Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. extinction (n.) [ik-stingk-shuhn] – (in biology) the death, loss
or disappearance of an entire species or population
Example: The
extinction of dinosaurs happened 65
million years ago.
2. defy all odds (idiom) [dih-fahy awl odz] – to succeed against
difficult challenges or situations
Example: He
defied all odds by surviving the car
crash.
3. teem (v.) [teem] – to be abundant or many
Example: The
forest teems with beautiful, hundred-year-old trees.
4. denizen (n.) [den-uh-zuhn] – one that lives in a
certain place; a resident
Example: The
denizens of the apartment building welcomed the new comer.
5. array (n.) [uh-rey] – a large and impressive
group of things
Example: The
variety show featured an array of famous performers.
Article
Read the text below.
A
study finds that a number of well-liked sea creatures in the movie “Finding
Nemo” are actually in danger of extinction.
The Disney/Pixar animated film "Finding Nemo" touched audiences with its story about a clownfish defying all odds to save his son who has become a victim of the aquarium industry.
However, unlike
the movie that teems with colorful
and lively undersea animals, 16% of the creatures featured in the movie face
the threat of extinction in their actual habitat as revealed in a study by
scientists from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and
Canada’s Simon Fraser University. Popular sea denizens like sharks, manta rays and turtles are in even more danger.
An array of reasons has contributed to
the decrease in these species, such as the high demand in Asia for shark
meat, illegal animal trade, and commercial development that destroys the
homes of marine life.
Although the
movie’s message was about marine life conservation, the demand for clownfish
in the aquarium industry boomed after the movie came out. According to IUCN,
the “Nemo” clownfish is not in danger yet, but the survival of 18% of other
clownfish-related species is already threatened.
Marine
biologist Boris Worm says that people might have interpreted how to care for
these creatures the wrong way. Instead of trying to preserve sea animals in
their natural environment, people would rather own or keep the animals for personal
enjoyment.
Co-author of
the study Nicholas Dulvy says the research on “Nemo” emphasizes the
difficulty of saving popular sea creatures. Despite people’s conservation
efforts, human interest in them is also preventing their growth at the same
time.
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Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
● Do you think movies about animals
can help in wildlife conservation efforts? Please explain your answer.
● In what other ways can people
promote wildlife conservation?
Discussion B
● Is it important to protect marine animals? Why or
why not?
● How would humans be affected if
many sea animals go through extinction?