Unit 5 A fine balance课件 2026-2027学年外研版九年级英语上册

该初中英语课件围绕“人与自然的平衡”主题，通过Starting out环节的看图匹配自然环境、问答“自然组成及人类影响”建立基础认知，再引导预测文章内容，阅读《没有我们的世界》分析动物、植物、环境变化，形成从感知到理解的学习支架。 其亮点在于以任务驱动培养思维品质和语言能力，如通过预测-阅读-总结图表活动，引导学生分析动物数量增加、森林恢复等生态变化实例，结合蒙田名言渗透文化意识。学生能提升分析与表达能力，教师可借助结构化活动设计提高教学效率。

Reading Unit 5 A fine balance Learning Objectives In this lesson, you will: 1. understand why the giant panda is no longer endangered and what efforts have been made to protect it. 2. identify key information from the passage and complete a summary. 3. analyze the writer’s use of examples, expressions, and references to understand their purpose and effect. Look and say 1 Look at the fact cards and talk about the animals. Use the words and expressions to help you. Tigers are endangered in the wild. Their population dropped from about 100,000 in 1900 to about 5,500 in 2023. People have made great efforts to protect them by setting up nature reserves and improving the environment, but we still need to do more. Predict Look at the title and the pictures. What do you think the passage will talk about? No longer “in danger” 2 Read the passage and find out why the panda is no longer endangered. China's government has made great efforts. It set up the Giant Panda National Park and more than 60 protected areas. Research centres have also been set up, and hundreds of pandas have been born there. 2. Local people have better understanding of environmental protection. Farmers have returned part of their farmland to forests. They plant trees and bamboo to give pandas more space and food. As a result, the panda population has increased greatly, and it was moved from "endangered" to "vulnerable" on the IUCN Red List. endangered (EN) 濒危 vulnerable (VU) 易危 IUCN 世界自然保护联盟 WWF ‌世界自然基金会 IUCN Red List 《世界自然保护联盟濒危物种红色名录》 More knowledge 《世界自然保护联盟濒危物种红色名录》是世界自然保护联盟领导制定的评估全球物种生存和受威胁状况的清单。该名录根据濒危程度，将物种的濒危级别划分为9级:灭绝(extinct，EX)、野外灭绝( extinct in the wild, EW)、极危(critically endangered, CR)、濒危(endangered, EN)、易危(vulnerable，VU)、近危 ( near threatened，NT)、无危(least concern,LC)、数据缺乏 ( data deficient,DD)和未予评估( not evaluated,NE)。其中极危、濒危和易危等级的物种统称为受威胁(threatened)物种。 世界自然基金会(World Wildlife Fund，简称WWF，又称World Wide Fund for Nature)，国际性非政府的环境保护机构，成立于1961年，致力于保护世界生物多样性及生物的生存环境，减少人类对生物及其生存环境的影响。 3 Complete the summary with the words and expressions from the passage. national treasure endangered made great efforts Research centres Local people created their farmland trees and bamboo the whole environment 4 Answer the questions. 1. What does “these lovely animals” in Paragraph 1 mean? Why does the writer use this expression? It refers to pandas. The writer uses it to show affection and make the description more friendly and emotional. It also helps readers feel closer to the animals. 2. What is the writer trying to express by “three times as large as Yellowstone National Park”? The writer is trying to show that the Giant Panda National Park is very large. Comparing it to the well‑known Yellowstone park helps readers understand how big it is. 3. What does “the panda’s neighbours” in Paragraph 5 mean? It refers to other animals and plants that live in the same forests as pandas. When the forests grow larger, these neighbours also increase in population. Think and share 1. Why does the writer mention WWF in Paragraph 1? Learning to think for question 1 To understand why the writer uses an example in the passage, consider the following questions: What information does the example provide? How is it related to the topic? What is the effect of using this example? The writer mentions WWF to show that people already saw the panda as an endangered and loved animal a long time ago. This makes the good news — that the panda is no longer endangered — even more exciting and important. 2. Why is it important to protect wild animals? Because wild animals are part of nature. When we protect one animal, like the panda, we also help other animals and plants in the same forest. This keeps nature balanced. If we don’t protect them, some animals may die out forever. Protecting animals also means protecting our own home. Language points 1. The Giant Panda National Park is three times as large as Yellowstone National Park in the United States. 大熊猫国家公园的面积是美国黄石国家公园的三倍大。 ... times as... as... 是英语中的一种倍数表达方式，意为“…… 是……的……倍”，需注意此处的times是名词复数形式,as... as中间需要填写形容词的原级。例如: The bed is three times as big as that one.这张床是那张床的 三倍大。 This building is four times as tall as that one.这座建筑是那座 的四倍高。 2. Research centres have also been set up and hundreds of pandas have been born there. 多家研究中心也已经建立起来，成功地繁育了数百只熊猫。 set up 有多种含义，此处意为“建立，成立，创立”。各种含义的例句如下: They want to set up their own business. 他们想成立自己的公 司。(意为“建立，成立，创立”) I'll set up a meeting for you. 我来为你安排会议。(意为“安排”) Please set the tent up. 请把帐篷搭好。(意为“安装;架设;调试”) 3. The panda is not the only animal to benefit from these actions. 熊猫并不是唯一从这些行动中受益的动物。 benefit 在此处意为“受益，得益;有益于，有利于”。例如: Thousands of people have benefited from the new treatment. 千千万万的人已经受益于这种新疗法。 We are working together to benefit the whole community. 我们在为整个社区的利益共同努力。 $ Presenting ideas Unit 5 A fine balance Learning Objectives In this lesson, you will: 1. research ecosystems and people’s protection efforts. 2. write a research report with an introduction, body, and conclusion. 3. use key expressions from the unit in the report. Make a nature protection plan. Step 1 Work in groups. Choose one problem you can see around you. .water pollution .too much rubbish . noise pollution ·few trees or plants Step 2 Organise your ideas with the help of the following outline and make your plan. You may use the following language tips or find useful expressions or sentences from this unit. Introduction Describing the problem — ... is a serious problem. —... is / are suffering from... — ... is / are in trouble. — .. is / are disappearing because of... Body Explaining your plan — For..., there are a lot of things (that / which) we can do... — First, we should set up / create / plant... — Second, we should... — Finally, we should... Predicting the possible results — ... increase(s) in number / drop(s) greatly / appear(s) again. — ... benefit(s), too. — It's much easier for... to... — ... is / are not troubled by... Conclusion Expressing your opinion on protecting nature — We need to think more about... — There is no time to waste. — ... bring(s) hope to... Step 3 Practise and present your plan to the class. Step 4 Vote on the best three plans and the best three presentations. Reflection 1 After completing this unit, I understand more about the balance between people and nature. 2 To express my understanding, I can... use words and expressions in the unit to talk about our relationship with nature: use attributive clauses with that and which to talk about humans' influence on nature. explain the importance of protecting nature. 3 I still need to improve: $ Grammar Unit 5 A fine balance Learning Objectives In this lesson, you will: 1. learn the use of attributive clauses with that and which. 2. combine sentences using that or which correctly. 3. complete a passage with that, which or who to practice the grammar. 5 Read the sentences from the reading passage and summarise the grammar rules. (a) Streets, beaches and parks that are usually full of people remain empty. (b) The natural wonders which have been hidden by pollution for years appear again. 这两个句子是定语从句。第一个句子引导词that修饰先行词beaches and parks，第二个句子的引导词which修饰先行词the natural wonders。 Now find more sentences with these structures in the reading passage. 1. Forests would take back the space that humans now live in. 2. Perhaps we should remember the wise words which Montaigne once wrote – let us permit nature to have her way. that和which引导的定语从句 1. that引导的定语从句 that引导的定语从句既可以修饰人，也可以修饰物，that在从句中作主语或宾语(作宾语时可以省略)。例如: The film that tells an adventure is very interesting. 那部关于探险的电影非常有趣。 (that在从句中作主语，从句修饰物) The writer that I like best is Mark Twain. 我最喜欢的作家是Mark Twain。 (that在从句中作宾语，从句修饰人) 2. which引导的定语从句 which引导的定语从句修饰的一般是物，which在从句中可以作主语，也可以作宾语。例如: The photo which we liked best in the City and People group was taken by Zhao Min. 在“城市与人”这组照片中，我们最喜爱的照片是由赵敏拍 摄的。 A group of photos which show Beijing and Cambridge in England has won the prize for the subject Home and Away. 一组展示北京和英国剑桥的照片赢得了“故土与他乡”这一主题的奖项。 3. 定语从句中引导词的省略 不管定语从句修饰的是人还是物，如果引导词在从句中作宾语，通常就可以省略。例如: Did you go to the talk (that / which) the famous scientist gave at your school? 你去听那位著名科学家在你们学校做的演讲了吗? Is that the car (that/ which) you bought last month? 那是你上个月买的车吗? A friend is a person (who / whom) you know very well and like. 朋友是你十分了解并且喜欢的人。 在上面的句子中，第一句和第二句都省略了引导词that/which，第三句省略了引导词who/whom，因为它们在从句中分别作gave, bought, know和like的宾语。 引导词在从句中作宾语时可以省略，是因为省略后的从句仍然有主语和谓语，我们仍然可以分辨出哪部分是定语从句。但是，引导词在从句中作主语时就不能省略，否则会造成结构混乱。请看以下例句: I'd love to have a friend who can understand me. 我希望有一个能理解我的朋友。 He can make lessons that are usually boring interesting. 他能把通常枯燥乏味的课讲得生动有趣。 以上两句中的引导词who和that在从句中作主语，不能省略。 此外，需要注意的是，虽然在定语从句中作宾语的引导词在口语中往往被省略，但在正式文体中则常常被保留。 6 Connect the sentences with that or which. 1. Air pollution is a problem. Air pollution affects everyone. 2. Some organisations harm the environment. These organisations should be punished. Air pollution is a problem that / which affects everyone. Some organisations that / which harm the environment should be punished. 7 Complete the webpage using that, which or who. Save the Oceans The oceans are in trouble. Sea animals _________ can't live with higher temperatures are suffering from global warming. Pollution from land is also hurting the oceans. About 80% of ocean pollution comes from land! And overfishing is making many animals _________ live in the sea disappear. that/which that/which For people _________ are worried about the oceans, there are a lot of things _________ we can do. First, we should use green energy. Second, we should stop throwing rubbish into the oceans. Finally, we should stop overfishing. There is no time to waste. We must act Now, or we will only see sea animals in museums. who/that that/which 8 Work in pairs. Choose one of the cartoons and discuss its meaning. Use the words and expressions from the reading passage and the Useful expressions to help you. Useful expressions What would happen to... if...? The rapid development of human society has made us... .... are suffering from... It is no surprise that... We need to think more about... What a(n)... thing to think about! It shows that humans are using too much water. Because of this, the Earth is running out of clean water. Without humans, the water cycle would recover and ecosystems would balance again. It tells us that human activities like cutting down trees are destroying forests. The battery shows that nature's energy is running out. Without humans, forests would grow back and the Earth would become green again. null 26265.406 $When the earth stands still, have you ever thought about this question? What would happen to the natural world if people were gone? Let's imagine that one day, all human activities stop. Cars disappear from the roads, boats from the rivers and planes from the sky. Streets, beaches and parks that are usually full of people remain empty. What happens in such a world? IT is no surprise that animals soon increase in number in cities. Traffic noise often means that animals cannot easily hear each other without humans. The noise drops greatly as traffic stops. This allows natural sounds to fill the end. IT is much easier for animals to find each other and form families. Also, tourists disappear from beaches and seas. Sea animals are not troubled by people around them, but not only animals enjoy the change, plants benefit too. Trees grow freely without the danger of being cut down. Forests take back the space that humans now live in. The earth is soon a Green world again. The natural wonders, which have been hidden by pollution for years, appear again. Cleaner air and water allow them to show all their beauty once again, but there aren't any people to admire such an amazing world. What a sad thing to think about. Throughout history, humans have left so many Marks on the earth. The rapid development of human society has made us care less for nature. But the world is into game. We can't cancel IT and start over. We need to think more about how to get along with nature. Perhaps we should remember the wise words which month once wrote. Let us permit nature to half her way. What's in nature? Nature is made up of living things and non living . things. The living . things include plants, animals and people. The non living things include air, water, sunlight and rock. Think of a rabbit in . a forest. IT . needs plans to eat at a breath and water to drink. IT can also be food for other animals such as foxes. So in this forest, the rabbit, the fox, the plants, the air and the water are rule parts of nature, and they depend on . each other. Nature needs to stay in baLance. Everything is connected in a big web. People are playing important role in major. Every action we take, even a very small one can have a big influence on the health of our planet. So IT is our duty to protect nature and keep IT healthy. Welcome to today's program. We will tell you a useful way to deal with your old mobile phone. Logging in rainforests is usually against the law. However, it's difficult to notice IT toe for White. AU. S. Engineer came up with a solution. He puts ears on trees. His invention uses an old mobile phone, a solar panel and a microphone. This is how IT works. First, the invention is tied to trees. Next and up on the mobile phone starts listening. When IT catches the noise of cutting down trees, IT sends an alarm to the forest guards. The guards can soon find the place and stop the logging. The invention has been used in ten countries. IT has saved over two thousand five hundred square kilometers of rainforests that's about the size of three hundred and fifty thousand football fields. One, we should protect nature because we only have one earth. Two, nature gives us cleaner to breathe, fresh water to drink and food to eat. Three, when we take care of nature, we're also taking care of ourselves. Writing Unit 5 A fine balance Learning Objectives In this lesson, you will: 1. choose an endangered animal or plant and explain how it was successfully protected. 2. organize your ideas into a passage about a success story in ecosystem protection. 3. use key expressions from the reading and share what we can learn from this success. Review In the reading passage, we learned that panda is no longer endangered. What helped save the panda? government efforts / national parks / breeding centers / farmers planting trees and bamboo, ... Step 1 Think of some endangered animals. Use the chart to help you. on the land (the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau) hunting for their wool Step 2 Organise your ideas based on the questions. Then write your passage. 1. Which animal will you write about? I will write about the Tibetan antelope. 2. What were their problems? They were overhunted for their wool, which was used to make expensive shawls（披肩）. 3. How were they protected? The Chinese government set up nature reserves, such as the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve（可可西里自然保护区）. Strict laws were made against hunting and trading shahtoosh. Local people and rangers worked hard to protect the antelopes. 4. What effects did these actions have? Thanks to these efforts, the population has recovered to over 300,000 today. The Tibetan antelope is no longer endangered and its situation has greatly improved. 5. How are they now? Thanks to protection efforts, their population has grown to over 200,000 today. They are no longer endangered. 6. What can you learn from this success? We learn that strong laws and nature reserves can save animals from dying out. It also shows that people can work together to protect wildlife. Useful expressions ... was endangered because ... The population dropped from ... to ... The government made great efforts to ... Protected areas / national parks were set up. Local people played an important role. Thanks to these efforts, the population has increased. This success shows that protecting ecosystems is important. Sample Writing The Tibetan antelope is an animal living on the high land of Tibet and Qinghai. In the past, it faced a serious problem: people hunted it for its wool, which was used to make expensive shawls called shahtoosh（沙图什）. Human activities had a terrible effect on the antelopes. Their population dropped from about one million to fewer than 75,000 in the 1990s, and they became an endangered species. But today, the situation has greatly improved. Thanks to protection efforts, their population has grown to over 200,000, and they are no longer endangered. How was this success achieved? The Chinese government set up nature reserves, such as the Hoh Xil Nature Reserve, where hunting is forbidden. Strict laws were made against killing antelopes or trading shahtoosh. Local people and rangers worked hard every day to protect these animals. From this success, we learn that strong laws and protected areas can save animals from dying out. It also shows that when people work together, we can make a big difference for wildlife. Step 3 Check. Did you: include an introduction, a body and a conclusion in your writing? use the words and expressions from the reading passage? give your opinion about animal protection? Step 4 Share your passage with the class. $ Starting out & Understanding ideas Unit 5 A fine balance Learning Objectives In this lesson, you will: 1. understand the main idea of the passage about a world without humans. 2. complete the chart to summarize changes to animals and ecosystems. 3. discuss how humans should get along with nature. Look and say What can you see in the picture? I can see many animals living together in a natural environment. E.g. koala, bat, cassowary（鹤驼）, wombat（袋熊）, Tasmanian devil（袋獾） 1 Look at the pictures and match them with the words. Starting out river wetland desert grassland rainforest Now say what you know about these places. 2 Look at the picture and answer the questions. 1. What things can you find in nature? We can find living things like animals and plants. We can also find non-living things like water, air, soil, and sunlight. All of these work together in one place. 2. How can people influence nature? People can hurt nature by cutting down trees, polluting rivers, or building too many cities. But people can also help by planting trees, saving endangered animals, and keeping the environment clean. Understanding ideas 1 Look at the title of the passage and the picture. Predict what the passage is about. Use the word cloud to help you. I think the passage is about what would happen to nature if people disappeared. Wildlife would increase, pollution would drop, and it would remind us how to get along with nature. 2 Read the passage and check your prediction. The World Without Us is a popular science book by American writer Alan Weisman. It is a thought experiment: imagine humans suddenly disappear from the Earth. What will happen? The book describes: Cities will fall apart; plants and animals will take over the land. Nature will recover quickly—forests grow back, rivers clean up, and wildlife increases. Some human-made things, like plastic and nuclear waste, will last for hundreds or even thousands of years. It helps us see our influence on the planet and teaches us to protect nature and live in harmony with it. What do you think the title mean? The title means the earth stops changing when humans disappear, and nature returns to a balanced state. 3 Choose the purpose of the passage. a To remind readers that nature is important in our lives. b To call for a different relationship between people and nature. c To argue that people should disappear from the world. 4 Complete the chart with the words and expressions from the passage. disappear empty increase find each other form families troubled grow freely take back air and water all their beauty get along with nature Think and Share 1. What do Montaigne’s words at the end mean? Learning to think for question 1 You can think about these questions: What's our relationship with nature? What is “nature's way”? How is it different from ours? What's the meaning of “permit”? Why did Montaigne use this word? Montaigne’s words mean we should let nature live freely and follow its own rules, instead of always changing or controlling it. It tells us humans don’t need to be the “rulers” of the Earth. We should learn to respect nature and live in balance with it. 2. What changes can you make to “permit nature to have her way”? We can make small changes in daily life, like: Using less plastic and recycling more to reduce pollution. Saving water and electricity. Not wasting food or cutting down trees. Protecting plants and animals around us, like not picking flowers or disturbing wildlife. These small actions let nature recover and keep its own balance. Language Points 1. When the earth stands still 当地球停滞不前 stand still在这里意为“毫无变化; 停滞不前”。例如: After the factory closed, the small town seemed to stand still. 工厂关闭后，小镇仿佛停滞不前。 Time seems to stand still when I look at the old photos. 当我看旧照片时，时间仿佛静止了。 2. Cars disappear from the roads, boats from the rivers, and planes from the skies. 汽车不再在道路上行驶，船只不再在水面上穿梭，飞机 不再翱翔于蓝天。 在这个句子中，出现了省略用法。具体来说，省略了谓语 disappear。完整的句子应该是:Cars disappear from the roads, boats disappear from the rivers, and planes disappear from the skies. 通过省略谓语，句子更加简洁明了。这种省略用法在口语和文学作品中比较常见，可以使句子更富有诗意和表现力。 3. It is no surprise that animals soon increase in number. 动物数量很快就会增加，这并不令人惊讶。 It is no surprise that...这个句型表示“某事并不令人惊讶”，常用来说明某种结果是可以理解、合乎常理的。例如: It is no surprise that many students feel tired after a long day at school. 学生在上了一整天课之后感到疲惫并不令人惊讶。 It is no surprise that people feel happy when they get good news.人们听到好消息时感到开心并不令人惊讶。 4. Cleaner air and water allow them to show all their beauty once again. 更清洁的空气和水让它们重新绽放全部的美。 allow sb to do sth在此处意为“允许某人做某事”。例如: Education can allow students to broaden their knowledge and skills. 教育可以使学生扩展他们的知识和技能。 Regular exercise allows people to maintain good physical health.经常锻炼能让人保持身体健康。 5. We need to think more about how to get along with nature. 我们需要更多地思考如何与自然和谐相处。 get along一般有两种含义，此处的get along (with...) 意为“(与.)相处融洽”。两种含义的例句如下: Bob and Jack seem to get along with each other. Bob和Jack好像相处得不错。(意为“相处融洽”) How's he getting along at university? 他在大学里过得怎么样?(意为“应付; 进展”) 6. Perhaps we should remember the wise words which Montaigne once wrote - let us permit nature to have her way. 或许我们应该记住Montaigne写过的明智之言—让我 们顺其自然吧。 (1) 米歇尔·德·蒙田(Michel de Montaigne，1533一1592)，法国 文艺复兴时期著名文学家、哲学家。其代表作为《随想 录》( Essays )。在生态保护方面，蒙田强调人类应该谦逊 地对待自然界，尊重生态系统的平衡和自然界的循环规 律，不应该过度干预或破坏环境，以保护地球生态平衡 为重要任务。 (2) get / have sb's (own) way意为“随心所欲，为所欲为”。 例如:Don't always let the children get their own way. 不要总是让孩子随心所欲。 (3) 这里Montaigne将nature拟人化，用her来指代nature。 这是英语中拟人的修辞手法。例如: The sun greets the day with a warm smile. 太阳以温暖的笑容迎接一天的到来。 $ Developing ideas Unit 5 A fine balance Learning Objectives In this lesson, you will: 1. learn about the importance of rainforests and the threats they face. 2. listen for specific information and understand how an invention fights illegal logging. 3. discuss environmental problems and explain solutions with clear, ordered steps. Look and say What is the man doing? He is cutting down trees with a chainsaw in the forest. Did you know? Logging means cutting down trees (often for sale). Some logging is against the law and does great harm to the environment. But logging is often hard to notice in rainforests. 1 Listen to the beginning of a lesson and choose the things mentioned. a Where you can find rainforests. b Why rainforests are important. c What animals live in rainforests. d Why rainforests are disappearing. 2 Listen again and tick True or False. All about the rainforests How much do you know about rainforests? Take the quiz and find it out! Learning to learn Listening for reasons When people explain something or give an opinion, they will often provide reasons.Reasons are often introduced with words like as, because, and since. 3 Listen to the radio and complete the notes. against difficult ears mobile phone tied catches the noise the place 10 Listen again. Then talk about how the presenter explains the working of the invention. Learning to learn Explaining how something works You can start with This is how it works or It works like this. To give a clear explanation, use steps. You can use words that describe an order, such as first, next... 4 Work in pairs. Talk about Topher White and his invention. Useful expressions ... invented a tool that uses... This is how it works: First,... ... has helped save... Next, ... Then, ... Finally, ... That's really... That sounds like a good idea. Phonetics in use Unstressed words in sentences (1) Function words like a(n), the, that, of, etc., are usually important for the grammar of a sentence, not its meaning. We usually say these words softly and quickly in a sentence. Listen and decide which words are stressed. 1 We should protect nature because we only have one earth. 2 Nature gives us clean air to breathe, fresh water to drink, and food to eat. 3 When we take care of nature, we're also taking care of ourselves. Now listen again and repeat. null 65898.48 null 65898.48 null 70999.41 null 25106.863 $No longer in danger, the panda is a chinese national treasure and has become popular around the world. Some foreigners even believe that pandas are capital pets in china. In fact, back in the nineteen seventies, there were only around one thousand of these lovely animals in the wild. In nineteen sixty one, the word wildlife fund WWUF was looking for an animal for its logo. The panda was chosen because IT is an animal that is beautiful, endangered and loved by many people in the world. But in the year twenty sixteen, there came some fantastic news. The panda was moved from endanged, too vulnerable on the IUCN red list of threatened species. When people around the world celebrated. They also wondered, how did this happen? China's government has made great effort. S over the years among the first national parks in china, that was one for panda protection, the giant panda national park is three times as large as yellow stone national park in the united states. Since the nineteen sixties, china has created more than sixty protected areas for pandas. Research centres have also been set up, and hundreds of pandas have been born there. Local people have also helped with a Better understanding of panda protection. Many farmers returned part of their farmland to the forests. They planted trees and bamboo, so pandas could have more space and food. The panda is not the only animal that has benefit from these actions. The forests that they live in are also home to many other animals and plants. As the forests become larger, the pandas, as neighbors also enjoy a Better life. Protecting pandas brings hope to the whole environment. Today we're going to talk about the rainforest, a part of nature that is important to us all. Rainforest are often called the lungs of the earth. That's because they produce oxygen and help control the world's climate. Rainforests cover only about six percent of land. However, they are home to more than half of the animals and plants on the earth. Rainforests are disappearing because of human activity. Farmers cut down trees to make more space for their animals. Also, factories cut down trees to make paper. In twenty twenty one alone, about thirty seven thousand five hundred square kilometres of rain forests were lost. That's about ten football fields. Every minute is a serious problem. What does the first cartoon mean? Look, factories that let out Greenhouse gases are heating up the earth. Because of that, animals like penguins and polar bears are losing . their homes. Not terrible. We should take action. For example, we should use more Green energy. I agree, we need to think more about nature. Today we're going to talk about the rainforest, a part of nature that is important to us all. Rainforest are often called the lungs of the earth. That's because they produce oxygen and help control the world's climate. Rainforests cover only about six percent of land. However, they are home to more than half of the animals and plants on the earth. Rainforests are disappearing because of human activity. Farmers cut down trees to make more space for their animals. Also, factories cut down trees to make paper. In twenty twenty one alone, about thirty seven thousand five hundred square kilometres of rain forests were lost. That's about ten football fields. Every minute is a serious problem.