Biodiversity on different continents
Animals and plants have inhabited all continents.
Eurasia
In China we can meet a special plant – rice. It is an agricultural culture which has been cultivated for many centuries. The peoples of Asia call rice “the son of water and the Sun” and “Gods’ food”. Fields of rice are covered with water. People reap the harvest from the boat.
There are many wonderful animals in China. One of them – giant panda – is a rare animal. The fur is thick and very beautiful. Giant panda is often called “the bamboo bear” because it feed on bamboo and is a close relative of bears.
To inhabit – населять
Rice – рис
An agricultural culture – сельскохозяйственная культура
To cultivate – выращивать
A century – век
The peoples – народы
To call – называть
A field – поле
To cover – покрывать
To reap the harvest – собирать урожай
Giant panda – большая панда
Rare – редкий
The fur – мех
Bamboo – бамбук
To feed on – питаться
A close relative to – близкий родственник
Africa
One of the most famous plants in Africa is baobab. The plant can be 10 meters wide and it stores water. The wood is very soft and can hold up to 120 tons of water. When it is dry season, the tree loses water and becomes thin.
The tallest animal on Earth is the giraffe. It lives in Africa. The giraffe is 6 meters tall. The height helps the giraffe to see objects 1 kilometer away from it. The animal feed on tree leaves. It is on the watch for the zebras, antelopes and ostriches who live nearby.
Baobab – баобаб
10 meters wide – 10 м в ширину
To store water – запасать воду
Wood – древесина
Soft – мягкий
To hold water – задерживать воду
Dry season – засушливый сезон
To lose water – терять воду
6 meters tall - 6 м в высоту
Height – высота
A leaf - лист
To feed on – питаться
To be on the watch for – сторожить
An ostrich – страус
To live nearby – быть неподалеку
North America
Sequoia (or redwood) grow in the Cordillera. Sequoia are gigantic evergreen conifers. They can be 100 meters high and 10 meters wide. Sequoias are several thousand years old.
The skunk is a striped animal which shoots stinking fluid when it feels danger. The stink is awful and the predators don’t dare to come nearer.
Sequoia – секвойя
Redwood – секвойя
To grow – расти
The Cordillera – Кордильеры
Evergreen – вечнозеленый
A conifer – хвойное растение
A skunk – скунс
Striped – полосатый
To shoot – выстреливать
Stinking fluid – вонючая жидкость
To feel danger – чувствовать опасность
A stink – вонь
A predator – хищник
To dare – осмеливаться
South America
The Amazon is home for one of the most extraordinary plants in the world – the water lily Victoria Regia. The flowers are beautiful and the leaves can be 2 meters wide. An adult woman can stand on the leaves!
The biggest butterfly in the world lives in Africa – Thysania Agrippina. The wingspread is 30 meters.
The biggest bug in the world – titan beetle – lives in Africa too.
The Amazon – река Амазонка
Extraordinary – необычный
Water lily – кувшинка
An adult woman – взрослая женщина
Thysania agrippina – совка
Wingspread – размах крыльев
Titan beetle – дровосек-титан
Australia
The most famous plants in Australia are eucalyptuses. The highest tree in the world is eucalyptus (more than 100 meter high).
The kangaroos live ONLY in Australia. These animals carry their babies in the pouch.
Eucalyptus – эвкалипт
High – высокий
To carry babies – носить детей
A pouch – сумка на животе
Antarctica
The flora and fauna in Antarctica is very poor. It includes mosses and lichens in the coast regions and penguins. Penguins cannot fly but they use their wings for swimming. They feed on fish.
Poor – скудный
Mosses – мхи
Lichens – лишайники
To include – включать
Coast regions – прибрежные районы
To feed on – питаться