Reading / Leitura - Cow threat

Na sua opinião, se surgisse uma notícia dizendo que as vacas prejudicam o meio ambiente, as pessoas estariam dispostas a parar de comer carne? Pois é, este Text reading fala justamente sobre esse assunto, bovinos e a produção de lixo ambiental, um assunto pouquíssimo divulgado.Take a look!

Cow threat

Cows are walking machines. They transform raw materials (grass, hay, water and feed) into finished products (milk, beef, leather, and so on).

As any factory, cows produce waste. Solid waste is eliminated through the rear end of these “complex machines”, and is used as fertilizer.

The fermentation process in their four stomachs produces gas. These walking machines have two chimneys: one in the front end, the other in the rear end. Gaseous emissions through the front end chimney are called burps. Cows burp a lot. Every minute and a half. These burps release methane gas. Methane is dangerous to the planet because it contributes to the greenhouse effect.

The world population is growing very fast. That means there are more people eating beef. Consequently, there is more cattle – more walking machines – producing more methane gas.

This is the problem, but very few people want to change their eating habits. What about you?

Answer the questions in Portuquese. Find the answers in the text.

Responda as questões em português. Encontre as respostas no texto.

1.       Por que o autor diz que as vacas são máquinas que andam?

2.       Qual é o problema do crescimento dos rebanhos de gado?

3.       O que acontece quando uma vaca arrota?

Fonte:  Graded English - Prescher, Elisabeth; Pasqualin, Ernest; Amos, Eduardo- pág. 26

Thanks for reading.

See ya!