Our Cousins in the Ocean

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 472.

A You'll hear an interview with Ray Gamble, an expert on whales. Before you hear it, discuss with your partner what you already know about whales.

In the first part of the interview you'll hear about different people's attitudes to “saving the whales”. Answer these multiple-choice questions.

1. The Inuit peoples (Eskimos) of the Arctic…

A hunt whales together for enjoyment

B would die out if they didn't hunt whales

С depend on whale meat and products for their survival

D don't actually like the taste of whale meat

2. When Ray watched Eskimos hunting whales he found the experience…

A sickening B fascinating

C shocking D unsettling

3. To Western people today the whale represents the idea of….

A beauty B freedom

C pleasure D food

4. For Western people, the whale is no longer thought of as a source of…

A meat B oil

C raw materials D wonder

5. Nowadays Western people view commercial whale hunters as…

A brutal B primitive

C distasteful D profitable

B In the second part of the interview, Ray talks about why he thinks whales are exciting animals. Put a tick beside the reasons he gives.

ڤ he feels an inexplicable affinity with them

ڤ they have feelings like human beings

ڤ they can move in spectacular ways

ڤ they can communicate with each other

ڤ some whales are impressively large

ڤ their brains are large

ڤ all whales are enormous

ڤ they can perform tricks

ڤ they may be on the verge of extinction

ڤ they are perfectly suited to living in the sea

C Discuss your reactions to the recording.

¨ What other species do you know about which are endangered?

¨ Why is it important that endangered animals and plants don't become extinct?

¨ How can endangered species be protected?

D Read the text below and do the task which follows.