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New species in North America

Hundreds of different species of plants and animals have arrived in the United States. This
number has increased greatly as travel and business have increased. Some of these new "residents"
have caused problems for agriculture or for the environment. The Mediterranean fruit fly, for example, arrived in California on some imported fruit in 1970s. In its original home in the Mediterranean
area, it had never caused much damage. In California, however, it multiplied very quickly. Soon the
California fruit industry was in trouble1. The government had to take serious measures, including
using lots of chemicals to try to kill the flies. However, they have not managed2 to get rid of the fly
altogether3.
Summary: Many foreign animals and plants arrived to United states thanks to the increase
of travels, being dangerous, for example, the mediterranean flies that caused damage to the fruit
industry.
Another example of an animal that has recently settled4 in North America is the zebra mussel5. This shellfish6 was first discovered in Great Lakes in 1986. It may come over7 from Russia on a
cargo ship. In a very few years zebra mussels had spread8 over all the Great Lakes and into many
important rivers. They have grown into thick9 masses, covering many areas of lakes or river bottoms.
They have also covered and closed up pipes for power stations and water treatment centers. Government officials say that the that the mussels have caused many millions of dollars worth10 of
damage.
Summary: The zebra mussel that caused many millions dollars worth of damage to the government of United States.
Sometimes the damage caused by an inmmigrant species is not measurable11 in dollars. It
may not harm12 us directly, but it may change the environment. And that may cause problems for
the plants or animals that were living there before. Loosestrife is a plant that came to North America
some time in the 19th century. It may have been carried13 as seeds on the back of some sheep from
Europe. Or someone may have brought the seeds to plant in their garden. In any case, loosestrife
now grows along rivers and lakes all over North America. It is a pretty plant, with a purple or pink
flower. But when a lot of lossestrife grows in one place, other plants cannot grow there. The birds

Dificultad, problema.
Manejado, logrado.
3
Totalmente
4
instalado
5
Mejilln.
6
Marisco.
7
Pasarse
8
Extenderse.
9
Grueso, abundante
10
Valor.
11
medible
12
daar
13
llevar
2

and small animals that depend on those other plants cannot stay there, either. As loosestrife
spreads, they may have trouble finding any place to live and they may beging to disappear.
Summary: the foreign plants may change the animals habitat without leave them to live
appropiately.

Summary: The travels and business have brought foreign animals and plants that cause damage for agricultural industry, to the economy and to the environment of United States.

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