The fact that you are reading this means that you care deeplyabout our planet.But where is your effort and money best spent?

can help you find a cause that you will bepassionate about and link you to people who are already fightingfor that cause.

Change-the-future

Human rights

Sumatra

I N D O N E S I A

Borneo

Education

Of all the threatened species, orangutans stand out because of the rate oftheir rush to extinction. Loss of all orangutans would be a true tragedy.Furthermore, orangutan protection programs are based on safeguardingforests and this protection may help many other threatened species at thesame time.

The name “orangutan” literally translates into English as “person of theforest”. Indonesian mythology has it that orangutans have the ability tospeak but choose not to, fearing they would be forced to work if they wereever caught. Legends aside, orangutans are extremelyintelligent creatures who clearly have the ability toreason and think. Their similarity to us is uncanny.They cry when they’re hungry, whimper whenthey’re hurt and express emotions just as we do:joy, fear, surprise. It’s all there. They even share96.4% of their DNA with humans.

In prehistoric times, orangutans lived in rainforeststhroughout Asia. Today, deforestation and the spread ofhumans have limited Asian rainforests to just a few remaining areas inBorneo and Sumatra, but even here the forest is rapidly disappearing.As orangutans are arboreal, which means that they live most of their livesin trees, deforestation could spell the end for all wild orangutans.

For both the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans the situation is now acute.In Borneo, fewer than 40 000 orangutans are believed to remain.In Sumatra, orangutan numbers have been drastically reduced from 12 000in 1993 to only 6500 today. Both species appear on the International Unionfor Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) endangered list. This shows theseriousness of this conservation emergency.

It is clear that orangutans are an invaluable part of the world we share. To avoid their extinction wemust act now. How? The key to saving the orangutan is saving their forest homes.

recommends that readers in Australia give direct assistance to the programs that are trying toprevent forest destruction and to re-forest damaged areas. Our research suggests that while rescuecentres are extremely important, orangutans are best served by saving their true home.

Change-the-future

Visit one of these recommended websites now and start today.changing the future

A truly valuable species

Rapidly heading for extinction

Saving the orangutan!

Environment |

Orangutans

http://redapes.org

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

www.rainforestrescue.org.au

www.palmoilaction.org.au

Orangutans

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2011 Year 7 — Literacy preparation

Reading magazine

ContentsAwesome Automotives......................... 2Secret of the Sirens.............................. 3Change the Future ............................... 4

Greek myths tell of winged creatures known as Sirens, whose enchantingsinging and music lured sailors to crash their ships onto seaside cliffs.The song of the Sirens was said to be so irresistible that it caused the deathsof many people who attempted to sail past their island home. Julia Goldinghas brought these creatures to life by writing a story that uses the idea thatthe Sirens might exist today.

A small blue boat chugged out to the rocks guarding the entrance to the bay.The stone pillars, towering like giants cloaked against the elements, dwarfed thevessel. Col cut the engine some twenty metres short and put on his ear protectors.His passenger, an elderly man with ginger-streaked white hair, sitting with a flaskbalanced on his lap, followed his example. They had rehearsed the next few movesback on shore in the safety of the Anchor Tavern. All they had to do now was waitfor the other two boats to catch up — then they would be ready to face the worst,maybe even death.

Col watched Dr Brock calmly pouring himself some tea. It was a beautiful if breezyevening: the sky was still light, though it was almost nine; a sign that summer wasnot yet forgotten. He wished he could enjoy it as serenely as his passenger, provehis readiness for the test by keeping his nerve under pressure, but he could notstop his heart galloping like a runaway horse as he contemplated the dangersahead. Their mission was vital: they suspected that people had already lost theirlives, lured to their deaths by the irresistible power of the creatures hiding in therocks. There was a distinct possibility that neither he nor Dr Brock would return.In a few minutes, they might be driven out of their senses and drowned in themerciless waters that surrounded them. With this prospect before him, Col gave upon any attempt at tranquillity and allowed himself to shiver as he gripped the wheel.

5

10

15

Casual LofaCasual Lofa

GEN H 4-GEN H 4-

Wind UpWind Up

Casual LofaCasual Lofa

GEN H 4-GEN H 4-

Wind UpWind Up

Awesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesCheck out these original vehicles. From the almost practical,to the downright weird and wacky, these forms of transportare sure to raise eyebrows.

Edd China is an English eccentric, with a passion forcars. He is the creator of a number of extraordinary andwacky vehicles.

Originally built to raise money for a Raleigh Internationalcharity expedition, the Casual Lofa was Edd’s first majorproject of note. In 1998, it set the Guinness WorldRecord for “fastest furniture” at an amazing 140 km/h.

Edd has also invented the Hot Desk, the Robomow andthe Trolleysaurus Rex.

It looks like a circus trick, but this tiny set of wheels couldbe the world's smallest roadworthy car. Roadworthy means

it can be registered as legal to be driven on the road.

The Wind Up, only 99.1 cm high and 66 cm wide,started life as a Postman Pat stationary

children's ride. Car fanatic Perry Watkins hastransformed it into the most compact, if notthe most comfortable, car in the world.

Perry reinforced the fibreglass shell with asteel frame and mounted it on a mini quadbike.

James Bond using a Jet Pack to escape from the badguys in the 007 movie "Thunderball" was cool. Afterseeing something like that, everyone must have thought“if only ...”. Now there is a more practical and comfortablealternative, the GEN H-4 from Gene Corporation inJapan. This is your personal helicopter!

The GEN H-4 can fly to a maximum height of 1000metres at a top speed of 90 km/h for up to 30 minutes.You don’t need a licence to fly the GEN H-4 in Japan andthe inventors claim it is as easy as riding a bicycle.

Casual Lofa

GEN H 4-

Wind Upbeforebefore

afterafter

Awesome Automotives

Casual LofaCasual Lofa

GEN H 4-GEN H 4-

Wind UpWind Up

Casual LofaCasual Lofa

GEN H 4-GEN H 4-

Wind UpWind Up

Awesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesAwesome AutomotivesCheck out these original vehicles. From the almost practical,to the downright weird and wacky, these forms of transportare sure to raise eyebrows.

Edd China is an English eccentric, with a passion forcars. He is the creator of a number of extraordinary andwacky vehicles.

Originally built to raise money for a Raleigh Internationalcharity expedition, the Casual Lofa was Edd’s first majorproject of note. In 1998, it set the Guinness WorldRecord for “fastest furniture” at an amazing 140 km/h.

Edd has also invented the Hot Desk, the Robomow andthe Trolleysaurus Rex.

It looks like a circus trick, but this tiny set of wheels couldbe the world's smallest roadworthy car. Roadworthy means

it can be registered as legal to be driven on the road.

The Wind Up, only 99.1 cm high and 66 cm wide,started life as a Postman Pat stationary

children's ride. Car fanatic Perry Watkins hastransformed it into the most compact, if notthe most comfortable, car in the world.

Perry reinforced the fibreglass shell with asteel frame and mounted it on a mini quadbike.

James Bond using a Jet Pack to escape from the badguys in the 007 movie "Thunderball" was cool. Afterseeing something like that, everyone must have thought“if only ...”. Now there is a more practical and comfortablealternative, the GEN H-4 from Gene Corporation inJapan. This is your personal helicopter!

The GEN H-4 can fly to a maximum height of 1000metres at a top speed of 90 km/h for up to 30 minutes.You don’t need a licence to fly the GEN H-4 in Japan andthe inventors claim it is as easy as riding a bicycle.

Casual Lofa

GEN H 4-

Wind Upbeforebefore

afterafter

Page 2

Secret of the Sirens

Greek myths tell of winged creatures known as Sirens, whose enchantingsinging and music lured sailors to crash their ships onto seaside cliffs.The song of the Sirens was said to be so irresistible that it caused the deathsof many people who attempted to sail past their island home. Julia Goldinghas brought these creatures to life by writing a story that uses the idea thatthe Sirens might exist today.

A small blue boat chugged out to the rocks guarding the entrance to the bay.The stone pillars, towering like giants cloaked against the elements, dwarfed thevessel. Col cut the engine some twenty metres short and put on his ear protectors.His passenger, an elderly man with ginger-streaked white hair, sitting with a flaskbalanced on his lap, followed his example. They had rehearsed the next few movesback on shore in the safety of the Anchor Tavern. All they had to do now was waitfor the other two boats to catch up — then they would be ready to face the worst,maybe even death.

Col watched Dr Brock calmly pouring himself some tea. It was a beautiful if breezyevening: the sky was still light, though it was almost nine; a sign that summer wasnot yet forgotten. He wished he could enjoy it as serenely as his passenger, provehis readiness for the test by keeping his nerve under pressure, but he could notstop his heart galloping like a runaway horse as he contemplated the dangersahead. Their mission was vital: they suspected that people had already lost theirlives, lured to their deaths by the irresistible power of the creatures hiding in therocks. There was a distinct possibility that neither he nor Dr Brock would return.In a few minutes, they might be driven out of their senses and drowned in themerciless waters that surrounded them. With this prospect before him, Col gave upon any attempt at tranquillity and allowed himself to shiver as he gripped the wheel.

5

10

15

Page 3

Change the Future

The fact that you are reading this means that you care deeplyabout our planet.But where is your effort and money best spent?

can help you find a cause that you will bepassionate about and link you to people who are already fightingfor that cause.

Change-the-future

Human rights

Sumatra

I N D O N E S I A

Borneo

Education

Of all the threatened species, orangutans stand out because of the rate oftheir rush to extinction. Loss of all orangutans would be a true tragedy.Furthermore, orangutan protection programs are based on safeguardingforests and this protection may help many other threatened species at thesame time.

The name “orangutan” literally translates into English as “person of theforest”. Indonesian mythology has it that orangutans have the ability tospeak but choose not to, fearing they would be forced to work if they wereever caught. Legends aside, orangutans are extremelyintelligent creatures who clearly have the ability toreason and think. Their similarity to us is uncanny.They cry when they’re hungry, whimper whenthey’re hurt and express emotions just as we do:joy, fear, surprise. It’s all there. They even share96.4% of their DNA with humans.

In prehistoric times, orangutans lived in rainforeststhroughout Asia. Today, deforestation and the spread ofhumans have limited Asian rainforests to just a few remaining areas inBorneo and Sumatra, but even here the forest is rapidly disappearing.As orangutans are arboreal, which means that they live most of their livesin trees, deforestation could spell the end for all wild orangutans.

For both the Bornean and Sumatran orangutans the situation is now acute.In Borneo, fewer than 40 000 orangutans are believed to remain.In Sumatra, orangutan numbers have been drastically reduced from 12 000in 1993 to only 6500 today. Both species appear on the International Unionfor Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) endangered list. This shows theseriousness of this conservation emergency.

It is clear that orangutans are an invaluable part of the world we share. To avoid their extinction wemust act now. How? The key to saving the orangutan is saving their forest homes.

recommends that readers in Australia give direct assistance to the programs that are trying toprevent forest destruction and to re-forest damaged areas. Our research suggests that while rescuecentres are extremely important, orangutans are best served by saving their true home.

Change-the-future

Visit one of these recommended websites now and start today.changing the future

A truly valuable species

Rapidly heading for extinction

Saving the orangutan!

Environment |

Orangutans

http://redapes.org

www.savetheorangutan.org.uk

www.rainforestrescue.org.au

www.palmoilaction.org.au

Orangutans

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Page 4

Acknowledgments

From Secret of the Sirens by Julia Golding (OUP, 2006), excerpted text © Julia Golding 2006, illustrations © David Wyatt, used by permission of Oxford University Press.

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