III.   READING

  a. Choose the word or phrase - a, b, c or d - that best fits the blank space in the following passage.

Nowadays people are more aware that wildlife all over the world is in (46) _________. Many species of animals are threatened, and could easily become extinct (47) _________we do not make an effort to protect them. There are many reasons for this. In some cases, animals are (48) _________ for their fur or for other valuable parts of their bodies. Some birds, such as parrots, are caught (49) _________and are sold as pets. For many animals and birds, the problem is that their (50) _________ the place where they live – is disappearing. More (51) _________is used for farms, for houses or industry, and there are (52) ________ open spaces than there once were. Farmers use powerful chemicals to help them grow better (53) _________, but these chemicals pollute the environment and (54) _________wildlife. The most successful animals on earth - human beings - will soon be the only ones (55) _________, unless we can solve this problem.

Nowadays people are more aware that wildlife all over the world is in (46) _________.