Celinho – Inglês

celinho_ingles@hotmail.com

BIODIVERSITY
Nearly every habitat is at risk.
Extinction is part of evolution, but the present rate is at least 1,000 times the pace that has prevailed since
prehistory.
Even the mass extinction 65 million years ago that killed off the dinosaurs and countless other species did
not significantly affect flowering plants, according to Harvard biologist E.O.Wilson. But the plant species are
disappearing now, and people, not comets or volcanoes, are the angels of destruction.
Moreover, the earth is suffering the decline of entire ecosystems – the nurseries of new life-forms.
Nearly every habitat is at risk. Forests in the Northern Hemisphere have fallen to lumbering, development
and acid rain. Marine ecosystems around the world are threatened by pollution, overfishing and coastal
development. Tropical forests cover only 7% of the earth's surface, but they house between 50% and 80% of the
planet species.

Extinction is the one environment calamity that is irreversible.

Only 1,7 million of the estimated 5 million to 30 million different life-forms on earth have been cataloged.
Since hundreds of thousands of species may be extinct by the year 2000, the world has neither the scientists nor the
time to identify the yet uncounted. "It's as though the nations of the world decided to burn their libraries without
bothering to see what is in them".
Humanity already benefits greatly from the genetic heritage of little-known species. Some 25% of the
pharmaceuticals in use in the U.S. today contain ingredients originally derived from wild plants. Hidden
anonymously in clumps of vegetation about to be bulldozed or burned might be plants with cures
for still unconquered diseases.

Time, 2 jan. 1989, p.16-7.

01. Find in the text and write in English the following words and expressions:

a. parte da evolução___________________________
b. pré-história________________________________
c. espécies de plantas__________________________
d. ecossistemas_______________________________
e. poluição__________________________________
f. florestas tropicais___________________________
g. diferentes formas de vida_____________________
h. cientistas_________________________________
i. humanidade_______________________________
j. ingredientes_______________________________

02. Write the correct numbers according to the meaning of the given words.
(1) now ( ) mundo
(2) earth ( ) hoje
(3) of ( ) o que
(4) new ( ) ser, estar
(5) only ( ) de
(6) have ( ) agora
(7) world ( ) ter
(8) what ( ) somente
(9) today ( ) terra
(10) be ( ) novo

03. Explain in Portuguese the expressions in bold extracted from the text.

a. the present rate

b. at least 1,000 times the pace

c. countless species

d. moreover

e. decline of entire ecosystems

f. the nurseries of new life-forms

g. Nearly every habitat is at risk

h. Forests in the Northern Hemisphere

i. have fallen to lumbering

j. threatened by pollution

k. overfishing and coastal development

l. the earth’s surface

m. environment calamity

n. to identify the yet uncounted

o. It’s as though

p. without bothering

q. Humanity already benefits greatly

r. genetic heritage

s. about to be bulldozed

t. for still unconquered diseases

04. According to the problem of extinction is correct to say:

01. extinction is part of evolution;

02. the present rate is the same pace that has prevailed since prehistory;
04. the dinosaurs were killed 65 million years ago;
08. the mass extinction 65 million years ago affected little flowering plants, according to Harvard biologist E. O.
Wilson;
16. the earth is suffering the decline of entire ecosystems.

05. About habitat is correct to affirm:

01. forests in the Southern Hemisphere have fallen to lumbering;

02. development and acid rain has affected forests in the Northern Hemisphere;
04. marine ecosystems around the world are protected;
08. polution, overfishing and coastal development are menacing marine ecosystems;
16. tropical forests cover 80% of the earth's surface;
32. tropical forests house between 50% and 80% of the planet species.

06. Related to life-forms is correct to say:

01. only 1,7 million of 5 million different life-forms on earth have been cataloged;
02. only 1,7 million of the estimated 5 million to 30 million different life-forms on earth have been cataloged;
04. the world has the scientists and the computers necessary to identify the yet uncounted;
08. 25% of the pharmaceuticals in use in the U.S. today contain ingredients originally derived from wild plants;
16. wild plants don't have any property used in laboratories;
32. hidden plants may contain cures for still unconquered diseases.