’s caused by industrial pollution. The pollution warms the Earth’s atmosphere, melts the ice caps __(3)__.

Sarah: That’s __(4)__.

Mark: of CONowadays there are more hurricanes, floods and droughts than ever before - __(5)__.

Sarah: But what __(6)__?

Mark: Well, there are some conservation and recycling programmes, __(7)__.

Sarah: __(8)__ they don’t do more.

What can YOU do to help? The top tips.

1. Fly less. Use buses or trains instead where possible. If you have to fly, it might be a good idea to give money to an environmental organization to compensate for the CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions of your flight.

2. Drive as little as possible. Use bikes, or public transport. And if you need to drive, buy a hybrid car, which has an extra electric motor which charges up when you brake. You could also car share with your friend.

3. Use only energy saving light bulbs.

4. Plant trees. Two or three dozen trees can absorb a whole household’s emissions of CO2.

5. Don’t keep your TV or other electric appliances on standby. Switch them off completely.

6. Try to buy organic food, if possible which has been grown locally. Take your own shopping bags when you go to supermarkets.

7. Have showers not baths.

8. Use the cold water wash on your washing machine, and use a dishwasher, on the economy programme, which uses less energy and water than hand-washing dishes.

9. Turn your heating down. If you use air conditioning, don’t have it at less than 25˚C.

10. Support an environmental organization.

11. Regularly recycle paper, glass, plastic and household waste.

12. Vote for the political party which is doing the most to combat climate change.

Reading Comprehension

Should minks be free?

One night a do-goody organization formed for the protection of animals broke into a mint-farm in Britain. The minks were not consulted, of course, but the animal lovers knew that minks had been born free and decided that their sufferings in captivity should be intolerable. So several hundred minks disappeared in no time in the neighbouring woods. This caused the greatest possible alarm. Not that the minks behaved badly. Not in the least. But their reputation proved to be truly awesome. According to another animal loving society, minks were said to be some of the most dangerous of all animals. In fact, they belong to the ferret family, the wildest and the most vicious of creatures. Taking the ferret’s weight and size into consideration, the minks appeared to be more dangerous than tigers. The ferret – and the mink – does not only kill the unfortunate otter, which is dying out in any case, but might attack and kill children.

Thus the blow struck for the Freedom of the Mink created wild panic among British mothers. Then an unexpected twist occurred. The minks failed to attack children in the neighbourhood. A few hours after their release, when their morning feeding time approached, the little beasts obediently returned to the farm and queued for a renewed term of captivity. Their decision was only too obvious: they preferred good room service, proper heating and sufficient and tasty food to the dangers and other inconveniences of the woods, to the risks of hunting and being hunted. In other words, they preferred comfort to freedom. Minks are only human.

Freedom means responsibility: equally shirked by man and ferret. Wearing a mink-coat seems to have a demoralizing effect on both.

A Answer the following questions:

1. Taking into consideration weight and size parameters, the most dangerous animal is

a a ferret b a mink c an otter d a tiger

2. The animal lovers’ act failed because

a the minks got used to living in captivity

b the minks failed to attack children

c the minks were not consulted

d the minks proved their reputation

3. Which does not follow from the text? The minks seemed to like

a good room service c proper diet

b central heating d regular feeding

4. In the author’s opinion, minks are

a wild and intolerable c demoralized and suffering

b vicious and dangerous d only human

5. Which statement is true?

a The minks were truly awesome and behaved badly.

b The minks preferred the risks of hunting and being hunted.

c The minks created wild panic among British mothers.

d The minks’ sufferings in captivity were intolerable.

Intolerable – невыносимый, нестерпимый

Vicious – [vi∫әs] злобный, порочный, норовистый

Vice – [vais] порок, зло, недостаток

Ferret – хорек

Otter – выдра

To shirk – избегать, увиливать от чего-либо

Parameter – [pә΄ræmitә] параметр, критерий

B Render the text

C Speaking: Animals in our life.

Talking points

1. What are the most popular pets:

A in our country B in Britain C in other countries?

2. Do you think the pets resemble their masters?

3. Do you think that preserving animal life is man’s responsibility?

Choose a topic and give your arguments for and against

1. Animals should not be kept at home.

2. Wild animals belong to nature; all zoos should be closed

3. It is barbarous to kill animals for food or skins.

4. A dog is the only faithful companion for man.

5. Stray dogs are dangerous and should be killed.

6. It’s better to give extra money to the poor than to spend it on pets.

Writing: write a paragraph about your pet’s habits.

Is it time for nuclear power?

A.Discuss these questions before you read:

1. What do you associate the word “nuclear” with?

2. Have you ever had a power cut? (if “yes”, when and where?)

B.Read the text and match phrases 1-4 with gaps A-D in the text.

1. It can either be buried or recycled as new fuel.

2. The world needs alternative sources of energy …

3. such as wind mills, solar, water, coal, nuclear power and natural gas.

4. So what will a new nuclear reactor look like?

C. Check you understand the key words

To outstrip, nuclear power, nuclear safety, demand, fossil fuel, oil, coal, source, plant, dispose of, reprocessing, to bury, to recycle, renewable, emissions, windmill.

Electric demand has outstripped supply.

1. In times of growing demand, the world needs new electricity generators. The problem is these generators have become very expensive to operate and, what is more, experts state that fossil fuel supplies (gas, oil, coal) are limited.

2. Energy comes from many different sources, A ______. Natural gas is the most popular fuel for power plants but also the most expensive (gas prices have increased substantially in the last years). “There has not been a better time for nuclear power in the last 25 years’, said an energy expert.

3. So, is it time for new nuclear reactors? Maybe, but there are obvious problems. Reactor waste can remain dangerous for thousands of years and many countries have not yet decided what to do with it. B _____. The world has not yet found safe places to dispose of the waste, and reprocessing is not only an expensive technology but also dirty.

4. What to do with used nuclear fuel is a technical and political problem, which has become one of the most delicate issues of the nuclear safety debate.

5. C _____. Some well-known companies have designed simpler reactors, and safer because there are fewer things that can go wrong.

6. Nuclear energy supporters say that with better design, the new generation of reactors will be less expensive to operate than the competing sources of electricity.

7. On the other hand, environmentalists support investments in clean technologies based on renewable sources like wind and solar. But, so far, those sources are not significant compared with demand.

8. D _____, and many researchers are pursuing new technologies, which will have to deal with pollution problems – especially emissions linked to global climate change.

9. Meanwhile, many reactors have been in service with a low record of minor incidents, and are producing more power than ever. The Chernobyl nuclear accident in Ukraine was 15 years ago, and Three Mile Island was 22 years ago.

D.The following statements relate to one or more of these categories. Tick the right column(s) in the table below.

1. “To keep our air clean, we’ve built power plants that burn natural gas.”

2. “Alternatives like solar and wind are only available when the generating source is operating (i.e. when the sun is shining or the wind is blowing at the right speed).”

3. “Let’s face facts. The only thing that is getting greener in California, is the pockets of our politicians.”

4. “Energy producers have reduced energy production to increase prices.”

5. “The only answer to our power problems is nuclear.”


Technology
Economics
Politics
Environment	ü

E.Match phrases 1-5 with A-E to form sentences.

1 Energy comes from	A a technical and a political issue.
2 Natural gas is	B nuclear power?
3 The disposal of used nuclear fuel is	C renewable sources.
4 Clean technologies are based on	D the most expensive fuel.
5 Is it a good time for	E different sources.

F Read the newspaper article and fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

RIO DE JANEIRO, June 5

In response to the energy crises, last Friday Brazil 1 _(begin)_ at least 6 months of obligatory electricity rationing. Brazilians are furious. “We 2 _(grow up)_ in a land of abundance. We 3_(need)_ to be re-educated”, said a store clerk, “at home we 4_(watch)_ TV without lights on”. “We are in the dark at the palace”, the president said, “and we 5_(turn off)_ the outside illumination”.

G Find out this information about your country and write a report.

What is the major source of energy? How many nuclear reactors are there? Where are they situated? Are they in service? How do we dispose of the waste?

Multiple matching: read the text and match the headings A-F with the four parts of the text. Two headings are extra.

A. Issues the course focuses on

B. Qualifications needed to enroll on the course

C. The importance of targeting the present age group

D. Questions which have already been answered about the planet.

E. Problems with how environmental issues are taught

F. Bringing the right message to the classroom

What on Earth can we do to save the planet?

With scientists and environmental groups wondering out loud whether the human race will survive to the end of the century, it is a good moment for people in education to consider whether they are teaching the right subjects, or teaching them right.

1.___

After all, the people about to pass through universities are those who will decide whether Homo sapiens makes it beyond 2100. If the next generation of students do not get the message concerning the way our planet is heading, and act on the information, the future does indeed look bleak.

2.___

It is not that the issue of environment is ignored in education: nearly every institution now has courses that mention the word in its title. But it is mostly a fashionable add-on to something regarded as more mainstream. And even the best courses do not take in the single big question – will the world as we are shaping it survive? Perhaps every academic should take a moment to ask themselves yet another question: Will their subject, the way it is currently taught, make a difference in saving the human race?

3.___

A group of academics from the Open University in the UK began looking at this idea more than five years ago. The result is a course open to Britons at home and abroad, as long as they can provide a UK address. Topics that students can expect to cover range across the globe and across subjects – from environmental justice in Nigeria and biodiversity loss in Brazil, to the economic impacts of tourism in Bhutan and the challenge of meeting energy needs in China.

4.___ facing the human race, the course might seem depressing, but the underlying message is a cheerful one. If we understand the issue, we can do something about it. The aim is to show that once people understand the problems, it is possible to find compromises and solutions, and that doing nothing is not an option. And if that much is conveyed to the students efficiently, perhaps there is some chance for our survival after all.

(adapted from: Paul Brown, “What on Earth can we do to save the planet” Guardian Weekly)

Grammar

Read the following e-mail about the deforestation of the Amazon and fill in the blanks with the correct form of the verbs in brackets.

Last week I 1_____ (receive) an e-mail from a friend in England and I immediately 2_____ (send) it to all the people on my address book.

This is what it 3_____ (say): “The Brazilian congress 4 _____ (now/vote) on a project that 5_____ (reduce) the Amazon forest to 50% of its size. They 6 ____ (use) this area for agriculture and pastures, and multinational companies 7 ____ (sell) all the wood to international markets. They 8 ____ (already/deforest) 160,000 square kilometres with the same purpose but then they 9 ____ (abandon) the rest of the project.

The truth is that the soil in the Amazon forest 10 ____ (be) nothing without the forest itself. The deforested areas 11 _____ (now/be) in the process of becoming deserts.

Deforestation – and also the subsequent processing of the wood – on this scale 12 ____ (also/release) a big amount of carbon back into the atmosphere and the problem of climate change 13 ____ (get) worse.

We cannot let this happen. Please, 14_____ (send) this information to everyone you know.”