CLOSE UP UNIT 3

Cities Beneath the Sea

Coral polyps are truly the animals that helped make the
world. For millions of years, tiny coral polyps have been
building underwater cities. The polyps create something
called limestone which they then live on top of. There are
huge amounts of limestone under the ocean in islands and
mountains. These limestone islands and mountains are called
coral reefs. Some reefs are bigger than anything people have
ever made. The Egyptians used it to build the Great Pyramids.
We have used limestone to build many buildings, and crushed
limestone is used to make cement.
A variety of Life
Living corals reefs are amazing ‘cities beneath the sea’ that
are full of life. The reefs develop well in the warm oceans
near the Equator. Among the world’s most colourful places,
coral reefs are full of brightly-coloured fish. Reef fish are an
important food source for humans and many caught for food
around the world.
The Biggest of Them All
The Great Barrier Reef, in Australia, is the largest reef in the
world. It is 2000 kilometres long. Over 400 types of coral,
1500 species of fish and approximately 4000 types of molluse
live in, on and around the reef. Each year, thousands of
visitors come to see this remarkable world beneath the
waves. However, there are rules-visitors can only visit 5% of
the reef. In this way, they can still enjoy the reef while it
remains protected for future generations.
Threats to Coral Reefs
In recent years, a number of dangers have threatened coral
reefs and the life that depends on them. One of the biggest
threats is an illegal way of fishing that explodes bombs in the
water to kill as many fish as possible. It kills most living things
and causes great damage to the reef’s structure.

Cities Beneath the Sea

Fishing with an extremely dangerous chemical called cyanide
is another threat to reefs, particularly in the Philippines.
Fishermen put this poisonous chemical into the reef water
because it stuns the fish and they can’t move. They catch the
fish easily and then sell them for big money to aquariums or
restaurants. The chemical they use kills coral polyps, and
causes large areas of the reef to die.
Water pollution also damages reefs. In addition, warmer
water in the oceans has been causing many areas of reefs to
turn white. Biologists are worried that further warming may
damages coral reefs even more.
Reasons for Hope
Threats to coral reefs are serious, but there is reason to hope
that they will survive. Coral reef conservation can help these
tiny coral polyps, which have survived natural threats for
millions of years, to rebuild the damaged reefs that so many
ocean creatures and plants depend on.

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

Exercise 1

a. Where could you read this type of text?

Kat mana awak boleh baca/jumpa jenis teks macam ni? Buku? Majalah? Blog? Website?

b. What type of information does it have in it?

Apakah jenis maklumat yang terdapat di dalam teks ini?

• Gives facts Menyatakan fakta
• Entertains the reader Menghiburkan pembaca
• is educational Berbentuk pendidikan
• Gives personal opinions Memberikan pendapat secara peribadi

Cities Beneath the Sea

The Great Barrier Reef, Australia

The Great Barrier Reef has been a
UNESCO World Heritage Site since
1981.

The 7 wonders of the natural world are :

1. The Aurora Borealis

2. The Grand Canyon

3. Paricutin

4. Victoria Falls

5. The Great Barrier Reef

6. Mount Everest The Aurora Borealis

7. Harbour of Rio de Jeneiro

The seven wonders of the ancient world are :
1. The Great Pyramid of Giza
2. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon
3. The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
4. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia
5. The Mausoleum of Halicarnassus The Great Pyramid of Giza
6. The Colossus of Rhodes
7. The Lighthouse of Alexandria

Exercise 2

One of these statements about The Great Barrier Reef is
not true. Which one do you think it is?

Salah satu pernyataan tentang The Great Barrier Reef di bawah adalah tidak benar. Awak fikir
yang mana satu pernyataan tersebut?

a. It is a World Heritage Site
b. It is the world’s largest coral reef system
c. It is one of the Seven Ancient Wonders of the World
d. It can be seen from outer space

Cities Beneath the Sea

WORD FOCUS

CORAL POLYP : a small animal that lives in
the sea.

LIMESTONE :
a rock that is made of calcium carbonate

CEMENT :
a grey powder that is mixed with sand and
water to make concrete

EQUATOR :
an imaginary line drawn around the middle
of the earth

MOLLUSC :
an animal that has a soft body and is often
covered with a shell

STUN : make unconscious and unable to
move for a short time

Cities Beneath the Sea

Exercise 3 – exam task

Read the text and questions below. For each question, choose the
correct letter a, b, c or d.

1. What does the writer want to do with this text?
a. Entertain the reader
b. Give information about reefs
c. Give advice on conservation
d. Advertise a place to go on holiday

2. What are coral reefs made od?
a. Molluscs
b. Mountains
c. Cement
d. A kind of rock

3. Which statement about coral reefs is NOT true?
a. They are an important source of fish
b. They are very colourful places
c. They are usually found in deep ocean waters
d. They can be larger than man-made things

4. How is the Great Barrier Reef protected?
a. Only a small part of the reef can be seen by visitors
b. Just 5% of visitors are allowed to see it
c. Visitors must be very strict
d. The reef is not open every year

5. Which is the best summary of the text?
a. Polyps are very important because they create the rock
known as limestone, which is used to build things
b. The coral reefs are natural wonders that are in danger
and we should do everything we can to save them
c. The fish from coral reefs are very beautiful and you can
see them in aquariums around the world
d. There are many different ways to catch fish but some of
them are not safe for the environment

VOCABULARY

A. Label the pictures with these words.
Cave Cliff Coast Glacier Pond Rainforest Stream Valley

Gua Tebing Pantai Glasier Kolam Hutanhujan Aliran Lembah

1. _________________
2. _________________
3. _________________
4. _________________
5. _________________
6. _________________
7. _________________
8. _________________

VOCABULARY

B. Read the text in the box and find the words to help you match
1-8 to a-h below.

1 fossil a habitats
2 conversation b energy
3 climate c change
4 natural d fuels
5 solar e areas
6 power f stations
7 endangered g power
8 renewable h species

VOCABULARY

C. Match each sentence 1 – 8 with the sentence a – h that logically
follows it.

1 Renewable energy is very important.
2 Humans are using all the planet’s fossil fuels quickly.
3 Many people think climate change is a big problem.
4 Conservation areas are very important.
5 An animal’s natural habitat is the place where it lives.
6 Many animals are on the list of endangered species.
7 Solar power is available everywhere.
8 Power stations are often huge.

A They help to give animals and insects in danger of
extinction a safe place to live.

B The temperature of the earth and sea has gone up by
about 1oc in the last 100 years.

C If we don’t protect them, they will become extinct.

D Most of our electricity is still produced in them.

E It is the power we get from the sun, wind and sea.

F It’s important that we don’t destroy the land they
live on.

G We get it from the sun and it is very easy to use.

H It took millions of years for oil, coal and gas to form
and we are using them up too fast.

Exercise 1 EXERCISE CHECKLIST
a. _____________
b. _____________ VOCABULARY

Exercise 2 A
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B
1. ____________
2. ____________
3. ____________
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5. ____________
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8. ____________

C
1. ____________
2. ____________
3. ____________
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