Habitat Loss is the Leading Cause of Extinction
Interesting Facts in Easy English
Pre-Listening Vocabulary
- habitat: the place where living things live
- extinction: the state of no longer existing
- threatened: facing a possible risk of extinction
- 24/7: all day and night; at all times
- human intervention: the involvement of humans
Comprehension Questions
- How does the current rate of extinction differ from the natural rate of extinction?
- What is the leading cause of species extinction today?
- Why are men guarding a white rhino in Kenya?
Discussion Questions: Which bird, plant, or animal species would you be most sad to lose, and why? What can humans do to slow down the rate of species extinction?
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Habitat Loss is the Leading Cause of Extinction
According to recent studies, approximately one in four mammals and one in eight birds currently
faces a high risk of extinction. Though species extinction is natural, the current rate of extinction is at least 1,000 times faster than the natural rate. The leading cause of extinction around the world is habitat
loss. Extinction rates are growing the fastest in areas with high
population growth. In Kenya, armed men are currently standing
on guard 24/7 as the last known northern white male rhino wanders around a conservation area. Even with human intervention, it is unlikely that the last male of the subspecies will be able to
reproduce with either of the two last females in his habitat.
- The current rate of extinction is at least 1,000 times faster than the natural rate.
- The leading cause of species extinction is habitat loss.
- Men are guarding a white rhino in Kenya, because it is the last known white male of its subspecies.
