1. Read the text, look at the words in bold and decide what they mean

Currently, there are many endangered animals worldwide, which means they are on the brink of extinction. This is due to a decrease in the population of these animals. Some species are especially vulnerable because their habitat is being destroyed by human activity so that they have nowhere to live and get food.

As a rule, threatened animals are included in the Red Book. People tend to participate in various wildlife conservation projects to protect the animals listed in the Red Book. Unfortunately, humanity didn't manage to save some of the species, and they disappeared from our planet.

Human activity, namely hunting, ploughing fields, deforestation, etc. destroy animal food chains. Since the population of some species is declining, other animals (especially predators) cannot find food for themselves. Air pollution, water pollution and other serious environmental problems threaten biodiversity. All this has a devastating effect on the ecology of the planet.

It is important for people to protect wildlife from the harmful effects that environmental problems have on it.

2. Match the words with their definitions

threatened — in danger, or likely to stop existing

	a particular group of people or animals living in a particular area
	the protection of the natural environment
	the existence of a large number of different kinds of animals and plants which make a balanced environment
	a series of living creatures in which each type of creature feeds on the one below it in the series
	to ensure the safety of animals and plants living in their natural habitat
	causing damage or injury to somebody/something, especially to a person's health or to the environment
	weak and easily hurt physically or emotionally
	animals or plants that may soon not exist because there are very few now alive
	causing a lot of damage or destruction
	the place where a particular type of animal or plant is normally found