Changes and consequences

Desert description

🚩fertile (C1) savannahs

  • Fertile land can produce a large number of good quality crops

semi-arid

  • a semi-arid area or climate has little rain but is not completely dry /ˌsem.iˈær.ɪd/

🚩70% of dry land in agricultural use has deteriorated(C1) over the last 30 years

  • to become worse

🚩the Sahara desert has steadily crept(C2) southwards eating into once productive lands

  • to move slowly, quietly, and carefully, usually in order to avoid being noticed:
  • to use or take away a large part of something valuable, such as money or time:

🚩droughts(C2) have become more prolonged(C1)

  • a long period when there is little or no rain: /draʊt/
  • continuing for a long time: /prəˈlɒŋd/
  • the Kalahari desert advances into Botswana (=move forward)
  • causes of desert advance

🚩scarce(C1) water supplies

  • not easy to find or get

🚩marginal (C2)
very small in amount or effect

consequences to the mankind

causes of the expanding desert

🚩reverse (C1) the situation

❗Causes of desertification❗

2/ loss of tree cover

the fertile topsoil may be almost entirely lost, leaving only bare rock and dust

other plan species die /ˈspiː.ʃiːz/

wind and rain erosion increase

🚩tree roots help to bind(C2) the soil together

  • to tie tightly or to fasten

🚩provide habitat(C1) for other plants and animals

  • the natural environment in which an animal or plant usually lives: /ˈhæb.ɪ.tæt/

conserve moisture

1.2 / over-cultivation (C1)

Soil erosion follows and the land turns into desert.

O-c results in soil becoming even less fertile and drier and beginning to break up

over-cultivation (C1)

  • trying to grow too many crops on poor land

1.1/ overgrazing

scarce water supplies are exhausted

grasses and other plants cannot recover

1/ poor agricultural land use, driven by the pressures of increasing population

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Careful conservation(C1) of tree cover and sustainable (C1) agricultural land use have been shown to halt deterioration of soils and lessen (C1) the effects of shortage of rainfall.


  • causing, or made in a way that causes, little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time:


  • If something lessens or is lessened, it becomes less strong:


  • carefully using valuable natural substances that exist in limited amounts in order to make certain that they will be available for as long a time as possible:

sustainable management of forests

the effects of loss of topsoil and increased draught are irreversible(C2)

  • not possible to change; impossible to return to a previous condition

the Sahara desert
/səˈhɑː.rə / /ˈdez.ət/

❗Preventing❗

Synonyms

spread slowly = has steadily crept

long = prolonged

fertile = productive

wearing away = erosion

cover = occupy much of the West African countris

happening = The same process of desertification is taking palace ...

limited = scarce water supplies

completely = the topsoil may be almost entirely lost

stop = to halt deterioration

Swallows in migration

🚩The swallow w is well know for its distinctive (C1) swooping flight.

  • is easy to recognize because it is different from other things:

🚩It lives in close proximity(C2) to human habitation and rarely encountered in towns or cities.

  • the state of being near in space or time:

🚩Many young swallows become prey (C2) of falcons.

  • an animal that is hunted and killed for food by another animal:

Improve your IELTS Reading Skills / Unit 1 /

  • Deforestation and Desertification (T/F/NG, Sentence completion)
  • Swallows in Migration

keeping too many farm animals on the land

  • Desertification /dɪˌzɜː.tɪ.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/
  • Deforestation /diːˌfɒr.ɪˈsteɪ.ʃən/
  • southern /ˈsʌð.ən/ ❗
  • desert /ˈdez.ət/