Reading 1 Name: ____________________________________

Grade: _____ Group: _________ Date: ___________________

Saving Natural Habitats

In 1962 a book called Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was published. It was about the
damage pesticides were doing to the natural environment and human health. The book became a
best-seller and helped the environmental movement grow and become part of the social revolution
of the 1960s. More people were also joining organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) or
starting new organizations like Greenpeace. Meanwhile government departments like the
USA's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were being established in countries all around the
world.

Despite all the work that people in organizations like these have done since the 1960s, and despite
all the protests and street marches that have been held, things have only gotten worse. Habitat
destruction has increased enormously, so much so that by 2020 only 3% of the world’s wilderness
remained undamaged by human activity (Note 1). Wildlife populations have fallen by an average of
68% since 1970 according to the WWF Living Planet Report 2020, and over 37,400 species of
mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles and plants are now threatened with extinction (Note 2).

What went wrong? Why have things become so much

worse since the 1960s? The WWF Living Planet Report cited
above notes that "Since 1970, total gross domestic product
(GDP) has increased four times, the extraction of living
materials from nature has tripled, and human population
has doubled (p. 52)". The report concludes that rising
Despite countless protests and street marches like this one in populations and increasing GDPs have led to more and
San Francisco, habitat loss has increased enormously since the
1960s
more people being able to afford a high standard of living,
and that this is the main reason for both habitat loss and the climate change emergency.

Many other reports have reached the same conclusion. In 2019 a study commissioned by The United
Nations concluded that "High consumption lifestyles in more developed economies, combined with
rising consumption in developing and emerging economies, are the dominant factors driving
land degradation globally." (Note 3)

If high levels of consumption are so damaging, why do we still want to consume so much? One reason
is that companies use advertising to increase sales and profits, and advertising
promotes consumerism. Consumerism is the belief that consuming makes us happy, and that buying
expensive designer clothes and luxury goods, living in a big house, owning an expensive car, eating
gourmet foods, traveling the world, etc is the best way to live. But living this way is directly related
to environmental destruction and habitat loss.
A good example of how consumerism and higher standards of living cause habitat loss is the fact that
more of us can now afford to eat expensive meats like steak. To satisfy the growing demand for steak,
more and more forests in areas like the Amazon Basin are being destroyed to make way for farms
that raise beef cattle. So one way to help save natural habitats is to eat less steak and beef. Doing
something simple like this can really help, maybe even more than protesting on the streets or
debating online.

While eating less or no beef is part of a more sustainable lifestyle, we have to do much more than
this. The problems we have created have become so serious that we're now facing a life-or-death
global emergency. To survive this emergency, we'll have to change our entire way of life and start
putting nature at the centre of our decision-making.

What can we do?

Consume less

We can start by only buying things we really need. Think about whether consumerism and the idea
that shopping makes us happy is what you really believe. Consuming less also means producing less
waste, including plastic waste of the sort that's so damaging to oceans and marine life.

Be informed

We can read books and articles and watch documentaries about things like habitat loss, climate
change, renewable energy, environmental politics, and so on. Doing this helps us to make good
decisions about things like the food we eat, the transport we use, and who we vote for.

Get political

We can join political parties that support policies like the global Green New Deal (Note 4)
and degrowth policies that limit production and consumption to sustainable levels.

Join the "green" movement

We can join organizations like Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the WWF and Extinction Rebellion.
We can also make donations to organizations like these and join direct action campaigns and
protest marches.

Improve decision-making in business

If you run a business, don't base your decisions on maximizing profits alone. Put nature at the
centre of your decision-making to ensure you're not making the environmental crisis even worse
than it already is. You could even think about starting a "green" business like installing solar panels
or selling organic fruits and vegetables.
Boycott bad products and companies

We can refuse to buy products like palm oil, the production of which causes major habitat
destruction and air pollution when huge areas of tropical forest are burned every year to make way
for new palm oil plantations. We can also boycott companies that lobby politicians to block
legislation that protects the environment. Many fossil fuel companies do this, as do companies that
make pesticides and other damaging chemicals.

Do useful work

We can choose careers in which we can make a difference rather than just make lots of money.
Think about whether you'll have the power or skills to play a role in solving the problems we're
facing.

Support indigenous land rights

Giving indigenous people the right to live on their homelands allows them to use their knowledge
of ecosystems to protect local habitats. This has been shown to be more effective at preserving
biodiversity than turning their homelands into wilderness areas they can't live on.

Work together

If all we do is sit around feeling sad and worried about the future, what do you think will happen? If
all we do is blame others for creating the problem and wait for others to fix it, what do you think
we'll achieve? But if we all work together doing whatever we can, we might be able pass a living
planet on to future generations after all.

Notes
• Note 1. "Just 3% of world’s ecosystems remain intact, study suggests" - an article by The
Guardian's Environment editor Damian Carrington, in The Guardian, April 16, 2021

• Note 2. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - International Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) website shows the current number of species known to be threatened with
extinction.

• Note 3. IPBS Assessment Report on Land Degradation and Restoration- from the 2019
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Report
commissioned by The United Nations (PDF file)

• Note 4. For more on a global Green New Deal, see Climate Crisis and the Global Green New
Deal: The Political Economy of Saving the Planetby Noam Chomsky, Robert Pollin and C.J.
Polychroniou. Published by Verso, September 29, 2020
Reading 1 Name: ____________________________________
Grade: _____ Group: _________ Date: ___________________

The Disappearing Honeybee

Do you run away when you hear a bee buzzing? Many people do.
A bee sting hurts and some people are allergic to bee venom. But
did you know that bees are very important to humans?
Honeybees do more than just make honey. They fly around
and pollinate flowers, plants, and trees. Our fruits, nuts, and
vegetables rely on these pollinators. One third of America's food
supply is pollinated by the honeybee.

Have you seen or heard a honeybee lately? Bees are mysteriously disappearing in many parts of the
world. Most people don't know about this problem. It is called "colony collapse disorder" (CCD).
Some North American beekeepers lost 80% of their hives from 2006-2008. Bees in Italy and Australia
are disappearing too.

The disappearance of the honeybee is a serious problem. Can you imagine never eating another
blueberry? What about almonds and cherries? Without honeybees food prices will skyrocket. The
poorest people always suffer the worst when there is a lack of food.

This problem affects other foods besides fresh produce. Imagine losing your favorite ice cream!
Haagen Daaz is a famous ice cream company. Many of their flavors rely on the hard working
honeybee. In 2008, Haagen Daaz began raising money for CCD. They also funded a garden at the
University of California called The Haven. This garden helps raise awareness about the disappearing
honeybee and teaches visitors how to plant for pollinators.

Donating money to research is the most important thing humans can do to save the honeybee. Scientists
need money to investigate the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder. Some scientists blame CCD
on climate change. Others think pesticides are killing the bees. Commercial bee migration may also
cause CCD. Beekeepers transport their hives from place to place in order to pollinate plants year round.

Not everyone has money to donate regularly. There are other ways to help the honeybee. Spread the
word by telling your friends and family about the problem. Tell your teacher about the disappearing
bees too. Maybe your class can write a letter to the government.
Reading 1 Name: ____________________________________

Grade: _____ Group: _________ Date: ___________________

Quiz

1. Honeybees are very important because they produce honey and …

a) sting people b) cure allergies c) pollinate flowers

2. The problem of honeybees disappearing is called

a) colony disappearing b) colony collapse disorder c) colony cooperation

disorder disorder

3. According to the article, honeybees pollinate ________ of America's food supply.

a) all b) a quarter c) one third

4. If honeybees disappear due to CCD, food prices will

a) rise b) fall c) collapse

5. Haagen Daaz is worried about CCD because they flavour their ice creams with

a) honeybees b) honeybees c) fruits and nuts

6. What's the most important thing people can do to save the honeybee?

a) eat less ice cream b) donate to CCD research c) donate to CCD research

7. Scientists need to _______ the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder.

a) investigate b) blame c) hide

8. One of the possible causes of CCD is the use of poisons called

a) pesticides b) allergies c) pollinators

9. Moving honeybees from place to place is called

a) CCD transportation b) commercial bee migration c) beekeeper pollination

10. Another way to help the honeybee is to _______ about the problem.

a) spread the word b) spread denial c) stop talking

 Adding and subtracting fractions
with the same denominator
Colour the correct number of sections in each circle, and then colour more or erase some
depending on the calculation. The denominator stays the same – you just have more or less
sections depending on the calculation!

E.g. E.g.

3 + 2 = 5 7 - 5 = 2
8 8 8 8 8 8

1. 2.

2 + 2 = 4 - 3 =
6 6 5 5

3. 4.

1 + 4 = 5 - 2 =
8 8 6 6

Page 1 of 2
5. 6.

2 + 3 = 8 - 7 =
7 7 8 8

7. 8.

2 + 8 = 7 - 5 =
12 12 9 9

Page 2 of 2
Finances
Name:
Date:
Theme:

E.X. 1 Read the following text and complete the conceptual map.

I live with my mom and my grandfather Carlos in Leon, Guanajuato. My

grandfather is a shoemaker and owner of a shoe repair shop, he buys leather
from a tannery and with that material he repairs shoes and creates new models.
He takes the shoes in his truck to nearby cities so that different shoe stores sell
them, also once a month, Mr. Pedro comes with his truck and buys my
grandfather twenty pairs of shoes to take to the shoe stores in Mexico City.
With the money my grandfather receives, we pay for electricity and water in the
house and he gives me an allowance.

What is the product or service that

Mr. Carlos produces? what need does it cover?

who is involved during the whole

process?

E.X. 2. Make a drawing about the process.