Name ______Core ______Date ______

Big Gorillas in Big Trouble

NAIROBI, KenyaThe gorillas of central Africa are in trouble. According to a new report, the animals continue to face danger from illegal logging, mining, and hunting. Gorillas could become extinct from many areas within 15 years, the report concludes.

The report, which comes from the United Nations (UN) and the international police organization Interpol, is less hopeful than a report from 2002. The previous report estimated that only 10 percent of gorillas existing then would remain by 2030. The author of the 2002 report and of the newly released one said that the earlier estimate was probably too high.

"We fear now that the gorillas may become extinct from most parts of their range in perhaps 15 years," said Christian Nellemann of the UN Environmental Program.

Gorillas are peaceful animals that want nothing more than to be left alone. Depending on the species, gorillas inhabit rainforests in either lowlands or mountains. They live in groups of about 10, led by a large male called a "silverback." Gorillas can weigh hundreds of pounds. They can look frightening when they stand on their hind legs (though they usually walk on all fours). Yet, these giants aren't hunters. They eat mostly plant foods, such as leaves, shoots, fruit, bulbs, bark, vines, and nettles. They also eat ants, termites, worms, and insect larvae.

There are either four or five distinct types of gorillas. (Scientists are still deciding whether one group of gorillas is unique or part of another group.) Three of those types are critically endangered. This means that they could be extinct within just a few generations. A fourth species is listed as endangered.

Gorillas face several threats to their survival. One threat is the destruction of their forest habitat, which is rich in valuable resources. In recent years, there has been an increase in logging for timber that is mostly destined for Asia, particularly China. Mining of gold, diamonds, and minerals has also resulted in the destruction of the forests.

Other threats to gorillas include poaching, disease, an increase in the human population (and the need for land), and local violence. Wars in particular have made the protection of gorillas extremely difficult.

The report calls on governments to take action. It recommends taking a close look at European and Asian companies that may be involved in the illegal trade of timber and minerals from central Africa.

"This is [a] tragedy for the great apes…being impacted by this intensifying and all too often illegal trade," said Achim Steiner of the UN Environmental Programme. "In short, it is environmental crime and theft by the few and the powerful at the expense of the poor and [those that are easily harmed]."

David Higgins, manager of the Interpol Environmental Crime Program, said it's not that there aren't laws aimed at defending wildlife. There is legislation in place to protect gorillas. The problem is that criminals just don't care. Therefore, he said, these laws need to be more strictly enforced.

"What we are worried about is that these gorillas are disappearing faster than we can…mobilize resources to save them," said Nellemann. He called for increased resources for UNEP and Interpol to protect great apes.

Dictionary

destined(adjective) on the road to

illegal(adjective) against the law

impact(verb) to affect

poaching(noun) the act of hunting when it is against the law

tragedy(noun) a sad and terrible event

Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)

1. According to the article, what is the importance of more strictly enforcing laws to protect gorillas?

  1. Some criminals aren't afraid of gorillas, so more needs to be done to show these people how dangerous gorillas can be.
  2. Only a few laws to protect wildlife have ever been created and enforced in the history of the world.
  3. Only a few laws to protect and defend gorillas have ever been made public, so newspapers need to write about them.
  4. Some criminals ignore the laws, so more needs to be done to stop them from harming gorillas.

2. The best alternate headline for this article would be ______.

  1. New Report Suggests African Gorilla Population Is Holding Steady
  2. Scientists Continue To Debate How Many Types of Gorillas Exist
  3. New Report Says That More Must Be Done To Prevent Gorilla Extinction
  4. African Gorillas Found To Be Large, Peace-Loving Animals

3. Which is the closest synonym for the word tragedy?

  1. Celebration
  2. Compromise
  3. Disaster
  4. Debut

4. Based on the article, which is most likely to happen?

  1. Gorilla fans will meet with poachers to convince the hunters to find animals that are more valuable for them to hunt illegally.
  2. Criminals will become frightened by the giant gorillas and decide to hunt for smaller game.
  3. People who work for the Interpol Environmental Crime Program will plant shrubs to replace the trees that have been cut by loggers.
  4. Some people will continue to work to protect the gorillas and find a way to save a portion of the remaining population.

5. In the article, Achim Steiner states: "This is [a] tragedy for the great apes…being impacted by this intensifying and all too often illegal trade. In short, it is environmental crime and theft by the few and the powerful at the expense of the poor and [those that are easily harmed]." Which would be the closest antonym for the word intensifying?

  1. Declining
  2. Enduring
  3. Mimicking
  4. Invading

6. Think about the following statement made by Christian Nellemann: "We fear now that the gorillas may become extinct from most parts of their range in perhaps 15 years." The author's purpose for including this quote was to ______.

  1. Suggest that gorillas are doing well enough that they should no longer be a concern among scientists
  2. Suggest that the Interpol Environmental Crime Program does not have a good understanding of gorillas' needs
  3. Indicate how the earlier report was too brief to count all of the gorillas accurately because they move often from one range to another
  4. Emphasize that the earlier report may have been wrong, and show that the threat to gorillas is worse than thought

7. This article is placed in a category of news called "World Beat." In which other category would this article fit best?

  1. Commerce Overseas
  2. Animals in Peril
  3. Crime Prevention
  4. Safari Getaways

8. Which of these is most important to include in a summary of this article?

  1. Gorillas are peaceful animals that want nothing more than to be left alone.
  2. Christian Nellemann works with of the UN Environmental Program to protect gorillas.
  3. David Higgins is the manager of the Interpol Environmental Crime Program.
  4. Gorillas are in danger of becoming extinct in central Africa in the next 15 years.

Opinion Question: Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this statement. Christian Nellemann wants more done to protect gorillas. Do you agree with him why or why not? (5 points)

Thought Question:Why do some people want to protect the gorillas in central Africa? Do you think this effort is important? Explain. Use information from the article, as well as your own ideas, to support your response. (5 points)

Math- Giant gorillas live in the center of Africa. Let's say that you want to find the center of rectangle ABCD. Line AD is parallel to line BC. Line AB is parallel to line CD. Which point marks the center of the rectangle?

Draw a picture.

  1. The point where line AB crosses line CD
  2. All of these
  3. The point where line AD crosses line BC
  4. The point where line AC crosses line BD