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III. READING
Wildlife conservation news
1. Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.
Do you often read news stories about wildlife? If yes, what are they about?
2. Read the news items and choose the most suitable headline for each one. There are TWO extra headlines.
A. Plans to help coral reefs recover
B. Sea turtle protection efforts supported by hundreds of volunteers
C. The effect of diving activities on coral reefs
D. Wildlife art exhibition to raise public awareness and funds
E. Young wildlife artists to hold exhibition of vulnerable species
WILDLIFE CONSERVATION NEWS
1.
More than 600 volunteers participated in sea turtle conservation activities held on Con Dao Island last week. Volunteers made sure that their spawning ground is safe. They also rescued turtle eggs and buried them in the sand. Sea turtles are threatened with extinction worldwide, and their populations have decreased dramatically in many places. That is why sea turtle conservation programmes are organised annually around the world. They attract many volunteers and help raise public awareness about the threats to sea turtle species.
2.
Local authorities are taking measures to restore the coral reef ecosystem in Nha Trang Bay. They will organise regular clean-ups of the seabed and removal of marine debris. Diving clubs will also help by having their professional divers collect broken pieces of coral, re-grow them in underwater nurseries, and then re-attach them to reefs. Coral cover is expected to increase, which will help restore natural habitats and promote marine biodiversity in the bay. In addition, the bay's management board will also monitor the number of swimmers and divers to avoid putting too much stress on the ecosystem.
3.
An exhibition entitled 'Paint for wildlife' will be held in Ha Noi next week. It will include more than 30 paintings by secondary school students across the country. Visitors will also have the opportunity to meet the young artists and discuss the stories behind their beautiful paintings. All of them will be on sale to raise money for the protection of endangered and vulnerable species. The event organisers hope to raise public awareness of wildlife conservation through art and contribute to efforts to save rare and endangered animals.
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3. Read the news items again and match the highlighted words and phrase with their meanings.
| 1. spawning ground | a. easily harmed or hurt physically or mentally |
| 2. debris | b. places where young plants are grown for planting somewhere else |
| 3. nurseries | c. a place where sea turtles and other animals such as fish and frogs leave their eggs |
| 4. marine | d. related to the sea |
| 5. vulnerable | e. broken pieces of something larger |
4 Read the news items again and choose the correct answer.
1. Where is the sea turtle spawning ground?
A. Con Dao Island B. Ha Noi C. Khanh Hoa D. Nha Trang
2. Which of the following is NOT true about sea turtles?
A. Volunteers help sea turtles by burying them in the sand.
B. Their populations have gone down significantly.
C. They receive help from volunteers every year.
D. They are facing extinction all over the world.
3. Why did the management board of Nha Trang Bay have to monitor the number of divers and swimmers there?
A. To train more professional divers.
B. To restore the coral system.
C. To avoid putting pressure on the system.
D. To promote the natural habitat of the bay.
4. How many paintings will be on display in the wildlife exhibition?
A. Around 600. B. Around 300. C. Around 25. D. Around 30.
5. What will happen to the paintings at the exhibition?
A. They will be donated to visitors.
B. They will be sold to raise money for wildlife conservation.
C. They will be shown in public places.
D. They will be given to different schools.
5. Work in groups. Discuss the following questions.
Which of the news items do you find most interesting or useful? Why?
