According to the first paragraph, the Amazon rainforest
When will the Amazon hit a tipping point?
Scientists say climate change, deforestation and fires
could cause the world’s largest rainforest to dry out. The
big question is how soon that might happen. Seen from a
monitoring tower above the treetops near Manaus, in the
Brazilian Amazon, the rainforest canopy stretches to the
horizon as an endless sea of green. It looks like a rich and
healthy ecosystem, but appearances are deceiving. This
rainforest — which holds 16,000 separate tree species — is
slowly drying out.
Over the past century, the average temperature in the
forest has risen by 1-1.5 ºC. In some parts, the dry season
has expanded during the past 50 years, from four months to
almost five. Severe droughts have hit three times since 2005.
That’s all driving a shift in vegetation. In 2018, a study reported
that trees that do best in moist conditions, such as tropical
legumes from the genus Inga, are dying. Those adapted to
drier climes, such as the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa),
are thriving.
At the same time, large parts of the Amazon, the world’s
largest rainforest, are being cut down and burnt. Tree clearing
has already shrunk the forest by around 15% from its 1970s
extent of more than 6 million square kilometres; in Brazil,
which contains more than half the forest, more than 19%
has disappeared. Last year, deforestation in Brazil spiked
by around 30% to almost 10,000 km2
, the largest loss in a
decade. And in August 2019, videos of wildfires in the Amazon
made international headlines. The number of fires that month
was the highest for any August since an extreme drought in
2010.
(www.nature.com, 25.02.2020. Adaptado.)
When will the Amazon hit a tipping point?
Scientists say climate change, deforestation and fires could cause the world’s largest rainforest to dry out. The big question is how soon that might happen. Seen from a monitoring tower above the treetops near Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, the rainforest canopy stretches to the horizon as an endless sea of green. It looks like a rich and healthy ecosystem, but appearances are deceiving. This rainforest — which holds 16,000 separate tree species — is slowly drying out.
Over the past century, the average temperature in the forest has risen by 1-1.5 ºC. In some parts, the dry season has expanded during the past 50 years, from four months to almost five. Severe droughts have hit three times since 2005. That’s all driving a shift in vegetation. In 2018, a study reported that trees that do best in moist conditions, such as tropical legumes from the genus Inga, are dying. Those adapted to drier climes, such as the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa), are thriving.
At the same time, large parts of the Amazon, the world’s largest rainforest, are being cut down and burnt. Tree clearing has already shrunk the forest by around 15% from its 1970s extent of more than 6 million square kilometres; in Brazil, which contains more than half the forest, more than 19% has disappeared. Last year, deforestation in Brazil spiked by around 30% to almost 10,000 km2 , the largest loss in a decade. And in August 2019, videos of wildfires in the Amazon made international headlines. The number of fires that month was the highest for any August since an extreme drought in 2010.
(www.nature.com, 25.02.2020. Adaptado.)
Gabarito comentado
Vamos analisar o enunciado:
Vejamos o trecho em questão, parágrafo 1:
Scientists say climate change, deforestation and fires could cause the world's largest rainforest to dry out. The big question is how soon that might happen. Seen from a monitoring tower above the treetops near Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, the rainforest canopy stretches to the horizon as an endless sea of green. It looks like a rich and healthy ecosystem, but appearances are deceiving. This rainforest — which holds 16,000 separate tree species — is slowly drying out.
Tradução -
Os cientistas dizem que as mudanças climáticas, o desmatamento e os incêndios podem fazer com que a maior floresta tropical do mundo seque. A grande questão é em quanto tempo isso pode acontecer. Visto de uma torre de monitoramento acima das copas das árvores perto de Manaus, na Amazônia brasileira, a cobertura da floresta tropical se estende até o horizonte como um mar infinito de verde. Parece um ecossistema rico e saudável, mas as aparências enganam. Esta floresta tropical - que contém 16.000 espécies de árvores - está secando lentamente.
Analisando as alternativas teremos:
A) Correto - might eventually dry out due to climate change, deforestation and fires.
Tradução - pode eventualmente secar devido às mudanças climáticas, desmatamento e incêndios.
Veja parte em negrito na tradução acima.
B) Incorreto - has already regenerated itself since it looks green and healthy.
Tradução - já se regenerou uma vez que parece verde e saudável.
Pelo contrário, as aparências enganam. Está secando lentamente.
C) Incorreto - has lost over 16 thousand tree species over last decade.
Tradução - perdeu mais de 16 mil espécies de árvores na última década.
A floresta tropical contém 16.000 espécies de árvores.
D) Incorreto - appears large and resilient, so deforestation and fires will have a mild impact.
Tradução - parece grande e resiliente, então o desmatamento e os incêndios terão um impacto moderado.
O impacto é enorme. Esta floresta tropical - que contém 16.000 espécies de árvores - está secando lentamente.
E) Incorreto - has already reached a state that makes it difficult to recover from fires and deforestation.
Tradução - já atingiu um estado em que fica difícil se recuperar de incêndios e desmatamento.
Os cientistas dizem que a floresta pode secar, ou seja, ela pode atingir um estado em que fica difícil se recuperar de incêndios e desmatamento, mas isso ainda não aconteceu.
Gabarito do Professor: Alternativa A.
