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1.Read the text and solve the following exercises.
Endangered Species
Every hour one animal is killed, risking the extinction of a whole species. The Panda, for example, is a symbol of the fight for endangered species. But it is becoming extremely rare: there are only about 900 pandas in the whole world!
Pandas have been threatened over the years by illegal trade but also by the destruction of bamboo forests, their main source of food.
Conservationists say it is necessary to increase panda reserves to guarantee enough food. Laws are being enforced, especially in zoos and private organisations: a few years ago the Chinese government found out that money from governmental support to this species was being used for other purposes. Panda poachers are also being severely punished for their crimes.
The tiger is another species on the edge of extinction: when environmentalists finished their studies a few years ago,three tiger subspecies had already been destroyed. Nowadays there are only 5,000 tigers left in the wild. But this beautiful wild animal is constantly poisoned, trapped and killed, mostly due to illegal trade.
Strategies now tend to preserve tigers in the wild: in the past countries were being helped only by the United Nations to protect the habitats of this species and, at the same time, encourage local communities to support tiger conservation. Now NGOs are helping and the struggle continues!
1. Go through the text and make a list of the dangers that each species has to face.
Threats Endangering Each Animal
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2. Now answer the following questions:
a)To protect the pandas three different measures need to be taken. What are thosemeasures?
b)“Strategies now tend to preserve tigers in the wild.” How is the United Nations planning on doing this?
c)Why it is important to protect the polar bears’ feeding areas and migration routes? Explain in your own words.
3. This text has many important words and expressions that we use when we talk about animals risking extinction. Find in the text equivalents for the following words/expressions:
a)disappearance
b)people that work to prevent endangered species from disappearing
c)illegal hunters
d)near extinction
e)a specific area in which climate, landscape, animals and plants depend on each other
/ The Passive VoiceForm:We build the passive voice with the verb to be in the same tense
of the main verb of the active sentence and the Past Participle of the main
verb.
is/are + Past Participle of the main verb
E.g. Bamboo is eaten by pandas.
is being / are being + Past Participle of main verb
E.g. Nowadays pandasare being protected.
was / were + Past Participle of main verb
E.g. A rare tiger subspecieswas foundin Indialast year.
was being / were being + Past Participle of main verb
E.g. Before the new laws pandas were being treated very badly.
has been / have been + Past Participle of main verb
E.g. Polar bears have been saved in the last decades.
had been + Past Participle of main verb
E.g. When the new laws were put into practice, millions of
endangered animals had already been killed.
Use:We use the passive voice when
the action is more important than the subject who did it
e.g. Every hour one animal is killed and nothing is done!
the subject is unknown
e.g. Yesterday a polar bear was stolen from a zoo. There are still no suspects.
you want to be objective (for example in news reports or scientific documents).
e.g. Every year 50 pandas and polar bears are killed by hunger.
Agent: To say who did the action we add by and the agent.
e.g. This tiger was saved by David!
We can omit the agent when the agent is not important or unknown.
e.g. Endangered species have been protected all over the world!
4. The following sentences are in the active voice. Write them in the passive voice, making the necessary changes.
a)Present Simple – The local population protects the endangered species.
b)Present Continuous – The local population is protecting the endangered species.
c)Past Simple – The local population protected the endangered species.
d)Past Continuous – The local population was protecting the endangered species.
e)Present Perfect – The local population has protected the endangered species.
f)Past Perfect – The local population had protected the endangered species.
5. Rewrite the following sentences, starting as suggested below. Omit the agent when it is not necessary.
a)Catherine found Kaki, a baby gorilla, a few years ago.
Kaki, a baby gorilla, ______.
b)Someone had killed Kaki’s mother.
Kaki’s mother ______.
c)Since then Catherine has raised Kaki.
Since then Kaki ______.
d)In the first years no one was helping Catherine.
In the first years Catherine ______.
e)But now the local community is protecting her.
But now she ______.
f)Every hour someone kills an endangered animal like Kaki.
Every hour an endangered animal like Kaki ______.
6. Imagine that you are an environmentalist. Write a report on the situation of monk seals to denounce (denunciar) it to a non-governmental organisation and to ask for help, using the notes written by one of your colleagues. Use the passive voice!
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