UNIT 10 What if ….. ?

Reading : Lessons 1 & 2‘ The sea that died’

The truth about water.What do you know about water ?Can you guess the answers?

1 .About ----- of all the Earth’s water is salt water in the oceans. b) 73% c) 55%

2 .Approximately ----- of all fresh water is in the form of ice or snow . a) 34% b) 51%

3 .Only about ----- of the world’s fresh water is held in lakes and rivers . b) 2.85% c) 4.25%

4 .Over ----- more water is used by the world today than in 1960 . a) 50% b) 80%

5 .Roughly----- of the world’s people are often badly affected by lack of water. a) 12% b) 21%

6 .Our bodies are made up of many solid materials, but are around ----- water. b) 45% c) 15%

a) 97%

c)77%

a)0.45%

c)100%

c) 33%

a) 95%

Similarities and Differences Find similarities and differences between :

(the Aral Sea ) ) (and the Dead Sea. *salt levels / shrink

*rivers feed each one

Read the given questions before each paragraph. Then read it silently to give correct answers.----------------------------------------------------------------------------Paragraph 1:

1 .Where’s the Aral Sea ?2 .What changes can bring a terrible water disaster?

Lakes are going through bad times worldwide. is taking water from the rivers that feed lakes .are also getting into the water and polluting it. These changes can bring terrible disaster. The Aral Sea,

,is on such disaster . in the old Soviet Union

Modern farming Farm

chemicals

Paragraph 21 .What were the people’s main jobs in the Aral Sea area?

2 .What was the sudden change in the Aral Sea? Why ?3 ./ F Before 1960s, the Aral Sea used to be one of the

largest freshwater lakes in the world . The Aral Sea was the world’s fourth-largest freshwater lake until the 1960s. People lived well from the

This would have continued if the Moscow Government had not introduced a huge and sudden change. The planners suddenly

T

successful fishingand local farming

industries.

decided to turn the region into a major cotton product The government needed money, and cotton sells well

internationally .

Paragraph 3:1 .‘Cotton is thirsty’, that means--------------------

2 .What caused pollution to the whole environment in the region ?

3 .‘These’ L.5 refers to-------------------- 4 .Find synonyms for: required / quantities / complete

However, , and the region is dry. Water was needed from the two large rivers that fed the Aral Sea. Soon, more and more water was being taken from them for irrigation. Increasing amounts of farm chemicals were also being used. started getting into the rivers, the lake and groundwater and polluting the whole environment .

cotton is thirsty

These

Paragraph 4:1 .Why is cotton called ‘the

white gold?’2 .T/ The planners

thought about the effect and saw the dangers on the Aral Sea.

3 .Find the antonyms of: safety / continued / led

The planners should have thought about the effects on the Aral Sea, but they cared only about the . If they had thought, they would have seen the dangers, and at that time, they could have stopped. However, they did not, and one of the world’s greatest environmental disasters

followed .

white goldF

Paragraph 5:1 .What two things have caused

the Aral Sea to shrink and become very salty?

2 .Why did 60,000 fishermen lose their jobs?

3/ .F The Aral Sea is 40% of its old area.

4 .Find synonyms of : more than / locate / several

5 .Complete : ,-------------------- so the fish

and the fishing industry died .

By 1983, all the river water was being taken. The rivers were dry, and the Aral Sea was also evaporating. Soon, the water was too salty for anything to live. The fish died, and the fishing industry, too. Over 60,000 fishermen lost their jobs. The lake was also shrinking. Today, it is two-fifths of its old area and just 15% of its original volume. Hundreds of rusty fishing boats lie on the old seabed, many

kilometres from water .

T

Paragraph 6:1 .What are the effects of

the Aral Sea changes on human health ?

2 .Find the opposites of : weak / causes

3‘ .This’ L4 refers to --------------

There have been other disastrous . winds blow salty, polluted dust from the seabed across the land .

and the polluted water are causing cancer and other killer diseases. Many children are also being born with physical defects.

This

Strong

effects

Paragraph 7:1 .Complete :

The irrigation water contains salts, so -----------------------

2‘ .The land is dead’ L. means that -----------------------

3‘ .these’ L.3 refers to -----------

4 .T/ The cotton is dying because there is a shortage of irrigation water .

Now the cotton itself is dying. The irrigation water brings salts and these remain in the ground. The salts cover the plants’ roots and kill them. The

The planners could and should have foreseen what would happen. If they had, they might have thrown

away their plans .

land is dead.F

You have to lose to know how to

win

Prepared by: Saida Barqawi