Active Vocabulary General and Academic Words - Amy E. Olsen 2013
Chapter 12. Environmental Science
Part 2 Academic Words
Endangered Animals
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has a list of endangered plants and animals known as the Red List. Animals on the list range from the well-known lowland gorilla to the lesser known
aye-aye. Within the "threatened" category, animals are listed as "critically endangered," "endangered," or "vulnerable." Conservationists hope the list will heighten public awareness of the dangers animals face and elicit responses on ways to save these animals.
The giant panda, a symbol for endangered animals, is endemic to Southwest China. The panda eats about twenty to thirty pounds of bamboo a day. As human populations grow, animals lose more of their natural habitat. Forests and grasslands are being destroyed for timber, agriculture, and housing expansion. The giant panda's habitat is diminishing due to encroachment for agriculture and timber needs. The Chinese government has established more than fifty panda reserves, which shields almost 60 percent of the current population. Estimates place about 1,600 pandas in the wild.
The babirusa, or wild pig, found on Sulawesi and other Indonesian islands is listed as vulnerable. The unusual-looking babirusa has two sets of tusks, one of which grows on the top of the snout and curves back toward the animal's forehead. The babirusa is omnivorous, eating fruit, leaves, and small animals. Though protected, hunting contributes to the animal's decline. They are killed for food, and their unusual skulls are found in local markets for sale to tourists. In the last
census, only 5,000 babirusa were found in the wild.
The blue whale, found in every ocean, is listed as endangered. The largest mammal on Earth, blue whales are usually 80 to 100 feet long and weigh more than 100 tons. They eat about 8,000 pounds a day of krill, a shrimp-like animal. Before the whaling era, population estimates were close to 250,000 animals. About 99 percent were killed due to whaling. In 1966, the International Whaling Commission put a moratorium on hunting blue whales. Current estimates place the blue whale population between 5,000 and 12,000. Blue whales now face threats from pollution, including increases in ocean noise levels (possibly interfering with their low-frequency communication) and global warming (disrupting migration patterns and altering food supplies).
These examples illustrate the major threats animals face: habitat loss, hunting, and pollution. The field of zoology has helped people learn more about animals. With this knowledge and by working together, individuals and governments can 40 avert the loss of today's threatened animals.
Predicting
For each set, write the definition on the line next to the word to which it belongs. If you are unsure, return to the reading on page 82, and underline any context clues you find. After you've made your predictions, check your answers against the Word List on page 87. Place a checkmark in the box next to each word whose definition you missed. These are the words' you'll want to study closely.
Set One
to draw or bring out
an intrusion
the environment where a plant or animal typically lives
natural to a particular area
a person who works to save the environment
□ 1. conservationist (line 7) ...
□ 2. elicit (line 8) ...
□ 3. endemic (line 10) ...
□ 4. habitat (line 12) ...
□ 5. encroachment (line 13) ...
Set Two
suspension of an activity
to prevent
warm-blooded vertebrate
the study of animals
eating all types of food
□ 6. omnivorous (line 19) ...
□ 7. mammal (line 24) ...
□ 8. moratorium (line 29) ...
□ 9. zoology (line 37) ...
□ 10. avert (line 40) ...
Self-Tests
1 Next to each sentence write the vocabulary word that best applies to the meaning of the sentence. Use each word once.
Vocabulary list
habitat
endemic
mammals
elicit
encroachment
omnivorous
zoology
conservationist
moratorium
avert
1. They have been ordered to stop dumping waste there.
2. Africa has lots of these, including lions, elephants, and zebras.
3. Willow is interested in studying animals.
4. Only when I mentioned cookies was I able to get a response from my kids.
Vocabulary list
habitat
endemic
mammals
elicit
encroachment
omnivorous
zoology
conservationist
moratorium
avert
5. The city has slowly been growing into the hills, and cougars have recently been seen in people's back yards.
6. Orangutans are at home in the forest, swinging from tree to tree.
7. We turned away from Main Street minutes before the crane fell. We were lucky to miss the accident.
8. Chimpanzees eat leaves, fruit, insects, birds, and small mammals.
9. The saguaro cactus is found only in the Southwest.
10. Grandpa belongs to a group that spends two weekends a month removing nonnative plants from local parks.
2 Fill in each blank with the appropriate vocabulary word. Use each word once.
Vocabulary list
avert
endemic
omnivorous
zoology
mammal
elicit
conservationist
encroachment
habitats
moratorium
Set One
Henry was surprised that seeing a blue whale would (1)... so many emotions from him. He was happy, sad, and amazed. He had been told that they are the world's largest (2)... (as long as three school buses), but he hadn't really comprehended that until he saw one in person. He was so impressed that he wanted to do something to (3)... their disappearance. It was on that day that Henry became a(n) (4)... . Now he writes letters, sends money, and works with local groups to preserve the (5)... of endangered animals in the forests, grasslands, and oceans around the globe.
Set Two
One of the endangered animals Henry learned about is the aye-aye. It is a primate that is (6)... to Madagascar. It eats fruits, nuts, seeds, and grubs, which makes it
(7)... . Due to (8)... of its rainforest habitat, aye-aye have been found more often raiding local villages for food. There is local superstition that the aye-aye is an omen of evil and that it sneaks into people's homes and kills them with its long middle finger. Because of these beliefs, aye-aye are often killed by locals. The story of the aye-aye fascinated Henry and encouraged him to take a(n) (9)... course at his local college. As Henry says, "there should never be a(n) (10) on learning.”
3 Use the vocabulary words to complete the following analogies. For more instructions, see Completing Analogies on page 6.
Vocabulary list
avert
endemic
zoology
elicit
omnivorous
habitat
mammal
encroachment
conservationist
moratorium
1. New Orleans : city :: rainforest : ...
2. new : old :: beginning : ...
3. cook : makes food :: ... : works to save the environment
4. examine : study :: ... : prevent
5. oak : tree :: giraffe : ...
6. pots and pans : cooking :: questions : ...
7. looks both ways before crossing the street : cautious : : eats fruit and animals : ...
8. steering wheel : car :: clearing away trees : ...
9. mailed : sent :: ... : native
10. write a letter : mail it :: want to learn about animals : study ...
Identify the two vocabulary words represented in the drawings.
Collocations
The college adheres to a strict no-drug,policy; anyone caught with illegal drugs on campus will be expelled. (Chapter 11)
The man's mission seemed to be to impede progress on the new library; he objected to every aspect of the plan. (Chapter 110
With an especially hot summer, the city put a moratorium on selling fireworks. (Chapter 12)
I tried to elicit a response from my husband on what he wanted for dinner, but I should have known better than to ask him during a football game. (Chapter 12)
The city was able to avert a catastrophe by quarantining those who were infected with the deadly virus within hours of its discovery. (Chapter 12)
Interactive Exercise
Finish the sentence starters that deal with the environment. The first five include one of the vocabulary words in the starter. For the second five use each of the following vocabulary words once in your completed sentences: elicit, encroachment, habitat, mammal, and omnivorous.
1. As a conservationist, my greatest concern is ...
2. To avert a catastrophe in regard to this environment, people ...
3. There needs to be a moratorium on ...
4. The field of zoology can help to protect the planet by ...
5. Plants and animals that are endemic ...
6. Animals are fascinating because ...
7. Many of the animals in Africa ...
8. Plants and animals are endangered ...
9. One way I can help the planet is ...
10. In the next ten years, I hope to see ...
Word Groups
Putting words into related groups can help your mind organize new vocabulary. To create word groups, get a piece of paper, pick a category, and list as many of the vocabulary words whose definitions fit under that heading in a general way. You will, of course, need to know the shades of meaning the more frequently you use a word.
Here is a sample list of vocabulary words that fit the category of "hidden or secret": discreet (Chapter 2), clandestine and intrigue (Chapter 3), covert (Chapter 8). As you work through the book, look for four other words that could fit this category, and return here to add to the list.
1. ...
2. ...
3. ...
4. ...
A few other categories to consider for the vocabulary words in this text are "free/freedom," "cheat," and "excitement." For a fun and collaborative way to use word groups, see the directions for Category Race in Chapter 15.
Word List
Words to Watch
Which words would you like to practice with a bit more? Pick 3-5 words to study, and list them below. Write the word and its definition, and compose your own sentence using the word correctly. This extra practice could be the final touch to learning a word.
Word |
Definition |
Your Sentence |
1. |
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2. |
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3. |
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4. |
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5. |