2. Revise the active vocabulary. Complete the text with the words from the boxes.

The fraying web of life

mess up landfills exorbitant non-renewable annihilating

exacerbated facilitates demise discharging overfishing

unprecedented carcinogenic yen recyclables

For more than half a century Earth has been sending out distress signals first subtle, then unmistakable. At the beginning of the new millennium it is obvious that Earth’s pain has transformed into humanity’s pain.

For example ..…..caused the collapse of the North Atlantic cod fishery which had an ……effect on the life of the whole country, putting 30,000 Canadians out of work and ……….the economies of 700 communities.

In Latin America population pressures and overcrowding ……….the situation, raising the toll from rains and floods which killed 30,000 people and creating ………armies of environmental refugees.

Our …….. for accumulating possessions ……..our pace to inevitable……….

Instead of using……, which is environmentally-friendly approach, we consume ………resources, …….the environment, dumping waste in …………and ……… toxic liquids into rivers and the sea. We turn a blind eye even to the fact that many of these pollutants are……., i.e. cause cancer.

log might decorum greenhouse depleted

emissions greenwashing stiff deplore pristine

stringent warming temper credentials fuels

Up to the most recent times producers were reluctant to manifest commitment to environment protection, stressing that the rules of ………competition should necessitate that their rivals be compelled to face the same ……….regulations.

However ……today demands different patterns of behaviour. Manufacturers are not above showing their environmental …….and ……..to give a more favourable impression than is justified by the real facts. Stripped of their disguise they usually reply that if all polluting industries were closed down the economy would simply collapse.

With all our …… in the fit of rightful anger we ……aggression and yet to build houses and construct furniture we ……..forests – home of two-thirds of all species - which …….climate, capture and store water. Mind, that forests store 40% of terrestrial carbon, and can slow the build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, thus healing the …..ozone layer. Carbon dioxide ………from the burning of fossil ……… are contributing to the ……..effect and gradual global…….

Even ……….environments such as Antarctica can no longer be protected from development and hence from damage.

habitats havoc rejuvenation atrophy portends overselling

nonchalant deprive balance mitigating diabolically extinction

chilling analogy dilapidated diversity somber contend

Freshwater is by far the most critical ecosystem since all organisms need water to survive. Human water consumption rose sixfold in the past century, double the rate of population growth. People now use 54% of available freshwater and additional demand will not have ……effect on other ecosystems. Water scarcity may soon wither agriculture and industry. The ……..with plant life isn’t farfetched. Moreover fertilizers and ………and outdated sewage systems continue to kill and poison rivers. Introduction of nonnative species into an environment disrupts the existing balance halting………..

Nevertheless humankind is still ………and unconcerned about the possible consequences. And the ……… of Earth’s ecosystems has continued unabated.

Ecosystems are naturally resilient but human impact can affect them………. Not only can it reduce their ability to bounce back but ………them of it completely. Man’s habit of wreaking …….on the shrinking …….of plants and animals destroys biological ………and disrupts fragile natural………. Even the most conservative forecast for the future of the planet is a ……..one. The …….. acceleration of extinction ……………..the disruption of the planet’s ecological balance. The opponents however ……… that conservationist-scientists may be ……… their act and the necessity to support families today certainly outweighs the vitality of saving species prone to……….

vindicate nurture emanates belligerent bottom

sustainable commensurate indolent holistic

noxious denounce connotation curb

What will it take us to be less ………and to do at least something to ……the process of self-destruction? When will we realize that the ultimate ………line of our existence is global ecosystem stability as there will be neither society nor economy without it? When will we grow up to understand that ………development shouldn’t be aimed at trivial adding economic value but also at creating social and environmental value? Sustainability has a ………of sustaining the ability of the planet to reproduce rather than facilitate the economic growth. When will environmentalism move from being a philosophy promoted by passionate and …… minority to a way of life ………with mainstream behavior? When will a ………approach to the survival of the whole planet prevail? How can we understand that the threat to the well-being of towns and cities……….from deforestation and coral reef destruction? What arguments will we find to ……ourselves in the face of the descendants?

Only a comprehensive global survey can ……..the ……effects of the damage to one system on other systems and determine whether Earth as a whole is losing its ability to ………he full diversity of life and the economies of nations.

extricate species unilateral coalition subversive

imperative hurdle lethargic tackle inherent

quotas opportune sanction synchronize scenario

The new U.N. report examines the state of knowledge about five major categories of ecosystems, scoring them in terms of their capacity to deliver goods and services ………to life and human economies. It looks at how ………to environment’s robustness people’s activity has turned out to be and where trouble might lie in future. It also helps to draw the guidelines of measures to ……….the whole planet from the impending sinister…………….

The ..…..is to understand that each of us must join the ……..of forces to save the planet. We should stop waiting for ………..moment and free finance to ……the problem of globing warming or preserving endangered……….. Instead we should support all measures to ……………..the introduction of stringent regulation procedures in this sphere today.

Mankind should address different ways to leap the funding………. For example global market in emissions ………will help to reduce greenhouse cover.

In this cause every step and action is invaluable both on the grass-root level and international one.

However we can’t stay ………to the position of our own governments which are quite often only willing to …….their activity with the rest of the world and procrastinate until it’s too late. ……decisions can become a beacon on our way to safer future.

(based on “Condition Critical”, Time, April-May 2000)