More than Half of the World’s Primates Disappearing

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Materials Daily News

Intermediate

Exercise 1

Vocabulary

primate

Noun

ˈpraɪˌmeɪt

a category of mammals that includes monkeys, apes, and humans

Lemurs are primates.

habitat

Noun

ˈhæbɪˌtæt

an area or place where an animal or plant species normally lives

Penguins live in cold habitats.

This bird's natural habitat is the African jungle.

Modern industries have destroyed the habitats of many animals.

The animals at this zoo live in spaces that are like their natural habitats.

The animals are dying out because their habitat is destroyed.

The documentary follows the lives of a pack of wolves in their habitat.

conversion

Noun

kənˈvərʒən

the process of changing or making something change into another form

Currency conversion usually requires paying a fee.

Energy conversion is a key to approaching future environmental issues.

essentially

Adverb

ɪˈsɛnʃəli

relating to the most important characteristics of something

Honey is essentially made of sugars.

Family is essentially the most important part of life.

Smart-phones are essentially pocket-sized computers.

The technology used in both of the cellphones is essentially the same.

logging

Noun

ˈlɒɡɪŋ

the act of cutting down trees for wood

Logging is harmful to the environment.

neither ~ nor

Phrase

ˈnaɪðə(r) nɔː(r)

used when you want to say that something is not true of two or more people or things

Neither my mother nor my father went to the party.

fund

Noun

fʌnd

money that is available to be used

We need more funds for the event.

We are trying to raise sufficient funds to start our own business.

Having retired, they are now living off their pension fund.

He lacked funds to go to college full-time, so he worked two jobs and went to night school.

The holding company was unable to go through with its planned acquisition because it lacked the funds.

I want to open my own business but don't have enough funds.

conservation

Noun

ˌkɑːnsərˈveɪʃən

the act of protecting something from change, loss, injury, etc.

She is interested in the conservation of rainforests.

Conservation policies protect certain animals, such as pandas.

Conservation of nature has now become a duty of all human beings.

The organization plays a key role in the conservation of wildlife.

extinction

Noun

ɪkˈstɪŋkʃən

the fact or process of no longer existing

Do you think the extinction of humans could happen?

The bald eagle is a rare bird that faces possible extinction.

Exercise 2

Article

AI Generated Audio––:–– / ––:––

More than Half of the World’s Primates Disappearing

Scientists who study primates say that we are moving towards a time when species like gorillas will no longer be found in the wild.

In all, there are around 600 different species of primates.

Primates face one common threat: loss of habitat, the places in nature where they live. Jo Setchell is a scientist who studies primates at Durham University in Britain. She says human activity is to blame.

"The major problem is habitat loss and habitat conversion, and essentially it's humans changing primate habitat into human habitat through logging.”

More than half of all primate species are found in four countries: Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Paul Garber says each of these countries is working to help protect the primates in their areas. “But often, there is neither the funds, community support nor knowledge to deal with the conservation problems.”

Neither Garber nor Setchell have any easy answers about how to stop this road to extinction.

They do say that the clearest way is to slow human activity in primates’ habitats.

Exercise 3

Questions

How many different species of primates exist?

What is the common threat that primates face?

Where are most primate species located?

What are some of the problems that these countries encounter when trying to protect the primates?

Exercise 4

Discussion

What do you think about these findings?

How important do you think it is to protect endangered species? Why?

Which primates can be found in your country?

What are some similarities between humans and monkeys?

Do you think it is possible for humans to live in harmony with the natural world? Why? Why not?

Exercise 5

Further Discussion

How concerned are you about the conservation of the environment? Why?

How should the problem of endangered animals be addressed?

Are there any endangered species in your country?

What should be done to increase people's knowledge about conservation problems?

Should countries that have endangered primates be responsible for solving this issue or should it be a global concern? Why?

Exercises for Further Self-Study

These self-study exercises are optional and should be carried out after the lesson has finished.

Exercise 6

Sentence Building

Write at least one sentence for each of the words in Exercise 1: Vocabulary. Begin by making sure you understand the definition of each word. Use the example sentences as a guide if you are unable to think of a sentence. Practice reading your sentences out loud.

Exercise 7

Summary

Make a brief summary of the article. Focus on the main topic and consider which pieces of information are most important. Make sure you include details such as what the article is about, who is mentioned in it, where and when the events took place, and also how and why they happened.

Parts of this lesson are based on:

An article by Voice of America.