Introduction to biology. Кулагина Ж.Д. - 16 стр.

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great care. Our lives may depend on how we have learned about the living around us.
Because there are so many different kinds of plants and animals, the task of a biologist
is not an easy one. Up to the present time it was named and described more than 840000
kinds of animals and 345000 kinds of plants. To keep track of this great number of
living things a system of classification has been set up. Plants and animals are sorted
into groups according to the way they are built. For example, the tiger, the leopard, and
the lion will be all grouped together. All of them belong to the cat family. All the
members of the cat family, in turn, belong to a larger group that includes such meat-
eating animals as the dog, the bear. They have teeth that are built for tearing and cutting
flesh. Their sharp claws help them to capture and eat their prey. In this way, all plants
and animals were classified by their structure. All living plants and animals were
divided into two kingdoms: the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom.
       Among the smallest and simplest living things there are some that are difficult to
classify. There are tiny plant-like cells that can swim about actively in the water. In
some cases, the classification of these is still in doubt.

      Ex. 12. Find in the text English equivalence to the following Russian words and
phrases:

основные задачи биологов, различные виды растений и животных, быть причиной
болезни, большое количество живых существ, изучать живые существа; отно-
сить(ся) к семейству (кошачьих), в свою очередь, поймать и съесть свою добычу,
таким образом, в некоторых случаях.

      Ex. 13. Fill in the blanks with the words from the text.

1. ... bacteria may live inside our bodies. 2. They may ... different diseases. 3. Our lives
may ... on how we have learned about the living around us. 4. Scientists should study
living things with great ... . 5. Up to the ...... scientists have named and described a great
number of plants and animals. 6. Scientists ... ... of a great number of living things. 7.
Scientists have ...... a system of classification. 8. Plants and animals are ... into groups ...
to their structure.

      Ex. 14. Fill in the blanks with proper prepositions.

1. The life of plants and animals depends ... many factors. 2. Plant cells have been
studied ... great care. 3. Even ... the present time scientists discover unknown living
things. 4. It's not easy to keep track ... animals in the wild.

      Ex. 15. Work in pairs. Ask your partner about

- the usual colour of plants;
- the flowers that plants usually have;