What do these phrases mean in this article? (A dictionary and thesaurus will help!)

• determined
• critter
• proceeds on his way
• grazing land
• nutrients
• concentrated
• methane
• biological control

1. What happened to cow dung before dung beetles from overseas were brought to Australia?

2. Why was there no problem with cow dung in Europe and Africa?

3. What do dung beetles do with the dung?

4. What was the first time that people tried to use dung beetles? Was it a success?

5. Who realised that dung beetles could be introduced into Australia?

Here are some extracts from the article. Complete the sentences by filling in the spaces.

Thanks to dung beetles, the enormous __________ of cattle dung pats (also called cattle droppings, or cattle poo) in Australia are steadily being __________.

Every hour, over 12 million cattle __________ pats are dropped onto Australian soil. This __________ that each year, the 30 million cattle in __________ cover over 20,000 square kilometres of grazing __________ with their dung.

Until the arrival of imported dung __________, these cow pats would just dry out __________, and stay on top of the soil for __________, or even years.

Dung beetles just love fresh __________. They shove the dung into their mouths, squeeze it, and __________ the juices that __________ streaming out!

The solid parts of the __________ are squeezed for a second __________ in their jaws, and then swallowed.

If there are __________ eggs that flies might have laid inside __________ dung, this squeezing action kills __________.

Dung, along with everything else that __________ in it, is the major food of the dung beetle.

This article has a number of sections. Each sections has a main point. Work out the main point of these sections and write them here.

The dung beetle

Australia before dung beetles

How dung beetles use dung

How humans use the dung beetle

Think of all the arguments for and against this statement. (To help you, use this article and others that you can find.)

"Biological control is the only way we should try reduce pests."

Use this article, the Internet and libraries to find information on one of these topics:

1. Find out about the dung beetles that have always lived in Australia.

2. Methane production in animals. How much do various animals make? How is it made?

3. The different stages in the life of a dung beetle.

4. Other types of biological control that have been tried. Have they all been successful?

Use the library or the Internet to collect information about the topic. Find at least four different articles or chapters.

Write down about three ideas from each article you find.

You now have about a dozen ideas on this topic. Choose which idea is the most important, which is second-most important, and so on.

Write them in order, from most important to least important.

Write a paragraph to explain each idea.

Write down where you found the information you used. This is your "bibliography".

Be prepared to deliver your report on the date it is due!

• Meanings
• Questions
• Cloze Activity
• Summary
• Debate
• Research
• Instructions to Students
• Teachers' Guide