What is ecology?
Ecology is the study of organisms and their relationship with their surroundings. Ecologists study the inter-action between an organism and its environment or habitat. Some ecologists study a specific species to see how they interact with other organisms and the environment. An ecologist can study many different species of course.
There are many fields of ecology with lots of things still to be discovered.
You are a Junior High School student and you think you can’t do anything to take care of the environment? You’re wrong! Everyone can do something to protect nature.
l Use public transport instead of cars! (używaj transportu publicznego) – If you don’t drive, try to talk your parents into it or at least don’t ask them to give you a lift all the time. You can go by bike or walk!
l Save water! (oszczędzaj wodę) – Think of all those fish, crabs, dolphins which have less and less water (their natural environment) only because you have to have water running from the tap while brushing your teeth…
l Switch off the light when leaving a room! (gaś światło, kiedy wychodzisz z pokoju) – This is saving energy. When the lights are on all the time, cities need more energy, energy plants are not able to produce enough energy and stronger, nuclear plants are built. And they can be very dangerous!
l Write on both sides of a sheet of paper! (pisz po obu stronach kartki papieru) – Remember! Paper is made from wood and to get wood people have to cut forests down. So, the more paper you need, the more wood is needed, the more trees are cut down!
l Don’t litter forests and parks! (nie zaśmiecaj lasów i parków) – Cities are getting bigger and bigger and it is getting harder to find somewhere natural and peaceful to relax. If you go for a picnic, DO NOT leave your rubbish, take it with you! You want to have a nice place for a picnic next time.
l Segregate household rubbish! (segreguj domowe śmieci) – Recycling is very important in our lives. Jars, bottles, paper, plastic bags and other things you throw away which are not dirty, can be easily reused. It is very important to pay attention and not to mix organic waste with plastic or glass. You can be eco-friendly at home as well. You don’t have to throw away one jar and five minutes later buy another one. You can reuse jars and boxes.
l Respect National Parks! (szanuj parki narodowe) – It’s not only a place for animals to be protected. National Parks have their own, natural microclimate. Don’t pick up any pretty flowers, don’t shout, and don’t disturb ants. Just enjoy beauty of nature!
Zadanie 1.
Połącz słowa z opisami i sprawdź, ile wiesz o ekologii.
Words
1 HABITAT
2 RAINFOREST
3 ACID RAIN
4 GLOBAL
5 ENDANGERED SPECIES
6 CFCs
7 RECYCLING
8 POLLUTION
Descriptions
A. Rain that is harmful to trees and building because it’s mixed with industrial smoke.
B. Segregating waste materials so that they can be used again.
C. A forest in a tropical region of the world.
D. Animals and plants that WARMING may not longer exist in the future.
E Chlorofluorocarbon gases used in aerosol containers and fridges.
F. Natural environment of a plant or animal.
G The increase in temperature on earth.
H. Damage caused to the environment by chemicals and waste.
Odpowiedzi
1F; 2C; 3A; 4G; 5D; 6E; 7B; 8H
Zadanie 2. Prawda czy fałsz?
The Earth needs the rainforests!
Rainforests can be described as a tall jungle. They are in many different parts of the world but the biggest are in South America, Africa and South East Asia but there are no Rainforests in Europe. The reason they are called ”rain” forests is because of the high amount of rainfall they get per year. The climate of a rain forest is very hot and humid. They cover six per cent of the Earth’s surface and about 70% of all animal and plant species in the world, can be found in the rainforests.
Rainforests are the source of many items that we all use in our own homes! Many medicines are made from ingredients found only in these areas and we eat several foods from the rainforest, for example: chocolate, sugar, cinnamon, pineapples.
Unfortunately, rainforests are in danger. People need more and more space for their business, they find wood from rainforests very attractive and they don’t seem to care that they’re killing ”the lungs of the Earth”. When people chop down the trees, they kill many other plants. Some of those plants provide sources of medicine. There are also many kinds of animals which have to move. Some species are endangered but there are also those which are extinct.
Ecologists warn! We have to take care of rainforests! They are very important to us. The trees and other plants clean the air and make the Earth breathe. If there are less green and clean areas in the world, there will be less oxygen and people need oxygen to live.
TRUE FALSE
1 There are small rainforests in Europe. TRUE FALSE
2 It rains a lot in rainforests. TRUE FALSE
3 70% of the globe is covered with rainforests. TRUE FALSE
4 Not many animals live in rainforests. TRUE FALSE
5 Some species from rainforests don’t exist any more. TRUE FALSE
6 We have to protect rainforests. TRUE FALSE
Odpowiedzi:
1T; 2T; 3F; 4F; 5T; 6T