The reading and the listening are both about the causes of the extinction of a marine mammal known as Steller's sea cow. The author of the article presents three theories about the sea cow's extinction reasons. However, the speaker contradicts all the three theories made in the text. In his opinion, they are fallacious.
Firstly, according to the reading, sea cows had a lot of flesh and were hunted aggressively for meat by the native people of Berind Island. However, the speaker challenges this specific claim. He claims that the sea cows were massive in size, and the population of the island was small. Further, he points out that one cow could have served the population for more than a month, so hunting is not the reason for the sea cow's extinction.
Secondly, the writer suggests that the sea cow's food, Kelp, was diminished in quantity because of the environmental changes, and sea cows died due to starvation. The lecturer, however, asserts that there was no significant evidence of Kelp's shortage. Furthermore, he elaborates on this by saying that even though there was a shortage of Kelp, other sea mammals like whales were not affected, so this was not the reason for the sea cow's extinction.
Finally, the author posits that European fur traders killed a lot of the sea cows. In contrast, the speaker's stance is that the sea cow's population was declining before the European's arrival. Moreover, he puts forth the idea that something else that happened before the arrival of European caused the extinction of sea cows.
The reading and the listening are both about the causes of the extinction of a marine mammal known as
Steller
's
sea
cow
. The author of the article presents three theories about the
sea
cow's
extinction reasons.
However
, the speaker contradicts all the three theories made in the text. In his opinion, they are fallacious.
Firstly
, according to the reading,
sea
cows
had
a lot of
flesh and
were hunted
aggressively
for meat by the native
people
of
Berind
Island.
However
, the speaker challenges this specific claim. He claims that the
sea
cows
were
massive in size
, and the population of the island was
small
.
Further
, he points out that one
cow
could have served the population for more than a month,
so
hunting is not the reason for the
sea
cow's
extinction.
Secondly
, the writer suggests that the
sea
cow's
food, Kelp,
was diminished
in quantity
because
of the environmental
changes
, and
sea
cows
died
due to starvation. The lecturer,
however
, asserts that there was no significant evidence of Kelp's shortage.
Furthermore
, he elaborates on this by saying that
even though
there was a shortage of Kelp, other
sea
mammals like whales were not
affected
,
so
this was not the reason for the
sea
cow's
extinction.
Finally
, the author posits that European fur traders killed
a lot of
the
sea
cows
.
In contrast
, the speaker's stance is that the
sea
cow's
population was declining
before
the European's arrival.
Moreover
, he puts forth the
idea
that something else that happened
before
the arrival of European caused the extinction of
sea
cows
.