San Francisco,
CA, USA. Julia Butterfly, 24, has GONE OUT ON A LIMB for her beliefs.
She has SPENT TWO YEARS living in a giant redwood tree in Northern
California, 180 feet above the ground. “I’m trying to save this tree,”
she says.Butterfly is a member of Earth First!, an environmental protection group. She and her group are GOING HEAD TO HEAD WITH a lumber company, which owns the forest. The company wants to chop down the 1000-year old trees and sell the wood. To protect the tree, Butterfly stays in it AROUND THE CLOCK. Only 3% of redwood forests remain,
ACCORDING TO Butterfly. “The world needs to know that the magnificent redwood forests are almost gone. I’m TAKING A STAND for life in its beautiful form.”Butterfly PUTS UP WITH horrible weather. Powerful storms often hit her tree house. She pulls up all her food with a rope. She cannot bathe. Her only convenience is a cell phone to KEEP IN TOUCH WITH HER FAMILY.
Butterfly plans to stay in the tree as long as she can. What does she LOOK FORWARD TO back in civilization? “I’d like to TAKE A HOT SHOWER,” she says.
A.COMPREHENSION
1. Why is Butterfly in the tree?
2. How much time has she spent living there?
3. What is Earth First? Why is it going head to head with a lumber company?
4. According to Butterfly, why is it important to take a stand?
5. What problems does she have to put up with in the tree house?
6. Why does she need a cell phone?
7. What does Butterfly look forward to?
8. Do you think Butterfly has the right to stay in the tree? Why or why not?
B.VOCABULARY AND EXAMPLES
1.redwood: a very tall, evergreen, coniferous tree native to the coastal ranges of southern Oregon and central and northern California, having small seed-bearing cones with peltate scales and unflattened branches.
2.beliefs: something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.
Examples:
1) Redwood trees can be as old as a hundred years old!
2) It takes sacrifice to stand firmly on one's principles and beliefs.
C.IDIOMS AND EXPRESSIONS
Match the idioms and expressions.
A
|
B
|
| 1. go out on a limb | a. wash yourself in the shower or bath |
| 2. spend time doing something |
b. communicate regularly
|
| 3. go head to head with someone | c.clearly and loudly declare your point of view |
| 4. chop something down | d. continuously; without a break |
| 5. around the clock | e. argue or fight with someone |
| 6.according to someone or something | f. do something that could have dangerous consequences |
| 7. take a stand | g. use time to do something |
| 8.put up with someone or something | h. cut something down, usually a tree |
| 9. keep in touch with someone | i. as said by someone or something |
| 10.look forward to doing something | j. endure or tolerate someone or something |
| 11. take a shower or bath | k. anticipate doing something with pleasure |
D.CONVERSATION QUESTIONS
1. Which social or political causes are important to you? Which ones
would you go out on a limb for?
2. Do you care about the environment? Tell how you help save the earth.
3. Are there environment groups in your country?What are their goals?
4. Tell about a time when you put up with an inconvenience such as horrible weather or no electrical power?
5. Imagine that you are living in a tree for a year. What would be difficult to put up with? What would you look forward to? What would you spend time doing?
2. Do you care about the environment? Tell how you help save the earth.
3. Are there environment groups in your country?What are their goals?
4. Tell about a time when you put up with an inconvenience such as horrible weather or no electrical power?
5. Imagine that you are living in a tree for a year. What would be difficult to put up with? What would you look forward to? What would you spend time doing?
