Book Review 2-3 "Deserts"

What are deserts? I thought that they are places which have many sands and there are camels. But in fact, deserts which have only sand are about twenty percents of deserts all over the world. Other deserts have many clays, stones and rocks. I knew that there are many kinds of desert in the world for the first time.


Desert is earth which is so dry and the place which people cannot live in. Earth becomes dry for the balance of water of rain and evaporation. Even if it rains heavily, the earth becomes dry quickly in dry air.


I knew about plants that live in deserts. The main plants are camels and cactuses. Camels are essential for people who live in deserts. People live in deserts ride and transfer to various place of the country on camels. Camels drink little water and eat a few weeds. The key that camels can live without water is humps. Humps of camels are lumps of fat. Camels can live in dry place, because they change fat in humps to water. By the way, dromedary camels are in Africa. And Bactrian camels are in Asia. Cactuses mainly live in America. The key that cactuses can endure dry climates are thorns. The thorns were leaves originally. Cactuses transformed leaves to thorns in order not to lose them water during breathing. And stems of cactuses keep enough water.


I have known a thing about deserts. It is “Desertification”. Desertification is a thing that dry places become still dry. The causes are a change of climate and human activities. And people cannot live there.


I am disappointed at the fact of desertification. I think that deserts are so beautiful, and I want to go there. But if desertification becomes worse and a desert appears close at hand, I will not be able to welcome. We must prevent from desertification absolutely.

[314 words]

Reference
Janet, G. (2002). Deserts. Oxford: Oxford University Press.