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Revision of Summary Writing

The passage discusses several threats facing the declining polar bear population. Global warming is reducing Arctic sea ice, limiting polar bears' ability to hunt seals and survive. With less time on the ice, bears' body weights and conditions are deteriorating, impairing hunting success rates. Additionally, industrial pollution is introducing toxic chemicals that damage polar bears' fur and health. The polar bear population may disappear from present locations within a century if climate change and pollution continue reducing available sea ice and harming polar bear survival and reproduction.

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Aarush Ram Anandh
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115 views

Revision of Summary Writing

The passage discusses several threats facing the declining polar bear population. Global warming is reducing Arctic sea ice, limiting polar bears' ability to hunt seals and survive. With less time on the ice, bears' body weights and conditions are deteriorating, impairing hunting success rates. Additionally, industrial pollution is introducing toxic chemicals that damage polar bears' fur and health. The polar bear population may disappear from present locations within a century if climate change and pollution continue reducing available sea ice and harming polar bear survival and reproduction.

Uploaded by

Aarush Ram Anandh
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Section B: Summary Writing [15 Marks]

Read the passage carefully, and then answer Question 2 on the


Question Paper.
This article is from a wildlife conservation magazine.

Saving the Polar Bear

The polar bear is listed as ‘vulnerable’ on an International Red List of


endangered species. We’re helping protect polar bears from the increasing
threats they face in several ways, such as supporting field research in and
around the Arctic and helping to reduce the impact of a warming planet on
the bears. There are an estimated 20,000–25,000 polar bears in the world,
living in 19 sub populations across the Arctic, where they inhabit ice-
covered waters. Many scientists believe that polar bears could have
disappeared from their present locations within 100 years. We are working
to maintain and restore the rich marine Eco-systems and develop a long-
term vision in order to secure the future of this fragile region.

Unlike the major threat to other at-risk mammals (such as tigers and
rhinos), it is not hunting that is having the most damaging effect on the
polar bear population. They used to be heavily hunted, from the 1600s
right through to the mid-1970s, but then strict regulations were agreed
internationally to protect the species. The big threat to polar bears
nowadays is climate change. This is affecting the Arctic sea ice that polar
bears rely on to catch food, especially important during the two-year period
when mother bears are raising their dependent young, which do not
survive if food is scarce. A recent study shows polar bear litters are also
decreasing in size because of the decline of the sea ice. The polar bear –
whose Latin name means ‘sea bear’ – spends much of its time at or near
the edge of the sea ice.

As the Arctic ice cap melts in the summer, some bears follow the retreating
ice to stay close to their prey, while others become stranded and spend
their summers on land, living off stored body fat. When the ice returns in
the autumn, the bears go back to the sea ice once again. Because of
climate change, the sea ice is melting earlier and forming later each year,
leaving polar bears with less time to hunt. This means the bears are fasting
for longer, which dramatically reduces their body weight and physical
condition, making it harder for them to survive the summer season. They
have a good sense of smell and can detect seals, their main food, from
almost one kilometer away. However, despite their reputation as fearsome
hunters, less than 25 per cent of polar bear hunts are successful,and their
access to seals is declining because of the dwindling ice.

Polar bears are being forced to spend more time on land, where they are
more likely to come into conflict with people because of their hunger.
Increased industrial activities in the Arctic, including shipping, fishing, and
oil and gas exploration, are speeding up the deterioration of the polar
Bear's remaining habitat. There is no proven technology to combat oil spills
in ice-covered water; a large oil spill could devastate the Arctic marine
environment and affect all species.

Toxin levels increase the further up the food chain you go, and are highest
in top predators such as polar bears. Split oil and other toxic chemicals
harm the insulating properties of their fur and reduce the effectiveness of
their camouflage – necessary for hunting – by making their coats less
white. They can also cause hair loss and irritate skin and eyes. Polar bears
like to keep themselves clean and after feeding they usually wash;they
also reduce overheating by rolling in the snow or taking a swim. When the
polar bear grooms itself, it ingests the toxins from the snow and seawater,
which can lead to brain damage, kidney failure and harm to the digestive
system, and is sometimes fatal.

Question 2: Write a summary of the current threats to the polar bear


population, as described in the passage. You must use continuous
writing (not note form) and use your own words as far as possible.
Your summary should not be more than 120 words. Up to 10 marks
are available for the content of your answer and up to 5 marks for the
quality of your writing.

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