The second assessment

In Papua New Guinea, scientists have just discovered a new rainforest. It has existed for many thousands of years at the top of a mountain. It has always been very difficult to reach. Even the people who live on the slopes of Mount Bosavi have rarely visited this hidden rainforest. It is very high up, at over 2,500 metres above sea level, and it is hidden inside the hole of a huge volcano.

Find from the paragraph a word which means a mountain with an opening at its top from where lava is erupted.

Today, though, this beautiful hidden world is in danger. Logging has already begun in the area. The loggers have already destroyed a lot of trees in the area, but they haven’t reached the slopes of Mount Bosavi yet. The scientists hope that their findings can help to protect the area.

Why is this beautiful hidden world in danger?

Rewrite the sentences with yet or already.

He hasn’t read the letter.

Underneath this top layer, the lower trees form a ‘roof’ over the area below. The leaves, flowers and fruit that grow there provide food for monkeys, birds and amphibians like tree frogs. Not much sunlight reaches the third layer, so here plants have even larger leaves to reach the light. Many animals live here including jaguars and leopards, along with many tiny insects – ants and caterpillars.

Give examples about animals that live there.

Write the name of it and the group of species that belongs to.

Do you know why there is life on Earth? Well it is because there is water.

From space, Earth is a beautiful, blue planet. The colour blue is the oceans, which cover two-thirds of Earth’s surface.

Earth is different from other planets because its climate is suitable for humans, plants and animal species like insects, fish, birds, reptiles amphibians and mammals. The temperature is tolerable and doesn’t go from extreme to another.

In addition, oxygen is the gas that most living beings need for breathing. Trees and plants breathe out this air to provide it for other living beings.

Why is Earth different from other planets?

Is the sound of the final r the same as it is in the middle of the word? 

programme /  spider   

Unfortunately, the Houbara Bustard, which was an important member of the Jordanian desert in the past, is now extinct because of hunting. This is one example of the many other birds and animals that are in danger. 

Why is the Houbara Bustard extinct?

Find two mistakes in the use of the Present Perfect with yet and already. Find and correct them.

My family and I go on holiday every summer, but the holiday we went on to Jordan was the best. It has yet been three years since I have been back from my incredible trip. Even though my parents have yet been to the Lost City of Petra, they enjoyed it again as much as I did.

About seventy-five per cent of all the species of animals we know live in rainforests, including some beautiful birds, insects and reptiles.

Write the underlined phrase in numbers.

Hello from Jordan! I’m here on holiday with my family and I’ve already been here for a week. Although I haven’t seen all of the sights yet, I’ve already been to some interesting places. We went to Ajloun Forest Nature Reserve yesterday. The nature reserve has protected all of the animals there since 1978 CE. I saw a lot of animals that I have never seen before, like hyenas and wolves. My favourite animal was the porcupine.

Which place did she visit?

Strawberry is a kind of flowers.

The Oldest Trees on Earth

The Bristlecone Pines

They are in California, USA. They are the oldest trees alive in the world today. Some are more than 4,000 years old. The rings in their wood show how much they’ve grown. Scientists use these rings to see how the world’s climate has changed. They grow very slowly: about fourteen metres in 3,000 years!  

The Wollemi Pines

They are the oldest species of tree in the world. Fossilised remains show they existed 110 million years ago. They grew in the rainforest before Australia became a continent. They grew when there were dinosaurs on Earth. The climate was different then. They still grew when plants and animals died and the climate changed. Some trees of this type still exist in Australia. Nobody knows how old these trees are. Scientists want to save them; they still didn’t reveal their precise location. They grow very fast; some are forty metres high!

Which trees grow very fast?

Why are these stones treasures?

Write the name of the precious stone number 2.

A: I can’t find my pen.

B: Look in your pencil case – it ..................... be in there.

Amber has a long history. Archaeologists have discovered that some people traded amber for food and clothes 6000 years ago, and we also know that the Romans used it in a lot of jewellery. Amber has different colours: gold and orange, white or yellow, brown or black. I have just bought several pieces of red and green amber, which are unusual, but I don’t have any blue amber in my collection yet. It is rare and too expensive.

What colour of amber is rare and expensive?

The museum also lends artefacts to other museums across the world. These museums have special exhibitions about Jordanian art and culture. Many people in the world can then learn about our history.

Why do these museums have special exhibitions about Jordanian art and culture?

In 1894 CE, Kokichi Mikimoto, a Japanese businessman, discovered a way to make pearls. He put a small natural mother-of pearl ‘bead’ into a living oyster shell. The oyster began to cover the ‘bead’ with more layers of mother-of-pearl, and eventually the bead became a pearl.

After this, the Japanese pearl manufacturing industry grew rapidly. Now it’s possible to produce millions of pearls all the time. Many of these pearls look just as beautiful as natural pearls but they are much cheaper. Natural pearls are far too expensive for anyone except the richest people!

Natural pearls don't look as beautiful as manufactured ones.