2017-2018学年高中英语 Unit 4 Wildlife protection课时作业 新人教版必修2.docVIP

Unit 4　Wildlife protection 【导语】　专家指出：地球上的动植物物种正以前所未有的速度消失而无论是它们栖息地的丧失、污染还是全球变暖带来的间接影响祸根都源于人类。 北部白犀牛　　　小嘴狐猴Extinction is for ever! As almost everyone knows，to become extinct is to be gone for ever.Even before mans arrival on Earth，species became extinct quite naturally.Natural extinction happens when a species decreases in numbers gradually but steadily at the end of its evolutionary period on Earth.The length of this period depends on how well a species can get used to changes around it.This process of extinction can take a very long time—sometimes several million years—and the extinction of one species is immediately followed by the appearance of another in a continuous cycle. The case of the dinosaurs is the most well－known example of natural extinction.They appeared on Earth about 200 million years ago and dominated both land and sea for almost 100 million years.It is not certain why the dinosaurs became extinct，but their disappearance was a natural one and new species of animals evolved to replace them. The rate of extinction has speeded up unnaturally over the last 400 years，rising sharply since 1990.This increase in the rate of extinction is directly related to the increase in the human population over the same period of time.The great number of humans has caused great damage to the planet，as wild habitats have been taken over，forcing animals and plants into smaller and smaller areas，until some of them have become extinct.We have also polluted some habitats with chemicals and waste，making them unfit for wildlife.These causes of extinction are known as indirect destruction. Animals may also become extinct through direct destruction.This includes the hunting and catching of animals.Man has always hunted and killed wildlife but when early humans lived more in harmony with nature，they killed animals for essential food and clothing.When firearms were invented，great destruction of species was possible.Animals have been，and still are，killed for meat，clothing，medi