- Why do you think that they made a film of Moby Dick on Madeira in 1956?

1- Why do you think that they made a film of Moby Dick on Madeira in 1956?

          June 22 (Reuters) - The 85-nation International Whaling Commission (IWC) is holding its annual meeting from June 22-26 on the Portuguese island of Madeira to review whale hunts.

Whaling nations Japan, Norway and Iceland have been pushing for years for reforms to approve the hunts. Many nations and conservationists say harpooning the giant mammals is cruel and unnecessary and want a 1986 moratorium extended.

HISTORY

Large-scale whaling began around the 11th century with hunts by the Basques and gained momentum in the 19th century with the invention of faster steam-powered ships and deadlier harpoons.

The marine animals provided meat, oil for lamps, candles, soaps and perfumes and baleen for whips or corsets. Herman Melville's novel "Moby Dick", about Captain Ahab's obsession with a white whale, brought the hunts to a wider audience.

Over-exploitation brought species such as the giant blue whale -- bigger than any dinosaur and with a tongue weighing as much as an elephant -- to the brink of extinction. The IWC imposed a moratorium on all commercial whaling from 1986.

It allows an exception for catches by indigenous peoples in places like Greenland, Siberia and Alaska.

Whaling nations Japan, Norway and Iceland argue that stocks of species like the small minke are big enough to allow hunts and say the IWC, set up in 1946, has betrayed its roots by emphasising conservation at the expense of a twin goal of enabling "the orderly development of the whaling industry".

MAIN WHALING NATIONS

JAPAN - Harpooned 679 whales in the last Antarctic summer season, almost all minke whales, below a target of 850 after disruptions from anti-whaling activists. It caught just one fin whale compared to a quota of 50. Separately, Japan sanctions harpooning more than 250 whales in the northwest Pacific. It says that the whales are caught for scientific research.

NORWAY - Has set a quota of 885 minke whales for each year from 2009-13. Whalers often fail to catch their full quotas -- catches were 538 in 2008 and 597 in 2007 -- often blaming rough seas or factors such as high fuel prices. Opponents say demand for whale meat has fallen in recent years.

ICELAND - Last week caught the first fin whale of a 2009 quota of 150. Reykjavik has sanctioned hunts of 100 minke whales this season. Iceland ended a 20-year ban on commercial whaling in 2006.



ARE WHALES ENDANGERED?

Nearly a quarter of all 44 species of cetaceans -- including whales and dolphins -- are endangered, according to a "Red List" run by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

A 2008 report showed that some large whale species such as the humpback, minke and southern right whales were recovering, helped by curbs on hunts. The minke whale is rated in the category of "least concern" -- meaning it is not a threatened species -- but the fin whale is "endangered".



INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Norway, Iceland, Faroes, Japan and Peru in theory permit trade in whale products despite a ban under the U.N. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Iceland and Norway sold a consignment of meat to Japan in 2008.



-- For Reuters latest environment blogs click on: blogs.reuters.com/environment/

(Editing by Michael Roddy)

2nd year test on Vocabulary UNIT 10

Unit 10

Choose the correct answer:

1- When fruit or other food ( dots – shots – knots – rots ) it is bad to eat .

2- Scientists can ( qualify - modify – clarify – identify ) crops by adding or removing genes.

3- People who do not have enough food to eat may die of ………………….

                             ( starvation – sanitation – determination – nutrition )

4- If you want to grow vegetables, you have to put ………………….. in the ground.

                                ( deeds – needs - seeds – reeds )

5- Farmers earn their money from ( agriculture – culture – feature – literature )

6- Look at the planes. They are ……………. the fields from the air.

                                 ( praying – playing – spraying – staying )

7- Rice is the main ( grade – element – substance - ingredient ) of tonight's dish.

8- We believe that ( volcanic – organic – electronic – titanic ) fruit and vegetables are better for

     you than ones grown with chemical fertilizers.

9- Some people are worried that genetically- ………… crops will bring diseases.

                               ( applied – classified – dried – modified )

10-Farmers use chemical ……………….. to kill insects which attack their crops.

                                ( hormones – antiseptics – antibiotics – pesticides )

11- My brother wants to study ( gene – genetic – genetics – geneticists ) at university .

12-  ( Ripened – Rotten – Raw – Medium ) fruit usually tastes sweet.

13- This tomato is ( ridden – risen – rotten – molten  ) I can't eat it.

14- Scientists have made genetic …………………… to some vegetables.

                    ( qualifications – modifications – classifications – clarifications )

15- Many people were very hungry after the storm. Some even began to ………….

                           ( swerve – serve – starve – observe ).

16- ( Unlike – Alike – Dislike – Look like ) his brother, he's very arrogant.

17- He passed the test and ( so – either – neither – nor ) Did his brother.

18- I wish the weather ( were – was – is – had been ) better yesterday.

19- I'm ( incredibly – unbelievably – fantastically – awufully ) sorry for not coming on time.

20- ( Once - One – Ones – Twice ) I've found somewhere to live I'll send you my address.

21- Every night before going to bed, I ( hope-wish-give-offer)  my mother good night.

22- My brother trained hard for the competition and I ( hope – wish – offer – intend ) he'll win.

23- I ( thought - wish – intend -  hope ) the weather improves soon.

24- I ( insist – hope – wish – intend ) we could meet next week.

25- I wish you ( can – will – may – would ) try listening to me for once.

26- Early farmers saved the seeds of the ( good – rare – died – bad ) plants .

27- Manuscript , ( which written – wrote – written – writing ) by hand are kept in museums .

28- Scientists can change plants or animals that are alike by modifying their ……………..

                           ( cells – molecules – genes – atoms )

29-The camera, ( use – used – uses – using ) at the wedding party , is mine .

30- ( Agriculture – Acupuncture – Archaeology – Ethics ) is the work of growing crops .

31- Genetically( modify – modifying – modified - mode ) is a type of crop changed by scientists

32- To ( spray – prey – pray – pure ) is to make liquid come out in a stream of small drops .

33- ( Insecticides – Pests – Parasites – Pepsi ) is a chemical which kill insects on crops .

34- Containing something that can kill you if you eat or drink it  is ……………………..

                                    ( porous – enormous – delicious -  poisonous  )

35- ( Organic – Inorganic – Unnatural – Artificial ) fruit is safe to eat and delicious .

36- I get my brown hair and eyes from my parents .They are in my (genes – gym – gum – jar )

37- When I grow up , I will study ( genetic – genetical – genetics – genetically )

38-The food in that restaurant is of a very high ( quota – quality – quarter – quit )It is very good.

Find the mistake in each of the following sentences and write it correctly:

1- This land is infertile. It can produce a large number of good crops.

2- Carbons provide our bodies with heat and energy.

3- Protein is an animal which helps us to grow and be healthy.

4- A leaf is the part of a plant from which a new plant of the same kind can grow.

5- Millions of people face salutation because they don't have enough to eat.

6- I hope you good health

7- Farmers earn their money from industry which means growing crops and keeping animals.

8- Look at the planes spreading the fields from the air.

9- Some people believe that organic fruit is better than ones grown with chemical filteration.

10- Some people are worried that genetic modified crops may bring diseases.

11-Don’t eat food from a damaged tin because it is positioned.