TAPESCRIPT

In many parts of the United States, large areas of land have been made into national parks to protect and preserve the natural beauty of the land. National parks usually contain a variety of scenic features, such as mountains, caves, lakes, rare animals and plants. Today, there are 52 national parks in the United States, covering approximately 3 per cent of the total land area of the country. National parks are open to the public and have million of visitors every year.

Many national parks, however, are in danger of being destroyed. Rare animals in national parks are killed or hunted for fur, skin or other parts. Trees are cut down for wood. Large areas of national parks also experience devastating fires caused by careless people. The increasing number of visitors is harming the parks due to the pollution from their vehicles.

If these problems are not solved immediately, and if there is not enough money for the parks’ staff and maintenance of their resources, many national parks will be completely destroyed.