Deforestation — Causes & Effects — Interactive Activities

Reading Instructions

Before You Begin

Read the passage “The causes and effects of deforestation” in your book.
It is in Unlock 3 – Unit 2 - Reading 2.

Discussion Activities

Discuss these questions with a partner or small group.

🌲 What is deforestation?

• Why are forests important for oxygen, plants, animals, and humans?

• What reasons does the text give for removing trees, and how is cleared land used?

🏭 Commercial vs local farming

• What examples does the passage give for Indonesia and Brazil?

• How does local “slash-and-burn” farming differ from huge commercial farms? What happens to the land after a few years?

🌧️ Soil and flooding

• What is erosion, and how can it lead to flooding?

• Why might land not recover in populated areas?

🌡️ Climate and the Amazon

• How do tropical rainforests usually help control temperature? What has changed recently in the Amazon?

• How can deforestation, drought, and fires create a vicious cycle with carbon dioxide?

🐾 Biodiversity and the future

• Why does deforestation threaten biodiversity, food, and medicine?

• What actions does the conclusion suggest for governments?

Multiple Choice Quiz

Select the correct answer based on the reading passage.

1. According to paragraph 1, forests cover about how much of the surface of the Earth?

Almost one-third More than half All of the land Less than 5%

2. What is deforestation?

Planting new forests everywhere The process of removing trees from large areas of land Only natural tree death in winter Protecting national parks

3. What are the main causes of deforestation, according to paragraph 2?

Commercial farming by big business and farming by local people Only small family gardens in cities Only government parks Only natural forest fires

4. In Indonesia, huge areas are cleared for the production of what?

Coal mining only Rice and wheat only Palm oil (with industrial logging) Snow tourism

5. In Brazil, large areas of the Amazon rainforest are cleared mainly to grow what and produce vegetable oil?

Corn and barley Soy Potatoes Cotton only

6. Normally, about how long does the passage say it takes for cleared land to recover?

Two or three years Around ten years One hundred years Land never recovers anywhere

7. Constant reuse of land leads to heavy erosion. What can erosion cause in heavy rain?

Flooding More new soil in one day Colder global temperatures only No effect on water

8. What does the passage say about the Amazon area recently?

It has been releasing more carbon dioxide than it absorbs It absorbs more carbon dioxide than ever before It has stopped producing oxygen It is not mentioned in the text

9. A decrease in biodiversity can threaten what, according to paragraph 4?

Only one type of insect Entire ecosystems and future sources of food and medicine Nothing important Only oceans, not forests

10. What should governments do, according to the conclusion?

Act to plant more trees and protect forests from illegal logging Remove all laws about forests Stop caring about carbon dioxide Only build more commercial farms

Quiz Results

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the sentences using words from the list below.

illegal • biodiversity • greenhouse • erosion • recover
Amazon • Indonesia • commercial • oxygen • deforestation

1. Forests produce and provide homes to plants, animals and humans.

2. is the process of removing trees from large areas of land.

3. The main causes of deforestation are farming by big business and farming by local people.

4. In , industrial logging clears huge areas for palm oil.

5. In Brazil, large areas of the rainforest are cleared to grow soy.

6. Normally, it takes around ten years for cleared land to .

7. Constant reuse of land leads to heavy — the loss of the top layer of soil.

8. Carbon dioxide traps heat in a process called the effect.

9. Forest destruction also has an effect on .

10. Governments should protect forests from logging.

Results

True or False

Decide if the statements are True or False according to the passage.

1. Forests cover almost one-third of the surface of the Earth.

True False

2. The main harmful effects of deforestation mentioned at the start are only damage to roads.

True False

3. Erosion can cause flooding in heavy rain.

True False

4. Recently, the Amazon area has been releasing more carbon dioxide than it absorbs.

True False

5. Governments should act to plant more trees and protect forests from illegal logging.

True False