1a. What has caused the disappearing of the Aral Sea?
2a. What effect did passage of the Clean Air Act by the United States Congress have on ice core samples dug from polar glaciers?
3a. In early 1989, the author discovered that the Amazon rain forest was being destroyed at a rapid rate. How much of the rain forest was being burned each year?
4a. What are the human actions which cause the various environmental disasters the author describes?
5a. What can humans do to lessen or reverse their negative effects on the environment? What could make it difficult to stop humans from hurting environment? In your opinion, what will be the most difficult thing to change, and why?
1b. What impression of human planning does this create?
2b. What conclusions about air pollution can you draw from this evidence?
3b. Why is it a bad policy to destroy the rain forest in this way?
4b. From the examples given by the author, what conclusions can you draw about human beings' relationship with nature? What do you think will happen if the number of species lost each year continues at the current rate?
5b. Thinking about ecological issues in your own community, consider how you could help save the environment. In groups of four, brainstorm ideas for helping, volunteer opportunities and fundraising plans you could participate in as a class.
Irony of Situation. The Aral Sea problem that the author describes involves an irony of situation. So does the sighting of a pheasant. What in these two anecdotes contradicts your expectations as a reader? What is the author's purpose in using these ironic situations?
Figures of Speech. In paragraph 7 of this selection, what examples of figures of speech can you identify? What words might the author have used to describe the situation literally? What effect does the use of figures of speech have on the description?
1. Imagine you are a news reporter writing a story about one of the environmental disasters described in this selection. Write the news headline for your story. Remember that it must be short, excluding any articles such as a, an, or the, and that it must be attention-grabbing.
2. Write a narrative paragraph containing an example of irony of situation. For example, your paragraph could be about a criminal who spends hours breaking into a bank vault only to find that the vault is empty and has not been used in years.
3. Select one of the environmental disasters described in the selection and write a letter to the editor of your local paper calling attention to the problem and stressing why, in your opinion, the problem needs to be resolved. Include in your letter one suggestion as to what your community can do to help.
Hyphens and Dashes. A hyphen is used to make a compound word. Examples from this selection include "blue-green waves" or "a twelve-foot-thick slab of ice." A dash is used to show a sudden break or change of thought. An example from the selection is "the world beneath it had changed in an unexpected way that made the egg seem—through no fault of its own—out of place." Refer to the Language Arts Survey 3.87 for more examples. Then, in the space provided, rewrite the sentences below, inserting hyphens and dashes where they are needed.
1. I was standing on the bottom of the Aral Sea which had been dried up by an irrigation scheme when a camel walked by.
2. The Aral Sea was once the fourth largest inland sea in the world.
3. Dolphins lay dead in the ankle deep water along the shores of the Riviera.
4. Oil soaked birds and otters victims of the oil spill on Prince William Sound were shown on television.
5. The Clean Air Act an act that passed in the United States Congress in the 1960s reduced air pollution worldwide.
6. I watched one scientist nicknamed Frosty work on a core sample of ice dug from the freezing cold glacier.
7. If the polar ice cap thins and many scientists believe it is thinning there could be disastrous climate changes on Earth.
8. The Amazon rain forest a treasure chest of never before seen species of animals and plants is being burned for use by cattle ranchers.
9. The ghostly looking whiteness of ivory haunted me after I saw pictures of elephants murdered by poachers.
10. The pheasant a wild bird very popular with game hunters is rarely found in traffic clogged city neighborhoods.
Words in Context. Each underlined word in the sentences below is a Word for Everyday Use from "Ships in the Desert." Review each sentence and determine whether the underlined word is used correctly within the sentence. If it is, leave the sentence alone. If the word is used incorrectly, use the word correctly in a sentence of your own. For more information, see the Language Arts Survey 1.16, "Using Context Clues to Estimate Word Meaning."
1. Because the detective's theory was speculative, the police force considered the case solved.
2. As she purchased the jacket, Lani realized she was committing an inexorable act.
3. Leon's heart began to pound as he became aware of the peril he was in.
4. Iman's unique and original tellings of stories always included many proverbial phrases.
5. The new owners greatly improved the aesthetic appeal of the house by repainting and planting trees, shrubs, and flowers.
6. The puppy nudged and nipped but could not divert Nina from the suspenseful book she was reading.
7. The arrival of winter is an unprecedented event.
8. Once we win the semifinals, our chances of winning the championship will be bleak.
9. Logan saw an apparition of candlelight flickering on the wall.
10. The man invited his friends to help him celebrate his indictment.
