In this set of materials, the reading and the listening passage both describe the pros and cons of living in the dessert area. The author of the reading thinks that it is a bad idea, however, the lecturer thinks it has its own beauty and people can live in the dessert as long as they follow some rules to protect the environment.
The reading passage describes the desserts as dry regions with little plants, yet home to a wide range of species adapted to the arid environment. It says that dessert is “very sensitive to change and intrusion,” therefore, warning that people developing the dessert area will cause much damage. However in the listening passage, the lecturer says that developers in the dessert area do not develop without considering the effects of the devlopment. They put restrictions and rules as to development and also try to regulate it. It says that there is a community that developed thinking about protecting the environment and has been a success because the species in the dessert and people coexist. Furthermore, in the reading, it worries that the overuse of the groundwater will eventually kill the species and plants. However, the professor mentions that the water supply at the dessert is very low, therefore, the residents are prohibited putting grass lawns, instead they can put in native plants such as Arizona rose woods. This will put the restriction in the amount of water use. Moreover, the reading explains that the developments will expose the desert animals in danger, even to the point of extinction. However, the lecturer maintains that the community developed in non-sensitive regions of the desert has been a success and will coexist and preserve the delicate ecosystem of the desert. Therefore, saying that the desert can be and is already a wonderful surrounding for humans to live with preserving the presence of the environment. |