SAVE OUR SEEDS

Over the past four hundred years, four hundred and fifty types of plants and trees around the world have become extinct as a result of the combined effects of global warming, population growth, deforestation, flooding and the fact that deserts are advancing in some regions at a rate of nearly four miles a year. Scientists estimatea quarter of the world’s remaining 270,000 plant species will be under threatof extinction by 2050.

In 1997, in an attempt to try to prevent the loss of such precious resources, volunteers all over Britain began collecting seeds from Britain’s 1,400 species of wild plants, three hundred of which are already facing extinction. The seeds collected are now housedin the Millennium Seed Bank, which opened its doors in 2000. Run by the Royal Botanical Gardens department of the famous Kew Gardens in London, the bank is located in Sussex, about thirty-five miles outside of the capital.

The bank is expected to become the world’s biggest seed bank and, apart from preservingalmost all the plant life in Britain, it also aims to have saved the seeds of more than 24,000 species of plant life, almost a tenth of the world’s flowering plants, in the next twenty years. If they are successful, the Millennium Seed Bank Project will be one of the largest international conservation projects ever undertaken.

In order to achieve this aim, the Millennium Seed Bank has a team of scientists who travel to remote corners of the world to find and collect seeds. They work together with local botanists and also help them to set uptheir own seed banks by training local scientists. They also spend a great deal of time negotiatingwith governments to allow them to collect the seeds and bring them back to Britain for storage in the Millennium Seed Bank.

When these seeds arrive at the seed bank, they are sorted,separated by hand from their pods, cleaned and dried and then X-rayed to make sure that they haven't been damaged in any way that might stop them from growing into healthy plants. Finally, they are placed in ordinary glass jars and stored in three underground vaults at temperatures of -20°C. Most plant species have seeds that can be dried, frozen and stored for years and still grow into healthy plants. However, the seeds of some species cannot be dried, so they can’t be stored in seed banks in the usual way. These seeds include many rainforest tree species and plants that grow underwater.

Roger Smith, head of the Millennium Seed Bank, explains that scientists at the bank are already working on finding new ways of storing those seeds that cannot survive the drying and freezing process, and also on how to regeneratethe seeds when they become extinct in their natural habitats. “At the moment, all we’re doing is preserving these plants for the future. We won’t have managed to conserveany species until we find the way to successfully regeneratethem and grow new plants from them,” points out Smith. “But at least this way, when the technology becomes available, and it will, we won’t have lost everything.”

As well as preserving seeds for the future, the seed bank also receives 2000 requests per yearfor seeds from universities, governments and conservationist organisations for use in various types of research – for example, to find cures for diseases, to grow food in the developing worldand to help in projects that restorethe natural habitats of endangered animal species so they can be releasedback into the wild. Dr Hugh Pritchard, head of research at the Millennium Seed Bank, says: “While it’s true that many of the plants we preserve at the bank aren’t useful at the moment, that doesn’t mean they won’t become useful in the future. Something like thirty per cent of the medicines we use today are based on products or chemicals which have been extracted from plants. So it’s easy to see why we need to preserve the diversityof the earth’s plant life for the future.”

1. What do scientists believe will happen by 2050?

A)All plant life will be altered.

В) 450 types of plants will be in danger of becoming extinct.

С) Part of the world’s plant life will face extinction.

D) Environmental factors will affect only 450 plant species.

2. Where can the Millennium Seed Bank be found?

A)outside Sussex С)in the Royal Botanical Gardens

В) outside London D) in the Kew Gardens

3. The main objective of the Millennium Seed Bank is to

A)save the seeds of thousands of the world’s plants.

B) protect all flowering plants in the world.

С) start a new international project in the next few years.

D) undertake a larger conservation project soon.

4. The Millennium Seed Bank carries out its work by

A) training foreign governments to plant seeds.

В) travelling around the world with botanists from other countries.

C) helping other international seed banks.

D) collecting international seeds and returning them to Britain for storage.

5. The methods used in storing the seeds show that

A) all seeds can be preserved for many years.

B) some species cannot be stored by regular means.

C) some of the plant species develop into healthy plants.

D) some seeds are damaged when X-rayed.

6. The Millennium Seed Bank is trying to

A) reproduce new plants from the seeds.

В) reduce the storage lives of some seeds.

С) destroy the seeds that cannot be frozen.

D) plant the seeds that have a short storage life.

7. Why is this project important, according to Dr Pritchard?

A) It’s useful to medical research.

B) It’s useful in technological research.

C) It helps governments in developing countries.

D) It helps animal habitats.

Complete each sentence with an appropriate word. The first letter of each word is given.

1. The fish have died because the river water is heavily p________.

2. Health e________ from air pollution include lung cancer, and respiratory diseases.

3. Acid rain causes serious d________ to plants and trees.

4. If the air wasn’t dirty, Nick w________ sneeze so much.

5. The main gases that l________ to acid rain are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

6. There is a danger of serious contamination from radioactive w________.​

7. Hundreds of d________ fish were found floating in the river near the factory.

8. U________ sewage can spread disease and contaminate drinking water sources.

Choose the word whose main stress pattern is placed differently.

1. A. environment​B.temperature​C.botanical​D.contaminant

2. A. untreated​B. aquatic​C.pollution​D.electronic

3. A. pollute​B. poison​C.damage​D.illustrate

4. A. presentation​B.radioactive​C.environmental​D.contamination

5. A. permanent​B.Chemical​C.dramatic​D. herbicide

Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others.

1. A. disease​B. dead​C.treatment​​D.sneeze

2. A. environment​B. billboard​C. visual ​​D. litter

3. A. birth​B. thermal​C.earth​​D. further

4. A. poisoned​B. died​C.dumped​​D.caused

5. A. contaminant​B. waste​C. illustrate ​​D. radiation

Choose the word whose underlined part is pronounced differently from the others.

1. A. disease​B. dead​C.treatment​​D. sneeze

2. A. environment​B. billboard​C. visual ​​D. litter

3. A. birth​B. thermal​C.earth​​D. further

4. A. poisoned​B. died​C.dumped​​D. caused

5. A. contaminant​B. waste​C. illustrate ​​D. radiation

II. Choose the word whose main stress pattern is placed differently.

1. A. environment​B. temperature​C.botanical​D. contaminant

2. A. untreated​B. aquatic​C.pollution​D. electronic

3. A. pollute​B. poison​C.damage​D. illustrate

4. A. presentation​B. radioactive​C.environmental​D. contamination

5. A. permanent​B. Chemical​C.dramatic​D. herbicide

III. Complete each sentence with an appropriate word. The first letter of each word is given.

1. The fish have died because the river water is heavily p________.

2. Health e________ from air pollution include lung cancer, and respiratory diseases.

3. Acid rain causes serious d________ to plants and trees.

4. If the air wasn’t dirty, Nick w________ sneeze so much.

5. The main gases that l________ to acid rain are sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide.

6. There is a danger of serious contamination from radioactive w________.​

7. Hundreds of d________ fish were found floating in the river near the factory.

8. U________ sewage can spread disease and contaminate drinking water sources.

IV. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D to complete the sentence.

1. After the accident, many people were exposed________ radiation.

A. from​B. at​​C. to​​D. with

2. Light pollution has a wide range of negative effects________ I’m human health.

A. on​B. of​​C. for​​D. to

3. ________can cause high blood pressure, heart problems, sleep disturbances, and hearing problems.

A. Air pollution ​B. Light pollution ​C. Water pollution ​D. Noise pollution

4. The levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have risen________ the burning of fossil fuels.

A. therefore​​B. because​​C. in spite of​​D. due to

5. If rubbish is non-biodegradable, it________ forever.

A. exists​​B. will exist​​C. won’t exist​​D. doesn’t exist

6. ________are Chemicals that are used to kill unwanted plants, such as weeds.

A. Fertilizers​B. Pesticides​C. Herbicides​​D. Pollutants

7. There would be much less pollution________ people stopped using cars completely.

A. if​​B. since​​C. when​​D. although

8. Emissions of pollutants into the air can________ changes to the climate.

A. get on​​B. end up​​C. go into​​D. result in

9. ________can we help save our environment?

A. What​​B. How​​C. Why​​D. How much

10. If we care about plastic waste________.

A. why won’t we stop drinking bottled water? ​B. we would use reusable shopping bags

C. we will throw away plastic water bottles. ​D. why don’t we buy plastic bags?

V. Choose the underlined word or phrase, A, B, c or D that needs correcting.

1. What will happen if the Earth stopped moving?

A B C D

2. One of the things all of us can do to protect and improve our environment is recycle.

A B C D

3. Humans can even die if they will drink contaminated water.

A B C D

4. Long-term exposure to loud noise results permanent hearing loss.

A B C D

5. They believe that water pollution is the large cause of deathand disease in the world.

A B C D

6. Is the recycling process in itself damaging for the environment?

A B C D

7. We won’t save the environment if we stop using so muchenergy.

A B C D

8. One in six species is at risk of extinction because climate change.

A B C D

9. The amount of waste decreased if people started to buy reusable packages.

A B C D

10. Contaminated water can cause of many types of diarrheal diseases, including cholera.

A B C D

VI. Write the correct tense or form of the verbs in brackets.

1. It would be better for the environment if more people________ (use) bikes rather than cars.

2. If we use less energy, we________ (help) reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

3. Every year, million tons of plastic________ (dump) into the oceans.

4. A thick smog________ (settle) over New Delhi since winter________ (begin).

5. Noise pollution can________ (cause) by vehicle, aircraft, and industrial noise.

6. Human activities________ (destroy) nature at an unacceptable rate right now.

7. A decade ago, WHO________ (classify) air pollution as a link to lung cancer.

8. If the temperature________ (increase) by a few degrees during the next few years, we________ (run into) serious problems.

9. What________ (happen) if all the pollution in the world________ (disappear)?

10. At 8 o’clock last night, I________ (watch) “A Plastic Wave”, a documentary on plastic pollution.

11. We should avoid ________ (buy) frozen foods because their packaging is mostly plastic.

12. Air pollution can make people ________ (die).

VII. Supply the correct form of the words in brackets.

1. As an________ why do you oppose banning plastic bags? (environment)

2. The radiation leak has had a________ effect on the environment. (disaster)

3. The water supply is being tested for​________.(contaminate)

4. Heavy metals in________ water cut short millions of lives every year. (drink)

5. Scientists warn that plastic pollution in oceans will be one of the ________ threats. (big)

6. Pollution is the process of making parts of the living environment________. (dirt)

7. If thermal pollution continues for a long time, it can________ cause huge bacteria. (possible)

8. She became deaf after long-term________ to noise in the workplace. (expose)

9. Living near a busy road could cause high blood________. (press)

10. Wastewater________ a process used to remove contaminants from sewage. (treat)

VIII. Match the questions to the answers.

IX. Choose the word which best fits each gap.

Many human activities over the last 200 years have been responsible (1) ________ polluting the air and damaging people’s health. Automobile engines and power plants burn combustible (2) ________ like gasoline and coal and allow toxic gases and smoke to escape into the air. Some pollutants destroythe ozone layer, which is the thin blanket of gases that (3)________ Earth from the Sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays. Other pollutants contribute to (4) ________ warming by adding to the planet’s natural greenhouse effect. Still others create acid rain, a phenomenon that has disastrous (5) ________ on lake and foresthabitats. Air pollution is not limited to industrial areas. Depending on the direction of the wind and its force, air pollutants may (6) ________ spread to other countries very far from the source of the pollution.

Big cities like Los Angeles and Mexico City are*often covered by smog, a fog that occurs (7) ________ air pollution. In 1952, the City of London, England, was enveloped by smog so thick that people on the streets had to feel their way around by (8) ________ the walls of buildings!

1. A. for​​B. of​C. to​D. with

2. A. chemicals​​B. means​C. fuels​D. matters

3. A. covers​​B. protects​C. stops​D.damages

4. A. environmental​B. thermal​C. temperature​D.global

5. A. affects​​B. causes​C.sources​D. effects

6. A. never​B. even​C. ever​D.hardly

7. A. because of ​B. in spite of​C. instead of​D. due of

8. A. climbing​B. walking​C.touching​D. putting up

X. Read the passage carefully and do the tasks.

There are many kinds of pollution. Air, water, and land can be polluted. Some pollution is caused by nature, such as foods, forest fires, and volcanoes. People are the major Cause of pollution. We pollute the air with our cars, homes, and factories. Smoke from factories and car exhaust makes the air looks gray and smoggy. Some people cannot go outside when the air is very bad! We pollute the water by dumping garbage and Chemicals in the water. Plants and animals die because of the pollution in the water. We pollute the soil with Chemicals and garbage. We harm the land by cutting down trees in the forest, especially to build roads and new houses without careful planning and thinking.

The only way to save our environment is to think about pollution. How can you stop or limit pollution? How do we protect our environment? Conservation is one way to protect our environment. Conservation is the wise use and protection of our environment. We can control water pollution by not producing as much as waste and by proper disposal of sewageand garbage. We can take care of recreation land by cleaning up,after ourselves and not causing more pollution. Carpooling and public transportation will help reduce air pollution.

Recycling is a type of conservation. Recycling is reusingitems over again or in a new way. Recycling can help usconserve our natural resources so they will last many more years.

A. Find the word in bold in the passage that means:

1. the protection of the natural environment​________​

2. have a bad effect on something​________

3. a large amount of water covering an, area that usually dry​________ ​

4. sharing a car ride with other people​________

5. waste gases that come out of an engine​________

6. the process of making air, water, soil, etc. dirty​________

7. get rid of​________

B. Choose the correct answers.

1. According to the passage, pollution________

A. is always caused by humans.​​B. can only be caused by nature.

C. is mainly caused by humans.​​D. may sometimescause natural disasters.

2. What kind of pollution may a car cause?

A. Air pollution ​B. Water pollution ​C. Soil pollution ​D. Light pollution

3. Which of the followings is not an example of soil pollution?

A. Land development​​B. Waste disposal

C. Pesticide or fertilizer use​​D. Exhaust from traffic

4. How can we help save our environment?

A. Stop pollution.​B. Dump garbage into the river.

C. Drive cars everywhere.​D. Cut down trees in the forests.

5. How does recycling help the environment?

A. It expands landfills.​B. It saves natural resources.

C. It increases water pollution.​D. It causes air pollution.

6. What can we do to help reduce air pollution?

A. Walk or bike​B. Carpool to work or school

C. Use public transport​D. All of the above

7. What is the main idea of this article?

A. The air is dirty because of cars and factories.

B. The soil gets polluted from littering.

C. People cause pollution, but they can also stop or limit it.

D. Conservation is the only way to stop environmental pollution.

XI. Joining two sentences, using the words in brackets.

1. We must conserve water. Otherwise we will face serious water shortages. (IF)

____________________________________________________________________

2. The weather was awful. We didn’t enjoy our camping holiday. (BECAUSE OF)

____________________________________________________________________

3. Plastic bags are non-biodegradable. They will remain in the environment for many years. (SINCE)

____________________________________________________________________

4. Paul doesn’t think about the planet. He wastes so much water. (IF)

____________________________________________________________________

5. Water pollution happens. Many aquatic animals such as fish can die. (LEAD)

____________________________________________________________________

6. The climate is changing. The earth is getting warmer. (BECAUSE)

____________________________________________________________________

7. We should stop cutting down so many trees. We endanger our oxygen supply. (UNLESS)

____________________________________________________________________

8. People begin to recycle. They generate much less trash. (WHEN)

____________________________________________________________________

9. We are damaging the ozone layer. The ozone layer is necessary for human existence. (EVEN THOUGH)

____________________________________________________________________

10. Sue is suffering from skin cancer. She was exposed to radiation when she was young. (SO)

____________________________________________________________________

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