III.    READING

  a. Fill in each blank with one appropriate word from the box.

                 endangered      habitat      left      global

                    cause         risk           estimates           extinct

Endangered species are those considered to be at (36) ___________ of extinction, meaning that there are so few (37) ___________ of their kind that they could disappear from the planet altogether. Endangered species are threatened by factors such as (38) _________ loss, hunting, disease and climate change, and usually, endangered species, have a declining population or a very limited range.

The current rate of extinction is thought to be far greater than the expected natural rate, with many species going (39) ___________ before they have even been discovered.

Shockingly, current (40) ___________ suggest that a third of the world’s amphibians, a quarter of all mammals and one in eight birds are (41) ________ .

The alarming rate at which species are disappearing is something which should be a (42) ___________ for concern for us all. Not only do they add beauty and wonder to the natural world, they are also of great (43) ___________ economic importance.

Endangered species are those considered to be at (36) ___________ of extinction, ........