The destruction of forests

Forests are very important to the enviroment because they use carbon dioxide (CO₂) and produce oxygen. They also provide shelter and food for many different types of plants and animals.

Trees are cut down for many reasons but the main reasons are to make space to build new houses and to clear land to grow grass for cows and sheep to eat, to produce dairy foods. The trees which are cut down are sold and they are made into paper and furniture.

Cutting down trees is called deforestation and it can have serious effects. If animals’ homes, which are built in and around the trees, are destroyed, many species will become extinct. For example, many different types of animals in South America were lost before scientists could learn about them.

Deforestation also affects the climate. When rain falls on a forest, new clouds are created. If huge areas of trees are cut down, clouds do not form, rain does not fall and the land becomes drier. The CO₂ builds up and adds to the global warming which is making the Earth become hotter.

Many European countries are planting trees faster than they are cutting them down. Many trees were planted a few years ago to replace woodland and to create forests in areas where there wasn’t much wood. We can help to save forests by reusing and recycling paper.

1. How does deforestation affect plants and animals?
2. How are the European countries trying to solve this problem?

b) ARE THESE STATEMENTS TRUE OR FALSE? JUSTIFY YOUR ANSWERS WITH WORDS OR PHRASES FROM THE TEXT. (0,5 points per answer)

3. The forests are very important because we use the carbon dioxide they produce.
4. One of the main reasons why the forests are being destroyed is to feed some species of animals.
5. Deforestation is the planting of trees on an area where they have been cut down.
6. There is nothing we can do to help save forests.

(7) Find in the text the word which has the following definition: (0.25 points)
"The general weather conditions usually found in a particular place".

(8) Complete the series with another word of the same semantic group: (0.25 points)
DEFORESTATION, ACID RAIN, GREENHOUSE EFFECT, ...

(9) Fill in the gap with an appropriate verb form: (0.5 points)
If we want to save the Earth, we should stop ............................. our forests.

(10) Put the following sentence into Reported Speech: (0.5 points)
She said: "Many trees were planted a few years ago to replace woodland and to create forests".

(11) Put the following sentence into the passive voice: (0.5 points)
Many European countries are planting trees faster than they are cutting them down.

(12) Give a question for the underlined words: (0.5 points)
Forests provide shelter and food for many different types of plants and animals.

(13) Use the following words to make a meaningful sentence:
LARGE AREAS – DESTROYING – RAIN FOREST – OF – DEFORESTATION – IS – TROPICAL

a) Is the human being an endangered species? Why?
b) How can you help to protect our environment?