The Reading / Listening - Level 2

An abandoned puppy has a new home and a new job. The 7-week-old puppy was left at a baseball stadium in Georgia, USA last week. Someone found it crying in the parking lot. It had no name tag, collar or microchip. The team put a message on its website about the dog, but the owner did not come forward. The team's president, Jared Orton, adopted the puppy and named her Daisy. The lucky pup also has a new job. She is the team's official 'bat dog'. A bat dog takes baseball bats to players, collects balls on the baseball field and pleases the crowd.

Mr Orton said Daisy looked very tired and a little lost. She was also hungry and dehydrated when he took her to the vet, but "was in pretty good health". He told reporters that she might be a little too small to hold a bat in her mouth. He said: "We aren't sure how big she'll get, so it's hard to say if she'll be able to pick up a bat." He added that she will be a regular at the ballpark and will be popular with fans. She will also greet visitors every day at the team's office. Mr Orton said finding Daisy was fate. He said: "It was just meant to be that we'd have a team dog as part of our staff."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Level 0 Level 1   or  Level 3

Sources
  • http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/georgia-baseball-team-adopts-puppy-abandoned-stadium-bat/story?id=39091699
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2016/05/12/a-ridiculously-cute-puppy-found-outside-a-stadium-has-been-adopted-by-the-team/
  • http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/savannah-bananas-bat-dog-daisy-photos-video-gif/qumummnzrngv1df2yf3epjsp8


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. The 7-week-
  2. parking
  3. The team put a message
  4. the owner did not come
  5. named
  6. The lucky pup also
  7. collects balls on
  8. pleases
  1. forward
  2. on its website
  3. the crowd
  4. old puppy
  5. has a new job
  6. the baseball field
  7. lot
  8. her Daisy

Paragraph 2

  1. She was also hungry
  2. in pretty
  3. she might be a little
  4. We aren't sure how
  5. she will be a regular
  6. She will also greet
  7. It was just meant
  8. have a team dog as
  1. good health
  2. to be
  3. at the ballpark
  4. too small
  5. part of our staff
  6. and dehydrated
  7. visitors
  8. big she'll get

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An abandoned puppy (1) ___________________ and a new job. The 7-week-old puppy (2) ___________________ baseball stadium in Georgia, USA last week. Someone found it crying in the parking lot. It had no name tag, (3) ___________________. The team put a message on its website about the dog, but (4) ___________________ come forward. The team's president, Jared Orton, adopted the puppy and named her Daisy. The lucky pup also has a new job. She (5) ___________________ 'bat dog'. A bat dog takes baseball bats to players, collects balls on the baseball field and (6) ___________________.

Mr Orton said Daisy looked very tired (7) ___________________. She was also hungry and dehydrated when he took her to the vet, but "was in (8) ___________________". He told reporters that she might be a little too small to (9) ___________________ her mouth. He said: "We aren't sure how big she'll get, (10) ___________________ if she'll be able to pick up a bat." He added that she will be a regular at the ballpark and will be popular with fans. She will also (11) ___________________ day at the team's office. Mr Orton said finding Daisy was fate. He said: "It was just meant to be that we'd have a team dog (12) ___________________."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anabandonedpuppyhasanewhomeandanewjob.The7-week-oldp
uppywasleftatabaseballstadiuminGeorgia,USAlastweek.Someonef
ounditcryingintheparkinglot.Ithadnonametag,collarormicrochip.Th
eteamputamessageonitswebsiteaboutthedog,buttheownerdidnotco
meforward.Theteam'spresident,JaredOrton,adoptedthepuppyandn
amedherDaisy.Theluckypupalsohasanewjob.Sheistheteam'sofficial
'batdog'.Abatdogtakesbaseballbatstoplayers,collectsballsonthebas
eballfieldandpleasesthecrowd.MrOrtonsaidDaisylookedverytiredan
dalittlelost.Shewasalsohungryanddehydratedwhenhetookhertothe
vet,but"wasinprettygoodhealth".Hetoldreportersthatshemightbeali
ttletoosmalltoholdabatinhermouth.Hesaid:"Wearen'tsurehowbigsh
e'llget,soit'shardtosayifshe'llbeabletopickupabat."Headdedthatshe
willbearegularattheballparkandwillbepopularwithfans.Shewillalsogr
eetvisitorseverydayattheteam'soffice.MrOrtonsaidfindingDaisywas
fate.Hesaid:"Itwasjustmeanttobethatwe'dhaveateamdogaspartofo
urstaff."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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