Today is our topic of discussion Review and test

Review and test

 

 

Read the report and answer the questions that follow.

Aerial application of insecticides was carried out from 10 to 24 October 1991 over Khulna divisions to control Hispa and Stemborer in rice. In order to observe impacts on the environment, a few ponds and lakes were surveyed.

The results indicated that within 9 hours of aerial application of the insecticide small fishes in ponds were found dead and floating on the surface of water in Morrelganj, Batiaghata, Dumuria and Tala thanas. Due to this spraying even ‘gherey’ fishes were found dead.

In ghereys, fishes are cultured with the help of temporany dams and nets in small waterways. Two/three days after the spraying of the chemicals from the air small fishes were sold cheap in local markets. At Batiaghata the Imam of a mosque informed that due to the application of pesticides in that area one cow and two goats died.

In some other areas domestic animals developed diarrhoea due of this application of pesticides. In Morrelganj thana some convicts suffered from an eye disease. In future, to minimise the environmental pollution, integrated pest management should be introduced instead of applying pesticide through aerial operation.

 

 

Questions:

1. Suggest two titles for the survey report.

2. What was the purpose of the survey?

3. What was the impact of the aerial application of insecticides on ponds, lakes and ‘gherey’s?

4. How did the chemicals sprayed from an aircraft affect animals and humans?

5. How should the pest control methodology as suggested by the surveyor differ from the aerial spraying of pesticides?

Answer these questions.

1. What are Hispas and Stemborers?

2. How should they be controlled since aerial application of insecticides causes harm to the environment?

 

 

3. Write why aerial use of insecticides is harmful and how it causes harm at home, in the fields and in water.

 

Today is our topic of discussion Reading reports 4

Reading reports 4

Look at the picture, read the report and answer the questions that follow.

 

Fig : A poisonous plant

A poisonous plant, harmful to humans, animals and flora, was found some time ago in the south-western region of the country. It is causing concern to our plant biologists. They collected some samples of the plant recently from the Manik Mia Avenue area in the city after noticing its firm presence in the fields in south-western districts.

‘Bishgach’, botanically known as ‘Perthenium hysterophorus’, is on display at the National Tree Fair at Dhanmondi playground. “We are showing it to draw people’s attention”, said Ms B M Rezia, an official of the National Harborium, while talking to the Daily Star.

The harborium has a stall at the Fair, displaying a number of disappearing species, to focus interest on the plants which have medicinal and commercial values. Ms Rezia said, “The farmers are greatly concerned about ‘Bishgach’ which can cause harm to their crops, plants and animals. It grows fast. Its pollen, carried by the wind, spreads around.”

The plant was first sighted in 1990 by two Bangladeshi plant scientists, Dr Salar Khan and Dr Abul Hasan of Dhaka University, at a place two km from the city’s Saidabad bus terminal. Growing straight up to about one and a half metres the plant, its flower and pollen cause skin allergy in humans.

Animals that eat the plant have rash and diarrhoea which can be fatal to them. “Before the plant spreads fast all over the country, it must be destroyed. For that public awareness must be created through the media”, said Ms Rezia.

 

 

Questions:

1. Why is the poisonous plant causing concern to our plant biologists?

2. Who was showing the plant ‘Bishgach’ at a national fair? 3. Why were the farmers concerned?

4. How does the plant affect or attack humans and animals? What harm does the plant cause to them?

5. What should we do to destroy the plant before it spreads all over the country?

Study these words.

poisonous (adj) – A poisonous animal or plant produces poison

flora (n) – that can kill you or make you sick if you swallow that poison. plants, especially the plants that grow in a particular area

biologists (n, pl) – scientists who study living things, such as humans, animals or plants, etc.

botanically known – being known for its botanical (relating to plants) name

on display – When you put something on display, you put it in such a place that people can easily see it. You can put some paintings or magazines on display.

disappearing species – here plants which are becoming rare

pollen (n) -fine yellow dust produced by flowers. It causes other flowers to produce seeds when it is carried to them by the wind.

was sighted (v, pass.) – was seen or spotted suddenly and often briefly

allergy (n) – If you have allergy to something, you become ill when you eat it, smell it or touch it.

 

 

rash (n) – A rash is an area of red spots that appear on your skin when you have an allergy or when you are sick.

media (n) – You can refer to radio, TV, newspapers and magazines as the media. So we say mass media, multimedia, etc.

 

Today is our topic of discussion Reading reports 3

Reading reports 3

 

 

Read the following report on pesticide hazards to answer the questions that follow.

“Small shops in Indonesia sell pesticides right alongside the potatoes and rice and other foods,” says Lucas Brader of UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). “The people just collect it in sugar sacks, milk cartons, Coke bottles- whatever is at hand.”

“The laws in less developed countries typically say nothing about repacking of pesticides,” Fred Whittemore of USAID explains. “But in the villages it is done routinely. Parathion in coke bottles stuffed with newspapers with no label is typical.” Gramoxone, which contains the deadly weed-killer paraquat, is not only sometimes sold in Coke bottles – it’s the same colour as Coke.

 

Fig : A raincoat

“In the rainy season in many tropical countries, the plastic liners used in pesticide bags are used as raincoats,” says Whittemore. “That is an acute problem causing poisoning.”Gramoxone killed at least 18 people during a four-year period in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea where it is used on coffee plantations and home gardens.

Questions:

1. How are the small shops in Indonesia responsible for pesticide hazards?

2. How can repacking of pesticides be dangerous to humans?

3. How can the plastic liners used in pesticide bags cause poisoning?

4. How did Gramoxone kill 18 people in Papua New Guinea?

Study these words.

 

 

sack (n) – a large bag usually made of strong cloth, jute or artificial fibers

carton (n) – a box made of stiff paper (cardboard) used for holding goods

parathion (n) – a toxic (harmful, poisonous) oil used as an insecticide

 

Today is our topic of discussion Reading reports 2

Reading reports 2

Read the following report to answer the questions that follow.

In 1972, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated from the published statistics of 19 countries that there were as many as 500,000 cases of pesticide poisoning per year. In 1985, the later surveys were summarized as follows:

 

Fig : Pesticide spraying

“In 1977, based on notification from several governments and surveys of nine countries, WHO estimated that the number of deaths globally was about 20,640 a year. In 1981, OXFAM, updating the WHO figures, estimated that the number of world pesticide-related poisoning cases was around 750,000 a year.

More recently, the Economic and Social Commission of Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) suggested that pesticide poisoning accidents might amount to two million a year, of which 40,000 could be fatalities.”

WHO also states that “someone in the underdeveloped countries is poisoned by pesticides every minute”. The rate of pesticide poisoning in underdeveloped countries is 13 times greater than that in the USA, according to Virgil Freed, a consultant to the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

Pesticide poisoning is much more common in the Third World than in the industrial countries. This is not only because of the more brutal working conditions there, but also because of hazards of distributing any poison in societies where most people cannot read and have never had to learn the dangers of manmade chemicals.

 

 

Questions:

1. What did the World Health Organization report in 1972 say about pesticide poisoning?

2. How did the 1972 report compare with the 1977 report?

3. What are the main points of difference between the OXFAM and ESCAP reports on pesticide poisoning?

4. Why is pesticide poisoning much more common in the Third World than in the industrial countries?

Study these words.

hazard (n) – danger

estimated (pt of estimate) – calculated

statistics (n pl) – collected numbers which represent facts

surveys (n pl) – If you carry out a survey or study, you try to find out detailed information about people, things, objects, organisations, etc.

notification (n) – written notice given to someone or some organisation

globally (adv) – in the whole world

update (v) – to make more up to date, more modern

amount to – to be equal to

 

 

fatalities (n pl) – accidental deaths

brutal (adj) – very hard; severe

 

Today is our topic of discussion Reading reports 1

Reading reports 1

 

 

Read the following report on the “Government plans for extensive sericulture cultivation in Chittagong Hill Tracts”, to answer the questions that follow.

The State Minister for Textiles, who stayed in the hill districts for three days last week, told BSS yesterday that the region has vast opportunities to generate alternative employment through cultivation of mulberry trees and cocoons.
The trees and the cocoons are needed to produce silk yarn. The leaves of the trees are the food of silkworms.

A silkworm produces a cocoon which is the case for its body. This cocoon or case produces silk yarn. The Minister said the weather is very congenial there and the growers are very enthusiastic to resume sericulture cultivation which they gave up earlier due to shortage of seeds and cocoons.

He said that the growing of cocoons and the cultivation of mulberries do not need huge capital, manpower and a long period. They do not even require extra land and round-the-clock care. He said a cocoon becomes full-bloomed within 23 days to produce silk yarn.

One cocoon can generate 6 to 7 hundred metres of silk yarn. The Sericulture Board is now trying to produce better-quality cocoon eggs, each of which can produce about 1000 metres of silk yarn. He said the Board would supply cocoons and mulberry trees to the growers there.

 

 

Questions:

1. What are the two things that can be grown in the hill districts?

2. Why did the growers give up sericulture cultivation earlier?

3. Sericulture cultivation needs five things. But it does not need a lot of them. What are these five things?

4. What does a cocoon produce?

5. How can mulberry trees help produce silk yarn?

Study these words.

BSS (abbreviation of) Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (M ALDI); a news agency

generate (v) – to create; to produce

alternative (adj) – ‘Alternative’ is used to describe something that is different from the usual or traditional things of its kind, eg alternative health care, ……. alternative methods of travel, etc.

employment (n) – ‘Employment’ is the state of having a paid job. opp. ‘unemployment’

mulberry (n) – a tree with a dark purple fruit which can be eaten. Its leaves are the food of silkworms?

cocoon (n) – a protective case (egg-like) of silky threads in which a pupa (an insect in its inactive stage) is enclosed

 

Fig : A cocoon

yarn (n) – thread

congenial (adj) – pleasant; favourable

enthusiastic (adj) – greatly interested; showing strong feeling of likeness

resume (v) – to re-start; to begin again