Environmental protection

Environmental protection
The planet Earth is only a tiny part of the universe, but it's the only place where human beings can live.
People always polluted their surroundings. But until now pollution was not such a serious problem. People lived in uncrowded rural areas and did not have pollution - causing machines. With the development of crowded industrial cities, which put huge amounts of pollutants into small areas, the problem has become more important. Today our planet is in serious danger. Acid rains, global warming, air and water pollution, and overpopulation are the problems that threaten human life on Earth.
Our forests are disappearing because they are cut down or burnt. If this trend continues one day we won't have enough oxygen to breathe.
The seas are in danger. They are filled with poison: industrial and nuclear waste, chemical fertilizers and pesticides. The Mediterranean is already nearly dead; the North Sea is following. The Aral Sea is on the brink of extinction. If nothing is done about it, one day nothing will be able to live in the seas.
Every ten minutes one kind of animal, plant or insect dies out forever. If nothing is done about it, one million species that are alive today may soon become extinct.
Air pollution is another serious problem. In Cairo just breathing the air is dangerous - equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. The same holds true for many Russian cites.
Factories emit tons of harmful chemicals. These emissions have disastrous consequences for our planet. They are the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains.
And even greater threats are nuclear power stations. We all know how tragic the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster are.
Fortunately, it's not too late to solve these problems. We have the time, the money and even the technology to make our planet a better, cleaner and safer place. We can plant trees and create parks for endangered species. We can recycle litter. Individuals and groups of people can work together to persuade enterprises to stop polluting activities.

Answer the questions:
1. People always polluted their surroundings, didn`t they?
2. What are the problems that threaten human life on Earth?
3. Why are our forests disappearing?
4. What are the seas filled with?
5. How many species that are alive today may soon become extinct?
6. Is breathing the air in Cairo dangerous? How?
7. What is the main reason for the greenhouse effect and acid rains?
8. What are the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster?
9. What can people do to save the Earth?