83 would threaten them with extinction. So they grew bigger and bigger and lost the ability to fly. Then, when European colonists arrived, they brought a lot of non-native mammals with them that quickly turned out to be a severe threat to the local bird population. So then in order to counteract this development, a group of conservationists started a radical extinction project on a small island. Their aim was to wipe out the whole mammal population to preserve the local birds. Now what sounds like a cruel way of restoring the balance between invasive species like rats, cats and other carnivorous animals, turned out to be an effective strategy to protect native bird life. And this is what we are trying to do here. We use humane traps and poisoned bait for our rateradication programme and so far we seem to have been successful. Animal lovers among you might be shocked, but this is the only way to save our native birds from being wiped out. Now, over the years we have observed that a number of rare birds have returned to the island, for example, instead of the 13 puffins left here in 2006 there are now over 400. And, ah, quite a few other species have profited as well. OK. So, erm, we are going to walk along the clifftop now and I would encourage you to watch out for birds and to listen to their rhythmic cries. OK? Let’s go. 0: G, 1: I, 2: E, 3: B, 4: J, 5: D, 6: C, 7: A Not used: F, H Exploring vocabulary: Meeting climate targets (Transcript and key) a) 1. time bomb; time bomb 2. steadily; steadily 3. man-made emissions; man-made emissions 4. fossil fuels; fossil fuels 5. summit; summit 6. counteract; counteract 7. current trends; current trends 8. convenient; convenient 9. alienated; alienated 10. downward spiral; downward spiral 1. time bomb 2. steadily 3. man-made emissions 4. fossil fuels 5. summit 6. counteract 7. current trends 8. convenient 9. alienated 10. downward spiral b) Individual answers Test practice: Meeting climate targets (Transcript and key) Expert: Ever since the 1970s scientists have raised their voices and tried to make the public aware that the time bomb of climate change is ticking. If the level of CO2 keeps rising, the temperature on Earth will steadily increase leading to massive problems in many parts of the world. That is why it was decided in the 1990s to introduce climate targets to address this development and to prevent the rise in temperature caused by man-made emissions. One of the key factors is road traffic which is still primarily linked to fossil fuels and causes emissions which will have an impact on the climate on Earth for a long time. That is why the climate summits of recent years have introduced emission targets to rewind the clock. However, these measures need to be accepted by the general public and this is where the problems start. Politicians who would theoretically have the power to introduce meaningful steps to reduce pollution and counteract the current trends want to be reelected. And what is more tempting for populists is to take advantage of the feeling of uncertainty among their voters. They promise them the best of both worlds: meaningful and effective measures to halt climate change and at the same time life that goes on as we know it without major changes. The simple saying “you can’t have your cake and eat it” also applies here. Measures against climate change also mean higher costs and perhaps a less convenient lifestyle, but which politician has the courage to confront the voters with such a choice? OK, I’m happy to take your questions now. Yes, the gentleman in the blue jacket. What’s your question? Journalist: Thank you, my name’s Robin Cassel from UK Motoring. So what does that mean for cars in the future? Will people still be allowed to use them? Will they still be able to afford them? Expert: There is no doubt that the motor car is an item many people enjoy and do not want to do without as it means freedom of movement for those who own a car and can afford running it. However, this freedom comes at a cost, especially if we are talking about cars with petrol or diesel engines. Increasing environmental standards means that car owners, among others, will have to come to terms with the new situation. The danger is, however, that existing environmental standards will be lowered in some countries, and then other countries also 4 43 5 + 44 Nur zu Prüfzwecken – Eigentum des Verlags öbv
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU2NDQ5MQ==