Unit XXXIX Survival Tips for the North American Wilderness

Pre-reading tasks

Think of the following.

What to do when you're lost

First of all, stay where you are. There's no point expending energy if you're uncertain which direction to take. Before you set off, make sure you notify someone where you're going, your intended route, and anticipated time of return, so if you do get lost, at least you know a rescue party is on its way. Remain calm. Your priority is to find water and shelter. You can do without food for up to a month, but dehydration will kill you after four days, and hypothermia can take just 24 hours. Look for shelter in a cave or under a fir tree, but avoid very tall trees as they can attract lightning. If you do need to eat, avoid plants as some can be quite poisonous. You're better off eating lizards, frogs, and insects.

What to do if you meet a bear

Don't turn your back and run. You will be behaving just like the bear's regular prey and it will chase you. Bears can also reach speeds of nearly 19 mph, so you have no chance of outrunning it! Heading up a tree is also inadvisable. Black bears are excellent climbers and brown bears may be capable of pushing your escape route over. Instead, look a bear firmly in the eyes and back away slowly. Drop any food you have as a bear will go after anything edible. As you move away, the bear will hopefully wander off, but if it does attack, most experts suggest that you play dead, so that the bear loses interest.

What to do if a snake bites you

Whatever you may have seen in films, do not attempt to suck the poison out as you will simply absorb more venom into your system. The best thing to do is to wash the affected area with soap and water, and leave a damp cloth over it. Remain still and make sure the bite point is lower than your heart. Don't panic, as this will pump the venom round your body faster. If you have a mobile phone, call for medical attention or get someone to seek help.

Post-reading tasks

Guess if the sentences are True or False. Then read the text to check.

1. If you get lost, you should keep moving and looking for a way out.

2. It is more important to find a source of food than a source of water.

3. Ii is more dangerous to get wet and cold than to become very thirsty.

4. You should not make shelters under tall trees.

5. Frogs are a safer source of food than plants.

6. Trees are a safe place to get away from bears.

7. It is better to pretend to be dead than to run away from a bear.

8. If a snake bites you, suck out the poison immediately.

9. You should clean a snake bite with soap.

10. The bitten part of the body should be kept higher than your heart.

Unit xl Beloved Pets

When a loved one passes away, it can be hard to accept they are truly gone for ever, and for some, the loved ones are of the furry, four-legged variety. Some animal lovers are content with a private burial in the garden, others may want something a little more ceremonial and prefer a service at a pet cemetery. In the last decade, another option has become available, that of freeze-drying. This process involves the complete removal of liquid from a pet, so that it retains its shape and size. This can take up to four months to complete, depending on the pet's weight. It is then sent back to the owner. Initially, this service was mainly available in the United States. Now, Britain has joined the trend in pet preservation, but in the form of taxidermy. In fact, the resurrection of interest in this form of preservation is so great that the few taxidermists still practising cannot cope with demand. For the layperson, taxidermy means 'stuffing dead animals' and brings to mind dusty collections of exotic creatures in museums. For the professional taxidermist, theirs is an art form that also requires a genuine interest in wildlife. When they begin work on a subject, they must not only sculpt a body from wood or, in the case of large animals, fibreglass (the animal's skin is then stretched over this frame), but they must position the animal in a convincing pose, and they can only do this by knowing how it moved in life. The subjects, by the way, have all met natural deaths or been killed in road accidents, as British law prevents endangered species from reaching the taxidermist's table.

Post-reading tasks

Answer the question.

What is the main point of the text?

1. To suggest that some people take their relationship with their pets too seriously.

2. To make people reconsider their definition of art and what it includes.

3. То show how a technique for preserving dead animals has become popular again.

Complete the sentences with one or two words from the text.

1. The … in an animal is taken out during freeze-drying.

2. An animal's … affects the amount of time it takes to freeze-dry.

3. Big frames are made out of … .

4. Taxidermists are not allowed to work on … .