2.2 EXTREME LIFE - Nature's "Tough Cookies"

 Speaking in front of the people is a little bit hard to me, the reason is the following: I tend to say more things than the necessary or confuse words momentarily. Yeah, I consider myself good enough in writing (English doesn't count at all), but when speaking even I could say odd things... yep, that's me, something to cope with, but by doing this transcription, I can analyze my performing, even if it's the worst you could ever imagine.

NATURE'S "TOUGH COOKIES" - The Natural World (audio)

We often discuss how to preserve endangered species of wildlife but rarely talk about the opposite side of nature: creatures that can survive in extremely difficult environments. So here are four examples of nature's "tough cookies."

Nicaragua's Masaya Volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in Central America. Poisonous gas rises from the volcano. It's an absolutely awful place to live. Yet hundreds of small, green parrots have made it their home. Experts aren't sure how they survive in a habitat that would kill other forms of life, but somehow they've managed to adapt to it.

In Alaska, where temperatures remain below zero for several months, wood frogs survive by freezing. Almost two-thirds of their body water turns to ice. They become very hard and appear to be dead. But in the spring, they thaw out and head straight for the nearest pond.

Super-hot water and poisonous gases boil up from holes in the ocean floor off the coast of Ecuador. This is surely the least suitable environment for anything to live. Yet in and around these holes, various forms of sea life exist. The tiniest and most common are microbes called "extremophiles." Their existence may help explain the origins of life on earth.

The final "tough cookie" has few limits to its territory. Rats are the most adaptable mammal that we know of. They live almost everywhere and recover fast from whatever we do to them. They won't win a popularity contest, but they definitely get the first prize for being super survivors.

Glossary:

adj. adaptable /əˈdæptəbəl/ able to change to suit different situations or environments.

n. animal life /ˈænəməl laɪf/ animals collectively, especially those from a particular area.

n. creature /ˈkriːtʃə(r)/ any large or small living thing that can move independently.

adj. endangered /ɪnˈdeɪndʒə(r)d/ (of animals and plants) that may soon not exist because there are very few now alive.

n. environment /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/ the air, water, and land in or on which people, animals, and plants live; these conditions that you live in.

n. form of life /fɔː(r)m/ type of animal or plant.

n. habitat /ˈhæbətæt/ the natural environments in which an animal or plant usually lives.

n. origin /ˈɑː(ɔː)rɪdʒɪn/ the beginning or cause of something.

n. plant life /plæ(ɑː)nt laɪf/ plants collectively, especially those from a particular area.

adj. poisonous /ˈpɔɪzənəs/ very harmful and able to cause illness or death; (of an animal) that uses poison in order to defend itself.

n. pond /pɑː(ɒ)nd/ an area of water smaller than a lake, often artificially made.

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Transcription:

Nature Tough Cookies. I find it a little fun, right? Because... tough cookies. Uhmm... The first time that you, you read the title, it makes no sense, right? But... then, seeing the insider English that it was below the article, says that: "if you are a tough cookie, you, you don't get easily break in a physically or emotionally way.

So, thinking insightfully, eh, it fits very, very good with the content, because, uh, the content is about the animals that had to adapt in a wildlife, in a wild environment. Uh... and even not, not, not animals exactly, but... every living thing. Because there's an amoeba or a microbe that it, it has to, to live in a very poisonous... and hot environment.

So, it's very interesting to read. Or for example, we all know the rats. The rats live in the whole world. They eat a lot of things. And even they -they eat each other. So, it's like gross. Heh, it's a little gross. Or what about the wood frogs in Alaska? Eh... these frogs literally freeze during winter. Two-thirds of their body turns to ice, so when the spring comes, they thaw and continue living like nothing happened. So, it's very interesting to read. What can I say about this? Uhmm, the nature is beautiful, as well as wild (The worst pronunciation you could ever imagine). So, it's good to know -it's good to know about the nature.

Now that I am able to see... this... I am speechless, hahaha! I feel slightly guilty to laugh at this because it means progress and I know this was not my day, but hey, I don't know what was happening in my head, what in the world was I thinking? I should have practiced way more in this presentation. This demonstrates I was not so confident as I thought, yeah, because not only here I dared to speak in front of the class despite of my slight shyness. I made it to the end at least, but it is a total hesitation issue!