V. Read the text consulting the dictionary.

The Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve

The Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve is a major natural laboratory engaged in ecological monitoring. Zoological and botanical research has been carried out here since 1924. Of particular interest is the monitoring of European and Belarusian rare animal and plant populations. All information received as a result of environ­mental monitoring carried out in the Berezinsky Reserve has been widely used both in Belarus and in a number of European research centres. It is recorded in the EuroMAB system.

The Reserve keeps in permanent touch with international inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations. In 1979 the Berezinsky Reserve received the status of a biosphere reserve and was included into the world network of UNESCO's standing programme "Man and Biosphere". Since 1994 the Reserve has maintained direct contacts with the Council of Europe's Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources Conservation.

The Reserve's rich wildlife attracts scores of tourist nature lovers whose interest and curiosity are based on watching species in natural environment. Environment experts from France, Great Britain, Switzerland and the USA who have visited the Berezinsky Reserve are of an opinion that the site is a new corner of the European nature that should be explored by all means. Indeed, it is hard to imagine that such an enormous diversity of animals, plants, meadows, forests, mires and water reservoirs could be con­centrated at just one site. At present, there is no natural site in Central or Eastern Europe that would provide opportunities for monitoring the life of wolves, bears and bison. All predators known in Europe are represented here. The fact that thanks to continuous effort by generations of researchers who have worked here the site has been well stud­ied and protected, conservation of the mysterious and beautiful taiga-type forests arouse tourists with film cameras who flood the site in great numbers on the assumption that the Reserve may become one of the most prestigious places frequented by environmentalists.

To meet tourist nature lovers' expectations the Reserve authorities do their best to ensure that the tours are well organized and that appropriate nature study possibilities are guaranteed. Visitors have opportunities for discovering habitats of wild animals and places of their concentration; they can make maps of populations, carry out path finding research, biological, environmental and behavioural species studies, use bird and animal attraction technique. The Reserve has prepared time-tables of ornithology, botany, marshland, fauna and com­bined tours for each season specifically for small groups of 8-10 nature lovers for 10 days' stay. Every participant is provided with a tour pro­gramme, map of the Reserve, field studies diary and list of species in four languages, as well as cat­alogues describing the status of populations and habitat conditions of rare species. Upon request, field orientation equipment, binoculars, and tele­scopes may be provided. Water, walking and car routes as well as watch stations, lookouts and watch-towers for filming wildlife are at the visi­tors' disposal.

VI. Questions for discussion:

1. What are the reasons for the constant conflict between the wildlife and the people?

2. What factors are responsible for the extinction of several species?

3. What blunder is the Indian government making?

4. Is the Berezinsky Biosphere Reserve engaged in any research work?

5. What attracts tourist nature lovers to Belarusian nature reserves?

6. What possibilities are guaranteed to tourist nature lovers in biosphere reserves of our country?

VII. Prepare reports about the role of nature reserves and sanctuaries for wildlife protection in our country and abroad. Choose any nature reserve and sanctuary you would like to speak about.

LITERATURE

1. Дюканова Н.М., Учебное пособие «Английский язык для экономистов»./Н.М.Дюканова – М.: ИНФРА-М, 2006.

2. Конышева А.В., Казакова О.П., «Поговорим о Беларуси: устные темы на анг.яз. = «LET’S TALK ABOUT BELARUS»/А.В.Конышева, О.П.Казакова. – Мн.: Дикта, 2003.

3. Ackerman, Frank and Elizabeth Stanton. "Climate Change - the Costs of Inaction." Charles, Dan. "Food & Climate: A Complicated but Optimistic View." NPR. 2007.

4. Global Development and Environment Institute, Tufts University. 2006.

5. Morell, Virginia. "Signs From Earth: Now What?" National Geographic. 2004.

6. Perlman, David. "Shrinking glaciers evidence of global warming." The San Francisco Chronicle. 2004.

7. Struck, Doug. "Climate Change Drives Disease to New Territory." The Washington Post. 2006.