Virtual Classroom English

Animals, pets, and marine

life
Intermediate

Main causes of endangerment

Common causes: climate change, illegal wildlife trade (illegal hunting, capturing, and trading
of animals and their body parts), overexploitation and unsustainable harvesting, pollution and
contamination, invasive species, and diseases.

Drawbacks of fishing and consuming seafood

Overfishing
Bycatch
Habitat destruction
Environmental pollution
Related health concerns

Endangered animals Extinct animals

Giant panda Dinosaurs

African elephant Woolly mammoth
Bengal tiger Dodo (a flightless bird)
Blue whale Saber-toothed tiger (Smilodon)
Amur leopard Quagga (a subspecies of zebra)
Leatherback sea turtle

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Ocean Pollution

Oil spills are a significant source of ocean pollution. Accidental spills from oil tankers, offshore
drilling operations, and other industrial activities release vast amounts of oil into the ocean.

Microplastics have become pervasive in the world's oceans. These tiny plastic particles,
measuring less than 5 millimeters in size, come from sources such as broken-down plastic
waste, microbeads in personal care products, and synthetic fibers from textiles.

Ocean acidification is a consequence of increased carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption by

seawater. As the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere rises due to human activities, such
as the burning of fossil fuels, a significant portion of this excess CO2 dissolves into the oceans.

GRAMMAR | THE SECOND CONDITIONAL

If > past simple >>> would/wouldn't > verb

e.g. If I won the lottery, I would travel the world.

The second conditional is used to talk about situations that are unlikely to happen.

e.g. If I could have any pet in the world, I would have a chimpanzee.

When we use the second conditional, we use 'were' with the first and third person singular.

e.g. If I were you, I wouldn't do that. (advice/suggestion)

e.g. If he were younger, he would travel the world.

We use 'were' instead of 'was' because that implies that something is unlikely/impossible.

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