Animals are natural resources that people have wasted all through our history.

　Animals have been killed for their fur and feathers, for food, for sport, and simply because they were in the way. Thousands of kinds of animals have disappeared from the earth forever. Hundreds more are on the danger list today. About 170 kinds in the United States alone are considered in danger.

　Why should people care? Because we need animals. And because once they are gone, there will never be any more.

　Animals are more than just beautiful or interesting. They are more than just a source of food. Every animal has its place in the balance of nature. Destroying one kind of animals can create many problems.

　For example, when farmers killed large numbers of hawks, the farmers’ stores of corn and grain were destroyed by rats and mice. Why? Because hawks eat rats and mice. With no hawks to keep down their numbers, the rats and mice multiplied quickly.

　Luckily, some people are working to help save the animals. Some groups raise money to let people know about the problem. And they try to get the governments to pass laws protecting animals in danger.

　Quite a few countries have passed laws. These laws forbid the killing of any animals or plants on the danger list. Slowly, the number of some animals in danger is growing.

　注释:

1. feather n.羽毛，翎毛，箭羽

I am Sun Meng. I am a junior high school student.

　I like animals. I like many kinds of animals: pigeons, dogs, goats, monkeys and elephants are my favorites. Some of them are very clever, and some of them are very beautiful. In a word, they have different characteristics.

　I like to go to the zoo, because I can see animals there. I usually buy food for them, and I think I know what they like. I like to feed the elephants best. They like eating bananas. In their presence, I feel we are one big, harmonic family.

　In America, when people say "man's best friend", they don't mean another person. Instead, they are talking about a lovely animal: the dog! This description shows the friendship between people and animals. Dogs and other pets can bring joy to people's lives. Dogs can be taught to become the “eyes” for a blind person or "ears" for a deaf person.

　Like people, animals have lives. Why don't we become good friends? In the world, some kinds of animals are in danger of becoming extinct. Let's protect animals from now on!

All around the world there are species of animals　that are about to become extinct --- disappear for ever. We need to do something　to stop this happening. If we go on using nature as thoughtlessly as we have been doing, there will soon be nothing left. So nature has to be looked after carefully.

Amazing Facts　

§　 The world's noisiest land animals are the howler monkeys. When the male monkeys call, their screams can be heard from 16km away.

§　 The world's largest land animal is the African elephant. An adult elephant grows over 3 meters tall and weighs 5.7 tons.

§　 Cheetahs are the world's fastest animals on land. They can run up to 100km/h over short distances.

§　 The giraffe is the tallest mammal in the world. It can grow over 5 meters tall. It has long neck so that it can reach the leaves high up in the trees.

§　 Beetles are the biggest insect group.

§　 Insects are found all over the world, even in the frozen lands and the deserts where other animals find it hard to live.

§　 Butterflies and moths have tiny scales that cover their bodies. The scales are made up of thousands of tiny hairs.

§　 The difference between a crocodile and an alligator is that when crocodile's mouth is closed you can see it's fourth tooth sticking out.

§　 Some lizards have skin like a collar round its neck which they puff out to make themselves look bigger when they are scared or excited.

§　 The largest, heaviest lizard is the Komodo dragon from Indonesia. It can grow up to 3 meters long, and is a fierce hunter.

§　 The world's largest bird is the African ostrich. It has powerful legs and can run as fast as 65km/h.

§　 Lions hunt and kill only when they are hungry.

§　 Vultures use their keen eyesight to spot a dead animal far below on the ground.

§　 The world's heaviest snake is Anaconda, found in South America and Trinidad. It can weigh up to 150kgs. It strangles its prey by coiling round it.

§　 Some monkeys use their tails like hands to grip on to things.

§　 Camels can stay many days without food and water. They have wide, hairy feet to stop them sinking in the sand, and their nostrils can close to keep out the dust.

§　 Badgers can see well in the dark and have strong sense of smell.

§　 The Andean condor is the world's largest bird of prey, weighing as much as 12kg. It has a wingspan of about 3 meters.

§　 Blue whales are the biggest, heaviest living creatures. They can grow up to 30 meters long.

§　 The sawfish is found in the warm oceans. It has a long, flat snout with toothed edges. As the fish moves along, it swings it's saw from side to side, wounding and killing small fish which then it eats. It doesn't harm humans.

§　 The chameleon can change its colour very quickly depending on the colour of the thing it's on.

§　 An animal called tarsier can turn its head round to look behind it without moving its body.

§　 Some birds, such as the reed warbler, can sing two tunes at a time.

§　 Giraffes have 45-centimeter long black tongue which they can use to clean their ears.

Strange but　true　

§　 　Lions sleep up to 20 hours a day.

§　 Gorillas sleep in nests which they build in tree tops.

§　 Blue whale babies weigh up to 7 tonnes at birth.　

§　 Crickets have ears positioned on their knees.

§　 Puffer fish puffs its body to scare away the enemies.

§　 Salmon live in the sea, but they return to breed in river where they were born.

§　 A female cod can lay up to 9 million eggs.

§　 Snakes never close their eyes at any time.

§　 Chameleon lizards can look in two directions at the same time.

§　 If a lizard's tail is broken off, it can usually grow a new one.

§　 A bird called Swift spends all it's time in the air. It only comes down to breed.

§　 Flamingoes are pink because their bodies take the colour of shrimps they eat.

§　 Elephants spend 23 hours a day eating.

§　 No two zebras have exactly the same pattern of stripes.

§　 Squirrels sometimes wrap their bushy tails around their body to keep themselves warm.

§　 Sailors have been known to have mistaken the basking whales for islands and try to land on them.

§　 A chameleon can alter its colour depending on its mood.　

§　 　It takes an elephant calf 6 months how to use its trunk.

§　 Flies take off backwards.

§　 The giraffe has 7 neck bones exactly the same as humans.

§　 Dolphins and whales talk to each other whistling.

§　 The humming bird is the only bird that can fly backwards.

§　 Rare African gorillas are sometimes killed to use their hand to make ashtrays.

§　 The rare kakapo parrot lays one egg every four years.

2. summarize what they have learned in the module.

Teaching resources 教学资源库

1. finish activities 11-12 in Workbook on page 147.

3. Many ________ live in India but you can find them in other counties as well. There are many elephants which ________ for people.

Writing

First ask students to discuss in small groups to decide which animal they want to write about. Find out about the animal. Then write one or two short paragraphs about it.

Sample version:

Gray bats

Gray bats only weigh up to half an ounce. Their wings measure about 1.5 inches across. Gray bats live in groups in caves. Most gray bats live in caves in Alabama, northern Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee. The caves are usually found near a river or lake. During the day, gray bats sleep. At night, they eat up to 1,000 mosquitoes or other pests in one hour. There are about 2 million bats, but their numbers become smaller because their living place are becoming smaller and some died from eating insects which is killed by pesticides. 　

Step VI Homework

Ask students to

2.　　　 The wild Bactrian camel lives in _________ and ________. It is the _________ in the world with two humps.

1.　　　 The largest animal in the world is ________. It lives in ________ and eats ________ for food.

3. Let’s do sth.

Then check the answers.

Speaking

T: Work in pairs and role-play the conversation between Katy and Samantha in Activity 2. Then try to make a similar one by yourselves.

Sample conversation:　

S1: Hi, Bob speaking.

S2: Hi, Bob. It’s Jim. Do you want to see a football match tonight?

S1: Oh, it’s very nice of you to invite me. What are the two teams?

S2: England and France. The exciting thing is to guess who will be the winner.

S1: Oh, that sounds good. What time does it start?

S2: At four o’clock. Let’s meet at half past three.

S1: OK. See you then.

S2: OK.

Listening

Then go on with activity 8. First ask students to guess what will be talked about. Then play the tape and get the students to listen and answer the questions.

Check the answers with the class.

Step III Reading and writing (Around the world: P76; 10-12: P79)

Around the world

Ask students to read the passages by themselves, and then finish the following exercises.

Show the following.

Fill in the blanks.

2. It’s + adj. of sb. to do sth.