COLEGIO VISÃO CAMBORIÚ

Additional activities 2nd. Year.

Teacher: Date: 05____/19____/20_____

Student: Isabella Trampusch
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Pink Amazon River dolphin

There are five species of dolphins that ____ their homes in rivers, being the most

popular of them the Pink Dolphins also known as Boto, Boutu or Amazon River
dolphins as it ____ the Amazon River. They are not the same dolphins that you would
see in the ocean; they have special adaptations to their habitat. In fact, river dolphins
are only distantly related to sea dolphins. They ____ to different families, taxonomically
speaking.

Among the five species of river dolphins, Amazon pink dolphins are considered the
most intelligent of them, with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans. They
can also be found in the Orinoco basins and the upper Madeira River as well. While
they are mostly pink, these dolphins ____ various colored skins, which can be light
gray, pink, or brown, and there is not conclusive evidence of the reason why pink
dolphins ____ pink. They get pinker when they are excited or surprised, resembling
blushing in humans. The Amazon River pink dolphins make up the largest population of
river dolphins in existence as the other four species are functionally extinct or close to
extinction.

The river dolphins are among the most endangered species of all the world’s
cetaceans. These friendly and social creatures have been living for centuries in the
Amazon and their tributaries, but the accelerated destruction of the Amazon basin
have put them in an every time more dangerous situation. The raise in contaminant
levels of mercury near gold mines have caused and increased number of deaths
among pink dolphins. The increase of traffic in the Amazon River also threatens these
creatures as they are curious by nature and they sometimes approach to vessels where
they are easily hurt by the sharp propellers. Additionally, the noise produced by engines
and motors and the sound pollution caused by them, has been considered to produce a
disorienting phenomenon in their navigations systems, causing the death of many pink
dolphins.

Pink dolphins ____ crabs, catfish, small river fish and even small turtles. Most species
of river dolphins are almost blind, due to navigating muddy waters, but their brains are
extremely large and well developed, however pink dolphins are considered to have a
relatively good sight. They ____ to be the friendliest of all the river dolphins when
approaching to humans and some stories of people being pushed to the shores by
them are common among some tribes in the Amazon. Males and females mate to start
a gestation period which is believed to last from nine to twelve months.

QUESTIONS

1 - Complete as lacunas do texto com os verbos: eat, are, belong, inhabits, seem,

make, have.

2 - Há cinco possessivos destacados no texto (their), mas um deles não está correto.
Encontre-o e faça a substituição dele pela forma correta.

3 - Identifique a única pergunta que pode ser respondida com uma informação
apresentada no texto.

a) Where do the pink dolphins go during the winter season?

b) What is the most beautiful kind of river dolphin?
c) What kind of food do the pink dolphins like eating?

d) Why are the pink dolphins almost blind?

e) What are the pink dolphins doing right now?

4 - Marque V (verdadeiro) ou F (falso), de acordo com as informações do texto.

I. ( ) Há apenas três espécies de golfinhos que vivem em rios.

II. ( ) Os golfinhos de rio são extremamente semelhantes aos dos oceanos.

III. ( ) Os golfinhos de rio e os dos oceanos pertencem a famílias diferentes.

IV. ( ) Os golfinhos rosa do Amazonas possuem uma capacidade cerebral 40% maior
que a dos humanos.

V. ( ) A razão da cor rosa nos golfinhos do Amazonas foi descoberta há muitos anos
por um cientista brasileiro.

VI. ( ) Os golfinhos de rio estão entre as espécies mais ameaçadas dentre todos os
cetáceos do mundo.
VII. ( ) Estas criaturas simpáticas e sociáveis migraram para a região amazônica há
menos de cem anos.

VIII. ( ) O aumento de tráfico no rio Amazonas facilita que os golfinhos sejam feridos
pelas hélices afiadas dos barcos.

IX. ( ) A desorientação nos sistemas de navegação dos golfinhos rosa não causa a
morte deles.

X. ( ) Os golfinhos rosa se alimentam de algas marinhas.

XI. ( ) O cérebro dos golfinhos rosa é muito grande e bem desenvolvido.

XII. ( ) Assim como as demais espécies de golfinhos de rio, os golfinhos rosa são
praticamente cegos.

XIII. ( ) Histórias de pessoas sendo empurradas para a costa pelos golfinhos rosa são
comuns entre algumas tribos no Amazonas.

XIV. ( ) O período de gestação dos golfinhos rosa dura pelo menos doze meses.