The natural world Flora and fauna, agriculture Mifloraandfauna__ 4.41. How many plants and animals do you know? Can you name: five animals found in Africa? five animals found in Austratia? 8 five different types of flower? five different types of tree? five types of fruit? F five types of vegetable? 1.2 Are these words associated with plants or animals? Put the words into the correct column. Which word can go in both columns? 1 flora fauna vegetation branch twig root coat predator beak trunk fur hide scales feathers paw claw thorn petal_horn Animals Plants ed ®- We say we must take care of mature, NOT We must {ake core of themotare- Naturalis the adjective Form: Itis a natural process. NOT leis-e-nowue process: Which five words in the animal column are connected to their skin or covering? 1.3 COMPOUND NOUNS Complete the sentences by adding one of these words animal, human, nature, natural . 1 It's human ......2424°.... to want to find a solution to our problems. 2 Vegans do not use or eat any. products. I would rather be served by 3 ‘being than by a computer. Tam constantly amazed by how beautiful and how destructive mother... can be. Man is said to be the most dangerous creature of all the rosso kingdom, Animals are much happier living in their habitat. Manmade disasters such as chemical spills can destroy the balance. In some countries prisoners are dented baSiCw.nnsmnm FiQhtS. 46The natural world 9 1.4 | ©9® Listen to a description of an animal called a meerkat and complete the table, Habitat Diet ‘© Found in South Africa in "© Meerkats mostly et wo. areas. } 0. ‘and ‘© Avoids woodlond ard thick . @. ‘© They occasionally eot small rodents ‘© Iesleeps in (3) and the (8). of certain plants, ‘ ‘¢ fnecessory the meerkat will make a @. between rocks. 1 rose tulip daisy GeedMesaet. ere, 5 tropical subtroplal humid ai. ie pick il fc fe ep 3. crop plant shew bush 7 endene native Introduced lca 4 organic natural chemical biological 2.2 Read the text and then decide if the statements below are true or false. Find words inthe text which mean ‘the same or the opposite of the words in bold. Introduced species Since the birth of agriculture, farmers have tried to avoid using pesticides by employing various biological ‘methods to control nature. The frst method involved introducing a predator that would control pests by eating {Ue This was used successfully 1925 to contol the prickly pear population in Australia. The prickly pear hed originally been used as a divider between paddacks. However, it eventually spread from a few farms to 4 milion hectares of farming land, rendering them unusable, The Cactoblasts moth larvae was introduced to help control the situation and within ton years, the prickly pear was virtually eradicated. Further attempts at biological contol ‘weren't so successful. When farmers tried to eliminate the cane beetle by introducing the South American cane toad, the results were catastrophic. The cane toad did not eat the cane beetle and the toad population spread rapidly leading to the decline of native species of mammals and repties. 1 Farmers do not like using chemicals to kill pests. 2 The prickly pear was planted as a type of barrier between fields. 3. The Coctoblastis moth killed off nearly all prickly pear plants. 4 The cane toad was a native species to Australia... 5 Using the cane toad was very successful. ar9 The natural world 12.3.) Now read the rest of the text and match the 3. | Improve the text by replacing the words in italics words in italics tothe definitions below. with a suitable word or phrase from this unit Other introduced species have proved sinily Some farmers believe that growing fut and disastrous among native Australian animals. Since vegetables that have been ? changed so tha ther te introduction ofthe cat, the fx and the rabbit genes ar diferent isa good way to? totally stop {tom Europe, 19 species of native animals have bests and improve the quality of their produce. become extinct and a further 250 species are However. this type of ® farming has bath advantages considered tobe either endangered or vulnerable. and disadvantages Tne modems tppreach we boogeal agol (ne ofthe advantages is that farmers can grow Of pest is through genetical mocfed crops. plants that produce a poison thats harmful to Teremains tobe seen whether this controversial small aia like ies ond caterpillars, This means method wil have any long-term repercussions, that farmers will nt have to use ® chemical ill particularly in regards to the eealagicalbslonce of ‘hese animals and so this should be better for the the envronment. where they ae grown, Some foor surrounding envronment andthe” eorth tt plons that insects may become restzantw these new grow in. Asa result, it could help to protect other ora eer ee erat ee ane ® plants as well as the ® living space of any animals, contra inthe area 1 atrise (nthe other hand, farmers usually only spray their 2 negative effects folds once or twice per yer but these new plants 3 to stop being affected by something would be tox ale round. Furthermore, tis Ene possible that over time the pests may ® stop being tiled by te toxins and so the prablem would be 4 atrisk of dying out worse than ever. The toxins may also be poisonous 5 m0 Longer ExItINg rn to other plants and animals and this would upset {6 crops whose genes have been scientifically changed the * way plants aod rin ie and grow togetter Pewee ae and may lee to more animals becoming at sk of extinction 7 extremely bad or unsuccessful 5 the relationship between plants, animals, land, air, f & | PRONUNCIATION ®9® Each ofthe words in and water... the box below has a weak sound (a) or schwa, e.g. about. Underline the schwa in each word, thon listen and check your answers, Practise 2.4) WORD BUILDING Complete the table. You do saying the words. There may be more than one not need to write anything inthe shaded areas. Schwa in each word. adapt Noun ‘Adjective ‘Aaverb verb encase agriculture agreuturl catastrophe ecology chemical climate sect disastrous aint extinct anges vale -) Be human netic e natural vulnerable 48