Biodiversity and genetic resources

Biodiversity and genetic resources

Read the text. Fill in the gaps with English equivalents of the words and expressions in brackets.

When we think of wildlife facing __________________(вымирание), we are usually thinking of large majestic animals such as ___________(киты), __________________(слоны) and rhinos or of the cuddly black-and-white ___________(панда). These creatures are indeed at _____ __ ___________(под угрозой уничтожения) because of irresponsible and cruel hunting by human _______________(хищников). It is easy to become angry at the _____________(бедственное положение) of these endearing _____________(млекопитающих). But the ___________(угроза) of extinction is not limited to the few _______________(видов) that we can recognize in pictures or visit in zoos. The threat of extinction ____________(влияет на) almost every species on earth, down to the tiniest microbe.

A species is a group of animals, plants or microorganisms that ___________(разделяют) a common genetic structure. Members of a species can mate with one another but not with members of another species. The earth probably ___________(содержит) between 10 and 100 million __________(разных) species, although scientists have so far only identified 1.4 million of them. Each species is genetically unique. This _________(значит) that we cannot produce new members of a species by breeding other species. The great __________(разнообразие) of different species of animals, plants and microorganisms are the world's genetic ____________(ресурсы). There is a new word in the English language that underlines the importance of conserving these resources: _________________(биоразнообразие), which means biological diversity or, literally, "many different forms of life." Fifty to seventy percent of all the earth's animal, plant and bacteria species live in the ___________________ (тропических лесах). The floor of the forest is a warm, moist, sheltered environment that _____________(способствует) a great variety of living things to grow. Wild plants and animals in the rainforests already ____________(обеспечивают) us with hundreds of useful materials, foods and medicines. The genetic resources within the rainforests provide a huge potential for new developments. We do not know very much about the balance of nature inside the rainforests. We cannot say that any single species is unimportant to the rest of the ecosystem. __________________(Поддержание) biodiversity by conserving the rainforests is one of the greatest priorities for environmentalists today. Yet at the present _______ __ ______________(темпы уничтожения), 7 percent of the earth's biodiversity is lost every 25 years. The balance of nature within any ecosystem __________ ___(зависит от) the complex interaction between millions of species of animals, plants and micro-organisms. The death of one species could __________(грозить) the survival of hundreds of others. A second species might lose its food supply and it, too, might become ____________(вымирающим). Another species could lose its ____________(хищников), so it might become more numerous. The populations of parasites and microorganisms that __________(зависит) these larger species will also change. This may ___________(привести) to the spread of new, virulent diseases in the higher organisms. The balance of nature is often a very precarious one. There are many more species of small organisms than of large ones. Insects outnumber all other animal species combined, and bacteria outnumber the entire animal and plant species together. These small organisms ___________________(имеют большое влияние на) the microenvironment. Microorganisms _____________(влияют на) important physical properties such as the acidity and mineral content of the soil, the salinity of the sea, and the __________(количество) of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the air. Changes in the populations of microorganisms may, therefore, cause major changes in the composition of the earth and its atmosphere.

We cannot _____________(поддерживать) biodiversity in the plant and animal worlds by storing every single species in laboratories. The world's ecosystem is far too (сложный). The best place to store our genetic resources is in their natural habitat. We must try to conserve what is left of these habitats before it is too late.

Вымирание необратимо. Оно не означает просто смерть; оно означает конец рождения. Как только последний представитель вида исчезает, этот вид потерян для планеты навсегда. Человек имеет силу разрушить баланс в природе, но не имеет силы, чтобы восстановить его. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________This is why we must try to _____________(защитить) every living species on the earth — even the ugliest insects and the tiny, invisible, unglamorous bacteria. Из всех ресурсов земли, ее генетические ресурсы самые невозобновимые.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

⇐ Предыдущая 1 2 34