Steve Jones is an
environmental expert who tries to keep animals and plants from
becoming endangered. "We are not alone in the world. We human
beings could not survive without all the plants and animals
around us. We often talk about how important it is to take good
care of ourselves and our planet, but we don't always do as we
say," Steve says as he takes us on a tour of Green Park in
Birmingham. Many of the earth's plants and animals have already
died out, and several other species are endangered. If we want
to live a better life and have a bright future, we must learn to
act in ways that do not harm other living things.
If we know more about what causes endangerment, we may be able
to take measures before it is too late. A species can become
endangered for different reasons. Animals and plants must have a
habitat, or home, which is comfortable and clean, and where
there is enough food and other resources. They are all used to
their environment; that is, they have learnt how to live
successfully in their habitat. When the habitat of a species is
changed or destroyed, the animal or plant has to either adapt to
the change or find a new home. If this is not possible, the
species becomes endangered. If a new species arrives, the
animals and plants of the habitat must change again. If the new
species is too strong or uses too much of the resources in the
habitat, some of the original species may become endangered. A
species may also die out if humans or other animals use too much
of a plant or kill too many animals.
The good news is that there is a lot we can do to help. First of
all, we need to learn more about animals, plants and the
environment. Experts tell us that we need to think about what we
can do to keep animals and plants from becoming endangered.
Steve says that we can help by creating more space for animals
and plants: "You can plant a tree or build a birdhouse. It is
simple but useful.” Steve also wants us to think about what we
do: "Please don't pollute the environment." If we find out more
about what we should do, we can help Steve and others like him
keep animals and plants - and ourselves - from becoming
endangered.
(Senior English for China Student's Book 1A
Unit 10 Reading)
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