POST-READING

EXTRACTING THE MAIN IDEA

Which of the following is the most appropriate as the main idea of the passage?

  1. Biodiversity on Earth is being threatened in many parts of the world, so we need to take some steps to reverse these trends.
  2. The yakushika, once thought to be in danger of extinction, is now an important symbol of Yakushima and helps attract a lot of tourists every year.
  3. Yakushima is an exceptional example of biodiversity, but it is now in danger partly＊ because of the damage caused by the large number of yakushika, and this is a problem that requires careful consideration.
  4. For many years, people on Yakushima have coexisted with yakushika, but now they are thinking of eliminating them to protect their business and industry.

＊partly = 部分的に

SHARING YOUR OPINION

MORE! SHARING YOUR OPINION

Working in pairs, share your opinions about the following questions.

Question A What do you think is the major cause for the increase in the population of yakushika?

Question B What should we do to protect biodiversity on the earth?

Useful Words or Phrases
  • 絶滅危惧種　endangered species
  • 〜を考慮する　take into account 〜
  • （〜に）有益である　be beneficial (to)
  • （〜に）害である　be harmful (to)
  • （〜に対する）副次的影響，副作用　side effect (on)

CHECKING THE FRAMEWORK

Fill in the blanks, selecting from a ～ g below the most appropriate title for each section. Also check how the sections and paragraphs relate to each other.

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SUMMARY

Fill in the blanks, thinking back to the answer to the question following each section numbers. Read the finished summary aloud.

Thanks to its wide range of elevations and ①（huge amounts of rainfall〔heavy rainfall〕）, Yakushima has exceptional biodiversity. It is home to many species, but today biodiversity on the island ②（is being threatened） and the vegetation of Yakushima is disappearing. Researchers noticed the damage caused by the yakushika. One reason for the damage is that ③（the paths cut (through the forest)） by humans ④（have made it easier） for yakushika to find new feeding areas. ⑤（The enormous population of yakushika）, caused by human actions and changes in climate, is another reason for the damage to the island. Controlling the yakushika population may be necessary, but it must be done very carefully because eliminating too many yakushika would have ⑥（(even more) harmful effects (on the ecosystem)）.