THE BOUNTY OF THE SEA

By: Jacques Cousteau

¹I have observed and studied the oceans closely and I have seen them sicken.
Certain reefs that teemed with fish only ten years ago are now almost lifeless. The ocean bottom has been
raped by trawlers. Priceless wetlands have been destroyed by landfill. And everywhere are sticky globs of
oil, plastic refuse, and unseen clouds of poisonous effluents. Often when I describe the symptoms of the
ocean’s sickness, I hear remarks like “they’re only fish” or “they’re only whales”. But I assure you that our
destinies are linked with theirs. For if the ocean would die, this would signal not only the end of marine life
but all other animals and plants of this earth, including man.
²The ocean then become one enormous cesspool. Billions of decaying bodies would create such a stench
that man would be forced to leave all the coastal regions.
³The ocean acts as the earth’s buffer. It maintains a balance between salts and gases which make life
possible. But dead seas would have no buffering effect. The carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere would
start on a steady climb, and when it reached a certain level, a “greenhouse effect” would be created. The heat
that normally radiates outward from the earth to space would be blocked by the carbon dioxide and the sea
level temperatures would increase.
One catastrophic effect of this heat would be melting of the icecaps at both the North and South Poles.
As a result, the ocean would rise by 100 feet or more, enough to flood almost all the world’s major cities.
These rising waters would drive one-third of the earth’s billion inland, creating famine, chaos, and disease on
scale most impossible to imagine.
Meanwhile the surface of the ocean would have scrummed over by a film of decayed matter, and would
no longer give water freely to the skies through evaporation. Rain would become a rarity, creating global
drought and more famine.
The wretched remnant of the human race would now be packed on the remaining highlands, starving
and struggling to survive. Then, they would be visited by the final plague, anoxia (lack of oxygen). This
would be caused by the extinction of the plankton algae and the reduction of land vegetation, the two sources
that aply the oxygen you are now breathing.
And so man would finally die, slowly gasping out his life on some barren hill. His heirs would be
bacteria and a few scavenger insects.

Questions:
1. What is the author most likely to be?
a. A sailor b. an ocean diver c. a scientist d. a fisherman
2. What is the basis of his report?
a. Site inspection b. readings c. fantasy d. estimates
3. Which of these is not contributory to sickened oceans?
a. Reefs b. trawlers c. oil globs d. plastic refuse
4. Which of these would be immediately affected if a film of decayed matter would cover
oceans?
a. Evaporation b. rainfall c. irrigation d. harvest
5. The melting of icecaps in the polar region would cause oceans to sink.
a. Yes b. No c. Does not say
6. Which two factors would drive people to the high lands?
a. Crowding b. stench c. disease d. starvation

TASK 2
Based form the Science – based text entitled “The Bounty of the Sea”, Answer the following
questions by applying your skills in context clues, affixes and roots, and other strategies.

1. Wetlands are synonymous to ____________.

a. Rivers b. swamps c. ponds d. seas
2. What is the reference of the pronoun it in the second sentence of paragraph 3?
a. Balance b. life c. ocean d. earth
3. What is the root word of the word rarity?
a. Rar b. rare c. rarity d. –ity
4. The remark “that’s only a fish” suggests _________.
a. Indifference b. arrogance c concern d. anger
5. Which of these does not belong to land vegetation?
a. Farms b. gardens c. orchards d. reefs
6. When a person gasps, he struggle for lack of __________.
 a. Oxygen b. companion c. food d. sleep
7. Where is plankton algae found?
a. In coastal regions b. in the sea c. in the high lands d. inlands
8. The phrase “wretched remnant” in the first sentence of paragraph 6 shows that most people
may have ___________.
a. Migrated b. remained on the cost c. died d. gotten sick
9. The “greenhouse effect” in the sentence of paragraph 3 suggests __________.
a. Plant propagation c. freezing
b. Maintaining normal temperature d. heating
10. The ocean acts as the earth’s buffer. It maintains a balance between salts and gases which life
possible. The word “buffer” as used in the first sentence of paragraph 3 means __________.
a. Destroyer b. neutralizer c. converter d. observer
 Group 1
Carbon Dioxide, the Greenhouse Effect and Recent Global Warming

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that strongly absorbs infrared radiation and plays a major role in
warming the lower atmosphere. We also know that carbon dioxide has been increasing steadily in the
atmosphere, primarily due to the burning of fossil fuels. However, deforestation may also be adding to this
increase as tropical rainforests are removed and replaced with less efficient plants. In 1990, the annual average
of carbon dioxide was about 350 parts per million, and present estimates are that this value may double
sometime in century.
To complicate the picture, three gases such as methane, nitrous oxide, and chloroflourocarbons, all of
which readily absorb infrared radiation, have been increasing in concentration over the past century.
Collectively, these gases are about equal to carbon dioxide in their ability to enhance the atmospheric
greenhouse effect. Moreover, rising ocean temperatures will cause an increase in evaporation rates and hence,
an increase in atmospheric water vapor, which is the most potent greenhouse gas. The added water vapor
accelerates the temperature rise. Recent satellite measurement have confirmed this.
Group 2
Exercise your Brain

Nearly seven out of every 10 adults report some type of forgetfulness, according to the Dana
Foundation, a New York City organization with a special interest in brain research. More pronounced memory
slips can begin as early as your 30s and become all too apparent in your 40s, explains Michael F. Roizen, MD,
dean of the College of Medicine at the State University of New York (SUNY) Upstate Medical University in
Syracuse, and author of Real Age.
While the b rain naturally slows down with age, the good news is that you can offset this process and
minimize memory lapses by constantly challenging your mind. In fact, memory-boosting classes are springing
up across the United States. “We now know that the brain is quite plastic , like a muscle, that it can be changed
and strengthened,” says Robert Goldman , MD, co – author of Brain Fitness.
Following are ways to cross-train your brain…and save your memory.
1. Stretch your mind.
2. Try something brand – new.
3. Become a multi – tasker.
4. Exercise your brain.

Group 3
People need to be active and to be healthy. Out of modern lifestyle and all the conveniences we’ve
become used to have made us, sedentary and that’s dangerous for our health. Sitting around in front of the TV
or computer, riding in the car for even a short trip to the store and using elevators instead of rams all contribute
to our inactivity. Physical inactivity is dangerous to our health as smoking.
Add up your activities during the day in periods at least 10 minutes each. Start slowly and build up. If
you’re doing some light activities, move up to more moderate ones. A little is good but more is better if you
want to achieve health benefits.
Scientists say accumulate 60 minutes of physical activities everyday to stay healthy or improve your
health. Time needed depends on effort – as you progress to moderate activities, you can cut down to thirty
minutes, four days a week.
Physical activity does not have to be very hard to improve your health. This goal can be reached by
building physical activities into your daily routine. Just add up in periods of at least ten minutes each
throughout the day. After three months of regular physical activity, you will notice a difference. People often
say getting started is the hardest part.

Group 4
Like fellow Philippine revolutionaries Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio, lawyer Apolinario Mabini, the
first Prime Minister of the Philippines, did not live to see his 40th birthday but became known as the brains and
conscience of the revolution that would permanently alter the Philippine’s government.
During his short life, Mabini suffered from paraplegia – paralysis of the legs – but had a powerful
intellect and was known for his political savvy and eloquence.
Before his untimely death in 1003, Mabini’s revolution thoughts on the government shaped the
Philippine’s fight for independence over the next century.