Reading comprehension II- Endangered animals
1. Read the text. Then delete the incorrect word from the pairs in italics.
Internet trade threatens exotic animals
The world’s endangered / dangerous species are under threat from yet another source, in addition to preachers / poachers, collectors wanting stuffed rhino heads and Chinese medicine practitioners. Internet shoppers are creating a boom in the sale of exotic animals that represents another nail in the coffin / heart for many creatures threatened with extinction. This is according to a report compiled / comprised by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). The report “Caught In The Web - Wildlife Trade On The Internet” found in “an intensive / intensifying one-week Web search”, 146 live primitives / primates, 5,527 elephant products, 526 turtle and tortoise shells, 2,630 reptile products and 239 wild cat products for sale. There were also unspecified numbers of other products.
The report represents the tip / top of the iceberg. Experts estimate the lucrative / laxative illegal global trade is worth billions of dollars a year. The World Wide Web exacerbates / exterminates the situation. “Trade on the Internet is easy, cheap and anonymous. The result is a cyber black market where the future of the world’s rarest / rarified animals is being traded away,” said IFAW’s Phyllis Campbell-McRae. The report recommended tougher worldwide protection: “The current legal framework and enforcement efforts are inadequate to deal with this appealing / appalling situation. A more effective response is essential.” Ms. Campbell-McRae warned: “Trade in wildlife is driven / chauffeured by consumer demand, so when the buying stops, the killing will too. Buying wildlife online is as damaging as killing it yourself.”
2. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article:
a. | endangered | put together |
b. | poachers | concealed |
c. | nail in the coffin | fuelled |
d. | compiled | remunerative |
e. | intensive | deathblow |
f. | lucrative | worsens |
g. | exacerbates | dire |
h. | anonymous | threatened |
i. | appalling | exhaustive |
j. | driven | illegal hunters |
3. PHRASE MATCH: Match the following phrases from the article (sometimes more than one combination is possible):
a. | endangered species are under | by consumer demand |
b. | collectors wanting stuffed | numbers of other products |
c. | represents another nail | rhino heads |
d. | turtle and | enforcement efforts are inadequate |
e. | There were also unspecified | the situation |
f. | The report represents the tip | threat from yet another source |
g. | The World Wide Web exacerbates | appalling situation |
h. | The current legal framework and | tortoise shells |
i. | deal with this | in the coffin for many creatures |
j. | Trade in wildlife is driven | of the iceberg |
4. ARTICLE QUESTIONS: Look back at the article and write down some questions you would like to ask the class about the text.
5. TEST yourself: Look at the words below. Try to recall exactly how these were used in the text:
· source · boom · coffin · compiled · intensive · unspecified | · tip · exacerbates · black · inadequate · response · killing |