ACADEMIC LISTENING TEST PRACTICE
AMAZON JUNGLE
AMAZON JUNGLE
For Students Preparing for Academic Tests / IELTS and TOEFL
Listen as you read the script.
Playing Time: 2 minutes 50 seconds
The Amazon Jungle, also known as the Amazon Rainforest, is a vast and diverse ecosystem located in South America. Spanning across nine countries, the jungle covers an area of approximately 2.1 million square miles, making it the largest tropical rainforest in the world. The Amazon Jungle is home to an estimated 400 billion individual trees belonging to over 16,000 species, as well as countless other forms of plant and animal life.
The Amazon Jungle is considered one of the world's most important natural resources, as it plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate and weather patterns. The vast amount of vegetation in the jungle acts as a carbon sink, absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This helps to mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming.
The jungle is also a biodiversity hotspot, containing around 20% of the world's total plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. For example, the Amazon Jungle is home to over 2,000 species of fish, more than any other river system in the world. Furthermore, the jungle is home to thousands of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects, including iconic species such as jaguars, monkeys, parrots, and anacondas.
The Amazon Jungle is also home to many indigenous communities, who have lived in harmony with the environment for centuries. These communities have a deep understanding and knowledge of the jungle's natural resources, which they rely upon for their main source of food. Thus, they have developed unique cultures and traditions based on their relationship with the environment.
Unfortunately, the Amazon Jungle is under threat from human activities, such as deforestation and mining. The clearing of land for agriculture, logging, and the construction of roads and infrastructure has led to the destruction of vast areas of the jungle. This not only destroys the habitat of countless plant and animal species, but also contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.
In recent years, there have been efforts to protect and conserve the Amazon Jungle. Governments and organizations around the world have implemented policies and programs aimed at reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable development. Additionally, many indigenous communities have banded together to protect their land and natural resources from exploitation.
The Amazon Jungle is considered one of the world's most important natural resources, as it plays a crucial role in regulating the Earth's climate and weather patterns. The vast amount of vegetation in the jungle acts as a carbon sink, absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This helps to mitigate the effects of climate change and global warming.
The jungle is also a biodiversity hotspot, containing around 20% of the world's total plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. For example, the Amazon Jungle is home to over 2,000 species of fish, more than any other river system in the world. Furthermore, the jungle is home to thousands of species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and insects, including iconic species such as jaguars, monkeys, parrots, and anacondas.
The Amazon Jungle is also home to many indigenous communities, who have lived in harmony with the environment for centuries. These communities have a deep understanding and knowledge of the jungle's natural resources, which they rely upon for their main source of food. Thus, they have developed unique cultures and traditions based on their relationship with the environment.
Unfortunately, the Amazon Jungle is under threat from human activities, such as deforestation and mining. The clearing of land for agriculture, logging, and the construction of roads and infrastructure has led to the destruction of vast areas of the jungle. This not only destroys the habitat of countless plant and animal species, but also contributes to climate change by releasing stored carbon into the atmosphere.
In recent years, there have been efforts to protect and conserve the Amazon Jungle. Governments and organizations around the world have implemented policies and programs aimed at reducing deforestation and promoting sustainable development. Additionally, many indigenous communities have banded together to protect their land and natural resources from exploitation.
Three toed sloth (Bradypus variegatus) found in the Amazon River area in Peru
Note: For more cool ESL resources about our planet, visit my All Things Topics site.