Active Reading
answer the questions that follow.
fallen tree limbs for fuel,
pulations grow rapidly.
st enough to provide enough
ving trees, which reduces the
h new year. Parts of Africa, Asia,
Section 2: Changing Population Trends
Read the passage below and answer the questions that
many of the poorest countries, wood is the main fuera
When populations are low, people use fallen tree limo
which does not harm the trees. When populations grow
deadwood does not accumulate fast enough to provide enous
fuel. People begin to cut down living trees, which redu
amount of wood available in each new year. Parts Of A
ndia have been cleared of vegetation by people collect
fuelwood.
supply of fuel ensures that a person can boil water and cook
food. In many parts of the world, water taken directly from welis
or public supplies is not safe to drink because it may carry waler-
borne parasites or other diseases. The water can be sterilized by
boiling it, but fuel is needed to do so. Also, food is often unsafe or
harder to digest unless it is cooked. Without enough fuelwood,
many people suffer from discasc and malnutrition.
IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS
One reading skill is the ability to identify the main ideas of a passage. The main
idea is the main focus or kcy idea. Frequently, a main idea is accompanied by
supporting information that offers detailed facts about main ideas.
Read each question and write the answer in the space provided.
1. The main source of fuel for many poorer countries is