The Importance of Rainforests

Rainforests are one of the most destruction of many of the world's complicated environments on Earth. rainforests has caused a significant They are recognised worldwide as decline in the number of plant and containing the richest source of plants animal species on Earth. and animals and are believed to contain

Rainforests influence both our nearly three-quarters of all the varieties local and global climates. For example, of life on Earth. This is remarkable between 50 and 80 per cent of the because rainforests cover only about six moisture in the air above rainforests per cent of the Earth's land surface.

comes from the rainforest's trees. If

Rainforest are the oldest major large areas of these lush rainforests are ecosystem, having survived climate cleared, the average rainfall in the area changes for more than one million will drop. Eventually, the area's climate years. They provide habitats for more will get hotter and drier. This process species of plants, animals, insects and could convert rainforests into a sparse birds than any other environment grassland or desert. found on our planet. Scientists estimate

Rainforests are also able to absorb that between 60 and 90 per cent of all over 90 per cent of the rainfall in their species of life are to be found in rain leaves and mosses. By doing this, they forests. Unfortunately, the widespread are able to slow down water run-off by

54 Developing English Competencies f or Grade XI of Language Programme 54 Developing English Competencies f or Grade XI of Language Programme

carbon is contained in the trees of Rainforests are vital to the Earth in the rainforests. As rainforests are cut helping to recycle carbon and oxygen. down and burned, carbon dioxide is Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is the gas put into released into the Earth's atmosphere. the air globally by humans, mainly by Eventually, as this gas builds up the the burning of fossil fuels (for example atmosphere, leading to what scientists in cars and factories). Rainforests are call the enhanced greenhouse effect. able to remove carbon dioxide from the

To sum up, the role of the rainforest air and return oxygen in its place. This is essential for human life. It creates is why our global rainforests are often equilibrium in our environment and called the Earth's ‘lungs'.

its resources are signiﬁ cant for human Rainforests are major producers beings survival. of the Earth's oxygen. In fact, scientists

Taken from SOSE: Studies of Society and Environment, 2000

believe that nearly 50 per cent of the Earth's oxygen is produced by

Decide in which paragraph you can fi nd the following Activity 3 information.

1. The economic purposes rainforests are used for

2. The percentage of the world's food supplies which

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originate in rainforests areas

3. Fruits originating from rainforests

To learn reading,

you can start with

4. Activities that people do in rainforests

children's storybook. Try ESL readers. Read

5. Sickness and diseases which are treated with

advertisements, signs

medicines from the rainforests

and labels. For further information you can

6. Industrial products that originate from the

access this site:

rainforests

www.world-english.org

7. Daily products which are produced from plants

growing in rain forest areas

8. The area of rainforests which are being destroyed each year for economic purposes

Care about t he Environment

Activity Choose T if the statement is true and F if it is false 4

according to the text. Do it in pairs.

1. T – F Rainforests are unimportant to our life on

Earth.

2. T – F The economic resources which rainforests

provide vary.

3. T – F Many rainforest-rich countries are facing a situation in which it is very difﬁ cult to look

UN Shot

after rainforests.

4. T – F The economic resources provided by the

Some pollutants are

always ..., because they

world's rainforests are extremely small.

are dangerous. a. unavailable

5. T – F Less than 50 per cent of the world's food

b. undesirable

supplies originate in rainforest areas.

c. unchangeable d. unsuitable

6. T – F Rainforests are becoming more and more

e. unavoidable

unpopular as places for people to visit.

7. T – F

Governments pass laws restricting activities in the forests due to the overuse of rainforests for tourist activities.

(UN 2003/2004)

8. T – F

More than 40 percent of all medicines sold in pharmacies originate from rainforests.

9. T – F More than 200,000 square kilometres of rainforests are being destroyed each year for economic purposes.

10. T – F

There needs to be a balance between the way we are currently using our rainforests and the future availability of these resources.

Activity Answer the question based on the text in Activity 2 5

individually.

What do the words refer to?

1. They (paragraph 1 line 3)

2. This (paragraph 1 line 7)

3. They (paragraph 4 line 3)

4. This (paragraph 4 line 6)

56 Developing English Competencies f or Grade XI of Language Programme

Do you know how much oxygen the air is made up of? Activity 6 Study the following diagram. Then State whether the following statements are true or false according to

the diagram above

Carbon Dioxide, Other Gases, Water Vapor

1. Most gas in the air is oxygen.

Englishclub. com 2. Oxygen is more than one ﬁ fth of the gases in the air.

3. Carbon dioxide is only 1%.

Only by studying

4. In the air, there is more nitrogen than oxygen.

things like grammar

5. There is less carbon dioxide than oxygen.

and vocabulary and doing exercises, can you really improve your knowledge of any

Grammar Review

language. For further information, you can browse this site:

Present Perfect Tense

www.world-english.org

Study the following sentences.

1. The overuse of rainforests for tourist activities has led governments to pass laws restricting activities in these forests.

2. The Daintree region in northern Queensland is one area where the government has passed laws regulating rainforests activities.

3. Unfortunately, the widespread destruction of many of the world's rainforests has caused a signiﬁ cant decline in the number of plant and animal species on Earth.

Care about t he Environment

The present perfect tense consists of have/has before the past participle form of a verb.

Example

Notes

Afﬁ rmative

• He has worked Here are some

Statements

here for a long participles: worked

(work), been (be), • She has been a written (write).

time.

doctor for two years.

Negative

• I haven ′t

Here are contractions

Statements

written

with not:

anything for

have + not = haven ′t;

an hour.

has + not = hasn ′t.

Interrogative • Have you Statements

ﬁ nished your reading?

Use the present perfect tense to complete the Activity 7 following sentences.

1. People (start)

saving forests by recycling

paper.

2. The world's pollution (grow)

very fast.

3. Many people (make)

many things to

Your Proj ect

minimise environment problems.

4. People (cut down)

trees for fuel, and their

Start by yourself.

ﬁ res release gas into the air.

Whenever you want to throw away some

5. Children all over the world (be) in

rubbish at your house, separate the organic and

environmental activities.

anorganic rubbish. Use

6. Local government (provide)

trashbins to be

different plastic bags. Name the bags "organic"

put along city streets.

and "anorganic".

7. Gases from refrigerators and air conditioners (destroy)

Socialize this to the whole family.

the ozone layer.

8. Some companies (use)

windmills or other equipment that do not pollute the air.

The Importance of Rainforests